The members of the admissions team who came to see Shen Xingruo were all liberal arts students, but to be admitted to top universities, their grades in all subjects couldn’t be too low.
One of the male students was quite astute and quickly steered the conversation towards the phosphor mentioned on the TV regarding the source of the ghost fire.
Being the top scorer in the province, both prestigious universities, D University and T University, attached great importance to her.
After being the first to contact Shen Xingruo in person, the head teacher received a phone call. Seeming to receive some news, he hung up and swiftly shifted the topic in another direction, expressing a desire to invite Shen Xingruo to visit D University. They would arrange her itinerary in the capital city, and if she agreed, they could depart immediately.
Before Shen Xingruo could make a decision, Shen Guangyao called again. Previously, Shen Guangyao had said over the phone that he wouldn’t interfere with her decision and she could choose whichever school she wanted, even going abroad. However, T University was adept at using connections. Within half an hour, Shen Guangyao’s former mentor, who had helped him when he was down and out, personally called him, hoping that Shen Guangyao would do him a favor and at least let Shen Xingruo meet with the admissions team from T University. Contacting them wouldn’t hurt.
With no other choice, Shen Guangyao postponed his preparations for an art exhibition and set off with the admissions team from T University to Star City overnight.
The head teacher of the admissions team probably also received this news, so he was eager to take Shen Xingruo away and isolate her from T University.
On the chaotic night, before Aunt Zhou knocked on the door tonight, Lu Xingyan had never imagined that the competition between top universities for students could reach such an exaggerated level.
Not only was Lu Xingyan surprised, but Shen Xingruo herself hadn’t expected it either.
What was particularly perplexing was that after she made it clear that she preferred D University and there was no need for such trouble, the members of the admissions team from D University didn’t show any signs of relief. One of them, who had been fought over by two universities, thought to himself that she didn’t understand the brainwashing abilities of admissions officers from top universities.
Back in the day, he was set on going to Hong Kong University, his determination was unwavering, and he even posted a Weibo saying, “Hong Kong University, here I come!” But then, the other university came knocking, and within two days, he changed his mind, just like Chen Shimei.
However, in the end, Shen Xingruo didn’t agree to go to the capital city with them right away. She only inquired about a few majors she was interested in, saying she wanted to consider them.
After Shen Guangyao brought the admissions team from T University, they extended the invitation for a visit as well. However, she didn’t agree, only saying that she would consider it carefully.
The sudden revelation about becoming the top scorer, followed by having to deal with two rounds of competition right away, left Shen Xingruo feeling surreal. It was as if everything that happened that night was an absurd fantasy, and she half-expected to wake up and find that nothing had occurred.
Shen Xingruo couldn’t sleep that night, and Lu Xingyan stayed up with her. They exchanged messages in the early part of the night, and as the night grew quieter, Lu Xingyan, feeling bold, slipped into Shen Xingruo’s room again.
Intimacy could be addictive. Since the awkward night when they established their relationship, Lu Xingyan’s proficiency in such matters had steadily improved. Most of the time, he simply held Shen Xingruo close, savoring the intimacy. Not every encounter with Shen Xingruo led to him being aroused like an overexcited puppy. Just like that night, he only held her in his arms.
They whispered, chatting aimlessly. When Lu Xingyan teased her, Shen Xingruo would retaliate with her usual teasing, now accompanied by some physical gestures. Lu Xingyan belatedly realized that Shen Xingruo was quite skilled at pinching.
They both slept dreamlessly.
The next morning, while Shen Xingruo still slept soundly, Lu Xingyan tucked her in, adjusted the air conditioning temperature slightly, and quietly returned to his room.
At 10 a.m., the cutoff scores for the college entrance exam in Xingnan Province were released. The cutoff score for first-tier universities was 562, and for second-tier universities, it was 515. Seeing this news, Lu Xingyan felt that achieving the cutoff for second-tier universities was quite possible.
The scores were released at 1 p.m. By noon, the score inquiry system was overwhelmed with traffic. Lu Xingyan remained calm, feeling there was no need to rush. After all, seeing the scores early wouldn’t magically improve them.
It was Shen Xingruo who held onto the admission ticket he had picked up from the trash, sitting in front of the computer all the while. When the scores were released, Lu Xingyan was lying on the sofa, deeply engrossed in his game, muttering insults at the opposing team without repeating himself.
As he was making the final push for victory, Shen Xingruo suddenly called out, “Lu Xingyan, the scores are out.” Her voice remained calm and composed as always.
Lu Xingyan, momentarily distracted, was killed by a high-damage assault from the enemy. A countdown appeared over his character’s head, awaiting resurrection. But judging from the current situation, his teammates should be able to push through and win the game.
