At the school gate, everyone was buzzing about the weekend talent show.
Rong Ruoyao was surrounded by a crowd of students.
"I heard insider info that Yaoyao ranked first in the first episode’s performance—so amazing!"
"Who knew a big star was right among us? So lucky!"
"Yaoyao just keeps getting prettier. Just looking at her is a treat..."
Just then, Rong Yu arrived at the school gate.
The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into hushed whispers.
"Didn’t she join that show too?"
"That slacker from Class 20, senior year. Tsk, trying to copy Yaoyao’s debut?"
"I heard Rong Yu and Yaoyao might be sisters."
"No way. Yaoyao is stylish and gorgeous, but Rong Yu is so outdated. Look at those shoes—they were trendy like four or five years ago. How embarrassing, haha..."
Rong Ruoyao instinctively glanced over.
Those shoes were the latest flagship design from a top international brand. Fashion always comes full circle, and this exact style was trending overseas right now.
A single pair cost over 200,000 yuan.
Disdain flashed in her eyes.
If you can’t afford the real thing, don’t embarrass yourself with fakes, okay?
"Seriously, whose dogs are barking here?" Ji Zhouye stopped in his tracks, one hand in his pocket, shooting a cold glare at the chattering girls. "If you’ve got nothing better to do, why don’t you go spray manure in the village fields?"
One girl widened her eyes. "H-how dare you insult us?"
"Yeah, I’m insulting you. Keep yapping, and I’ll carve it on your tombstone."
The surroundings fell dead silent.
Rong Ruoyao frowned. "Ji Zhouye, we’re all classmates. There’s no need to be so harsh."
Ji Zhouye scoffed. "School belle Rong, maybe keep your brain-dead fans in check first."
With that, he turned and trotted after Rong Yu.
Rong Ruoyao curled her lip in disdain.
That country bumpkin Rong Yu could only attract trash like Ji Zhouye.
She might enjoy being fawned over by the school’s delinquent now, but just wait until she gets knocked up and forced into marriage. Then she’ll see how miserable life can be.
Once in the classroom, Rong Yu opened a book and started reading.
After a while, she looked up and realized Ji Zhouye was no longer at his desk.
He didn’t return until near the end of the next class, his elbow scraped and bruised.
"Seventy-six minutes absent without reason—76,000 deducted," Rong Yu said flatly. "Fighting—10,000 deducted. Friendly reminder: your allowance for next month is almost gone. Watch your balance."
Ji Zhouye: "..."
He took a deep breath. "Aren’t you even gonna ask why I fought?"
"Rong Yu, you’re so ungrateful!" Chen Nian burst out angrily. "Some guys from the next class were spreading nasty rumors online, saying you slept your way onto the show. Wild over here was smoking nearby, heard them, and lost it!"
"Smoking—5,000 deducted." Rong Yu paused before Ji Zhouye could explode, then added, "But standing up for me in front of outsiders proves you’re a good kid. 10,000 reward."
Chen Nian: "???"
Good kid?
Rong Yu was a repeat student, only a year older than Wild. Why did she sound like his grandma?
And most shockingly—Ji Zhouye, the guy who usually looked down on everyone, actually scratched his head sheepishly.
Holy crap, that was Wild’s allowance! Rong Yu deducted and rewarded it like it was nothing, and he didn’t even argue?
Weren’t they supposed to be setting her up just to dump her later?
Why did it seem like Wild was the one falling hard?
"But!" Rong Yu emphasized. "This is just the first recording. Once the show airs and gets bigger, the gossip will only get worse. You gonna fight every single hater? Think you can keep up?"
Ji Zhouye scowled. "So we just let them slander you?"
"If you read more, you wouldn’t rely on fists to solve everything." Rong Yu smiled. "Defamatory posts forwarded over 500 times can be prosecuted. Let them enjoy some jail time—that’ll shut them up."
Chen Nian: "..."
Brilliant. And brutal.
Ji Zhouye mumbled, "I acted rashly."
"Sit." Rong Yu pulled a bandage from her bag and applied it to his scraped elbow. "No matter what career you pursue later, right now, you need to study. Don’t waste your youth."
Ji Zhouye nodded vigorously. "Got it, Gr—uh, yeah."
For now, he played the obedient role.
But by lunchtime, he was back on his phone, gaming fiercely with Chen Nian and others, surrounded by slacker classmates.
Rong Yu’s gaze swept over them.
Ji Zhouye seemed to sense the unspoken pressure and quickly stood. "Almost forgot—I promised to teach you how to play this morning."
Rong Yu was always open to new things.
She pulled out her phone, downloaded the popular game, and registered an account.
After Ji Zhouye explained the basics, he invited her to their five-player team to raid the enemy base.
"Rong Yu, why are you charging in alone? Teamwork, hello?" Chen Nian panicked as she stormed the enemy camp. "Fall back! Wait for us—"
Then—
Rong Yu struck down one opponent.
First blood.
Double kill.
Triple kill...
Four enemies dead, the fifth fleeing for their life.
She waltzed straight to the crystal tower, ending the game in under five minutes.
"This game is too easy." Rong Yu frowned. "And this is what you waste your time on?"
Ji Zhouye: "..."
Chen Nian: "..."
"You’ve definitely played before!" Chen Nian accused. "You faked being a noob!"
Ji Zhouye knew for a fact Rong Yu had never touched video games before today.
A first-timer dominating like this?
He thought he was good, but next to her, he might as well be a toddler smashing buttons.
So humiliating.
"Focus on your studies, kids." Rong Yu lectured. "Master math, and you can calculate enemy movement—speed, skills, minion positions... Plug it into a fixed data model, and..."
She went on, detailing the math behind gaming.
The onlookers gaped.
Using mathematical models to game? Was she insane?
Even if you knew the equations, who had time to crunch numbers mid-battle?
This was beyond ridiculous!
Before she could finish, homeroom teacher Pei Yaru entered. "Rong Yu, get ready. You’re coming with me to Haicheng University for the physics competition."
She remembered now—there was indeed a competition today.
Between travel and the exam, the whole afternoon would be shot.
