After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 18

After finishing the corrections for the science section of the exam and thoroughly reviewing all the variant questions, Mu Xiao finally took a photo and sent it to her physics teacher.

The reply came quickly: “Received.”

The teacher added a few more lines in the chat: “Actually, fluctuations in grades are normal. Mu Xiao, you don’t need to be so nervous. The out-of-syllabus questions in biology are just meant to eat up students’ time. Not having enough time to answer the later sections is a common issue for students entering their third year at our school. By the time of the practice exams and diagnostic tests, most will have adjusted.”

The school had just conducted its entrance exams.

Mu Xiao’s grades had always been firmly within the top five of her grade, but this time, she unexpectedly dropped out of the top ten, landing at twelfth place.

Her homeroom teacher, Old Chen, had called her in for a talk.

It had been nearly a week since the start of the semester, and her problematic test papers had already been analyzed by each subject teacher. The areas where she lost points were crystal clear.

Mu Xiao replied: “Okay, thank you, teacher.”

She responded like that, but after putting down her phone, her expression remained far from relaxed.

Truthfully, she still cared a lot.

Her mother called her out to eat some fruit. Closing her books and holding a plate of sliced apples, Mu Xiao opened the school forum.

As soon as she entered, the front page was flooded with posts about a transfer student.

She vaguely remembered that someone like that had joined her class. The student had arrived already wearing the school uniform, and the teacher had briefly introduced them before letting them find a seat to attend the lecture. At the time, Mu Xiao had been working on a chemistry paper and only caught the sound of the introduction, never getting a clear look at the person’s face.

Clicking on the hottest post, Mu Xiao narrowed her eyes.

Not bad.

The photo wasn’t particularly high-definition, and the facial features were somewhat blurred, but it still looked decent. She wondered if the charm of that delicate, flower-like aura would disappear in a clearer shot.

Treating it as gossip, Mu Xiao scrolled down.

Most of the compliments were posted anonymously.

A few others shared her skepticism, thinking the person might not look as good in a clearer photo.

She refreshed the page.

ID #16645: “They’re actually even prettier in person.”

ID #16645: “Especially striking presence.”

Mu Xiao’s heart skipped a beat.

She double-checked the ID number—it was Shu Tianxin’s.

Refreshing again, those two comments had already been deleted.

But the thread erupted into another wave of frenzy.

“Did I just see what I think I saw? Was that Shu Shen’s account?”

“Screenshot for you all—16645. It’s already deleted. Someone from Class 1, come claim this.”

“I knew this day would come. Even Shu Shen has moments of mortal weakness, but I still have to shout: Please don’t set your sights on my wife!!”

“Answering the call—it’s Shu Shen, hahahaha!”

“This is huge. I can’t even remember what the transfer student looks like, but Shu Shen can already recognize them from a photo?”

“Shu Shen is just stating facts, okay? They really are stunning in person (Note: They sat near me today).”

“No no no, that’s not the point. The point is, Shu Shen and the transfer student are seated pretty far apart, right? Remembered them at a glance?”

“Heh, hehehe, those who get it, get it.”

“Cackles in evil laughter.”

“From Class 1 here. Truly breathtaking—one look and you’d never forget (P.S. Their casual outfits are even better, too bad they’re covered by the school uniform now).”

“Right? Their casual clothes look like they were carefully styled, the aesthetic is top-notch.”

“Well… not to derail, but one of the pieces in their casual outfit is limited edition!!! I stared at it for ages—definitely, absolutely, 100% authentic.”

“Wow, what a rich-girl persona.”

“Love it.”

“Love it.”

Until the very end, that ID never replied again, nor did it offer any explanation.

Mu Xiao kept refreshing, but nothing new appeared. Her upper teeth began to press into her lower lip.

The apple suddenly tasted bland in her mouth.

