Chapter 49: A Challenge Accepted

The hall of the association, which had been noisy moments before, fell dead silent.

Wherever Shen Zheming went, he was the center of attention. Countless people wanted to talk to him but couldn’t get a word in, let alone have him propose a toast.

Hundreds of surprised and envious eyes turned toward him. The person leaning against the wall lifted the corner of his mouth in a natural, casual arc, then slowly straightened up.

“Brother Shen, are you backing me up?” Lu Shi’s voice was low enough that only the two of them could hear.

Shen Zheming countered, “What do you think?”

Lu Shi met Shen Zheming’s gaze and saw his own reflection in Shen Zheming’s eyes.

“Then I’m certainly grateful.” Lu Shi raised his hand. “Thank you, bottoms up.”

With that, he tilted his head back and downed the glass in one go before Shen Zheming could say a word.

Today, Lu Shi wore a crisp, well-fitted white suit with a light blue tie that added just the right touch of soft color. He didn’t chat or gossip, didn’t join in the pursuit of fame and fortune. Standing there, he looked clean yet out of place.

But the way he toasted was practiced. He downed it in one gulp without even blinking.

Shen Zheming stared at his pale neck and bobbing Adam’s apple. “Who taught you to drink like that?”

“Huh?” Lu Shi licked his lips.

‘Who else could have taught him? He’d learned it in his past life. But he couldn’t tell the truth.’

“No one. I’m a self-taught genius.”

Shen Zheming’s toast was undoubtedly a public confirmation that Lu Shi was the first-place winner of the Aoqiao Cup.

“If you ask me, blood is thicker than water. Genetics don’t lie.”

“If he hadn’t been switched at birth, he would probably be as outstanding as Shen Zheming.”

“Yeah, the foster son stole the nest for eighteen years, got full support from the Chen family, and still couldn’t outscore him. It’s laughable.”

“And Mrs. Chen always bragged about how amazing her younger son was. I thought he was something, but he’s just a product of money.”

These people were masters at changing direction with the wind.

Chen Youxuan’s face turned pale. Hearing the whispers around him, his complexion went green.

The rankings also included specific scores. He was more than twenty points behind Lu Shi.

It had happened just as he wanted: people compared Lu Shi to him. But the one who came up short wasn’t Lu Shi — it was him. He had become Lu Shi’s foil.

“Wait!” A voice suddenly rang out.

Sun Sirui had heard more and more people speaking ill of Chen Youxuan. His patience snapped.

“I think this result is fake!” Sun Sirui pointed at Lu Shi. “How could someone who hasn’t even finished high school get first in the Aoqiao Cup? He must have cheated!”

A bystander said, “Young man, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. Do you have evidence? Without evidence, it’s slander, and the consequences are serious.”

“I’m not slandering him. I’m raising a reasonable doubt. Two months ago, his quiz scores at the tutoring center were only in the teens. How could he improve so drastically in such a short time? I still have his score sheets. That’s why I suspect he used improper means.”

Improper means? Lu Shi’s thoughts twisted. He almost laughed. ‘Heaven and earth can bear witness: Shen Zheming volunteered to teach him. He hadn’t coerced or bribed him, and there was no financial relationship between them.’

Seeing that Lu Shi didn’t refute him, Sun Sirui thought he was right and grew bolder. “Besides, he only took high school classes at Minxing. The Aoqiao Cup covers a lot of college-level material. How could he possibly know it without attending university? Did he teach himself?”

The moment he finished speaking, Shen Zheming said calmly, “I was his teacher.”

Shen Zheming continued, “He has great insight and learns fast. Is there a problem?”

A gaze filled with coldness and warning fell on Sun Sirui. He fell silent. He never expected Shen Zheming to be involved.

But since he had already said so much, backing down would only invite ridicule. He craned his neck stubbornly. “Of course there’s a problem. The Shen family has influence. Who knows if you had the test makers leak the questions? Other people study hard and review, but maybe Lu Shi already knew what would be on the test. That’s not fair at all.”

