Xue Jiao spotted it from afar, her gaze fixed on Chu Sheng's name.
The college entrance exam is a towering mountain, with forks in the road, muddy and rugged paths, and countless obstacles—a challenge most people cannot avoid in their lifetime.
Xue Jiao had already struggled to the summit once, only to turn back and climb it again.
This time, she avoided all the wrong paths, charging straight toward her goal in a better way, without any detours.
The first-semester exams in the second year of high school weren’t difficult, and Xue Jiao had already experienced them once.
Yet even in such an exam, Chu Sheng scored 730—only nine points lower than her "cheat-like" performance.
No wonder this was Qizhong High.
Xue Jiao’s eyes darkened. These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant, solidifying her resolve and filling her with fighting spirit.
Soon, someone interrupted her silence.
"Gu Xue Jiao?! How is that possible?! Wasn’t her performance terrible before?!" Liu Yazhen raised her voice, pointing at the first name on the list with disbelief.
The other parents didn’t care about the past. They followed her finger and looked, then immediately grabbed their own children nearby.
Some were earnest—
"Look at her! 739! Only 11 points deducted! How can you drop so much compared to your first monthly exam when she’s doing so well?!"
Some were exasperated—
"Look at her—same test, but you’re nearly a hundred points behind!"
Some were furious—
"I ought to beat the crap out of you!"
...
Meanwhile, the students from Classes 1 and 2 were stunned, their eyes wide with shock.
Gu Xue Jiao—there wasn’t a single person in these two classes who didn’t know her!
After all… her looks were anything but ordinary!
Some had even said before that Gu Xue Jiao was prettier than the school’s acknowledged goddess, Gu Shiyun! But since Gu Shiyun had always been both talented and beautiful, no one questioned her status as the top beauty.
Thanks to the bet between Cheng Mingjiao and Gu Xue Jiao last time, everyone in Classes 1 and 2 knew her—stunningly beautiful but academically hopeless.
But… what the hell was this 739 and first place?!
Class 1 was just as shocked. They knew Xue Jiao better than Class 2 did. Though they were aware she studied diligently, her last monthly exam results had indeed been poor.
None of them had expected her to score so outrageously this time!
She had crushed everyone and soared straight to the top!
The students of Classes 1 and 2 were dumbfounded, mouths slightly agape, their minds blank.
Of course, they didn’t yet know that what they were witnessing was merely the beginning of a dazzling journey.
This kind of overwhelming dominance would forever remain in their memories.
Seeing that her outburst hadn’t drawn much attention, Liu Yazhen couldn’t help but step closer to the teacher and raise her voice again.
"Teacher, I’m Gu Xue Jiao’s aunt. Her grades have always been terrible before—how did she suddenly do so well this time? Shouldn’t we question the authenticity of these results?"
Her words caught the attention of many, especially the already dazed Wu Wanjun and Gu Shiyun.
Yin Fang glanced at the composed Gu Xue Jiao standing in the distance and took a deep breath.
"First, I assure you that these results are fair, just, and reflect the students’ true abilities. We’ll discuss the rest in the classroom."
In truth, Yin Fang’s shock was no less than Liu Yazhen’s.
Rewind to yesterday afternoon.They had just finished grading all the exams for the entire grade in the morning, and by the afternoon, the results were tallied. Yin Fang first received the English scores and was immediately struck by Gu Xue Jiao's performance—her English score was an unexpected leap, far beyond her usual level.
By around five in the afternoon, all the results were out.
The teachers of the sophomore year group were stunned. Yin Fang was completely dumbfounded.
Gu Xue Jiao? 739?!
"Teacher Yin! Your student Gu Xue Jiao scored 739?!" The voice of Class Two's homeroom teacher reverberated through the office.
Yin Fang swallowed hard and muttered blankly, "There... wasn’t any leaked exam content this time, right?"
Even as she asked, she wasn’t entirely sure. After all, her English exam papers had been prepared at home just before the test and were only sent to the reviewing teacher a few days prior. She hadn’t leaked anything, and the reviewer was the strict and rule-abiding grade director—there was absolutely no chance of a leak from that end.
