Not long after, our classmates organized a camping trip.
Lin Chen called, saying he wanted to apologize to me in person.
He asked if I’d join the outing, so we could talk things through. He wanted me to help explain the design draft incident to my father. He said he was ready to accept any criticism or punishment. I agreed
Not for any other reason—just that the college entrance exam results were being released that day.
I knew Lin Chen didn’t really want to apologize. He just wanted to see me make a fool of myself, hoping my “tragedy” would help him save a little face.
“Did you hear? Xu Yiran turned down an overseas university just to go to Minghua University and reunite with Lin Chen.”
“Is she really sure she’ll get in? That’s some confidence—she must be amazing!”
“I heard she told the principal about her essay, and the principal said there was a perfect-score essay from our city. Maybe it’s hers!”
“Lin Chen never changes girlfriends because, well, you-know-who is like a stubborn bandage,” Liu Yu gossiped with the others, glancing at me from time to time.
Lin Chen cleared his throat and started walking toward me.
I kept refreshing the results page. Even after living another life, I still cared deeply about my exam score!
Lin Chen drew closer and closer.
Suddenly, someone shouted, “The results are out!”
I quickly turned away, opened my VPN, and kept refreshing the page as fast as I could.
Finally!
Those three little numbers hit harder than any words.
I was so overwhelmed that tears welled up in my eyes and my shoulders began to shake.
Lin Chen stood behind me, completely confident in what he thought was coming.
“Yun Qing, it’s okay,” he said, his tone cold and indifferent, which only made me feel sick.
With tears in my eyes, I choked out, “How could this happen? How could this be?”
Xu Yiran came running over, clearly still waiting for her own page to load—her phone was an old model with a notoriously slow connection.
“Yun Qing, don’t worry. You have to stay strong. The college entrance exam is a turning point, but you can always retake it. There’s no limit on retakes—if not this year, then next year, or even three years from now!”
“But I estimated a 720! How am I supposed to explain this to my parents?”
My classmates saw me crying, tears streaming down my face, and quickly gathered around to comfort me.
“Yun Qing, even if you didn’t do as well as you hoped, you’re still good enough for a top university. Don’t be upset.”
“Pick a major you love in college—scores aren’t everything. You’ll shine in your own way!”
“Yun Qing, what did you actually get? You’re crying so hard!” Liu Yu grabbed my hand and turned the screen toward herself.
Her jaw dropped, eyes bulging as she stared at my score.
She kept repeating, “This… this can’t be…”
Lin Chen and Xu Yiran stood nearby, watching. Xu Yiran’s eyes were full of scorn, and—
Lin Chen’s faint, mocking smile instantly ignited something inside me.
I stared at Xu Yiran’s phone.
She glanced down at her own screen, and the moment her eyes landed on the result, they rolled back. Her whole body went limp and she collapsed.
Lin Chen rushed to catch her, but not before he caught a glimpse of her phone’s display.
He took a deep breath, still processing what he’d seen.
I, still pretending to sob, suddenly wailed, “Waaah, I only got 719!”
The air froze for a second, then erupted into cheers.
Chapter 11
*