After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 24

As Jiang Ya entered the classroom, she immediately felt several gazes shining on her like light bulbs.

It was no surprise that Xiao Hua and Pang Pang’s eyes sparkled; she had already accepted that her good classmates and desk mates were just ordinary students. It was common for regular students to be distracted and daydream.

The other two gazes came from the class monitor, who had a tendency to meddle in everything, and from her new study partner, Mu Xiao.

Jiang Ya walked straight towards Mu Xiao.

Mu Xiao was momentarily taken aback, her eyes flickering for a moment. When Jiang Ya reached her, she lowered her voice and said, “I saw everything…”

Sure enough, someone was spreading rumors.

The forum was in an uproar.

Jiang Ya: “?”

Not holding back, she replied, “That’s great.”

With a flick of her backpack, she pulled out a set of exercises and took out her pen. “I didn’t expect our tacit understanding to reach this level. Since we still have a few minutes before the official morning study session, why don’t you explain these questions to me, Classmate Xiao?”

“……”

“Classmate Xiao” glared at Jiang Ya.

Jiang Ya: “You don’t understand either?”

Ahhh!

Could these study nerds just go die already!

Jiang Ya: “Then I’ll ask the class monitor. His English is decent too…”

Just as she put her pen away, Mu Xiao pressed down on the exercises with her snow-white wrist, and the usual awkwardness in her heart vanished. “I! Will! Explain! It! To! You!”

Just let her be the one to suffer.

Let the other classmates have a chance to breathe.

“Then hurry up, I still have to rush to morning study.”

“……”

If she didn’t go to hell, who would?

After finishing, Jiang Ya quickly took notes, and only then did Mu Xiao bring up, “You posted on the forum, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Her tone was as casual as if she had just eaten breakfast, showing no concern.

“…… So high-profile, aren’t you afraid of being…”

Jiang Ya didn’t even look up, “Not afraid.”

“Besides, I wasn’t being high-profile.”

Mu Xiao was curious for more details.

Jiang Ya smiled, her features pure and bright like water, so simple yet radiant, a hint of light shimmering in her sparkling eyes. “The forum said, I don’t know this classmate, nor do I know his class or seat. I’m afraid he won’t receive it, so I posted it everywhere to let helpful classmates assist in passing the message.”

“……”

Shu Tianxin, who approached, was speechless: “……”

Mu Xiao’s expression was flat: “Do you think I believe you?”

Getting her answer, Jiang Ya, satisfied, packed up her exercises, her smile unwavering, “I don’t look.”

Alright, so this is how we’re playing it.

Shu Tianxin: “…… Morning study is about to start.”

Jiang Ya: “Good morning~”

Her eyes sparkled, her smile dazzling.

Jiang Ya: “You too, I brought you some Snow King as a thank you. I’m off.”

She pulled out a bottle of peach-flavored water from her backpack and placed it on Mu Xiao’s desk, waved her hand, and left gracefully.

Mu Xiao’s expression was complicated as she asked Shu Tianxin, “Is she like this when she asks you questions too… uh, direct?”

Shu Tianxin looked at the Four Seasons Spring on Mu Xiao’s desk, his hand unconsciously rubbing against his pants, “No, at least she has never brought me water.”

She didn’t even pretend; there was no intention of that.

She just treated him like a robot to ask questions.

Mu Xiao: “……”

Shu Tianxin: “……”

Mu Xiao pushed the water towards Shu Tianxin and lightly coughed, “Do you want to drink it?”

“She gave it to you. Morning study is starting; remember to drink it after class.”

“…… Oh.”

After a pause, Shu Tianxin added, “Her approach to solving math problems is also good. If you don’t understand, you can ask her.”

Mu Xiao’s face also showed a hint of awkwardness. “Got it.”

The conversation ended, but neither of them looked away. Just as the atmosphere teetered on the edge of discomfort, someone called out to Shu Tianxin, rescuing them from the strange tension.

Hmm, before this, whenever Mu Xiao had questions—especially in subjects like math or physics—she would always ask Shu Tianxin for help.

