Sunny Xu was startled and immediately wanted to pull the girl next to him and run away.

However, when he calmed down and looked in that direction again, he realized that he might have been mistaken.

It wasn't a tall figure, but just the junk piled up on the rooftop extending to the edge. In the dim night, it looked like a standing figure from a distance.

Just like sometimes mistaking the clothes hanging on the clothes rack on the opposite building, swaying in the wind, as moving people, it was just a common illusion.

"... Xu, what's wrong?" Seigetsu Zhu noticed that his face had become serious for a moment and asked cautiously, "Did you find something?"

"No, nothing."

Sunny Xu shook his head.

Perhaps it was because he had just been thinking about supernatural phenomena and had listened to Starry Lin's complaints during the activity class today, which caused this visual illusion...

He didn't want any accidents to happen due to his carelessness, so he silently closed his eyes just now and tried to use his "telepathy" ability in that direction. However, he didn't get any response, so he relaxed.

"Let's go back to the classroom."

*

On this corridor of the second floor of the teaching building, only Class 5 was lit.

Sunny Xu had participated in similar activities before. As mentioned earlier, the school leaders imitated foreign countries and encouraged students to form extracurricular interest groups, claiming that it could enhance students' independent research ability. For a while, every class had such arrangements.

Regardless of how it was in foreign countries, in No. 15 High School, it was basically just a few people finding an empty classroom to do homework together. Sometimes they would go to the office to do it.

So, after a few months, most of the study groups became nonexistent. The teachers were too busy preparing lessons and correcting homework, and they didn't have time to manage them. High school students didn't have the self-discipline for it either.

However, this group led by Seigetsu Zhu was different. According to what the homeroom teacher had just said, when the study groups in other classes were all in name only, only Seigetsu Zhu and her friends made the after-school study group lively and effective.

Seigetsu Zhu herself had always maintained the top grades in her year, and the members of the group had significantly improved their grades. Later, even the head teacher and the grade leader knew about this and let her take charge of a new group, gathering several top students in the year and students who needed help.

In other words...

Sunny Xu secretly glanced at Seigetsu Zhu walking beside him.

The achievements of this group were basically thanks to this girl, which was why she agreed so readily.

Compared to himself, who hardly interacted with other students and devoted all his time and energy to studying, Seigetsu Zhu was not only academically excellent, but also held several important student leadership positions in the class and grade. She handled things in an orderly manner and was trusted by the teachers.

People who stood out like her were easy targets for jealousy, but she had a good reputation among her peers. She had a wide circle of friends. Every time Sunny Xu saw Seigetsu Zhu in the corridor, even if it was just going to the bathroom, she was always surrounded by a group of people.

On the morning when Shi Hui broke into the school and caused a commotion, Sunny Xu had already noticed that the students in Class 5 trusted her. Compared to the security guards, the late-arriving class monitor seemed to be the backbone of the class. Even troublemakers like Shi Hui admitted that they didn't dare to confront her directly before this.

As the saying goes, outstanding people are prone to jealousy, but those who are too outstanding and make others feel that they can't catch up will only be admired by everyone. Seigetsu Zhu might be such an example.

When Starry Lin asked Sunny Xu why he knew about Seigetsu Zhu that morning, he had already given an answer.

He didn't care about other people's business, but he did feel a little curious or dissatisfied with the female classmate who had been surpassing him in every test since the mid-term exam...

Of course, it was only a little bit.

...

The classroom was brightly lit as if it were daytime. The wiped blackboard and the mopped floor were shining with a damp light. However, when the two entered, they found that there was no one inside.

"Huh, just the two of us?"

Sunny Xu was stunned for a moment.

He casually put down his school bag, looked around, and found that there were indeed bags on several chairs and homework and test papers spread out on the desks, but there was no one.

"They probably went outside to buy food."

Seigetsu Zhu smiled helplessly.

Like almost all schools located in urban areas, there was a street in the nearby residential area that specifically targeted students' pocket money. It mainly operated stationery stores and various snack stalls.

According to the school rules of No. 15 High School, students were generally not allowed to leave the school, let alone bring things they bought back to the classroom. But after school, there was no one to enforce it. The members of the study group took advantage of this loophole and brought food back from the vendors as long as the teachers didn't come to check.

"..."

Thinking of the various steaming snacks sold on the street, Sunny Xu rubbed his stomach and suddenly felt a little hungry. He tentatively asked.

"Class monitor, aren't you going with them?"

"I'm not interested."

She shook her head.

"Then... should I go out and take a look?""No." Seigetsu Zhu smiled and politely refused, "You just arrived in the classroom and want to leave already? That's not how things work."

Sunny Xu sighed with regret.

"Alright."

"I didn't expect Xu to agree to this violation of school rules," Seigetsu Zhu put down her backpack and took out a book from inside while speaking, "I was actually planning to ask you to persuade them."

She shook the thick reference book in her hand.

"For now, let's immerse ourselves in the ocean of knowledge."

...Alright.

Sunny Xu reluctantly took out his homework.

