Sixon was troubled, wrestling with the issue of the upcoming competition.

Sutton clapped a hand on Sixon’s shoulder. “Once the rankings are out, I’ll have a proper talk with her. The revival match is crucial, after all.”

But Sixon wasn’t placated. “It was Limone who begged me for ages to teach her how to play the game, and now? Now she’s turning it around to manipulate me. Since when did she get so calculated?”

“If she won’t budge, then let Easton handle it. No way she’d refuse to give Easton face.”

Sophie, standing nearby, had been quietly fuming. She didn’t want to cede her position to Limone—not at all. That spot was hers.

*****

When Limone arrived at school, the air was buzzing with chatter about the latest exam results.

One of the tagalongs glanced at Limone and said loudly, as if for her benefit, “Someone’s been working their butt off lately—I wonder how many points they racked up this time!”

Limone pretended to stay calm and busied herself with her textbook, though an anxious knot twisted in her stomach.

Before long, their homeroom teacher walked in, holding a sheet of results. The class erupted, excitement rolling like a wave.

The teacher slapped the desk for order. “Settle down, everyone. As a whole, this time’s results weren’t great—it’s not the time to slack off. Sophie,” he said, singling her out, “you’ve dropped over two hundred places.”

Sophie’s face went pale. She knew she’d been off her game lately, but she hadn’t expected such a nosedive.

The teacher hesitated, glancing toward Limone. “As for Limone, there’s been significant improvement. Keep up the good work.”

The tagalong piped up again. “Teacher, what’s Limone’s rank?”

“She’s now ranked 100th in the grade.”

The moment those words landed, the classroom exploded into chaos.

A smile crept across Limone’s face—she had done it! Her chest swelled with excitement. Yes, she could finally go report her achievement to Charles. All that hard work hadn’t been for nothing.

At this pace, if she kept pushing herself, maybe—just maybe—Summit University was within reach.

Then came a voice, sharp and cutting: “Teacher, I think there’s something fishy about Limone’s score. There’s no way she improved that much in such a short time!”

The classroom fell silent as all eyes turned to Limone, suspicion simmering in their gazes.

The teacher scrutinized Limone’s ranking, his expression tinged with doubt. Still, he’d seen how hard she’d been working lately.

Sophie broke the quiet, her words laced with practiced innocence. “Teacher, Limone’s been really eager to prove herself. She even made a bet with her brother about her performance. Please, don’t doubt her—it means so much to her.”

Her voice was perfectly crafted, a careful blend of concern and persuasion.

But Limone’s lips curled with derision. What an expert manipulator Sophie was—a true white lotus. It made sense now why, in her past life, she’d fallen prey to Sophie’s schemes.

Predictably, the teacher’s suspicions deepened. “Is that so? Given the circumstances, it’s possible Limone cheated to win the bet.”

One of Sophie’s loyal sycophants chimed in, “Teacher, you can’t protect a cheater. Look at how Sophie’s grades tanked because she’s been throwing everything into preparing for the family competition. There’s no way Limone could improve so much!”

“Exactly,” another added, piling on. “For fairness, Limone’s score should absolutely be nullified.”

The teacher hesitated, clearly leaning toward their side. Sophie, witnessing this shift, reveled in silent triumph.

Limone, you dared climb ahead of me? Don’t you know what happens when you do?

“Limone,” the teacher addressed her at last, “don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

Feeling each skeptical gaze boring into her, Limone replied coolly, “I didn’t cheat.”

Her voice was clipped, her statement left bare. She had nothing else to add.

In her past life, any time she outperformed Sophie, Sophie would find a way to cause trouble, forcing her to hold back, to never aim higher.

Now, Sophie was at it again, trotting out the same routine.

Feigning righteousness, Sophie interceded, “Teacher, I told you, she wouldn’t cheat! Let’s not jump to conclusions. If we cancel her score now, yes, it might seem fair, but it would crush her.”

The teacher mulled this over before deciding, “Limone’s rank will be provisional for now. I’ll investigate. If there was cheating, she’ll face appropriate consequences.”

When the teacher left, murmurs ignited in the classroom.

“See?” a tagalong sneered. “I knew it—cheating. There’s no way someone would jump ranks like that naturally.”

Sophie’s smugness practically radiated. She whipped out her phone and texted Sixon: Sixon, what do we do? Limone cheated to win your bet and now she’s going to get a disciplinary record. I’m so worried about her!

Limone ignored the whispers and opened her book, diving into her studies. Why should she care whether they annulled her rank? It couldn’t touch her college entrance exam scores.

And yet, she couldn’t entirely quell a pang in her chest.

After all, she had promised Charles: if she made the top 100, they’d play a round together. But she hadn’t been by the infirmary in a while, and the texts she’d sent him remained unanswered. The ache left her unsettled. Just when she thought she’d found a real friend, had she only been imagining things?

Later that morning, a feminine shriek rose from outside the classroom, snapping her from her thoughts.

When she looked up, she saw him—Sixon. What was he doing here?

“Sophie, your brother’s so handsome,” someone cooed admiringly.

Sophie beamed, sauntering up to take a small bakery box from Sixon. “Sixon,” she said sweetly, “Limone’s right here. Maybe you should talk to her. If she apologizes and admits to copying, her punishment might not be too harsh.”

Sixon’s gaze flicked to Limone, seated in the classroom. She hadn’t so much as lifted her head, her eyes fixed on her book as if oblivious to his presence.

She didn’t need to guess why he was here—Sophie must’ve been dying for her moment of victory.

But Limone didn’t care about the rank. She certainly wouldn’t admit to cheating.

Standing in the doorway, Sophie leaned in delicately. “Limone, don’t worry; Sixon’s here to help.”

Limone pretended not to hear, not sparing Sixon so much as a glance.

Sixon’s expression darkened, whatever faint concern he’d felt quickly vanishing. Why should he even care what happened to her?

“I’ll take this up with the homeroom teacher,” he said coldly, turning on his heel.

Sophie, now holding her cake, strolled up to Limone and sat down. “Limone, Sixon only brought one cake. I’m sure it was just an oversight. I’ll split it with you, okay?”

Limone didn’t even have to guess: Sophie was gloating.

She had long grown accustomed to being excluded. Whenever her brother came to school, he’d always bring Sophie some little treat. There was never anything for her.

Once, it had been enough to make her cry. Sutton’s excuse had been that she didn’t deserve anything, that she wasn’t obedient.

But now? She couldn’t care less about those scraps.

Her phone buzzed, displaying an incoming call from Charles. Her heart jolted slightly.

Gripping the phone, she stepped into the corridor and inhaled deeply before answering. “Hello, Master.”

“How’d the results go?”

Limone hesitated, her throat tightening. “I ranked 100th… But my score’s likely to be thrown out.”

The lazy edge in Charles’s voice sharpened. “What happened?”