Chapter 22

Xuejiao's gaze lingered on the name Chu Sheng from a distance.

The college entrance examination is like a towering mountain, with forked roads, muddy trails, and rugged paths—a challenge that most people cannot avoid in their lifetime.

For Xuejiao, it was as though she had already trudged through the difficult climb to the summit in her previous life and was now making the journey again.

This time, however, she knew how to avoid all the wrong paths. She was taking the straightest route to her goal, with no detours and no wasted effort.

For her, the second year of high school wasn't as challenging as it might be for others. After all, she had already experienced it once.

But even so, the exam results showed something extraordinary: Chu Sheng—730 points—only nine points behind her.

"Seven..." Xuejiao thought to herself. "He truly lives up to his reputation."

Her eyes grew deeper with determination. These thoughts took only a brief moment to pass through her mind, but in their wake, her resolve solidified, and her fighting spirit soared.

However, her focus was quickly interrupted.

"Gu Xuejiao? How is that possible? Isn't she a poor student?" Liu Yazhen exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief as she pointed at the top name on the results sheet.

Other parents, regardless of their previous opinions about their own children, turned their attention to their results and began their usual laments:

"Look at this! 739 points! Only 11 points deducted! Why can't you do as well as this student?""These are the same questions, so why are you nearly 100 points lower than others?""If you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to discipline you!"

Among the crowd, the students from Class 2 were wide-eyed with shock.

Gu Xuejiao? They had barely heard of her before this!

After all, she was rarely talked about, though it was known she was extraordinarily beautiful. Some even said she was more beautiful than their class goddess, Gu Shiyun. But because Gu Shiyun had always been recognized as both talented and beautiful, no one had ever questioned her status as a "goddess."

However, thanks to Cheng Mingjiao's public bet with Gu Xuejiao a while ago, both Class 1 and Class 2 had come to know who she was—a good-looking but academically poor student.

But now… 739 points?!

Class 1 students were equally stunned. They were more familiar with Xuejiao and knew how hard she studied, but her previous monthly exam scores were far from impressive. None of them had expected her to get such a jaw-dropping result this time.

Her score didn't just stand out; it completely crushed everyone else in the entire grade.

Even the students in Class 12, upon hearing the news, were left dumbfounded. They stared blankly, unable to process what they had just learned.

This kind of result was something that would be etched into their memories forever.

When her loud accusations failed to draw the attention she wanted, Liu Yazhen moved closer to the teacher. Raising her voice even further, she asked, "Teacher, I'm Gu Xuejiao's second aunt. Her grades have always been terrible. How could she possibly do so well this time? Shouldn't the authenticity of these results be investigated?"

Her words immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers, including Wu Wanjun and Gu Shiyun, whose faces were already dark with confusion.

Yin Fang glanced at Gu Xuejiao, who stood calmly in the distance, and took a deep breath.

"First of all," Yin Fang said firmly, "I guarantee that the results are fair, just, and a true reflection of the students' performance. If you have more questions, please bring them to the classroom."

Despite her composed demeanor, Yin Fang was just as shocked as everyone else.

The Day Before, 5:00 PM

By the afternoon, all the scores had been calculated, and the first result Yin Fang received was for English. Seeing Gu Xuejiao's exceptional English score, she was pleasantly surprised but thought nothing of it.

But when the full results came in by evening, she was stunned.

Gu Xuejiao—739 points?!

"Teacher Yin, do you even recognize this score?" the Class 2 teacher exclaimed in disbelief from across the office.

Yin Fang swallowed hard. "Are you sure there were no mistakes in the grading process?" she asked hesitantly.

Each subject teacher, from English to Physics, confirmed the accuracy of the grading.

"It's impossible to get such a score by mistake," the Chinese teacher added. "Her work has been consistent in class. I've seen her effort in exercises, and she has been improving steadily. This just reflects her true strength."

"Still…" Yin Fang muttered, trying to wrap her head around it.

Back to the Present

Yin Fang knew some parents would doubt Xuejiao's performance, but she trusted the process and wasn't about to let her efforts be overshadowed.

"Parents, please move to the classroom for further discussion," she instructed.

"But—" Liu Yazhen began.

"No more questions now," Yin Fang interrupted. "We'll address everything in the classroom."

The other parents began to shuffle inside.

