Outside the academy, an unusual silence had settled.

Inside the academy, there were only two people at the moment.

A young Confucian scholar, tall and slender in the attire of a student, whose features grew more handsome the longer one looked, and a stern young girl sitting upright; one standing on the podium, the other sitting below.

The young Confucian scholar's expression was calm as he turned his head and asked, "Did you guess it early on?"

The girl, who had repeatedly held the top spot in the Six Halls as well as being the senior of Shuaixing Hall, nodded, "Xueyou told me about the Classics exam where you 'talked in your sleep and recited the texts.' Also, after the teacher returned from Great Li, I went to understand what happened there. Hence, I took a fresh look at you, Brother Ziyu, or rather... the student number thirteen in class Ren."

Yu Huaijin's eyes carried a trace of complexity.

Zhao Rong showed no surprise on his face; he neither nodded nor shook his head but asked again:

"What if it was just a fluke? My sleep-talking recitation had nothing to do with Brother Xueyou; it wasn't to help her, just that I happened to write that text post, dreaming of something."

Yu Huaijin glanced at the exceptionally quiet entrance. The distant sounds of commotion from the other halls posting exam results created a stark contrast with the silence outside Shuaixing Hall. Someone unaware might stand inside the empty academy and think the corridor outside was empty too, not realizing it was already filled with people...

She continued to shake her head, "It doesn't matter, even if Xueyou's case was a fluke. I will still intervene to stop your wager with Brother Wu. In my eyes, you and Brother Wu are treated the same because I am your senior, the head of the school. Even if, as you later said, what I did was unwise, I must 'do' something because that's what's most important. As for not doing well, that's my own ability issue. An old teacher once told me that there is a sequence in matters, and one should do what ought to be done."

Zhao Rong chuckled, "A fine 'what ought to be done, should be done.' Those outside, like Brother Wu, are truly fortunate to have a senior like you, only it's a pity they previously thought you were biased toward me."

After his words, the outside grew even quieter, and a rather effeminate student in front of the Red List was blushing, while his friends around him hung their heads in shame. Students like Li Xueyou and Jia Tengying turned to look at them, and the atmosphere before the Red List remained tense as if it didn't dare to breathe.

After waiting a while and seeing no students coming in from outside, Zhao Rong smiled and said, "Actually, I'm also curious about how many points I got. My Music Art might not be high, but given that you tutored me before the exam and covered some topics, I shouldn't have done too poorly..."

Yu Huaijin confidently said, "You must be in the top ten of the academy, maybe even surpass Xueyou."

Zhao Rong glanced at her, "You think so highly of me?"

Yu Huaijin frowned slightly, unsure if the young Confucian scholar on the podium was speaking sarcastically or truthfully. She spoke frankly, "If your Music Art wasn't so difficult to improve in a short time, Brother Ziyu, you might have reached the top five in the academy."

Zhao Rong thought for a moment, somewhat skeptical but found her words reasonable. Nodding, he asked, "And what about you, Brother Huaijin?"

"First." Yu Huaijin's expression remained as placid as an ancient well, showing no arrogance or any other emotion. She uttered the two words as if discussing an ordinary topic.

Zhao Rong wasn't surprised by Yu Huaijin's straightforward ambition; in fact, he found such confidence quite reasonable because, before him, stood a stern young girl who had nearly always been the first in everything since childhood. Regardless of how kind and humble she was towards others in the past, her self-judgment confidence was almost ingrained in her bones, nearly unbreakable.

However, Zhao Rong still followed up with a question: "Why?"

Yu Huaijin shook her head, "No reason."

Zhao Rong smiled slightly, "What if?"

Yu Huaijin frowned slightly, gave him a glance, and said seriously with a stern face, "There won't be any 'what if.'

Zhao Rong looked at her with appreciation, casually saying, "Makes sense. You are Yu Huaijin; that should make me second."

Upon hearing this, Yu Huaijin instinctively wanted to ask 'Why', but before she could open her mouth, she saw the young Confucian scholar on the podium smiling, "Because I am Zhao Ziyu."

Yu Huaijin couldn't help but look at him again, intending to remind him, but at this moment, some movement finally came from outside the door.

"Xuanji..." Xiao Hongyu hurriedly interrupted the conversation between the two, calling out confidently to someone.

Li Xueyou peeked her head from behind, her face slightly flushed, and quickly said, "Xuanji, please come out for a moment. There's... an urgent matter."

Yu Huaijin, curious, nodded towards Zhao Rong, then turned to leave.

In the hall, only Zhao Rong remained standing on the podium. He looked around and thought that he should establish a rule next time: no going to the restroom during class, not even for female students... Zhao Rong put down the scroll in his hand, and at this moment, some voices from Yu Huaijin came from outside.

"What urgent matter is it?"

She then seemed to address the students, "After using the restroom, after reading the Red List, go in quickly, don't dawdle and be lazy outside."

For some reason, the once most obedient students of Shuaixing Hall didn't respond, puzzling Zhao Rong inside. Then came Brother Xueyou's timid, weak voice.

"Xuanji."

"Hmm, what's up?"

