Wang Qiqi certainly knew Shi Man would find the news she shared strange; that was precisely her intent—to sow doubt in Shi Man’s mind regarding Huang Li's behavior. Hmph, in her past life, didn't Huang Li constantly accuse her of being too involved with boys? Well, this time, she’d return the favor. You’ve always been lecturing the class about the evils of early romance, haven't you? If any boy and girl got a bit too close, you’d immediately suggest they were involved. But what would everyone think of the so-called talented scholar, the emotional iceberg who famously rejected countless love letters from male admirers, if they knew she was like this? Wang Qiqi was eagerly awaiting that moment.

Wang Qiqi picked up the last grape, turned her head to look at Huang Li, extended her tongue to lick the grape clean, then popped it into her mouth before flashing a knowing, meaningful smile at her. Just as expected, she saw the darkness in Huang Li's eyes—the look reserved for a mortal enemy—suddenly shift to one of pure panic, before Wang Qiqi triumphantly turned back around.

Wang Qiqi knew Huang Li was still maintaining a good facade; she hadn't even written a love letter to Gao Kai, making her admiration for him a well-hidden secret. However, Wang Qiqi, reborn, knew Huang Li's true nature. Since Huang Li had tried to bury her when she was down in the previous life, Wang Qiqi certainly wouldn't mind manufacturing some trouble for her now. Moreover, considering Huang Li’s academic success—it wasn't as effortlessly achieved as she claimed, but rather the result of hiring private tutors and studying late every night—she had a significant flaw: she was highly susceptible to external influence.

If everyone knew Huang Li was crushing on Gao Kai, how long could she maintain her smug posture while lecturing classmates about early romance? If someone simply interjected with, "Well, aren't you also fond of Gao Kai?"—could she still posture so arrogantly? Secondly, if Wang Qiqi started generously helping classmates with their math homework in class, eliminating Huang Li’s perceived advantage in that area, would Huang Li’s mood improve? Combining these factors, could her composure remain stable? Was it possible for trouble not to brew? Wang Qiqi truly looked forward to the feeling of watching Huang Li fall from her pedestal.

That sensation must be exhilarating, Wang Qiqi thought rather uncharitably, considering Huang Li’s potential downfall. If her grades slipped, maybe she could end up at the same university as someone. Thinking this, Wang Qiqi genuinely congratulated herself on being such a good person—a truly, exceptionally good person.

Shi Man noticed the way Wang Qiqi looked at Huang Li before turning away; her expression was truly strange. It was hard to describe, but it gave off an almost demonic vibe, or perhaps the sense that she was plotting something detrimental, specifically targeting Huang Li.

“You’re planning to deal with Huang Li, aren’t you?” Although phrased as a question, Shi Man was certain Wang Qiqi intended to do just that.

“Don’t you find her utterly detestable?” Wang Qiqi didn't see anything wrong with her actions. “Besides, she’s always acting so superior, so utterly flawless. Doesn’t that just make her infuriating?”

Shi Man nodded. “She is quite irritating.” To be honest, Shi Man was growing weary of Huang Li’s attitude. You aren't a teacher, nor are you a class monitor; is it necessary to point fingers at everyone else? Even if your grades are excellent, so what? If someone else is dating early, how does that concern you?

Huang Li had no idea Wang Qiqi knew about her feelings for Gao Kai. She only thought Wang Qiqi was acting weird. Perhaps since her parents passed away, her mind has become a little unstable? Huang Li tried to console herself this way. If the plotting Wang Qiqi, currently concocting schemes against her, knew what she thought, Wang Qiqi would surely slam the table and angrily retort that Huang Li was the one with the mental instability.

Perhaps because Wang Qiqi had missed so much class, many teachers paid extra attention to her performance during lessons, observing her expressions. This was most pronounced with the math teacher during the last period.

Math teacher Xia Liben read out the problem, while everyone below diligently noted it down in their practice books—though everyone recorded simplified versions, as rushing to finish the teacher’s assignment was paramount, or they would only suffer the consequences themselves. Wang Qiqi was no exception, recording the problem in quick shorthand.

As Xia Liben recited the question, he kept glancing toward Wang Qiqi with a look of suspicion. He hadn't taught the third period, using that time to grade yesterday's homework. Xia Liben had a good sense of most students' work based on their usual math scores—who did the work themselves and who copied—but two students in particular left him uncertain this time. Moreover, both shared a remarkably similar approach to problem-solving, and they happened to be sitting together, making Wang Qiqi the primary suspect.

“Wang Qiqi, for this problem, tell us how you plan to approach solving it. Just outline your thinking process,” Math teacher Xia Liben raised his eyes slightly and called on Wang Qiqi to explain her method.

