Chapter 145: Who Are You Being Sarcastic With? (Second Update)

Zhou Yao seemed to notice Xia Manman’s reaction. Whether she intended to comfort Xia Manman or spite Jiang Muwen, she drawled, "Study all you want, but you’ll still end up at the bottom of the pile."

Her tone was laced with disdain. As the words reached Jiang Muwen’s ears, her heart skipped a beat; to her, this biting, sarcastic remark was clearly meant for her.

Of course, Jiang Muwen was not the only one who heard it. Given that Jiang Muwen sat in the penultimate row, everyone in the classroom who cared to listen could hear it clearly.

As soon as Zhou Yao finished, Wen Yichen lifted his head. He understood the weight of those words and knew exactly how they would affect Jiang Muwen. He knew her character well—that she was a girl with a strong sense of pride who, despite appearing carefree on the surface, actually cared deeply about such things.

This was like rubbing salt into a wound. Wen Yichen stared at Zhou Yao, his gaze icy and sharp, carrying a hint of hostility. Zhou Yao had once again crossed his line.

With his brows tightly knitted, Wen Yichen stared at her and asked in a cold, low voice that nonetheless brought the entire classroom to a sudden, absolute silence: "Who are you being passive-aggressive toward?"

He was about to continue when Jiang Muwen stopped him, clutching his arm gently to signal him to let it go.

Whatever had gotten into her, Zhou Yao didn't back down. "I was talking about—"

*Thud.* The sound of a hand slamming onto a desk cut through the quiet air, causing Zhou Yao to immediately snap her mouth shut. It was Yin Lize. He raised his head, his eyes locked onto Zhou Yao. The innate intensity in his gaze seemed capable of swallowing her whole. "Don’t you think you’re being incredibly noisy, Zhou Yao?"

Silence descended upon the classroom once more. Everyone stared, riveted, not expecting such a series of spectacles to unfold right after the monthly exams. Rattled, Zhou Yao glanced at Yin Lize, then reluctantly turned away and buried her face in the book on her desk.

The surrounding students, who had been enjoying the drama, seemed unsatisfied, as if the show had been cut short just as it was getting interesting.

Yin Lize did not care for the attention. He scanned the room and asked, "What are you looking at? Will staring at me get you a perfect score on your exams?"

At these words, everyone tactfully withdrew their gazes, either returning to their homework or discussing problems with their neighbors.

***

Wen Yichen looked around before turning his attention to Jiang Muwen. He leaned over slightly, carefully observing her expression. The girl’s face remained neutral as she stared at the test paper before her, making her inner thoughts difficult to read.

Was she still feeling hurt by Zhou Yao’s words?

"Jiang Muwen," Wen Yichen said, leaning in with concern, "don't listen to Zhou Yao’s nonsense. She’s the one who hit the bottom with 43 points."

Hearing this, Jiang Muwen seemed to feel a bit better. She slowly lifted her eyes and looked at the boy beside her, a flicker of confusion crossing her gaze as if asking, "Is that true?"

Wen Yichen looked at her, a faint, gentle warmth spreading across his eyes. He looked at her firmly and said softly, "It’s true."

His eyes were beautiful. For a fleeting moment, Jiang Muwen felt a wave of heat rush to her cheeks, and she deliberately looked away. "Thank you."

Her voice was soft, but Wen Yichen heard it clearly. As he watched her, the corners of his mouth curved upward involuntarily.

"Don't take her words to heart. I just looked at your test paper; the problems aren't that bad." His tone was calm, as if he could soothe all the unease in her heart.

When Jiang Muwen didn't speak, he continued, "Your logic was mostly correct, you were just too careless. Let me go over the monthly exam paper with you."

Wen Yichen leaned back, pulled a pen from his pencil case, clicked it, and then leaned toward her again. "Let's start with the long-form questions."

His sudden closeness caught Jiang Muwen off guard. His warm breath brushed against her face like a feather, tickling the tip of her heart. After what felt like an eternity, his voice drifted into her ears: "Did you understand that?"

Jiang Muwen gave a half-convinced, "Mhm."

***

"Then try solving it yourself."

Wen Yichen handed her the pen. Jiang Muwen took it and slowly began to write out the steps, each stroke more hesitant and labored than usual.

Wen Yichen watched quietly from the side. When he grew tired of one position, he shifted and continued watching. Finally, he leaned his hand naturally against her seat, looked at her work, and frowned. "No, that’s not right."

A burst of warmth washed over her face, causing her to tremble instinctively.

He reached to take the pen to demonstrate again, only to find she was still holding it. Without hesitation, he placed his hand over hers, his fingers gripping the pen as he guided her hand to continue writing.

"You used the wrong formula in this step," he said in a low voice, striking through her work.

His hand was large and warm. Hers was enveloped in his palm, letting him guide her through every stroke.

With his hand over hers, he left a trail of elegant, flowing script on the paper. Jiang Muwen stared straight at the characters appearing before her eyes. She didn't really process what he was whispering, nor did she fully grasp the formulas he was writing; she only knew that even while holding her hand, his handwriting was stunning. Watching those refined characters flow from his pen was a visual feast.

The display soon came to an end. After writing the final answer, Wen Yichen released her hand. "Did I make it clear?"

Jiang Muwen looked at the lines of notes left on the paper, the warmth of his palm seemingly lingering on the back of her hand. "I... I'll look at it again."

"Sure," Wen Yichen said gently, watching her from the side.

"Wen Yichen," the homeroom teacher’s voice suddenly drifted from the doorway, causing the entire class to look up. No one knew when the teacher had arrived. The teacher stared at Wen Yichen for a moment, then at Jiang Muwen, and said, "Wen Yichen, come to my office after school."