Volume One, Chapter 13: You Must Apologize to Her in Public

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After hearing the principal’s words, Ning Lu was somewhat surprised. She hadn’t expected the principal to bring this up. She glanced calmly at Liu Lu and Xiang Qin opposite her. However, Liu Lu’s expression grew very uneasy. In the past, it was always Ning Lu chasing after him, and he never did anything that would put him in a difficult position. As the older brother, he was accustomed to being superior. Now, having to apologize was more painful than being killed. Xiang Qin immediately said, “Ning Ning, when did you become so formidable? You secretly studied at home, and we never knew. When you were accused of cheating after getting such good grades, Sixth Brother came to school right away to help you. He actually cares about you.” After giving Liu Lu a way out, he coldly replied, “Xiang Xiang, stop talking. Some ungrateful people will never understand.” Liu Lu looked even more pleased with Xiang Qin; this was how a sister should behave. Ning Lu looked at him with a faint smile that was neither friendly nor hostile: “Yes, Sixth Brother came to school immediately, then what? He told the teacher I did cheat, forced me to write a self-criticism, and apologize in front of the whole school. Such ‘help’ — do you want it or not?” Xiang Qin was instantly speechless. Liu Lu, ashamed and furious, snapped, “Ning Lu, it was because you secretly worked hard without telling us that I misunderstood you were cheating. Sure, your grades improved, but playing such tricks is interesting, huh?” The principal spoke again, looking at the homeroom teacher: “Who was the one who first accused Ning Lu of cheating? Bring them here to apologize.” The homeroom teacher immediately called over two school lackeys. The lackeys, unaware of the situation and thinking Ning Lu had indeed cheated, smugly said, “Teacher, we only said Ning Lu cheated to get good grades. Has the investigation been cleared up now?” The teacher nodded, “That’s right. After investigation, Ning Lu did not cheat. You two should apologize to her immediately.” The lackeys’ faces showed shock—Ning Lu didn’t cheat? How was that possible? Xiang Qin quickly acted like a good person, “Sister Ning really didn’t cheat. I told you not to say things recklessly earlier; now you should apologize to her.” With that, she cleared herself completely. The lackeys reluctantly apologized, “Sorry, we were wrong, we shouldn’t have spoken without knowing the facts.” The homeroom teacher looked at Ning Lu, “Do you have any other requests?” Ning Lu shook her head, “No.” The homeroom teacher said with relief, “Ning Lu has been very hardworking recently, but Xiang Qin’s grades have dropped significantly.” Xiang Qin felt embarrassed, especially since Ning Lu had achieved such good results—it was a humiliation. She answered with reddened eyes, “I... I was just delayed, I won’t let it happen again.” Liu Lu also felt a bit ashamed, “What’s the use of good grades? When the time comes, becoming famous through gaming and making a fortune is far more important.” Xiang Qin actually agreed with that. The homeroom teacher was angry, not expecting parents to speak this way. He looked at Xiang Qin, “You should learn more from Ning Lu.” Xiang Qin bit her lip hard and ran out of the office. Liu Lu looked at Ning Lu with annoyance, “It’s just one good grade—does it deserve such bragging in front of Xiang Qin? She’s been held back because of her gaming team. You, who haven’t put in anything, have no right to brag.” Ning Lu raised her eyelids slightly, “Am I bragging?” The principal spoke again, “I clearly heard the homeroom teacher say those words; Ning Lu did not speak. As a parent, you shouldn’t be so biased.” Liu Lu was stumped and dryly replied, “I’m not biased. Ning Lu has always been like this.”

