After My Rebirth, I Stole Away the School Genius - Chapter 3

Seeing Yu He remain motionless, Lu Shinian grew increasingly nervous. The sweat in her palms slightly dampened the tissue as she hurriedly explained, “I’m Lu Shinian, from your class. I just saw you get pushed to the ground, and your hand seems—”

Yu He cast her a fleeting glance, and Lu Shinian immediately shut her mouth, as if struck by a paralysis spell, not daring to move a muscle.

“I don’t need it.” Yu He said softly before coldly stepping around her and walking away.

Lu Shinian silently retracted her outstretched hand, a mental exclamation mark popping up above her head. Despite having the soul of someone in their twenties and some life experience under her belt, she had just been intimidated by a high schooler’s aura.

How utterly embarrassing.

She turned to watch Yu He’s slender figure gradually disappear down the street, and a thought suddenly surfaced in her mind was it safe for a girl to be walking home alone so late at night?

Had she imagined it, or had Yu He’s eyes been red earlier, like a rabbit’s?

In her past life, it had been Yu He who reached out and pulled her back when she was at her loneliest and most helpless. Yu He wasn’t as cold and aloof as she appeared on the surface.

If possible, she wanted to befriend Yu He.

It wasn’t until right before bed that Lu Shinian remembered she needed to call Lu Shiyin, who was currently overseas.

The phone rang several times with no answer, and just as she was about to hang up, the call connected. Clearing her throat, Lu Shinian prepared herself this was Lu Shiyin before life had hardened her. Now was the perfect time to get some payback.

“Lu Shiyin?”

But after calling her name several times, there was still no response. Lu Shinian began to suspect the phone was broken. “Lu Shiyin, say something. If you don’t, I’m hanging up.”

The next second, a calm, indifferent voice came through. “No respect. Call me ‘sister.’”

Before Lu Shinian could reply, she heard Lu Shiyin softly utter a single word: “Squeak.”

Lu Shinian burst out laughing. “Lu Shiyin, your deadpan humor skills are improving.”

“Faster than your test scores.”

“…?”

Lu Shinian protested, “After not calling for so long, this is what you say? That’s just cruel.”

“It’s a task Mom assigned me, to ‘motivate’ you to study.”

Lu Shinian sighed in understanding. “Tell Mom thanks, but I don’t need it. The new me is completely reborn, ready to devote myself entirely to studying.”

Lu Shiyin replied flatly, “Oh. Congratulations.”

Lu Shinian couldn’t detect any sincerity in that congratulation. Hoping for some wisdom, she asked, “Sis, do you have any good study methods?”

“Yes. Studying consists of three simple steps: first, open the book; second, look at the questions; third, pick up a pen and write the answers.”

“……”

“Oh, I forgot this method doesn’t work for you. After all, you’re the least intelligent person in our family.”

The conversation had clearly reached a dead end. Lu Shinian huffed, “Do you even hear yourself? Is that any way to talk?”

“What, would you prefer alien language? You wouldn’t understand that either.”

“……”

Lu Shinian was left speechless. Her sister was as sharp-tongued as ever, if she didn’t become a judge in the future, it’d be a waste. From childhood to adulthood, past or present, Lu Shinian was no match for her.

When it came to high intelligence, she inexplicably thought of Yu He with such stellar grades and a future as a renowned mathematics professor, her IQ was probably on par with Lu Shiyin’s, if not higher.

Lu Shiyin, perhaps still retaining a shred of humanity, comforted her, “Don’t worry, I won’t look down on you. After all, you’re my little sister.”

This “comfort” might as well have been none at all. Fortunately, Lu Shinian had always been quick to adapt. In the next second, she decisively changed the subject, “So, how was life abroad, my dear beloved sister?”

The weekend passed in the blink of an eye.

On Monday, Lu Shinian arrived at class unusually early for no other reason than to copy homework.

Subjects like Chinese and English, which relied on accumulated knowledge, were manageable for her. But when it came to STEM subjects like math, she was completely lost. She had studied hard for two days, filling in everything she could, but the rest was beyond her.

She couldn’t just hand in blank assignments and tell the teacher, “I don’t know how to do this.” That would almost certainly get her parents called in.

With the heavy load of weekend homework, about seven or eight students were already in the classroom, several of them already hunched over their desks, scrambling to finish.