Li Sitong stood frozen in place. Xuejiao walked up to her, her tone calm. "Let's go in."

Snapping out of her daze, Li Sitong quickly grabbed Xuejiao's arm and whispered harshly, "What's going on with your grades? Did you cheat?"

Xuejiao looked at her, unruffled. "No. Don't you think the teacher would know if I had cheated?"

With that, she walked ahead, leaving Li Sitong to catch up.

Meanwhile, Wu Wanjun glared at Gu Shiyun, frustration evident in her voice. "Didn't you say you'd be in the top three?"

Gu Shiyun's face darkened further. Without Xuejiao in the picture, she would have been in the top three. But now, not only had Xuejiao outperformed her, but she had also taken first place.

Inside the classroom, Yin Fang addressed the parents with a composed tone.

"This time, the results for our class showed noticeable improvement. I'm especially proud to announce that we have two students in the top three of the entire grade, with Gu Xuejiao achieving a remarkable score of 739 points!"

The classroom erupted into applause, though one voice at the back interrupted.

"What? Someone scored 739?" A burly man wearing sunglasses stood by the back door, his booming voice drawing attention.

It was Yi Dafa, Yi Tianyu's father, and he had entered the room with his son.

As Yin Fang continued discussing the results and their implications, Yi Tianyu turned to Xuejiao with wide eyes. "You—you scored 739?" he stammered.

"Mm-hmm," Xuejiao replied calmly, a small smile playing on her lips.

For the rest of the meeting, Yi Tianyu stared at her in shock, barely able to comprehend the brilliance of the girl sitting next to him.

t the back door, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and wearing sunglasses stood confidently. His polished appearance and the air of arrogance about him screamed "big money."

Compared to his exaggerated demeanor, the young man following him was far more striking.

Yi Tianyu, tall and handsome, wore a casual sweater and jeans that showcased his youthful energy.

Both father and son were eye-catching in their own way.

Yi Tianyu tugged at his father's sleeve, lowering his voice in irritation. "Be quiet!"

Yi Dafa brushed off his son's hand and smiled. "Where are you sitting?"

"Here," Yi Tianyu reluctantly pointed to the nearest seat.

Yi Dafa frowned, displeased. "Son, how bad are your grades that you're sitting so far back?"

"Stop talking nonsense and sit down quickly!" Yi Tianyu muttered, pressing his father into the seat. After wiping the sweat from his own forehead, he glanced around the room and moved toward the corner where Xuejiao was seated.

Xuejiao handed him two tissues.

"… Thank you," Yi Tianyu said, stunned for a moment before awkwardly taking the tissues and dabbing at his forehead.

"It's nothing. Why are you so late?" Xuejiao asked casually.

Yi Tianyu sighed. "My dad found out about my grades and insisted on coming to the parent-teacher meeting. He got so excited that he caused a traffic jam on the way here."

Despite his poor academic performance, Yi Tianyu's parents were deeply invested in his education. They had gotten into an argument that morning over who should attend the meeting, which had delayed their arrival.

"Ah? Is everything okay?"

"No one's hurt."

Xuejiao nodded and turned her attention back to her books.

Yi Tianyu leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice with a teasing smile. "Were you worried about me?"

Xuejiao shot him a glance but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Yi Dafa, now seated, spoke loudly again. "Teacher, is it true someone scored 739 points on the exam?"

His tone was a mix of shock and curiosity.

Hearing this, Liu Yazhen glanced at him, a sarcastic smile forming on her lips. However, Yi Dafa's dark sunglasses hid his reaction, and she turned away, disappointed.

With an overly sweet smile, she addressed the teacher, "Yes, Teacher, Gu Xuejiao scored such a high mark. Could you share some tips on how this is possible? Especially since her scores jumped from the hundreds to first place in just a month?"

Her tone dripped with doubt, clearly implying that Xuejiao's performance was suspicious.

Parents murmured among themselves, shocked by the idea of someone jumping from hundreds to first place.

Li Sitong clenched her teeth, her gaze fixed on the teacher.

"You're mistaken," Yin Fang said firmly. "Gu Xuejiao's improvement didn't happen overnight. When she first joined our class, her total score was only around 100 points."

A collective gasp rippled through the classroom.

"But this semester, Gu Xuejiao has been incredibly diligent. While we only assigned two practice books, she went out of her way to purchase an additional guidebook. She prepares before class, reviews after class, and completes every exercise diligently. All her teachers have witnessed her efforts firsthand."

