The second day of the college entrance exams arrived.

The science comprehensive exam was in the morning, followed by English in the afternoon.

And just like that, the final test was over.

At that moment, they were finally free.

"Hey, student! Ever thought about a cram school? We got several students into 211 universities last year..."

Representatives from numerous institutions were handing out flyers to the students as they left the exam hall.

When one was handed to a student from No. 2 High School, Director Wang’s brow twitched.

"Get the hell out of here, all of you! What a jinx!"

"The kids just finished their exams and you’re shoving this crap at them? Your damn business is going to go under, sooner or later."

Director Wang’s curses were harsh, and he started arguing with the people from the cram schools again.

’Director Wang sure has guts.’

’He’s saying what’s on my mind. I’ve been wanting to curse them out for a while now.’

The teachers from the neighboring school just smiled wryly. They wanted to curse them out too, but the thought of their positions as teachers, as educated people...

Ultimately, they couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

It had to be said, Director Wang’s temper was incredibly satisfying to witness. He berated the recruiters until they were utterly humiliated.

...

Xue Xiaying watched her students run wild, her eyes filled with a smiling warmth. She could understand how they felt.

She held all the ID cards for her class. As she handed them out one by one, looking at the students’ young faces, her heart ached with an endless sense of reluctance to let them go.

Gu Muxue had just gotten her ID card back and walked over to Xue Rui.

"Xiaorui, I’m heading to the airport now," Gu Muxue said. "Good luck with your driver’s license test. Try to get it before school starts."

She had already made plans with her grandmother, but she hadn’t expected her grandma to actually book her a flight for today...

"I guarantee I’ll pass on the first try. You go have fun," Xue Rui said with a smile. ’And just like that, high school is over,’ he thought.

Gu Muxue went to the trunk of the car, pulled out a handbag, and gave it to Xue Rui. "Don’t get tanned into a charcoal briquette," she said with a laugh. "I bought you some things."

Xue Rui had told her about his plans for after the exams, so she had prepared a few things for him.

Just as Xue Rui reached out to take it, Gu Muxue suddenly bit his hand.

’He totally deserved to be bitten,’ she thought. He’d dared to pat her head and pinch her cheek before...

Now that the exams were over, she could finally get her revenge on him.

Xue Rui quickly pulled his hand back. "You hold a grudge that long?"

"Hmph. Bye-bye." Gu Muxue turned her face away and got into the black sedan without a backward glance.

However, once inside the car, she kept staring at the rearview mirror from her window seat.

And wouldn’t you know it, she met Xue Rui’s gaze.

She quickly averted her eyes, not wanting him to notice.

"Sigh~" Gu Muxue sighed.

Yang Xing asked tentatively, "Muxue, did you not do well on the exam?"

"I did fine." Gu Muxue slowly shook her head. She cracked the window open, letting the summer wind blow against her fair cheeks, causing her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes to narrow.

In a little while, she would be off to university.

’What exactly is my relationship with Xue Rui?’

’I used to be stubborn and rejected him so many times.’

’But then again, his confessions never seemed sincere, more like jokes. That was why I always felt bold enough to turn him down.’

Gu Muxue rested her hand on her forehead. She suddenly didn’t know what to do.

’Between me and Xue Rui... our relationship is just one step away. It could be either of us who takes that step.’

’But now, Xue Rui isn’t confessing anymore...’

’Am I supposed to go up to him and ask, "Xiaorui, why aren’t you chasing me anymore?"’

’How is that any different from confessing myself?’

’Should I confess?’

At that thought, Gu Muxue’s face turned beet red.

’Is it the heat? Am I shy?’

’No, no, no, it’s just because Xue Rui made me so mad!’

She could feel it. Xue Rui was waiting for her to take that step.

...

After Gu Muxue left, Xue Rui curiously opened the bag she’d given him. Inside were various sunscreens, skincare products, and even cooling sleeves and a sun hat...

’Has Gu Muxue practiced driving before? How else would she know you get tanned practicing in the summer?’

He thought for a moment. ’She probably asked someone else.’

Staring at the pile of bottles and jars, Xue Rui was at a loss for words. He hadn’t used this much skincare in his two lifetimes combined...

Thankfully, the little miss had stuck a sticky note on each bottle with detailed instructions.

"Li Meng, what did you pick for the second-to-last multiple-choice question in physics?"

"I was struggling with that one too..."