Shen Zheming sneered. “I’ve also participated in many competitions. According to you, are my results fake too?”

Sun Sirui didn’t want to provoke Shen Zheming. “I — I didn’t say that. Don’t take it personally.”

Someone interjected, “So after all that talk, what do you want?”

Without hesitation, Sun Sirui declared loudly, “I demand that Lu Shi retake the test alone. The test makers should create a new test in everyone’s presence to ensure no one knows the questions in advance.”

At this, everyone unconsciously looked at Lu Shi, curious about his reaction. Would he be completely confident, or would his expression reveal weakness? But they were all wrong.

Lu Shi’s brows lifted slightly.

“You want me to retake the test? Fine, I can do that. I can even do it live on stream. If my score really was obtained by cheating, then you can cancel my ranking or impose any punishment. But if my score is similar to this time, you have to not only apologize to me online and call me daddy, but also voluntarily apply for withdrawal from school. Do you dare to accept?”

That was a bold gamble. The spectators exchanged glances.

“Oh, right.” Lu Shi remembered something and tilted his head toward Shen Zheming. “Apologizing to me alone isn’t enough. You also need to apologize to Shen Zheming.”

Sun Sirui steeled himself. “I accept. Why would I be afraid? But don’t try any tricks. There must be a proctor in the exam room, and before the test, Shen Zheming cannot have any contact with you, since he is suspected of helping you cheat…”

He didn’t finish. Because Lu Shi suddenly walked up to him casually.

“Wha — what are you doing?” The glass in Sun Sirui’s hand was snatched away.

The next instant, gasps sounded around them. Lu Shi raised a hand.

“You should know, the only reason you can keep yapping here is not because you’re right, but because I don’t care.”

The champagne from the glass dripped down Sun Sirui’s hair.

After pouring, Lu Shi placed the glass on the nearby table and shook his hand in distaste.

“Say a couple of words and that’s it. I’ve had enough of you.”

For a long time, Sun Sirui stood rooted to the spot, his mind buzzing and completely short-circuiting. Drops of champagne dripped from his hair, and his clothes reeked of alcohol.

“Now don’t we need an influential person to act as a witness?” someone whispered.

Just as everyone wondered who would take on this hot potato —

A cane thumped the floor twice, a dull “dong dong.”

An old man with white hair, leaning on a cane, walked slowly and steadily. Though his back was slightly bent, he carried an aura of refined elegance and imposing presence. “I will act as the witness.”

“It’s Jiang Lao!”

“Who is Jiang Lao?”

“Jiang Zhidong! The former dean of the School of Mathematics at Capital University. He has dedicated his life to mathematical research. He’s a renowned mathematics master in our country.”

“So that’s Jiang Zhidong. Why is he here for the anniversary?”

“Did you forget who backs Xingxu Jewelry? Jushang Bank. As an important figure of the Shen family, he would naturally be invited by the brand. Whether he came or not just depended on his mood.”

Lu Shi had never met this old man, but he felt that the man’s mere presence exuded a natural authority.

Shen Zheming moved, somewhat surprised, and stepped forward two paces to support the old man. “Grandfather.”

The old man slowly walked to Lu Shi. He liked two kinds of people: those who were mathematically skilled and capable, and those who didn’t cause trouble but weren’t afraid of it either. Though this was his first meeting with the child before him, his eyes unconsciously showed approval.

So he was Shen Zheming’s maternal grandfather… Lu Shi’s brow twitched. Under Jiang Lao’s scrutinizing gaze, his back tightened imperceptibly, and the fingers that had just poured wine over someone’s head curled slightly.

“I, Jiang Zhidong, guarantee with my lifelong reputation to act as the witness for this matter.” A hand landed on Lu Shi’s shoulder. “Child, just focus on answering the questions.”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Killed by a Spy, So I Chose to Infiltrate Them

Female ProtagonistGender BenderMarriage

Read Now →
Not interested