A couple of days later, Jiao Jiao was still in a daze. She'd missed the math class with Mr. Liu on her first day of school and had just finished the second. Jiao Jiao's head was swimming with formulas, and she realized that the learning pace here differed exponentially from her small village school.

The school nurse had suggested she had low blood sugar, and that, combined with the stress of starting a new school, caused Jiao Jiao's dizziness.

Jiao Jiao looked down at the page of scribbled notes and sighed in frustration. She'd always been smart and learned quickly, but even missing one class had put her so far behind. Taking a quick glance at her frosty seatmate, who was furiously writing notes, Jiao Jiao stood up and headed out of the classroom to get some air.

As she headed down the hallway, her phone buzzed once.

(LQ): Are you feeling any better?

Jiao Jiao bit her lips and slipped into a quiet side corridor.

(WhisperingBlooms): En.

(LQ): Ah, you're improving Jiao Jiao. That response only took you twenty-three seconds.

He sent a cute sticker of a cartoon kitten getting a head pat.

Jiao Jiao giggled and replied:

(WhisperingBlooms): You're using the sticker packet I sent you! You've come a long way, my apprentice!

(LQ): Yes, well, my Shijie is the best master I could have. Stop stalling anyway, you haven't answered my question. Feeling better?

Jiao Jiao's heart bloomed at his concern. As she was about to reply, she heard two voices coming closer. She slipped deeper into the corner so she wouldn't be caught eavesdropping.

.....

Voice 1: What do you think about the new girl? The boys won't stop talking about her, but has she even spoken to anyone in the class yet?

Voice 2: Jing Jiao, right? She must be acting that way to get more attention. Why does she always look so lost?

Voice 1: Lost is an understatement. Shit, and that ugly backpack she uses? I don't even think it's designer.

Voice 2: Seriously, doesn't she know we have a dress code? I can't wait for the first test to watch her fall flat on her face. Let's see if she's as smart as they say. It will serve her right for stealing Meimei's spot in class.

Voice 1: I can't imagine how she scored in the top fifty. She probably just lucked into that scholarship.

Voice 2: I heard she comes from some small town. No way she's as well-prepared as we are.

Voice 1: And did you notice how puzzled she was during Mr. Liu's explanation of that math problem today? God, I'd never show my face in class again!

Voice 2: I bet she'll be asking for extra help within a week. Imagine that – a scholarship student needing a tutor!

Voice 1: Well, with Zhou Xiaoyu as her seatmate, she's dead meat. No way the number one student in Pinnacle is going to help her.

Voice 2: Seriously, I can't believe everyone's making such a fuss about her. You've seen the photo the boys are circulating of her, right? So ugly.

Voice 1: I know, right? She's had her head down since arriving, so no one's gotten a good look at her. Let's keep it that way and see how long it takes her to realize she's out of her league.

.....

As the voices faded, Jiao Jiao realized her phone had been buzzing incessantly. She lifted it with a trembling hand, only to discover she couldn't read the screen. Her eyes seemed to be blurred over, and as she raised a finger to touch her face, it came away wet with tears.