The Fake Girlfriend is Online - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Bizarre Score Slip

“Deskmate, I feel like you…”

Mu Jinxuan’s words were cut short by Gu Qing pushing the door open: “Mu Jinxuan, he’ll be here in a moment. Better think of how to explain yourself to him.”

After speaking, Gu Qing felt Mu Jinxuan’s forehead to check her temperature, then sat down to read the newspaper.

“Brother Qing, you really called him?”

“Mhm. What did you expect?” He stopped paying attention to her.

Qing Mo Ran looked at Mu Jinxuan in confusion. There’s actually someone Bully Mu is afraid of?

The “Bully” turned to her with an apologetic face, scratching her head. “Deskmate, words can’t express my gratitude for saving my life. Why don’t you head back first? I’ll treat you to a meal some other day.”

Qing Mo Ran understood—this was an eviction notice. Surprisingly, she wasn’t that angry. Normally, if she went out of her way to take someone to a doctor only to be shooed away the moment they arrived, she’d drop her “good girl” act and give them a piece of her mind. Then again, she had never actually taken anyone to a doctor before.

Qing Mo Ran stood up and let out a heavy sigh, making sure Mu Jinxuan heard it. “Alright, I’m leaving. Go back to school only after the fever breaks.” This was private family business, after all, and she wasn’t interested in eavesdropping.

As Qing Mo Ran left, Gu Qing’s mocking voice drifted from behind the newspaper: “Heh, ‘saving my life.’ My lady, are you planning to run away and join a martial arts sect next?”

Outside the clinic, Qing Mo Ran checked her phone. It was nearly lunchtime; there was no point going back to school yet. She might as well eat first. Without hesitation, she headed for the bus stop.

Just as she departed, a tall, upright man pushed open the clinic doors and rushed toward the back room.

After eating, Qing Mo Ran wandered back into the classroom. It wasn’t time for class yet, so only a few students were there. They greeted her warmly, and she returned their smiles.

The moment she sat down, Luo Qi leaned in. “Hey, Mo Ran, how is Xuan-Ge?”

It took Qing Mo Ran a moment to realize “Xuan-Ge” was her deskmate.

“Oh, I got her to the doctor. She’s had her injection and meds; she should be fine by tomorrow.”

“Whew, that’s good. Though she won’t be back this afternoon.”

“Huh?” Qing Mo Ran looked at him. Was her absence this afternoon really a reason for him to be that relieved?

Li Jingjing, the English class representative, walked by and smacked Luo Qi on the head. Despite being a girl, her strike carried significant weight.

“Crap, Li Jingjing! What was that for?”

“Say what you need to say and get lost,” she snapped. Her temper was definitely explosive.

Li Jingjing sat in the empty seat in front of Qing Mo Ran to explain: “It’s actually because Li Yulan came to class during the last period this morning. She’s our physics teacher, right? Well, your deskmate—our Bully Mu—hasn’t listened to a single word in her class since school started. She’s messed up every physics test so far. I heard she only got about ten points on this mid-term paper. Even the head of the Physics Department called Li Yulan in for a talk. With face lost like that, she’s definitely coming for Mu Jinxuan. She’ll probably demand a parent-teacher meeting.”

Qing Mo Ran felt something was off. If Bully Mu’s grades were simply bad, Li Yulan wouldn’t single her out so specifically using physics, would she?

She asked, “How are her other grades?”

“Ha! I knew our top-ranked beauty wasn’t just a pretty face! You’ve found the key issue.” Luo Qi gave a thumbs up, shouting “Awesome!”

Li Jingjing raised a fist at Luo Qi. Only after he mimed zipping his lips did she continue: “It’s because her other grades are too good. Only her physics is disastrously low. Li Yulan is convinced she’s doing it on purpose, which is why she wants to see the parents.”

As it turned out, it wasn’t just a suspicion—Mu Jinxuan was doing it on purpose.

“Don’t believe it? Our bully is just that ‘IDGAF.’ Here’s her score slip, look.” Luo Qi leaned over and pulled a slip from Mu Jinxuan’s desk that had been handed out after they left.

Qing Mo Ran clicked her tongue at the sight. In a system where Chinese, Math, and English were out of 150: Chinese 112, Math 145, English 142. For the other subjects out of 100: Biology and Chemistry were both in the 90s, while Liberal Arts hovered around 75. And then there was Physics: a glaring, lonely 14.

“Since you weren’t here for the exam, our class average only needed to be split by one less person. But with Bully Mu’s 14 points, our average is being dragged down for both of you. It makes the physics average look pathetic, and the Rakshasa is losing her mind over it,” Luo Qi explained.

