After the introduction, she glanced at Ji Jingchen, pondered for a moment, and then picked up a piece of chalk to write her name on the blackboard.
Her handwriting was neat and strong, carrying the same sharpness as her personality.
The classroom fell into an eerie silence; no one spoke, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the new student standing on the podium.
Ji Jingchen smiled warmly at her. "Go find a seat."
"Okay." Yu Zhi nodded, walking straight to the last row by the window.
She placed her books down, stuffed her backpack into the compartment under the desk, leaned her chin on one hand, and stared out the window.
The soft sunlight fell on her, outlining her with a faint golden glow that seemed almost unreal in its beauty.
"Brother Li, this girl isn't bad, huh? That face is really something." A boy wearing an earring turned his head to speak to the boy behind him.
Lu Li lifted his eyelids slightly, casting a lazy glance in the direction of the window. He responded with a faint "Mm," his handsome face showing a trace of impatience.
Meanwhile, the girl next to the boy with the earring chimed in, "I heard she's Yu Xinman's stepsister."
"Stepsister? So she's an illegitimate child?"
"Yeah, I heard she's from the town and hasn't attended school for three years already."
Lin Chengyu clicked his tongue softly, openly staring at Yu Zhi's pale, slender legs. "Such a waste, though I think she looks better than Yu Xinman."
"What use is there in being pretty?" He Zhenzhen scoffed with jealousy flashing in her eyes. "She's nothing more than an illegitimate child who can't even be brought to the table."
The moment she said this, several girls nearby immediately started discussing it.
Within just a few minutes, Yu Zhi's identity as an illegitimate child had become common knowledge across the class.
Unaware of this, Yu Zhi sat with her head down, quietly fiddling with her phone under the desk.
She opened up a new friend request on WeChat, and browsed through the other person's profile. Their avatar was pure black, they didn't have a username, and their Moments were inaccessible.
Yu Zhi was about to close the page when her eyes caught on the friend recommendation section, causing her to pause.
After accepting the request and noticing that the other party hadn't sent her any messages, Yu Zhi decided to ignore it and started playing the match-three game she was recently obsessed with.
The bell signaling the end of class rang. Several girls clustered together, whispering among themselves about the day's newly arrived classmate.
"I wonder how her skin is so good, it's unbelievable."
"Ugh, if I could just have her legs…"
"Wait, am I the only one who thinks she and Teacher Ji would make a good pair?"
"I noticed it too! Did you see how gentle Teacher Ji's gaze was when he looked at her just now?"
"..."
At these words, Yu Nian, who was sitting behind them, abruptly stood up, her expression dark and stormy. "What nonsense are you all talking about? How could Teacher Ji ever be interested in an illegitimate child?"
The group of girls froze momentarily. The quick-thinkers immediately played along with her comment: "I agree, Teacher Ji is so perfect, of course he'd never care for her."
Once one person started, the rest of the girls eagerly followed suit, piling on to disparage Yu Zhi.
Yu Nian's family had considerable influence, far beyond what these ordinary people could contend with. Instead of risking conflict with her, they chose to soften their stance, hoping to gain favor instead.
Their words successfully pleased Yu Nian, even improving her mood significantly.
She let out a cold hum. "Watch your mouths. Don't let me hear this nonsense again, or else…"
There wasn't the slightest attempt to hide the threat in her tone.
The frightened girls hastily nodded and groveled, quickly scattering back to their seats.
"Sister Nian, what did they say to upset you so much?" He Zhenzhen leaned over to her and asked with concern.
The topic was reignited; Yu Nian couldn't help but recall the words she had overheard.
Her gaze drifted toward Yu Zhi by the window, hatred and envy in her eyes growing ever more intense.
He Zhenzhen followed her line of sight, the corners of her lips curling into a sly smile.
Others might not know of Yu Nian's feelings for Teacher Ji, but she had seen through them clearly.
Casually, she remarked, "I overheard someone saying that illegitimate child had the nerve to seduce Teacher Ji in the office today. Can you believe how disgusting she is?"
"She dared?!" Yu Nian's hands clenched tightly at her sides, her voice sharp with anger. "What did she do to Teacher Ji?"
He Zhenzhen sighed, pretending hesitation. "She… she…"
Noticing Yu Nian's increasing impatience, she hurriedly continued, "She changed clothes right in front of Teacher Ji, and even… even threw herself into his arms."
"What did you just say?!"
Yu Nian's fingers dug into her palms, her gaze brimming with malice.
From the moment she first met Ji Jingchen, she had lost her heart completely.
For such an exceptional and perfect person, even she only dared to keep her feelings buried deep inside, hidden from the world.