Chapter 54 Extra Four

Chapter 54 Extra Four

◎ Making a Name in One Fight ◎

"Then you must have been involved! All of you will get write-ups later!"

The principal swept his furious gaze over the dispersing crowd. "Whoever was fighting had better step forward. This is a school, not a street corner. You actually gathered here for a fight? What time do you think it is?! There are only thirty days left until the college entrance exams. Don't you have any sense of urgency at all?! This is outrageous!"

So many people had seen it; there was no way to hide it. Su Mi reluctantly stepped forward. "Teacher, I was the one who hit him. But he was the one who bullied me first, a girl, and disturbed my studying. I was forced to defend myself."

Seeing Su Mi step forward, the principal's expression turned even uglier. "What's your name, and who are you trying to protect? If you don't tell the truth, you'll get a write-up too!"

"Mimi!"

Zuo Yue suddenly ran out from behind a tree and then looked seriously at the principal. "Teacher, it was all Qi Yuan disturbing our studies. That's why Mimi fought back. He doesn't want to study or take the exams himself, so he disturbs us who are trying to prepare. He's a plague on this school!"

Remembering that Zuo Yue was ranked first in the entire grade, the principal's expression became even more severe. He hadn't expected the top student to be involved in this nonsense too.

"You're saying she hit Qi Yuan? Her? How could *she* have hit Qi Yuan?" The principal pointed at Su Mi and scolded, "The person who was fighting had better step forward themselves. Hiding behind a girl says a lot about your character. If they don't come out now, they'll face expulsion!"

Some students who hadn't left yet could only look at Su Mi in unison. "Teacher... we all saw it. It was her who hit Qi Yuan."

Now he had lost all face, both publicly and privately. Qi Yuan's expression turned extremely ugly. He immediately covered his pounding head and started to leave.

But the principal grabbed him. "Where do you think you're going—"

Qi Yuan gritted his teeth and shot him a cold sidelong glance. "I'm going to the infirmary. Do you want to come along?"

Used to his defiant attitude, the principal could only let go. He instructed Zhou Huai to keep an eye on him and bring everyone to the office to explain the incident clearly once he was bandaged up.

Seeing everyone point at Su Mi, the principal's expression grew complicated instead. Qi Yuan had always been unruly at school, but his father had funded a teaching building. So even when he skipped classes, the administration had to turn a blind eye.

But now he was ganging up with others to bully a girl? It showed just how bad the school's atmosphere had become. A girl beat him up like this? How could he even say that out loud?

Back in his office, he questioned several groups of students who had witnessed the fight. However, their stories all consistently pointed to Su Mi. His heart sank. When had the school become Qi Yuan's personal fiefdom? It was clearly because teachers like him had been negligent in supervision.

By 8 PM, the office was filled with everyone involved in the afternoon's group fight, including homeroom teachers from several classes. Especially the homeroom teacher of Class Three; seeing Qi Yuan stirring up trouble again, she was completely fed up.

"You all say Su Mi was the one who hit him. Fine, I'll accept that it was Su Mi. I've also seen the post on the school forum. I heard Qi Yuan was the one who actively sought out Su Mi for a fight? Is that what happened?" The principal's sharp gaze swept over the group.

Feeling he was always full of nonsense, Qi Yuan leaned lazily back in his chair, not even giving him a glance. "Stop the chatter. Just give the write-up or expulsion. This has nothing to do with anyone else."

If he lost a fight and then pinned it on a girl, he might as well call himself a useless coward.

Seeing his sloppy attitude, the principal took several deep breaths. He had just called Qi Yuan's father, who kept apologizing but said he didn't have time to come to the school. It was clear that being busy with work and neglecting his child's education had fostered Qi Yuan's rebellious nature.

"Fine. Since you admit it yourself, you will read a statement of apology at the school assembly next Monday. For now, apologize to Student Su Mi." The principal said sternly.

Although he couldn't pinpoint who actually hit Qi Yuan, he couldn't really let a female student take the blame. That would be a great injustice.

"Impossible!" Qi Yuan didn't even glance at him.

Seeing this, the usually quiet Zuo Yue couldn't help but speak up. "Have you forgotten the bet you made? You should kneel and call Mimi 'grandma.' Are you even a man? You lost the bet but won't admit defeat?"

Mocked by Zuo Yue, Qi Yuan's expression changed. He took a few deep breaths and finally broke his usual principle. He turned his head and glanced sideways at Su Mi, mumbling awkwardly, "Sorry."