The three of them huddled together to discuss the grades, with Luo Qi mostly preaching his adoration for Mu Jinxuan. “Her entrance score was in the top five of the whole grade. But after Li Yulan ticked her off, she’s stayed in the middle of the class rankings, mostly because of that catastrophic physics score.”

Qing Mo Ran had to admire her. To score a 14 in Physics and still stay in the middle of the pack was a feat in itself.

“What exactly happened with Li Yulan?”

Now both Luo Qi and Li Jingjing started gushing, their eyes twinkling as they educated the new student on the origin of “Bully Mu.”

“This is bad!”

Everyone turned to see Hu Hai, the sports representative, running in.

“Big Head, what’s the rush? Is someone chasing you?”

“Yes! Wait, no!”

“Which is it?”

“Crap! I went to see Li Fei about the sports meet, but I heard Li Yulan and Li Fei arguing outside the office. She wants to call Xuan-Ge’s parents and make her write a 5,000-word self-reflection to be read at next week’s flag ceremony!” Hu Hai rushed to Mu’s seat but found it empty. “Where’s Xuan-Ge?”

“You really need to eat some fish to boost your brainpower. Xuan-Ge caught a fever this morning; Qing Mo Ran took her to the hospital.”

Hu Hai breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew, I thought for sure her parents would have to come and drag her home this afternoon.”

Qing Mo Ran chimed in, “Is Li Yulan really that scary?”

The three looked at her as if she were a rare animal. “No way? You haven’t heard of her? She’s the ‘Rakshasa’—famous across the whole city!”

Just as they were about to explain exactly how terrifying she was, the “Rakshasa” walked in, physics textbook in hand.

Bang! Bang!

Li Yulan snatched a large wooden set square from the lectern and smacked the blackboard. “Back to your seats! Class is starting. Why so sluggish? Do you not have enough homework?”

The class scrambled to sit upright. Only Luo Qi was still muttering under his breath.

“Luo Qi, what was that? Say it louder for everyone,” Li Yulan barked. Though in her fifties, she maintained her skin well and wore light makeup, but her face was permanently set in a stern mask.

Luo Qi continued whispering: “What’s there to say? Class hasn’t even started. Exploiting the people every day… sooner or later there will be an uprising.”

“Louder!” Li Yulan’s sudden spike in volume made him jump.

“Reporting! Nothing!” He sat perfectly still, though his curled lip betrayed his true feelings.

Li Yulan stood on the podium, looking down at them like a judge. Only after the silence became unbearable did she speak. “I don’t want to start class early or run over time, but you have to give me a reason not to. Look at these physics results! What on earth is this? How many of these classic problems did I cover in class? You just took your pens and wrote whatever without thinking!”

With a loud thud, she slammed the papers onto the desk. Everyone flinched.

“Mu Jinxuan, stand up!” Finally, she decided to stop targeting the group and focus on the Bully. “Mu Jinxuan! Can’t you hear me?”

After calling twice with no response, her anger flared. She had just argued with Li Fei; he had guaranteed that Mu Jinxuan was a “good kid” at heart and that he could get her back on track.

Seeing everyone else ducking their heads, Qing Mo Ran decided to take the hit. “Teacher Li, Mu Jinxuan had a fever this morning. I took her to the clinic.”

“Hmm?” Li Yulan looked closely at the speaker and realized it was the girl who ranked first in the entrance exams. “Tell her to come to my office the moment she’s back.” She gave her a habitual glare.

Qing Mo Ran nodded calmly, while the others felt the “frost damage” from the glare and didn’t dare look up.

That physics period was pure torture. Li Yulan handed back the papers and called on students to answer; those who couldn’t had to stand for the rest of the lesson. Even Qing Mo Ran, who had only been there for half a week, was targeted. Li Yulan showed no mercy to the newcomer. By the end of class, a vast “forest” of students was standing in the room.

Meanwhile, the culprit behind this storm was sitting in the West District clinic, leisurely playing on her phone.

Mu Jinyu pushed the door open, catching Mu Jinxuan as she hurriedly hid the phone under her pillow. Ignoring her pitiful look, he reached under the pillow and confiscated it. He sat in a chair, starting his interrogation: “Didn’t I tell you no phones? Also, are you not planning to go home?”

“Wuu… are you kicking me out?”

Mu Jinyu massaged his temples. The thing he feared most in the world was this girl’s tears. He walked over and gently stroked her head, trying to use his soothing voice to disarm her. “Jinxuan, Mother will be angry. Be good.”

Mu Jinxuan curled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees, falling silent for a moment.

“She was already furious the moment I cut my hair.”