In the two days since he transmigrated into the book, the students of No. 3 High had all gained considerably more flexible necks.
Ordinary students had little interest in the physics problem Xia Siqiao explained on the podium, but it had caused quite a stir among the high achievers.
Top students were usually proud of themselves. A competition problem they had racked their brains over without finding a solution had been casually used by Xia Siqiao to attract attention, as nothing more than a tool in his pursuit of romance.
This was intolerable. Xia Siqiao had insulted God Pei…
And the greatness of physics itself.
During the break, Xia Siqiao went to the bathroom to wash his face.
The autumn water was slightly cold. The chill seeped through his skin and left him feeling much more awake and refreshed.
He raised his head and slowly looked at the beta boy in the mirror who was glaring furiously at him through a fairly thick pair of glasses.
He thought for a moment. He definitely did not know this person, and the original owner did not seem to have had any connection with him either.
Water droplets slid down Xia Siqiao's elegant profile and dripped toward his neck. Xia Siqiao casually wiped his face, raised a brow at the other boy, and asked, "Something wrong?"
Zhao Zhihuan had always been arrogant and proud. Seeing that Xia Siqiao even dared ask him first, he immediately shouted indignantly, "Xia Siqiao, you really have no shame. You bought the answer to a competition problem and then dared show off in public. You're really trying every trick you can think of to seduce He Pei. He Pei would never fall for this act of yours!"
Alphas, betas, and boys who had not yet presented could all use this men's restroom, so quite a few people were inside at the moment. The boys who had been relieving themselves, mocking one another, or joking around all stopped what they were doing and looked at the two of them together.
Xia Siqiao calmly looked him up and down, then asked, "Are your grades very good, do you like He Pei, or is it both?"
Zhao Zhihuan's face flushed red when Xia Siqiao struck directly at his secret. Gritting his teeth, he pointed at Xia Siqiao. "What's it to you? Who do you think you are? You actually dared run onto the podium and explain a problem to He Pei. Don't you think you look like a clown?"
Xia Siqiao lost his patience.
He was genuinely tired of hearing his name linked with He Pei's. After all, the original owner had spent so much effort fawning over He Pei that he had literally ended up with nothing, his ending bleak and miserable.
He looked at the finger Zhao Zhihuan was pointing at him. His tone remained calm, but his voice was cold as though edged with a blade. He raised one index finger. "First, don't point at me when you speak. It makes me want to teach you some manners."
Zhao Zhihuan awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Xia Siqiao raised another finger. "Second, if you think I'm a hopeless student who has no right to explain a problem, sorry, but you're not qualified to judge me."
He changed his hand gesture again and pressed his lips together, his beautiful eyes now filled with violent irritation. "Third, maybe I used to admire He Pei a little. But people change, don't they? I don't like him anymore."
The statement landed with absolute force. Everyone stared at him in disbelief, and Xia Siqiao continued, "I know you'll go out and talk about this as soon as I'm done. That's fine. Please pass the message along for me too. I'm only saying this once. From now on, if anyone mentions this matter in front of me again…"
He pressed his knuckles, and his pale, slender fingers immediately produced a series of sharp cracks. "I don't have a very good temper. I hope you'll forgive me."
"Do you understand now, Student Whose-Name-I-Don't-Know?" Xia Siqiao looked at Zhao Zhihuan.
Zhao Zhihuan had been intimidated by Xia Siqiao's presence and no longer dared mention He Pei, so he clung to the topic of grades instead. "Why am I not qualified? I rank second in the grade. Aren't I infinitely better than you?"
In the novel, first place in the grade had always been monopolized by He Pei. So the boy in front of him must be that unlucky fellow who ranked second but still trailed He Pei by dozens of points.
Xia Siqiao gave a soft scoff. "Second in the grade? You won't be after the next exam."
"Heh. If I'm not, are you going to be? You still haven't woken up, have you?" Zhao Zhihuan said.
Xia Siqiao nodded. "Relax completely. I'll definitely score higher than you."
Zhao Zhihuan thought Xia Siqiao had completely lost his mind, but there was no reason to reject a free opportunity. "Fine. I'd like to see where all that confidence comes from. Do you dare bet on the next monthly exam?"
Xia Siqiao leaned back against the sink with both hands braced behind him, knees slightly bent, contempt written plainly in his eyes. "Say the terms."
"The loser has to admit in front of the entire school that he's trash and useless, then transfer out voluntarily." Zhao Zhihuan's eyes shifted before settling on him.
"Then it's settled." Indifferently, Xia Siqiao turned and switched on the tap again, too lazy to spare Zhao Zhihuan another glance.
Zhao Zhihuan looked at him with the smugness of someone whose goal had been achieved. When Xia Siqiao ignored him, he gave a soft snort after a while and left. The others hurried off to spread the new gossip, and the restroom soon fell quiet.
Water splashed into Xia Siqiao's eyes and stung slightly. He rubbed them with one hand as he walked out.
He had taken only a couple of steps when a voice from behind a stall door made him stop.
"You'd better keep your word about what you just said."
He Pei walked out of the stall, leaned against the windowsill, and casually tossed an empty suppressant vial into the trash. His movements were relaxed and elegant.
Apparently, he had heard that entire conversation clearly.
Xia Siqiao turned to look at him, then suddenly smiled, revealing a small canine tooth. Sunlight squeezed in from outside past He Pei and reflected in Xia Siqiao's amber pupils. "I keep my word."
With that, he strode out of the restroom.
Because of the bet, Xia Siqiao became much more serious during the remaining days before the monthly exam. He had originally been in Grade 12, while the body's original owner was in Grade 11, so none of this material was unfamiliar to him.
He had skipped two grades and had only just turned sixteen, actually a year younger than the original owner.
Previously, he had sprawled loosely across his desk and slept through class every day. Now he spent most lessons listening seriously.
After class, Lin Huai handed Xia Siqiao a notebook.
Confused, Xia Siqiao took it and opened it. The pages were densely packed with notes.
Lin Huai dug out several more notebooks and shoved them at him, speaking in an irritated tone. "You think listening in class for a few dozen minutes every day is enough to suddenly overtake Zhao Zhihuan? Do you really think you're some genius?"
Xia Siqiao lay over his desk with his wrist against the side of his face, casually flipping through the pages without committing either way. "Maybe I am."
Lin Huai had done everything he reasonably could. He shook his head and stopped bothering with him.
Xia Siqiao's bet with the top student once again sent the students of No. 3 High into a frenzy. Of course, the most exciting thing to them was still that he had personally declared he no longer liked He Pei.
Xia Siqiao had warned everyone, and the memory of his fight with the school bully still carried enough force that no one actually came to his face looking for trouble. Without hesitation, they all swiftly relocated the discussion to the school forum.