Chapter 13: A Beautiful Dream

Xu Yin received the exam paper and quickly scanned it.

The questions weren’t difficult; she had gone through all the review materials and remembered most of the standard topics.

However, there were a few subjective questions at the end that she hadn’t seen in the materials.

Still, they weren’t hard.
She just needed to answer them from a management perspective, using dialectical thinking.

She bent her head to write.
During a pause in her thoughts, she looked up and precisely met Duan Sili’s dark gaze.

Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

He was sitting on the podium’s chair, his long legs casually spread out, elbows resting on the podium’s edge, watching her expressionlessly.

It wasn’t until their eyes met that he lazily reminded them—

“If you’re done, hand in your paper and leave. If you’re not done, don’t look around.”

These words were directed at everyone.

A few girls who had been secretly peeking at him immediately blushed and lowered their heads.

Xu Yin pouted and bent her head back to her questions.

A few minutes later, she glanced over again with her peripheral vision; his gaze had already turned to the window.

She had to admit, this guy’s face was truly a work of art.
She could understand why so many girls in this school were infatuated with him.

Who wouldn’t love to look at something so pleasing to the eye?

She stopped letting her thoughts wander and continued to focus on her questions.

Just then, a small crumpled paper ball suddenly flew from behind and landed on her desk.

Xu Yin frowned and unfolded the paper ball.

On it, clearly printed in pencil, was content from the reference materials.

Xu Yin turned to look at Li Jiayao behind her.
Li Jiayao completely avoided her gaze, writing furiously with her head down, a cold, knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Footsteps had already reached Xu Yin’s side.

“Don’t make me do it myself. Hand it over,” Chi Huanyi, who was proctoring the back rows, spoke up.

Everyone’s attention gathered on Xu Yin.

“Even for an exam like this, you resort to cheating with a cheat sheet? I’m starting to doubt the validity of your entrance exam scores,” Chi Huanyi said contemptuously.
“You know our school’s rules and regulations at Pu Jing, don’t you? Whether it’s a big exam or a small one, any cheating results in a demerit and punishment. Hand over the cheat sheet quickly, then go to the Youth League Committee yourself and explain the situation. Don’t make me drag you there.”

She spoke a long speech with righteous indignation.

Xu Yin put down her pen and said in a low voice, “The paper ball was thrown to me by someone behind me. I had no idea.”

“Someone kindly handed you the answers? And you don’t even know who it was? Who would believe that?” Chi Huanyi seized on this point, seemingly intent on making things difficult for Xu Yin.
“Or, tell me who threw it to you, provide evidence, and I’ll deal with them both.”

Xu Yin turned to look at Li Jiayao.

Li Jiayao said ungraciously, “What are you looking at? Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t have evidence. I’m not familiar with you, okay!”

Indeed, Xu Yin had no conclusive evidence to prove that Li Jiayao had thrown the paper ball.

She looked at Li Jiayao, then at Chi Huanyi.

Clearly, this was a series of tactics, either to prevent her from joining the Student Union or to seek revenge for the previous English class representative incident.

By the podium, Duan Sili squinted, watching from the sidelines.

He seemed to have no intention of intervening.

Chi Huanyi persisted relentlessly, “Xu Yin, hand over the cheat sheet, don’t force me to frisk you.”

Xu Yin was silent for a moment, then finally handed over the crumpled paper ball.

Chi Huanyi reached out to snatch it, but Xu Yin moved her hand away, not giving it to her.
“President, I will only hand this evidence to you.”

Duan Sili, who had been “cued,” finally stood up and walked over.

Although Chi Huanyi desperately wanted to personally “escort” Xu Yin to the dean’s office and watch her suffer punishment, since Duan Sili was there, she naturally didn’t dare to say much.

Duan Sili took the paper ball and glanced at Xu Yin.

Xu Yin’s expression was calm and unhurried.

He opened the paper ball and looked at it, then turned to Chi Huanyi.