Yin Fang paused, allowing her words to settle in.

"In fact, this kind of progress—going from 451 last month to 739 this month—is a result of consistent and focused effort. Parents, you can see from her achievements that hard work pays off. If students apply themselves, anything is possible!"

"Good!" Yi Dafa exclaimed, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

Yin Fang raised her voice. "Students, you're already in your second year of high school. Half of this year has already passed, and the college entrance examination is fast approaching. It's not too late to work hard! Gu Xuejiao is an example of what can be achieved with determination. Remember, the college entrance exam is a single-log bridge. If you don't push yourself, others will push you aside!"

"Yes!" Yi Dafa clapped again, his approval evident, prompting other parents to applaud as well.

"The senior years are critical for students, but parents also play an essential role," Yin Fang continued. "The college entrance exam isn't just about the students—it's a collaborative effort between the child, teachers, and parents!"

Yi Tianyu, standing next to Xuejiao, looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

"You… you… you…" he stammered.

Xuejiao turned to him, a faint smile on her lips.

Yi Tianyu took a deep breath before blurting, "You scored 739 on the exam?!"

Xuejiao nodded slightly. "Mm-hmm."

Yi Tianyu leaned back in disbelief. 739?! Is that even a human score?!

His mind raced. Memories of their interactions flashed before him—her casual remarks after the first monthly exam, her confident "all my strength" after the second, and the steady effort she had shown throughout the semester.

"Gu Xuejiao! You! You faked it! Last month, you only scored 90 on purpose, didn't you?!" he accused in a low voice, his tone a mix of shock and awe.

Xuejiao raised her eyebrows, her expression amused.

Realizing she wasn't denying it, Yi Tianyu gasped, "You… you're unbelievable…"

At that moment, Yin Fang began distributing the report cards. "This document contains each student's scores by subject, their class rank, grade rank, and ranking changes. Parents, take a look and discuss any concerns with your children."

As she handed out the report cards, she added, "This time, several students made significant progress, including Gu Xuejiao, Li An, and Liu…"

She paused briefly before continuing, "Yi Tianyu also improved by more than 200 points compared to the first monthly exam. This is progress worth celebrating! Parents should encourage this momentum."

"Yes, absolutely! We must keep encouraging them!" Yi Dafa said with a broad grin, his teeth flashing brightly.

Yin Fang, startled by his enthusiasm, continued, "Of course, while some students improved, others fell behind, like Yu Fangfang and Cheng Mingjiao. Parents, take note of the final column on the report card for ranking changes. Discuss with your children to identify any issues. Time is running out!"

As soon as Yin Fang stepped out, the classroom buzzed with conversation.

Liu Yazhen scanned the report card and zeroed in on Cheng Mingjiao's score: 668, ranked 99, down by 81 places.

Her face twisted in anger as she looked at Gu Xuejiao's perfect scores.

How could Gu Xuejiao possibly achieve this?

Despite attending cram schools and putting in extra effort, Cheng Mingjiao's best result was far below Xuejiao's.

Meanwhile, Yi Dafa, staring at the report card, was in awe. Yi Tianyu's improvement amazed him, though he was still near the bottom of the class.

He glanced at Gu Xuejiao's flawless scores and couldn't help but wonder what kind of parents could raise such a child.

His gaze drifted to the woman beside him, staring at her report card in a daze. She was beautiful and looked composed, though clearly younger than himself.

Curious, he removed his sunglasses and flashed a friendly smile.

"Madam, how did your child do in the exam?"

Li Sitong snapped out of her daze and looked at the "big money" man beside her. Words failed her for a moment as she processed everything that had happened that day.

Unfazed, Yi Dafa chuckled. "My son's grades aren't great, but he's finally starting to work hard. It's like pulling teeth to get him to study, but recently he's been putting in the effort. I'm so proud of him for improving by more than 200 points! I think that makes me a good parent, don't you?"

Li Sitong nodded slowly, admiration in her eyes. "You're doing well. I should learn from you."

"Exactly! I'll continue working hard to supervise him and guide his studies!" Yi Dafa boasted, then added, "By the way, is your child Xi Junyang?"

Li Sitong shook her head, looked him straight in the eye, and said calmly,

"No, my daughter is Gu Xuejiao."

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