On their way, they crossed paths with another group of people.

Their chattering and laughter drew Yao Ran’s attention, and she turned to look at them.

The crowd consisted of students from Class 20, and in the center was Yao Tang.

Whenever this bumpkin appeared, she always became everyone’s focus.

Bitterness rose in Yao Ran’s heart.

‘Yao Tang! Why did you have to come back now, of all times?’

Yang Nian looked over as well. He could only see one side ofYao Tang’s face from where he stood, but he felt a sense of familiarity as his eyes fell on her.

A scene slowly materialized in his mind, even as a name crept to the tip of his tongue.

And yet, at the last moment, the details blurred and escaped him altogether.

It was as though a curtain had suddenly fallen over his memories, preventing him from probing any further.

Yang Nian realized that the longer the day wore on, the more interested he became inYao Tang.

Beside him, Yan Weiscoffed and stepped forward, leading their group into the cafeteria.

The two other girls hurried after her, followed lastly by Yang Nian.

They were met with inquisitive glances as soon as they walked inside. It didn’t last long, however.

The moment Yao Tangwalked in with her friends,Yan Weifelt everyone’s attention shift. She hadn’t even enjoyed the spotlight when that damned girl snatched it from her.

She hated how insignificant it made her feel, like she was an old and faded black-and-white photo that didn’t merit a second glance.

Then, to add to her dismay, Yan Weifound thatYang Nian’s gaze was also locked onYao Tang.

Yao Ran noticed this, too.

She had no idea what to make of this situation. Wasn’t Yao Tangsupposed to disappear from school? Why was she back so suddenly?

What irked Yao Ran the most was the fact that everyone seemed to celebrate Yao Tang’s return, as though she were some hero or saint who was bringing their salvation.

Yao Ran’s grip on her notebook tightened at the thought. Thankfully, she managed to compose herself before she did anything she might regret.

‘It’s okay. Everything’s okay.’

Yao Tang might be pretty and all, but she would never be able to hide her true colors. They were bound to come out sooner or later.

And when that time came, Yao Ranwould be there to trample on whatever dignity she had left and sendYao Tangto rock bottom for good.

Yao Tang led her friends to the other side of the cafeteria, putting some distance between the two groups.

With one last sneer, Yao Ranturned away and followedYan Weito the counter where the meals were displayed. They ordered their food and found themselves a table.

“Ranran,” Yan Weiasked casually. “Do you know that girl calledYao Tang? Is she popular around campus or something?”

Yao Ran’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt panic slowly unfurl in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a few, short breaths. “She… She just transferred here, actually. Her grades are pretty good, that’s why other students admire her.”

Yan Wei raised a sardonic brow.

Although she remained silent, her expression seemed to say something along the lines of, “Is that it? Good grades?”

Yan Wei, along with the other exchange students, had taken the top five places in the school’s recent exam. Generally speaking, they were above the rest of the grade.

Yao Ran’s grades might impress these simpletons, but how could she possibly be any better than Yan Weiand her peers?

They had probably never seen a real genius at work, hence their immediate and probably groundless adulation of Yao Tang.

City A was a small place, after all. It was nothing compared to Beijing. Naturally, the resources and opportunities available in either city also didn’t match.

With that said, even if they were to go up against the top student of City A’sNo. 1 High School, the kids from Beijing would still have the upper hand.

As the two girls chatted, Yang Nian’s eyes sought outYao Tangacross the hall again.

Yao Ran was quick to notice, of course. A new wave of disappointment washed over her. She struggled to control the situation and keep the boy from getting more curious aboutYao Tang.

Fortunately, an idea soon came to her. “Yao Tang’s test results have always been above average. In fact, she is the top student in her class. As for the whole grade… I believe she ranks eighth or ninth place.”

The spark in Yang Nian’s eyes significantly dimmed at this information. His interest waned.

So, Yao Tang’s academic performance wasn’t as good as it was made out to be. Perhaps he had been mistaken all this time.

Why were people making a fuss over her, anyway? From the sound of it, she seemed mediocre compared to the students in his social circle.

In Yang Nian’s opinion, the top 8th or 9th place was fairly average, maybe even less so. It certainly wasn’t anything to brag about.