Because, after all, Yun Xi was the neglected daughter, Yun Yuanfeng forgot about the parent meeting on Monday afternoon.
Liang Xiuqin was happy to attend the parent meeting for Liang Xinyi, and she woke up early Monday morning to get dressed in an expensive suit.
She also deliberately told Liang Xinyi in front of Yun Xi that she would definitely be at school to attend her parent meeting that afternoon.
Yun Yuanfeng was just heading downstairs, and, hearing what Liang Xiuqin had said and remembering that he had a meeting in the afternoon, he told Liang Xiuqin to go to Yun Xi's meeting in his place.
Yun Xi glanced at her mother, but it was obvious that her mother wasn't going to treat her as a priority. She treated Liang Xinyi more like her daughter instead.
Liang Xinyi glowered at Yun Xi triumphantly, as if she had won something, and raised her chin haughtily.
Yun Xi smiled nonchalantly, then packed up her books and went out.
Her mother was obviously using Liang Xinyi to try and cause trouble for Yun Xi, and the fact that Liang Xinyi could be so smug when she was simply being manipulated by Liang Xiuqin was mind-boggling.
However, her mother would soon enough find out that Liang Xinyi not only wouldn't bring her any glory and wealth, but could also be the driving force behind her downfall.
Liang Xinyi and Yun Chuhan rode in her father's car to school, but how about her, the genuine daughter?
She had to take the bus from the villa complex to school.
This bus was specially for taking kids from the villa complex to school. The villa complex was its first stop, and the school was the last stop.
However, most of the students who lived in the villa complex were transported by car, and often she was the only one in the entire bus, and she enjoyed it.
During the 40-minute drive, she could do more of her reading homework.
It was much more relaxing than sitting in the middle between Liang Xinyi and Yun Chuhan and being on vigilant watch in case they tried to stab her in the back.
However, there was someone unexpected on the bus today.
As soon as Yun Xi got on the bus, she saw that there was someone else there, and it was someone who she had never seen before.
However, his face looked a little unsightly, and it was covered with colorful bruises.
The man leaned against the window with his long legs covering two seats. He was resting with his eyes closed.
Yun Xi couldn't help but look him up and down.
He had one black eye, smeared blood on his forehead, cracked and swollen lips, and blood that still looked wet on his knuckles.
From his appearance, it seemed as if he had just been beaten up or he had been fighting with others.
Most of the children in the villa complex were from wealthy families, and children from the outside dared not easily provoke them.
Having been injured so badly, he had probably been beaten up by someone's father.
How much trouble had he gotten into to have been beaten up so badly?
Yun Xi walked up to him and sat down. She glanced at him and said, "Your hand is still bleeding, and the wound will become infected if it is left untreated."
Upon hearing her voice, he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were cold and piercing and revealed the kingly aura of a person in power.
His gaze fell on this girl who was talking to him, and she felt a chill.
He simply gave her a glance and then closed his eyes once again as if he hadn't seen her at all.
His attitude was arrogant and impatient.
Yun Xi raised her eyebrows in surprise and then, in the spirit of a doctor, she took out gauze, medicine, and disinfectant.
As soon as the gauze with disinfectant touched the back of his hand, the man opened his eyes and thrust out his fist in a punching gesture.
Yun Xi took a quick step back and sat on the seat behind him. She caught his fist and clasped his knuckles.
The man seemed to be astonished at the speed of her reaction.
Seeing her small tender hand clasp the back of his bruised hand, his other hand started to try to punch her again as a reflex, but he stopped at the last second.
Supported by the back of the seat, Yun Xi firmly tugged at his elbow and pressed the gauze soaked with disinfectant down on the back of his hand.
There was a seat between them, and he ended up sitting still. With his dark gloomy eyes, he stared at the stubborn, nosy girl in front of him.
After quickly taking care of the wound on one hand, Yun Xi raised her head and reached out to pull over his other hand.
Her eyes were clear, and there was a stubborn expression on her delicately featured youthful face.
Looking up at him, she resembled Bambi taking care of a hunter.
In his world, women were all promiscuous bitches.
They were obviously afraid of him, but lusted after him nonetheless.
For the sake of money and power, they used all means available to climb into his bed.
He always found their fearful and greedy faces both disgusting and dirty when he looked at them.
But the little girl in front of him seemed so pure that he felt his soul stir.
At the age of 17 or 18, she had the vivaciousness of a young girl, but she also had an intelligence that seemed beyond her years.
If it had been anyone else, just one look from him would have been enough to scare them away, but she'd actually had the courage to approach him. How interesting!
Moreover, this girl handled his wounds with skill and speed, so she obviously wasn't a novice.
Such a beautiful little thing had broken into his hunting range. He only vaguely had gotten a whiff of his prey...
