Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Yu furrowed his brow and turned his attention to his assistant. âI know what you want to say. Itâs about Lingâer and Li Yan, isnât it?â
The assistant smiled awkwardly and replied, âMr. Li, Miss Jiang hasnât officially broken off her engagement with Li Yan yet. Your father wonât be too pleased if you get too close to her. You know this. Your current behavior could damage Miss Jiangâs reputation.â
Li Yuâs expression grew serious upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, he stated, âIâm almost like her uncle. Whatâs wrong with wanting to see her?â
The assistant continued, âThe way an elder looks at a junior is vastly different from the way a man looks at a woman heâs interested in.â
Li Yu couldnât help but feel a bit uncomfortable and rubbed his temples. He had to admit that what his assistant was saying made sense.
The assistant added, âUnless Miss Jiang and Li Yan sever their engagement, people will undoubtedly start gossiping.â
Impatiently, Li Yu said, âFine, I understand. You can go now.â
The assistant picked up the signed documents and left the office.
The following morning at 9:30 a.m., the results of the provincial examination were announced, and Jiang Lingâer once again secured the top position.
The students erupted in astonishment. Jiang Lingâer had maintained her first-place ranking.
Students gathered around the result board, their admiration for Jiang Lingâer evident.
Bai Xue, positioned at the back, listened to the surrounding students praising Jiang Lingâer, fueling a surge of jealousy within her. She glared at the results sheet with frustration. Had some divine intervention occurred that made Jiang Lingâer the eternal first place? This was beyond problematic!
Old Wang, standing nearby, asked, âLittle Xue, are you alright?â
Concern filled Old Wangâs eyes as he, too, silently blamed Jiang Lingâer. He couldnât fathom how she consistently achieved these results. Did she memorize the answers or something? How could she always be number one?
Bai Xue quickly regained her composure and feigned gentleness. She replied, âIâm fine. Iâm just a bit surprised that Lingâer secured the top spot again.â
Old Wang was taken aback. Her attitude changed so swiftly. Nevertheless, he appreciated Bai Xueâs more gentle demeanor.
Old Wang remarked, âIndeed. 1 wonder if Jiang Lingâer has all the answers engraved in her mind. With so many students in the country, how does she manage to remain in the first place? Iâm not sure if these results are just for our province or nationwide.â
Bai Xueâs displeasure deepened upon hearing Old Wangâs words. She suppressed her emotions and explained, âItâs for the entire country. Only the top 20 students can participate in the national examination, and Lingâer is still at the top.â
Seeing that Bai Xue was genuinely happy for Jiang Lingâer, Old Wang immediately felt displeased for her sake. Old Wang said, âNo matter how lucky one is, there will be a time when she runs out of luck.â
When Bai Xue heard Old Wangâs words, she immediately felt much better. But she still had to put on her front and said, âBrother Wang, donât spout nonsense. Lingâer didnât achieve this through luck.â
Old Wang disdainfully replied, âIs that so? Iâve always been number one, and I find this situation quite odd.â
Bai Xue tried to reason, âDonât speak like that, Brother Wang. There are countless students nationwide. How can there be a mistake?â
Old Wang, being serious, said, âLittle Xue, youâve seen the power of connections.â
At this point, a female classmate couldnât remain silent any longer. She interjected, âHere we go again. Every time someone excels, there are always people who resort to negative talk.â
The surrounding students nodded in agreement.
âYeah, why canât people just acknowledge when someone is exceptional?â âRemember when she was wrongly accused before? A certain someone even publicly apologized to the entire school, but it seems that person still hasnât let it go. Now youâre starting rumors again, suggesting somethingâs wrong with her achievements. If you have a problem, report it officially instead of spreading baseless gossip!â
Old Wang responded coldly, âWhy canât we say that Jiang Lingâer is cunning? Her performance is so outstanding, yet she doesnât even attempt to hide it. Sheâs just showing off, seeking everyoneâs praise.â n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The initially outspoken female classmate rolled her eyes at Old Wang and retorted sarcastically, âItâs common knowledge that intelligent people often downplay their abilities. Sheâs from the Jiang family. If she wasnât shrewd and strategic, how could she navigate high society? Only someone clueless would openly flaunt their talent.â
Old Wangâs expression darkened. âWhatâs got you all riled up? Are you trying to get on Jiang Lingâerâs good side? Does she even know youâre standing up for her like this?â
Jiang Lingâer, approaching from a distance, chimed in, âIâm truly honored to receive recognition from this student. However, are you equally thrilled to engage in such admiration for other girls?â
She shot Old Wang a cold glare, her eyes dripping with sarcasm. Old Wang had previously spread rumors that the Jiang family had pressured Bai Xue. Now, he dared to fabricate baseless stories..