Chapter 14: Not Charity
On Monday, students are still abuzz at Chang Yue school regarding Su Ning's 2nd place win in the annual singing contest. Her popularity has grown considerably and now she has begun receiving confessions from boys from other grades. Su Ning did not accept any confessions indicating she does not want to be involved with puppy love.
Su Ning acted as usual, thanking people for their kind words and focusing on her studies. By doing so, the girls in her class came to like her more. In their minds Su Ning is not the type to obsess about beauty or popularity and prefers to study — how admirable!
On the other hand Qing Mei was absent from school on Monday and her two lackies Ma KeLi and Qiu Wei were both unusually quiet. They pretended as if they had never done anything to target Su Ning. Even casually saying 'hi' and making small talk.
Su Ning was completely fine with this turn of events. She never intended to argue with them in the open. The best way to retaliate against bullies is to show them your strength. Seeing as how their Queen Bee was humiliated by losing to a newbie participant, they must be feeling aggrieved.
Seasons passed with Su Ning studying hard for monthly exams and practicing a duet piece with Chu Han. For the ACISC, each school has the option to perform 2 pieces: solos or duets or any combination of both. Su Ning suggested that Chu Han do a solo and a duet with her. This will give him more chances to showcase his versatility. Chu Han who was 3 years older than Su Ning looked at her with surprise. Chu Han took a deep breath and decided to ask what had been on his mind. He knows his financial situation is not exactly a secret in school. "Su Ning Classmate, This… Why would you propose to do the contest entries this way? It is your first time qualifying for this contest and it is not for certain you will qualify next year. Are you perhaps pity.." Su Ning quickly cut in, "Chu Han Senior, To be honest I don't have any intention on pursuing a career in music. That's why I chose this option. It's easier to practice a duet than a solo as well. So, this is not me doing you any charity." The young girl looked back at Chu Han intently with clear eyes. She really wants to get her point across since she knows Chu Han is a kind, hardworking, and prideful person. Chu Han stared at her for a few moments and quietly laughed. "Okay…. Thank you." "Let's work hard together!" Su Ning cheered.
By the end of November, Su Ning's grades have made massive improvements. In the most recent monthly exam results, she had tested 700 out of 750 she is now officially top 10 of her class and within top 20 of the grade. Head teacher Mr Song who has seen her improvement with his own eyes could not help but commend Su Ning in front of the class. Su Ning accepted the praise humbly and thanked Qin Rong for all his help explaining the practice questions. He scored top of the class as usual at 748 out of 750 and is in the top 3 of the entire grade. During this time, Qing Mei sat quietly in her seat gritting her teeth. The rest of the class are chattering excitedly. By this point everyone is looking forward to the holiday break!