Xia Liben's intention was clear: if Wang Qiqi could articulate the solution process, the likelihood she completed yesterday's homework independently was higher. If not, it implied she sought help from someone smarter, possibly someone outside the school.

Wang Qiqi finished recording the outline of the problem and lowered her head to consider the solution. Just as she was about to pick up her pen, she heard Xia Liben call her name to explain the thinking process. This surprised Wang Qiqi quite a bit.

It wasn't just Wang Qiqi who found it strange that Xia Liben called her up; many in the class thought it odd too. Normally, to save time, Teacher Xia only called on high-achieving students to answer, offering a brief supplement afterward. Whether others understood was not addressed in class. Wang Qiqi belonged to the category of students who would literally never be called upon by Teacher Xia.

Huang Li was secretly delighted when Teacher Xia called on Wang Qiqi. She thought the moment for Wang Qiqi to make a fool of herself was finally here. For the first problem, Huang Li hadn't even grasped the initial concept; she was certain Wang Qiqi wouldn't be able to answer it. However, she couldn't help but wonder why the math teacher would call on her. Had the teacher graded yesterday's homework, discovered something fishy, and grown suspicious of her work? Either way, as long as Wang Qiqi was humiliated in front of the entire class, it would serve its purpose.

Shi Man couldn't help but cast a worried glance at Qiqi. Although she knew Qiqi had been diligently reviewing math at home lately, the teacher's questions weren't always easy to crack.

Wang Qiqi smiled at Shi Man. Even though the teacher calling on her indicated suspicion, the problem, truth be told, wasn't that difficult. If the teacher had the audacity to ask her about the later problems, then she would truly be in trouble, wouldn't she?

Seeing Wang Qiqi still manage a smile for her, Shi Man could only sigh internally. At a time like this, she was still smiling at me! Perhaps this specific problem was easy for her, even if it was difficult for me. But even if she couldn't answer, the teacher wouldn't get angry.

Wang Qiqi stood up unhurriedly and articulated her entire thought process. As Wang Qiqi spoke, Xia Liben's expression slowly relaxed.

Although this problem wasn't highly challenging, Xia Liben knew that given Wang Qiqi’s previous capability, solving it wasn't impossible. However, she wouldn't have conceived of a breakthrough strategy in such a short amount of time. What shocked Xia Liben most was that in such brief moments, Wang Qiqi had devised the simplest and clearest method of solving it. How could this fail to astonish him?

Not only Xia Liben, but many in the class, aside from Shi Man, looked at Wang Qiqi with expressions of utter disbelief. They knew Wang Qiqi had completed the homework yesterday, and the process was clear and concise. But they all suspected it wasn't solely her work—perhaps she had guidance from a top student or a tutor. Yet here she was, solving the problem in class, and doing so with the same concise clarity as yesterday's homework. Could it truly be that Wang Qiqi had done the homework entirely on her own? Everyone began to consider this possibility.

Huang Li had been eagerly anticipating someone's humiliation, but instead, she witnessed Wang Qiqi steal the spotlight. Answering a question was one thing, but why did she have to be so flamboyant? Such a child, given birth to but never taught manners, Huang Li thought with resentment. She was furious, even though the teacher hadn't explicitly confirmed Wang Qiqi’s answer was correct; his pleased expression made it clear he was satisfied with her response.

After Wang Qiqi finished explaining, Xia Liben did not immediately tell her to sit down. “Although Wang Qiqi took an extended leave recently, her answer just now clearly shows that she has been diligently studying at home during that time. But look at the rest of you—you attend class every day, yet show no improvement. I honestly don’t know what you all do during my lectures. You all seem to have completed the daily homework, but what is the final result? You know better than I do. You are all high school sophomores now; do you find copying homework interesting?”

The class was stunned that the teacher used Wang Qiqi as a prime example to lecture them all. Now, some resentment toward Wang Qiqi stirred in their hearts. Previously, everyone was on a certain level—some good, some lagging behind. But now, someone who had been absent for such a long period suddenly surged forward upon returning to school. How were they supposed to interact now? The way they looked at Wang Qiqi instantly changed, becoming somewhat unfriendly.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Xia Liben, that old fox, to drag her out as a model student. While his intentions might have been good—to motivate everyone to study harder—the critical issue was that this made her classmates assume she was deliberately showing off. What would happen to her popularity now?

Wang Qiqi could only lament her bad luck. What choice did she have? Should she apologize to the teacher and say, “Sorry, Teacher, my grades suddenly improved because I found a top-tier expert to tutor me”? That would be signing her own death warrant.

Huang Li’s mood improved drastically upon hearing Teacher Xia’s words. She thought to herself, Let you be smug, let you be smug. Hmph, let’s see how you manage to get along in class after this.