Seeing this little tyrant actually willing to apologize, teachers from other classes looked on in surprise. Had the sun risen from the west today? This little ancestor was actually eating humble pie for the first time?

Regardless of their bet, the principal just sternly criticized them. "You're not children anymore. There are only thirty days until the college entrance exams. What's the point of fighting and causing trouble all day now? Do you have to wait until you leave school to regret not studying properly?"

"That's right, Qi Yuan, your family has money. But no matter how much money you have, you still need to grasp basic knowledge. If you don't even understand common sense, you'll only learn lessons by paying for them later. Besides, look at those billionaires. Their children are all highly educated. Only with ample knowledge yourself can you inherit the wealth created by the previous generation. I know you can't listen to this now, but one day you'll understand."

"All of you, go back to class." The principal sighed helplessly.

The school always had various student incidents, half of which were caused by Qi Yuan. He didn't know how to teach this brat.

Su Mi walked out of the office expressionlessly. Just as she reached the stairwell, a defiant, unruly voice came from behind her not long after. "Today was just an accident. Next week, outside of school. Do you dare to come?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, then turned and looked him up and down. "Don't you have any self-awareness about your own abilities? Next week? Give you a few more years and you'll still be the same. The only reason I didn't cripple you is because I follow the law. If you're tired of living, go find a building to jump off. Stop barking in front of me all day. Don't you realize how annoying you are? What else can you do besides useless yapping? Just looking at you makes me want to vomit!"

Hearing her undisguised contempt, Qi Yuan's face turned a kaleidoscope of colors. No one had ever dared to speak to him like that since he was a child, let alone show him such contempt. But he could feel Su Mi's disdain came from the bone.

What was even more infuriating was that he really couldn't beat her!

"I'm a man of my word. I lost the bet, I accept the consequences. But making me kneel and kowtow to you is definitely not happening."

He took out his wallet and pulled out a wad of cash. "Consider this my compensation for losing the bet."

Damn, the male lead actually knows how to throw money at people!

Su Mi narrowed her eyes and snatched the wad of cash. "Your grandma will let you off this once. Remember, don't harass Zuo Yue again, or I'll break all three of your legs!"

Hearing this, Qi Yuan's expression changed again. His gaze lingered on Zuo Yue for a moment. He wanted to say something but didn't know what.

In the end, he could only snort and turn his head away. "You took the money, so you can't control who I look for. What I do is none of your business."

Su Mi stepped forward and slapped him with a loud *smack*. "If your brain is sick, go see a psychiatrist. Stop acting crazy here all day. Are you even worthy of liking Zuo Yue?"

Slapped again, Qi Yuan's anger flared instantly. But hearing her words, his eyes immediately became evasive, and his tone grew much weaker. "Who... who says I like her? How could I possibly like her!"

"If you don't like her, why do you harass her all day? Are your eggs aching from boredom?" Su Mi shot him a disdainful sidelong glance.

Harassing someone when they're preparing for the college entrance exams—isn't that just malicious?

He's almost an adult but still pulling that elementary school bully crap. When childishness goes too far, it's called brain-dead.

"I... I..." Qi Yuan's ears gradually turned red, and his eyes began to dart around uncertainly.

Zhou Huai beside him silently ate his rainbow candies. He had discovered that Su Mi was specifically here to discipline this brother.

"You can inherit the family business and be a nouveau riche, but Zuo Yue needs the college entrance exams to choose a better life for herself. You harass her every day for no reason—isn't that malicious? And you have the nerve to like her? No character, no ability, grades are a complete mess. What kind of misfortune did Zuo Yue suffer to end up with an illiterate like you?"

Hearing Su Mi's words, Zuo Yue immediately grabbed her arm and then looked seriously at the person opposite them. "What Mimi said is right. Regardless of whether you... have that idea or not, it's definitely impossible between us."

"Why is it impossible?!" Qi Yuan blurted out without thinking.

After saying it, his eyes darted evasively towards the ceiling, his ears just getting redder and redder.

"Who would like an illiterate who scores twenty points in Chinese? If you don't have a mirror at home, you must have urine, right? Take a look at yourself. Just seeing you makes people lose their appetite."

Su Mi couldn't be bothered to waste more words on him. She directly pulled the female lead out of the teaching building.

Being put down so completely for the first time, Qi Yuan could only angrily turn his gaze to Zhou Huai. "I'm illiterate? I just can't be bothered to study. What's she so arrogant about?"

"Right, right, you're exceptionally talented. But how do you study with exceptional talent? You can't just figure it all out by yourself. You have money, but Zuo Yue's family situation is ordinary. If she fails the college entrance exams because of you, won't she only be able to do ordinary jobs in the future?" Zhou Huai said earnestly.

