Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Although Ye Qiao was not at the top of the class, the teachers who had taught her before were well aware of her improvements. In the past, she was one of the infamous problematic students in San Zhong High School. Every student would take a detour if they saw her. Furthermore, she was the old commander’s granddaughter, so there were no teachers who dared to teach her a lesson.
Things were certainly different now. The minute Ye Qiao stopped talking with Shen Xichuan and Li Yun, her results had improved by leaps and bounds. In fact, she was very serious in her studies and had quite a good rapport with the other students too.
Ye Qiao’s class teacher, Mr. Wang, acted kindly and asked her to leave the classroom for a short while.
“Ye Qiao, you have maintained your results well all this while. Your results are above average in the class. Moreover, this is an elite class. However, I suggest that you apply for a few good ordinary universities. You’ll certainly be able to get them! Don’t act rashly because of your anger. This concerns your whole life and your future!” Mr. Wang nudged his glasses as he said solemnly but kindly.
He thought that the reason Ye Qiao wanted to apply for J University was that she was acting in a pique because of her stepmother and stepsister. The entire school knew about the relationship between Ye Qiao and Ye Zhenzhen because of the incident that happened before.
“Mr. Wang, thank you for your kindness and concern. I’m not acting out of spite!”
‘Just you wait for the day when I make you proud!’
During the examinations, the art stream elite class was always defeated entirely by the science stream elite class. Hence, her class teacher was always insulted by the results.
Looking at Ye Qiao as she walked toward the classroom, Mr. Wang could only shake his head in resignation.
***
It was the 7th of July. It was rather a hot day. It was also the first day of the college entrance examinations!
Ye Qiao was going to sit for the examination at her high school. There was a large red banner hung at the entrance of the school. It was labeled – “Welcome to the College Entrance Examinations.” There were even colorful flags on both sides of the road. After the parents sent their children there, they did not leave; they stayed at the entrance.
Nowadays, almost every family in J town had only one child. Therefore, all of the parents had high expectations and aspirations for their children.
Qin Lan and the other parents of the school were no different. After she sent Ye Zhenzhen there in person, she bumped into Ye Qiao at the door. She took the opportunity and deliberately called after Ye Qiao. “Qiao Qiao, I heard that you’re suffering from diarrhea recently. How is it now? I’ve got some medicine here. Do you want some?”
Madam Qin was indeed holding some antidiarrheals in her hands.
“Aunt Qin, how do you know that I’m suffering from diarrhea?” Ye Qiao asked her with a smile. When Ye Qiao was at home, she had put on a show in front of the nanny. Besides, they were having their study break for a few days now, so it was impossible that Ye Zhenzhen would tell her mother a thing like that.
Qin Lan was guilty. After being retorted like that, she smiled slyly. “Qiao Qiao, I always care about you. Besides, I always call your grandpa’s home and ask about you!”
Qin Lan appeared like a loving mother.
“Aunt Qin treats me so well! However, I think I’d better not take this medicine. What if there’s any side effects?” Ye Qiao faked a smile, and her voice was filled with disdain.
‘Madam Qin, just you wait and see!’
Certainly, Qin Lan understood Ye Qiao’s message from her tone. But why would she be afraid of this young girl anyway?
***
Ye Qiao did not even remember how she felt when she sat for the college entrance examinations in her previous life. She was a bad student at that time. She might have been sleeping soundly during the examination and perhaps even handed in a blank answer sheet.
Now, she was in the examination room, sitting for the college entrance examination again. She was filled with a sense of solemnity but also felt that she had a mission to accomplish.
What impressed her the most in her biological mother’s diary was not the love story her mother had with Ye Shengxun. It was the regret that her mother felt for not being able to sit for her college entrance examinations. Hence, Ye Qiao wanted to vindicate her “pathetic” mother in front of the Ye family.
When it was time for her to answer the questions, she had calmed herself down entirely. She answered each and every question seriously and carefully.
She had worked so hard and sacrificed a lot for one whole year. That was where her confidence and belief came from.
For numerous nights, she fell asleep while reading her books. Lu Xiaogun argued with her so many times because of that.
However, she had such bad results in her previous life, so if she did not work harder, how could she be admitted into J University?
The classroom was hot, and it had neither fans nor an air-conditioning system. It was even warmer when they sat for their Mathematics paper in the afternoon. The candidates who were in the same examination room were drenched in sweat.
The Mathematics paper that year was rather difficult. For the art students like them, it was probably even more difficult. The room was warm, and some of the candidates repeatedly sighed during the exam. The invigilators reminded them to behave themselves.
There were quite a lot of them who handed in their papers in advance, but Ye Qiao always answered every question calmly. She even laughed secretly when she faced three extremely difficult questions toward the end of the exam paper. She had seen those kinds of questions in Lu Beixiao’s notebook, and she had tried to solve them. Unexpectedly, she faced those questions during her actual exam. Even her Mathematics teachers failed to foresee those questions in their college entrance examination.
When the Mathematics examination ended, a lot of girls wept and left the examination room.
“Zhenzhen, I’m sure you’ve answered all of the three questions toward the end of the exam paper, right? It’s over for me now. I didn’t answer any of those questions!”
At first, Ye Zhenzhen was so nervous that her palms were covered with sweat because she failed to answer those three questions. But when she heard that a lot of students failed to answer those questions like her too, she was soon at ease. “Of course I’ve answered them!”
“Oh! Then, there won’t be a problem for you to get into J University!”
Ye Zhenzhen still smiled smugly at her other classmates. But in fact, she was quietly rather anxious. She faced a problem when she tried to understand the title of the composition in the morning, and now, she did not even answer the three questions toward the end of the Mathematics paper in the afternoon.
***
The examination on the last day was held in the afternoon. They had a break in the morning.
Under Lu Xiaogun’s instruction, Ye Qiao found the right timing and went to the kitchen. At that moment, Aunt Hao was pouring some powder from a small paper package into her bowl.
“Aunt Hao! What kind of drug are you adding into the food?” Ye Qiao shouted sternly. Her voice was loud and clear. The old commander had just returned from his morning training. He heard her scream, so he went to the kitchen immediately.
“Qiao Qiao, what’s wrong?” The old commander asked her nervously for fear that something might have happened during the time when his granddaughter was having her college entrance examination.
The kitchen was rather hot at the moment, and the nanny—Aunt Hao, was still holding the packet of drugs in her hand. She stood there in a daze and appeared panicked.