But ever since… she hadn’t really gone to him for guidance. Yet, the problems didn’t disappear, and her recent class quiz scores reflected that.

Should she ask Jiang Ya instead?

Mu Xiao tilted her head slightly. While she found Shu Tianxin’s thoughtfulness endearing, a dull ache settled in her chest.

Mixed together, it probably amounted to a stubborn, “Why should he care?” kind of feeling.

The Chinese class representative stood at the podium and signaled the start of morning reading.

–

During the morning exercise break, as expected, Jiang Ya was called into Old Chen’s office.

Xiao Hua and Pang Pang sent her off with increasingly dramatic, lingering looks, as if she were heading into some tragic, heroic battle.

Deeply moved, Jiang Ya suggested, “Why don’t you two come with me?”

Poof—her only two friends scattered like startled birds.

Their friendship shattered instantly.

Jiang Ya felt much better.

Tap tap.

Old Chen looked up at Jiang Ya, who was knocking on the door. “Come in.”

Old Chen: “Teacher Tang, this is Jiang Ya from our class.”

“Jiang Ya, this is Teacher Tang—the homeroom teacher of the student mentioned in your lawyer’s letter.”

Jiang Ya curved her eyes sweetly. “Hello, Teacher Tang.”

Teacher Tang: “…”

Jiang Ya took the initiative: “What did you want to talk to me about?”

Old Chen glanced at Teacher Tang.

Teacher Tang placed the retrieved lawyer’s letter on the desk and said gravely, “Did you post this?”

“Yep. Is this all of them? Did you leave a copy for that student?”

Teacher Tang: “…”

Old Chen: “He’s seen it. The notification has been delivered.”

Jiang Ya: “Fair enough.”

Unable to hold back, Teacher Tang rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Do you realize how inappropriate this is?”

Jiang Ya blinked. “Posting things randomly around the school?”

Teacher Tang choked.

Old Chen nearly laughed but kept his head down, grading papers.

Taking a deep breath, Teacher Tang spoke earnestly, “I’ve seen the forum post. What he did was wrong, but Jiang Ya, your approach is also problematic.”

Jiang Ya looked at Teacher Tang with an expression of innocent confusion.

Teacher Tang: “The student in question took leave today. I gave him a copy of the lawyer’s letter, but I haven’t informed his parents yet. It’s best if you resolve this privately. Making it public affects the entire school’s learning environment.”

Jiang Ya accepted the criticism gracefully. “That’s my fault. Sorry, Teacher Tang.”

“I promise it won’t happen again.”

…Again?

Teacher Tang felt like he’d just punched cotton. His vision darkened.

He wanted to say more, but the girl before him was being so cooperative it was impossible to argue. A suffocating frustration built in his chest, and a vein pulsed at his temple.

He shot Old Chen a pleading look, but Old Chen remained absorbed in grading, refusing to acknowledge the SOS.

Fine. He’d have to handle this himself.

“You—”

Jiang Ya listened with a polite smile.

After two rounds of repetitive lecturing, Teacher Tang found no opening. Defeated, he wrapped up and left.

Jiang Ya even bid him a courteous goodbye, which only made Teacher Tang stride away faster.

Now it was just Old Chen and Jiang Ya in the office.

Once the footsteps faded, Old Chen set down his papers and asked, “Would you consider settling this privately?”

Jiang Ya didn’t refuse. Instead, she countered, “How would we do that?”

“The post has been deleted, and he should apologize to you.”

“The first part is what the school should do, but the latter—I don’t think it’s enough.”

Facing her homeroom teacher, both aware of each other’s true nature, Jiang Ya dropped the pretense and spoke her mind.

Old Chen pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “How about a written apology?”

“At the very least, he should get a disciplinary record.”

“That’s not possible,” Old Chen replied without hesitation. “The school won’t agree to that.”

It wasn’t that Old Chen didn’t want to push for it, but both students had decent academic records and were in their critical third year of high school. For the sake of their mental well-being, the school would only seek to downplay the matter, not escalate it further.

