Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

[7:50 AM the next morning · Senior 3 (1) Class]

The morning reading session had just ended, and a sense of anxiety filled the classroom.

"Here she comes! Lin Lu is back with her report card!"

Someone shouted, and the students who were catching up on sleep or memorizing vocabulary instantly swarmed towards the door like ants in a disturbed nest.

When Lin Lu entered, her head was drooping, and her usually energetic round face was now scrunched up.

"Oh no, look at Lin Lu's expression, is our class going to have a complete disaster this time?"

"Don't scare me, I couldn't solve the last math problem this time..."

Everyone was talking at once.

Lin Lu walked into the classroom, slammed the report card on the podium, let out a long sigh, her voice even trembling with a hint of tears:

"Stop looking... This test was too hard, I dropped several places... I'm going home to inherit the family fortune, sob sob sob."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank, and they quickly crowded around to check the rankings.

However, when dozens of heads crowded together to see the top of the form, a chorus of "Holy crap!" suddenly erupted from the crowd.

The first line still bears that name that plunged the entire city of Jiangcheng into despair, as steady as a mountain.

[First Place: Su Qinghe. Total Score: 728. Class Rank: 1, City Rank: 1.]

But what nearly made everyone's eyes pop out was a name that followed not far behind.

[Fourth Place: Xie Wang. Total Score: 677. Class Ranking: 4th, City Ranking: 8th.]

"Holy crap! Eighth in the whole city?!"

Someone gasped in surprise, their voice cracking:

"Last time they were fourteenth in the city, and this time they've broken into the top ten?! That's incredible!"

"You call this failing the exam? Lin Lu, you're lying!"

Lin Lu slumped onto the table, looking utterly hopeless: "I mean, I bombed the exam! Look at Xie Wang's inhuman rate of progress, and then look at me... I lost my mind dating Lu Wen, and this time I'm out of the top twenty in the grade..."

The last row.

Xie Wang looked at the report card that had been sent back and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

He turned to look at Su Qinghe, pushed the report card in front of her, and pointed to the number "8" with his finger:

"Teacher Su, you have lived up to expectations. You ranked fourth in the class and eighth in the city. You are one step closer to your name."

Su Qinghe adjusted his glasses, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes as he looked at how close their names were on the list:

"Not bad, but don't get complacent. The difference between the top ten is very small. Keep it up."

……

[9:00 AM · Faculty Office]

The atmosphere in the office was even more lively than in the classroom.

Old Li held a thermos in his hand, looking at the report card. His face was all smiles, as if he had become ten years younger, and he walked with a swagger.

"Look! Look!"

Old Li pointed at Xie Wang's name and boasted to the teachers around him, his voice so loud it seemed everyone downstairs could hear him:

"I knew this kid was a dark horse! Eighth in the whole city! This is from our city's first mock exam! If he can maintain this score, Tsinghua and Peking University are guaranteed!"

Mr. He, the physics teacher standing nearby, was a notoriously strict old man. He put down his red pen, adjusted his reading glasses, and sighed:

"It's really rare. I used to think that high school students dating was a terrible thing, but these two kids... are an exception."

Teacher He pointed to the report card and analyzed:

"Look at Xie Wang and Su Qinghe, they're more high-profile about their relationship than anyone else, yet their academic performance is incredibly stable. What does that show? It shows they're positively supporting each other!"

At this moment, the homeroom teacher from the next class came over, glanced at Lin Lu's grades, shook his head, and poured cold water on her hopes:

"Old Li, don't be too happy yet. This is, after all, a minority."

"Look at Lin Lu, she dropped five places this time. I heard she's dating someone outside of school recently? She's a typical negative example. Her mind wandered, and her grades immediately dropped. You still need to give her a talking-to."

Just as Lao Li was about to say a few words in defense of Lin Lu, there was a knock on the office door.

"Knock knock knock".

The door opened, and a figure in a dark blue uniform appeared in the doorway.

The police badge on the hat gleamed under the lights.

It's Wang Nan.

She was dressed formally today and looked serious.

"Excuse me, is Teacher Li here? I'm looking for Xie Wang and Su Qinghe."

The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly.

Police entered the school? And they're looking for students?

This is absolutely explosive news for a top-tier high school where college entrance rates are paramount.

Old Li slammed his thermos on the table with a clatter, his expression instantly changing. His first thought was: Had Xie Wang brought up his old grievances again? Or had he gotten into another fight?

"Officer, officer..."

Old Li quickly stood up, his protective instincts making him instinctively stand in front, his voice trembling slightly:

"I'm their homeroom teacher. These two children have been studying at school lately and are doing very well! Is there some misunderstanding?"

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.

A sharp-eyed student spotted the police, and the news spread like wildfire throughout the corridor.

In less than half a minute, all the students from Class 1 of Senior Three rushed to the office door, blocking the corridor completely.

"Are the police looking for Brother Wang?"

Looking at the group of students, and Old Li with his face showing no fear of death.

Wang Nan, who had been keeping a straight face, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She shook her head, took out a bright red banner from the bag behind her, and with a sudden shake, unfurled it.

Golden tassels dangled down, and the eight large gilded characters on them glittered in the sunlight:

[Acts of bravery promote righteousness]

"What are you all thinking?"

Wang Nan smiled as she looked at Old Li and the students who were standing there dumbfounded:

"I'm here to deliver a letter of commendation and a banner."

"Last week at Binjiang Park, Xie Wang and Su Qinghe disregarded their own safety and jumped into the artificial lake to save a drowning girl."

"The bureau specifically instructed that this banner be delivered to the school!"

Three seconds later.

"Wow--!!!"

A deafening cheer erupted outside the office.