In her past life, most of her energy had been spent on Li Jingming, leaving her high school years bleak especially in terms of social connections. Her relationships with most classmates had been limited to sharing the same classroom, and after graduation, she lost touch with nearly all of them. She had only attended one class reunion, just a month before her death.

Now, she could barely remember her classmates’ names. After racking her brain, she finally called out to one, “Mind letting me copy yours when you’re done? I didn’t finish either.”

The classmate was generous. “Sure, no problem. Just wait till I’m done.”

Lu Shinian had been no stranger to this kind of underhanded behavior in the past. Even after so many years, copying homework still came naturally to her, tucking the answers beneath her textbook, hiding the assignment in her desk to avoid a teacher’s surprise inspection, and even deliberately getting a few questions wrong.

As more students trickled into the classroom, Yu Jingjing borrowed her completed physics homework. Lu Shinian flipped through the remaining assignments. “Did you finish the math worksheet?”

Yu Jingjing shook her head. “Nope. Ask Xu Man, she’s the math group leader. She’s got it.”

Hearing this, Xu Man turned around and handed her a worksheet with a friendly smile. “Here you go, Xiao Lu.”

“No, thanks.” Lu Shinian refused flatly before walking over to the math representative’s seat in the next row.

Xu Man’s face darkened, her smile freezing in place.

Yu Jingjing glanced at her and grinned. “Well, I’ll take it. Thanks!”

Xu Man’s scowl lasted only a few seconds before she regained her pleasant demeanor. “Sure.”

The math representative had forgotten his Chinese copying assignment. With less than five minutes before morning reading, he had no time to spare. He tapped a stack of papers on his desk. “Mine’s on top. Take it and just hand it in with your group later.”

“Thanks.” Lu Shinian grabbed the top worksheet and hurried back to her seat, copying furiously. She finished just as the bell rang.

Lu Shinian flexed her slightly sore hand, never imagining she’d experience the urgency of copying homework again in her lifetime. The feeling was all too familiar.

“I’ll hand it in for you,” Yu Jingjing took her test paper, glanced at it, then handed it back. “You forgot to write your name.”

Lu Shinian picked up her pen and added her name at the top of the paper. “Thanks for reminding me.”

The morning had two consecutive Chinese classes, and many students were drowsy. But under Liang Hongying’s stern authority, no one dared to actually fall asleep. Lu Shinian, however, paid attention and occasionally nudged Yu Jingjing when the teacher walked by.

When the bell rang, everyone sighed in relief before sluggishly lining up for the flag-raising ceremony on the playground.

The entire school crowded onto the field, with each class forming dense lines.

Liang Hongying pointed at the back of the line. “Straighten up, using the front row as a reference. There’ll be inspections later, don’t lose points for the class.”

Students were arranged by height, and since Lu Shinian wasn’t particularly short among the girls, she ended up near the rear. Still dissatisfied, Liang Hongying began readjusting positions.

As a prestigious high school, Yanning No. 1 Middle School enforced strict discipline. Uniforms were mandatory standard tracksuits and pants, with short-sleeved shirts in summer. Boys wore blue stripes, girls red.

Looking around, Lu Shinian saw a sea of red and blue, herself included.

Who would’ve thought that just a while ago, she’d been lying in a rented apartment, drowning her sorrows over a fake love story?

Just as she marveled at how bizarre life could be, a sharp whistle sounded nearby. She turned to see four boys, none in uniform being pulled aside by the grade director. Among them was a guy in a black T-shirt, handsome with a roguish grin, drawing covert glances from girls nearby.

One look at him, and Lu Shinian’s mind flashed to the image of him lying in bed with Xu Man. She nearly lunged forward to slap him.

Damn scumbag.

Li Jingming frowned when he caught the girl’s icy glare. What stunt is Lu Shinian pulling now to get my attention? So annoying.

Meanwhile, Lu Shinian rubbed her eyes vigorously, cursing inwardly. What terrible luck.

When she finally lowered her hands, she was startled to find a different person standing in front of her.

The figure was slender, with soft black hair tied back, revealing pale skin at the nape. The uniform was neat and clean, the posture straight back as elegant as bamboo, a stark contrast to the slouching students around her.

