Old Wang felt terribly wronged.
There was nothing he could do—he'd simply been born with a fierce face, a gift from his parents.
"Ahem." Wang Chao cleared his throat twice to ease the awkwardness.
He did his best to resume a normal tone.
"Xu Liang, you did well on the quiz. Only three students in our class scored above ninety, and you're one of them."
"Huh, so I'm in the top three?" Xu Liang looked stunned.
"Yes, you've been working hard lately and your scores have shot up."
Watching Xu Liang, Wang Chao was curious.
The kid's grades used to be trash—how had he improved so fast?
Old Wang's mind drifted to Ye Chen.
Could this boy have fallen in love too?
Instantly, Old Wang's guard went up.
"Xu Liang, anything unusual going on with you lately?"
"I… nothing's going on."
Xu Liang stared at Wang Chao in bewilderment.
Wang Chao tried another angle.
"Xu Liang, have you found any girl especially pretty recently, or someone you really like and want to be with?"
"Huh?!"
Xu Liang froze—what was Teacher Wang getting at?
You get a free girlfriend with good grades now?
Xu Liang knew that was impossible.
Last time two classmates dated, their parents were summoned to school.
His heart tightened and he shook his head frantically.
"Teacher, no, nothing."
Wang Chao froze, looking puzzled.
"Then how did your scores jump so much?"
Xu Liang exhaled in relief.
So the teacher thinks, like Ye Chen, my grades are powered by love magic.
He quickly explained, "It's because Ye Chen's been tutoring me after class."
"Ye Chen?"
Wang Chao's eyes lit up.
Xu Liang and Ye Chen were usually close.
He often saw the two hanging out after lessons lately.
Ye Chen was actually that good?
With his guidance, a mid-tier student ranked in the thirties had vaulted into the top tier.
Old Wang felt depressed.
Was he really that lousy a teacher?
All his lessons were less effective than Ye Chen's after-class help.
Xu Liang added, "Ye Chen's been tutoring me, Xia Yingluo, and Li Sitong—ask them if you don't believe me."
"Li Sitong? Xia Yingluo?"
Wang Chao suddenly remembered.
Recently, Li Sitong and Xia Yingluo had soared in the rankings—also thanks to Ye Chen.
Previously both hovered around tenth school-wide; now they'd locked down the top three.
Their grades had always been decent, so Old Wang had subconsciously overlooked the shift.
So Ye Chen really had been tutoring the two of them.
The scene of Ye Chen explaining that test paper replayed in his mind.
Wang Chao couldn't help asking, "Xu Liang, how effective is Ye Chen's tutoring?"
Xu Liang said, "Super effective—problems I couldn't grasp before make total sense after he explains."
Wang Chao paused. "You mean… he's better at explaining than I am?"
Xu Liang felt awkward, thought a moment, and tactfully said, "Well, better… by a teensy bit… I guess!"
"A teensy bit?" Wang Chao pinched his fingers to show a tiny gap.
"Yep, a teensy bit…!"
With that, Wang Chao stretched his arms as wide as he could, demonstrating the actual size of that "bit."
Heart-stab!
Wang Chao coughed. "All right, you can go."
Just then, Teacher Chen walked into the Office.
Chen Tao had a stack of papers tucked under his arm, looking secretive.
Wang Chao narrowed his eyes slightly.
The guy treated those papers like treasure, taking them everywhere—even to the toilet.
"Tch, what's so special? Taking them to the loo—ridiculous."
Old Wang couldn't help muttering.
A nearby female teacher whispered, "Teacher Chen got an internal set from a classmate in the Provincial Capital and guards it like a gem. You're rivals for Outstanding Class Adviser—of course he won't let you see."
"As if I even want to look."
Though he sounded dismissive, Old Wang felt a twinge of anxiety.
After all, the winner between him and Chen Tao for Outstanding Class Adviser wasn't settled yet!
He had a trump card in Ye Chen, but Class 2's average was better!
Wang Chao had been racking his brain over why his class lagged behind Class 2.
The students' ability should be about equal.
Both Class 2 and Class Five were key classes with evenly distributed recruits.
Could it be that he, the teacher, wasn't up to par?
Impossible!
He believed his teaching ability matched Chen Tao's.
The only difference was Chen Tao always procured key papers from Provincial Capital schools before the National Higher Education Entrance Examination.
After all, educators in the tiny Jiangcheng Middle School couldn't compare to those in the Provincial Capital.
Their research group's questions were a whole grade above in quality.
Those materials made Wang Chao drool every year.
Yet Chen Tao kept them to himself.
That had to be the gap between their classes.
"Hmph, if I had provincial papers I'd definitely share them with colleagues," Wang Chao grumbled.
The other teachers rolled their eyes.
"Humph—when it comes to hoarding, you're no better than Chen Tao…" — When classes resumed that afternoon, Ye Chen felt oddly jumpy.
He sensed Wang Chao looking at him in a weird way.
When the bell rang, Wang Chao glanced at Ye Chen, then at Xia Yingluo beside him.
"Yingluo, come to my Office."
Xia Yingluo froze.
She'd been obedient in class—no hand-holding with Ye Chen, nothing outrageous—why was she summoned?
Wang Chao walked ahead; Xia Yingluo followed, uneasy.
Had she been too close to Ye Chen lately?
She fretted silently.
In the Office, Wang Chao beamed, "Yingluo, have a seat."
Xia Yingluo was stunned.
Usually when a teacher called you in, the teacher sat while the student stood.
What was Teacher Wang up to?
Seeing her hesitate, Wang Chao pulled her to a chair.
"Yingluo, how do you think I treat you normally?"
Flustered, she answered sweetly, "Teacher Wang treats me very well."
It was true—he always cared for her.
He often bought her stationery, and whenever his family made dumplings or meat dishes he'd bring her a share.
She'd always remembered his kindness.
Still, today he seemed odd—almost ingratiating.
Wang Chao nodded. "Yingluo, could you do me a favor?"
She grew even more puzzled.
"Teacher, what… what can I do for you?"
Wang Chao smiled. "Our class average has been poor. Ye Chen's test review last time worked wonders, so I thought—could he spare some time before the National Higher Education Entrance Examination to tutor the class and lift everyone's scores together?"
Xia Yingluo was thoroughly bewildered.
"Teacher, if you want Ye Chen to teach, why ask me?"
Wang Chao gave an embarrassed chuckle.
He knew all too well why: she and Ye Chen were close.
That kid Ye Chen could flat-out ignore him; if Wang Chao asked directly, he'd likely be refused.
How humiliating to be rejected by a student.
After weighing options, asking Xia Yingluo seemed safest—even if Ye Chen said no, Wang Chao's pride would stay intact.
Besides, he'd clearly realized:
In Ye Chen's eyes, Xia Yingluo's face carried far more weight than his own!
Wang Chao grinned. "Telling you is the same as telling Ye Chen, right?"
At the teacher's insinuation, Xia Yingluo's cheeks flushed crimson!