Let’s talk about Xulu, shall we? As the study committee member of Class 9, Grade 10, Xulu has been overshadowed by Liming since the very beginning of the semester. Despite her efforts, she never managed to steal the spotlight.
But it’s undeniable—Xulu is a stunning beauty both in appearance and intellect. Her enthusiasm and efficiency during her initial competitions with Liming even earned her the playful nickname “Sister Xulu” from some of the seniors in Grade 11.
Although she ultimately acknowledged defeat to Liming in the race for class president and settled for the role of study committee member, no one could deny her capabilities and resourcefulness. These qualities were solid facts that spoke for themselves. If it hadn’t been for Liming—a twisted overachiever honed under the special attention of Senior Bailin—Xulu would’ve undoubtedly claimed the role of class president without contention.
Even after her defeat, Xulu maintained her characteristic calm demeanor, though she once let slip to Liming that she planned to outperform him in every subject.
“If you can beat me while handling the duties of a class president, then I’ll acknowledge my complete and utter defeat.”
A rare mix of beauty, wisdom, and charm, Xulu isn’t just your typical high school girl. She has an air of subtle sophistication that sets her apart—enough to be class flower material.
Unfortunately for her, luck hasn’t been on her side. Not only does she face competition from Liming in academics, but her looks pale in comparison to Liqianying, whose beauty is even more dazzling.
Caught in the shadow of others, Xulu—this well-mannered, gifted, and graceful young woman—has somewhat faded from view.
“As far as rivals go, my target has always been Class President Liming. As for everyone else? Ha…”
With an amused grin that brought to mind a sly little fox, Xulu chuckled softly, leaving Zhangqianxing feeling a strange sense of malice. Behind her impeccable words was a biting jab aimed squarely at Zhangqianxing. Strip away his good looks, and he’d stand no chance next to Liming—it was leagues apart, like heaven and earth. That the two were even friends seemed almost miraculous.
After being brushed off, Zhangqianxing could only manage a sheepish smile. Against this cunning and elegant young woman, he was utterly outmatched.
“C’mon, guys, you should stop declaring each other as rivals so prematurely. Honestly, it’s such shortsightedness…”
Browsing through Senior Bailin’s documents, Liming quickly found some intriguing details. A wry smile crept onto his face as he recognized her trademark tricks. Bailin loved her word games—always had, always would.
**“Language is art. Use it well enough, and you can reach your goals—or stop others from reaching theirs…”**
That was Senior Bailin’s cryptic advice, a lesson Liming had taken to heart and never forgotten.
Thanks to his rudimentary knowledge of language manipulation, Liming deciphered the hidden conditions buried in Bailin’s files.
“What’re you mumbling about, Little Mingzi? That woman is our greatest enemy, you know!”
“Ugh, can you at least try thinking with your brain for once, Vice President?”
Casting a look of exasperation at Zhangqianxing, who clearly wasn’t bothering to use his head, Xulu began interacting more directly with him and Liming as they reviewed the shared document. Despite the brief acquaintance, Xulu had already built a decent rapport with Liming and Zhangqianxing—not yet close friendships, perhaps, but casual camaraderie at the very least.
“It’s true—although the file explicitly states that each class is allowed to elect two students, the additional fine print reveals some noteworthy clauses.
The first condition stipulates that if candidates from other classes lack adequate qualifications, the selection may consider suitable individuals from other classes as exceptions. Secondly, outstanding contestants could be provisionally chosen and later confirmed.
These conditions, buried amidst countless miscellaneous details, are easily overlooked unless you know precisely what to search for. If Liming hadn’t been aware of Senior Bailin’s penchant for subtlety, he might’ve missed them himself.
Both clauses carry a heavy weight of competitiveness.
If the selection process isn’t confined solely within individual classes, then the scope of rivalry expands across the entire grade. And with terms as vague as “outstanding performance,” the final decision rests entirely in the hands of the Student Council headquarters. Bailin’s knack for crafting ambiguous language continues to shine.
In his mind’s eye, Liming recalled Bailin’s gentle, all-encompassing smile and the unreadable expression she had worn during their last parting. The memory sent an unexpected pang through his chest.
“Whoop~~! So, theoretically, the number of students selected from a single class could surpass two, huh~~!”
Handing over a sliver of his scattered intelligence, Zhangqianxing finally grasped Liming’s point.
If Zhangqianxing were truly as oblivious as he often seemed, he wouldn’t have successfully courted girl after girl while maintaining amicable breakups with a surprisingly solid reputation. Replace him with almost anyone else, and he’d have long been branded a heartless cad.
“Let’s take a look… Hm, yeah, this clause is seriously deceptive. If you’re not paying attention, you’d miss it entirely. Even if you notice it, you might not interpret it correctly. So this document—did you say this was Senior Bailin’s handiwork?”
Xulu leaned closer to Liming, her proximity pressing into his personal space. The subtle movement made his brows furrow as he instinctively attempted to shift away, only to have Zhangqianxing unwittingly block him in place.
**“Damn you…”**
Liming’s icy stare practically sliced through Zhangqianxing, who responded with a toothy, sheepish grin.
“Indeed, I went through quite the ordeal to secure this from a Student Council upperclassman. I exchanged vital information to get it, after all. Rest assured, the guy has a solid reputation; he wouldn’t pull tricks with fake documents.”
Smugly jostling Liming, Zhangqianxing basked in his own success in swindling information from the otherwise formidable Qianning High School Student Council—a group renowned for its unified and competent nature.
“Oh? Our vice president might prove to have his uses, after all.”
“I’ll begrudgingly agree—the guy’s intel-gathering skills are on par with his success in wooing girls.”
While Zhangqianxing wasn’t paying attention, Liming delivered a sudden elbow jab that sent him doubling over in pain, creating just enough room for Liming to edge away from Xulu’s overly close presence.
Having been naturally gifted at attracting women since childhood, Liming understood all too well the necessity of maintaining distance to prevent rumors from spreading—rumors that could harm innocent parties as much as himself.
Looking down, Xulu belatedly realized she’d gotten too close. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she toyed idly with her long, ponytail. Subtly, she adjusted her stance to create some distance from Liming.
“You’re impressive, Class President. I’d have missed these details if I hadn’t been forewarned, and even then, I might’ve misread them.”
This compliment, which felt neither overbearing nor insincere, was accepted gracefully by Liming. After all, it acknowledged the value of his past effort.
Of course, Zhangqianxing, now upright again and as tactless as ever, lobbed a comment that took Xulu entirely by surprise.
“Cough… Well, you know, Little Mingzi actually studied under Senior Bailin for a while.”
