Chapter 154: Chapter 154: If You Don’t Believe Me, Let’s Bet

Her grandmother, Ding Qin, worried her granddaughter might get hungry or thirsty, so she placed a plate of freshly washed fruit on the small table beside her.

Ding Qin stood under the veranda, glancing over a few times.

Seeing that Shanshan hadn’t touched the fruit, she muttered softly to herself.

"This child... she’s so engrossed in her book she’s forgotten all about sweets."

Neighbors from the compound passed by.

When they saw the young girl casually sunbathing and reading, they all stared in a daze.

A little girl in a floral dress stood on her tiptoes and curiously asked her mother, "What’s that big sister doing?"

"Didn’t they say the Ling family’s daughter is taking the college entrance exam this year? How come she doesn’t seem worried at all?"

The one who spoke was Aunt Wang, who lived on the east side and was never one to be quiet.

"Look at her. What kind of score can she get acting like that? Just lazing around all day, where is her head at?"

"Oh, come on, you actually believed that? They must have been joking! How could a kid that young take the college entrance exam? Look at other high school seniors—they’re memorizing formulas while walking and don’t even have time to eat. Who has time to lie around reading for fun?"

Aunt Li chimed in.

She jutted her chin toward the rocking chair and curled her lip.

"If you ask me, it’s all a big lie. What kid could be this relaxed? She probably didn’t even pick up her admission ticket."

These words happened to be overheard by Ling Anxun, who was just coming home from work.

His brow furrowed, and he shot them a cold glare.

The gossiping women immediately fell silent, shrinking back in fear.

"My Shanshan is officially registered for the exam. She’s relaxed now because she finished preparing long ago. She’s confident and doesn’t need to put on a show for anyone."

As he passed Aunt Wang, she instinctively dodged half a step to the side and busied herself with the vegetables in her basket, her head lowered.

"Right, right, Shanshan is very smart. She’ll definitely get the top score and bring honor to our compound!"

Another man rubbed the back of his head and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, we were just talking. Of course we believe in Shanshan."

The group scattered in a flurry, shoving and pushing each other with hurried steps. No one dared to make another sound.

When Ling Anxun entered the courtyard, he noticed Ling Zhiwei was also sitting in another rocking chair.

The two of them were sitting very close. Ling Zhiwei was holding a piece of scratch paper, gesturing with it from time to time.

Shanshan tilted her head, listening intently with a smile playing on her lips.

Seeing Ling Anxun approach, Ling Zhiwei froze, crumpling the paper into a ball in his palm.

Seeing her father, Shanshan closed her book and broke into a wide grin. "Dad, you’re back!"

She sat up straight, placed the book on her lap, and tapped her toes on the ground to stop the rocking chair.

The wind stirred the bangs on her forehead. She reached up to smooth them back, her smile never fading.

"Fourth Brother, where were you just now? What happens next?"

She turned and pressed Ling Zhiwei for the rest.

"The rest... I’ll tell you later. I have to go."

Ling Zhiwei glanced guiltily at Ling Anxun, then quickly stood up to slip away.

His pace clearly quickened as he passed Ling Anxun.

"Fourth Brother! Wait!"

Shanshan shouted with a pout.

But he didn’t even look back, disappearing around a corner in a flash.

She frowned and muttered, "What’s he running for? It’s not like I’m going to eat him."

She turned to her father, a flash of dissatisfaction in her eyes.

"Dad, look what you did. You scared Fourth Brother off."

Ling Anxun shrugged, walked over, and took the thick book from his daughter’s hands, testing its weight.

He flipped open a page and saw it was filled with dense annotations and dog-eared corners, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Come inside with me. There’s something I need to talk to you about."

He handed the book back to her and turned toward the main house.

"Oh... okay."

Shanshan obediently got up and followed him.

The two of them entered Shanshan’s small study.

Ever since the room had been tidied up, it had become the place they spent the most time together.

"Shanshan, let me ask you something honestly. For this exam, are you really confident? It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just want to know what you’re thinking."

"Of course I am! I’ll definitely come back with first place. We can make a bet if you don’t believe me!"

Seeing the brilliant confidence shining on his daughter’s face, Ling Anxun didn’t think she was bluffing at all.

"Once I get into university, I’ll be a grown-up. You won’t have to worry about me all the time after that."

"Where did you learn to say that?"

Ling Anxun looked at her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Nobody taught me. Isn’t that what you told Fourth Brother when he got into university? ’Once you’re in university, you’re a grown-up.’"

Shanshan said with a look of perfect sense, "So, by that logic, once I step through the university gates, won’t I be a grown-up too?"

"How can you count it like that?"

Ling Anxun laughed and waved his hand, gently tapping his daughter on the forehead.

"Your Fourth Brother had reached that stage in life; it wasn’t just about going to university that made him an adult. Even when you get in, you’ll still be young—several years younger. Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up."

Shanshan understood, but she wasn’t quite convinced. She pouted, turned her head, and fell silent.

But this wasn’t a matter that could be settled with a cute pout.

She didn’t nod explicitly, but she could see her dad had already made up his mind, so she could only accept it sullenly.

The days flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed. The day of the college entrance exam finally arrived.

The entire family was on edge.

Even Ling Anxun, who was usually so busy he never touched the ground, had specially rearranged his work schedule to drive Shanshan to the exam center first thing in the morning.

"Don’t panic when you get in there. Stay calm. It’s okay if you don’t pass; we can just try again next year."

"Oh, Grandma, what a thing to say."

Ling Zhiwei quickly cut Ding Qin off. He gently patted his younger sister’s hand and turned to Shanshan with a wide grin.

"I believe in you," he said. "You’ll definitely get into the school you want. Just relax and go for it!"

After Shanshan disappeared into the exam center with her backpack on, the rest of them crowded around the entrance, waiting anxiously.

A large crowd of other students’ parents was gathered at the gate.

The moment Shanshan’s figure vanished behind the exam hall doors, the surrounding atmosphere grew even more tense.

Ling Anxun was worried his parents would get tired from standing for too long. After a good while of persuading the family, he finally convinced the two elders to wait at a nearby restaurant.

First, he told his mother that standing for so long was bad for her knees, then mentioned to his father that the restaurant had air conditioning.

Finally, he even called over his younger female cousin to help persuade them, and at last, the two elders nodded in agreement.

After the group moved over, Ling Anxun made a point of handing a business card to the waiter.

He himself, however, stayed behind to wait outside a while longer, saying he wanted to be the first to greet Shanshan when she came out. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The exam was only halfway through, but Shanshan had already finished the entire paper.

After writing the last sentence of the essay, she gently set down her pen and leaned back in her chair to rest for a moment.

Most of the other students in the classroom were still hunched over their desks, calculating or brainstorming.

She scanned her paper from top to bottom, confirmed there were no mistakes, and then stood up decisively to turn it in.

As she walked up to the desk, the proctor looked up at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The entire exam hall fell silent for two seconds.

A boy in the back row had just figured out the answer to a major question. Before he even had a chance to check his work, he noticed her movement and couldn’t help but wonder.

"Hey, are you... leaving already? You should check it again. There’s still plenty of time."

The proctor took the test paper.

He glanced at his watch. There was still an hour and a half until the end of the exam.

Usually, in this situation, students who finished early would choose to review their work. It was extremely rare for someone to just turn in their paper and leave.

His hand paused for a moment, but he still placed a checkmark on the sign-out sheet.