After bandaging the wound on his hand, she stood up and put a cartoon Band-Aid on his forehead.
As she stood up, she could clearly see the man glaring at the cartoon Band-Aid in her hand with disgust.
She didn't care whether he liked it or not, and she pressed it directly onto his forehead.
"That's it. Don't get any water on the wound for the next two days."
Then she turned around and stuffed the remaining Band-Aids into the pocket on the chest of his shirt. "These are for you."
Feng Yang touched the stupid Band-Aid on his forehead, then cocked his head and stared at the figure of the girl who had returned to her own seat and was reading.
This girl didn't want to talk to him or ask him for thanks. She seemed rather cold and proud.
The sunlight outside the bus window fell on her, and she seemed to glow with a faint golden light.
She appeared calm and quiet. Her features were delicate and small, and her entire being exuded youthfulness.
Unlike his dark world, her world seemed bright.
That warm source of light gave him a sense of longing.
Soon, the bus stopped at the gate of Jinggao School. He watched her pick up her books and rush off the bus.
In the air, there remained a faint pleasant scent of medicine.
...
As soon as Yun Xi arrived at the building, all the high school classmates she met along the way stared at her bizarrely and whispered among themselves.
She couldn't help but wonder who she had offended or who had stirred up trouble for her once again.
She ended up slowing down because their staring was making her feel nervous.
"That's the girl who cheated in your class and got first place?"
"I really couldn't tell how she resorted to such unscrupulous means in order to enter the advanced class."
"Everyone is talking about it! How shameless for someone from the countryside."
"..."
After hearing all this cr*p, Yun Xi tugged at her mouth in anger and quickly walked to her classroom.
It seemed as if someone was stirring up trouble for her again.
Very well then, she wanted to see who was trying to get her this time.
As soon as she entered the classroom, she saw her classmates were standing all crowded around. Upon seeing her, their expressions were full of loathing.
Yun Xi glanced at these classmates indifferently, and her gaze finally fell on Liang Xinyi.
She watched her carefully for a moment, and Liang Xinyi's smug expression indicated that she was waiting for a good show.
If she had done something against Yun Xi, she would have appeared guilty and kept a low profile at the moment.
It seemed that this time, it was not Liang Xinyi who was out to get her.
Inadvertently, she caught a glimpse of the class leader, Li Sinuo, and his friend, Yang Lu, together.
Upon seeing her glance at them, the two of them shot her a look then quickly turned their heads away and pretentiously took out their books from their desks.
The other students in the class were either gossiping or waiting for the good show.
Yun Xi couldn't help but curl her lips into a sneer. Remembering that she had stolen first place from Li Sinuo, and embarrassed Yang Lu, she realized that these two people were out to get her.
As she arranged her books, Yun Xi wondered how they'd planned on framing her for cheating on the exam.
If the rumors alone wouldn't suffice, then they had to have found a way to frame her.
They would need evidence.
Suddenly thinking of something, she lowered her head and rummaged through her desk as she carefully tried to remember whether she had lost anything recently.
She hadn't lost anything lately, but since they were going to try to frame her, they would inevitably have to use some of her personal belongings.
What could it be?
Suddenly, something flashed through her mind, and she remembered her bracelet that had been stolen by Liang Xinyi.
That bracelet with her name inscribed on it.
Now she understood what was going on!
Huh...it seemed that Liang Xinyi intended to use Li Sinuo and Yang Lu to bring her down without getting her own hands dirty.
Coincidentally, today was the day of the parents' meeting, so they'd really picked a good time to mess with her.
Her dad wasn't going to come to the parent meeting, and that gave them a chance to cause a huge ruckus.
And as for what role her mother would play here, she was very curious.
When her mother came, Yun Xi was certain that she would add fuel to the flames.
As for today's good show, since Liang Xinyi was the mastermind, how could she feel so smug if she'd done it all on her own.
The first period was their homeroom teacher's Chinese class. The rumors had probably reached him, and the homeroom teacher took a good look at her as soon as class started.
Yun Xi stared back at him without changing her expression. She did so calmly, without the slightest hint of a guilty conscience.
It was only a quick glance, but the homeroom teacher chose to believe in her.
After all, a student who could write such a brilliant essay with such a sense of righteousness in her tone was not a person who would cheat.
Even if the topic of the essay had been known in advance, it was very well written, and he would have given her full marks no matter what.
He had taught so many students, so he had the wisdom to tell whether or not a student was really of high caliber.
After Chinese class ended, the homeroom teacher called Yun Xi to his office.
The whole class turned to look at Yun Xi one after another in anticipation of her suffering humiliation.
But Yun Xi walked out of the classroom with an impassive expression as if nothing was wrong.
