Wang Haishan glanced at Wang Hailiang, then looked at Shu Ran, her expression turning a little awkward. The girl had only reluctantly agreed to help her, and now her brother was making trouble—who knew if she'd still be willing. Her eyes gradually took on a hint of grievance.
"What is it that you don't understand?" Shu Ran, however, didn't seem to mind and asked bluntly.
"Um..." Seeing that the other girl wasn't upset, Wang Haishan quickly handed over her workbook.
Shu Ran flipped through the pages. Most of the questions followed the current school curriculum, with a few going slightly beyond. The handwriting was neat and elegant, clearly the result of careful effort.
"You got them all right. There's nothing here that requires my help," Shu Ran said, closing the workbook with a sigh. Was this girl messing with her?
"I... I can usually solve these questions just fine, but whenever it's an exam..." Wang Haishan lowered her voice. "During exams, I mess them all up. I don't even know why."
Shu Ran looked at her thoughtfully.
"You just haven't done enough practice. That's why you panic during tests and mess up," Wang Hailiang chimed in, rapping his sister lightly on the forehead. "This kind of problem? No one can help you."
Wang Haishan's expression dimmed, and she responded with a soft "Mm," falling silent.
The high expectations from her family had made her anxious about exams. It had started as mild test anxiety but, if unchecked, could spiral into full-blown exam phobia—complete with rapid heartbeat, dizziness, even fainting spells.
Shu Ran suddenly remembered the mock test she'd seen yesterday in the underachievers' class and pulled it out, handing it to Wang Haishan.
"This test—thirty-minute time limit. If you score below sixty, don't come to me for tutoring again."
Wang Haishan was momentarily stunned, but still took the paper and sat at a desk nearby.
"It's 4:10 now. Hand it in at 4:40," Shu Ran said after checking the clock on the wall, then lowered her head and resumed reading.
Wang Hailiang had nothing to say against her approach—after all, doing problems was always the best way to prove oneself. Feeling bored, he leaned over to peek at her book. The sight stunned him.
An English book.
This girl was seriously not normal—borderline freakish, he thought, grabbing the mop and continuing to clean the classroom.
As Shu Ran read, she kept an eye on Wang Haishan. The girl was visibly tense, gripping her pencil tightly, sweat beading on her forehead, her face slightly pale—and it had only been five minutes.
Having finished his chores, Wang Hailiang flopped into his seat and started reading a comic book, occasionally bursting into laughter.
Shu Ran frowned and tapped his desk with a finger.
"What do you want?" Wang Hailiang asked irritably.
"Your laugh is grating," Shu Ran said flatly, eyes still on her book.
"Hey! I can laugh if I want—what's it got to do with you?" Wang Hailiang was clearly offended. He glared at her, and seeing she ignored him, reached out and tugged hard on her messy pigtail. "Don't think I'm scared of you just because you hang around Liu Hong!"
Shu Ran raised an eyebrow and swiftly knocked his hand away, then calmly closed her book.
"You sure you're a girl? Got some serious arm strength," Wang Hailiang sneered. "No wonder everyone likes Gao Yuanyuan and not you."
He had barely finished the sentence when he met Shu Ran's razor-sharp eyes—so intense, it stunned him.
"Me and Liu Hong?" Shu Ran said softly, tilting her head. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"People saw him give you a jacket—expensive, too. If you're not dating, then what?" Wang Hailiang lifted his chin arrogantly. "Mess with me again, and I'll tell the teacher you're in a relationship."
Shu Ran's expression barely changed. She already guessed this rumor came from Gao Yuanyuan—no one else would spread it so fast after what happened earlier that afternoon. She sneered inwardly.
"Why so quiet now? Scared?" Wang Hailiang was getting cockier by the second, crossing one leg over the other as he looked at her mockingly.
"Wang Hailiang, you really are the kind of guy who'd threaten a girl. Guess I wasn't wrong about you."
"Shu Ran!" Wang Hailiang jumped to his feet, slamming the table and pointing a finger at her face. "Say that again if you dare!"
"That angry already?" Shu Ran smiled lightly. "No wonder Liu Hong's better than you."
Wang Hailiang clenched his fists, glaring at her furiously. Despite her messy hair and outdated clothes, her fair skin and especially those piercing, intelligent eyes—like black holes—were impossible to ignore.
"Please don't fight," Wang Haishan finally spoke up, her voice soft and pleading.
"Do your test!" Wang Hailiang barked.
Wang Haishan turned even paler, stealing anxious glances at Shu Ran. She knew her brother had a temper, and while he loved her, she feared he might hurt someone in a fit of rage.
"Time's almost up. Are you done?" Shu Ran asked gently, turning her head.
"Almost," Wang Haishan murmured, hurriedly scribbling down answers while still glancing nervously at the two.
Wang Hailiang sat stiffly in his seat, fists clenched, glaring at Shu Ran. She, however, seemed entirely at ease, her gaze wandering between the window and his face.
"Finished," Wang Haishan finally said, stepping between the two and handing the paper to Shu Ran.
"Do you remember which question we were on when we started talking?" Shu Ran asked, looking up at her.
"Uh?" Wang Haishan blinked, caught off guard. After a moment's thought, she pointed to a specific question. "I think it started from here."
"Alright, then we'll start checking from there," Shu Ran nodded, carefully examining the paper.
As the minutes ticked by, Wang Haishan grew more and more anxious. Her hands were clenched and sweaty. She had no idea why Shu Ran started from that specific point, and the more confused she felt, the more nervous she got.
"Take a look," Shu Ran finally said, handing back the paper. Seeing the stunned expression on the other girl's face, she smiled faintly. "You're not bad at exams. You just get too nervous—afraid of failing, so you make mistakes. The argument with your brother? It was staged—to distract you from your anxiety. You were too worried he might hit me, so you pushed yourself to finish the test quickly. You forgot you were taking an exam—and that was your true ability."