Chi Huanyi, confused, leaned in and glanced at it, suddenly seeing a line written in black pen on the crumpled paper ball—

[Xu Yin, you b*tch.]

“What!” Chi Huanyi was so shocked her jaw almost dropped.
She instinctively turned back and glanced at Li Jiayao.

Li Jiayao, upon seeing the content of the note, also looked incredibly disbelieving.

Duan Sili turned around and asked calmly, “Who passed it?”

Although his voice wasn’t loud, the pressure was immense.

Li Jiayao also trembled.

Xu Yin also had a bit of acting skill.
She looked reproachfully at Li Jiayao, “Jiayao, if it’s because of the English class representative matter, I really didn’t mean to. I never thought you’d hold a grudge until now and even write notes to curse me.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Li Jiayao immediately became furious, pointing at Xu Yin and shouting, “What I wrote wasn’t this at all! You’re framing me! You must have hidden the other cheat sheet! You b*tch!”

“Oh? Which one did you write?”

Li Jiayao immediately covered her mouth, sensing the probing, suspicious gazes of those around her, realizing she had let slip.

Chi Huanyi rolled her eyes and quietly retreated to the back row, avoiding implication.

Duan Sili said to the Student Union officers at the door, “Take her to the Student Union dean’s office and have her explain everything clearly. Also, for disrupting exam discipline, deduct 20 grade points.”

At these words, Li Jiayao’s face turned ashen.

As she was being led out, she kept looking back at Chi Huanyi.
“Huanyi! Huanyi, help me say something! This was all your idea! Please, put in a good word for me!”

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Chi Huanyi quickly said.
“What does it have to do with me? If you make a mistake, you have to take the punishment. Don’t try to drag others into it!”

The examination room became quiet.
The students, satisfied with their gossip, continued to answer their questions.

Xu Yin reached out to take the paper ball from Duan Sili’s hand, but Duan Sili waved his hand, not giving it to her.
“Today’s incident will be recorded truthfully. This is evidence.”

She nodded, sat back down, and calmly continued answering the questions.

The other cheat sheet, tightly clenched in her other hand, was crumpled and tucked into her sleeve.

Duan Sili sat back down by the podium, casually fiddling with the crumpled paper strip he had confiscated, his eyes full of amusement.

Xu Yin didn’t doubt that he had seen through her.

But he didn’t expose her.

When she finished answering, Xu Yin handed in her paper early and left.
Duan Sili collected her paper, looking at the neat and standardized handwriting on the exam. Each subjective question was answered with strong reasoning, and her logical thinking was clear and meticulous.

He then looked at the scrawled handwriting on the paper ball, and let out a soft scoff through his nose.

At the dean’s office, Li Jiayao chose the lesser of two evils, only confessing to “writing a small note to curse Xu Yin,” and completely avoiding any mention of what she had accidentally blurted out.

Xu Yin also didn’t take out the paper with the printed cheat sheet on it, because after all, it contained exam answers, and she had indeed opened it.

If other students then cried foul and invalidated her score, Xu Yin didn’t think the Student Union people… would give her another chance to retake it.

So, although it was a shame that Chi Huanyi, the mastermind behind the scenes, couldn’t be exposed and punished, this was already the optimal solution.

In the cafeteria, Qi Youwei rushed over to find Xu Yin, the person involved, for gossip—

“It’s spread all over the school. Li Jiayao’s grade points weren’t high to begin with, and now that she’s lost 20 points, it’ll be hard for her to get into A or S class this year. Her grades were actually pretty good, she just wanted to push for it with her grade points.”

Xu Yin curiously asked her, “Does the Student Union have the authority to deduct or add points?”

“Of course,” Lu Qi interjected.
“Look at the recruitment. They’re only recruiting about a dozen people in total, but almost a thousand applied. The Student Union has a lot of power.”