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After speaking, Liu Lu went out to chase after Xiang Qin. Ning Lu turned to look at the principal, “Thank you.” “No need to thank me. You have the ability; this is what you deserve. You should return to class. I need to have a meeting with the teachers and emphasize this matter.” Ning Lu left the office. After a few steps, she saw Chi Qian Ji standing in the corridor, wearing a white coat. He was leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for someone. Ning Lu met his gaze, her heart inexplicably quickening. Chi Qian Ji straightened up, his voice cool and calm: “How did it go?” “Of course, I won! The principal had me redo the test, and I scored better than the monthly exam.” Ning Lu proudly lifted her head. At that moment, seeing Chi Qian Ji made her victory feel more meaningful. Chi Qian Ji lowered his gaze slightly, speaking evenly, “Did they apologize?” Ning Lu was momentarily stunned. Did he mean Xiang Qin and Sixth Brother? She shook her head. “Only the scapegoats apologized, not the masterminds. But I don’t care—they’ve already been thoroughly humiliated!” She still felt very happy. Chi Qian Ji’s refined features softened with a smile as he said, “Come find me after school.” After saying that, he left. Ning Lu noticed someone approaching in the corridor but didn’t ask. She turned back and returned to class. The once noisy classroom was now quieter. The homeroom teacher soon came to announce that Ning Lu’s grades were genuine and that there was no cheating. Xiang Qin lay on her desk, feeling downcast, losing interest even in the cake. She had to find a way—she couldn’t let Ning Lu’s grades become so good. How could Ning Lu possibly be better than her? — After school, Ning Lu went straight to the infirmary. Chi Qian Ji sat in a chair and glanced back at her, “Finished your homework?” “The teacher asked me to review my mistakes. I’ve finished.” She hadn’t made many mistakes; those she did were on topics she hadn’t reviewed or mastered. Chi Qian Ji nodded at the computer beside him, “Want to play games? Do you have an account?” “I do, but I want to create a new one.” “Perfect, we’ll both level up new accounts.” Chi Qian Ji didn’t intend to use his main account to carry her. Ning Lu logged into the game and randomly chose the name: [Sweet Lemon].

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Once inside the game, she looked at Chi Qian Ji: “What’s your name? Let’s add each other as friends.” Ning Lu glanced at his game interface; the name seemed familiar: [If Time Could Flow Backwards]. She suddenly remembered something. In her previous life, she had an online romance with someone who used exactly that name. Chi Qian Ji raised an eyebrow, “What are you looking at? Accept the friend request.” Ning Lu blushed instantly and quickly agreed to add him, her heart stirred as she looked at his in-game character. But in her previous life, she hadn’t met that online lover at this time. Perhaps it was just a coincidence? Ning Lu secretly looked at him, “Why did you choose that name?” Chi Qian Ji’s hand paused, his eyes half-lowered, “Just randomly picked it.” Ning Lu nodded; maybe it really was a coincidence. After logging in, they went straight to the newbie area to complete quests. Ning Lu sensed that Chi Qian Ji wasn’t a total beginner; he probably used a new account to accompany her, but she didn’t ask further. However, his gameplay really resembled that person. Ning Lu couldn’t help but ask, “Master, does your main account have the same name?” “No.” “So today is the first time you created this new account with this name to play?” Chi Qian Ji looked at her, “Yes, why?” Ning Lu quickly lowered her head, her cheeks heating up, “Nothing.” She was a little conflicted—was he that person or not? But the timing didn’t match her previous life. She had met that person only after the revival tournament ended. He had taught her how to improve her gaming skills, helping her advance all the way to the finals. Although she never met her online lover in person before she died, she was still grateful for his help when she was homeless. Ning Lu seemed somewhat absent-minded. After a long time, they finished the newbie quests and left the newbie area. When they were about to start the next task, they encountered another team. Ning Lu sneered as she saw the team’s game name. It was Sixth Brother and Xiang Qin. Chi Qian Ji narrowed his eyes, “Shall we attack?” “Attack what? We’re both on new accounts with weaker gear. Attacking them head-on would be suicide.” Although she said this, Ning Lu was somewhat tempted. Chi Qian Ji said, “Wait until they’re almost done with the task, then when they’re low on health, steal their boss.”