“Then there’s nothing left to discuss. Let’s do it my way.”

“Your way being…?”

Jiang Ya waved the lawyer’s letter in her hand. “Follow the legal process, take it to court. At worst, he’ll get administrative detention. Considering he might still be a minor, a stern reprimand from the judge would suffice.”

Jiang Ya smiled. “At least it won’t be brushed off so lightly.”

Old Chen was speechless.

“No room for negotiation?”

If this had been a student he’d taught since their first year, Old Chen might have had some leverage. But Jiang Ya had only been enrolled for a little over a month—there was no established rapport, and as the victim, she held the moral high ground. The school had truly handed him a difficult situation.

Oh, and Jiang Ya’s guardian wasn’t someone easy to deal with either.

Jiang Ya said, “Mr. Chen, did you know I’ve been receiving financial aid as a poverty-stricken student?”

Old Chen knew a little, but the details were better understood by the administrative staff who handled her enrollment.

“The contact number listed under my guardian is actually my sponsor. I don’t have any elders left to take care of me.”

Old Chen’s eyelids twitched.

Jiang Ya continued, “If the school is serious about resolving this, they should show sincerity—toward me, the victim. Otherwise, given my circumstances, if this ends up on social media or in the newspapers, the school won’t come out looking good.”

“Our school has always been prestigious. I doubt the leadership would want to gain fame for the wrong reasons.”

Old Chen frowned. “Are you threatening me?”

“Of course not. But the post stayed up for a whole week without being taken down—isn’t that the school’s negligence?”

“…”

Jiang Ya left, leaving Old Chen with a throbbing headache.

What kind of formidable student had the school admitted?

Putting everything else aside, his student’s mental fortitude was unshakable. Before leaving, she not only asked about two exam questions but also promised to do her best in the upcoming tests.

Really… it was hard to stay angry at her.

After massaging his temples for a while, Old Chen called the grade-level director.

When the director tried to pressure him again, Old Chen had already mastered the art of deflecting responsibility. He said bluntly, “Then you talk to her. If I push any further, she’ll take this to social media.”

“She’s already sent a lawyer’s letter. Do you think she’s capable of following through?”

–

The first major exam was in two weeks. The teachers had emphasized its importance countless times, and Jiang Ya had also entered preparation mode.

She even postponed picking up Xiao Huang by a few days to ensure she was in peak condition for the test.

After the lawyer’s letter was sent, the forum fell silent.

Jiang Ya finally had peace.

As for the student who had slandered her, rumor had it he hadn’t shown up to class, taking leave to stay home. Xiao Hua had dug up the gossip, but Jiang Ya couldn’t care less.

Old Chen had approached her once, and the homeroom teacher had sought her out twice in succession. By the fourth time, Jiang Ya pulled out her phone to record the conversation, and Teacher Tang’s expression finally cracked visibly. The grade director also called Jiang Ya in. At first, she gave him some face, but after hearing the same old excuses one too many times, she whipped out her phone again, leaving the director speechless.

“Did Old Jin give you any trouble?” Mu Xiao asked her quietly.

Taking the math problem from Mu Xiao, Jiang Ya popped the cap off her pen. “Nah, he stammers a lot when there’s a camera on him.”

“What camera?”

“My phone camera, obviously.”

“You actually dared to record them?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I’m the victim here.”

Jiang Ya muttered, “They haven’t even addressed the psychological damage I suffered, and they’re already lecturing me about someone else’s suffering. If I don’t document their nonsense, I’d be doing myself a disservice… Here’s how you solve this problem—”

“Wait.”

“Wait for what? Focus on the problem. Don’t get caught up in the drama with those middle-aged folks. Study!”

Mu Xiao was utterly awed by Jiang Ya’s dedication to learning!

After listening to two explanations, Mu Xiao’s eyes glazed over. “So this is why you’re so good at studying?”

Jiang Ya looked puzzled.

Mu Xiao continued, “Unshaken by the winds, unbothered even if the sky falls—just studying away.”