He looked up and asked, “How is it? Is it bad?”
Shen Xingruo remained silent. Lu Xingyan glanced towards the door, not hearing any movement from Zhou Yi or Pei Yue, then continued, “Even if I performed poorly, you can’t take it back. You’re already my girlfriend.”
With that, he got up and approached Shen Xingruo. She kept her eyes on the screen. “562,” she said.
“How much?” Lu Xingyan thought he misheard. “You mean the cutoff score? I know the cutoff is 562.”
“I mean, your total score is 562,” Shen Xingruo clarified.
Lu Xingyan paused for a moment. On his phone screen, the enemy base exploded in red, and a female voice announced, “Victory!”
Name: Lu Xingyan
Examinee Number: 20xxxxxxxxxxxx
Admission Ticket Number: 13xxxxx
Chinese: 109
Mathematics: 118
Foreign Language: 107
Liberal Arts Comprehensive: 228
Total Score: 562
It was true. He had indeed scored 562, exactly hitting the cutoff for first-tier universities.
Simultaneously, the political affairs office of Mingli High School’s senior year exploded with excitement! The school received the class score report slightly earlier than the students.
Overall, in this year’s college entrance examination, Class One lagged in the three liberal arts experimental classes. With 56 students in the class, excluding eight students like Li Chengfan and Zhao Langming who were officially affiliated with Mingli Aristocratic High School, only 40 students passed the first-tier threshold.
Meanwhile, in Class Four, a regular class, 37 students also passed the first-tier threshold.
But, Class One produced the provincial top scorer in liberal arts!
This year, Xingnan Province’s top scorer in the science stream came from another school, and Mingli only secured second place. So, just by producing the provincial top scorer in liberal arts, Class One was enough to outshine all of Mingli’s classes this year.
Wang Youfu, holding his red thermos, beamed with pride. Facing the wrath of Ms. Zeng Guiyu, the headteacher of Class Two, who was furious that all her students passed the first-tier threshold but didn’t produce the top scorer, he looked so pleased that he almost stuck out his tongue and said, “Nyah nyah nyah.”
Apart from Shen Xingruo’s outstanding performance, He Siyue also squeezed into the top fifty in the province with an impressive total score of 677.
With the principal’s recommendation and a 60-point bonus during the interview, he could easily choose any major when entering university.
Furthermore, two others scored above 650 in total, so getting into prestigious universities wouldn’t be an issue.
There were 16 more students who scored above 600, exceeding the first-tier threshold by forty to fifty points. Getting into top universities like the 985 Project was a breeze.
And Wang Youfu even discovered a pleasant surprise: Lu Xingyan scored exactly 562, no more, no less!
What does this mean? It means Lu Xingyan made it into Xingcheng University!
In his three years at school, Lu Xingyan had caused countless troubles, skipped classes, arrived late, challenged teachers, and even got into fights! His grades were so poor; that he was a lifetime member of the underachievers’ club.
But under his guidance and care, this academically hopeless student suddenly turned over a new leaf and leaped through the gates of success. This demonstrated his outstanding teaching ability and excellent level of nurturing students, more so than producing a top scorer in his class!
Wang Youfu spent the entire day grinning like a blooming flower, his eyes squinting to a mere slit.
Lu Xingyan’s hooligan friends weren’t that surprised by the news, as in the world of underachievers, if Lu Xingyan could manage a 530 on a regular day, then 562 wasn’t that impressive.
Lu Xingyan himself didn’t react with as much surprise or joy as Pei Yue or Lushan did when they got into university.
It’s not like he’s attending a prestigious university.
In the evening when the results came out, the school organized a guidance session for filling out college application forms, but neither Shen Xingruo nor Lu Xingyan attended. They had their paths set. Shen Xingruo signed an agreement with her parents to finalize her choices. Lu Xingyan had the advantage of being admitted to Xing University through special enrollment, with the option to choose a major in liberal arts. Shen Xingruo supervised as he filled out the application for Chinese language and literature at Xing University. Everything settled smoothly.
Shen Xingruo couldn’t shake off the feeling of unreality, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. Since the scores were released, she unexpectedly became busy. Over the past few days, hundreds of media outlets, large and small, wanted to interview her. Several advertising agencies managed to get hold of her previous performance videos and found her attractive and well-mannered. Some wanted her for educational product advertisements, some for collaborations to promote the image of the top-scoring beauty, even turning her into an internet sensation. Even Xing City TV invited her, mentioning their ongoing popular quiz show themed around “academic season,” hoping she could participate.
She used to think being the top scorer was just about topping an exam, but she hadn’t expected so many blatant transactions related to interests to follow.
