Si Yang was so angry that he almost burst an artery.
Me. Too slow? I came in third!
Such an achievement was clearly something to be proud of, but he was mocked when it came to Chu Liuyue! He couldn’t even refute her because she had come in second.
Even if he didn’t believe it, Chu Liuyue wouldn’t have the guts to lie in the presence of Elder Sun and the others.
After comparing their achievements, he felt his face burn as he recalled what he had said earlier. Si Yang clung onto his last hope as he struggled and asked, “You? When did you get out?”
If Chu Liuyue had been slightly faster than him, then…
“The girl came within less than half an hour of Si Ting, and you arrived one hour after her.” Sun Zhongyan smiled. Si Yang was a good kid in all other aspects, but he could get a little too proud and full of self-righteousness.
By using Chu Liuyue, he could knock down the boy’s ego by a notch.
Indeed, after Si Yang heard Elder Sun’s words, all his lucky thoughts were dispelled instantly. He lowered his head dejectedly. If there was a crack in the ground, he would have crawled into it immediately!
He looked like a joke now because he had been the one to provoke Chu Liuyue earlier.
Chu Liuyue said, “If you have any regrets because we didn’t get to spar today, let’s arrange to do it some other day.”
Her words seemed to rouse him, and he looked at her carefully. Upon closer examination, he was amazed to see that there wasn’t even a single scratch on Chu Liuyue. He had suffered during the test, but Chu Liuyue didn’t seem to be affected at all!
He gritted his teeth and turned away. “No need! I admit that you are better than me in today’s examination!” He wished he was anywhere but here when he said that. He felt disgraced.
“Liuyue is indeed talented in this area. You are going to be classmates in the future. It’s always good to communicate more and help each other out,” said Sun Zhongyan.
Si Ting finally drew his gaze away from the Xuan formation. “I will remember Elder Sun’s advice diligently.”
Sun Zhongyan nodded.
Soon, the announcement for third place sounded.
This time, Si Yang’s name was announced.
Initially, Si Yang had been looking forward to hearing his name announced like this. However, he wasn’t happy at all now that it had actually happened. He even felt an inexplicable sense of shame when he thought about being next to Chu Liuyue.
She had taken second place without saying a word. So, what was the big deal about him coming in third place?
He walked and stood behind Si Ting in embarrassment, not saying a word. He couldn’t help himself from glancing at Chu Liuyue occasionally.
He couldn’t fathom why Chu Liuyue—who was being mocked by everyone in the Imperial City as a loser—could be so powerful.
When she looked at him, he quickly withdrew his gaze again as though nothing had happened. His ears were getting redder and redder, revealing his guilty conscience and nervousness.
After this happened several times, Chu Liuyue finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “If you have anything to ask me, feel free to do so.”
This time, it wasn’t only his ears that reddened. Si Yang’s face and neck also reddened.
Actually, he didn’t really have much to say to Chu Liuyue. However, he was simply too curious about her. Finally, he couldn’t help himself from awkwardly asking, “Ehm… you… So many people have called you a loser. Have you been faking it?”
Chu Liuyue’s eyebrows rose slightly.
A few people turned towards them once he asked that. In reality, this question bugged them too.
Chu Liuyue shook her head and gave a crisp answer. “No.”
Si Ting leaned forward to hear more, but Chu Liuyue didn’t elaborate further. She obviously didn’t see the need to explain.
He was a little disappointed, yet he knew that this was someone else’s secret. He was in no position to ask more. So, he muttered, “I told you. If you’ve been faking it, you could have just come in first place. I hear that this year’s first place will get to meet the ambassadors from the Tianling Dynasty!”
Chu Liuyue suddenly froze, and her pupils shrank.