"Not from my side," the Chinese teacher chimed in. "And her Chinese answers were exceptionally well-written. Even if there had been a leak, she couldn’t have answered that well." She had always liked Gu Xue Jiao—her handwriting was neat, and she paid attention in class. She added, "Besides, Gu Xue Jiao has been performing very well in class, and her answers matched the style of her usual exercises. Based on her practice work, I think this is her true potential. Last month’s exam was just an off day."
The physics teacher nodded. "It’s rare to see a student as diligent as Gu Xue Jiao. I’ve noticed several times that she prepares in advance—her homework and exercises are done ahead of time. When I gave them problems to solve in class, she finished quickly. I used to wonder why such a hardworking student didn’t perform better..."
When no one brought it up, these details went unnoticed. But now, all the overlooked signs came rushing back.
Other teachers flipped through her assignments, chattering excitedly. The consensus was that while luck might have played a small role in her outstanding performance this time, her ability was undeniable. Her previous poor results were likely due to a weak foundation, which she had been steadily improving.
Class Two’s homeroom teacher was just as stunned as Yin Fang. He stared at her and said, "I remember when Gu Xue Jiao first joined your class, her math score was just nine points, and the rest were a mess too..."
Yin Fang nodded. "Right... Last month’s exam, she barely passed everything..."
"From nine points to ninety?!" the Chinese teacher exclaimed.
The math teacher was silent for a moment before adding, "First monthly exam: nine to ninety. Second monthly exam: ninety to full marks..."
"This Gu Xue Jiao must be both incredibly hardworking and talented..."
"Teacher Yin," Class Two’s homeroom teacher said, his tone slightly sour, "your Gu Xue Jiao did way too well this time. She even surpassed Chu Sheng. Ever since the class divisions, without humanities dragging him down, Chu Sheng has always been at the top..."
At the mention of the student she often praised, Yin Fang immediately lifted her chin. "What’s wrong with that? Our class has a top scorer too. Chu Sheng is impressive, but this time, Gu Xue Jiao beat him by nine points!"
The Class Two teacher scoffed. "It’s just a coincidence, pure luck. Chu Sheng’s talent and ability aren’t something just anyone can match."
"Then we’ll see in the next monthly exam!"Yin Fang said this, but in her heart, she had already conceded that Xue Jiao's success this time was largely due to luck. It would be difficult for her to surpass Chu Sheng again next time.
Time returned to the present.
Although Yin Fang herself had doubted Gu Xue Jiao's results, there was no actual evidence of any leaks in the exam process.
So she only told Liu Yazhen to wait and discuss it later.
"But—"
Liu Yazhen wanted to say more, but Yin Fang cut her off: "Parents, please enter the classroom first!"
After all, she was the homeroom teacher. As soon as she spoke, the other parents quickly filed in.
Li Sitong stood frozen in place. Seeing her motionless, Xue Jiao walked over and said, "Let's go in."
The moment she spoke, Li Sitong grabbed her arm and hissed in a low, fierce voice, "What's going on with your grades?! Did you cheat?!"
Xue Jiao: "..."
After a pause, she replied, "No. Wouldn’t the teachers know if I cheated?"
With that, she walked ahead into the classroom.
Li Sitong opened her mouth to speak but, seeing Xue Jiao already walking away, could only follow.
"Parents of Class Two, please enter the classroom as well!" the homeroom teacher of Class Two organized the parents to go inside.
Wu Wanjun gripped Gu Shiyun's hand tightly, gritting her teeth. "What happened?! How did her grades suddenly become so good?!"
Gu Shiyun's expression was no better—her face was filled with unconcealed gloom.
"And didn’t you say you’d make it into the top three?!"
Gu Shiyun’s face darkened further.
Without Gu Xue Jiao, her grades would indeed have been in the top three. But now, Xue Jiao had unexpectedly taken first place. And... despite giving her best effort, why was she still inferior to others?!
Wu Wanjun took a deep breath, her steps heavy with anger. Gu Shiyun’s usually proud grades had now left her feeling humiliated.
Moreover, the thought of how smug she had been in front of Li Sitong earlier made her feel as if she had been slapped—her face burned with shame.
