After My Rebirth, I Stole Away the School Genius - Chapter 4

Shi Zhuang turned his gaze to Lu Shinian. “Hers?”

Lu Shinian snapped out of her daze and shook her head. “Yu He didn’t let me copy. I took the test paper myself, she didn’t know.”

Shi Zhuang asked, “Yu He, did you let someone copy your homework?”

Yu He lowered her eyes and remained silent for two seconds before nodding. “Yes.”

Lu Shinian froze again. Why was this situation taking such an unexpected turn?

The two were promptly banished outside the classroom, earning themselves a full class period of standing punishment.

It was class time, so the hallway was empty. The two stood a distance apart, separated by two windows.

Silence. Still silence.

Finally, Lu Shinian couldn’t hold back any longer. “Why did you say you gave me the test paper?”

Yu He gave her a bland glance. “I gave it to Fang Xing.”

Fang Xing, the math class representative’s name. So it wasn’t directly given to her. Then why had Yu He stepped forward? After a few seconds of thought, Lu Shinian realized Shi Zhuang had asked whether Yu He had let someone copy her homework, so Yu He had admitted to it and by extension, taken the blame for letting Lu Shinian copy too.

This girl was way too honest.

Lu Shinian really wanted to ask Yu He, Are you out of your mind?

But she held back.

In the end, this was entirely her fault. The fact that Yu He hadn’t scolded her already spoke volumes about her patience, how could Lu Shinian have the nerve to call her out of her mind?

Behind them, Shi Zhuang had already started class, alternating between lecturing and berating students. His booming voice could be heard even through the door.

Because of her, Yu He had missed a math class. Lu Shinian had no idea if this would affect her studies. If Yu He ended up missing any key points, the guilt would be unbearable.

Lu Shinian glanced at Yu He, then took a step closer, reducing the distance between them by one window.

“I’m sorry. I took the wrong test paper and mistook yours for mine, dragging you into this punishment.” Lu Shinian spoke with genuine remorse. “This was entirely my fault. I’m really sorry.”

Yu He nodded but didn’t respond.

Lu Shinian continued, “I feel really bad about this. How about I treat you to a meal and some drinks to make up for it?”

Yu He raised a faint eyebrow and turned to look at her. “Drinks?”

Lu Shinian quickly corrected herself. “I misspoke, I meant drinks, like soda.” She added, “I don’t drink alcohol.”

Yu He averted her gaze and replied distantly, “No need.”

When the bell rang, Lu Shinian returned to her seat to find the two math test papers she had submitted now returned, both bearing her name.

As Shi Zhuang had said, one only had the final problem wrong. As for the other… Lu Shinian silently folded her own test paper away.

It was a disaster. A complete mess.

Truly, no contrast, no pain.

Seeing her despondent expression, Yu Jingjing, assuming her deskmate was upset about being publicly humiliated in front of the whole class patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, everyone’s copied homework before. You just happened to run into Thunder’s bad side. We all know how he is, don’t take it to heart.”

Lu Shinian sighed. Yu He was the unlucky one here, suffering for no reason because of her.

Fang Xing walked over and explained, “Hey, you didn’t look closely when you took the paper. You grabbed Yu He’s, not mine.”

Lu Shinian said, “I know. She gave you the test paper to copy.”

Fang Xing emphasized, “It’s not copying, it’s comparing answers.”

“Why would Yu He share her homework answers with you? Unless…” Yu Jingjing’s expression gradually turned suspicious.

Fang Xing quickly shook his head, his face turning red. “What are you thinking?”

Yu Jingjing pressed on, “Then why?”

Fang Xing glanced around furtively before leaning in closer and whispering, “We have a cooperative relationship.”

Just as Yu Jingjing was about to ask what kind of cooperation, Lu Shinian beat her to it. “Cooperating on what?”

Fang Xing explained, “Nothing illegal, we’re selling knowledge.”

Lu Shinian: “Selling knowledge?”

“Basically selling Yu He’s notes, mistake collections, and some daily homework answers. I handle the photocopying, distribution, and sales. It’s an underground trade, so we can’t talk about it openly. The buyers have all kept it quiet too.” Fang Xing added, “Also, my family runs a tutoring center, so photocopying is no problem, we can make as many as needed.”

Yu Jingjing asked skeptically, “Can you really sell them?”

Fang Xing chuckled. “Seriously, do you know how popular these are among first and second-year students? The price has shot up to 15 yuan per copy. With labels like ‘top of the grade’ and ‘only lost three points in science subjects,’ do you think we’d have trouble selling? Plus, there’s something almost mystical about it, several students saw their grades skyrocket after buying Yu He’s notes. So now, many buy them as good luck charms for exams.”

Yu Jingjing, a staunch materialist, was about to voice her doubts when Lu Shinian cut in, her eyes gleaming like a tiger spotting prey. “Give me two jin of them.”

Yu Jingjing: “…”

Fang Xing: “Do you think this is a vegetable market?”

Lu Shinian laughed. “Slip of the tongue. I mean, I want all the notes and mistake collections from first and second year.”