“But they can’t just add points randomly. It’s not like if you become a Student Union officer, you can just casually add points for your friends,” Qi Youwei explained.
“The roster of points added and deducted each month must be reviewed by the president.”

“So the president has the most power.”

“The previous president was quite something…” Qi Youwei whispered to Xu Yin.
“When the previous president graduated, he got himself a Ferrari supercar and roared around the school three times on graduation day. I heard he got the money by being president.”

Xu Yin looked over in astonishment.
“The president’s position is that lucrative?”

“This is Pu Jing!”

Lu Qi straightened the nameplate on his chest and said gravely, “The previous president made the Student Union a mess. This year, everyone publicly voted for Duan Sili to be president.”

“He’s very popular?”

“Yes,” Qi Youwei nodded.
“Firstly, his family isn’t short on money, so he disdains making dirty money under the guise of being president. Secondly, although Duan Sili usually doesn’t pay much attention to people, during his time as a Student Union officer, he truly kept private and public matters separate, and he has a good reputation.”

“And finally…” Lu Qi said, “He never bullies the weak.”

“Sounds a bit like a race to the bottom,” Xu Yin took a sip of her mung bean smoothie.
“Isn’t it absurd that not bullying the weak, which is a basic moral standard, has become a reason for being elected president?”

After saying this, she saw Qi Youwei constantly winking at her.

Lu Qi opposite her started coughing violently, also sweating profusely, and lowered his head…

Xu Yin belatedly felt a shadow fall over her, and then she saw Duan Sili standing behind her.

“…”

Duan Sili’s long fingers rested on the back of her chair, revealing a cool, smooth section of his wrist bone.

He leaned slightly forward, his tie dangling on her shoulder, and he whispered close to her ear, “I’m not worthy of this position. How about you take it?”

It was rumored throughout the school that Xu Yin had been caught badmouthing President Duan behind his back, and everyone assumed she had no chance of getting into the Student Union.

Unexpectedly, three days later, when the written exam results were announced, Xu Yin’s name was prominently displayed as the top scorer.

What was surprising was that nearly half of the students on the admission list this time were from E and D classes.

Students from ordinary backgrounds like Lu Qi and Qi Youwei got in, which was almost unimaginable in previous years.

Everyone had taken for granted that the Student Union was a place for the rich young masters and ladies to gain fame and power, making it impossible for ordinary students to enter.

This year, the Student Union’s doors seemed to genuinely be opening to ordinary students.

This left many students who hadn’t applied filled with regret.

Qi Youwei scrolled through the ranking list on the official account, overjoyed.

She never expected to get in.
She hugged Xu Yin, cheering excitedly, “Ahhh! I got in! This is amazing!”

Lu Qi ambled over, looking at Xu Yin enviously.
“Why don’t you hug me too? If I hadn’t supervised your studying, would you, a gloomy person, have gotten in?”

“Get lost. If it weren’t for Yinyin, I wouldn’t have applied.”

“Xu Yin really is amazing, actually scoring first.” Lu Qi sat in the front row.
“Were you secretly studying behind our backs?”

Xu Yin: “No need to be sneaky. I just read it once and understood.”

Qi Youwei covered her forehead.
“Emmm, a lady should learn humility.”

“I’ve never been a lady, so why should I be humble?”

After she said this, Qi Youwei looked at Xu Yin’s profile, feeling a little dazed.

She seemed to be thinking of another person.

“What are you so smug about?” Chi Huanyi walked past them, knocking over Qi Youwei’s pencil case.
“There’s still an interview round. You three smelly cobblers, it’d be a miracle if you get in.”

Qi Youwei and Lu Qi exchanged glances.
Usually, in situations like this, it was best to ignore her.

But Xu Yin said, neither too loud nor too soft, “Chi Huanyi, pick it up.”

“No, I won’t. What about it?” Chi Huanyi crossed her arms, sneering.

Xu Yin’s gaze shifted to Li Jiayao, who had been dejected for several days in the corner.
“Your roommate took such a huge fall for you. I’m sure she feels very unbalanced inside. I don’t mind burning bridges at all.”

