Volume One, Chapter 11: How Could Lu Ning Possibly Rank within the Top One Hundred Before the Exam?

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Lu Liu was somewhat troubled over the competition. Lu Nanfeng patted his shoulder and said, “Once the results are out, I’ll have a serious talk with her. After all, the revival round is crucial.” Lu Liu frowned, displeased. “It was Lu Ning who begged me for a long time before I taught her how to play. Now she’s turning around and trying to control me. When did she become so scheming?” He added, “If it really comes to it, let Big Brother step in. Lu Ning can’t possibly disregard his face!” Qin Xiang stood nearby, feeling deeply wronged. She had no intention of giving up her spot to Lu Ning—it was hers, and hers alone.

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After Lu Ning arrived at school, everyone was buzzing about the exam results. One of Qin Xiang’s followers glanced at Lu Ning and deliberately spoke loudly, “Some people have been working so hard lately; I wonder how many points they scored!” Lu Ning calmly took out her textbook to review, though inside she was nervous. Soon, the homeroom teacher came over holding the report cards, stirring excitement in the classroom.

The homeroom teacher pounded the desk, “Quiet down, everyone. Overall, the results weren’t great this time. Now is not the time to slack off. I want to specifically mention Qin Xiang—she has dropped over two hundred places.” Qin Xiang’s face paled; she knew her recent state wasn’t good, but hadn’t expected such a poor performance. The teacher then looked at Lu Ning, hesitating before saying, “However, Lu Ning has improved significantly. Keep it up!”

One of the followers pressed, “Teacher, what rank did Lu Ning get?” “She’s currently ranked one hundredth in the grade.” The classroom erupted instantly. Lu Ning smiled slightly—she had truly done it! Her heart swelled with excitement; now she could report her results to Ji Chi Qian! It seemed her recent efforts hadn’t been in vain. Judging by this progress, if she kept working hard, she might just have a chance to reach the top.

“Teacher, I suspect Lu Ning’s results are questionable. She couldn’t have improved so much in such a short time!” The classroom fell silent after this accusation. Nearly everyone turned to look at Lu Ning, their gazes full of doubt. The homeroom teacher, seeing Lu Ning’s ranking, also harbored some suspicion but acknowledged she had been working hard lately. At that moment, Qin Xiang timidly spoke up, “Teacher, Ning Ning really wants to prove herself with good grades. After all, she made a bet with her brother at home, so please don’t doubt her results. These scores really matter to her. Please, I beg you.” Her words were well crafted.

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But Lu Ning revealed a trace of sarcasm—what a high-level white lotus act. No wonder she had fallen to Qin Xiang in her past life. Sure enough, after hearing this, the homeroom teacher suspected Lu Ning had risked cheating to win the bet. Qin Xiang’s follower added fuel to the fire, “Teacher, don’t cover for cheaters. Recently, both Xiang Xiang and Lu Ning have been preparing for their family’s team competition. Xiang Xiang’s grades have dropped so much; Lu Ning can’t have improved this drastically!” Another follower chimed in, “Yes, teacher, for fairness, I think Lu Ning’s results should be canceled.” Seeing the teacher hesitate, Qin Xiang was clearly confident that her words had been believed. She knew she had won again. Lu Ning, how dare you outdo me again? Don’t you know what punishment awaits?

“Lu Ning, won’t you say something to explain?” The homeroom teacher’s doubtful gaze was unmistakable. Lu Ning replied coldly, “I didn’t cheat.” Just a few words, nothing more. In her past life, whenever her grades surpassed Qin Xiang’s, that woman would find trouble for her, forcing her never to outshine Qin Xiang. Now Qin Xiang was repeating her old tricks.

Qin Xiang quickly took over the conversation, “Teacher, I said she wouldn’t cheat. Please don’t doubt her. Canceling her results might seem fair, but it would hurt her.” The teacher thought for a moment. “Lu Ning’s ranking will be temporarily invalidated until I investigate further. If cheating is confirmed, she will face appropriate punishment.” After the teacher left, the classroom grew noisy. The followers mocked, “I knew some people’s sudden improvement was due to cheating.” Qin Xiang’s eyes gleamed with triumph as she immediately took out her phone to report to Sixth Brother: [Sixth Brother, what should I do? Ning Ning cheated on the test to win the bet with you. Now she’s going to be punished. I’m so worried about her!] Lu Ning simply opened her book and resumed studying. Whether her ranking was canceled or not didn’t concern her. Qin Xiang could only influence the homeroom teacher, not the final exam results!

Still, she felt uneasy. After all, she had promised Ji Chi Qian that if she made the top 100, they would play games together. But she hadn’t gone to the infirmary lately, and Ji Chi Qian hadn’t replied to her previous messages. Lu Ning felt a pang of sadness—she had finally found a friend, yet it seemed she had overthought everything. When morning classes ended, a girl’s scream came from outside the classroom. Lu Ning looked up and saw Lu Liu approaching. What was he doing here?

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“Qin Xiang, your brother is so handsome.” Qin Xiang wore a smug expression and stepped forward to accept the small cake Lu Liu handed her. “Sixth Brother, Lu Ning is in the classroom. Why don’t you talk to her? If she apologizes properly and admits to plagiarism, maybe she won’t be punished.” Lu Liu glanced at Lu Ning inside the classroom. But Lu Ning never looked up, quietly studying her textbook. She didn’t need to guess why Lu Liu had come to school—Qin Xiang was clearly eager to see her humiliation. But she didn’t care whether her results were canceled. She would never admit to plagiarism!

Qin Xiang stood at the door, feigning sympathy. “Ning Ning, Sixth Brother is here. Don’t worry.” Lu Ning pretended not to hear and didn’t glance at Lu Liu outside. Lu Liu’s face darkened. Any worries he might have had vanished instantly. What was he worried about regarding Lu Ning? He spoke coldly, “I’m going to the office to find the homeroom teacher.” Then he turned and left. Only then did Qin Xiang bring the cake over to Lu Ning. “Ning Ning, Sixth Brother only brought one cake for me. He probably forgot. I’ll share half with you later.” Lu Ning could see right through Qin Xiang’s boasting. She was used to it—whenever her brother came to school, he always brought Qin Xiang small gifts. She never got any. Later, she had even cried, saying that Second Brother said she was disobedient, so she didn’t get gifts. But now, she no longer cared for those so-called presents.

Lu Ning’s phone rang. Seeing it was Ji Chi Qian calling, she stepped out into the hallway, took a deep breath, and answered, “Hello, Master.” “How are the results?” Ji Chi Qian asked. Lu Ning felt a pang of sadness. “I was ranked one hundredth at first, but it seems my results might be canceled.” Ji Chi Qian’s lazy expression immediately turned serious. “What happened?”