After Becoming the Abused Heroine in a Campus Story - Chapter 67 First Prize

Chapter 67 First Prize

“I often come here when I eat with friends. Everything is good here, except you need to make a reservation in advance,” Chen Yitong said as she sat down.

“Hmm, it looks nice and quiet, suitable for discussing things,” Zhou Yining said as she sat down in her seat.

“By the way, I forgot to ask you about the Provincial Essay Contest. The results should come out in a few days. How did you do?” Chen Yitong asked.

“It should be okay. I think I should at least get some prize money,” Zhou Yining said with confidence. Otherwise, her past life would have been a waste.

“That’s good,” Chen Yitong said, observing Zhou Yining’s expression. She felt relieved when she saw Zhou Yining looked normal.

“Teacher, I need to use the restroom,” Zhou Yining said as she stood up.

“Hmm, go straight ahead and turn left.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Zhou Yining said as she stood up and walked outside.

When she came out of the restroom, she ran into Jiang Xianzhi.

“Zhizhi? You’re here to eat too?” Zhou Yining said, surprised to meet Jiang Xianzhi there.

Jiang Xianzhi nodded. “Hmm, my sister booked a spot, so she brought me here. What about you? Who did you come with?”

“With our class teacher. She probably thinks I’m depressed because of Tian Xue’s matter and brought me out to relax,” Zhou Yining explained with a smile, though her face showed undeniable fatigue.

“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Jiang Xianzhi asked, noticing Zhou Yining had dark circles and feeling heartbroken.

Zhou Yining smiled and explained, “It’s nothing. I stayed up until past three in the morning doing holiday homework. I’m a bit tired, but I’ll be fine after some sleep. Don’t worry.”

“Hmm, you look like you’ve lost a lot of weight,” Jiang Xianzhi said.

After leaving Jiang Xianzhi’s house during the holiday, Zhou Yining kept busy writing drafts and homework. She also found time to participate in the Provincial Essay Contest and tutored Jiang Xianzhi and Zhong Yumeng. Her holiday was more tiring than school, with ten thousand things waiting for her every day.

“It’s fine. I’ll eat more these days and gain it back. I have to go now; Teacher Chen is waiting for me,” Zhou Yining said, playfully ruffling Jiang Xianzhi’s hair.

Jiang Xianzhi pursed her lips and nodded lightly after a moment. “Okay, go ahead.”

Jiang Xianzhi washed her hands in the restroom and returned to her private room, sitting there in a daze.

She remembered Zhou Yining’s class teacher was a young, pretty female teacher who was protective of Zhou Yining.

Although she knew the teacher brought Zhou Yining here to eat out of kindness, Jiang Xianzhi felt jealous. Her Zhou Zhou was indeed popular with girls.

Jiang Yueyi saw her daydreaming and waved a hand in front of Jiang Xianzhi’s face. “What are you thinking about? You’re practically meditating like an old monk.”

Jiang Xianzhi pouted. “Nothing. I just ran into Zhou Zhou outside. She looks much more worn out than during the holiday and has lost a lot of weight.”

“Really? She probably didn’t come alone, right? Was she with Zhong Yumeng? The couple’s meal here costs three thousand yuan. It’s not expensive, but for someone like Zhou Yining with her family background, it’s not cheap, right?” Jiang Yueyi said.

Jiang Xianzhi glared at her sister, annoyed at her tactless comment. “Her class teacher brought her here.”

“When did your school’s teachers get so nice? Bringing a student to a private restaurant,” Jiang Yueyi asked with a smile.

“I want to know too. Maybe she’s just really popular with girls,” Jiang Xianzhi said, pursing her lips again.

The more Jiang Yueyi looked at Jiang Xianzhi, the more she felt something was off. Why did her sister sound so jealous?

Jiang Yueyi teased half-jokingly, “No way, are you jealous of her teacher?”

“I’m not,” Jiang Xianzhi denied, though her heart was practically sour with jealousy.

Jiang Yueyi looked at her sister’s contradictory behavior and could barely hold back her laughter.

“Come on, Sister, I’m upset. Don’t laugh,” Jiang Xianzhi said.

“Okay, okay, I won’t laugh. Let’s eat,” Jiang Yueyi said, taking a sip of tea to calm down before playing with her phone.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yining returned to the private room. The table was already full of food. Chen Yitong casually asked, “Why did it take so long?”

“I ran into a classmate from Class 1 and chatted for a bit,” Zhou Yining explained as she sat down.

“The one who went with you to the police station during the holiday?” Chen Yitong asked. “Start eating. Eat more.”

“Yes, that’s her,” Zhou Yining said, picking up her chopsticks and starting to eat.

She wasn’t picky about food, but the dishes here were indeed delicious. The ingredients were fresh, and the fish ball soup melted in her mouth. It was very tasty.

Seeing Zhou Yining eat heartily, Chen Yitong felt a bit relieved. “Kids your age should be happy and not think too much.”

“Hmm, it’s delicious,” Zhou Yining said while eating.

After lunch, they had dessert at the restaurant and were about to leave. As they walked out, Zhou Yining saw Jiang Xianzhi and her group leaving too.

