Of course, Lin Nian couldn’t just swallow that insult. She only managed to calm down a little after Meng Lanlan arrived and consoled her.

Once she had calmed down, she looked over at Qin Jiao, who was surrounded by a group of girls, and sneered. ’I’ll see how long you can stay so smug!’

Meng Lanlan knew she was talking about Qin Jiao, but she was a little baffled.

’Based on Qin Jiao’s grades, she’ll get into a top university after the college entrance exams, no question. She’ll have every reason to be smug for a long time to come.’

The confusion on Meng Lanlan’s face must have been obvious, because Lin Nian saw it but didn’t explain.

’After all, these things were a secret.’

’Du Liya had already divorced Shen Zhengfeng, and Shen Zhengfeng was already hot and heavy with Li Xiaomei. He’d even promised that after Chen Feng finished the college entrance exams next year, he would bring the mother and son to North City to live in a big house.’

’It probably wouldn’t be long before the two of them got married.’

’When that time comes, Chen Feng will be the young master of the Shen Family. And that fool, Shen Yi, actually signed a document with Shen Zhengfeng formally severing their father-son relationship. What an absolute idiot!’

The more Lin Nian thought about it, the more smug she felt. When she looked up at Qin Jiao again, her gaze held a trace of pity.

’So what if you’re the female protagonist, Qin Jiao? So what if you have plot armor? So what if you get good grades?’

’You’ve already lost your chance with the male lead, Chen Feng, forever. The best you can hope for now is to get into a university, find a decent job, and make a little bit of money.’

’But me, Lin Nian... I’m going to be the wife of the future richest man!’

Now in a much better mood, Lin Nian said to her friend, Meng Lanlan, "I’m fine, Lanlan. You don’t have to worry about me. As for Qin Jiao... heh. So what if she’s a good student? Life is long. She’ll find out eventually that being successful on your own is nothing—marrying well is what makes you a true winner!"

Meng Lanlan frowned.

Meng Lanlan was from the county seat and had earned good grades since elementary school. For a long time, her scores were just a step behind Chen Feng’s. Even though she was in a regular class, her academic performance was still excellent.

For instance, with Qin Jiao, Shen Yi, and the academically inconsistent Chen Feng in the mix, Meng Lanlan’s rank had now dropped to third or fourth in her class. However, her position in the overall school rankings was very stable; her score would be considered good even among the students in the advanced class.

She also firmly believed that it was incredibly important for a girl to study diligently and strive for a bright future on her own merits.

Meng Lanlan was repulsed by Lin Nian’s words and subtly withdrew the hand that had been supporting her.

However, Lin Nian, who was lost in her sweet daydream of one day being the richest man’s wife, didn’t notice.

**

As the college entrance exams drew near, every student was on edge. Qin Jiao, however, carried on as usual—eating, drinking, and studying just as she always had. Her routine hadn’t changed one bit all year.

After two more monthly exams, the college entrance exams were suddenly just around the corner. Every senior now had to consider their university applications.

Qin Jiao had nothing to worry about. She was set on applying to North City University, and based on her current grades, her admission was practically a sure thing.

Her homeroom teacher, Sun Guotao, wasn’t worried about Qin Jiao’s performance. After all, the girl’s scores improved with every test. On the most recent monthly exam, she had only lost a total of twenty points across all her subjects combined!

What kind of score was that!

To put it in perspective, last year’s provincial top scorer had only lost a combined eighteen points! In other words, if that girl Qin Jiao could push herself just a little further during the actual exams, she might have a real shot at taking the top spot in the province!

As for the other top student, Shen Yi...

There was a knock on Sun Guotao’s office door. He called, "Come in," and in walked none other than Shen Yi, who had firmly secured his rank as second in Class 10.

There were several other teachers in Vice-Principal Sun Guotao’s office at the time, but Shen Yi got straight to the point. "Mr. Sun," he asked, "did Qin Jiao tell you which university and major she’s planning to apply for?"