Xia Xiao Lan didn’t need three puppets.

What she needed were three confident partners. She had broken through Richard’s psychological defenses, and Daisy and Lyle were wavering. Now they would follow whatever she said.

As she pointed out, these three had managed to get into Cornell University – none of them were fools.

It was just that under the intense academic pressure, being constantly overshadowed and criticized had severely damaged their confidence!

Being temporarily suppressed was one thing, but imagine years later, when people like Jonathan would become renowned architects at major firms… Hey, hey, hey, stop imagining! The more they thought about it, the more it hurt – even now, Jonathan had a girlfriend while Richard, Lyle, and Daisy were all single!

Was it impossible to find a girlfriend without getting an A?

With Richard pledging to follow Xia Xiao Lan’s lead, Daisy and Lyle wouldn’t object either.

Xia Xiao Lan hadn’t abandoned them for Jonathan’s group, but instead stayed, saying she would help everyone get an A from Professor McCarthy. If they didn’t cherish such an opportunity, they deserved to be losers!

“But Xia, you must have been impressive in China, right?”

If she wasn’t, why would Jonathan’s group invite her?

Was she impressive?

Xia Xiao Lan herself wasn’t sure.

She had never participated in architectural competitions or won awards, so it was hard to gauge her actual level.

After motivating her three groupmates, getting an A wouldn’t be achieved just by talking. Xia Xiao Lan stayed with them to analyze Professor McCarthy’s current assignment. Each assignment was like passing a level – if they could maintain As throughout, getting an A for the final grade would be natural.

They worked until the evening before packing up to head home.

Before leaving, Xia Xiao Lan couldn’t resist one final prod:

“Richard, think about it – wouldn’t it be worth it just to have Professor McCarthy call you by your correct name?”

Professor McCarthy kept switching between “Charlie” and “Chuck,” sometimes even calling him “Red Hair Kid”! No, thinking about it this way, he wanted to get an A…

On Saturday morning, Xia Xiao Lan took her driving test. What she thought would be a sure thing almost failed.

It wasn’t about the speed limit – following instructions to make a right turn, she noticed a pedestrian preparing to cross. Since the distance was considerable, she hadn’t paid much attention, but the examiner nearly jumped up. From the first syllable of the American’s exaggerated tone, Xia Xiao Lan knew she was in trouble.

If she hadn’t corrected quickly, she would have lost points.

Even so, the examiner emphasized that her awareness of “courteous yielding” was insufficient.

Xia Xiao Lan barely passed.

From today on, she was a licensed driver.

Since she was good at tests and knew how to drive, having just passed the written exam, she quickly secured a road test appointment. Resisting the urge to immediately go car shopping, Xia Xiao Lan hurried to her meeting spot with Ning Xue.

They were taking a bus to New York City.

The bus was slower than driving, taking 6 hours to reach New York City. Leaving at noon would get them there by evening, perfect timing for the party!

Xia Xiao Lan carried a large box, while Ning Xue held a slightly smaller one.

The sweet aroma of cake and the smell of barbecued meat wafted through their boxes, intermingling in the air.

Both were surprised and Ning Xue hesitated:

“You baked a cake yourself?”

Xia Xiao Lan rolled her eyes, “How could I? Aunt Hu baked it. I’m living at her house now.”

Though Hu Ying had told Xia Xiao Lan to be self-reliant, seeing her struggle more with baking a cake than studying “Structural Elements,” she had finally stepped in to help.

Ning Xue immediately became frank: “I bought mine from a store.”

One carrying someone else’s baked cake, the other carrying store-bought barbecue, they took a 6-hour bus ride to New York City for a Chinese international students’ party. Xia Xiao Lan and Ning Xue didn’t know what to say. The swaying bus wasn’t suitable for reading, so Xia Xiao Lan took several naps, catching up on her recent severe sleep deficit.

Ning Xue gradually dozed off as well.

Arriving in New York City led to another round of hustle.

For this international students’ party, the organizers had borrowed a nice house, surprisingly in Manhattan… Xia Xiao Lan had expected the party to be in Brooklyn.

“Brooklyn isn’t safe.”

Carrying her box, Xia Xiao Lan commented, “Getting a venue in Manhattan shows the international student organization must be quite capable.”

Ning Xue glanced at Xia Xiao Lan she didn’t know that the country subsidized part of the expenses for such gatherings. How else to maintain overseas Chinese students’ sense of belonging to their homeland if they don’t gather regularly?

The house was brightly lit.

Xia Xiao Lan and Ning Xue were already considered late – people filled both floors of the house, roughly one or two hundred at a glance.

“So many people!”

“There are government-sponsored students, self-funded students, and probably some friends who were brought along…”

There were plenty of Chinese people pursuing the American dream in the US.

Unlike earlier immigrants who had secured legal status and could live stably in America, those without status were like headless flies, desperately searching for opportunities.

Of course, some people came purely for free food and drinks. While some, like Xia Xiao Lan and Ning Xue, brought contributions, others came empty-handed due to financial constraints.

Here there was food, alcohol, music, and the chance to boast and share dreams with fellow countrymen. If one was thick-skinned enough, everything was free – how rare in America!

As soon as Xia Xiao Lan entered, someone targeted her.

Han Jin appeared from nowhere, pulling Xia Xiao Lan toward the center of the house. “Senior Li, this is Xia Xiao Lan from Cornell University. She’s quite hard to get hold of – hasn’t attended any of our regular gatherings, but Senior Li’s influence finally brought her out!”

Senior Li seemed approachable. “Welcome, Student Xia! It’s been a month since you came to America – have you adapted to university life? Cornell is quite far from New York, thank you for coming this time!”

Han Jin’s introduction seemed ambiguous – either a subtle jab or genuine.

This Senior Li was quite diplomatic, deflecting Han Jin’s comments in two or three sentences without embarrassing him while providing Xia Xiao Lan with a legitimate excuse for not attending gatherings.

Ithaca was so far from New York – if she attended Han Jin’s gatherings every week, how could she study?

Spending every weekend on Han Jin, Xia Xiao Lan didn’t think he was worth such dedication – Han Jin was no Zhou Cheng!

No, no, no, she shouldn’t compare him to Zhou Cheng – Han Jin wasn’t even as likable as Professor McCarthy.

Xia Xiao Lan gracefully accepted Senior Li’s provided excuse: “Thank you for understanding, Senior. I’ll try my best to attend international student activities when I can.”

It turned out Senior Li had been in America for four years. He had been skilled at student organization work back home, and gradually gathered New York state’s Chinese international students around him abroad. His gatherings had gained official recognition, and among international students, Senior Li was considered a well-connected figure.

In a corner, someone watched enviously, nudging his companion:

“This Li Yong, wielding authority like a chicken feather as if it were an imperial sword, stole your girlfriend and still invites you to parties – Old Xu, how can you stand it?”