After Biting the Female Lead, the Vicious Female Supporting Character Turned Alpha [Transmigration] - Chapter 22: 022

Dai Hongbo’s concentration was so intense that for the two seconds he was thinking of the answer, he was oblivious to everything around him. His body only relaxed and started receiving external information after he pressed the buzzer.

Because Jiang Xuenian’s semi-finals round score was more than ten points lower than his, Dai Hongbo didn’t take Jiang Xuenian seriously at all. He never imagined that Jiang Xuenian could press the buzzer faster than him.

In his opinion, Jiang Xuenian’s participation in the city-wide league was purely good luck. If St. Lyceum Academy had someone good at liberal arts, it wouldn’t have been Jiang Xuenian, who was only in the top fifty city-wide, representing the school in the competition.

The referee calmly stated, “Everyone present can attest that Jiang Xuenian buzzed in faster than you. If you don’t believe it, you can request to review the surveillance footage after the match.”

Li Ye quickly interjected, “Referee, Dai Hongbo believes it!”

Then she soothed Dai Hongbo, “Jiang Xuenian really was faster than you. Don’t dwell on this question; focus on the rest of the match.”

Dai Hongbo looked around, and no one present refuted the referee’s words. Jiang Xuenian was indeed two seconds faster than him!

No matter how much he didn’t want to believe it, he had to.

The muscles in Dai Hongbo’s face tensed. He wiped his sweaty palms on his school uniform, took a deep breath, and said, “I respect the facts. Perhaps I was too focused just now and didn’t hear Jiang Xuenian press the buzzer.”

Dai Hongbo told himself that even if Jiang Xuenian buzzed in quickly, it didn’t matter. She might not even answer correctly. Maybe Jiang Xuenian was just bluffing, deliberately buzzing in regardless of the answer to disrupt his focus.

Her grades were so bad; there was no way she could beat him.

“Referee, the match can continue. I have no more questions.”

The referee stated, “After pressing the buzzer for each question, there’s a five-second limit to state the answer. Due to student Dai Hongbo’s query just now, the answering time was exceeded, so the first question is voided.”

“Any more questions? If not, the match continues.”

Dai Hongbo hadn’t expected such a benefit from his challenge. He couldn’t help but smile, a smug expression appearing between his eyebrows. Seeing Jiang Xuenian looking at him, he lowered his voice and said to her, “Sorry, I guess I’m just lucky. I didn’t expect it to turn out this way.”

His tone was incredibly ill-mannered.

Jiang Xuenian thought to herself that this kid was pretty lucky to have grown up without getting beaten to death.

Jiang Xuenian’s smile was gentle. “Yes, no one expected it.”

She finished speaking and raised her hand. “Referee, I have a question.”

The referee asked, “What do you want to say?”

Jiang Xuenian said, “The first question being voided is entirely Dai Hongbo’s problem, not mine. It’s unfair for me to give up the advantage of having buzzed in. Referee, I request that for the next question, I have the first right to answer, meaning after the question is presented, I get to choose whether to answer or not. If I choose not to answer, the right to answer automatically goes to Dai Hongbo.”

This meant that if Jiang Xuenian didn’t answer, Dai Hongbo, regardless of whether he knew the answer or not, would have to answer.

“You!” Dai Hongbo was completely taken aback by Jiang Xuenian’s words.

He was afraid the referee would agree and immediately looked at the referee’s reaction.

The referee frowned slightly, looking a bit troubled.

Xu Jie clapped happily. “Jiang Xuenian, that’s brilliant! I thought she was going to take the loss. I’ll go talk to the referee!”

Xu Jie walked up to the referee and said, “Referee, I believe what Jiang Xuenian said makes sense. Only then will the match be fair.”

Li Ye also walked over, fighting for Dai Hongbo’s rights. “Referee, this is actually not fair!”

Mingxin Military Affiliated School had already lost two rounds. Losing again meant starting with zero points, which was beyond embarrassing.

Dai Hongbo was currently Mingxin Military Affiliated School’s only chance to win against St. Lyceum Academy, so Li Ye couldn’t possibly give up the advantage.

Xu Jie and Li Ye each argued for their side, and the referee, finding both arguments reasonable, was indecisive.

“May I offer a suggestion?” Shi Qingfan, who had also walked over at some point, asked the referee.