"You... you look." The girl seemed to be pointing at something.

Then, outside the door fell into a very awkward silence once again.

Zhao Rong noticed Yu Huaijin suddenly became silent, not knowing what had happened.

No one knew how long things had been quiet outside.

Just as he furrowed his brows slightly and prepared to speak, footsteps finally sounded outside the door.

However, strangely, no figure appeared at the front door; everyone entered from the back door, staying away from the podium.

Xiao Hongyu, Li Xueyou, Jia Tengying, Wu Peiliang, and other students entered one by one through the back door, but each person's reaction and actions were different at that moment.

When Xiao Hongyu, Li Xueyou, and others first entered, they tried their best not to glance around, but as they approached the podium, they couldn't help but steal a look at Zhao Rong.

As for Jia Tengying and a group of normally earnest and studious students, they directly fixed their eyes on Zhao Rong, staring intently as if to scrutinize him thoroughly, making Zhao Rong somewhat embarrassed, instinctively touching his face to avoid surprises.

A large group of students led by Wu Peiliang kept their heads down throughout, not daring to look at the podium, with ears flushed red as they hurried back to their seats.

Only Fan Yushu's usual seat in the last row was empty, with no sign of a person, likely he had genuinely gone to the bathroom and hadn't returned yet.

And strangely, Yu Huaijin's figure was also nowhere to be found.

Actually, just seeing this current scene and the previous silence outside, Zhao Rong already understood most of it in his heart, but he didn't say anything, keeping the awkward silence among everyone. Zhao Rong shook his head and planned to continue the lecture.

At this time, Xiao Hongyu couldn't help but softly say, "Aren't you curious about the Red List outside, Ziyu?"

Zhao Rong lowered his head as he sorted the papers on the podium, speaking without looking up, "Previously, you were always discussing my exam number below during class; I've almost grown calluses in my ears listening to it..."

Xiao Hongyu and the other students fell into a bout of awkward silence, not knowing what to say, and some students who were usually lively hung their heads in shame. As for Wu Peiliang...since coming in, he hadn't even lifted his head.

However, Zhao Rong, with his surprisingly good memory, didn't forget to show concern, "Did Wu manage to get into the top ten?"

Xiao Hongyu had a peculiar expression, honestly saying, "This time he was just short, placing eleventh in the whole academy, but this is actually the best result in the recent major exams."

Earlier she mentioned that among the top ten in the academy, four are from Shuaixing Hall, and Wu Peiliang usually ranks fourth or fifth in Shuaixing Hall. This time he performed well in Poetry and Prose Skill, scoring an Initial Rank in Ascending's poetry, originally full of hope, but the 'small and weak' Peiliang seemed to have been 'forcefully and strongly' squeezed out by someone...

Someone nodded, smilingly offering encouragement, "Eleventh place is great; it's almost like being in the top ten of the academy. Wu, keep it up!"

Zhao Rong smiled again, as everyone knows, the top ten of the academy having eleven people is quite normal, just like there being eleven peerless masters in the world; what's wrong with having one more?

Yet Wu Peiliang in the right corner obviously didn't get this subtlety, lowering his head even further.

Zhao Rong looked around and asked, "And Huaijin, why hasn't he returned after going out?"

The quiet Li Xueyou weakly raised her hand, softly saying, "After Xuanji saw the Red List, it became quiet, then she left quickly, saying...saying she was going to find Meng Xuezhen. It seems like after every major exam, it's a tradition for senior students from the Six Halls to go to Jingchen Hall to check the academy rankings..."

Zhao Rong sensed something off as he listened. Lifting his head and glancing down, he considered setting the book aside to go out and look at the Red List, and the students all caught this intention of Zhao Rong.

Xiao Hongyu immediately spoke up, "Actually, Ziyu, you're the first in Shuaixing Hall, and...the first in the whole academy!"

Zhao Rong paused for a moment, surprised, and immediately asked, "What's my score? Especially for Music Art."

Li Xueyou's small face appeared strange, "You achieved full marks in Classics, Poetry, Painting Skill, Chess Skill, Calligraphy, Ritual Skill, except for Music Art... which only got six points."

As the words fell, all the students under the podium bore complex expressions.

"I actually got six points in Music Art?" Zhao Rong was a bit surprised and delighted, blinking while glancing towards the direction where a certain serious-looking girl had hurriedly left.

Just then, a student surnamed Fan finally finished in the bathroom and returned after 'fishing'. As he passed the corridor, he took a look at the Red List and was instantly shocked, then rushed into the currently tranquil Shuaixing Hall.

"Ziyu Ziyu!"

Fan Yushu rushed in, grabbing Zhao Rong's sleeve, the latter guessing something, coughed and modestly said, "What's up? Cough, actually, there's no need to make a fuss..."

Fan Yushu, however, interrupted with a face full of shock, "Ziyu, your Music Art is surprisingly one point higher than mine!"

"..."

Xiao Hongyu, Li Xueyou, and other students: ...…

Zhao Rong: ???

Why is that your point of interest? Is this a thought process a carbon-based lifeform can have??

...

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