Chapter 16: Jenny's Hatred

After an important standardized test, the class atmosphere grew tense. During the morning class, homeroom teacher Mike stood at the front, holding the grade reports, his brows furrowed. He scanned the classroom, his gaze finally resting on Jenny.

"Jenny, come here," Mike's tone was stern and disapproving.

Jenny walked to the front with her head down, her heart pounding. She knew her scores were not good. What had once been a barely acceptable score above 600, was now a mere 550. She glanced surreptitiously at Kit and Terrence, feeling even more anxious.

"Jenny, why have your scores dropped so much?" Mike's voice was not loud but clear enough for the whole class to hear. "You were above 600, good enough for a top-tier university, but now you're down to 550. You need to pay more attention and improve in the next test."

Jenny hung her head in shame, her voice barely audible, "Yes, teacher, I will."

She dared not look at Terrence, fearing his disdainful gaze. She knew Terrence valued academic performance above all else and had little patience for those who didn't excel. Jenny felt a pang of bitterness. She had been focusing on practicing her dance for the New Year's Gala, hoping to outshine Kit, but this had caused her to neglect her studies, leading to her current predicament.

Jenny had secretly signed Kit up for a dance performance, hoping to humiliate her while drawing attention to herself. Her plan seemed foolproof, but being criticized in front of the entire class was mortifying.

"Make sure you focus on your studies, Jenny," Mike admonished before allowing her to return to her seat.

Back at her desk, Jenny was filled with conflicting emotions. She resolved to make a spectacular impression at the New Year's Gala, to overshadow Kit and regain her standing. However, she knew that if her grades didn't improve by the next exam, she would face further disappointment from both the teacher and Terrence.

Terrence watched Jenny's decline with cold indifference. To him, academic performance was the sole measure of a person's worth. Jenny's hard work and efforts seemed insignificant to him.

Lily, having received her own grade report, looked distressed. She took a deep breath, her eyes lingering on the glaring red "59." Just then, Kalvin glanced at her score and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, Lily, you call yourself Chinese? You only scored 59 in Chinese, that's a fail, hahaha!"

Lily blushed deeply, embarrassed to the point of tears. She kept her head down, unable to meet anyone's eyes, filled with shame and guilt. Kit, noticing everything, glanced at Kalvin's report, seeing his average scores around 70. She shook her head, feeling frustrated by his inconsistency.

Seeing Lily on the verge of tears, Kit felt a pang of sympathy. She took a small porcelain bottle from her bag and handed it to Lily. 

Lily, puzzled, asked, "What's this?"

Kit smiled, "These are little sugar pills. Take one every morning. Also, when you get to school, spend at least an hour reciting Chinese. It will help."

Lily looked at the delicate porcelain bottle, admiring its intricate design. "Sugar pills?" she asked, surprised and curious.

Kit nodded, "Yes, sugar pills to help you focus. Remember, spend at least an hour every morning reciting Chinese. Your grades will improve if you stick to it."

Grateful, Lily carefully put the bottle in her pocket. Kit then took Kalvin's test paper and started making notes on it. Kalvin watched in confusion, not understanding her intentions.

Kalvin and Lily exchanged glances, both puzzled by Kit's actions. But within ten minutes, Kit handed the paper back to Kalvin. He was shocked to see clear, methodical explanations next to each question.

His astonishment grew as he read, "Wow, Kit, you're amazing! Your explanations are even clearer than our teacher's."

Lily, curious, took a look at Kalvin's paper and was equally impressed, "A true genius!"

Kit smiled, gently nudging Lily's head, "Focus on your studies. If you have questions, come to me."

Lily nodded and turned to Kalvin, "Kalvin, let me see your paper after you're done."

Kalvin, still in awe of Kit's explanations, nodded, "Sure, once I'm done, you can have it."

In the corner, Terrence observed Kit and Kalvin's interactions with a mix of confusion and curiosity. He couldn't understand why Kit would associate with those with such poor grades, risking her own academic standing. When he saw Kit's detailed solution to a difficult math problem, a problem he himself had struggled with, he was both shocked and envious. Though their teacher had mentioned the problem was of college level difficulty, Kit had solved it effortlessly, leaving Terrence both amazed and unsettled.

Terrence stood up and walked over to Kit's desk, drawing everyone's attention. Known as a genius in Class F, it was unusual for him to approach others. The students were surprised, especially Jenny, who clenched her fists in anger.

Kit ignored the curious gazes, not initiating conversation with Terrence. He had expected her to speak first, but as she remained silent, engrossed in her book, the situation grew awkward.

Feeling anxious, Terrence, unaccustomed to such indifference, was about to give up when Lily broke the silence, "What do you want?"

Taking the opportunity, Terrence replied stiffly, "Kit, do you want to form a study group with me?"

Kit looked up briefly and replied without hesitation, "No, I prefer studying alone."

Terrence, taken aback by the blunt rejection, felt a surge of anger. He had assumed his invitation would be eagerly accepted, considering it a coveted opportunity.

Jenny, witnessing this, was furious. She had secretly approached Terrence to study together but was rejected because he deemed her too stupid. Seeing him now being rejected by Kit infuriated her.

Kit, seeing Terrence's slightly embarrassed expression, remained calm. Terrence, his face reddening, returned to his seat. The classroom fell into an uneasy silence, with students exchanging puzzled glances, speculating about Kit and Terrence's relationship.

Kit continued reading, unaffected by the incident.

Jenny's jealousy and anger burned within her. She glared at Kit, vowing to humiliate her at the New Year's Gala. She had a plan and was just waiting for the right moment to make Kit taste failure.