The referee saw Shi Qingfan every year and always felt Shi Qingfan’s extraordinary intelligence. Now, with Shi Qingfan offering a suggestion, she immediately said, “Yes, please.”

Li Ye cautiously looked at Shi Qingfan.

She and Jiang Xuenian were both from St. Lyceum; they would definitely side with Jiang Xuenian.

And judging by the referee’s attitude, any reasonable suggestion Shi Qingfan made would be adopted ninety-nine percent of the time.

Li Ye’s heart sank.

She still couldn’t understand how these students from Mingxin Military Affiliated School had offended Shi Qingfan.

Shi Qingfan turned and glanced at Jiang Xuenian and Dai Hongbo, then said, “What Jiang Xuenian said has some merit. The situation arose because of Dai Hongbo, and re-buzzing only harms Jiang Xuenian’s interests.”

Li Ye’s breathing hitched nervously.

“But what she said isn’t entirely fair either. My suggestion is a slight modification to Jiang Xuenian’s proposal.”

“The beginning remains the same; Jiang Xuenian still has the first right to answer…”

Li Ye stared at her intently, waiting for her next words.

“If Jiang Xuenian chooses not to answer, then both will buzz in. If no one buzzes in within ten seconds, the question is automatically voided.”

Shi Qingfan caught a glimpse of Jiang Xuenian secretly making a heart gesture with her thumb and forefinger, and a faint light flashed in her light brown eyes.

“I believe this is truly fair, and I hope you will consider it,” Shi Qingfan said.

Li Ye mulled over Shi Qingfan’s words two or three times in her head, ensuring there were no traps. This essentially gave both Dai Hongbo and Jiang Xuenian one chance each to void a question.

It truly achieved theoretical fairness.

As long as Jiang Xuenian didn’t know the answer to the next question and didn’t answer, Dai Hongbo would still have a chance.

“I agree!” Li Ye said.

Xu Jie said, “Referee, I have no objections either.”

As a tutoring teacher, Xu Jie could be said to be one of the people who understood Jiang Xuenian’s learning ability and current progress the best. In just one week, Jiang Xuenian’s learning speed was astounding. After being put through various tricky and unusual test papers, if there were another city-wide league semi-finals now, Jiang Xuenian’s score would definitely be in the top five city-wide, and even the top three might not be impossible.

Those who underestimated her would surely regret it.

“Alright, we’ll go with Shi Qingfan’s suggestion then.” The referee thanked Shi Qingfan, and Xu Jie and the other two returned to their places.

When they were talking, they didn’t intentionally raise their voices, so no one knew what they discussed.

Seeing Xu Jie and Shi Qingfan return, Meng Baichun quickly asked, “How did it go?”

Xu Jie laughed, “With Shi Qingfan personally taking charge, is there anything that can’t be handled?”

On the other side, Li Ye immediately told Qiao Feixiang and Bai Yeyu about Shi Qingfan’s suggestion as soon as she returned.

Qiao Feixiang was now afraid every time he heard Shi Qingfan’s name. He shivered and said, “Is Shi Qingfan really that kind-hearted to speak up for Dai Hongbo?”

Li Ye said, “Who knows.” To be honest, she also didn’t quite understand Shi Qingfan’s motive for doing this.

In fact, Jiang Xuenian’s original suggestion had a very high chance of being accepted by the referee. Shi Qingfan coming out to say what she did was not beneficial to their St. Lyceum.

Bai Yeyu hesitated, “Director Li, there’s something I didn’t have time to tell you just now. I might know why Qiao Feixiang was targeted.”

Li Ye was surprised. “You know? Quick, tell me!”

Qiao Feixiang was terribly aggrieved. Hearing Bai Yeyu’s words, he immediately said, “Hurry up!”

Bai Yeyu frowned, disliking Qiao Feixiang’s commanding tone, but she said nothing. “Director Li, do you remember what happened on the bus? The three of us – I, Dai Hongbo, and Qiao Feixiang – were discussing Jiang Xuenian and were discovered by Jiang Xuenian. When we apologized, Dai Hongbo and Qiao Feixiang’s apologies were very insincere, only I apologized sincerely.”

“When I saw what happened during Qiao Feixiang’s match with Shi Qingfan, a question suddenly came to mind. When the three of us were gossiping, the rumor was that Jiang Xuenian and Shi Qingfan had a bad relationship, so we later believed that Shi Qingfan disliked Jiang Xuenian and wouldn’t stand up for her.”