She wanted to ask Shu Tianxin about it, but when she opened WeChat, she was startled to find their conversation still stuck during the holiday break. She had sent: I have something to tell you tomorrow

Shu Tianxin had replied: Okay, see you tomorrow

Recalling the awkwardness of the next day—she had already confessed her feelings—asking now would feel like emotional streaking. Mu Xiao turned off her phone.

Forget it. He’s just a nice person by nature. Maybe he was just speaking up for the new student!

–

Jiang Ya remained completely unaware of the minor stir on the forum.

After buying some basic replacement clothes and swiping her card, she returned to the hotel, did her homework until bedtime, and felt the day had been fulfilling.

She sent a message to Miss Yu, but there was no reply. Jiang Ya guessed Miss Yu was still busy and went straight to sleep after locking her phone.

The next morning, she saw that Miss Yu had replied late at night.

Even if it was just the words “Good night,” Jiang Ya’s mood instantly brightened.

Good morning, Miss Yu. I’m off to school.

After sending the message, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and set off with light steps.

Class 1 of Senior Year 3 was one of the elite classes at the affiliated high school. There were three top-tier classes in total, and after major exams, students were partially reassigned based on their grades. Even so, Class 1’s average score remained the highest in the entire grade without exception.

Initially, homeroom teacher Old Chen hadn’t been particularly insistent on having Jiang Ya in his class. But when Classes 2 and 3 couldn’t agree, they asked the student for her opinion. Jiang Ya chose Class 1, and the principal smoothed things over, finalizing the arrangement.

By the time Jiang Ya arrived on her first day, two math classes had already passed, and Old Chen hadn’t had time to introduce her properly.

That evening, the forum buzzed with activity. During morning self-study, another teacher reminded Old Chen, who then realized he should properly introduce Jiang Ya to the class.

“This is our new transfer student, Jiang Ya.”

He wrote her name on the blackboard and had her come up to introduce herself before starting the lesson.

“Alright, let’s go over one last variation. Everyone, look…”

“Who wants to come up and give it a try?”

As usual, Shu Tianxin, the class president and math representative, raised his hand.

No surprise there—the kid was also studying Olympiad math and had already won national-level awards, which would give him extra points on the college entrance exam.

What surprised Old Chen was that a second hand went up in class that day.

“Jiang Ya? You want to try solving it?”

Unsure if the transfer student had something else in mind, Old Chen double-checked, studying the girl’s calm expression.

Jiang Ya, however, was unfazed. “I have some ideas. Can I give it a try?”

“Sure. Both of you come up. Jiang Ya, take the left side. Shu Tianxin, use the right side of the board.”

Old Chen handed her a piece of chalk, clapped his hands, and stepped down to walk around the classroom.

“Everyone, give it a shot. The key is to find the right approach and stay calm when facing a tough problem!”

“Call me over when you’ve written your answers, and I’ll check them.”

Below the podium, Mu Xiao opened her scratch paper and started working on the problem, but her gaze kept drifting toward the board.

Jiang Ya was tall, and so was the class president. Standing side by side, they made a strikingly well-matched pair.

Biting her lip, Mu Xiao shook her head, forcing down the jumble of thoughts, and refocused on solving the problem.

Shu Tianxin finished quickly.

He studied Olympiad math, so his solutions often included advanced formulas and methods—something the class was used to.

What was rare was that Jiang Ya wasn’t far behind.

As Shu Tianxin reviewed his work, his gaze inadvertently shifted to Jiang Ya’s board, drawn in by her unique approach.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Many students who hadn’t solved the problem were also watching Jiang Ya’s side of the board, whispering among themselves.

“Damn, how did she figure that out?”

“Can you solve it? This is an Olympiad-level problem, right? Her answer is way longer than the class rep’s.”

“No way, no way—did Old Chen just stumble upon another math prodigy?!”

Old Chen shot a sidelong glance. “Shut up if it’s not about the problem.”

The student who called her a prodigy dramatically covered their mouth, and the surrounding classmates chuckled quietly.

Old Chen was also watching Jiang Ya solve the problem.