Shen Xingruo turned down many media requests, but those associated with Mingli were hard to refuse. She had been attending various events outside recently. Besides, the admissions office kept sending her invitations. Grateful for the kindness, she even managed to squeeze in two days to visit schools in the capital and attend a few lectures.
Meanwhile, Lu Xingyan found himself bored and ended up hanging out with his group of friends every day.
The thirtieth was the day Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan went to Paris and also the deadline for submitting college preferences. On the evening of the twenty-ninth, the admissions office finally allowed Shen Xingruo to go home. She turned down all remaining interview offers, collaborations, and program invitations.
On the way to the airport, teachers called to express their concerns, saying these were good opportunities for her. Going to university was like stepping into half of society, and it wouldn’t hurt to get an early taste of it. But Shen Xingruo declined. Sometimes, she felt she was a bit too romantic, as she would rather not miss out on traveling to Europe with Lu Xingyan than deal with these things.
As the plane landed at Xing City Airport, the sky outside was overcast. Shen Xingruo took a cab back to Falling Star Lake. On the way, she saw Li Chengfan’s location tagged at a billiards club in her friend’s circle. She called Lu Xingyan to confirm, and when he said yes, she promptly instructed the driver to change course.
Lu Xingyan’s billiards skills were decent. At the moment, he was in the middle of demonstrating a perfect clearance when he answered a call, causing a slight misalignment and breaking his streak.
“Wanna come, Ruojie? Where are you?” Li Chengfan perked up upon hearing the phone.
“She’s in the capital. Saw it in your friend’s circle. Give her a call,” Lu Xingyan replied lazily.
Xu Chengzhou dabbed some chalk on his cue stick, aiming while teasing, “The wife’s checking in on the high-achieving scholar.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of Lu Xingyan’s lips. “What, jealous?”
This group of friends seemed to be under some kind of curse. Except for him, they were all single. After the college entrance exams, everyone’s minds became more active, and whenever they went out, the topic of romance inevitably surfaced.
Today was no exception. Xu Chengzhou first brought up his recent failed attempts at pursuing girls and self-flagellated, followed by Bian He who couldn’t help expressing his inner anguish.
Back then, he quite liked Zhai Jiajing—gentle, understanding, and beautiful. Who would’ve thought she had such a malicious side?
As they complained incessantly, they also ruthlessly aimed to clear the table with one stroke, creating a wave of excitement.
When it was Lu Xingyan’s turn to break, the table was already half-cleared. Zhao Langming, mischievous as ever, began to distract him.
“Yan Ge, not to nag, but you really should put more effort into this long-distance relationship with Ruojie.”
“Forget about the far-off, look at the near ones. He Siyue got into university, right? As the saying goes, ‘nearest the water, first to the moon.’ Don’t forget how you got her, and you might just lose her to someone else,” he quipped.
Lu Xingyan chuckled lightly, raising an eyebrow at him as he sunk two more balls with a single stroke.
Then, he stood up, dusting off his hands, and nonchalantly remarked, “Give it up, man. With your skills, trying to distract me? Don’t worry, long-distance relationships, don’t exist.”
As he spoke, he extended a finger and shook it.
“What do you mean?” Zhao Langming was confused.
Lu Xingyan glanced at the wall clock. With only four hours left until the deadline for college applications, he felt it was safe to explain, “I didn’t apply to Xing University. Instead, I applied to several schools nearby, including one that upgraded to first-tier only last year. I figure I’ll make it with just the passing score. I never wanted to go to any 985 or 211 universities anyway. Plus, if I can’t be with my girlfriend at the same school, what’s the point?”
…?
Wait a minute. Even though these guys weren’t highly educated, they still knew there was a significant gap between regular first-tier universities and the 985 Project.
They were all at a loss.
Li Chengfan exclaimed, “Are you crazy? Does Shen Xingruo know about this?”
“I dare not let her know. You know her temper. She could make me jump into a lake at any moment. But tonight’s the deadline for applications. By the time… what’s that saying? Oh, ‘the die is cast.’ I’ve already filled out the forms. At most, she’ll give me the silent treatment for a few days. It’s not like it’s a big deal. If we’re going to be in a long-distance relationship for four years, I doubt there’s much left to talk about in our relationship…”
Lu Xingyan rambled on, lost in his thoughts. Just as he was about to share more of his profound insights, he suddenly noticed how quiet it had become around him. Plus, Li Chengfan was frantically gesturing at him.
It was only then that Lu Xingyan realized. He set down his cue stick and turned around.
There stood Shen Xingruo, dragging her suitcase, less than three meters away from him. Her expression was chillingly aloof, something he hadn’t seen from her in a long time.