Chapter 1013: Lin Miao is Cheating

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

With the uproar from that incident, any remaining students with even the slightest intention to cheat were effectively deterred.

Gu Zi, however, remained indifferent. As long as she could continue her exam, none of it mattered to her. True to form, she handed in her paper only after seeing a few others submit theirs–this time, even after Lin Miao.

The next day’s math exam brought a new dynamic. Lin Miao had overheard whispers that, back in school, mathematics was Gu Zi’s weakest subject. That little tidbit instantly lightened Lin Miao’s mood; she even allowed herself a rare moment of relaxation. But in her buoyant state, she completely missed the occasional side glances of envy directed her way.

However, halfway through the test, Lin Miao’s confidence evaporated. Her brows furrowed tightly, the tension so severe it could have caught a fly.

These questions weren’t just challenging–they were absurdly difficult. In fact, some were unfamiliar, even to her, despite all the advanced preparation she had undertaken since her rebirth. Anxiety bubbled within her, threatening to spill over.

Just as she turned her attention back to a set of impossibly tricky fill-in-the-blank questions, something unexpected happened. A crumpled paper ball rolled to a stop by her foot. The implications were obvious–it was meant to pass answers.

A jolt of unease shot through her, and she instinctively reached for the buzzer in her mind, ready to raise her hand and report the incident.

But before Lin Miao could act, another voice cut through the silence like a dagger.

“Teacher! Lin Miao is cheating!”

The entire room seemed to freeze as all eyes turned toward Lin Miao. The invigilator’s gaze landed on her with a thunderous intensity, their face clouded with suspicion.

Was this really happening? Yesterday, a cheater had been publicly shamed and expelled from the hall, and now, someone else dared to follow suit?

The teacher approached with a hardened expression, but as they drew closer, their face contorted further.

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Lin Miao?! Of all people, the girl who had reported yesterday’s cheater was now caught red-handed herself? It had to be a joke.

Lin Miao sat there, stunned for a full second before the accusation registered. Someone had accused her of cheating? Impossible! Her eyes immediately darted toward the source of the voice, and to her shock, it was her deskmate–Wang Qiang.

“When did I ever offend Wang Qiang?” Lin Miao muttered under her breath. Glaring at her accuser, she quickly retorted, “Wang Qiang, don’t spout nonsense! I don’t even know who threw this paper ball! It wasn’t meant for me!”

Her panic was palpable as she crouched slightly, hesitating whether to pick up the paper. If she touched it, wouldn’t that be akin to admitting guilt? Her hand froze mid-air.

But Wang Qiang wasn’t done. She pointed accusingly in another direction.

“Teacher, it wasn’t just Lin Miao. That girl over there–Gu Zi–she’s the one who threw the answers! They’re working together! You should kick them both out!”

Gu Zi, who had been watching the drama unfold like a bored theatergoer, suddenly found herself dragged into the fray.

She sighed inwardly. Wasn’t this ripped straight from the original novel? The heroine, Lin Miao, was accused of cheating during the college entrance exam.

Back then, it was Gong Zhan who stood up for her and cleared her name, ensuring she could complete the test. She had never imagined that she, Gu Zi, would be part of this fiasco, now painted as an accomplice. What rotten luck.

Lin Miao, for her part, was completely dumbfounded. Cheating? Her? And Gu Zi passing her answers? How absurd did this sound? She couldn’t believe that she was being falsely accused, and by none other than Wang Qiang–a girl who had seemed friendly enough until yesterday.

Just yesterday, Wang Qiang had been peppering her with questions about Gong Zhan, even expressing admiration for her. Today, she had flipped faster than a pancake.

Lin Miao tried to defend herself, her voice shaky with disbelief. “Wang Qiang, how could you make up such lies? I would never ask Gu Zi to pass me answers! Teacher, please don’t listen to her nonsense!”

The classroom buzzed with barely concealed glee. Some students exchanged amused glances, savoring Lin Miao’s predicament. Oh, how poetic! The girl who had self-righteously exposed a cheater yesterday was now accused of the same crime.

Wang Qiang doubled down, her tone unwavering. “Lin Miao, you’ve never been good at math–I know that for a fact. It was obvious you’d resort to cheating. Yesterday, the moment you walked into the hall, you struck up a conversation with Gu Zi. I saw it all. You two planned this, didn’t you?”

The teacher strode over to Lin Miao’s desk, picking up the offending paper ball with a grimace. Unfolding it, they found, as expected, a neat list of answers to the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. Their eyes shifted to Lin Miao’s half-empty answer sheet, a stark contrast to the complete list on the paper.

“Lin Miao,” the teacher’s voice was icy, “you’d better have a good explanation for this. And you–” they turned to Gu Zi, “did you pass these answers? Hand me your paper.”

Gu Zi, unbothered by the escalating tension, calmly handed over her test sheet. The teacher scanned it quickly, and their expression turned stormy. The answers to the disputed questions were all correct–and identical to those on the paper ball.

Now, the teacher’s scrutiny bore down on Gu Zi, sharp and accusatory.