chapter 53
Gu Qingning glanced at the problems on the blackboard and began writing without a second thought.
While everyone was surprised at how quickly she solved the problems, what shocked them even more was her messy handwriting.
Even illegible scribbles would look neater than hers.
The saying “handwriting reflects the person” seemed, in this case, not entirely reliable.
As their eyes followed her problem-solving steps, the struggling students suddenly felt as if a fog had lifted from their minds.
Previously, when they looked at the teacher’s solutions, they thought they understood them, yet when a similar question appeared later, they still couldn’t solve it.
But the answers Gu Qingning wrote were unorthodox yet simple and clear, making them much easier to comprehend.
By this time, she had already finished writing all the answers.
After seeing them, everyone felt like their eyes had gone blind.
Couldn’t she write a little more neatly?
Capping her pen, Gu Qingning put it down and looked up at Feng Mei. “Teacher, I’m done.”
Feng Mei glanced at the blackboard and indeed couldn’t find a single mistake.
She lifted her chin slightly, her eyes flashing with a hint of disdain, and said with a sharp edge, “It’s not surprising that you can solve such simple problems. Although you scored full marks on the grade-skipping exam, that doesn’t mean you should be arrogant and ignore classroom discipline.”
In front of everyone, Feng Mei directly criticized her.
“The primary task in senior year is to prepare for the college entrance exam. A good learning environment is very important—don’t let your actions spoil the classroom atmosphere for everyone else.”
Gu Qingning sat up straight, listening with an indifferent expression.
For some reason, she felt that this person had a strong hostility toward her.
Yet, in her memory, she didn’t seem to know this person at all.
“Even if you know all these questions, you still need to pay attention while sitting down. Don’t disrupt the other students.” After saying this, Feng Mei waved her hand with a self-righteous expression.
“Go back to your seat.”
Gu Qingning said nothing and walked back to her desk.
Leaning back, her half-lidded eyes glanced at the woman still lecturing at the podium, a trace of amusement flickering across her gaze.
As soon as class ended, the classroom became lively again.
Sun Qiaoqiao, looking at the daydreaming girl beside her, asked cautiously, “Qingning, could you explain this question to me?”
The girl’s onyx-black eyes turned to look at her.
Her voice was lazy. “Which one?”
Sun Qiaoqiao breathed a sigh of relief and smilingly pushed her workbook forward.
She tapped the question with her pen. “This one.”
Gu Qingning glanced at it and asked calmly, “Do you have scrap paper?”
“Yes.”
Sun Qiaoqiao handed her the notebook along with a pen.
Gu Qingning picked up the pen and explained the problem-solving process while writing.
“The tangent of function f(x) at X=1…”
Her cool voice, slowed for emphasis, carried a casual charm that captivated listeners.
Though not usually swayed by voices, Sun Qiaoqiao found herself almost bewitched.
Unintentionally, a few classmates gathered around to listen as well.
“Dong-ge, can I listen too?” A boy sitting beside Yao Dong asked with a flattering smile.
Now the whole class knew that Yao Dong and Gu Qingning had a private grudge, so some students didn’t dare approach her casually.
Yao Dong shot him a glare and said irritably, “Which question don’t you get? Give it to me, I’ll explain it.”
Though a bit rough, Yao Dong’s grades were above average; except for Chinese and English, his other subjects were quite strong.
“Dong-ge, the girl explains things more clearly.” The boy forced a laugh and said diplomatically.
He held up two fingers seriously. “I’m just going to listen, not betraying you. I swear I’m on your side.”
Yao Dong slapped the back of his head, laughing in exasperation. “You swear with two fingers?”
All these words were just excuses—he clearly had a crush.
The boy laughed awkwardly. “Wrong, I’ll swear properly this time.”
Yao Dong sneered, “Go, go, go. Listen to whoever you want.”
“Got it.” The boy saluted him and quickly moved toward Gu Qingning.
Chu Xu turned around, shaking his test paper, a sly smile on his face. “Dongzi, how about explaining the question to me?”
Yao Dong rolled his eyes and pretended to throw a punch. “Looking for trouble?”
Chu Xu wasn’t afraid. Placing his hands on the desk, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. “A real man should be generous. Besides, she was sitting fine on the bus—you grabbing her notebook was unfair.”
“I think the girl’s easy to get along with. Why not turn hostility into friendship?”
Though she seemed aloof, she actually had no airs and was quite approachable.
Yao Dong snorted, mocking, “What, speaking for her just because she’s pretty?”
Chu Xu raised an eyebrow and said casually, “She’s already pretty. I’m just being reasonable, not partial.”
“Enough chatter.” Yao Dong, clearly impatient, left the classroom through the back door.
Chu Xu clicked his tongue at his bad temper.
His eyes scanned the messy writing on the blackboard, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
It was uglier than his own handwriting.
…
The morning passed quickly. By the fourth period, Gu Qingning was starting to feel lightheaded from hunger.
As soon as class ended, she headed straight to the cafeteria.
Just as she finished getting her meal, someone called her from behind.
“Qingning.”
She looked up to see several familiar faces from her class, including her deskmate, Sun Qiaoqiao.
Sun Qiaoqiao squeezed through the crowd, her round face beaming. “Qingning, it’s hard to get a spot here. Come sit with us over there.”
She paused, then added, “Don’t worry, it’s all classmates.”
Gu Qingning scanned the crowded cafeteria and decisively nodded.
Sun Qiaoqiao’s eyes curved into a smile as she walked, saying, “Our class usually eats at school for lunch. Over time, everyone just gathers together.”
Gu Qingning listened silently.
They arrived at a corner by the window. Both rows of seats were filled with classmates from Class C.
Seeing the group behind Sun Qiaoqiao, Chu Xu and his friends were a little surprised.
They had thought “gathering together” meant just a few people, but it turned out to be the whole class.
Gu Qingning’s eyes narrowed slightly, suddenly feeling a little regretful for following.
Sun Qiaoqiao gestured, “Qingning, come sit here.”
Gu Qingning carried her tray and walked over, taking the empty seat beside her.