There must be a reason why she can maintain the top spot in the grade. It was the first time he had been praised like this.

"By the way."

Seigetsu Zhu suddenly remembered something.

"Did Starry Lin promise to start studying with us tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't Xu be teaching her normally? Can you tell me the specific progress?"

"Why?"

"I was thinking... if I could help her."

"Do you want to help? Is it okay? Will it affect your studies?"

Sunny Xu was a little surprised. He had seriously considered asking her for advice earlier, after all, Seigetsu Zhu had actually taught several group members and improved their grades.

"It's fine, it can be considered as a reward for what happened before."

She waved her hand, indicating not to worry about it.

Sunny Xu nodded and took out a few test papers from his backpack, handing them to her.

"Take a look, these are her scores from several quizzes."

After receiving them, Seigetsu Zhu sat back in her chair and carefully flipped through them, focusing intently. Occasionally, she would jot down notes on a piece of paper, showing great seriousness.

About five minutes later, she finally looked up and sincerely praised.

"It's obvious that there is significant improvement. Starry Lin is very smart. The logic in the first answer sheet seems to have almost no foundation since high school, but there is great progress in each subsequent sheet..."

"That's right."

As the person involved, Sunny Xu deeply agreed and nodded vigorously.

"To be honest, the reason why I felt uncomfortable just now was not because the teacher suspected me, but because she completely ignored Starry Lin's efforts and still viewed her with prejudice..."

Seigetsu Zhu widened her eyes slightly, seemingly surprised by his thoughts, but she didn't interrupt and just listened quietly.

"If Starry Lin can perform well in the next major exam, it will change everyone's perception of her, right?"

Unlike ordinary quizzes, the monthly exams, midterms, and finals all had rankings for the entire grade, and everyone's scores would be visible.

Even if Starry Lin herself might not care about such "small matters," Sunny Xu had been holding his breath for his friend.

"...You two have a really good relationship."

Seigetsu Zhu fell silent for a moment and sighed softly.

"It's really enviable."

"Is that so? I think the class monitor's popularity is what people envy."

"Well..."

The girl shook her head slightly and didn't continue, but she said seriously to him.

"I already know the specific situation. Let me help."

...

In this way, the two of them discussed Starry Lin's test papers, occasionally explaining, discussing, and even arguing. They circled and underlined on the papers, using reference books to support their arguments.

The more Sunny Xu communicated with her, the more surprised he became.

He himself was someone who studied hard and paid great attention in class, so he had a deeper understanding than ordinary students:

Starry Lin had always said that she thought Sunny Xu was the best teacher she had ever seen; but in Sunny Xu's eyes, the girl in front of him, who always had a gentle smile, was the truly amazing "teacher" who could directly stand on the podium and teach.

"You explain things in such a deep and concise manner. I didn't expect there to be such a memory method..." Sunny Xu put down his pen and sincerely praised, "Thank you, Seigetsu Zhu. I have truly benefited from listening to you."

"Not at all, I feel the same way."

Seigetsu Zhu covered her mouth and replied with a smile.

"In that case, we can't miss this opportunity after school. Even if we have to force her, we must bring Starry Lin over to listen to your lecture tomorrow!"

At this moment, Sunny Xu had made up his mind.

"Don't praise me anymore, there's nothing for you to gain from it."

The girl smiled with her eyes and brows curved.

"By the way..."

Sunny Xu looked up and unintentionally noticed that the minute hand on the clock hanging on the back wall had already made a half circle.

"It's been almost forty minutes. Haven't the others come back yet?"

"Indeed, why are they so late..." Before Seigetsu Zhu finished speaking, both of them heard a series of footsteps coming from the corridor in the distance. They smiled and said, "Look, they're here."

However, the hurried footsteps only passed by the window of Class 5 and did not stop.

"Hmm? Are there other students from different classes staying at this hour?"

Sunny Xu looked out of the window on the other side of the classroom, but all he saw was darkness. The sky had completely darkened.

"Thud, thud, thud."

Another round of footsteps passed by in front of the classroom.

Before they could react, the hurried footsteps seemed to have turned back and ran another lap, followed by another lap."Thump, thump, thump!"

The footsteps grew faster and faster, eventually merging into a continuous drumming sound.

The two people in the classroom fell silent, looking at each other.

"Is someone playing a prank?"

Seigetsu Zhu furrowed her delicate brows, standing up from her seat.

"I'll go check it out."

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"Wait..."

Sunny Xu sensed something was wrong, but before he could stop her, the footsteps suddenly ceased.

"Bang!"

Immediately following was a sudden loud noise!

It was as if someone had violently slapped the window in the corridor, causing the entire pane of glass to tremble.

This abrupt loud noise echoed in the empty classroom, causing the girl who had just stood up to freeze in place, not taking another step forward.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The noise didn't stop there, but continued to spread forward. Three windows, six panes of glass, were slapped in succession, each time creating a thunderous noise.

"——Crack!"

The last sound was especially dull, as if someone had swung their hand and heavily slapped the back door of the classroom.