Each classroom has a security camera at the front, which is turned on during exams, so there's absolutely no chance of cheating. Therefore, no one questioned Xu Zifan's grades; they were only amazed and astonished. What kind of person goes from being one of the worst students to first in the class in just one month? Did he get a brain transplant?!
The teacher praised Xu Zifan highly in class, and even the principal learned about this student who had made such great progress. He asked Xu Zifan to share his learning experience during the flag-raising ceremony to inspire his classmates.
During the flag-raising ceremony, Xu Zifan confidently walked onto the podium, carrying eight notebooks, and said, "Hello everyone, I'm Xu Zifan from Class 3, Grade 12. I did quite well on this monthly exam, but there's no secret. My method is to maximize my learning efficiency by making the most of every minute. I study until 2 AM every day, get up at 5 AM, do exercises after class, and memorize English vocabulary and Chinese texts while eating and commuting to and from school, wasting no time. However, I also do morning exercises every day, and my mother makes me nourishing soup every night. My willpower is also strong enough to keep me going. You can use this as a reference, but I don't recommend copying it exactly, as it might damage your health or lead to a dislike of studying."
Also, as my classmates know, my foundation was very weak, so I started reviewing from the first-grade textbook. I studied on my own, and then had a tutor explain the parts I didn't understand. These are my notes from this period, summarizing the important knowledge points for each subject, plus a very thick notebook of my mistakes. If any classmate needs them, you can borrow them to make a copy for review. Of course, this is a compilation I've worked hard on, and I think it's no worse than the materials you buy in bookstores, so there will be a small fee.
He noticed the director's expression change and many students below started to jeer. He calmly smiled and said, "Although I really want to help my classmates selflessly, I think it's more meaningful for people who are over 18 to earn some pocket money on their own and ease their parents' burden. That way, everyone won't owe me a favor when they buy the materials, and they'll feel more comfortable using them, right?"
The boys, always eager for drama, shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Xu Zifan smiled and nodded. "Everyone who works part-time deserves praise, and fair trade is far more noble than demanding something for nothing. I hope you students won't think I'm greedy for money. Once we enter society, this will be just another ordinary little thing. Of course, we're still good classmates. Because of our friendship, my materials will be priced lower. And if any of you ask me questions, I'll do my best to help you answer them, definitely without charging a fee. Thank you everyone!"
The students cheered and applauded again. Xu Zifan bowed, returned the microphone to the director, smiled and nodded, and returned to his class. The director, forcing a smile, encouraged everyone for a few more minutes, and as soon as the class was dismissed, he told the class teacher of Class 3 to call Xu Zifan to his office. But how could he possibly argue with Xu Zifan? By the time Xu Zifan left, he even felt that not paying Xu Zifan was taking advantage of him and exploiting his labor. The director shook his head, told the class teachers to keep an eye on their students, and then left it to Xu Zifan. Xu Zifan had said that the materials were being sold off-campus and had nothing to do with the school; anyone who wanted to buy them could treat it like buying materials at a bookstore—who knows, they might actually be useful.
When Xu Zifan returned to class, he ran into Ji Yuxin in the corridor. Ji Yuxin's face immediately turned ugly. She glanced at him disdainfully and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "Xu Zifan, aren't you ashamed? Are you desperate for money? There are so many good students, but I've never seen anyone make money by taking notes."
Xu Zifan stopped and looked her up and down. Ignoring the two female classmates beside her, he said directly, "What's shameful about earning money through your own abilities? Is it only honorable to spend other people's money? That's truly laughing at poverty but not at prostitution. By the way, how many points did you get this time? You transferred to Class 1, your grades must have improved a lot, right?"
Ji Yuxin's face darkened even more. She hadn't studied much since she got together with Li Xudong. Her slight decline in the last monthly exam wasn't obvious, but this time she only scored 536 points, which was even worse than Xu Zifan's score. She ranked second to last in the class, while Li Xudong was the last. She felt incredibly ashamed.
She retorted angrily, "Academic performance doesn't represent everything. What matters after graduation isn't grades."
Xu Zifan shrugged. "Ancestral wealth doesn't represent everything. Who knows if it will be ruined if it falls into the hands of an incompetent person? Also, we've fallen out. Let's be strangers from now on. Remember not to stop me and say such ridiculous things again. What I do is none of your business."
Xu Zifan left after speaking. Ji Yuxin was furious but couldn't call him back. She felt that people were peeking at her in the corridor and felt incredibly ashamed. She turned around and ran out.
A female classmate who was with her called out, "Class is about to start, Yuxin, where are you going?"
Ji Yuxin didn't answer and ran off. The two girls exchanged a glance and whispered as they walked back to the classroom, "What did Xu Zifan mean by what he said just now? What was with the 'laughing at poverty but not prostitution' thing, spending other people's money, and talking about ancestral wealth? And what about him saying things like 'let's tear each other apart and become strangers'? Did they date before?"
"I heard that Ji Yuxin and Xu Zifan used to be classmates for three years. Some people even saw Xu Zifan riding a bicycle with Ji Yuxin on the back. Maybe they really were a couple. Could it be that Ji Yuxin dumped Xu Zifan after getting together with Li Xudong, which is why Xu Zifan worked so hard? And... did Li Xudong give Ji Yuxin the money that made her so rich?"
The two girls gasped simultaneously; this was beyond their comprehension. Although they could gain some small advantages by getting close to Ji Yuxin, they still couldn't accept that Ji Yuxin was actually spending Li Xudong's money—wasn't this tantamount to being kept? The two girls didn't dare say much when they returned to class, but a few girls who were close to them still learned some of the "truth" from them.
Ji Yuxin ran to a shady spot on the playground, sat down on the ground, and fiercely...
