Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Friday club activities went on as usual. Every student had been forced to sign up for at least one, and I discovered that Sun Shuyi had actually joined the Debate Club.

Only when I went to the club meeting did I understand why. Xiao Ling was sitting upright in a corner by the window, reading a book. He was the first one there. His long, slender fingers turned the pages gently, the very picture of refined elegance.

When I walked in, he lifted his eyes, then ignored me.

Just then, Song Xiaoxue entered the classroom surrounded by a group of people, then sat down beside him.

Xiao Ling smiled and patted her on the head.

So gentle. Like a beam of light.

But that light shone only for Song Xiaoxue.

Song Xiaoxue looked over at me and propped her chin on her hand, her gaze openly provocative.

I stared at her pure, innocent face and suddenly felt a chill crawl over me.

People gradually filled the seats around us. The teacher arrived right on time, wearing her hair in a ponytail and her makeup done with delicate precision. Seeing that we had consciously split ourselves into two sides, she spread her hands helplessly.

“Is it going to be like this every time? Isn’t that a little boring? The gap in ability is too wide this way. How about it, Xiaoxue? Why don’t you go over to that side?”

Before Song Xiaoxue could speak, a buzz-cut boy behind me piped up. “No need. This way, we’ll actually get a chance to train ourselves. Maybe one day we’ll even win!”

The elite class on the opposite side erupted into boos and laughter. Embarrassment instantly crept across the boy’s face.

I turned to ask him, “Classmate, how are you at debate?”

He scratched his head. “I learned a little in class. Just the basics.”

At that moment, the teacher asked, “Who wants to compete?”

Xiao Ling and Song Xiaoxue raised their hands at the same time, along with two boys from the elite class.

“That’s a very strong lineup. Students on the opposing side, you need to be more enthusiastic. Competing against classmates who have participated in debate competitions will be very beneficial for your development.”

On our side, everyone shoved and dodged, and in the end three boys went up. We were still short one person.

The teacher kept trying to encourage us. “This is the motion that Tsinghua University’s debate team used when they won the International Varsity Debate championship. I’d like to see how you perform too.” Then, sounding almost impatient, she added, “It doesn’t matter if you lose. The important thing is participating!”

Just then, I saw that the debate topic on the PPT was the very one I had once debated when I represented my school in a competition.

I still remembered the thunderous applause that day. My teammates and I had fought a beautiful victory.

They had shouted my name, laughing without restraint. We had taken a photo together at the center of the stage.

Those days had been so wonderful. Back then, I had thought that youth like that would stretch on for a long, long time. But now, I had even forgotten their faces.

Without hesitation, I stood up and walked over to stand beside the three boys.

Whispers rose from below.

“Who is she?”

“I think she’s from Class 10…”

“How are her grades?”

“Probably trash. Forget it, looks like we’re getting steamrolled again today…”

Xiao Ling and I exchanged a look. He frowned, seeming to think I didn’t know my own limits.

I no longer wore the expression of the weak. I would no longer smile at him in that fawning way Sun Shuyi had.

I merely looked at him without expression.

As if, before killing my prey, I were judging exactly what he was made of-and whether I should use my teeth or a knife.

The debate went on for a long time. For the first ten minutes, everyone thought it was a match with no suspense whatsoever.

After we briefly introduced ourselves, the three boys beside me kept muttering, “We’re done, we’re done. Why did I even come up here…”

I skimmed through the materials in their hands, then said, “Relax. Watch me. Just speak according to what I write.”

So after that, I gave Xiao Ling almost no room to breathe, pressing him relentlessly with every step.

At last, he began to reveal flaws again and again.

I watched cold sweat bead on his forehead. The hand he used to write was trembling. I watched as our debaters argued the other side into speechlessness.

As for Song Xiaoxue, she had barely spoken at all. For the entire debate, she stayed as quiet as a quail.

I had studied debate for three years in high school and two years in university. I could make arguments that were logical and well-supported, laying them out calmly and persuasively.

I could even borrow a few literary allusions to make myself sound especially learned.

When I delivered the final closing statement, the entire room fell silent.

Then cheers and applause followed. Everyone could see which side had won.

Our side had never won before. The students from the regular classes, who had always been looked down on by the elite class across from us, stood up in excitement, clapping until their palms turned red.