——
"Parents, I am Yin Fang, the homeroom teacher of Class One and also the English teacher. You should all know me!" Yin Fang’s gaze swept across the room as she resumed her usual stern expression.
The parents sat in their children’s seats, while the students stood at the back.
As soon as she finished speaking, the parents immediately broke into scattered applause.
Li Sitong sat in Xue Jiao’s seat—the last row by the door. The teacher stood at the front, and many parents blocked her view.
If she didn’t straighten her back and stretch her neck, she could only see half the blackboard. Even when she strained to look, her view remained incomplete.
Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the desk.
The surface was spotless, with only a neatly written class schedule pasted in the top right corner.
Looking into the drawer, she saw it was packed with books, all covered in black-and-white checkered paper, their titles written on the spines.
Li Sitong suddenly realized that she might never have truly understood this daughter of hers...
"This time, our class’s performance has improved slightly compared to the first monthly exam. Although we only have four students in the top ten of the grade, two of them made it into the top three! Especially..." Yin Fang paused here, her gaze shifting meaningfully toward Gu Xue Jiao.
She recalled the bet they had made about class rankings—never expecting Xue Jiao to suddenly become the top student in the entire grade!
But Yin Fang was someone who valued grades above all else. Xue Jiao had brought her honor, and though her feelings were complicated, she was ultimately more pleased than anything.
Especially since Xue Jiao had managed to surpass that old rival Chu Sheng from the neighboring class!Although... Yin Fang felt that this time might just be a coincidence, and in the next monthly exam, Chu Sheng should return to his position as the top student in the grade.
"Especially Gu Xue Jiao, who achieved an outstanding score of 739! Let's all congratulate her!"
Yin Fang led the applause when a loud, gruff male voice suddenly came from the doorway: "What?! Someone scored 739?!"
Everyone quickly turned to look. A middle-aged man in a suit and sunglasses stood at the back entrance.
Though dressed decently today, his flashy "nouveau riche" aura was unmistakable in every detail, exuding an extremely flamboyant presence.
In stark contrast to his exaggerated demeanor, Yi Tianyu, who followed behind him, stood out much more.
Tall and handsome, Yi Tianyu wore a hoodie and jeans, radiating youthful energy.
This father-son pair were both eye-catching figures.
Yi Tianyu tugged at Yi Dafa's sleeve, whispering angrily, "Keep it down!"
Yi Dafa brushed him off and asked cheerfully, "Where's your seat?"
"Right here," Yi Tianyu reluctantly pointed to the nearest seat.
Yi Dafa frowned. "Son, why is your seat so bad?"
"Stop complaining and just sit down!" Yi Tianyu pushed him into the seat, wiped his sweat, then scanned the room before heading straight to the corner where Xue Jiao sat.
Xue Jiao handed him two tissues.
"...Thanks." Yi Tianyu paused, then took them somewhat sheepishly, dabbing his forehead.
Xue Jiao shook her head. "No problem. Why are you so late?"
Yi Tianyu sighed. "My dad found out about my grades and insisted on coming to the parent-teacher meeting. He got so excited on the way that we got into a car accident."
Though his grades were poor, Yi Tianyu's parents cared deeply about them and had already inquired about his results the night before.
That morning, they'd argued fiercely over who would attend the meeting and who would go to the office, delaying them significantly.
"Ah? Is everyone okay?"
"No one was hurt."
Xue Jiao nodded and looked away.
Yi Tianyu leaned in slightly, lowering his voice with a teasing grin. "Hey, were you worried about me?"
Xue Jiao rolled her eyes and didn't respond.
No sooner had Yi Dafa settled into his seat than he spoke up again. "Teacher, is it really true that a student scored 739?"
His question was purely out of shock and curiosity.
Liu Yazhen's eyes gleamed as she smiled at Yi Dafa first, though his dark sunglasses made him oblivious to her.
Disappointed, she turned back and chimed in with a mocking smile, "Yes, teacher. Since Gu Xue Jiao achieved such a high score, could you share her secret? Especially how she jumped from hundreds of places to first in just one month?"
While Yi Dafa was merely curious, Liu Yazhen's tone was pointed, her smile derisive, as if certain Xue Jiao's results were questionable.