“But… is Shi Qingfan and Jiang Xuenian’s relationship really bad?”

Qiao Feixiang froze, then asked with an ugly expression, “Why are you saying that? Just because Shi Qingfan crushed me? Why can’t it be about something else?”

Bai Yeyu felt disgusted. Looking at Qiao Feixiang, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, and she said unceremoniously, “Because when Director Li and Shi Qingfan were discussing just now, I saw Jiang Xuenian make a heart gesture to Shi Qingfan. Are you satisfied with that answer?”

Qiao Feixiang’s face turned pale from Bai Yeyu’s retort, and his legs weakened, causing him to take a step back.

Li Ye couldn’t help but ask, “Did you see clearly? What was Shi Qingfan’s reaction then?”

Bai Yeyu said, “Shi Qingfan’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes lit up when she looked at Jiang Xuenian.”

Li Ye gasped. “It seems then that Shi Qingfan not only hasn’t fallen out with Jiang Xuenian but actually has a very good relationship with her. Now I finally understand why she targeted Qiao Feixiang.”

Bai Yeyu frowned and said, “But Director Li, I don’t understand why Shi Qingfan would suggest something that didn’t benefit Jiang Xuenian.”

Li Ye’s mind was in turmoil after hearing Bai Yeyu’s words. She said, “What she did must have a deeper meaning. The specific reason, we’ll know after the competition ends.”

“Let’s focus on watching the match first.”

On the stage, the referee announced the final decision. Dai Hongbo was still not entirely satisfied, but since the referee had stated it, she didn’t want any further changes. He gritted his teeth and didn’t raise any more objections, only hoping in his heart that Shi Qingfan wouldn’t know the answer to the first question.

“Alright, both of you get ready, the match continues.”

This time, Dai Hongbo wasn’t as completely absorbed as the first time, so he wasn’t oblivious to outside sounds.

Referee: “Question one…”

Dai Hongbo stared intently at Jiang Xuenian’s hand, terrified she would press it.

The referee finished reading the first question. Jiang Xuenian looked a bit regretful, sighed, and said, “I choose not to answer.”

“!” Dai Hongbo was ecstatic.

Jiang Xuenian didn’t know this question!

Dai Hongbo was torn between answers A and C. Jiang Xuenian not knowing meant she wouldn’t buzz in later. And if he wasn’t sure of the answer, he could also choose not to buzz in, waiting ten seconds for a new question.

Dai Hongbo absolutely loved this suggestion.

Referee: “Jiang Xuenian forfeits her priority.

“Beep!”

Dai Hongbo hadn’t even reacted. Jiang Xuenian pressed the buzzer in front of her. “I choose A.”

Referee: “Correct answer! Current score: Jiang Xuenian vs. Dai Hongbo, 1:0.”

Dai Hongbo: “?????”

Dai Hongbo blurted out, “Didn’t you not know it?”

Jiang Xuenian smiled, “I honestly didn’t think of the answer just now. What a coincidence, it suddenly came to me when I buzzed in.”

“You!” Jiang Xuenian must have done it on purpose!

Dai Hongbo truly experienced what it felt like to go from heaven to hell in an instant.

Referee: “Silence. Next, question two…”

“Beep!”

“I choose C.”

Referee: “Question three…”

“Beep!”

“I choose D.”

••••

The sound of the buzzer was like a curse, constantly ringing in Dai Hongbo’s ears. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, his mind a chaotic mess, barely able to hear the referee’s voice.

It didn’t really make a difference anyway. Even if he heard clearly and knew the answer, he couldn’t buzz in faster than Jiang Xuenian.

At one point, he lost his head and pressed the buzzer halfway through the referee’s question, but Jiang Xuenian noticed, her hand moving incredibly fast, pressing it before him.

And Jiang Xuenian even answered that question correctly!

After ten questions, Dai Hongbo had barely even touched the buzzer before it was over, incredibly fast.

Everyone looked at Jiang Xuenian in surprise.

Why was this girl, who previously had no presence, so strong?!

The referee announced the results: “Match over. St. Lyceum Academy accumulates three points. Mingxin Military Affiliated School accumulates zero points.”

“No, impossible! How can Jiang Xuenian be so strong? She was only in the top fifty in the semi-finals round, more than ten points lower than me! Referee, Jiang Xuenian must be cheating!”

