Rumors

"Huh?"

Jiang Xueli had never expected anyone to say something like that, but once someone started it, the students in the class followed along one after another, making a racket.

They did not care at all, nor did they need to understand what the word "like" meant. They only knew that this was fun and rare.

"Wow! So the Disciplinary Committee Member likes Lin Zhengran! No wonder she didn't write Lin Zhengran's name just now!"

"So that's what it was!"

"Get together! Get together! Get together!"

"Marry him! Marry him! Marry him!"

Jiang Xueli's face turned bright red from all the shouting. She did not even know where to put her hands and feet. All she could do was close her eyes and shout, "Stop talking nonsense! Who said I like Lin Zhengran?! I never said I like Lin Zhengran! If you keep this up, I'm telling the teacher!"

"Marry him! Marry him!" The class still shouted in unison, burying Jiang Xueli's explanation in the classroom.

Jiang Xueli glanced at Lin Zhengran. In the end, she could only sit back down in her seat, lie on her desk, squeeze her eyes shut, and cover her ears. Out of sight, out of mind.

Lin Zhengran did not really care, because he knew that when you planned to argue with fools, you would become a fool too.

What did these seven-year-old kids know? Explaining over and over would only play right into their hands.

He merely made a token bit of noise, balled up a big wad of paper, and threw it at the first person who had started the teasing. Expressionless, he said, "Are you sick or something?!"

The people in the class quickly shut their mouths, because everyone knew Jiang Xueli could not do anything to them, but if you provoked Lin Zhengran, this guy really would drag you outside for a fight.

And because his grades were good, the teachers would take his side.

Before long, the subject teacher came into the classroom. Under the teacher's scolding, the matter was, on the surface, considered over in Class Two. "What were you all shouting about just now?! The director's office is right next door. Do you not want to sit down for class anymore?!"

But after class, Jiang Xueli actually went to Lin Zhengran on her own. On the way home from school, when no one was around, she sneakily pulled Lin Zhengran into a corner.

Lin Zhengran looked puzzled.

"Student Lin Zhengran!" Jiang Xueli said, extremely conflicted, "Don't take what happened in class seriously. I don't like you. I was just afraid you'd tell other people about what happened with Big Yellow Dog that day, so I didn't write your name. You absolutely mustn't misunderstand!"

She stared at Lin Zhengran and explained, "But today, when you slept, I didn't write your name down, so that counts as me helping you too. Now we're finally even. You can't tell anyone about what happened that day anymore, got it?!"

Lin Zhengran knew there had to be a reason behind it, but getting a Nice Guy Card out of nowhere was way too ridiculous. "Oh, so that's what it was. You've been avoiding me lately because of that too?"

She had not expected Lin Zhengran to notice. Embarrassed, she bit her lip and said, "Y-yeah. I was afraid that once I ran into you, you'd make fun of me in front of everyone else. After all, you boys are all the same. You only know how to bully girls."

Halfway through, she looked off to the side and said quietly, "Although... I realized you don't seem quite the same as them..."

Lin Zhengran was speechless. "Do you have anything else?"

The other party had not expected Lin Zhengran to be so unconcerned. She shook her head, and her twin tails swayed twice at her waist.

"No. That's it."

"Then don't worry. I don't like spreading other people's business around. In the future, when I sleep, if you need to write my name on the blackboard, then write it. We're even. I'm leaving."

After saying that, he left the alley without looking back. Jiang Xueli stared after him pitifully again, looking at his back as she muttered to herself, "Doesn't this guy get tired of acting cool every day? He's always acting like an adult."

Far away, Lin Zhengran turned back and glared at her. Jiang Xueli put both hands behind her back, turned her head to the side, pretended to look elsewhere, and whistled as if nothing had happened.

After that, although many people forgot about the matter, a small portion still kept bringing it up.

Every time Jiang Xueli managed discipline.

The mischievous male students would always dig up the old story. "Disciplinary Committee Member, don't write my name on the blackboard. I'm really close with Lin Zhengran."

Every time, Jiang Xueli was so angry she gnashed her teeth, then explained in shame, "What does you being close with him have to do with me?! I already said I have nothing to do with him! I'm going to write your name right at the very front! I'll let the teacher punish you first!"

This ridiculous rumor lasted all the way into the second year, and still had not completely disappeared in the second semester of Second Grade.

As summer approached, the final exams were coming soon.

The school seemed to say that because of a call from above, they had to hold a sports competition before this year's final exams.

They said it was to warm the children up for the high school entrance exam.

Schools in small towns were always like this. They did whatever idea happened to pop into their heads.

As the vanguard of Second Grade Class Two, Lin Zhengran took first place in the sports competition. With the rewards given by the system, there was simply no way anyone his age could be Lin Zhengran's match.

And this battle, according to the system's prompt, seemed to be a battle at the level of experts. It directly advanced Lin Zhengran to a new major level.

Level Twenty.

In today's Martial Arts Duel, you took first place. You learned many experts' ultimate skills, and your reputation has finally resounded throughout the martial world. Your spiritual energy cultivation has reached twenty, and a new exclusive skill is about to be unlocked. In this martial contest, you gained Strength +1, Charm +3, Physical Strength +2.

The system's narration also reflected the situation in reality to a certain extent.

This battle really did cause Lin Zhengran's popularity in Elementary School to surge.

Many girls from other classes all learned that Class Two had a boy who was very handsome, had excellent grades, and was super, super good at sports!

At the time, Jiang Xueli stood outside the field, staring blankly as Lin Zhengran took first place.

A boy beside her teased her again. "Disciplinary Committee Member, your Lin Zhengran is so amazing. It's just that it feels like a lot of girls from other classes are looking at him. You're in danger."

Jiang Xueli shot back irritably, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart! I already said I have nothing to do with him! Nothing!" But she continued looking at Lin Zhengran, who had won the championship, her lips pressed together.

"What does other people looking at him have to do with me? Seriously, it's so annoying..." Her eyes were fixed on Lin Zhengran's handsome face. A strange emotion flashed through her lively pupils, and her voice grew very low. "So annoying..."

Class Three next door.

Obedient Little He Qing was also sitting in the stands, secretly not cheering for her own classmates, but cheering for Lin Zhengran instead.

Every time Lin Zhengran won a championship, she smiled happily, thinking he really was amazing—he had always been this amazing, from before all the way until now.

But just now, she had heard a rumor that quite a few people seemed to be talking about.

"Did you guys see Lin Zhengran from Class Two? I heard their class's Disciplinary Committee Member has an unusual relationship with him! Apparently everyone's saying they're boyfriend and girlfriend!"

Little He Qing's originally happy expression suddenly turned panicked, and she looked toward them.

She listened as they continued chatting.

"I know, I know too! Haha, it seems like a lot of people know about this. Their class's Disciplinary Committee Member is called Jiang Xueli, right? She's usually a bit fierce, but she's pretty cute! They say the two of them have been like that since the first half of the year!"

Little He Qing clasped her small hands together, suddenly looking at Lin Zhengran on the sports field with great unhappiness, feeling very wronged.

She thought, how could that be possible? Lin Zhengran had never told her about anything like that. It had to be fake. She had to go ask.

She had to ask and get it clear.