I Don’t Want to Win Lying Down - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: I Will Rescue You

There was the kind of shock known as ‘alarmed’, and there was the kind of fear known as ‘horror’, and then, there was the kind of surprise that was called ‘Xu Mang got full marks in the English test’.

Yang Xiaoman was staring at Xu Mang’s paper, her expression one of confusion. Was this the result of cheating? That thought was banished immediately. Although this guy was an opportunist and liked to take all manners of shortcuts and dodgy roads, with the situation he was in just now, it was impossible for him to cheat off anybody.

He had been alone on the podium and Ms. Wu was sitting right beside him. Even if he had all the guts in the world, he wouldn’t dare to cheat then and there!

Moreover, English wasn’t like other subjects. For example, in Chinese, there were silent links in the questions. In Maths, you needed formulas. In Politics, Geography, History…only English, even if you opened a textbook, it was pointless.

Questions later!

An idiot who didn’t even know how to pronounce English letters suddenly being able to obtain full marks in such a closely monitored environment…you could only say what the h*ll!

Not long after, Xu Mang came back to the classroom with bread, milk, and a bowl of instant noodles. He was swiftly given a judgemental look by Yang Xiaoman when he stepped in.

“What’s up? I feel like a prisoner on trial.” Xu Mang said, a little intimidated by the gaze leveled on him suddenly.

Wait!

Could it be that she knew something?

Xu Mang searched his thoughts and asked somewhat cautiously, “Did you find out something?”

“Hmph! What do you think?” Yang Xiaoman said, her face dark.

He was so dead!

Seeing her expression, she definitely knew.

Xu Mang let out a heavy sigh as he continued with a meek expression, “I really didn’t mean to…I really like the buns from that shop, the skin is thin and the juice from the meat is just to die for. Of course, it was also my fault, I didn’t pay attention to where the juice splurted out to.”

Hah?

What the heck was he talking about?

Buns, meat juice, shooting out…what did this have to do with anything?

Yang Xiaoman had a befuddled expression on her face. She was referring to the English paper and yet, he was talking about meat buns and such. Was he saying that by eating meat buns, he got full marks on his English paper?

“But actually, you’re at fault too…who asked you to be standing there. They just say that bullets have no eyes, the same goes for meat juices!” Xu Mang said, slightly sullen. “Let’s just consider it even.”

Yang Xiaoman finally understood what he was saying. The mystery of the world—the person who had splattered gravy on her head that day, she had finally found the answer today! No wonder he had seemed familiar the first time she had laid eyes on him in the classroom, it was the feeling of meeting a mortal enemy!

At one point, Yang Xiaoman had indeed suspected that it was Xu Mang, but she was unable to find a shred of evidence. If she wronged him, with his attitude, he would have given her endless trouble for her efforts.

But now…there was no such thing!

“It was you!?”

Yang Xiaoman was pissed, and she stood on her tiptoes as she grabbed Xu Mang’s collar, spitting angrily, “You dared to splatter meat buns on my head!? Do you know that was the most humiliating experience in my entire life!? I…I…I…I will end you!”

Xu Mang was beaten miserably, but fortunately, Yang Xiaoman still left him in one piece, giving him a chance to breathe, otherwise, Xu Mang would have met his end here today.

“Stop looking in the mirror anymore, there’s nothing broken!” Yang Xiaoman snorted, drinking her milk as she looked at Xu Mang staring at his reflection in the mirror, turning from side to side like the idiot he was. “Even if anything is deformed, you’re lonely and old anyway.”

What…

This woman had to have some kind of problem!

Xu Mang furrowed his brows and said in a solemn tone, “Are you going to marry me in the future? If not, why do you always say that… It’s like you’re instilling the negative thoughts in my head so that you can brainwash me and take advantage of me. You flat-chested barbarian!”

“Hmph! Cease those useless thoughts!” Xu Mang said pompously. “My beautiful face belongs to the world!”

“You!”

Yang Xiaoman clenched her fist, but she didn’t beat him. Her strength was limited…she had given him a beating already just now, and also, there wasn’t enough time. The students were about to finish lunch, if they stumbled upon her beating Xu Mang up, it would be embarrassing.

“I will get you tonight!” Yang Xiaoman said instead, sending a burning glare at him. She then threw his test paper at him. “Explain this to me!”

Explain?

What was there to explain?

Xu Mang looked at his own test paper and then back at Yang Xiaoman whose face was flushed with anger, and he asked curiously, “What do you mean?”

“You used ten minutes to complete this paper and you even got full marks for it. Don’t you think it warrants an explanation?” Yang Xiaoman demanded.

“That… isn’t this common sense?” Xu Mang shrugged, an indifferent expression on his face. “If you need an explanation…uh…I’m a genius!”

Moron!

That wasn’t right!

What a shameless idiot!

Yang Xiaoman glared even harder if that was possible and took back the paper. She thought for a while before continuing, “If your English is so good, why do you always hand in a blank paper and sometimes with not even your name? Ms. Wu keeps scolding you too, are you demeaning yourself?”

“Sigh…” Xu Mang sighed, looking at the sky outside the window as he said, “I just didn’t want others to know of my excellence.”

Yang Xiaoman wanted to hit her head on the wall.

***

Yang Xiaoman held Xu Mang’s paper in her hands as she looked for Ms. Wu. Since he really was a genius, why the need to hide?

“Ms. Wu? Do you have some time?” Yang Xiaoman asked politely.

“Xiaoman?” Ms. Wu said when her eyes landed on the student, her face lit up in a smile. “Have you come to ask about your results? Don’t worry, you’ve gotten full marks again!”

Even though as a teacher, you shouldn’t be showing preferential treatment toward any students, there was probably no one who could do so. The human heart…it was an organ, it knew the good from bad, the important from not, and Yang Xiaoman was a gem in all the teachers’ eyes.

“It’s not that…Ms. Wu, you misunderstand. I wasn’t here to ask about the results, I’m here to discuss Xu Mang.” Yang Xiaoman said.

“Xu Mang? What’s wrong with him now?” Ms. Wu said, a skeptical expression spreading across her face as she continued, “Is he picking on you? Don’t worry, I’ll find Mr. Lin and ask him to change your seat.”

“No, no, no! He…he’s not picking on me.” Speaking of bullying, Yang Xiaoman couldn’t help the heat creeping up on her cheeks.

“Then what’s the problem?” Ms. Wu asked, mystified.

“That…you didn’t collect Xu Mang’s paper today.” Yang Xiaoman said, pushing away the feelings. “I took a look at his paper and he…he obtained quite a good score.”

“What!?” Ms. Wu exclaimed in shock, “A good score? Did he pass the exam again?”

Yang Xiaoman shook her head slowly.

“70 marks?”

Yang Xiaoman shook her head again.

“…Don’t tell me, this guy scored full marks?” Ms. Wu said, laughing.

“That’s right! He scored full marks!”

When Yang Xiaoman announced that Xu Mang had scored full marks, she felt a sense of satisfaction although she didn’t know why…she was especially relieved.

Ms. Wu was silent for a long while. She felt that this was a big matter because it seemed that Xu Mang had affected Yang Xiaoman’s intellect. In this world, idiocy was contagious!

“Xiaoman, rest assured! This teacher will surely rescue you from Xu Mang’s devilish claws. This guy…he can be an idiot by himself, but he’s even spreading it to you, what an outrage!” Ms. Wu huffed angrily.

Huh?

This…what was this!?

How sinful was this guy!?