After I Cheated on the Heiress of a Powerful Family - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The overall mid-term exam results were finalized, and the grade rankings were quickly posted. On Saturday morning, the lobby buzzed with excitement and chatter as the rankings went up.

“Can you believe it? Wen Yan actually topped the entire grade!”

“Seriously? Last time she was in tenth grade, right? She really took first place now? How does she even compare to Xie Buyi?”

“Isn’t she just a follower? How did she manage to ace the exam? Isn’t Xie Buyi supposed to be better?”

“It’s unbelievable! What’s even crazier is that Xie Buyi only placed fifth this time. Are their results flipped or something?”

“Not necessarily. Wen Yan has always been a strong student. Even after a two-year break, she was 16th in the last monthly exam. First place now isn’t impossible.”

“No way! Didn’t you hear? Wen Yan’s last exam score was more than 20 points ahead of the runner-up!”

“It must be a mistake. Maybe Xie Buyi purposely skipped the exam and let Wen Yan have first.”

Many doubted the ranking’s accuracy. Though it didn’t affect their own results, they couldn’t help but question it. Those who once mocked Wen Yan and looked down on her were shocked — not only was she now close with Xie Buyi, but she had also jumped to first place. Such a stark difference was hard to accept.

Repeated inquiries to the teacher yielded the same answer — the scores were correct.

Wen Yan paid no mind to the gossip and criticisms. This week was a short break, and the holiday started after Saturday morning classes. During the last class before the break, the homeroom teacher held a brief meeting and then moved to rearranging seats.

Students packed up and stood at the back of the room, choosing seats in order of their ranking.

Wen Yan was called first. Without hesitation, she looked back at Xie Buyi and silently thanked him, then picked a seat in the middle of the second row.

She felt the front row was too close to the board and would be dusty, so the second row was ideal—offering a clear, comfortable view and easy access from the aisle. She thought it was the perfect study spot.

It also wasn’t convenient for Xie Buyi to sleep back there, as teachers tend to notice if someone sleeps at the back, even if they’re a top student.

She wanted to test how much Xie Buyi would tolerate her preference.

The top few seats were tightly contested. Xie Buyi deliberately dropped from first to fifth place, hoping to sit near Wen Yan but still keep some distance.

However, the second-ranked student took the seat right beside Wen Yan.

Xie Buyi frowned, staring at the spot next to Wen Yan with an expression of quiet innocence.

Wen Yan’s choice was perfect for studying; the third and fourth ranked took the two seats behind her.

Feeling the chilly stares from behind, Wen Yan didn’t dare look back and held a stiff face.

She just wanted to see if Xie Buyi would compromise, but now she couldn’t even sit next to him, not even in the back row.

What a mess!

She even prepared gifts for her deskmate but ended up not sitting next to Xie Buyi. Would he take the gifts back?

What could she do now?

When it was the fourth student’s turn to pick, Xie Buyi didn’t answer immediately.

The teacher called again: “Xie Buyi, where do you want to sit?”

Without hesitation, Xie Buyi went back to the last row, his original seat.

The teacher was surprised: “That seat? Are you sure?”

Xie Buyi sat down without a word.

The teacher was a bit puzzled. The class seating was usually fixed, and it was hard to change seats. Since Xie Buyi’s grades were solid and she deliberately skipped the exam to avoid taking the scholarship spot, seat choice didn’t seem to matter much.

Maybe she just wanted to avoid disturbing others by sleeping in class, so she chose the back row.

The teacher said nothing further and was about to continue when Wen Yan raised her hand.

“Teacher, I think I’m a bit farsighted. Sitting here, I can’t see the board clearly. Can I switch to the back?”

There were only five students so far. The teacher hesitated but agreed. The third-ranked student moved forward to take Wen Yan’s old spot.

The teacher asked the top five to pick their seats again. The second and fourth were happy with their choices, the third took the seat Wen Yan gave up, and Xie Buyi stayed put. Wen Yan finally sat beside Xie Buyi.

The homeroom teacher said, “From now on, students can only move to a seat if they like it. No temporary changes.”

The seating process slowed down, and by the end of class, the noise level rose as everyone packed.

Wen Yan poked Xie Buyi and teased, “You didn’t even say goodbye! Why are you so cold to me?”

Xie Buyi ignored her.

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the week and the start of the break.

Xie Buyi didn’t take any belongings, just wore headphones around her neck, grabbed her phone, and turned to leave.

