Days passed quietly in the Heavenly Academy — until the day before the written exam.
That morning, Teacher Li entered the classroom with a firm step and a sharp gleam in his eyes. His presence alone silenced the class. He sat down straight-backed and announced,
"Tomorrow is the challenge. It will be a written test — one hundred questions — prepared by me and Master Wu Xin."
He briefly explained how exams were conducted at the Heavenly Academy, then left the room in a hurry.
Huo Feng tilted her head, confusion clouding her face.
"What does he even mean by 'exam questions'? And why does he look so serious?"
Without realizing it, she muttered aloud:
"I have to find out what that means… now."
That single sentence caught the attention of Suo, the mischievous troublemaker sitting behind her.He smirked, assuming she wanted to steal the test questions, and immediately grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the classroom.
"W–what are you doing?" she whispered, startled.
"Quiet," he ordered, pressing a finger to his lips.Then he leaned close and whispered conspiratorially,
"Don't you want to know the questions before everyone else? Don't you want to pass? Then follow my lead and stay quiet."
He crept toward the door of Master Wu Xin's office, pulling her along. Pressing his ear against the door, he strained to listen — certain the teachers were inside discussing the exam.
The funny thing was, the naïve Huo Feng copied every move he made — crouching, leaning, and holding her breath — without even knowing why.
After a few moments, she whispered irritably:
"What are we doing? Why are we just standing here? Is this… a training exercise before the test?"
A calm voice suddenly joined in from beside them:
"No, idiot. He is teaching you how to eavesdrop. It's a valuable skill — you should practice it more."
They both froze.Teacher Li was crouched beside them, leaning in the same way, a teasing smile on his face.
Huo Feng turned to him with innocent curiosity.
"Teacher… are you training with us too? Do you also want to become a spy?"
Suo's heart nearly stopped.He jumped up, waving his hands nervously.
"N-no! We weren't spying on you, Teacher! Definitely not!"
Huo Feng nodded proudly.
"Right! We're not spying. We just wanted to know the test questions before everyone else."
Teacher Li burst into laughter — a deep, warm laugh that sent an unexpected shiver through Huo Feng's chest.
Without thinking, she blurted out,
"Your laugh is so nice, Teacher…"
Just then, the office door swung open.Master Wu Xin stood there, his cold eyes fixed directly on her face.His gaze was so sharp it felt as if it could pierce her skin.
Was it anger for trying to cheat… or jealousy, when he saw how she looked at Teacher Li?
He said nothing — only stepped forward, pushing between them roughly as he passed, his fury radiating like heat.
The next morning, the long-awaited exam began.
Each student sat in their assigned seat as Assistant Li distributed the test papers.Master Wu Xin stood behind them, watching closely — especially Huo Feng, whose calmness contrasted sharply with the nervous faces around her.
"Begin," Teacher Li commanded.
The room fell silent. Pens scratched. Pages turned.Everyone began reading and writing — except for Huo Feng.
She stared at her paper for a long moment… then glanced around at the others, utterly lost.
Suo noticed her blank expression and smirked.Wanting to get back at her for yesterday's embarrassment, he spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear:
"Are you going to start, or are you just here to watch us work?"
Huo Feng didn't even flinch.
"Mind your own business. I haven't started yet… but I'll finish before you do."
Her calm confidence made him grit his teeth.
"Where does all that confidence come from, huh?"
Mei Ling, never one to miss a chance to insult her, added mockingly,
"Even if you finish first, you'll never beat me. You'll always be second best."
Huo Feng sighed softly and replied with a serene smile,
"Actually… I'm already done, loser."
Mei Ling jumped to her feet in disbelief, drawing the attention of both teachers.
"How could she finish so fast?" Mei Ling muttered under her breath, fuming."Is she really that smart… or did she cheat somehow?"
She snatched Huo Feng's paper from the desk and stared at it — and froze.
There wasn't a single mark on it.The page was completely blank.
"W–what is this?" Mei Ling stammered.
Teacher Li took the paper, glanced at it, and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Completely blank — pure and spotless… just like her soul."
Mei Ling's face twisted in anger.
"Are you mocking us, Huo Feng? You lied! You said you finished, and your paper's empty!"
Huo Feng tilted her head innocently.
"But I did finish."
Mei Ling nearly exploded.
"Are you blind? The paper is blank! Where are your answers?!"
Huo Feng smiled gently.
"In my head, of course."
Teacher Li, still amused, asked kindly,
"Then why didn't you write them down?"
"Because… I don't know how to write," she said simply.
The room went silent.
Mei Ling blinked, speechless for once, then shouted,
"What? Are you joking again?"
"No," Huo Feng replied softly. "I really don't know how."
Teacher Li quickly stepped in before the chaos grew worse.
"It's fine. We'll find a solution later. For now, tell us your answers verbally."
Mei Ling slammed her desk.
"No! It's a written test! She can't do that!"
Master Wu Xin, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke — his voice calm but heavy.
"We'll deduct a few points for it. That should be fair."
He looked at the rest of the class, silently asking for their approval.Everyone nodded hesitantly.
Then he turned back to Huo Feng.
"Alright. Tell us your answers — out loud."
She blinked at him.
"My answers to what?"
Mei Ling scoffed loudly.
"To the test questions, obviously! Are you stupid?"
Huo Feng turned toward Suo, who was watching the scene unfold in utter disbelief.
"Can you help me?" she asked sweetly.
He frowned.
"Help you? With what?"
She leaned closer and whispered — but her voice carried through the silent room:
"I… can't read, either."
Teacher Li doubled over in laughter, nearly falling from his chair.Mei Ling looked ready to explode.
But Master Wu Xin's reaction was the strangest of all.He walked up to Huo Feng, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged her toward his office — his expression unreadable.
Even he couldn't tell if he was angry, amused… or secretly enchanted by her ridiculous innocence.