“Zhizhi, Sister Jiang,” Zhou Yining called out.

“Are you heading back to school?” Jiang Xianzhi asked, turning around to see Zhou Yining and Chen Yitong. She wanted to say she could take Zhou Yining back but held back.

“Hmm, see you at school,” Zhou Yining said, looking at Jiang Xianzhi.

“Okay,” Jiang Xianzhi said, then looked at Chen Yitong. “Goodbye, Teacher Chen.”

“Goodbye,” Chen Yitong replied.

Chen Yitong drove back to school, arriving after two in the afternoon. After parking, Zhou Yining returned to class.

During the afternoon classes, Zhou Yining wasn’t in good shape and even fell asleep during math class. However, the teachers knew about Tian Xue’s matter and weren’t too harsh on her.

Zhou Yining finished her homework during two study periods, but she was too sleepy during the later ones and napped on her desk until school ended at nine-thirty.

As Zhou Yining packed her bag, she instinctively looked toward Tian Xue’s spot. Still half-asleep, she paused before remembering what had happened recently.

Zhou Yining gave a wry smile, shook her head, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out.

She headed home, washed up, and went to bed without even checking her phone. She slept until her alarm rang.

Zhou Yining really didn’t want to get up, but she had no choice. She ate breakfast and went to school. During the first class, Chen Yitong walked in with a smile.

She looked at the students and said, “We have good news on the second day of school. Zhou Yining won first prize in the Provincial Essay Contest, with a prize of fifty thousand yuan.”

Chen Yitong looked at Zhou Yining. “Yining, come to the office with me later to give me your bank account number. They should transfer the money in a few days.”

“Okay, Teacher,” Zhou Yining said with a smile. Fifty thousand yuan wasn’t much, but it was enough to repay Chen Yitong and Jiang Xianzhi’s lawyer fees. It was a rare piece of good news.

After class, Zhou Yining went to the office with Chen Yitong, and Class 19’s students went wild.

“Wow, Zhou姐 is amazing! That’s fifty thousand yuan! Getting that much money at once is awesome,” one student said.

“Yeah, first place in the provincial essay contest is from our class. That’s something to brag about,” another said.

“I’m so jealous. That’s a lot of money. You could buy so many delicious things,” another added.

Zhou Yining stayed calm. She was confident in her abilities and had expected to win a prize.

“Write your bank account number here, and the bank name too,” Chen Yitong said, pushing a notebook toward her.

Zhou Yining obediently wrote down her bank account number.

“You should keep this money for yourself. Don’t give it to your parents,” Chen Yitong advised, leaving the rest unsaid.

Zhou Yining nodded. “I know, Teacher. I’m not that foolish. I won’t give it to them.”

“Hmm, with this money, you can relax a bit and not think about working all the time. Go on now,” Chen Yitong said, waving her hand to dismiss her.

Class 1’s teacher saw Zhou Yining and said, “Hey, you’re Zhou Yining, right? Based on last semester’s final grades, you could join Class 1. The grade leader mentioned it before. Since it’s the start of the term, Zhou, are you interested in transferring to our class?”

Chen Yitong laughed in exasperation. “Hey, I’m still here, and you’re poaching my student?”

But Chen Yitong was just joking with Class 1’s teacher. She looked at Zhou Yining seriously. “She’s right. If you want to transfer, you could do it today.”

Zhou Yining smiled and shook her head. “I’m used to it here. I’m not leaving.”

Chen Yitong felt her lunch treat was worth it. Zhou Yining was a loyal kid. She smiled at Class 1’s teacher. “Sorry, Teacher Zhang, my student prefers staying in our class.”

“Fine,” Teacher Zhang said, nodding. She smiled at Zhou Yining. “If you change your mind, come find me anytime.”

“Thank you, but I don’t want to go to another class,” Zhou Yining said politely before leaving the office.

Class 1 had Jiang Xianzhi and Zhong Yumeng, so she was tempted to go. But she owed Chen Yitong a favor, and the girls in her class were quite nice. Leaving didn’t feel right.

If she could become the city’s top liberal arts student in the college entrance exam, it would benefit Chen Yitong as her teacher. Of course, Chen Yitong didn’t help her expecting repayment, but that was one thing, and what Zhou Yining chose to do was another.

Back in class, many students crowded around Zhou Yining.

“Zhou姐, you’re awesome! Fifty thousand yuan! You’re a rich lady now,” one said.

“Yeah, so impressive. First place in a provincial contest. I couldn’t do that even with two more brains,” another said.

Zhou Yining laughed at their comments. “It’s not that big a deal. It’s just my normal level.”

“Zhou姐, that sounds so smug,” Yu Yang said, laughing.

“What? I’m just telling the truth,” Zhou Yining said, feeling she was being honest.

“That’s so Versailles,” someone said.

They teased each other for a while before class started. It was English class, and Class 19 had a new young male teacher this semester. As per the agreement with the vice-principal, Teacher Cao was transferred to teach freshmen in Grade 1.

The class was thrilled about Teacher Cao’s departure. The new teacher was kind and responsible, unlike Teacher Cao, who often gave students attitude.