Chapter 111: The Monthly Exam Wager

If he were not afraid of earning a reputation as an ungrateful man, Lin Le would have loved to tell He Ruolan everything Lu Hongzhe had discussed with him in class.

Of course, that was impossible. He could hardly tell He Ruolan that Lu Hongzhe had just been pestering him, or that Lu Hongzhe had kept asking him whether he belonged to her or to Liu Yan.

So Lin Le had no choice but to admit defeat. He nodded and said seriously, “I understand, Teacher He. I’ll be more careful from now on. I won’t cause you any more trouble.”

In Lin Le’s experience, someone like He Ruolan, refined and reasonable, preferred an honest admission of fault over argument.

He Ruolan had not expected him to admit his mistake so frankly. She had heard that this student fought, cursed, and even had powerful backing behind him; last time, even Principal Gao had yielded to him in public.

She had originally assumed he was a difficult troublemaker, but it turned out he was surprisingly obedient.

At once, He Ruolan felt that perhaps her words had been a little too harsh.

After thinking it over, she decided it would be better to make amends.

“Lin Le, I actually think you’re quite intelligent. Though your studies were delayed because you were in the army, I believe that if you’re willing to work hard, you still have a chance of getting into a vocational school, or even a junior college, on your own ability,” He Ruolan said very seriously.

“What?” Lin Le had already given up on arguing with her, but when he heard her say that only by “working hard” would he “possibly” get into a vocational school, “or even” a junior college, the stubbornness in him flared at once.

It reminded him of what Gao Youde had once said to him in the principal’s office. It was practically identical.

“Teacher He, is that all I amount to in your eyes?” Lin Le gave a cold laugh and said, clearly unconvinced.

“You...” He Ruolan froze. She had not expected him to react so strongly.

“Lin Le, I don’t mean to look down on you. I’m only speaking according to the facts.” This was truly what He Ruolan believed. After all, he had already dropped out for three years, and his foundation in high school subjects was almost nonexistent. With that kind of level, saying he could get into a vocational school or junior college was already being generous.

She had only wanted to comfort him kindly, give him a little hope, and encourage him to study well. She had not expected her good intentions to be taken so badly, and she was somewhat displeased.

“The facts? Teacher He, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but your understanding of me is based entirely on hearsay. To put it plainly, you know nothing about me at all, so how can you talk about facts?” Lin Le argued.

“You...” A faint trace of irritation rose in He Ruolan’s heart.

Fortunately, she was patient enough to take Lin Le’s reaction as nothing more than a rebellious phase in a teenage boy, and did not take it to heart.

“All right, since you think I’ve underestimated you, then prove it to me.”

“How am I supposed to prove it?” Lin Le asked.

“There will be a placement assessment next month. As long as your English score can get close to the top fifty in the class, I’ll take back what I just said,” He Ruolan replied very seriously.

“The top fifty?” Lin Le let out another wry smile. “Teacher He, you’re being far too merciful to me.”

There were not even seventy students in Senior Class 8. The implication of her words was obvious: if he could avoid finishing in the bottom dozen or so of the class, that would already be impressive.

Lin Le felt deeply insulted.

“Then let’s make it the top five! If I can’t place in the top five in the class on the next monthly exam, I’ll leave immediately!” he declared, each word ringing with certainty.

“The top five?” He Ruolan gave a helpless smile.

Yet even that helpless smile, appearing on her radiant and lovely face, carried a beauty that could make one’s heart tremble.

Lin Le, who had just been indignantly fuming over her insult, actually went a little dazed when he saw that smile. After he came to himself, he could not help cursing inwardly at how spineless he was. She had looked down on him like that, and he was still getting distracted by her charm for no good reason.

“Lin Le, I know you may have some English foundation, but you’ve neglected your studies for three years. If you want to get a good score in English now, it’s almost impossible...” He Ruolan was trying to leave him a way down, hoping he would retract what he had just said.

“No!” Lin Le cut her off before she could finish.

“What?” He Ruolan did not immediately understand what he meant.

“What I just said wasn’t about the top five in English. I meant the top five overall in the class,” Lin Le said seriously, meeting her beautiful eyes without flinching.

“What? Y-you’re joking...” He Ruolan felt as if the boy had gone mad.

She had seen plenty of arrogant students before, but she had never seen one as arrogant as Lin Le.

This was Haizhou First High, one of the city’s key schools!

Any student who could place in the top five of the class here would have no trouble getting into a prestigious university in the future.

A transfer student who had abandoned his studies for three years wanted to rank in the top five overall? That was pure fantasy.

“Teacher He, I’m not joking. I’m serious!” Lin Le said solemnly.

“Let me say it again: if my overall ranking in the next monthly exam is not in the top five of the class, then I, Lin Le, will leave Haizhou First High immediately!” he announced in a loud, ringing voice.

“You...” He Ruolan no longer knew what to say.

“However, let me be clear first, Teacher He. If I meet my goal and get into the top five, what will you do?” Lin Le had not been pleased by her earlier dismissal, and felt she ought to be taught a small lesson.

“I... I’ll take back what I said before, and apologize to you properly,” He Ruolan said after a moment’s thought.

“You’re the teacher. How could I possibly make you apologize? How about this: if I can get into the top five, you treat me to a meal. I choose the place. What do you think?” Lin Le suggested.

“That... all right, I agree!” He Ruolan accepted without hesitation, because she felt it was absolutely impossible for Lin Le to accomplish such a goal.

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted them.

She kept feeling that the wager between them was somehow odd. After all, she was still a teacher. Was it really appropriate for her to treat a male student to a meal?

But since the words were already out, it was impossible to take them back.

He Ruolan stopped thinking about it. In any case, there was no chance Lin Le would actually achieve his goal of entering the top five. The so-called bet over a meal was nothing more than empty talk.

She had already begun thinking about how, when Lin Le inevitably failed miserably, she should gently give him an out and help him save face.

“All right, then it’s settled, Teacher He. I hope you won’t go back on your word.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first.”

With that, Lin Le turned and started back toward the classroom.

Then, as if something else had just occurred to him, he turned around and asked, “By the way, Teacher He, what brand of perfume do you use?”

“Huh? I’ve never used perfume...” He Ruolan answered casually without even thinking.

But the moment she said it, she instantly regretted it.

She had been standing very close to Lin Le just now, so he should have already smelled the fragrance on her body. Yet she was telling him she had never used perfume. Wouldn’t that mean he could already guess...

A woman born with her own natural fragrance?

Lin Le’s lips curved with a faint, wicked smile.

Since the strange upheaval three years ago, he had rarely played such pranks on anyone anymore, especially not on girls.

For some reason, though, when facing He Ruolan just now, he had unconsciously wanted to tease her.

Perhaps it was because she had wronged him.

Perhaps it was because she had looked down on him.

Or perhaps simply because she was beautiful...

“Goodbye,” Lin Le said lightly, then returned to the classroom as though nothing had happened.

He Ruolan was left standing there in a daze, taking a long moment before she finally reacted.

“So... was I just... being flirted with?”