And especially the top three, their names were printed larger, bolded, and highlighted in red, with little golden crowns above them. It looked almost exaggerated.
As soon as the results were posted, the crowds of students rushed over, they’re eager to see how they had done.
"The monthly exam results are out!"
"Mom! I made it into the top hundred! I finally did it!"
"Who’s the top student this time?"
"What’s the big deal? It’s always that Rong... What the—?!"
"Who is it? Why are you yelling like that— What the—?!"
"..."
More and more students saw the top of the results list, and one after another, they all let out a shocked, drawn-out "What the—" that echoed through the hallway, followed by an awkward silence.
Were they all hallucinating?
The name that was printed at the very top and marked with a little golden crown, the one who had beaten the long-time number one student, Rong Zhihao, by more than twenty points... was Rong Xingyu.
It seemed that there was only one student named Rong Xingyu in Qibao Dwith School and no one else shared that name, right...?
Wait, wasn’t that the same Rong Xingyu who used to skip school, fight with other people, sneak into bars, sleeping through class, talk back to teachers, and never scored higher than twenty points on any exam???
The crowd of students stared blankly at the results board in disbelief.
"...Either the school administration has lost its mind, or I have."
"I think I’m blind. Pinch me, quickly. Am I really seeing Rong Xingyu’s name as first place?"
"I... I think I suddenly forgot how to read..."
"Maybe it’s not the same Rong Xingyu?"
"Ah! You actually pinched me, you idiot—!"
"..."
After the initial shock, everyone instinctively began to doubt the results.
Of course, it wasn’t only because it was Rong Xingyu.
Anyone who had always been at the bottom of the rankings and suddenly leaped straight to number one a d surpassing the long-time top student would make people question it. It was just too hard to believe.
And to make matters worse, this was the Rong Xingyu who is infamous in Qibao Dwith School for his long list of "glorious achievements."
This guy should be sent for a drug test, there probably wouldn’t even be a drop of urine in that stimulant!
Still, ever since Rong Xingyu’s attitude and appearance had changed, a small group of secret admirers had started forming among the students and mostly they’re fans of his looks.
In one corner, a shy girl who happened to be one of Rong Xingyu’s fans quietly tried to defend him: "But... Rong Xingyu’s older brother is a genius scientist. Maybe it’s in the genes? It’s not impossible for him to score first..."
The student next to her immediately rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Oh please. Even if it’s genetic, it would only be passed between real brothers. Professor Rong is Rong Zhihao’s actual brother, not his. If anyone inherited the smarts, it’d be Rong Zhihao—not him!"
The girl bit her lip and fell silent, too flustered to argue.
Just then, the person everyone had been mentioning—Rong Zhihao—appeared. He was surrounded by a group of admirers like a star among planets. They all followed him proudly toward the results board.
As they got closer, his friends began their usual chorus of flattery.
"This time, I’m sure it’s you again, Zhihao! The number one student in the grade!"
"So unfair, you never give anyone else a chance~"
"Ah, if only I had your intelligence. My dad keeps telling me to study like you, Rong Zhihao!"
The compliments sounded stiff and forced, but Rong Zhihao took them all in with a calm smile.
"I just treat every exam as a test for myself," he said lightly. "I focus on doing my best, not on rankings."
The students who had been crowded around the bulletin board suddenly looked away. Some stared at the sky while others at the grass or the walls.
...So awkward. Secondhand embarrassment hit them all at once.
Rong Zhihao adjusted the books in his arms and stepped closer to the board.
"Rankings don’t really mean much," he continued with a gentle tone. "They’re just numbers, after all..."
But before he could finish the sentence, his eyes landed on the top of the list.
There it was—a large bold characters shining under the sunlight: Rong Xingyu.
His name was displayed at the very top, it was marked in red with a golden crown above it.
Meanwhile, Rong Zhihao’s name had been pushed aside, sitting pitifully beneath the bright number 2 beside it.
His smile froze instantly.
And then, his entire face fell apart in record time.
Being humiliated always came without warning.
Rong Zhihao gripped the book in his hands so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms. The sharp pain was the only thing that kept him from losing control completely.
He didn’t want to remember that moment—standing in front of the bulletin board, staring at Rong Xingyu’s name sitting right above his own.
It had been the first time he’d ever lost his composure in public.
Even when people around him started whispering that Rong Xingyu must have cheated, he said nothing. He only watched coldly from the side.
Rong Zhihao truly couldn’t understand. If Rong Xingyu just wanted attention, then he had succeeded. But why use such a disgraceful method as cheating? Why did he have to steal his first place?
Was it because Rong Xingyu knew that his greatest pride since childhood had been his academic excellence and wanted to crush him at the one thing he was best at?
That night, when Rong Zhihao returned home, he couldn’t hold back his tears. After the butler’s repeated questions, he finally told him everything.
The butler was furious and immediately called the eldest brother, reporting that Rong Xingyu had cheated.
When Rong Zhihao remembered the disappointment in his brother’s voice on the phone, he finally felt a little better.