Xiao: The Shameful Scandal of the Junior High School Entrance Examination

After breaking free from his inner constraints, he often found himself at a loss for how to express his emotions, a realization that caused him no small amount of distress. Yet, it seemed as if Shangguan Xiao knew exactly what he was thinking. The fact that she could accurately discern his deepest desires—perhaps that was the true meaning of tacit understanding. Whenever Ouyang Xianyu reflected on their way of life, where words were unnecessary for mutual comprehension, he felt a profound sense of nostalgia.

They sat together in silence, a peaceful communion they had never shared before. The air felt imbued with a subtle sweetness, and the occasional passerby drifted through the surroundings. The moonlight stretched their shadows long across the ground, making it appear as though they were leaning into one another. A soft halo seemed to crown them, reminiscent of a match made in heaven. Those who passed by could not help but cast envious glances at Shangguan Xiao and Ouyang Xianyu, turning back repeatedly to look, a sight that almost made Shangguan Xiao burst into laughter.

Tang Meng and the others, refreshed from a comfortable bath, strolled toward them, chatting and laughing. Upon seeing the perfectly matched pair sitting quietly together, it felt as though they were witnessing a precious, world-renowned painting. The aesthetic beauty of the scene caused the group to hold their breath; even the brilliant white moon hanging high in the starry sky seemed to dim in comparison. It was enough to make one wonder if they were angels accidentally left behind on earth by God.

Sensing footsteps, Shangguan Xiao and Ouyang Xianyu turned their heads in unison. Upon seeing who it was, Ouyang Xianyu’s expression turned icy. He began to regret ever having met these people; they were so oblivious, and the mere sight of them fueled his irritation. He must have been seething at these interlopers who had ruined the atmosphere—he had finally managed a moment of solitude with Shangguan Xiao, only for these tactless people to intrude. He was incensed, yet unable to say a word, left to sit aside and stew in his frustration, watching the beautiful night slip away without the intimacy he craved.

Seeing that Shangguan Xiao had noticed them, the group stopped hiding and walked up naturally, greeting them cheerfully. "Hello! You two certainly have a fine appreciation for the evening!" Hui couldn't help but tease. Shangguan Xiao smiled, her purple eyes appearing even more striking in the night. She looked so radiant that everything else in the world seemed to lose its luster. Even Tang Meng, who was often in her company, was momentarily captivated, inwardly marveling that Shangguan Xiao’s beauty was truly beyond reason. "Sigh! Such unfairness in the world! Xiao is truly beautiful!" she exclaimed with genuine emotion, looking so besotted she nearly drooled.

A gentle night breeze stirred their hair. The handsome man and beautiful woman stood together like a graceful, elegant prince and a bewitching princess stepped out of a manga. Everyone who saw them lingered, yet dared not step forward for fear of shattering the lovely scene.

Noticing her best friend’s "dazed and intoxicated" expression, Shangguan Xiao shrugged off the awkwardness and shifted the topic. "A drill instructor told me about tomorrow's training project. Want to know what it is?"

She hooked their curiosity immediately—one of the best ways to change the subject. As expected, once they heard it concerned tomorrow's training, everyone was filled with curiosity and asked in unison, "What is it?"

Caught off guard by their reaction, Shangguan Xiao paused, wondering to herself, *Why are they so in sync? Did they plan this? This is ridiculous!*

Although surprised by their coordination, she spoke slowly, repeating what Li Mingguo had told her. Xiao’ai cried out in shock, "Obstacle crossing?"

In truth, obstacle crossing wasn't inherently surprising, but doing it here was another matter. While the area was surrounded by mountains, the ground where they were currently stationed was mostly composed of yellow sand. There was nowhere suitable for such training, which was the source of Xiao’ai's astonishment. A look of distress crossed everyone’s faces; these instructors were truly heartless. Did they expect them to perform obstacle training in a sand pit? Just thinking about it was absurd—getting covered in dust and grime, stained with dirt that would be impossible to wash away—it was infuriating.

They could only wait to see what tomorrow would bring. Yet, a deep sense of unease lingered—not because they feared failing the training, but because they loathed the idea of being covered in filth. Furthermore, they suspected this wasn't ordinary training. Knowing the instructors, there might be ulterior motives at play. They didn't know what schemes awaited them, but they knew that meeting challenges as they came was the only way forward.

Seeing the atmosphere turn tense, Tang Meng hesitated for a long time. Finally, as if reaching a decision, she said with a grin, "By the way, Ouyang is really amazing! He’s been first in every test since the start of the semester!"