Lu Shinian had often been praised for her poise, honed under her mother’s strict upbringing. But compared to Yu He’s effortless grace, hers paled. The only flaw was that Yu He was too thin.

I’ve been staring too long. Should I say something?

She still hadn’t properly explained that incident, but bringing it up out of nowhere would be awkward.

Before she could decide, the national anthem began. Straightening her collar, Lu Shinian pushed the thought aside and focused on the rising flag.

After the national anthem ended, the principal took the stage and launched into a lengthy speech. The sun grew increasingly intense, making the students below restless under the scorching heat. Lu Shinian half-lowered her head to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight, while a few girls behind her whispered among themselves, occasionally letting out soft giggles.

Feeling bored, Lu Shinian raised her head and squinted at the scene ahead.

Damn, how can anyone actually listen to this seriously?

Yu He was staring at the podium, though it was unclear whether she was absorbing any of the content but she certainly looked the part. University professors would probably adore someone like her, maybe even hold her up as a model student to promote in every class.

Seeing how attentive she was, Lu Shinian felt too awkward to disturb her.

As soon as the break ended, the crowd on the field surged outward in a chaotic rush.

A teacher from the neighboring class shouted, “Line up properly and don’t push!”

Lu Shinian followed the flow of students out of the field when she suddenly felt a shove from behind. Stumbling forward, she lost her balance and collided with the person in front of her.

Before she could react, her head had already smacked into the other person’s back, right against the hardest part of the spine leaving her nose throbbing with pain.

Yu He turned around, her gaze cool as it swept over Lu Shinian. “What?”

Clearly, Yu He had no idea what had just happened and assumed Lu Shinian had called out to her. Clutching her nose, Lu Shinian suppressed the pain and explained, “Sorry, someone pushed me from behind, and I accidentally bumped into you.”

Yu He pressed her lips together, her expression finally flickering with something resembling thought. After a few seconds of silence, she asked, “Does it hurt?”

Lu Shinian blinked, then grinned. “It’s fine, thanks for asking.”

“Then can you let go?”

“…”

Lu Shinian looked down and realized her hand had somehow ended up gripping Yu He’s shoulder likely an instinctive grab for support when she lost her balance.

She quickly released her hold, noticing how tightly she’d been clutching. The neatly pressed uniform now bore a few wrinkles. Without thinking, she reached out again to smooth them down with a couple of pats.

Yu He stiffened slightly but said nothing.

Realizing how abrupt her actions were, Lu Shinian awkwardly apologized, “Sorry, my hands have a mind of their own.”

Yu He lowered her eyes and let out a cold, monosyllabic hum. “Hm.”

During the afternoon math class, the teacher, Shi Zhuang, stormed in with a stack of papers and slammed them onto the lectern. Without preamble, he announced, “I graded the tests you handed in this morning. To describe them in four words: an utter disaster. Some of you slacked off, others half-assed it, and a few even copied couldn’t even bother to change a couple of answers? Identical mistakes, do you think I’m blind? It’s been a week since school started, and you still haven’t adjusted?”

The class fell dead silent. No one dared respond. Shi Zhuang was infamous throughout the grade for his short temper and booming voice. He nitpicked every mistake, big or small, and never let anyone off without punishment, earning him the nickname “Thunderclap.”

“And one more thing.” Shi Zhuang pulled out the top two papers from the stack. “We have an exceptionally diligent student who handed in two tests. Lu Shinian, care to explain?”

Me?

Caught off guard by the sudden call-out, Lu Shinian stood up, confusion written all over her face. “I didn’t submit two tests.”

“Of course, I know you didn’t write this, you copied someone else’s work. One test is completely wrong while the other is perfect. Could you possibly write like this?” Shi Zhuang displayed the test papers. “Both have your name on them. Tell me who the other one belongs to.”

Both had her name?

Lu Shinian suddenly remembered Yu Jingjing reminding her to fill in her name that morning. Could she have written her name on someone else’s paper?

Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the next group, where the math class representative was frantically shaking her head, mouthing, “Not me, I wrote my name.”

Shi Zhuang scanned the classroom. “Whoever this belongs to, step forward now.”

Someone from the front row suddenly stood up. Before Lu Shinian could react, a cold voice sounded beside her. “Mine.”

Shi Zhuang frowned. “What?”

Yu He: “It’s my test paper.”

Lu Shinian: “…”

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