Wen Yan hurried after her, clutching a stack of papers and homework.

“Why didn’t you wait for me? We just became deskmates today, and you’re already so cold!”

Xie Buqi glanced at her. “Do you really want to be my deskmate?”

“Of course!” she replied earnestly.

Despite the awkwardness, Wen Yan tried to stay composed and sincere.

“I didn’t expect all the seats to be taken. I wanted to move when someone sat next to me, but I had to wait for you to choose so I’d know where to go.”

Xie Buyi’s tone was calm, unreadable, but she didn’t pull her hand away.

Wen Yan felt there was some game going on.

She quickly reassured him, “Of course! How could I lie? If I didn’t want to sit with you, why would I ask you so many times?”

After chatting for a bit, they reached the school gate. Wen Yan saw a familiar luxury car waiting.

Before Xie Buyi left, she asked softly, “Are you still mad at me?”

“No.”

“Then why ignore me?”

Xie Buyi blinked slowly, then answered, “I’m thinking… about who will get the scholarship.”

Wen Yan’s eyes brightened.

Fifth place got 800 yuan!

She grabbed Xie Buyi’s wrist, stepped closer, and blinked mischievously.

The closeness made their noses almost touch. Xie Buyi’s breath hitched, so she stepped back.

Wen Yan hurriedly asked, “Who are you thinking of giving it to?”

The driver got out as soon as he saw Xie Buyi, opened the door, and waited.

Xie Buyi glanced at Wen Yan, then got into the car.

She looked back once, and Wen Yan waved goodbye. The car pulled away, the figure growing smaller through the window.

Invisible.

Suddenly, a lazy male voice came from the co-pilot seat, where a boy about 17 or 18 was lounging and playing with his phone.

He stretched, propping his legs on the passenger seat, smiling sideways: “So you really made a friend in City One? Even if she’s blind and follows you around, she’s quite pretty.”

Xie Buyi shot him a cold glance but said nothing.

Seeing her indifferent attitude, the boy’s smile faded. Just as he was about to speak again, the driver’s phone rang.

The driver glanced often at the back seat, then quietly said, “Eldest lady, madam is calling you.”

Xie Buyi checked her phone—two missed calls.

She turned on silent mode.

The car’s rear screen lit up with a woman’s face wearing silver glasses, looking at Xie directly and bluntly asking, “You only got fifth place this time?”

Xie Buyi’s eyelashes trembled; her dark eyes half-closed. She hummed softly.

“What happened?”

The woman’s tone turned cold and sarcastic. “You went to a small-town school, and still couldn’t get first place?”

Xie Buyi kept her gaze down and calmly lied, “I forgot my special pen for the exam, so I couldn’t alter the multiple-choice answers.”

“Don’t make excuses. I don’t want a useless kid like you. If this happens again, I’ll send you back to Deying to study.”

The boy in the co-pilot seat smirked, full of malice: “Everyone at Deying misses you, sis.”

He pressed his legs down, trembling a bit.

The woman on the screen snapped, “Xie Chengye?”

Xie Chengye poked his head forward, grinning: “Don’t worry, little mother. I’m just visiting my sister for a few days. Won’t cause trouble.”

The woman ignored him, staring coldly at Xie Buyi.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes.”

Xie Buyi clenched her hands, trying to steady her trembling. After a pause, she whispered, “There won’t be a next time.”

The call ended. Xie Chengye stared at the screen silently.

The car fell quiet for a while.

After more than ten minutes, nearing their destination, Xie Chengye suddenly laughed nervously, scratching the windshield with his foot, making a harsh noise.

“Hey, I saw something funny online! Someone’s selling a pen that looks familiar. Wasn’t that a birthday gift from your dad? It’s one of the 24 sets, engraved with the Xie family name.”

Xie Buyi was startled.

“Let me check… It’s priced at 6,000. Isn’t that cheap? The seller said it’s from a brand called Fidelity, but I forgot which one exactly, haha! So interesting… No, I must buy it!”

He laughed, rolling in his seat, then turned to face Xie Buyi with his phone almost touching her face.

“Look! I want to ask who’s so shameless to resell our sister’s gift. Sister, come see! We’ll get revenge.”

Without hesitation, Xie Buyi said gloomily, “No need. It’s none of your business.”

“I’m just warning you.”

Xie Chengye looked at the rearview mirror, enjoying her serious look, and smiled playfully.

“If it doesn’t come… I might have to teach you a lesson.”