After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Am in a Relationship with My Scummy Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother - Chapter 8

“I have some good news to announce,” Wenren Heyu stood on the podium. “The date for the opening ceremony has been set. It will be next Friday. We’ll have the ceremony in the morning and a holiday in the afternoon. How about that? Are you happy?”

This was indeed good news, and it lifted the gloomy atmosphere in the classroom. Students began discussing their plans for the break with those sitting around them.

“Quiet down for a moment and listen to me first,” Wenren Heyu interrupted the students’ discussion temporarily. “For this opening ceremony, you all need to prepare performances. There are three slots per class. We will have the preliminary selection next Tuesday. Whoever participates in the opening ceremony will be exempt from next weekend’s homework. Did you all hear that?”

“Isn’t this just making things difficult for us? It’s hard enough for a class to get even one act approved. Shen Junfu will definitely take one of the slots anyway. Sigh, I guess I should just honestly prepare to do my homework.”

“I suggest we do a class chorus! If we all go up there together, then the whole class won’t have to do homework!”

“That’s a great idea!”

A chorus of agreement rose from below, leaving Wenren Heyu unsure whether to laugh or cry. “Your academic performance isn’t great, but you’re experts at finding these ‘alternative’ paths. There will definitely be a chorus performance, but it’s already been pre-selected by the school. That’s the life-saving straw for the ‘Top Students’ class; you can’t compete with them for that.”

The classroom was instantly filled with wails of disappointment.

“Alright, class is almost over. Pack up your things, go back and sleep early, and think more about your studies.”

Wenren Heyu looked down and happened to see Huo Qingzhuo still working on practice problems. “Look at Huo Qingzhuo; her recent performance has been truly excellent. You should all follow her example and learn from her, do you understand?”

“Tch, no matter how hard she studies, she’ll still have those trash grades.”

The moment Wenren Heyu finished praising Huo Qingzhuo, Shen Junfu’s mockery followed without the slightest restraint. The classroom fell into silence once again.

Huo Qingzhuo kept her eyes lowered. The pen in her hand paused for a split second before she continued writing, responding to Shen Junfu’s provocation in a steady voice.

“Still better than a piece of trash who doesn’t even know how to study.”

The whole class was in an uproar; even Wenren Heyu was stunned.

“Who would learn things that only idiots study? It’s so simple, you can understand it just by looking at it, okay? If you have the guts, why don’t we have a competition during this ceremony?”

Laughing out of extreme anger, Shen Junfu was now one thousand, ten thousand percent certain that this person was absolutely not the Huo Qingzhuo she knew.

“Fine,” Huo Qingzhuo wrote the final stroke on her test paper and turned around to look at Shen Junfu. “Since we are competing, let’s set the standards and the stakes. What is the criteria for winning or losing, and what is the wager?”

“You really won’t admit defeat until you see the coffin,” Shen Junfu hadn’t expected Huo Qingzhuo to agree so readily, but this only fueled her competitive spirit further. “The first place in the opening ceremony. Whoever takes first place wins. As for the stakes, the loser must unconditionally fulfill one request for the winner. Do you dare? Of course, if you can’t even pass the preliminary selection for the ceremony, there’s no point in competing.”

“It’s a deal.”

Huo Qingzhuo had no desire to engage in a war of words with Shen Junfu. She simply accepted the challenge, packed her backpack, and prepared to return to the dormitory.

Wenren Heyu felt a metaphorical toothache watching these two troublesome students. He let out a deep sigh and couldn’t be bothered to intervene further. “Alright, everyone pack up. Class dismissed.”

When the bell rang, Shen Junfu was the first to leave through the back door. Huo Qingzhuo left through the front, and Wei Qingqing, looking back and forth between them, followed beside Huo Qingzhuo.

“What happened to you two? Weren’t things fine before?”

Although Wei Qingqing was also exceptionally beautiful and had a gentle personality, she didn’t have many friends. Being a new transfer student, she hadn’t fully adapted to the class yet. The only friends she could really talk to were Shen Junfu and Huo Qingzhuo. Now that the two of them had fallen out, she was truly caught in a difficult position.

Huo Qingzhuo had originally intended to distance herself from Wei Qingqing as well, but seeing Wei Qingqing following her step-by-step without knowing anything, she couldn’t bring herself to be that cruel.

“Don’t worry about this matter. I’m sorry for leaving this afternoon without saying a word. Also, for the next few days, I might occasionally be away from school during meal times. You should go find Shen Junfu instead.”

Being unable to bear hurting her was one thing, but considering the “ancestor” currently residing in her mind, Huo Qingzhuo didn’t want to involve Wei Qingqing.

“Huh? How did it come to this? It’s really not worth it over a small matter. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding?” Hearing Huo Qingzhuo’s words, Wei Qingqing realized that the three of them might truly never return to how they were before; this wasn’t just a temporary fit of pique.

“The matter between Shen Junfu and me is not a small matter; it is a life-altering matter. And there are no misunderstandings.”

Huo Qingzhuo naturally couldn’t tell Wei Qingqing the truth of the situation, but she had to make her understand the gravity of the issue.

Although Wei Qingqing didn’t understand what she meant by that, she nodded, still feeling completely bewildered.

When the two of them returned to the dormitory, they found that Shen Junfu had already finished changing her clothes and was on the balcony making a phone call. After Shen Junfu finished the call, Wei Qingqing stopped her. Since all three of them were present, perhaps the conflict could be resolved.

“Shen Junfu, what is going on with you two? How about we sit down and talk? Maybe everything will be fine once it’s out in the open.” Wei Qingqing stood between the two of them, holding one of their hands in each of hers. Facing their combined stares, she felt an immense amount of pressure.

“Qingqing, let go. This has nothing to do with you.” Although Shen Junfu had a bad temper, she wasn’t someone who lashed out randomly. She glared at Huo Qingzhuo nearby but didn’t forcibly break free from Wei Qingqing’s grip.

Huo Qingzhuo also didn’t pull away. “There really is nothing to talk about between her and me. There are no misunderstandings.”

Seeing the determined expressions on both their faces, Wei Qingqing knew that forcing the issue was useless and could only let go.

Despite living in the same dormitory, the three of them kept to their own business. Even before the lights-out time, they each went to their beds, quiet and without saying a single word.

[Host, what are you trying to do? This wasn’t in the original plot at all. If the System Correction detects this, you might face obliteration again.]

007 was completely confused by these inexplicable developments. It felt as though its host was moving further and further down a path of self-destruction.

[Before, when I just said I wanted to break up, the Plot Correction tried to obliterate me. But now, I’m completely disregarding the original plot, yet there’s no reaction at all. Don’t you find that strange?] Huo Qingzhuo asked 007 in return.

How could 007 not find it strange? It found it incredibly strange. [So, Host, what do you mean?]

[How should I know? It’s just that there are too many loopholes and irrationalities now. If this is the current timeline, then why has the original soul already experienced everything and accumulated such heavy resentment? Why is the Plot Correction System acting as if it’s dead? Why… forget it, too many doubts. I don’t want to think about it. Sleeping.]

Huo Qingzhuo cut her thoughts short, not voicing her suspicions regarding Shu Yueqing.