MTLNOVEL Chapter 918 - 918: A Bit Embarrassing
Chapter 918: A Bit Embarrassing
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In early May, the weather began to warm up, and everyone shed their long sleeves and pants for summer attire—short-sleeved shirts, shorts, and floral dresses that looked refreshingly cool.
Gu Zi returned from shopping with Su Le and, as she opened the gate, she was greeted by Big Yellow, who was lazily basking in the sun. The dog wagged his tail in excitement, and Gu Zi bent down to pat his head, her smile radiant.
Just as she was about to close the gate, she noticed Huang Fei approaching from across the road. Though they had never been particularly friendly, Gu Zi didn’t think much of it and made to shut the door.
However, Huang Fei hurried over, smiling as she called out, “Gu Zi, don’t close the door just yet! I brought you some fruits and snacks. We are neighbors, after all; it’s always good to keep in touch!”
Dressed in luxurious attire, Huang Fei looked polished with her meticulously applied makeup and trendy hairstyle, complete with a fashionable hairpin. She carried a basket filled with fruits and snacks that, at first glance, seemed like a sincere attempt to foster neighborly relations.
However, Gu Zi’s keen eye quickly spotted the subtle details others might overlook.
The fruits in the basket lacked moisture, clearly having been around for a while—they were edible, but barely so. It was obvious they weren’t freshly bought for gifting. The snacks also looked like leftovers, items Huang Fei had deemed unworthy of her own consumption and decided to pass off instead. Gu Zi recognized every single one from her own past shopping trips—none of them were particularly appetizing.
With such a half-hearted gesture of goodwill and an unexpectedly sudden visit, Gu Zi’s instincts tingled; she suspected Huang Fei was up to something.
Sure enough, within moments, Huang Fei’s intentions began to unfold. Casually, she remarked, “I heard your eldest son is in the same class as mine. How did he do on this test? My son had a bit of a slip-up—he scored only ninety-nine in math. Oh, it’s so embarrassing!”
While she feigned humility with her words, her tone brimmed with pride, clearly relishing the opportunity to boast about her son’s score. Gu Zi understood that it was normal for a mother to take pride in her child’s achievements, but using her son’s success to belittle others, especially in such a thinly veiled way, struck her as quite unfair.
In light of this, Gu Zi felt no need to be courteous and replied, “It is a bit embarrassing. With such simple questions, how could he lose a point? You should really give your son Xu Sheng some extra tutoring.”
Huang Fei narrowed her eyes at her. What was Gu Zi even saying? Perhaps she hadn’t expressed herself clearly enough, so she attempted to clarify, “What I meant was, my son missed a perfect score by just one point. Do you understand what that means?”
Gu Zi smiled, her gaze steady as she responded, “It means he still has room for improvement. I looked over this math test, and it was quite simple. If he lost a point, shouldn’t he try harder next time?”
Huang Fei was momentarily at a loss for words. In the past, whenever she boasted about her son’s grades, others would inevitably respond with admiration. Yet here was Gu Zi, utterly unfazed, even suggesting that someone who missed a perfect score still needed to work harder.
It was infuriating! Huang Fei’s expression darkened.
Unfazed by Huang Fei’s reaction, Gu Zi refused to accept the fruit basket, stating, “Since you’ve moved in for a while now, I haven’t given you anything as a neighbor. I’ll accept this fruit basket, but I’m returning it to you. This way, neither of us has to make an extra trip, and we can keep things simple!”
Huang Fei hadn’t expected Gu Zi to respond this way, and her expression fell completely. “Fine, if you don’t want it, then don’t take it! But why do you have to undermine my son? Did your eldest do exceptionally well, maybe even score a perfect hundred?”
Gu Zi chuckled, her smile bright and unapologetic. “You guessed right! My eldest scored a perfect hundred, just as you mentioned. So yes, your son definitely has room to improve!”
Huang Fei’s meticulously made-up face twisted in frustration. She retorted, “It’s just one point! Children should develop holistically. What’s the point of having a perfect score? My son Xu Sheng has been learning piano, violin, calligraphy, and painting since he was young. He doesn’t need perfect scores to prove himself! Someone like you wouldn’t understand. After all, your family made their fortune in pig farming. What’s there to brag about?”
Gu Zi was equally unyielding, her smile unwavering as she replied, “There’s nothing to brag about, but I don’t appreciate people who turn their children into trophies to flaunt while trying to belittle others. You enroll your son in so many extracurriculars, yet you seem to have forgotten to sign yourself up for a class on personal development. Perhaps it’s time to upgrade your thinking skills and stop behaving like a primitive person who is constantly comparing herself to others.”