The parents in the class were stunned—from hundreds of places to first?
Li Sitong clenched her jaw, her gaze fixed intently on the teacher.
"Actually, Gu Xue Jiao's improvement wasn't just over one month. When she first joined our class, her total score was barely over a hundred."
"Boom—" The words hit like a bomb, shocking all the parents in the room."But this semester, Gu Xue Jiao has been exceptionally diligent. While we assigned two supplementary textbooks for each subject, she bought an additional one herself. She prepares before class, pays full attention during lessons, and reviews thoroughly afterward. All our teachers have witnessed her hard work firsthand."
Sometimes it's like this—without results, others only acknowledge about twenty percent of your efforts.
Even those twenty percent are met with skepticism: "If she's working so hard but still performing poorly, is she really putting in enough effort?"
Even if they confirm you're diligent, people will say—"If she's so hardworking yet her grades are still bad, maybe she's just not cut out for studying? Maybe her methods are inefficient?"
But once you achieve results, suddenly every bit of your effort is magnified in their eyes, as if they're afraid to miss a single detail.
Yin Fang paused for two seconds before continuing: "Therefore, through such dedicated efforts, Gu Xue Jiao scored 451 in last month's monthly exam, and this month, she achieved 739. This improvement is the direct result of proper diligence! Parents, as you can see from Xue Jiao's results—hard work never betrays. As long as your children put in the effort, nothing is impossible!"
"Bravo!" Yi Dafa shouted loudly, clapping enthusiastically.
"Students, you're now in your second year of high school, with half of the first semester already gone. You're getting closer and closer to your third year—to the college entrance exams! It's not too late to start working hard now—Gu Xue Jiao is proof of that! And if you think your current grades are decent and slack off, remember—there are countless others still pushing forward! The college entrance exam is a narrow bridge—if you don't strive, those who do will push you off!" Yin Fang raised her voice.
"Exactly!" Yi Dafa clapped first again, and the other parents followed with fervent applause.
"High school is the most critical period for these children. Parents must also fulfill their responsibilities—the college entrance exam isn't just the child's battle. Their performance depends not only on teachers but also on you!"
Yin Fang raised her voice further, outlining what parents should do. Meanwhile, Yi Tianyu stood beside Xue Jiao, looking as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"Y-you... you... you—" he stammered.
Xue Jiao turned her head, smiling faintly at him.
Yi Tianyu took a deep breath, needing a long moment before he could speak: "You... scored... 739?"
739?!
How the hell is that even humanly possible?!
His expression was so shocked that Xue Jiao couldn't help wanting to laugh. "Mhm..."
Yi Tianyu leaned slightly to the side. This was far more shocking than "thinking she was bronze, only to find out she's a god-tier player"!
Yin Fang had said Xue Jiao was diligent, steadily improving since the start of the semester. Yi Tianyu couldn't help recalling their first meeting—how confidently she had spoken, how from the very beginning, she had completed all her assignments ahead of time and flawlessly...
And... last month's exam...
"Just barely passed..." she had said after the first monthly exam.
"Yep, gave it my all," she had said after the second one.
"Boom—" His mind exploded in realization. Yi Tianyu stared at the composed girl beside him in disbelief.
She was still as lovely as ever—her large eyes blinking lightly, long and thick lashes fluttering like a teasing disturbance against one's heart.
Standing next to his towering 190cm frame, her 160cm figure seemed especially petite.
Yet this seemingly gentle and delicate girl had actually—!
Yi Tianyu lowered his voice, gritting his teeth: "Gu Xue Jiao! You—it was all an act! Last month—you deliberately only scored ninety on purpose!"Xue Jiao raised an eyebrow and turned her head, her eyes filled with surprise.
Had Yi Tianyu actually developed this level of intelligence?
Seeing that she didn’t deny it, Yi Tianyu huffed angrily, “You—unbelievable—”
By now, Yin Fang had almost finished her announcements. She picked up a stack of report cards from the podium. “These are the grades of everyone in our class, including individual subject scores. They’re printed in order of class ranking. The third column shows the grade-wide ranking, and the last column indicates changes in ranking. Parents, please take a look and compare.”