The buzz-cut classmate beside me looked at me in worship. “Classmate Sun, you were amazing! I rode your coattails today and won! Ahhh!”

I patted him on the shoulder. “You were great too. You stayed calm under pressure. That’s exactly the confidence you need.”

The teacher walked up to me. “Sun Shuyi, you were incredible! You were always so quiet before. I really never expected this!”

“Thank you, teacher.”

“Your style just now was a lot like that Best Debater from Tsinghua University. Especially calm, but every word had a barb in it. Very impressive.”

I froze, then hurriedly asked, “Teacher, do you still remember her name?”

“I do. Her name was Lin Min. Such a pity, that girl.”

I fought to keep my expression under control. “Why a pity?”

“She passed away. I think it was an explosion accident.”

Just then, the bell rang. I turned my head and found Zhou Yanfei actually leaning on the windowsill. For once in his life, he was wearing the school uniform, and he looked a lot more obedient.

I had just been about to walk over when someone called out to me.

“Sun Shuyi.”

Xiao Ling’s face was a little pale. He stood there quietly, his eyes tired. “Why do you have to keep hounding me?”

So I stared at him and said, “Hounding you? A defeated opponent has no right to say that.”

“Sun Shuyi, do you think you’re that impressive?”

Song Xiaoxue stood in front of Xiao Ling. Her pretty eyes swept me up and down. “Who was it again who got caught cheating on the monthly exam and had their parents called in?”

I smiled. “Xiao Ling, do you really think I cheated? I was sitting in the very first seat, right under the invigilator’s nose, and the exam papers were only written by the school the day before.”

I said coldly, “It was nothing but a trumped-up charge. Aren’t you really scared? If I remember correctly, my total score was twenty points higher than yours.”

His brows drew together, as if I had truly angered him.

“Sun Shuyi, why would I be afraid of a score you got by cheating?”

I stared into his slightly reddened eyes and saw the nerves beneath them.

“So you are scared. But let me tell you, there’s no need to worry. From now on, in every single exam, I’m going to crush you under my feet.”

I enunciated each word. “Your days as number one are over. I won’t give you even the slightest chance again.”

For a moment, he was speechless. Song Xiaoxue, however, sneered.

“Sun Shuyi, you look like a clown right now. You’ve been at the bottom of the grade since freshman year, and you actually dare to say that?”

She laughed coldly in disdain, but the smile soon froze on her face. Her gaze had landed behind me.

“What are you saying to my big bro?”

A long arm draped over my shoulder, and the boy leaned down to look at Song Xiaoxue.

“Also, Classmate Song, since you’re with Top Student Xiao now, maybe stop sending me messages all the time?”

Song Xiaoxue’s face went deathly pale. She anxiously tried to explain to Xiao Ling, but Xiao Ling took her hand and left the classroom.

“So that’s the kind of guy you like?” Zhou Yanfei tucked a hand into his pants pocket. “Your taste is pretty average.”

I stared after their retreating figures. “Mm. It really is average.”

“Then how about liking me instead?”

The boy’s eyes were bright and sparkling, as if he were waiting for my reaction.

Just then, a few boys passed by outside the door, bouncing a basketball. When they saw Zhou Yanfei, they called, “Brother Fei, hurry up! We’re getting ready to destroy those key-class guys today.”

Only after they had walked past one window did they notice me. The whole group froze. The leader carefully poked his head inside. “Brother Fei… did I just interrupt your confession?”

Zhou Yanfei shot him a look, and the boy shut his mouth, then tiptoed away step by step.

I felt a little at a loss. It seemed I was the kind of person who was very slow when it came to things like this.

“You didn’t wear the school uniform specially just to confess, did you?”

“Don’t you like clean-cut, well-behaved students?” He tugged at the zipper of his school jacket.

Seeing his serious expression, I couldn’t help laughing. He pinched my cheek. “No laughing. Tell me, do you agree or not?”

I shook my head. “Zhou Yanfei, I don’t think of you that way. Right now, all I want is…”

Before I could finish, the dean’s voice came rushing over in a panic. “What are you two students doing in an empty classroom over there?!”

Zhou Yanfei grabbed my hand and ran. I watched the silver cross bouncing behind him. Every so often, he would look back at me, and I couldn’t help wondering: would he be nothing more than a passerby in my life? If he was, then he was far too dazzling a passerby.