Chapter Forty-Nine: The Jar of Jealousy Overturned

Jiang Muwen tried to send a silent plea for help with her eyes, but in the end, she failed. Helplessly, she withdrew her gaze in disappointment and turned back to the blackboard.

A rare hush fell over the classroom. No one dared to speak, as if any word might ignite the fire of anger smoldering in the mathematics teacher’s heart.

“Have I been too lenient with you? Spoiled you all?” The teacher’s voice drifted out, breaking the oppressive silence like a knife through still air.

No one dared respond.

Some students stared down at their test papers; others looked up with sympathy at Jiang Muwen’s awkward predicament on the podium; still others simply lay their heads on their desks and fell asleep—and that student was Yin Lize.

Standing at the front, Jiang Muwen’s hand clutching the chalk was slick with cold sweat, and she was on the verge of tears.

“Jiang Muwen, did you pass this exam?” At last, the teacher’s voice sounded in her ear again, making her tremble.

She really had no face to answer. In such an outstanding class, not passing was truly embarrassing. Whether the teacher was doing it on purpose or not, Jiang Muwen remained silent.

After a moment of silence, everyone understood—she had not passed.

The teacher spoke again, each word sharp as a needle, piercing Jiang Muwen’s heart: “What did I tell you? Pride comes before a fall. Just because you made it into Class A doesn’t mean you’re exceptional. Look at your grades…”

Jiang Muwen could no longer listen. She stood on the podium, her mind buzzing, then blanking out completely. Her scalp tingled and an indescribable feeling spread through her body like cold blood. Perhaps she didn’t even realize she was trembling.

Yet all of this was seen by Wen Yichen. His eyes grew tense as he shifted his gaze to the mathematics teacher.

The teacher was in the middle of her tirade when Wen Yichen suddenly raised his hand and interrupted, “Teacher—”

The teacher looked at him in confusion. “What is it?”

“Teacher, there’s an error in this question,” Wen Yichen said, his eyes drifting back to the blackboard, his lazy gaze now tinged with quiet certainty.

“What’s wrong with it?” The teacher’s attention turned to the board.

“There isn’t enough information. It can’t be solved.”

The teacher stared at the board for a moment, then sighed deeply. She picked up a piece of chalk and walked over to Jiang Muwen. “You all are going to drive me crazy. Forget it, go back to your seat.”

At these words, Jiang Muwen numbly set down the chalk and left the podium like a ghost, drifting rather than walking. Distracted, she returned to her seat and sat down slowly.

For someone as proud as she was, what had just happened felt like a public execution, dragging her mercilessly into hell.

The teacher’s words haunted her for the rest of the day. Even when school was over, she still looked dejected and low-spirited.

Jiang Muwen slumped in her seat. Today she was on classroom duty with Wen Yichen, but she couldn’t muster the slightest bit of energy. Wen Yichen had already finished his tasks, but Jiang Muwen sat there like a wilted cabbage.

He watched her for a while, then quietly left the classroom, leaving only Jiang Muwen and Yin Lize, who was still sprawled on the desk, not yet awake.

On his way back, Wen Yichen ran into Bai Xu. Bai Xu looked at him in surprise. “Yichen, school’s over—why are you buying orange juice?”

“I…” Wen Yichen glanced at the juice in his hand, hesitating. He wanted to give it to Jiang Muwen to cheer her up, but couldn’t bring himself to say it. “I’m thirsty. I bought it for myself…”

Just then, Yin Lize woke up from his nap. He stretched lazily and, noticing the classroom was empty, turned to pack up his things—only to see Jiang Muwen’s crestfallen face.

Seeing her so downcast made him uncomfortable. He leaned on her desk, looking at her with concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

When Jiang Muwen didn’t respond, he asked again, “Math didn’t go well, huh?”

She glanced at him and lowered her gaze in silence.

“Don’t be upset. I only got eight points this time—no big deal. I’m always here to keep you from being last!” As he spoke, Yin Lize took out a bottle of orange juice from his bag. “My housekeeper made this fresh for me. It’s nutritious, fresh, and delicious. Want to try it?”

Looking at the orange juice on the desk, Jiang Muwen softly murmured her thanks.

“No problem,” Yin Lize replied, then instinctively reached out to pat her hair.

But just as this was happening, Wen Yichen returned to the classroom and caught it all.

Seeing Yin Lize’s hand rise, a surge of unexplainable anger flared in Wen Yichen’s heart. He couldn’t stand that gesture, and seeing the bottle of orange juice on Jiang Muwen’s desk only made his irritation stronger. For a moment, he thought buying her a drink to cheer her up was a foolish idea.

With a loud crash, the silence was shattered—Wen Yichen threw his own bottle of juice into the trash.

Startled, Jiang Muwen and Yin Lize looked up to see Wen Yichen’s face dark with annoyance.

After a brief exchange of glances, Jiang Muwen quickly looked away, feeling guilty. The displeasure in his eyes was something she’d never seen before—not the impatience she was used to, but something deeper, which made her heart twist uncomfortably.

He strode angrily to his seat, snatched up his bag in one fluid motion, dragging his chair askew as he yanked it out from under the desk.

As Wen Yichen passed by Jiang Muwen, she could feel the breeze stirred by his movement. Watching him leave in a fury, the sadness in her eyes grew even heavier, mixed with anxiety and confusion.

When Wen Yichen reached Bai Xu, he said coldly, “Bai Xu, let’s go. Grab your bag, we’re heading home.”

With that, he stormed out of the classroom without another word.

Bai Xu looked from Jiang Muwen to Wen Yichen and shook his head in resignation. Whether those two realized it or not, he certainly did—Wen Yichen was jealous.

He hurried to his seat, picked up his bag, and as he passed Jiang Muwen, bent down to whisper reassuringly, “Don’t take it to heart. Wen Yichen didn’t get a perfect score on the math test this time—he’s in a mood.”

Before Bai Xu could finish, Wen Yichen’s sharp, icy voice rang out from the doorway, “Bai Xu! What are you muttering about? I told you to get your bag—did I say you could talk to her?”