"So what? I can support her!" Qi Yuan rubbed the bandage on his head, his expression growing uglier.

"Bro, you're doing well enough if you don't squander the family fortune. You can't expect Zuo Yue to mooch off your parents with you, right? Besides, she can make something of herself through her own abilities. Why should she be a housewife for you? Do you even know what being ranked first in the entire grade means?" Zhou Huai shook his head helplessly.

Qi Yuan took a deep breath and stepped out of the school building first. As the evening breeze brushed his face, the sweltering night heat enveloped him once again.

“Have you been bribed by that girl?” He suddenly whirled around and grabbed his friend’s shirt.

His friend frowned in frustration. “Dude, she’s dirt-poor—where would she even get money to bribe me? I’m just giving you honest advice: if you like Zuo Yue, go after her openly and sincerely. Unless you’re just messing around—then forget I said anything.”

It was the first time he’d ever seen this friend act like a lovesick boy, so he offered some well-meaning counsel. With his friend’s privileged upbringing, how could he possibly grasp the hardships of ordinary life?

“Do I look like someone who messes around?” Qi Yuan frowned, kicking a pebble off the sidewalk. Then he turned toward the brightly lit teaching building, his gaze lingering on the direction of Class One—his expression gradually hardening.

What’s so difficult about studying? For someone as naturally gifted as him, it should be effortless.

When the time came, he’d defeat Su Mi openly—and reclaim the dignity he’d lost. One day, he’d have his revenge.

…

When Su Mi returned to the classroom, the dismissal bell rang instantly. Before she could even reach her seat, she was immediately surrounded.

“Su Mi, you’re incredible! Did you secretly take martial arts classes?”

“Oh my god—you actually beat Qi Yuan in a fight! You’re amazing!”

“You’re so cool! From now on, our class is counting on you for protection!”

Su Mi politely declined the offered sunflower seeds, peanuts, and ice cream. “Alright, alright—if anyone gets bullied by those troublemakers again, come to me. But right now, I need to study—please make way.”

Hearing her willingness to stand up for everyone, their gazes filled with gratitude. They’d never realized before how bold, spirited, and agile Su Mi truly was in a fight—she must have secretly enrolled in martial arts training.

Once back at her seat, Su Mi began working on her test papers. Yet students kept gathering outside the classroom to sneak glances at her—likely due to the incident earlier that afternoon. Youthful curiosity was always insatiable.

But she hadn’t expected the homeroom teacher to drop the matter entirely. Clearly, he didn’t believe she could’ve beaten the male lead like that. Still, it was understandable—the male lead had long bullied others at school, and no one had ever dared retaliate, let alone land such a decisive blow.

Better not to investigate further—no need to explain. She wasn’t one to nitpick. Since the male lead had willingly settled the bet with money, she couldn’t push too hard either. Besides, he’d handed it over voluntarily—only a fool would refuse.

“System, what happens to this body when I leave this world?”

“Once the host departs this body, the system will automatically leave behind a replica. It will not affect the operation of this world.”

Listening to the cold, mechanical voice in her head, Su Mi lazily flipped through her test papers. Preparing for the Gaokao was exhausting—but with her memory and talent stats boosted, she might as well stay until after the exams. Perhaps she could even raise her luck points along the way.

“I talked to my parents yesterday,” Zuo Yue suddenly smiled, slipping her arm through Su Mi’s. “Starting next week, I’ll become a day student like you—so we can eat and study together every day, and won’t have to worry about running into Qi Yuan again.”

Su Mi glanced at her and patted her back with a gentle smile. “Whether it’s Qi Yuan or not, you’ll definitely meet someone better in the future. Men are merely passersby in our lives. With your abilities, you deserve a far brighter, more dazzling life.”

Placing all hope and happiness solely on a man was utterly unworthy. The female lead possessed outstanding capabilities—she could thrive and succeed as a professional. If she met someone she liked, she could give it a try; if not, there was no need to force it. After all, Su Mi couldn’t stay with her forever. Her only wish was for the other to walk a different, brilliant, and glorious path—that was likely the original host’s wish, too.

“Why are you saying all this out of nowhere? I don’t want any man—I just need you. When I become rich someday, the passenger seat in my car will be reserved exclusively for you,” Zuo Yue declared earnestly, handing over a bag of nuts.

Su Mi smiled faintly, accepted the nuts, and began eating. Then the two settled in to review the problems the teacher had covered.