Seeing Dai Hongbo about to grab the referee, Li Ye and Bai Yeyu quickly ran over, grabbed Dai Hongbo, and dragged him outside.

“Dai Hongbo, are you crazy!” Bai Yeyu hissed, lowering her voice.

Dai Hongbo grabbed Bai Yeyu’s sleeve: “Jiang Xuenian’s semi-finals round score was more than ten points lower than mine; she can’t be this strong.”

Li Ye frowned and pushed Dai Hongbo away. “That’s enough. Is it that hard to admit you’re not as good as someone else?”

Li Ye finally understood why Shi Qingfan’s suggestion seemed to be of no benefit to Jiang Xuenian.

Because she knew how strong Jiang Xuenian was and didn’t care about that tiny advantage!

Qiao Feixiang originally felt terrible about being crushed by Shi Qingfan, but now he wasn’t upset at all.

Everyone knew Shi Qingfan was strong, so even if he lost to Shi Qingfan, even if it was a 0:10 defeat, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

But Dai Hongbo was different. His opponent was Jiang Xuenian, a name no one had heard of before the match. As a result, Dai Hongbo was crushed by the unknown Jiang Xuenian. This was enough for him to mock Dai Hongbo for a whole year.

“Dai Hongbo, don’t get too worked up. Maybe Jiang Xuenian was deliberately biding her time before, just to make a splash today. You’re not losing out today. In the future, when people mention Jiang Xuenian, your name will definitely come up. After all, you were Jiang Xuenian’s touchstone, and you immediately tested out a gold as good as Shi Qingfan’s.”

Qiao Feixiang remembered Dai Hongbo’s sarcastic jokes during his match with Shi Qingfan and returned the favor all at once.

Dai Hongbo’s emotional state deteriorated further.

His arrogance had been utterly crushed by Jiang Xuenian.

Li Ye said with a serious expression, “Alright, are you all happy that Mingxin Military Affiliated School started with zero points? Losing to St. Lyceum Academy is normal. We still have to compete against the other three schools later. As long as we win against them, Mingxin still has a very good chance of advancing.”

“Dai Hongbo and Qiao Feixiang, both of you quickly adjust yourselves.”

“Bai Yeyu, you come with me to St. Lyceum’s side.”

Li Ye needed to gauge Jiang Xuenian’s true abilities.

On the other side, Jiang Xuenian returned to St. Lyceum Academy’s spot after her match and received a warm welcome.

Meng Baichun was flushed with excitement. “Jiang Xuenian, you’re actually this strong! Watching you win was absolutely exhilarating!”

Xu Jie burst out laughing. “Excellent job, Jiang Xuenian!” St. Lyceum had truly found a treasure.

Jiang Xuenian leaned closer to the silent Shi Qingfan. “Class monitor, why aren’t you praising me?”

Her ink-black pupils under thick lashes were moist and luminous, looking at Shi Qingfan expectantly.

Jiang Xuenian hadn’t exercised properly recently to prepare for the city-wide league, and pressing the buzzer made her almost break a sweat. Her cheeks were fair with a hint of pink. When she approached Shi Qingfan, the warmth from her body almost melted the ice surrounding Shi Qingfan.

Shi Qingfan uncomfortably took a step back. Jiang Xuenian smiled at her, not moving any closer.

Shi Qingfan felt both relief and a touch of disappointment.

She disliked people getting close to and touching her, but she didn’t mind Jiang Xuenian’s proximity; she just felt a little embarrassed. Yet, when Jiang Xuenian thoughtfully didn’t come any closer, she wished to regain the distance they had before.

“You…” Your performance just now was excellent.

Shi Qingfan had just spoken one word when Li Ye and Bai Yeyu walked over. Li Ye acted magnanimously, the first thing she did was praise Jiang Xuenian, and Shi Qingfan couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Director Xu, I never expected St. Lyceum to have such a fierce competitor as Jiang Xuenian! This year’s championship is secured!”

Jiang Xuenian’s attention was drawn to Li Ye for a second. Her gaze returned to Shi Qingfan and she noticed Shi Qingfan seemed a little unhappy. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said to Shi Qingfan, “Class monitor, there are too many people here. I know you’re too shy to praise me. How about you tell me when we’re back at the hotel and it’s just the two of us?”