“Not really. I wasn’t like this before.” Jiang Ya mumbled, “I promised someone I’d aim for the top score. There’s still a gap, so I’m just trying my best to reach it.”

“…”

Don’t talk about acing exams like it’s as easy as buying groceries!

–

Before she knew it, the final exams arrived.

Lately, Jiang Ya hadn’t been in the best mood. Miss Yu was too busy, and it had been ages since she’d seen her.

Her replies were slow, too.

The first week, Jiang Ya could still wait patiently.

But the second week, Miss Yu’s team flew overseas. Even if Jiang Ya stayed up all night waiting, she wouldn’t be able to see someone who was abroad.

Annoyed and with too much time on her hands, she poured it all into studying.

There was a silver lining, though. After the first day of exams, Jiang Ya felt her scores would be better than expected.

By the second day, after the science section, she was even more confident.

When the final English exam ended in the afternoon, Jiang Ya used the remaining time to double-check her answers for good measure.

“Rare to see you not handing in your paper early.”

Mu Xiao, who was in the same exam hall, muttered after the test.

Jiang Ya, pleased with how smoothly the exams had gone, smiled. “Yep.”

“Mind sharing what you picked for the last few listening questions?” Shu Tianxin sidled over to compare answers with Mu Xiao.

Jiang Ya chimed in, “Count me in. Let’s check.”

The three top students huddled together, and soon other high-achievers from their class joined in.

Mu Xiao’s answers, as the best in English, became the unofficial standard.

“I got them right!” Jiang Ya bounced on her feet, shaking Mu Xiao excitedly. “I’ll treat you to ice cream, Xiao Xiao!”

Mu Xiao, slightly dazed, asked, “Celebrating your good results?”

“Nope! To thank you for tutoring me these past two weeks, especially in English!”

Shu Tianxin glanced up at that, his eyes flicking toward Mu Xiao before addressing Jiang Ya. “What about me? No thanks?”

“You too, of course. Let’s all go for ice cream.”

Shu Tianxin, who had only been half-serious, mumbled, “Hmm.”

Mu Xiao stiffened slightly. “Hmm.”

Jiang Ya clapped her hands. “Then it’s settled! Let’s go!”

Jiang Ya was blissfully oblivious to the atmosphere.

She had zero interest in hetero romance.

Hmph. Puppy love was doomed to fail anyway—especially mutual crushes. She wasn’t about to play matchmaker.

Jiang Ya would never admit she was purely jealous!

Think positive—her overall grades were higher than Mu Xiao’s.

Dragged along by Jiang Ya, Mu Xiao stumbled forward while Shu Tianxin rubbed his nose and slowly followed.

Accidents are called accidents precisely because they always catch you off guard.

When a stranger suddenly rushed out and bowed in apology, Jiang Ya immediately sensed trouble.

Not wanting to deal with him, she tried to push Mu Xiao away, but the unfamiliar male student missed her and instead grabbed Mu Xiao’s arm—

yanking hard enough to hurt.

Shu Tianxin stepped in to mediate, but reasoning failed. Chaos erupted among the four of them. The male student threw the first punch, and Shu Tianxin wasn’t one to take it lying down—though his fighting skills were embarrassingly weak. So Jiang Ya rolled up her sleeves and joined in…

“Ha! Well done! Learned how to fight now, have you?”

Like a bunch of chicks, they were hauled into the office, where Old Chen roared in fury.

Jiang Ya pointed to the side. “He started it.”

Mu Xiao extended her reddened arm, eyes brimming with tears. “I can testify.”

Shu Tianxin chimed in, “Yeah, he was the one who grabbed her and wouldn’t let go.”

A vein pulsed wildly on Old Chen’s forehead.

“Then take a look at him compared to you lot!”

The other student had a black eye—courtesy of Shu Tianxin—and was clutching his stomach, grimacing from Jiang Ya’s well-placed, full-force kick.

Meanwhile, aside from Mu Xiao’s red arm, the trio showed no other injuries.

Old Chen slammed his desk. “Stand straight, all of you. Don’t move a muscle.”

“Not a single one of you leaves until your parents get here!!!”