Since autumn was approaching, she was wearing a dark green long-sleeved blouse and a beige long skirt. Her style was vintage yet classy.
The hem of her long skirt swept the desk, and the pure white color of the desk made the skirt appear like a lotus blooming in a lotus pond but coming out of the dark soil untarnished.
Upon seeing her being called away by the homeroom teacher, Liang Xinyi was so overjoyed that she couldn't hide her glee. Leaning back in her chair, she could hardly resist the urge to jump up with joy.
As long as Yun Xi was driven back to the countryside, she would have everything that belonged to her in the future.
Including her identity as the Yun family's lady.
Besides, the Yun family hadn't announced her identity to the entire upper classes anyway, and she'd only showed her face briefly at the auction.
So soon, as long as Liang Xiuqin could find an excuse to say that there had been a case of mistaken identity years before, Liang Xinyi would become known as the daughter of the Yun family.
Everything would happen naturally, and no one would doubt it.
Thinking of the imminent glory and wealth awaiting her, Liang Xinyi couldn't help but beam more and more smugly
Outside his office, Teacher Xu stood by the window and looked down on the calm, unworried student in front of him.
The students in his class were usually stylishly dressed in designer clothing, but she appeared especially chic in vintage clothing.
In his eyes, her appearance was that of a true Jingdu blue-blood family, and her mannerisms bespoke the cultivation and elegant manners of a distinguished family.
He did not believe for a second that such a dignified person would cheat for a place in the advanced class.
"Yun Xi, there are rumors in the school that..."
"Teacher Xu, when I came in this morning, I heard them gossiping. They said that my scores on the exam had been obtained by cheating, right?"
"Yes, many students have reported this to me this morning, but I don't believe this is true."
Yun Xi was caught off guard, because she'd thought the homeroom teacher was going to question her.
"Why would you believe me?"
Since beginning this new life, she'd realized she could only win the trust of others step by step.
It was a rare thing for others to trust her immediately.
"As the saying goes, it comes from the heart. From the beginning of school until the present, despite being ostracized by your classmates, you've remained calm and composed. Your mannerisms can be truly regarded as noble. I have taught many students from distinguished families, so my impressions are never wrong. Any student who can write an essay like the one you wrote could never be dishonest in character."
Yun Xi smiled. To her, these silly shenanigans of her classmates were nothing more than them acting like children, and she didn't take them seriously.
The upcoming college entrance examination was the watershed of her life. She could only enter Jingdu University with a high score.
Only then could she do what she wanted to do but hadn't been able to do in her last life.
"In contrast, as soon as school started, your cousin started doing all sorts of attention-seeking stuff in front of all her classmates and hasn't been acting like a junior in high school at all."
Liang Xinyi was digging her own grave, and it had nothing to do with her. She was still useful at the moment, and Liang Xiuqin would continue raising her.
But once she failed to get into a good university and became useless, she would have no choice but to return to the country.
By that time, Yun Xi would have a firm foothold in Jingdu, and it would be time for her aunt and uncle to come to Jingdu.
"Mr. Xu, my dad might not come to today's parent meeting."
"What about your mother?"
"My mother has always thought that I was a scourge. She abandoned me in the countryside at my uncle's house when I was two years old. In her eyes, only my cousin Liang Xinyi is her daughter. I can only bring bad luck to her. She will come to the parent meeting for Liang Xinyi."
"What? How can they be so superstitious during this era? Your cousin..."
Speaking of Liang Xinyi, Teacher Xu simply had nothing to say. She was dumbfounded! This mother would rather raise someone else's daughter than raise her own outstanding daughter.
"Mr. Xu, at my age, this is the first time I have my dad around to attend my parent meeting. Could you call my dad and make him come to school?"
Upon hearing this, all of a sudden Teacher Xu felt very sympathetic. He was also a father, and he valued his daughter's parent meetings very much, and he had never been absent from them.
This girl had been abandoned in the countryside since she was very young, and all her parents' meetings had been attended by other people's parents. It made him feel sad to think about it.
"Okay, I'll call your dad, and I will convince him to come. You are the number one student in the class, and I want your dad to speak on the stage."
"Thank you, Teacher Xu!"
Yun Xi lowered her head slightly as her eyes misted up. She began to look forward to this.
If her father came to school, there was going to be a good show.
"I will take care of this cheating issue. Don't worry, just continue to study hard."
"Okay, I got it!"
Yun Xi turned around and walked toward the classroom. As soon as she reached the corner of the stairs, she saw a figure blocking her path.
She couldn't help but raise her eyes as a face filled with curiosity and exasperation inched toward her face.
"Is there something wrong?" Yun Xi stepped back a little and stared at the tomboyish girl in front of her.
She had short curly hair, big bright eyes, and dark brown hair that made her appear utterly chic.
