Chapter 27: I Am a Fragile Internet Emperor

Yu Tongjie is a person who is very strict with himself, and is called Strict Bro.

The principle of being strict with oneself and lenient with others does not work when applied to him. He believes that being strict with oneself should also mean being strict with others.

A person like this sees everyone as an idiot.

Regarding the matter of moving up a class, he feels this is the result he deserves after a year of hard study. In his eyes, Zhang Ningzhi and he are the same type of person.

Jiang Nian is not.

The myth of gaining one or two hundred points over a single summer vacation is practically an insult to someone like him who studies hard — no different than being slapped across the face with a slipper.

Cheating. Most likely cheating.

These past two days, he has been actively answering questions in class, yet Jiang Nian hasn't volunteered once. During breaks, he always sees him turning around to laugh and chat with the people in the back row.

When the October joint exam comes, Jiang Nian will be exposed for what he really is.

Zhang Ningzhi, who moved up a class with him, seems unable to see through all this. Seeing her inattentive in class as well, if this continues she'll sooner or later be led astray by someone like Jiang Nian.

Ten-thirty at night, Nanjiang Bay.

Zhang Ningzhi stands on the balcony letting the night breeze wash over her, looking at the county town's nightscape, her heart full of troubles.

Fitting into the new group is even harder than she imagined. The girls in the class all seem to have their own little cliques. There are people who approach her, but only to the extent of exchanging a few words.

But what troubles her even more is Jiang Nian.

This person had clearly spoken to her that very morning when he first moved up a class, but after getting new classmates, he barely talks to her anymore — even though she'd dropped hints to him.

Heartless man, wasted her little tissue!

Yesterday she didn't manage to say a single word to Jiang Nian, and didn't speak to anyone in the classroom either.

Wuu wuu~~

She lies draped over the railing of the small balcony attached to her room, agonizing over whether to take the initiative and add Jiang Nian on QQ. He wouldn't dislike her, would he? Did she do something wrong?

Beep beep beep!!!

The notification sound from the computer in her room rings out, and she gives a sudden start, immediately running back into the room.

Jiang Nian finally remembered to add her — he even openly pulled out his phone in class and added a girl who was very good at blowing bubblegum bubbles, but didn't add her.

Even though that bubblegum bubble was blown big and round, that's no excuse!

I was clearly here first!

Hmph, I'll leave him hanging for a whole night, pretend I'm asleep. Then tomorrow morning I'll accept him, and let him feel what it's like to be abandoned!

Forget it, I'll leave him hanging for ten minutes.

Beep beep — the moment her rounded bottom pressed down on the computer chair, she couldn't wait to click open the contacts column. Sure enough, it was...... oh, classmate Yu Tongjie.

Zhang Ningzhi released the mouse and let out a very real sigh.

The other party's verification message was just a name, showing it was an addition from within the class group. After a few minutes of silence, out of politeness, she initiated a temporary chat.

Let's first see what the other party wants. If it's not something important, she won't casually add anyone.

She likes to post little updates on her QQ space, but doesn't want to deliberately set up a restricted group every time. For example, photos from trips out of town — she doesn't want people she's only casually acquainted with to see them.

Once rumors start flying, making friends becomes even harder.

Lemon Branch: "(smile)"

Over on his end, Yu Tongjie had just finished showering and received Zhang Ningzhi's reply. Seeing it was a temporary chat, although he found it strange that she hadn't accepted him, he didn't think too much of it.

As long as he explains things clearly, she'll eventually understand his good intentions.

In his view, he and Zhang Ningzhi are the same type of person. First, they both study hard and moved up a class. Second, their family conditions are both relatively well-off.

Third, she's very pretty — the kind of pretty that's enough to get her isolated.

What a coincidence, he's been isolated too.

Therefore, Yu Tongjie feels that he and Zhang Ningzhi should have common ground. Jiang Nian will sooner or later go back down, and he and she should help each other adapt to the new group.

"How's your relationship with Jiang Nian?" he sent a message asking.

On the other end, Zhang Ningzhi, who had already started to get up. The moment she saw the two characters for Jiang Nian, she subconsciously sat back down in the chair. What does this mean?

"It's alright, I guess."

She used the phrase "it's alright" to cover things up, and added a "I guess" as a buffer to leave room. Whether it's good or not, how good it is — the right to explain lies with her.

In the new class, the person she knows best is Jiang Nian, who spoke to her at the start and helped carry the desks and chairs.

Actually, she really wants to ask, "Classmate, you are......" The name Yu Tongjie sounds vaguely familiar, but she was too nervous when she went on stage and forgot whose name it was.

Yu Tongjie: "I don't recommend you associate with him, sincerely."

Zhang Ningzhi stared at that new message, completely dumbfounded. He.... who is he? How is he managing who she associates with? Besides, in the new class she only knows Jiang Nian.

If she doesn't associate with him, does that mean she should associate with you instead?!

"Why?"

"Because he moved up a class by cheating. There's no evidence yet, but according to the latest information I've gotten, it's most likely the case. There's no need for you to associate with him."

"I'm only reminding you as a classmate. It's not easy to move up from the parallel class — we both put in tremendous effort, doing practice papers every day and staying up late memorizing books."

"So, I don't want to see your efforts wasted. Associating with someone like Jiang Nian who doesn't study will eventually lead you astray, and you'll end up back in the parallel class."

In front of the computer, Zhang Ningzhi froze, staring at the long string of messages popping up in the temporary chat window. She didn't know why, but a sudden surge of anger welled up inside her, and her hands were trembling.

Jiang Nian didn't cheat — she was in the same exam hall as him!

He prepared seriously for every exam, always arriving at the exam hall early. There were no cheat sheets on his desk, and he followed the rules during the exam without any sneaky moves.

On what grounds! A single sentence to wipe out all of someone else's effort!

She was almost trembling as she typed a few characters on the keyboard.

"Jiang Nian didn't cheat!"

On the other end, Yu Tongjie frowned. Zhang Ningzhi is too naive. So easily deceived by Jiang Nian — well then, if someone like that has already cheated, what else is there that they wouldn't say.

"The fact is just that. Last semester he was still at the bottom level of the parallel class."

Plop—a tear fell onto the computer desk, and Zhang Ningzhi's eyes were rimmed red. She really wanted to curse back, but she didn't know how to curse, so she could only close the window.

She had been accused of cheating before, and had even been suspected for a long stretch of time. She had lived through that dark period and knew the taste of being suspected was not easy to bear.

She opened the class group, found Jiang Nian among the group members. She tapped Add, filled in Zhang Ningzhi as the verification message, thought for a moment, then added the two words "tissue."

Ding ding—almost instantly approved.

【Jiang Yue Nian Nian Wang Xiang Si】: "Mm? You're also up late?"

Zhang Ningzhi wiped her tears, then suddenly smiled again. She had wanted to tell him what had just happened, but she didn't want him to think she was too talkative.

So she said, "(Embarrassed) Someone said bad things about you."

Jiang Nian: "I am a fragile Emperor of the internet—that person wouldn't be you, would it?"

Zhang Ningzhi's face reddened. "Definitely not."

"It's fine, even if it is you, it's fine." Jiang Nian replied, "Those who face me and point out my faults shall be punished by exile."

(Recalled), "shall be punished by death."