Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “I feared that if they carried on like this, your sister would learn all the wrong ways. Your mom is getting more and more daring. Forget it, I should not have told you all this. You would be sitting for your middle school exams this year. Do your best.”

  “I understand.” Qiao Nan nodded. From then on, she put all her concentration on her studies, ignoring Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.

  For some unknown reasons, this amazing pair of mother and daughter had not been bothering Qiao Nan for a long while. Qiao Zijin also did not ask Qiao Nan to help her on account of their ‘sisterhood’.

  “Xiao Qiao, there is one more month to go before middle school exams. Are you nervous?” Zhu Baoguo did not study in the past. Now that he put in more efforts to study, he never thought that time would fly past, and middle school exams would be coming in the blink of an eye.

  “Not nervous. What is there to be nervous for?” Qiao Nan looked at the scattered test papers on her desk calmly. There would be a small test once every three days and an exam every five days. On top of that, they also had to do numerous practice papers.

  In this situation, what was there to be nervous about. “Why? Are you scared?”

  “I am not scared, I am just guilty.” It was rare that Zhu Baoguo was so honest. “The students who sit for the middle school exams have nine years of solid foundation. I, I only studied hard for less than a year.”

  “Having no confidence in yourself is normal in your case. But you must trust me,” Qiao Nan said in a mocking and encouraging tone as she patted Zhu Baoguo on the shoulder.

  “Crap.” Zhu Baoguo rolled his eyes. “There is no one else like you who would praise themselves in such manner.”

  “There is. Here is one standing right in front of you.” Qiao Nan grinned at him, showing off her sparkling white teeth.

  Zhu Baoguo was speechless. He twitched one corner of his mouth. On second thought, he always lost when he bickered with Xiao Qiao. He would rather spend the time to do a few more questions than being mocked by Xiao Qiao.

  “Everyone, do not be nervous. Middle school exams are in fact similar to the exams that we used to have. You must prepare your stationery. It is okay to bring more pens with you in case they run out of ink and could not be used. Furthermore, a few of the students from our class might be arranged to be in the same classroom. You have been classmates for three years. You should be friendly and helpful toward each other. If any of them has unusable pens and you have an extra with you, don’t be stingy. There would be students from other classes in the classroom as well. It would be a laughing stock if people from the same class refuse to lend their pens, whereas people from the other classes are willing to lend them their pens. Do you understand?”

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  Everyone was baffled by Teacher Chen’s words. But Zhao Yu who blushed to a bright red knew clearly what Teacher Chen was referring to.

  A lot of the students were whispering to themselves that they had been classmates for three years after all. If it was only a pen, no one would be so stingy to the point they would refuse to lend a pen. This would never happen to Class One.

  The more they discussed it, the redder Zhao Yu’s face became.

  Other students might not have noticed Zhao Yu’s expression, but Zhou Lei could see it clearly.

  Zhou Lei looked at Zhao Yu in suspicions. Zhao Yu gritted her teeth and shot him a glare. “Don’t make any wild guesses. I have nothing to do with what Teacher Chen said!”

  “Did I say that it has anything to do with you?” Zhou Lei smiled. Did she just expose her own deed?

  “Anyway, just bear in mind that you had better not shoot your mouth off. If I hear of anything, I would settle scores with you.”

  “Zhao Yu, do you really think that I am scared of you? If you have the capabilities, just come at me. Show me what you are capable of. I am a man. I will not shoot my mouth off like you girls. Initially, I had no intention to say anything. Now that you have given me a warning, I would be letting you down if I did not say anything. I will be waiting for you to settle scores with me!”

  Zhou Lei was agitated by Zhao Yu.

  Zhou Lei had long wanted a change of seats. But Teacher Chen did not see the need to as they would be graduating soon. Besides, Teacher Chen believed that Zhou Lei had decent self-control, hoping that he would bear with it for the time being.

  Zhou Lei was a man after all. Since Teacher Chen had already said so, he would have to agree. He thought that it would be fine as long as he did not interact with Zhao Yu.

  It would have been alright if Zhao Yu had not threatened to deal with him. Now that she made the threats, Zhou Lei was not going to give in. “Let’s wait and see!”

  Zhao Yu was in a panic. “No, I…… I was just joking with you, don’t treat it seriously.” If this was to spread in the school, she would not be able to hold her head high.

  Zhao Yu had already felt that the teachers looked at her strangely this semester.

  Although she was still the Chinese representative in class, Teacher Lee would rather get other students to do the tasks than asking for her help.

  Even a simple task like handing out the test papers was done by other students. Zhao Yu did not feel good about it. In fact, she felt uneasy.

  “There is no point crying over spilled milk. It is too late for regrets!” Once angered, Zhou Lei was not to be trifled with as well.

  “Alright, these are the points to take note of. Have a good rest today and be ready for middle school exams.” Zhao Yu and Zhou Lei did not make much of a commotion, hence Teacher Chen did not say anything.

  “Xiao Qiao, here is a special exam weapon for you.” While everyone was packing their bags, Zhu Baoguo was the only one who was busy taking things out from his bag. “Bring this back with you, I guarantee that you would feel refreshed and energized after drinking it.”

  “Coffee?”

  “You knew about it?” Zhu Baoguo was amazed. “Take it and drink it. If you are tired, it can work wonders for you.”

  Looking at the coffee, Qiao Nan hesitated for a while. “Zhu Baoguo, middle school exams is just around the corner. If you trust me, be careful with what you eat after going back to the Zhu family, especially if the food is given by other people. Though there is no way to reject those single servings food, do not eat them. You can throw them away later when no one is looking. No matter what, just bear this in mind and stay alert.”

  Qiao Nan had intended to tell Zhu Baoguo about Wang Yang earlier but it slipped her mind and she could not find the right time to bring it up until now.

  If what Brother Zhai said was true, Wang Yang could not bear to see Zhu Baoguo did well for his middle school exams.

  If so, Wang Yang would be up to no good tonight.

  “Xiao Qiao, have you heard of something?” Zhu Baoguo’s countenance changed.

  “No matter what, I would not do you harm. You had better be careful.” There was no need for her to hear it from someone else. She had the first-hand experience and was almost beaten to a pulp because of Zhu Baoguo.

  “Qiao Nan, thank you. Don’t worry, I understand.” Zhu Baoguo knew it all along that his cousin did not get along well him.

  But his cousin would always address him politely in front of everyone. Zhu Baoguo felt uneasy and displeased, but there was no way to reject him.

  If he pulled a stern face at him, his grandpa would lecture him that as an elder brother, he should give in to the younger brother. Grandpa also reminded that his cousin was well-behaved and obedient so he should bring him along whenever he went out.

  Since a young age till now, Zhu Baoguo could not remember the million times he had been taken advantage of by his cousin.

  But they were only small pranks; it did not matter much. Hence, Zhu Baoguo did not take it to heart.