The others became interested instantly and nodded in agreement. Hui glanced around, then beckoned the others to gather close, whispering, "That’s just the tip of the iceberg!"

Xiao’ai nodded as well, chiming in, "Exactly! You have no idea—ever since Ouyang joined our middle school division, he’s almost never received a bad grade!"

It was true; ever since Ouyang Xianyu arrived, the previous top student had been relegated to second place. That student had been first in every grade from first through sixth, but ever since Ouyang transferred to the middle school division, that poor child had been stuck in second place forever. Even they felt sorry for her. She had been suppressed by Ouyang Xianyu for so long that it felt like she would never see the light of day again.

Shangguan Xiao remarked dryly, "So, the original top student just crawled into a shell, then?" She looked unimpressed.

Tang Meng seized the opportunity to spill more secrets. "Then you definitely don't know this! After Xiao came to our school, she also held the top spot for three consecutive years!"

The others burst into laughter. First place? This "first" couldn't be the one they were thinking of, could it? Seeing their disbelief, Tang Meng grew anxious. "It really was first place! She won the scholarship three years in a row!"

The laughter died down instantly. Hui asked tentatively, "The 'one' as in the best, not the 'one' as in the absolute bottom? Did I hear that right?"

The others looked stunned. If she really was the top student, why was she in Class F? Was it intentional? It didn't make scientific sense! Shangguan Xiao coughed awkwardly, "Ahem!" She tried to signal Tang Meng with her eyes to stop mentioning such embarrassing things, but Tang Meng had no intention of staying quiet. Ignoring the signals, she continued, "Curious why she’s in Class F, right?"

She held out her hand to the others, signaling that if they wanted to hear the reason, they had to pay up! Shangguan Xiao watched, speechless—her family wasn't exactly short on money, yet Tang Meng was trying to profit from them! She felt utterly humiliated. Her own best friend was selling her scandals for cash! *Oh heavens, send a bolt of lightning to strike her down!*

Hui took out her wallet and placed several red bills into Tang Meng’s hand. Tang Meng counted them, nodded in satisfaction, and prepared to expose Shangguan Xiao’s history. Before she could speak, Shangguan Xiao covered her mouth. With a stern face, she glared at the others who tried to intervene, and whispered sharply to Tang Meng, "I’ll give you ten thousand! Shut your mouth!"

Tang Meng patted Shangguan Xiao’s hand, signaling her to let go. Not actually intending to hurt her, Shangguan Xiao released her grip. But to her surprise, the moment she did, Tang Meng bolted away, hiding behind Dongfang Shuo and shouting, "Actually, the reason Xiao is in Class F is because she didn't bring her admission ticket to the exam, and by the time she retrieved it, she had already missed several tests!"

After blurting it out, she jumped and ran from the scene. Shangguan Xiao was left behind, seething with frustration, stamping her feet and unable to decide where to begin scolding her.

Ouyang Xianyu, watching from the side, couldn't help but smile, his lips curling upward. Shangguan Xiao, still fuming, happened to turn her head and caught the sight. Even someone like her, accustomed to seeing handsome men and beautiful women, was momentarily entranced. *Hmm, what word could describe this feeling?* Watching Ouyang Xianyu’s smile, she felt her heartbeat skip for three seconds.

It was as if time had stopped, and the world had lost its luster. He was the only source of light—dazzling! The others were also entranced, though Ouyang Xianyu remained aloof, as if he didn't belong to this world. Bing Ling, who had always watched him quietly, felt a trace of sadness emerge in her eyes. She believed that loving someone didn't mean you had to keep them by your side; as long as the person she loved was happy, that was enough. It wasn't that she was noble; she simply understood that what didn't belong to her could not be forced.

She had felt the bitterness, the pain, and the resentment before, but in the end, she chose to protect. She had once held the belief that she could move him, but after being rejected time and again, she had moved from pain to numbness, and finally to this silent vigil. Many might think she was foolish, but she believed that seeing the one she loved happy was more joyful than anything else.

Ever since Shangguan Xiao appeared, Ouyang Xianyu’s smiles had clearly increased. He was no longer the cold, solitary figure he once was. Even though they had always stayed by his side, there had always been a sense that they existed in two different worlds.

When Shangguan Xiao finally regained her composure, she coughed awkwardly and said, "I'm going back to sleep! Goodnight!" She then turned and walked away. The night breeze blew softly, and the moon wearily covered itself with a blanket of clouds. Watching Shangguan Xiao’s retreating back, a trace of disappointment lingered in his heart. He truly wished they could have had just a little more time alone—even if it were only a moment.