Perhaps the beating had finally taught him a lesson—the male lead didn’t show up looking for trouble over the next two days. Soon after, the monthly exam results were released. This time, Su Mi’s ranking soared dramatically—from the top twenty in the grade to the top three.

When the results were announced, the entire classroom buzzed with chatter. The teacher also singled her out for praise: “Su Mi has made tremendous progress this time—you must maintain this momentum. This week, you and Zuo Yue won’t be changing seats. Both of you need to uphold your standards.”

Hearing the teacher’s words, Zuo Yue secretly clenched her fist in excitement—she didn’t want to be separated from Su Mi, either.

Others, however, stared at Su Mi in disbelief. Had she used cheats or something? Suddenly excelling in combat was one thing—but now her grades had skyrocketed to the top three in the grade. Had she secretly enrolled in elite tutoring?

Su Mi knew the teacher probably assumed it was due to the female lead’s regular tutoring—which did account for much of her improvement. And that wasn’t inaccurate: the female lead had indeed helped her extensively, aware of her weakness in math and making time whenever possible to practice problems with her. The female lead’s academic talent was truly exceptional—having such a positive, driven person nearby was genuinely motivating.

That’s why Su Mi wanted to stay—to accompany the female lead through the final Gaokao sprint and prevent the male lead from causing further trouble. Yet that idiot had grown remarkably quiet lately, no longer appearing to assert his presence.

So for a brute like him—fists spoke louder than words.

Yet one day, she was unexpectedly summoned to the teacher’s office. Assuming it was about the fight with the male lead, she walked in—only to find Liu Lin standing there, tearfully sobbing, beside a middle-aged woman wearing an expression of deep displeasure.

Upon Su Mi’s arrival, the homeroom teacher introduced her. “This is Su Mi from our class. Honestly, arguments and conflicts among girls happen quite often. Su Mi has always been a well-behaved student—it’s probably not as serious as Liu Lin is making it out to be.”

“Not serious?”

The middle-aged woman shot Su Mi a cold, sideways glance, her tone dripping with hostility. “This is clearly bullying! The surveillance footage shows her yanking my daughter’s hair. My daughter’s been emotionally withdrawn lately—if I hadn’t noticed something was wrong, who knows how much more abuse she’d have endured!”

“This is a critical period for college entrance exam preparation. If my daughter fails because of her, can *she* take responsibility? Can the *school* take responsibility?”

Hearing the woman’s accusatory tone, the homeroom teacher turned helplessly to Su Mi. “What happened that day? Why did you pull Liu Lin’s hair?”

She hadn’t expected this scheming, manipulative girl to turn the tables so brazenly. Back when the female lead first transferred, Liu Lin had been the worst at forming cliques and ostracizing others—now she was playing the victim first.

Su Mi stood there, expressionless. “She likes Qi Yuan—but Qi Yuan doesn’t like her—so she insulted me. Everyone heard it. I asked her to apologize, but she refused. That’s when things escalated. I didn’t hit her—I only pulled her hair after she insulted me first.”

“She’s afraid of failing the Gaokao? What if *I* fail because of *her*? I’m ranked second in the grade—if something goes wrong, can *you* take responsibility, Auntie?”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Liu Lin, eyes red, quickly glanced at her mother. “I don’t like anyone—I swear she’s lying!”

“I’m not speaking without evidence. She wrote a love letter to Qi Yuan before—plenty of classmates know about it. If the teacher doesn’t believe me, ask around,” Su Mi couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Seeing this, the homeroom teacher had no choice but to call in the class monitor.

In the meantime, she tried to mediate. “These are just typical verbal disputes. Regardless of whether they occurred or not, the Gaokao remains the absolute priority right now.”

The homeroom teacher sighed helplessly. Recently, Su Mi’s grades had improved too rapidly—yet she kept getting embroiled in incidents. She simply couldn’t tell what was true and what wasn’t.

“This concerns my daughter’s reputation—of course it must be thoroughly investigated! If she’s slandering my daughter out of jealousy, the school *must* give me a full explanation!” The middle-aged woman slammed her hand down on the table in fury.

Su Mi cast her a disdainful glance. “Jealous of *her*? Her terrible grades? Or the fact that she secretly passed love letters to a troublemaker—and he ignored her completely?”

“You—!” The woman’s face flushed with rage, and she immediately turned on the homeroom teacher. “Look at her attitude! Is this how a student speaks? Not a shred of proper student conduct!”

“Please calm down first,” the homeroom teacher quickly rose to intervene.

Su Mi rolled her eyes. “Sorry—I reserve my manners for people, not dogs.”