Chi Huanyi’s face instantly changed.
She glared resentfully at her.
“You’re threatening me. If you dare, you can forget about getting into the Student Union yourself!”

“At worst, my written exam results will be nullified. But having you and your roommate share the deducted grade points, I think that’s well worth it.”

Left with no choice, Chi Huanyi angrily squatted down and picked up the pencil case, slamming it hard onto the table.

“Xu Yin, just you wait!”

Xu Yin helped Qi Youwei organize her pencil case.
Qi Youwei looked at her delicate profile, her resolute eyes…

It was as if she truly overlapped with the girl from her memories.

On Friday evening, Gao Minglang called Xu Yin alone to the third-floor private study room of the Student Union center, saying diligently, “The interview is next Monday. I’m here to give you some extra tutoring.”

Xu Yin looked around the empty study room.
“This might not be appropriate, might it?”

“Don’t worry,” Gao Minglang said with a smile, opening his notebook.
“I’m not going to talk about exam questions, just some things to note about the Student Union. Consider it sharing experience from a senior. It’s not like giving special treatment.”

“That’s great. Can I ask my friends to come listen too?”

Gao Minglang hesitated for a moment.

In his heart, he wanted to be alone with Xu Yin.

But looking at her expectant eyes, it seemed… he couldn’t refuse.

“Of course you can!”

Within minutes, Lu Qi and Qi Youwei appeared at the study room door, grinning.

“Sorry to disturb!”
“Classmate Gao, thank you!”

“No problem, no problem. It’s lively with more people. Xu Yin’s friends are my friends.”

Gao Minglang stood by the whiteboard, using diagrams and text to introduce the various components of the Student Union.
This included the presidium, office, study department, propaganda department, sports department, new media department, and so on, about ten departments in total.

“Then I’m definitely going into the sports department,” Lu Qi said to Qi Youwei.
“How about together?”

Qi Youwei pouted and slapped his hand away.
“No way. I want to be with Xu Yin. Yinyin, which department are you going into?”

“Haven’t decided yet.”

Gao Minglang seized the opportunity.
“I’m in the presidium. The presidium is most likely to produce the next president. The presidium currently needs a secretary. Yinyin, your written exam scores were the best, want to give it a try?”

“The presidium, huh? Sounds very challenging.”

“You can definitely do it!”

While Gao Minglang continued explaining interview details in the study room, Xu Yin quietly got up and went to the restroom.

The hallway lights were dim, and the entire floor was almost empty.

Only the president’s office at the end of the hall had cold, white light seeping through its door crack.

She slowed her steps and walked towards it.

Through the half-open door crack, she saw Duan Sili sitting at a large office desk, his head slightly bowed, holding a fountain pen and writing something.

His profile had sharp, distinct angles, with a shadow beneath his brow bone.

Xu Yin knocked on the door.

Duan Sili didn’t even lift his head, asking in a cold voice, “What is it?”

“I need to explain about what happened in the cafeteria that day.”

Duan Sili scoffed coldly.
“In front of me, your words were sweet as honey, but behind my back, you were badmouthing me, and I even heard it.”

He put down his pen and finally looked up, his dark eyes sweeping over her.
“Classmate Xu, is there still a need to try to get close now?”

“I didn’t come for that. And regarding that incident, I wasn’t wrong.”

Xu Yin walked over and leaned in slightly.

Her soft, dark hair brushed against the back of his hand.

A cool, jasmine scent wafted over.

“Duan Sili, you’re different from them. You are indeed a good president. So, I want to work under you.”

The air was silent for a few seconds.
It was a clear revealing of her true intentions, a ‘drawing out the dagger when the map is unrolled’ moment.

Duan Sili suddenly smiled, not gently, but with a hint of amusement.

He looked down at her, his index finger gently pressing against her forehead, pushing her away—

“That’s a beautiful dream.”