She angrily plucked a few blades of grass. Li Xudong came out to find her, squinted at her, and said, "I heard you just had a fight with Xu Zifan? What happened? Can't forget your childhood sweetheart and fiancé?"
Ji Yuxin frowned, glared at him, and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I told you long ago that I don't like him. It's all wishful thinking on his part. I was just angry that he caused trouble when I was recognizing my parents, so I wanted to say something to him. Who knew he would be so sharp-tongued? It made me so angry!"
Li Xudong scoffed, "Why bother getting angry with someone like that? If you don't like them, just find someone to teach them a lesson. Why do you have to do it yourself? That would be beneath you. By the way, since you've already skipped class, why don't we go to a club? A few of my buddies are there. Apparently, Wang Liqiang found a new girlfriend and is bringing her to meet everyone today."
Ji Yuxin laughed when she heard that they were going out to play. She stood up and took his hand, saying, "Okay, his new girlfriend is definitely prettier than the last one. You can't look at her too much. You can only play with me later."
"Alright, alright, my ancestor, let's go." Li Xudong readily agreed, but inwardly he didn't care. This woman used to be completely obedient to him, but ever since she returned to the Yan family, she's become arrogant. But it didn't matter; he was her first man, and she clearly had feelings for him. What a prestigious partner she had! Even his father said the Yan family was a very good match for marriage, and if they could be together, they should be together.
His previous pursuit of Yan Yaru was based on this idea: in the province, only the Yan family was better off than his, so marrying a daughter of the Yan family would be ideal—it would be prestigious and a powerful alliance. However, Yan Yaru didn't give him face, so he simply pushed her into the mud. Now that Ji Yuxin was a daughter of the Yan family, and even when the Yan couple asked her to break up with them, she refused, what was there to choose from? She was a suitable wife candidate. He could just keep it a secret from her if he wanted other girls later. He had taught her all these things in the industry, and he had introduced all her friends. If he really wanted to keep something from her, wouldn't it be easy?
The two entered the club. The private room was already quite full; five were Li Xudong's friends, and the rest were "friends" they had brought along. Ji Yuxin immediately spotted the girl next to Wang Liqiang. She had long, straight black hair, a delicate and pretty face, and wore a white dress—the image of a "pure and innocent school beauty" immediately came to mind. The girl was a little reserved, avoiding eye contact. Most of the time, Wang Liqiang spoke to her, and she would only reply briefly, afraid of saying something wrong. Yet, she also maintained a certain inherent pride, trying to show that she wasn't the kind of girl who acted casually.
For a fleeting moment, Ji Yuxin seemed to see her former self. This was how she felt the first time she came to the club with Li Xudong. Seeing everyone dressed in designer clothes, hearing that a single watch cost millions and a bottle of wine was twenty thousand, she was so hesitant and afraid to move, lest she break something she couldn't afford to pay for. The more she frequented these places with Li Xudong, the more astonished she became—the world of the wealthy was unimaginable to ordinary people.
She had eaten an 800-yuan tomahawk steak, and when she got home, she couldn't eat the tomato and beef brisket her mother made. She had worn 3,000-yuan sandals, but afraid her parents would see them, she had to change back into her 200-yuan sneakers, which, for some reason, felt particularly uncomfortable on her feet. The diamond necklace Li Xudong bought her cost over 50,000 yuan, and when she got home and looked at the silver jewelry her mother had bought her for a few hundred yuan, she suddenly felt incredibly poor. Facing Li Xudong's friends, she increasingly felt inferior, her mentality became unbalanced, and she lamented why she hadn't been born into a better family.
Fortunately, Li Xudong liked her, treated her well, taught her many things, took her out to play every day, and spent a lot of money on her. Although Li Xudong didn't introduce her to his friends at first, they eventually became a couple, and his friends started calling her sister-in-law, and she finally integrated into their circle.
Ji Yuxin elegantly picked up her glass of red wine, took a sip, and glanced at the pure and innocent school beauty with a sense of superiority. She used to feel very inferior in this circle. When she got home and heard her mother grumbling about how vegetable prices had gone up again, she felt extremely frustrated. She was angry at them for not being more ambitious and earning more money so that she could also be a rich second-generation. Back then, she even dreamed of becoming rich overnight and never having to be at the mercy of others again.
She was terrified of her change and panicked about the future, but her luck turned around. Now she was finally able to hold her head high; she was a second-generation rich kid, her biological parents were the richest people in the province, and she was now richer than everyone else in the private room. Not only did she no longer have to worry about Li Xudong falling for someone else, but she could also openly date and even marry him. As for her parents saying Li Xudong was unreliable, she scoffed. When she had nothing, Li Xudong had never looked down on her; he even took her by his side every day and helped her reunite with her parents. Now that she had a noble status, of course Li Xudong would treat her even better. This was her first man, the man who had pulled her from the bottom of society into high society. With their current status, they were sure to be very happy in the future.
If there's anything she's unhappy about in her current life, it's that her parents are still very cold towards her. They haven't held a banquet to officially announce her status, and those rich young ladies don't seem to want to hang out with her; they seem to be somewhat ostracizing her. She suspects that Yan Yaru said something to them, after all, they used to be Yan Yaru's friends, didn't they? Fortunately, she still has friends like Li Xudong, and she doesn't really care about hanging out with others.
She had originally intended to cause trouble for Yan Yaru, but to her surprise, the Ji couple got along quite well with her, and Xu Zifan was always chatting and laughing with her. These people had said they were so good to her before, but now they'd changed their minds so easily. Li Xudong was right after all; relationships between people can change in an instant. Blood ties turning into enmity is nothing new, and she'd even seen news reports of spouses killing each other. Only relationships based on mutual benefit are truly reliable. She now had enough confidence, and in the future, she would only have more and more.