This woman’s voice sounded similar to Shen Xingruo’s, cool yet soothing, but not as icy as Shen Xingruo’s, completely frigid.
As she approached, Lu Xingyan finally recognized her. This PR director from JiaBai, his cousin Jiang Che’s girlfriend, had a good relationship with Jiang Che, seemingly on the verge of marriage. They had met a few times at various events, and Lu Xingyan vaguely remembered her. However, previously, she had called Lu Shan “Uncle” when they met, but now she was all business, addressing Lu Shan as “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Xingyan took a seat in a corner. Zhou You, as a gesture, smiled politely at him, even repositioning her notebook to show Lu Shan. Lu Xingyan usually had zero interest in Lu Shan’s work, but this time, although appearing indifferent, he listened attentively, not even missing the internal exchanges within their PR team.
However, perhaps due to the occupational hazard of PR, their team discussions often mixed Chinese with incomprehensible English terms. Lu Xingyan patiently listened for a while, pretending to understand everything on the surface but internally annoyed at the mixture of languages. Couldn’t they just speak properly?
In his irritation, he couldn’t help but wonder if Shen Xingruo were here, would she understand? She definitely would. No matter the circumstances, she never lowered her noble head.
“…Lu Xingyan, what are you thinking? Are you even listening to me?” Lu Shan shouted several times, his voice instinctively rising higher each time.
It took Lu Xingyan a while to snap out of his daze. He looked up and glanced at Lu Shan. Even though Lu Shan had just come out of the hospital and seemed fine now, Lu Xingyan could imagine him in old age, smiling amiably but ready to strike anyone who didn’t listen to him with his cane.
Thinking about it, Lu Xingyan realized that his father and grandfather weren’t so dissimilar after all.
“What’s wrong?”
Lu Xingyan rubbed his hair. Seeing him in this lazy state, Lu Shan couldn’t help but feel frustrated. He started lecturing him right in front of everyone. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be down here. Are you here to watch a show or something?”
“…,” Lu Xingyan twiddled his index finger against his nose and leaned forward slightly.
Zhou, You smiled politely, breaking the tension at the right moment. “Xiao Yan, here’s the thing. The issue with your college entrance exam scores is closely tied to Jinsheng’s affairs. We plan to handle them together.”
“Around three o’clock this afternoon, the Provincial Education Bureau will release a detailed investigation report. We will promptly follow up with the news release and be prepared to control public opinion.”
Public opinion control…?
In other words, they were talking about internet water armies. They sure knew how to talk.
Zhou, You continued, “We also have a plan in place. After the Education Bureau releases its report, we hope to use your essay to respond to the investigation results. Since we need to disclose your college entrance exam essay, we’d like to hear your opinion.”
…?
Lu Xingyan sat on the sofa, pressing his temples, his mind blank for a few seconds. “How am I supposed to remember what I wrote? Do I have to rewrite it?”
“Of course not. We have your essay. It was after seeing your essay that we came up with this plan.”
Lu Xingyan was puzzled. “But where did you see it?”
Zhou, You just smiled gently, not addressing his question directly.
After a brief moment of eye contact with her, Lu Xingyan quickly figured it out on his own. Of course, with the Education Bureau investigating, his test papers must have been reviewed multiple times.
If they couldn’t even get their hands on something like that, what were they doing in PR? It would be best for them to pack up and leave.
Lu Xingyan had just regained his senses, and since he only vaguely understood the specifics of their plan, he didn’t want to be difficult at this critical moment. So, he casually nodded and said, “I’m fine with it, whatever.”
“Alright.” With the young master’s consent, Zhou You breathed a sigh of relief.
Back when Jinsheng International Plaza first opened, she was just a small client representative at Jia Bo. The incident of the suicide during the opening ceremony was handled entirely by their team. At that time, she had no real authority, but as long as it was about business, there was no need to bring emotions into it.
But things were different now. Lu Shan was Jiang Che’s uncle, and Lu Xingyan, this little young master, was Jiang Che’s precious cousin. It was no longer just about handling things well; they also needed to consider the emotions of the people involved.
After confirming all the procedures with Lu Shan, Zhou You closed her notebook and didn’t delay any further. She planned to leave with her team.
Now that the discussion was over, there was no need to maintain a strictly businesslike demeanor. When leaving, Zhou You visibly relaxed, addressing Lu Shan and Pei Yue as Uncle and Aunt. She assured them that she would do her best to handle the situation properly.
Zhou, You were not one to boast. When she said she would do her best to handle the situation properly, it meant she was confident that she could resolve the matter satisfactorily.
Pei Yue, who had been anxious for quite some time, felt slightly reassured. As she got up to see them off, she also took the opportunity to inquire about the progress of Zhou You and Jiang Che’s wedding.
Bringing up the wedding, Zhou You seemed a bit embarrassed. After briefly mentioning it, she tactfully changed the subject and asked, “By the way, Auntie, what about Ruo Ruo? I heard from Jiang Che that she topped the liberal arts in this year’s provincial exam. She’s amazing.”