After looking her up and down, Yun Xi could feel that the girl in front of her had an unusual vibe.
She was wearing a linen long-sleeved shirt with denim pants with suspenders and white sneakers. Her attire seemed unremarkable at first glance, but upon closer examination it wasn't.
Only those in the know could tell that her outfit was quite expensive, and her jeans alone cost more than her tuition for the entire school year.
"Oh, you are the Yun Xi who pushed my rank down?"
"Huh?" Yun Xi raised her eyebrows, and, as if remembering something, she said, "Are you Zhao Yumo, the person who always gets second place?"
She was surprised that the student who always got second place was such an...interesting tomboy.
"Now, you have robbed me of my place as the second place incumbent. Not bad, I'm quite impressed that you've dethroned me!"
"Didn't you hear that there had been rumors of me cheating this morning?"
"I heard. What about it?"
Zhao Yumo shrugged, seeming completely indifferent.
In this regard, she was not like Li Sinuo, who had been holding a grudge ever since she'd gotten first place.
On the contrary, Zhao Yumo was frank and carefree and didn't hold a grudge when she lost. She conceded that her opponent's abilities outranked hers, rather than self-righteously thinking that she had been robbed of her ranking.
"If you cheated, and still managed to take me down, then it simply shows how capable you are. What's more, I know you didn't cheat."
"How?"
Yun Xi met her gaze, and her eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.
"Because I was in your classroom, and I saw Li Sinuo from your class and your cousin...your attention-seeking, brainless cousin, whispering to each other sneakily. I found out after eavesdropping on them that they've set up a trap for you."
"Oh, great! Thanks for warning me!"
Upon seeing her low-key reaction, Zhao Yumo was amused.
"Huh? Are you not at all curious about how they're planning to trap you?"
"You yourself said that my cousin has no brains, so I don't even have to think to know what she's planning. Aren't there rumors of me cheating spreading throughout the entire grade?"
"That's true, but you're going to let them frame you like this? There is a parents' meeting today!"
Yun Xi chuckled lightly, and her cold eyes gleamed with ruthlessness.
"Do I look like such a pushover?"
Zhao Yumo shook her head solemnly and said truthfully, "You don't look like one at all. But I'm quite curious about how you plan to fight back."
Yun Xi pushed her away. "Curiosity killed the cat."
"I'm not a cat! Do you want me to help you?"
Yun Xi glanced at her. "Sow nothing, reap nothing. No, thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm happy to get dirty, and I'm an expert at these sorts of things. I can crush any rumor."
Zhao Yumo ignored her polite refusal and readily agreed to help her.
Yun Xi stared at her energetic face, magnanimous and righteous, and for some reason she started to take a liking to this tomboy.
"This kind of meddling is not for you, and you should just focus on continuing to be the second place incumbent. It does suit me well. I like to see you guys quarreling, because then I can save a damsel in distress. How much fun!"
"..."
Yun Xi lifted her eyes, and there was mischief in them. "Then is it interesting to always be the second place incumbent out of consideration for Zhou Chengzhe?"
"What do you mean for his sake? My academic abilities dictate that I can only be the second place incumbent."
As if she had been caught red-handed, Zhao Yumo dodged her question with a guilty expression.
She was probably used to being straightforward and wasn't used to lying about her intentions. Her frankness was actually quite endearing.
"I asked the teachers to let me study your exam papers. In fact, based on your academic abilities, it's not impossible for you to get first place. But on the contrary, you will deliberately answer a few questions wrong every time you take the exam, and you do so on purpose. To put it simply, that is, you control your score every time you take an exam, and ensure that your score is lower than Zhou Chengzhe's score."
Being exposed so directly, Zhao Yumo glanced around, then waved her hand at Yun Xi and stopped pretending.
"Low-key! Low-key! In fact, I think being the second place incumbent is pretty cool too."
"It is pretty cool. After all, you have an affluent family background. You don't need to be the first to please your elders. But Zhou Chengzhe is different. He is from a poor family. The school will also waive his tuition if he gets first place. You are very kind, but it isn't nice to do too much of this kind of thing. If he finds out, his ego will be bruised."
"Isn't there still you? It's not impossible to get first place with your academic capabilities either! I have also read your exam papers, so the important task of being the second place incumbent is left to you."
"Sorry, I'm not interested in vying for first place with other people."
"But now you have not only robbed Li Sinuo of first place, you have also become a public enemy of the people. I really look forward to how you will refurbish your reputation."
"Then wait and see!"
Yun Xi patted her shoulder. "Study hard, because I alone can't bear the burden of being the second place incumbent on my shoulders."
Zhao Yumo stared at the figure disappearing at the top of the stairs, then patted her own head. Having found such an interesting opponent, she smiled to herself in delight.