As she stepped down from the podium, handing one to each parent, she continued, “Many students have shown significant improvement this time, such as Gu Xue Jiao, Li An, Liu…”
After listing a few names, she paused. “And Yi Tianyu, who scored over 200 points higher than in the first monthly exam. These are all signs of progress. If this trend continues, getting into university won’t be a problem. Parents must ensure they keep up with their studies.”
“Absolutely! We’ll definitely supervise, definitely supervise!” Yi Dafa grinned, revealing two rows of teeth. Fortunately, he hadn’t removed his sunglasses, so his already invisible eyes remained hidden.
Yin Fang was startled by his enthusiasm and took a moment to compose herself before continuing. “Of course, while some have improved, others have regressed. Students like Yu Fangfang and Cheng Mingjiao have shown noticeable declines. Parents, please check the last column. If your child has slipped in ranking, have a serious talk with them to identify the problem. We’re already in the second year of high school—time waits for no one!”
“Take a look for now. I’ll step out to fetch the subject teachers to discuss further with everyone.”
As soon as Yin Fang left, the classroom buzzed with chatter.
Liu Yazhen stared at the report card, her gaze fixed on Cheng Mingjiao’s results.
Cheng Mingjiao: 668 points, ranked 99th, dropped 81 places.
Then she looked at Gu Xue Jiao’s astonishing scores, wishing she could tear her apart.
Gu Xue Jiao!
She refused to believe that girl could score 739! Did they think she’d never been to school?
Cheng Mingjiao attended extra tutoring classes on weekends besides regular school, and her best rank had only been 18th.
How could that former red-haired delinquent Gu Xue Jiao possibly score so well?
She didn’t believe Li Sitong could raise a child who was any good!
But since Yin Fang had already confirmed there were no issues with Gu Xue Jiao’s results, Liu Yazhen had nothing more to say.
As for Cheng Mingjiao…
How could she have dropped so much?!
Liu Yazhen glanced back, her eyes sweeping over Cheng Mingjiao before she gritted her teeth.
Yi Dafa studied the report card, clicking his tongue. In his eyes, Yi Tianyu had improved tremendously, yet he was still second-to-last in the class—though his grade-wide ranking had risen significantly.
He kept staring at Gu Xue Jiao’s perfect scores across multiple subjects, feeling like he was looking at a prodigy.
What kind of parent could raise someone like that?
His gaze drifted to the woman beside him, who was staring blankly at the report card. She wasn’t young, but she was still strikingly beautiful.
Yi Dafa wasn’t the type to flirt with every pretty woman he saw. He simply thought—since she was sitting in this terrible spot like him and now looked dazed at the results—could she be the parent of the student ranked dead last?
So he turned to her, removed his sunglasses, and smiled mysteriously.
“How did your child do, ma’am?”
Li Sitong snapped out of her daze, moving her stiff neck to look at the “nouveau riche” beside her. She said nothing.
Forgive her—she’d had quite the shock today.Yi Dafa looked unsurprised and smiled, "My son doesn't have good grades or a good seat, but fortunately he's working hard. You know, he never used to study before—no amount of scolding could move him. Getting him to study was like pulling teeth! But recently, with our guidance, he's finally started taking his studies seriously. Every night, he reads at home, and both his mother and I help tutor him..."
As Yi Dafa spoke at length, Li Sitong's thoughts drifted away again.
It seemed that ever since Xue Jiao started studying seriously on her own, she hadn't paid much attention to her studies anymore, focusing more on other things instead.
Last time... she had even hit her.
"So a child's progress depends on the parents' efforts. I constantly monitor his studies and encourage him. My son scored two hundred points higher, and I think I've done quite well as a parent!"
Li Sitong nodded, looking at him with some admiration. "You're right, and you've done well. I should learn from you."
"Hehehe, yes, I'll continue to work hard in the future, supervising his studies and tutoring him!" Yi Dafa couldn't help but boast a little too much. "By the way, is your child Xi Junyang?"
Li Sitong shook her head, looking at him earnestly and calmly as she said—
"No, my daughter is Gu Xue Jiao."
Author's note: Yi Dafa/smiling: I was bragging to Gu Xue Jiao's mom... I'm really something.
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