You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Ji Chenxiang

Gao Yan naturally recognized Qin Mian as the previous year’s provincial top 100 student. The reason she had hurried Feng Cheng off to apologize was to get him away from this den of trouble as quickly as possible. But looking at Qin Mian now, it was clear he wasn’t planning on letting the matter go easily.

She forced herself to ask, “Student Qin Mian, is there anything else?”

Qin Mian shot a chilling look at the sweat-drenched Feng Cheng. “Teacher, I recall Student Feng owes more than just an apology to Yu Canxing, right?”

Gao Yan: “……What do you mean?” She threw a sharp glare at Feng Cheng.

Ding Zi also frowned and looked at Feng Cheng.

Feng Cheng: “……” He was sweating buckets now.

“Do I need to repeat what you said about Lin Zhixia from our class?” Qin Mian asked coldly.

Under the collective gaze of everyone in the office, Feng Cheng shook his head frantically. “No… no need. I’ll—I’ll go apologize to her!” With that, he bolted out the door as if a monster were chasing him.

Once Feng Cheng left, the office fell silent for a moment.

Ding Zi broke the silence first. “Dean Cai, this matter is quite malicious. A warning on his record is appropriate.”

Cai Yu pondered this and was about to nod when Gao Yan interrupted.

“Dean Cai, how about we just let it go? They’re already in their senior year. Having a demerit on their record is bad for college admissions.” Gao Yan’s eyes darted around, landing on Ye Jun. “Besides, this student punched Feng Cheng. If we’re giving out punishments, he can’t exactly escape one either, can he?”

Ding Zi was stunned. “I have to say, Teacher Gao—your student moved against us first and spoke insolently to a girl in our class. In my opinion, one punch was letting him off easy!”

Cao Wei couldn’t help but snort with laughter.

Qin Mian also let his lips curl up. He leaned toward Song Ying’s ear and whispered, “Teacher Ding is a real piece of work.”

Song Ying felt a puff of warm breath against his ear. His gaze shifted slightly as he softly replied, “Yeah, I agree.”

Gao Yan, despite lacking logic, continued to argue forcefully: “The nature of the acts is similar. Once hands are laid on someone, it’s equally malicious!”

Ding Zi was furious. “How can you say that?!”

Gao Yan: “What did I say? He hit someone too, so why should he get off without a punishment?! Are you shielding him?” Her finger, painted with red polish, pointed at Ye Jun.

Ding Zi stood up in a rage. “Bullsh*t! Can you be reasonable for once?!”

Gao Yan also lunged to her feet. “You’re the one talking bullsh*t! Who’s being unreasonable?!”

Qin Mian: “……” Song Ying: “……” Cao Wei: “……” Family, our pupils are shaking.

Cai Yu couldn’t watch any longer. “Hey, hey, that’s enough! Two teachers turning red in the face screaming at each other—what does that look like?! There are students here!”

In the end, after weighing the options for a long time, Cai Yu gave both Feng Cheng and Ye Jun a formal warning. As for the basketball tournament, both classes were disqualified, and the original third-place team, Class 7, became the champion.

On the way back.

Qin Mian suddenly felt curious and asked, “How did you think to record it?”

Song Ying chuckled and said earnestly, “Great Handsome Qin’s basketball form is so cool; wouldn’t it be a waste not to record it for repeated viewing?”

Qin Mian opened his mouth but found no words. Unconsciously, a faint crimson crept onto his ears.

What was going on? He felt like Song Ying was being weird lately. His tongue wasn’t as sharp as before. He was even calling him “Great Handsome Qin” voluntarily. And saying something about “repeated viewing”… why did it feel a bit embarrassing?

Qin Mian calmly looked away. “Um, I think so too. Send the video to me; I want to save it.”

Song Ying was about to send it when he realized he didn’t even have Qin Mian’s WeChat.

Qin Mian raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What a plastic friendship between front and back desk-mates.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll scan you.”

Just as Qin Mian was scanning Song Ying’s QR code, a notification popped up on Song Ying’s screen.

Ji Chenxiang: Song-ah, something really happened this time.

Qin Mian’s gaze brushed over it reflexively. Just as he was about to look away, he froze.

Ji Chenxiang? Why did that name look so familiar?

Wait a minute! Isn’t that the name of this year’s provincial top scholar? He had even posted on his Moments earlier claiming Ji Chenxiang was his idol.

Song Ying: “……” His entire soul stared at the screen in shock. Damn it, I want to kill someone. Of all the times to send a message, it had to be this exact moment?

Song Ying’s hand holding the phone was stiff, not daring to move, waiting for Qin Mian’s reaction. In those few seconds, he had already hallucinated several scenarios where Qin Mian gave him the cold shoulder or even punched him.

However, the expected storm did not arrive.

Qin Mian looked up and asked curiously, “You have a friend named Ji Chenxiang?”

Song Ying forced a nod. “Yeah.”

“Do you know the top scholar in our province this year is also called Ji Chenxiang?” Qin Mian’s voice was remarkably peaceful.

Song Ying, assuming this was the calm before the storm, continued to nod heavily. “Yeah.”

Then, in the next second, Qin Mian remarked casually, “So your friend shares the same name as the top scholar? What a coincidence.”

“Yeah…” Song Ying’s head stopped mid-nod. “Huh?”

Wait, what?

Song Ying met Qin Mian’s puzzled gaze. In a moment of madness, he swallowed his conscience once again: “Yes. Exactly. Same name. We all tell him he’s lucky to share a name with the top scholar.”

Qin Mian opened his mouth to say something, but they ran into Feng Cheng, who was rushing out of Class 18. Feng Cheng’s face was bright red. He didn’t dare look up as he scurried past them like he was escaping a crime scene.

Qin Mian let out a cold snort.

Inside the classroom, Lin Zhixia was smiling. When she saw Qin Mian and Song Ying, she said excitedly, “Qin Mian, Song Ying, thanks to both of you!”

“That Feng guy just came to apologize. He was bowing and saying he was wrong—it felt so good. Cao Wei said it was all thanks to your tag-team cooperation.”

Qin Mian remained composed. “Small fries. It’s thanks to Song Ying having the recording.”

Song Ying curled the corners of his mouth. “It’s thanks to Qin Mian’s basketball moves being cool enough to make me want to record it.”

Lin Zhixia’s bright eyes darted between Qin Mian and Song Ying. She wore a mysterious smile. “You two… since when did your relationship get this good?”

Song Ying smiled, not yet sure how to reply.

“Our relationship has always been pretty good. Your eyes are failing you,” Qin Mian said, glancing at her with feigned disgust.

Lin Zhixia laughed in disbelief. “Fine, my eyes are failing me. I wonder who it was on the first day of school trying to switch seats with everyone, only to get rejected by everyone?”

She glanced at Qin Mian, then at Song Ying.

Qin Mian shifted his gaze straight ahead, dropping a “Wasn’t me” before walking away from the scene.

Song Ying cleared his throat, also avoiding Lin Zhixia’s gaze. “Wasn’t me either.”