By the time Shu Tianxin finished checking his own work on the board, Jiang Ya was already nearing the end of her solution. But she seemed stuck on the final step, standing before the blackboard with chalk in hand, hesitating to make the last stroke.

Shu Tianxin found it odd and glanced at Old Chen. Seeing that the homeroom teacher had no intention of interrupting, he turned back to examine Jiang Ya’s reasoning from the start. Halfway through, he understood. Jiang Ya still hadn’t written anything, but she began scribbling notes on the side, as if deciding which formula to use.

The girl had long, silky hair that draped softly over her shoulders, but her gaze was sharp and unwavering, undisturbed by the surroundings.

Her skin was flawlessly pale, with a porcelain-like sheen.

Finally, she made a decisive dot, picked up the eraser to wipe away all her notes, and smoothly completed the last part.

When the class saw that her answer matched Shu Tianxin’s exactly, the room erupted.

“Damn, Old Chen really hit the jackpot.”

“The extra part must be the derivation of an advanced formula, right? Holy crap, she’s that good?”

“Insane, absolutely insane.”

“Will Old Chen’s favorite student change now?”

Old Chen cleared his throat loudly, and the class fell silent again.

At the same time, Jiang Ya finished reviewing her work, put down the chalk, and said, “Teacher, I’m done.”

Ding-dong-ding—

The bell rang for the end of class.

“Hold on, don’t leave yet. Just a couple more words,” Old Chen called out.

“Both answers are correct, consistent from start to finish. The part Jiang Ya added here is the derivation process of the formula Shu Tianxin referenced! Clear and straightforward—it’s best to compare them side by side!”

“Those with phones, take a picture. Don’t just chat and order bubble tea.”

“We’ll go over this problem in detail next class.”

“That’s all. Class dismissed.”

“Oh, Jiang Ya, come to my office.”

Jiang Ya: “Okay.”

Before erasing the board, Shu Tianxin glanced toward the door. Jiang Ya still wore that unreadable expression, following Old Chen with a composure that seemed beyond her years, unfazed by praise or criticism.

Meanwhile, Mu Xiao, sitting in the audience, caught that glance and tucked it away in her mind. Staring at the problem statement, her thoughts were a tangled mess.

–

“Have you studied Olympiad math before?” Old Chen asked Jiang Ya.

“School teachers taught me a bit, but not much.”

Old Chen finally flipped through Jiang Ya’s admission records and, amid the long list of awards, delightedly spotted several in mathematics. “Do you like math? You’ve won so many competitions.”

Jiang Ya answered honestly, “It’s alright. Winning awards helps with getting merit student honors.”

Old Chen didn’t quite follow and looked at her questioningly.

Jiang Ya clarified, “Merit students get scholarships. Sometimes the awards themselves come with prize money too.”

“…”

Unbelievable.

After years of nurturing talented students, this was the first time Old Chen had heard one say they competed not for extra credits or ideals—but for scholarships.

Extremely… down-to-earth.

Old Chen coughed awkwardly. “So, do you still want to join the school’s Olympiad training class?”

“Will it interfere with regular studies?”

Typically, students were groomed in their first and second years of high school, taking certification exams by the second semester of sophomore year, leaving senior year free for college prep.

But Jiang Ya had great talent, and Old Chen was reluctant to let her go just yet, so he asked one more question.

Most top students are good at both studying and having fun. What if Jiang Ya could balance both? If she could win a national first prize before the college entrance exam, it would earn her extra points.

“Uh, I’ll think about it.”

“Oh, right, interference?”

Jiang Ya looked a little embarrassed. After locking eyes with Old Chen for two seconds, she finally spoke up. “Actually, it’s like this…”

Old Chen was all ears.

Jiang Ya lowered her voice, looking very shy. “I have a dog, and I might need to walk it in the evenings…”

“…”

“So I might not have enough time for the competition.”

Old Chen took a deep breath, then an even deeper one. “……”