Chapter 1

June 25, Beijing. The cicadas’ cries in midsummer were like knives tearing through space, piercing the ears again and again. Teachers walking through the school building all wore tense expressions as they hurried into the senior-year office. The clock hanging on the north wall ticked steadily, its hands moving second by second. Just like their hearts at that moment, beating rapidly and forcefully, each thump clear and distinct. “I think this year’s top scorer in the national college entrance examination is very likely to come from our school.” The homeroom teacher of Class 1 of Grade 12 held a teacup in his hands and blew gently over the surface. A few plump goji berries floated inside. “Looking at the three mock exams, Shi Weiyan from Class 3 scored over 730 every time. Compared with the scores of previous years’ top scorers, he’s practically a shoo-in.” The homeroom teacher of Class 3 chuckled without saying anything. The other teachers nodded along. Three mock exams, and Shi Weiyan had scored above 730 in every one. He was unquestionably a top-scorer candidate. Rumor had it that the principal had already secretly prepared a banner celebrating their top scorer. They were simply waiting for the results system to open at midnight so they could witness the historic moment. “Actually, I think Wen Ruan from Class 8 has an even better chance.” A young physics teacher sitting nearby under the air conditioner spoke up. “Although Wen Ruan wasn’t at school during the final two months and didn’t take the mock exams, judging from her performance in the exams throughout her three years of high school, she’s been incredibly consistent. Shi Weiyan is indeed diligent and hardworking, but I think he falls a little short of Wen Ruan when it comes to natural talent. I’m betting on Wen Ruan. If I lose, I’ll buy everyone milk tea.” At the mention of Wen Ruan, Class 8’s homeroom teacher, Teacher Sun, who had been listening to the lively discussion nearby, suddenly felt his heart skip a beat. There was no denying that Wen Ruan was naturally gifted when it came to studying. She learned everything quickly and had an exceptional ability to grasp what the teachers taught. In every exam, she had consistently ranked first in the entire grade. The only problem was that during the final sprint toward the college entrance examination, she had taken two months of leave. The last time Teacher Sun had seen her was just fifteen minutes before the college entrance examination began. She had walked up to him calmly and unhurriedly, politely called him “Teacher,” and showed not the slightest trace of nervousness. “Actually, I’m also rooting for Wen Ruan. But there’s too much uncertainty in those final two months. I’m betting on Shi Weiyan. If I lose, I’ll give everyone a big red envelope.” “Hey, hey, count me in! I’m betting on Shi Weiyan too.” The teachers chimed in one after another, and their lively discussion eased the tense atmosphere somewhat. “Ahem…” The grade director and the principal stood at the doorway, lowering their voices. “It’s almost time. The system will be opening soon. After three years of hard work, it’s finally time to reap the fruits.” The homeroom teachers returned to their desks. They had already prepared the information sheets needed to check their students’ results, with the order of the students they needed to look up clearly arranged. With half an hour still remaining on the wall clock, their fingers scrolling through their phones began to tremble slightly without them realizing it. The content they usually enjoyed reading now seemed utterly dull and tasteless. Every passing second felt agonizing. They waited until beads of sweat began to form faintly on their foreheads. Midnight. The college entrance examination results website opened. Teacher Sun, the homeroom teacher of Class 8, clenched his fist and entered Wen Ruan’s information into the candidate number and password fields. His middle finger pressed Enter. The loading bar on the screen kept spinning, refusing to bring up the page. Half a minute passed, yet there was still no information. “Could it be…” Teacher Sun steadied himself. “If the results haven’t loaded, that’s actually a good thing.” He muttered quietly to himself, closed Wen Ruan’s page, and began checking the results of the second student. Provincial Ranking: 19,899 “Not bad at all. She performed quite well.” The homeroom teacher was very satisfied with Wang Fang’s score. “Getting into a 985 university shouldn’t be a problem.” “Holy crap! Shi Weiyan’s score has been blocked by the system!” The homeroom teacher of Class 3 practically jumped out of his chair. His entire face was glowing with excitement. “Come and look! Quick!” The grade director and principal hurried over. On the computer screen was a prominent notice: “Excellent, excellent! Hahaha!” The