Old Li stood there, stunned, staring at the banner, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

Immediately, a smile a hundred times brighter than the one he had just seen when he looked at the report card appeared on his wrinkled face.

He slapped his thigh, turned around, grabbed the phone on the table, his hands trembling, and shouted excitedly:

"Quick! Call the principal!"

"Notify the broadcasting station! The current morning exercise routine will be changed into a temporary awards ceremony!"

……

[10:00 AM · Flag-raising platform on the playground]

The sun shines brightly, and the red flag flutters in the breeze.

More than 3,000 teachers and students from the entire school lined up neatly.

Xie Wang and Su Qinghe stood side by side on the rostrum.

Xie Wang, dressed in his school uniform, stood tall and looked exceptionally handsome; Su Qinghe stood beside him, her expression aloof, yet she couldn't hide the brilliance in her eyes.

The two of them were holding up the red banner together.

Principal Zhang Jianguo beamed from ear to ear, personally holding the microphone and broadcasting his voice loudly throughout every corner of the campus:

"...These are the role models we should learn from! Not only are they academically excellent, but they also possess noble character! Xie Wang and Su Qinghe have demonstrated through their actions what it means to be a 'good youth of the new era'!"

The audience erupted in applause, and Xu You and Shen Hao's palms turned red from clapping. Lin Lu secretly took out her phone and frantically took pictures to post on her WeChat Moments.

After the ceremony.

Wang Nan stood below the stage, watching the two people walk down, and extended her hand:

"Congratulations, you two young heroes. This time, in addition to the banner, the bureau has also applied for your application for bonus points in the college entrance examination."

"Thank you, Sister Nan."

Xie Wang smiled and shook hands with her.

Su Qinghe nodded politely in thanks: "Thank you, Officer Wang. We will continue to work hard."

Just as the three were exchanging pleasantries...

A young girl wearing a work badge and holding a camera suddenly squeezed out from the crowd.

She looked very young, probably a recent college graduate. She was wearing a beige trench coat, had long hair, and was bright and beautiful. She was holding a microphone with the logo of the Beijing Daily printed on it.

Hello!

The girl rushed up to Xie Wang, her eyes sparkling with professional enthusiasm and goodwill.

"I am Ye Wei, a reporter from the Jiangcheng bureau of the Beijing Daily."

"Listening to the principal's introduction from the audience was truly moving! They're not only heroes who acted bravely, but also one of the top-performing academic couples in the city!"

Ye Wei smiled and handed over the microphone, her tone light and friendly:

"I would like to conduct an exclusive interview with the two of you and publish it in our newspaper's Youth Role Models column."

Xie Wang and Su Qinghe exchanged a glance.

The Beijing Daily? That's a national-level media outlet.

Xie Wang and Su Qinghe exchanged a glance.

Xie Wang raised an eyebrow, signaling Su Qinghe to make the decision.

Su Qinghe looked at the enthusiastic female reporter and nodded: "Okay."

"Great! Shall we go to the shade of those trees over there?"

Ye Wei led the two to a large tree by the edge of the playground and found a well-lit spot.

The interview process was unexpectedly relaxed and pleasant.

Although Ye Wei is young, she asks questions skillfully, without offending anyone, while guiding the conversation.

"The situation was so critical at the time, Xie Wang, what were you thinking when you jumped down immediately?" Ye Wei asked.

Xie Wang leaned against the tree trunk, one hand in his pocket, glanced at Su Qinghe beside him, and smiled:

"I didn't think too much; my mind hadn't even processed it before my body moved. But..." He paused,

"Thanks to Su for calmly directing things from the shore and for preserving the evidence, I wouldn't be able to do this without any worries."

Ye Wei smiled and turned to Su Qinghe: "I heard that you two are not only partners, but also study partners who make progress together? Your results in the mock exam this time were both amazing."

Su Qinghe said calmly, "Well, we're used to keeping each other accountable. He teaches me how to relax, and I teach him how to do cloze tests. It's like... we're complementing each other's strengths."

"This is simply a perfect two-way journey!" Ye Wei couldn't help but exclaim, her pen flying across the paper as she jotted down notes.

The interview ended ten minutes later.

Ye Wei closed her notebook and put away the voice recorder with satisfaction.

"Thank you both for your cooperation! This report is sure to be excellent! I'll edit the photos and send you a copy when I get back."

Just as Ye Wei was packing her things to leave.

Su Qinghe, who had always been rather aloof, suddenly took a step forward.

"Reporter Ye, please wait a moment."

Ye Wei stopped what she was doing and turned around with some surprise: "Su, is there anything else?"

Su Qinghe took out his phone and brought up the WeChat QR code interface.

She looked at Ye Wei, her usually cool and aloof phoenix eyes now curving into a beautiful arc, her tone carrying a hint of girlish expectation:

"Um... if you don't mind, could I add you on WeChat?"

Xie Wang, who was standing next to him, was stunned.

He blinked, looking at his girlfriend with some disbelief.

Teacher Su usually doesn't even bother adding her classmates on WeChat, but today she actually took the initiative to add a reporter she was meeting for the first time?

"Of course!"

Ye Wei was clearly surprised to be approached by the beautiful and academically gifted girl, and flattered, she took out her phone to scan the QR code:

"It's an honor to add the top scorer in the province on WeChat!"

"Beep".

Friend added successfully.

Su Qinghe put his phone away, looked at the new profile picture in his contacts, and smiled with satisfaction.

"Thank you, sister. I really like your interviewing style. If there are any news stories in Beijing in the future... I might be able to ask you for advice."

Ye Wei didn't think much of it and readily agreed, "No problem! Keep in touch!"