“Yes, Ruo Ruo, you don’t know yet. She’s always been so outstanding. Her father is organizing an art exhibition in Paris recently, and she went along. After finishing the college entrance exams, she always needs to relax a bit.” Pei Yue nodded and continued to praise.
Zhou You and Jiang Che’s family were very close, and after their relationship progressed to the stage of talking about marriage, it was inevitable that she would have to get along with his family.
At first, Zhou You felt that she couldn’t get along with the Lu family at all. She could only remember what Jiang Che said—his aunt especially liked the idea of marrying the little girls from the family. So, every time she met Pei Yue, she would find ways to praise Shen Xingru.
Jiang Che’s words were indeed true. Every time she praised Shen Xingru, Pei Yue seemed particularly happy. She was much happier than when she struggled to come up with something to praise Lu Xingyan.
Although Zhou You could now naturally get along with Pei Yue and Lu Shan, she still never failed to praise Shen Xingruo whenever she saw Pei Yue.
No matter how many times she praised or flattered, this time was no exception. As soon as she mentioned Shen Xingruo topping the provincial exams, Pei Yue’s whole demeanor brightened up. As she saw them off, she continued to chatter about how amazing and considerate Shen Xingruo was, worrying about them in Paris and calling them late into the night.
Liu Xingyan sat on the sofa, listening to the conversation between the two, he closed his eyes for a moment and then dug into his ear.
He really should ask on Muzhi (a Chinese Q&A website) how to deal with having an ex-girlfriend who is too outstanding.
Or perhaps, how to cope with an ex-girlfriend whose presence is too strong?
At three oh five in the afternoon, the Education Bureau of Xingnan Province released a lengthy statement, publicly disclosing the investigation results of the alleged manipulation of scores in the college entrance examination.
This incident caused quite a stir, as a simple assertion of “not true” clearly wouldn’t suffice to convince the public. Therefore, the investigation results were exceptionally detailed.
From reports on the examination conditions to the contents of Liu Xingyan’s papers in each subject, and even to the personnel involved in the grading process after the papers were collected, everything was meticulously documented.
In short, from Liu Xingyan taking the college entrance examination to the release of the results, after repeated scrutiny, there was no issue whatsoever.
When this irrefutable investigation result was made public, it was a significant plot twist for the onlookers.
In previous news reports, Liu Xingyan had been portrayed as a true blue second-generation rich kid who lacked academic prowess.
His high school classmates even posted one of his monthly exam scores online once.
It was truly a sight to behold, not even totaling 400 for all nine subjects combined.
Moreover, rumors spread by the Mingli faction, such as buying someone’s virginity, were also intentionally or unintentionally circulated, firmly establishing his playboy image in the public consciousness.
Now that the investigation had cleared him, providing substantial evidence that there was no manipulation in the college entrance examination and that he had indeed achieved a score of 562 based on his abilities, the onlookers found it hard to accept it for a while.
If they couldn’t accept it, then it truly was a plot twist.
But some with wild imaginations who couldn’t accept it still spoke up, saying, “With such a deep background, maybe he already knew the content of the exam and memorized the answers before the college entrance exam.”
However, there were still rational voices in the world, and soon someone rebutted:
a. “Hello? Sister, could you be a bit more awake? You should know that the rumors you’re spreading are no longer just about this little brother’s issue, nor are they about Jinsheng’s background or the Education Bureau of Xingnan Province. It’s about the national college entrance exam leaking questions. Except for the literature and comprehensive subjects, the three main subjects in Xingnan Province are all based on the national exam papers.”
b. “I don’t mean to diss Xing University, but if they can get the national exam papers leaked for him, why bother going to Xing University at all?”
This assumption indeed didn’t hold water, and not many netizens echoed it. Moreover, following the statement from the Provincial Education Bureau, Xingcheng University promptly followed suit, officially stating that their self-enrollment plan was entirely in line with regulations, and all procedures were open, fair, and just.
Both the written and oral parts of the self-enrollment exams were under constant monitoring, and all relevant monitoring records were submitted to the Education Bureau, passing scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Jia Bo’s side also demonstrated the high quality and efficiency of their professional PR team. They extracted the previously ignored interviews with the class teacher from the vast and complex information flow and presented them to the public.
“Comrade reporter, I can’t answer your question. Why are you so aggressive at such a young age? I teach politics, and you want to involve me? If you want to manipulate my words, you better go back and study for a few more years.”
…
“I’ll just say this once, this thing is impossible! Whether it’s me or you who are his class teacher, the progress he’s made since the second semester of sophomore year is evident. I can show you, but you refuse to see it!”
…
“I have nothing more to say. Even if I tell you, you won’t listen. Your behavior, seeking sensational news instead of truth, goes against the core socialist values. That’s not how interviews should be conducted!”
