The Exam, Part 2

Being showered with praise put Liang Hua in a rather pleasant mood. However, when her gaze fell upon Teacher Lin, who sat silently by the side engrossed in her textbook, her expression grew derisive. 

With a sneering tone, she remarked, "Some people collect all sorts of rubbish into their class. It looks like this time, the average score will be dragged down significantly. But no matter how low it gets, it will still be at the bottom of the ranking. Being the homeroom teacher of the worst class—might as well go teach freshmen." 

Teacher Lin adjusted her glasses and remained silent. 

She did not enjoy currying favor with Liang Hua. The other two homeroom teachers liked to flatter Liang Hua, so she never got along with them either. She was someone who could endure a lot, rarely engaging in conflicts with them, at most only enduring their biting sarcasm. 

Seeing that Teacher Lin did not respond, Liang Hua grew more agitated. 

"Teacher Lin, is there any point in being so diligent with a bunch of students who are hopeless cases?" 

She named her directly. 

Teacher Lin stood up, gathered her textbooks and bag, and walked out of the office. 

As she reached the doorway, she could hear Liang Hua's scornful snicker. Her steps paused slightly. "Students with good grades and poor grades alike are all our students. Liang Hua, you don't deserve the title of a teacher." 

"Lin Ke!" 

Liang Hua stood up, her face flushed red with anger. 

But alas, all she received was the sight of her back as she walked away. 

"Teacher Liang, once the results are out, won't Lin Ke just regret it?" 

"As a teacher, who doesn't like good students? If you don't prefer high-achievers, are we supposed to favor those who underperform?" 

"Teacher Liang, you've been recognized as an Outstanding Teacher. If you aren't worthy of the title, who else would be?" 

The homeroom teachers of Class Two and Class Three quickly stepped forward to console her. 

Hearing their words, Liang Hua felt a bit better, though her gaze at Teacher Lin's empty seat grew even more venomous. 

After leaving the office, Qin Churou suddenly spoke up, "I will strive to participate in this math competition." 

Su Yixiu glanced at her indifferently, remaining aloof and silent. 

Lu Ming, however, showed no such restraint. With both hands in his pockets, he retorted bluntly, "What does the competition have to do with me?" 

Qin Churou's face flushed with embarrassment. 

She tugged at her sleeve and said, "I just feel honored to compete with both of you." 

Lu Ming, who had always despised Qin Churou's pretentious demeanor, scoffed at her words, "I don't feel honored at all. Besides, whether you can even secure third place is still uncertain." 

Before she met Fu Hanchuan, Qin Churou had some fondness for Lu Ming. With his good family background, he was among the few in the school who could match her in status. 

Now, hearing such a blunt rejection from him again, her face turned crimson. She looked to Su Yixiu for support, but he didn't even spare her a glance. 

Lu Ming sneered, "Some people never learn, always thinking they're a universal favorite." 

Qin Churou clenched her fists, her eyes reddening—whether from humiliation or anger, it was hard to tell. 

By then, they had returned to Class One. Lu Ming and Su Yixiu each went back to their seats. Qin Churou, not daring to let anyone in Class One notice her distress, kept her head down and returned to her seat. 

That evening, Qin Sheng went to bed early; the next day was the exam. 

After encouraging each other, the students of Class Four returned to their respective exam rooms. 

At H City High School, the exam seating was arranged randomly, not based on academic performance. 

As it happened, Qin Sheng, Qin Churou, and Lu Ming were assigned to the same exam room. Lu Ming sat in front of Qin Sheng, while Qin Churou was at the back row by the window, some distance away from them. 

(End of Chapter)