Fang Xing asked, “Which subjects? Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, or biology?”

Lu Shinian curved her lips. “All of them.”

Fang Xing, delighted by the big order, cheerfully handed over the notes and mistake collections for Chinese, math, and physics, promising to bring the remaining three subjects the next day. Lu Shinian stuffed them all into her backpack and hefted it a couple of times.

Hmm, the weight of knowledge.

After school in the afternoon, the classroom was nearly empty, with only a few students left. Everyone was rushing to eat before the two evening self-study sessions.

Fang Xing, having finished dinner early, returned to the classroom and approached someone immersed in a sea of problems. “Yu He, you’re not eating bread again today, are you?”

Without lifting her pen, Yu He replied indifferently, “Mm.”

“You’re turning into bread yourself at this rate. This can’t go on. Next time, eat at the cafeteria. Some dishes are pretty cheap, and even if they’re not great, they’re better than just bread.”

“Mm.”

Fang Xing suddenly changed the subject. “By the way, Lu Shinian, the one who got punished with you bought your full set of notes and mistake collections.”

Yu He’s pen paused, and she looked up.

Fang Xing said, “She’s pretty interesting.”

“Oh,” Yu He replied.

She lowered her head again without another word.

“I thought you might be a little interested in her.”

Fang Xing watched as she continued solving problems, feeling rather helpless. Having seen her relentless studying habits countless times, he genuinely wanted to ask: “You’re already ranked first in the grade, who exactly are you trying to outshine with this grind?”

Their collaboration began during the first semester of sophomore year when the city hosted a math competition. Both he and Yu He were selected as school representatives.

Initially, Fang Xing didn’t think much of Yu He. Coming from a small town and being a girl, how good could her math skills really be? He assumed she was just good at rote exam questions, maybe showing off occasionally, but surely not cut out for competition-level problems.

Yet, as Yu He advanced round after round, crushing elite contestants from other schools, Fang Xing was stunned when she ultimately took first prize.

Curious about her methods, he shamelessly asked for her notes. Flipping through them, he found nothing extraordinary, just key points from lectures and standard problem types.

Baffled, Fang Xing set the notes aside. But when students from his father’s tutoring center spotted them and learned they were Yu He’s, they begged for copies. After getting her permission, he made several duplicates that quickly circulated. Demand grew until even his father asked if Yu He would sell the notes to the center.

Fang Xing saw a lucrative opportunity, though he doubted the proud Yu He would dirty her hands with “filthy money.” To his surprise, she agreed immediately: “Sure. Why refuse easy cash?”

When she received the payment, her usual indifference cracked, she even smiled. But it was a mocking smile.

Fang Xing was exasperated. If you despise the money, why take it?

Later, after spending more time together, he understood: Yu He was truly poor. She needed that money.

Her mother was gone, and her father was a scoundrel, drinking, whoring, and gambling nonstop. Worse, when he lost, debt collectors would ransack their home every few days.

The saying “a child pays the parent’s debts” fit Yu He perfectly. She pinched every penny, surviving on steamed buns and rice porridge, wearing shoes until they yellowed.

Fang Xing had never seen anyone so destitute. Out of pity, he occasionally slipped her an extra hundred or two during transactions, but Yu He always returned it.

Her pride towered higher than the sky.

Yet knowing her circumstances deepened his respect. With far fewer educational resources than his middle-class peers, her achievements couldn’t be dismissed as mere “talent”, they demanded relentless effort. Over time, their exchanges forged a friendship, and Fang Xing felt honored to be among her few friends.

Yu He picked up a textbook from the desk and noticed a math test underneath, not hers by name, but her work.

On the back, two layered pink sticky notes detailed the final problem’s solution. Every step was explained, with key formulas highlighted in red.

It was meticulous, as if the writer feared she might not understand.

Yu He pinched the sticker between her fingers, her gaze lingering on a particular spot. She pursed her lips, her mouth unconsciously curving into a faint smile.

Before evening self-study began, three girls walked arm in arm into the classroom.

“You and Lu Shinian aren’t really going to break up, are you? I saw her eating alone today, she looked so lonely.”

“This is all my fault. Little Lu is mad at me because of Li Jingming. I really didn’t think she’d mind me being with Li Jingming. I’ll wait a couple days for her anger to cool, then go apologize and beg for her forgiveness.”

“Oh, don’t be upset. If Li Jingming ignores her, she should consider whether it’s her own fault instead of blaming you. We all know about her spoiled rich-girl temper, this isn’t your fault. Just let her be. With your sweet personality, how could she even pick a fight with you? No wonder Li Jingming doesn’t like her.”

“Don’t say that. It’s fine, I’m used to it. She’s my best friend in this class. I can be more patient with her. It doesn’t bother me.”

“Don’t worry, we can come keep you company between classes. We’re right next door anyway, you won’t be alone…”

The three chattered incessantly until a sudden scraping sound came from the front row. Yu He stood up from her chair, lifting her eyelids slightly as her gaze settled on them for a brief moment.

After she left the classroom, one of the girls asked, “Were we disturbing her studying?”

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