…
This segment of Wang Youfu’s interview video came from a local channel in Xingcheng, totaling less than a minute.
In the interview, Wang Youfu was puffing his beard and glaring, holding his red thermos cup, looking as if he could fight the reporter at any moment. Later, the grade leader arrived and interrupted the interview officially, making a few perfunctory remarks.
These days, it wasn’t entirely devoid of people standing on Liu Xingyan’s side. Many classmates from his class were active on various forums, saying that he had indeed made rapid progress in this year and a half, and some even posted his midterm and final exam scores. However, they were few, and their influence was too weak. Speaking up either went unnoticed or was ignored.
It wasn’t until the investigation results came out, coupled with deliberate PR efforts, that these opinions and evidence appeared in everyone’s view and began to be discussed.
The responses from the Provincial Education Bureau and Xing University were trending on Weibo for most of the day. By evening, Liu Xingyan’s essay for the Chinese language section of the college entrance exam quietly began circulating online.
This essay received a high score of 52 and was a narrative essay. Although the author’s writing style wasn’t outstanding, the emotional expression was spot on.
He used the theme of “rise and fall” based on his father’s years of struggles as the main line of the essay. He conveyed and interacted emotionally through his father’s unspoken affection towards him, as well as his admiration for his father’s unspoken love, which was evident between the lines.
Overall, it seemed quite simple and sincere, with a good theme. Getting a score of 52 was not unreasonable.
However, the focus of netizens’ attention was a bit off.
a. “After reading the essay, I realized that his dad struggled, while my current studio can only be called scraping by.”
b. “Let me be the first comment, while he’s navigating the business world’s ups and downs, we’re probably just dealing with the ups and downs of our bathtub.”
With this essay, the attitude of the onlookers changed significantly. It just didn’t seem like something a lazy rich kid could write. It made people rethink their previous opinions of him!
Before, Lu Shan had only heard from Zhou You that Liu Xingyan’s essay was good. Presenting this kind of evidence that could effectively reflect his academic level was quite convincing.
But what he didn’t know was that this essay was written by Liu Xingyan himself.
It wasn’t until he received hundreds and thousands of inexplicable messages from his subordinates that he became aware of the essay circulating online.
In the essay, Liu Xingyan mentioned a very small incident.
He talked about a time when he was in elementary school and the school urgently needed a copy of his household registration. He was already angry at his father for not being home for a long time, and now his father had taken the household registration to another city. So, he called his father with a particularly harsh tone, demanding that he immediately return the household registration, or else not to come back at all.
As a result, his father rushed back home at four in the morning to deliver the household registration to him and even brought him his favorite cake. He probably was exhausted, as he ended up collapsing on the bed and sleeping there the entire night.
It was something that could have been done with just scanning and faxing, but instead, he needlessly had his dad rush back during a critical phase of the project. He felt extremely guilty about it.
That night, Lu Shan kept reading and rereading the essay in his bedroom, even showing it off to Pei Yuexuan.
“Look at this essay, it’s so well-written, so heartfelt. Liu Xingyan isn’t just a spoiled kid after all. Do you remember the good things I did for him as his father?”
Pei Yuexuan, considering his recent discharge from the hospital, held her tongue.
But Lu Shan couldn’t resist boasting further. “Look at you, as his mother, I know you like the little girl, especially since Xing Ruo came. But can’t you also consider our son’s feelings a bit? Always talking about Ruo Ruo, it’s no wonder Liu Xingyan doesn’t mention you in his essay.”
“Of course, that’s because I have some decency when I write. I have something to write about. You should reflect on yourself. After so many years of marriage, all you do is shop or get beauty treatments, play mahjong, or update your social media. Even your friends care more about our son than you do. If you want to write something, you need something worth writing about. Look at what you’ve done. So don’t be jealous.”
Unable to bear it any longer, and not needing to, Pei Yuexuan didn’t hold back. She listened to his nagging for a while, then exploded, grabbing a pillow and smashing it onto him!
“Now that you’ve grown wings, I can’t control you anymore. Look at how proud you are! If you both end up making headlines in the society section, it’s not embarrassing enough for you! Get up! What are you sleeping for? Get out! Get out!”
With three swift actions, she chased Lu Shan downstairs, still burning with rage, then stormed up to the third floor with the pillow.
Liu Xingyan was still staring at the chat box with Shen Xingruo on WeChat when Pei Yuexuan burst in, and before he could react, she grabbed his ear and dragged him under the bed.
“What are you doing, Mom? Let go! It hurts!”
“You know what pain is? Do I, as your mother, not feel pain? Your father just brought back a household registration and you’re so moved you’re writing an essay to commemorate it! After sacrificing my youth for you two for so many years and managing such a big family, don’t I deserve praise? What’s the use of raising you, you ungrateful brat? Alright, if you’re so moved, so commemorative, then go downstairs and sleep on the couch with your great-dad, who’s been navigating the ups and downs of the business world!”