That Girl Who Skipped Class — You're In Big Trouble! - Chapter 23

chapter 23

For seven consecutive days, An Qingyang would show Xiao Xuan her work in the office in the morning, then revise it in her apartment until the early hours of the morning, using all the energy she hadn’t even expended for the college entrance exam. Today was the last day of Xiao Xuan’s tutoring. An Qingyang slammed off her alarm clock, sprang out of bed, shuffled to the bathroom in her slippers, and sleepily glanced at a note on the fridge. A Mu must have visited yesterday: Yáng Yáng, all the tasty food is in the fridge. Your dad told me about the competition. You must do your best! You are the greatest ^_^.

An Qingyang watched the note with a dark expression (a figurative “black line”), noting that her aunt/caretaker had even started using emojis recently, trying to look cute. She opened the fridge, looking at the dazzling array of fruits and snacks, and an idea sparked in her mind.

…

Inside the Associate Professor’s office in the Computer Science Department, Xiao Xuan had just finished a meeting with several departmental student leaders and was drinking a few sips of hot water when An Qingyang arrived with her backpack. She sat down across the desk, pulled out her notebook, and prepared to review the final design draft with Teacher Xiao one last time, continuing to refine the details for a final push before tomorrow’s competition.

Xiao Xuan looked at the faint dark circles under the girl’s eyes, and the corners of her mouth curved up: “Get a good night’s sleep after tomorrow. This week has certainly been tough.” An Qingyang felt a warmth in her heart but played it cool: “It wasn’t hard. It didn’t take much time.” She looked up, seeing Xiao Xuan gazing at her tenderly, and continued: “Well, Teacher Xiao, don’t I look especially attractive when I’m serious?”

Xiao Xuan didn’t speak but looked An Qingyang up and down. Under her gaze, An Qingyang grew restless and uneasy. Anxiously, she met Xiao Xuan’s eyes, which were like glittering black gems: “You look great.”

Just as An Qingyang was about to feel smug, Xiao Xuan produced a USB drive and signaled for her to plug it in. The files inside astonished An Qingyang: Xiao Xuan had already turned her design into a demonstration program, where all the steps could be personally experienced by the judges on the spot. An Qingyang was very aware of how busy Xiao Xuan usually was, and she hadn’t expected her to find time for An Qingyang’s competition. Watching the scenes scroll across the computer screen, An Qingyang was speechless for a moment.

“Don’t be touched. I didn’t spend much time on it, either,” Xiao Xuan said, taking a sip from her cup. She then watched An Qingyang pull a white box and a carton of milk from her backpack.

“You haven’t had breakfast, have you? These are cheese buns A Mu made. I’ve eaten them since I was little, why don’t you try one?” An Qingyang opened the box, took one out, and held it to Xiao Xuan’s mouth. Seeing Xiao Xuan didn’t open her mouth, she started pouting with a look of injustice.

Xiao Xuan had no choice. She leaned in and took a bite. The warm milky fragrance blended with the cheese—it was indeed sweet and delicious. An Qingyang then handed her the warm milk carton with a straw inserted, before turning her head away and casually sliding her fingers on the touchpad, pretending to look at the computer.

A moment later, An Qingyang heard a slight sound from the chair. She looked up and saw Xiao Xuan bending down, looking for something in the cabinet beside her. She pulled out a branded garment bag and placed it on the table: “You might need to dress a little more formally tomorrow. I found this suit at home when I was tidying up yesterday. I’ve only worn it a few times. Do you want to try it on?”

An Qingyang opened it to find a dark grey pantsuit. The moment she touched it, she knew it was fine fabric.

“Take off your coat.”

“Huh? Now?”

An Qingyang didn’t move for a long time.

“Yáng Yáng, you’re usually so proactive. Why are you so coy now?”

An Qingyang finally stood up and took off her coat. Xiao Xuan, holding the suit, bent over and put the jacket on her. Xiao Xuan leaned closer to straighten her collar. The familiar scent of perfume drifted over, and An Qingyang looked at her fair chin.

Xiao Xuan stepped back, revealing a satisfied smile: “It fits very well, and you look great.”

An Qingyang touched her nose.

“Stand farther away. Let’s simulate the competition presentation segment.” Xiao Xuan sat down behind the desk, looking serious.

An Qingyang edged over to the door, her eyes fixed on Xiao Xuan.

“Student An Qingyang, you may begin.”

“Okay. Because of my family connections, I travel abroad frequently, so I slowly noticed how much my friends like to post travel photos. They’ll spend half an hour taking pictures, half an hour editing them, and finally share them on social media. I realized that the desire to show off and brag might be a human instinct, but for students who don’t have the time or money to travel, seeing others show off makes them feel envious, so…”

Xiao Xuan listened, resting her chin on her hand, smiling sometimes and frowning at others.

An Qingyang spoke for twenty minutes straight, finally finishing her design concept, her throat feeling dry. Xiao Xuan beckoned and handed her own insulated thermos bottle to her.

“Yáng Yáng, you presented well. But there are a few things to watch out for. First, your pace is too fast; it really makes me think you’re nervous. Second, the opening story needs to be more specific—a scene-based description, like you seeing your classmate take a photo in Australia, might make me feel more engaged. Third, when coordinating with the slide presentation, before you show your design, it’s best to start with a question for interaction, and then display each page. You must control the overall rhythm of the presentation…”

An Qingyang finished the water, and Xiao Xuan still hadn’t finished speaking. She opened the slide presentation and demonstrated it section by section.

“Teacher Xiao, have you seen An Dong’s and Liu Jinghuan’s designs?”

Xiao Xuan didn’t turn around, a faint smile playing on the corner of her mouth: “No matter the result, you are the best.”

An Qingyang smiled, staring at the fine eyelashes on the side of her face: “Then, if I make it to the finals, will you agree to one condition for me?” Xiao Xuan turned her head, her bright eyes filled with a look of pride: “I’ve helped you this much, and you still want to negotiate terms with me?”

An Qingyang tugged on Xiao Xuan’s sleeve and began to coo affectionately: “Teacher Xiao.”

Xiao Xuan narrowed her eyes: “Fine, it’s void if it’s too ridiculous.”