The doctor’s words were tactful, but essentially he was suggesting that Xia Xiaolan shouldn’t take the college entrance exam this year.

This would be a devastating blow to any student, let alone someone who ranked first in science across the entire city in the practice exams. The doctor spoke with reluctance, anticipating that Xia Xiaolan would break down in tears. There was nothing he could do except softly comfort this female student.

However, it was Sun Tian, who identified herself as a teacher, who ended up crying uncontrollably.

Madam Huang also wiped her tears, “Doctor, could you please examine her more carefully?”

The doctor was confident in his ability to diagnose a bone fracture from an X-ray. One didn’t need a doctor to tell – the X-ray was right there on the table, and anyone with basic medical knowledge and functioning eyes could see the winding crack.

Xia Xiaolan’s right wrist was indeed fractured.

The fact that she wasn’t as emotionally expressive as Sun Tian didn’t mean Xia Xiaolan wasn’t angry.

Unable to take the college entrance exam?

This disaster fell like a bucket of cold water on Xia Xiaolan’s head.

Beneath her calm exterior, a raging fire was brewing!

These people thought she was easy to bully, didn’t they? One after another, they provoked her, schemed against her, and now they dared to ambush her!

Ge Jian felt so guilty he wanted to bang his head against the wall.

If he had been closer at that moment, those people wouldn’t have had the chance to do anything malicious. While Miss Xia would still have been knocked down by the suddenly appearing bicycle, they wouldn’t have been able to step on her hand. At that street corner, Ge Jian was just one step too slow, instantly putting him more than ten meters away.

Ge Jian clenched his fist and struck the hospital wall forcefully.

The doctor was startled but could understand everyone’s emotions. He offered dry comfort: “Taking the exam next year would be fine too. With her excellent grades, another year of preparation might turn her from a city champion into a provincial champion…”

Well, nothing he could say would be appropriate at this moment. He truly sympathized but was also truly helpless.

Xia Xiaolan tried to move her wrist, but it indeed hurt.

Sun Tian stopped her, crying with reddened eyes: “Don’t try anymore, don’t force yourself.”

Moving it around might make the injury even worse. Sun Tian couldn’t accept this. She had placed high hopes on Xia Xiaolan’s exam results this year, not just out of pride as a County No. 1 High School teacher, but also out of sympathy for Xia Xiaolan. She felt this girl had been through too much, with many twists and turns in her educational journey. Why couldn’t a beautiful girl also excel in academics? Why couldn’t she succeed beyond her looks?

Xia Xiaolan would have succeeded if not for this ‘accident.’

No, she couldn’t cry anymore. She needed to pull herself together and properly counsel Student Xiaolan.

A young girl’s youth is precious, but what’s one more year of preparation for a better future?

In County No. 1 High School, their oldest exam candidate had repeated for a full four years! Before Sun Tian could share this inspiring example, several more people rushed in. It was Principal Sun, followed by Teacher Wang, Teacher Qi, and others, including Chen Qing.

When Principal Sun heard that Xia Xiaolan had been knocked down at the school gate, he was terrified!

People had exaggerated, saying she was covered in blood. Principal Sun nearly fainted then, only staying upright with Teacher Wang’s support. They had been in the office discussing exam matters, with Xia Xiaolan’s exam admission ticket set aside separately. Her exam location was a bit remote this year, and Principal Sun had been considering who should accompany her… This devastating news nearly caused Principal Sun, Teacher Wang, Teacher Qi, and the others to collectively break down.

Chen Qing had come to submit Class Three’s materials and, regardless of whether it was appropriate for his position, had followed Principal Sun and the others here.

“How are Student Xiaolan’s injuries?”

Principal Sun asked anxiously. The nurse had already cleaned Xia Xiaolan’s wound and bandaged it, and it didn’t look too serious from the outside.

Before Principal Sun could feel relieved, seeing his niece Sun Tian’s eyes swollen like peach pits made his heart sink!

“Xiaolan…”

Chen Qing couldn’t squeeze into the front, but he was anxious too.

Teacher Wang collected himself and asked the doctor about the exact situation. The doctor reluctantly repeated the diagnosis, but as soon as he mentioned the wrist needing rest, Teacher Qi burst into tears.

Principal Sun felt dizzy and unsteady on his feet.

“How did this happen? I should have delivered the exam admission ticket to you…”

Xia Xiaolan coming to school to collect her exam admission ticket was a necessary procedure. Others didn’t know she had ‘previously’ taken the college entrance exam, and the school teachers needed to explain exam precautions and chat with Xia Xiaolan, checking if she was nervous and helping her relieve pressure.

But none of that mattered now!

Principal Sun was filled with regret, believing he had failed in his duties.

Xia Xiaolan’s face was as cold as water, impossible to read her thoughts. Principal Sun repeatedly confirmed her condition with the doctor, and suppressing his disappointment and heaviness, tried to comfort Xia Xiaolan: “Heaven gives its toughest battles to its strongest soldiers. It must first test their will and strain their sinews and bones… Student Xiaolan… let’s take the exam next year.”

Ah, Student Xiaolan was already distressed enough, what more could he ask for?

At this point, regret was useless, and he couldn’t speak harshly to Student Xiaolan.

Teacher Wang and Teacher Qi also came to their senses. Teacher Qi wiped away her tears and forced a smile:

“With another year of preparation, your Chinese foundation will be more solid, and you’ll score even higher!”

Would repeating a year improve scores?

That wasn’t certain. Some people study an extra year and improve their scores, while others might score even lower than before due to pressure or other factors, like performance anxiety or physical conditions.

At this moment, Teacher Qi could only focus on the positive aspects.

Xia Xiaolan was still moving her wrist, making Principal Sun wince. Everyone took turns trying to reason with Xia Xiaolan, but she remained silent.

Student Xiaolan must be in shock, starting to harm herself… This child had faced so many difficulties – a terrible home environment, and now she couldn’t even take her college entrance exam smoothly to secure a better future!

“Miss Xia…”

Ge Jian was filled with guilt and self-reproach.

Xia Xiaolan’s silence made his heart as heavy as a thousand-pound stone. If Xia Xiaolan would just nod, he would immediately go back and cripple those people. No, how could he wait for Miss Xia to ask? He should take the initiative!

As Ge Jian turned to leave, Xia Xiaolan frowned:

“Ge Jian, stay where you are!”

She had been lost in thought earlier, as anyone would be in such a situation.

Coming back to her senses, she noticed all the men in the room wore expressions of grief while the women were crying. Xia Xiaolan felt she should say something.

“Principal, Teacher Wang, you don’t need to be like this. I’ve been thinking, there might be a way for me to take the exam this year…”

Everyone looked at her, wanting to speak but holding back.

Ah, why force it? It just wasn’t meant to be her year to be the top scholar. Student Xiaolan was too considerate, even trying to comfort them instead.

“Xiaolan, you can’t force yourself. Knowingly pursuing something impossible isn’t persistence… it’s unwise!”

If the bone doesn’t heal properly, wouldn’t her right hand be permanently disabled? Even getting into university would be pointless then! The university could wait until next year, but a damaged hand would affect her whole life. Such a beautiful young woman with a disabled right hand would not only face work difficulties but also everyday inconveniences, and it might even affect her marriage prospects!

Seeing everyone’s looks of opposition, Xia Xiaolan painfully raised her injured hand and placed it on the table:

“I have an idea, but I need to ask the doctor if it’s feasible.”