principal laughed with satisfaction, clearly in a wonderful mood. He patted the teacher on the shoulder before turning around and asking, “What about Wen Ruan’s score?” At the mention of Wen Ruan, everyone immediately turned to look. Teacher Sun calmly closed Wang Fang’s score page. “She should be in the same blocked-score status. Her results didn’t load just now.” “Should be?” The grade director immediately caught onto that word. He strode over to Teacher Sun. “I’ll check.” His fingers flew across the keyboard as he entered Wen Ruan’s information. Everyone gathered around curiously. The same notice appeared on the screen: This candidate’s score has ranked among the top in the province. The score has been temporarily withheld and will be available for viewing at the designated time. Everyone sucked in a breath. Then, they felt that it was only natural. Wen Ruan, after all, was known by her classmates as a “genius.” Even though she had taken leave during the final two months before the college entrance examination, there was no way she would fall from the top. Meanwhile, in Nancheng. Beneath a lush parasol tree, a young woman sat in a rocking chair, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and light-colored jeans. She rocked back and forth at an unhurried pace, her long, straight legs resting on the footrest. A gentle breeze passed by, lifting a few strands of her hair. Her delicate features were like a masterpiece carefully sculpted by the heavens. Her phone, lying on the glass coffee table beside her, vibrated. One message after another kept pouring in. “Ruanruan, are the results coming out today?” A vigorous-looking elderly man walked out of the house. His neatly combed hair was immaculate, and he strode with a briskness that belied his age. He looked remarkably energetic. Wen Ruan opened one eye, a playful glint in her gaze. “Grandpa, you’re busy managing everything under the sun, yet you remembered the exact time the results would be released.” “This is important.” Seeing that she wasn't anxious at all, the old man already had a good idea of how she had performed. He smiled affectionately. “Looks like you did pretty well.” “Should be okay.” Wen Ruan sat up, tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes with a smile. She looked just like the beautiful calico cat running around the courtyard. Just then, her phone rang. The caller ID clearly displayed: Wen Chongyue. The smile on Wen Ruan’s face instantly disappeared. She reached out and hung up. “You’re not going to answer?” “What’s there to answer?” “That’s your father.” Her grandfather sighed. “Three months ago, I thought he was a good father. But…” Wen Ruan pressed her lips together and raised an eyebrow. Her chest rose and fell as she spoke coldly. “He did something unforgivable to Mom. He’s not even human.” With that, she turned and walked into the house. She passed through the moon gate and, as if venting her anger, casually plucked a flower from the wisteria. Her figure disappeared into the corridor beyond the inner courtyard. The old housekeeper watched Wen Ruan storm away and smiled as he carried out a tray of tea. “Look at that. Our Miss Ruanruan is quite the little ball of anger today.” The old man stood up and sat down in the now-empty rocking chair. After rocking for several minutes, he lowered his voice and asked, “Old Zhong, do you really think Wen Chongyue would do something that betrays A-Qing?” Standing behind him, the housekeeper gazed at the parasol tree and thought for a moment. “The son-in-law comes from the prestigious Wen family of Beijing. Judging by the Wen family’s traditions and all these years of knowing him, he doesn’t seem like the sort of person who would do anything outrageous. Besides… this year is also a sensitive period in his career.” “Hmm, that’s right.” The old man picked up his teacup—a vintage moon-white glazed cup from an official kiln. His rough fingers slowly rubbed its surface, while his eyes narrowed slightly as though he had fallen into deep thought. “He’s been in the position of deputy mayor for several years. According to the usual rotation this year, it should finally be his turn to become the mayor.” Not long after, a phone call came through to the old housekeeper’s mobile phone. The caller spoke rapidly and quietly on the other end. The housekeeper nearly cried out in surprise. His mind seemed to erupt with excitement. “Really?! All right, all right! I’ll report it to the old master immediately. Yes, yes!” After hanging up, he could no longer contain his excitement. The deep wrinkles etched across his aged face blossomed with a joy that had not appeared in many years. He was so excited that he nearly bit his own tongue. “Old Master! Miss Ruan’s college entrance examination results are out. She’s the top scorer—the national top scorer!”