Now that the exams were completely over, the students could freely discuss the questions. Their teachers had forbidden it before, afraid it would affect their mindset for the next test.

Director Wang shouted, "When the answer key is released, you can come back to school to estimate your scores if you want. The teachers will help you check your answers."

"When will the answers be out?" a student asked.

"Usually in one to two weeks," Director Wang replied with a nod.

Qiu Mengze’s eye twitched. He muttered under his breath, "By then, I’ll have forgotten what I even picked."

Xue Rui smiled. At this time, the private institutions weren’t quite so hyper-competitive yet, so it was true that the official exam questions were released very late.

"But it’s actually not as important this year. Starting this year, you get your scores first before declaring your major choices," Xue Xiaying said.

"It’d be nice to have the answers, though."

"By the way, Sister Xi, what did you pick?"

...

Many people crowded around Lin Ruoxi, asking her questions. They automatically assumed her answers were correct.

Xue Rui smiled, walked up behind Lin Ruoxi, and took a laptop out of his backpack.

"Director Wang, the test questions and answers are already out," Xue Rui said with a smile.

"So fast? Let me see." Director Wang placed the laptop in the school’s pop-up tent.

At that, many more students crowded around the laptop.

"Holy crap, isn’t this the science comprehensive exam from this morning? It’s out already?" someone shouted.

"What? The entrance exam answers are out?" Even teachers from other schools gathered around.

This was bombshell news. In previous years, when had the answers ever been released right after the exam ended?

No one could have possibly imagined that Lin Ruoxi had transcribed the entire set of exam papers from memory. Only the final English test remained, but she could finish that tonight.

"Which website?" a teacher from Yanchi Middle School came over and asked.

Xue Rui pointed at Lin Ruoxi and said calmly, "Lin Ruoxi memorized them."

The crowd was at a loss for words. Someone could actually solve the problems during the exam and memorize all the questions at the same time?

"Is that so?" A teacher suddenly sounded a little disappointed.

If it relied solely on a student’s memory, the questions couldn’t be very accurate.

However, a student standing closer began to cry out, "This one... I got it wrong!"

"Hey! I guessed right!"

Seeing how much the students seemed to recognize the questions on this paper, some of the teachers began to hesitate...

"Sister Xi is a freaking genius. It’s not off by a single word," a student exclaimed in admiration.

Everyone should have been dispersing by now, but because Lin Ruoxi had memorized the exam questions, a large crowd had stopped to watch.

The small screen was now swarmed with people, all scrambling to get a look.

Xue Rui stood next to Director Wang, both of them looking smug.

They could understand the feeling. Who wouldn’t want to see the answers right after finishing the exam?

Especially when the answers arrived so promptly!

Xue Rui snapped the laptop shut, pulled it away from the crowd, and handed it to Director Wang in front of everyone.

Director Wang’s grin stretched practically to the heavens. He couldn’t hold back his pride any longer.

"Notify all No. 2 High School students: come to school tomorrow to estimate your scores," Director Wang announced.

He didn’t doubt Lin Ruoxi’s version of the test; he had absolute confidence in her.

When it came to estimating scores, the sooner, the more accurate. It was better for the school to arrange it.

By the time the official answers were released, many students would no longer be in Hedong.

He patted Xue Rui’s shoulder with satisfaction. The kid had really brought him glory today.

To be able to produce the answers immediately after the exam was something no other school or institution could do. But now, he held those answers in his hands, and teachers from other schools would have to come begging him for it.

Who didn’t enjoy a little flattery from others?

The students of No. 2 High School burst into an uproar, making the students from other schools green with envy.

"Director Li, aren’t you going to go ask for a copy?" a student asked.

Director Li’s eye twitched. How could he refuse such a request from his students?

But he and Director Wang did not get along. They were sworn rivals.

He figured the answers would eventually get out anyway; it was just a matter of time.

...

"Lin Ruoxi, why did you memorize all this?" Director Wang asked.

He thought Lin Ruoxi was incredibly thoughtful. Writing out the exam questions was of no use to her, so she must have done it for her classmates, right?

Lin Ruoxi said blankly, "Xue Rui told me to memorize it if I got bored, so I did."

The students, who had just been excited, heard Lin Ruoxi’s humblebrag and didn’t know what to feel.

Jealousy? Not really...

When the gap in ability is that huge, it’s hard to feel jealous.

Upset? Can’t really say...

Many of them just sucked in a sharp breath and let out a "Holy shit!"

But... why did it have to do with Xue Rui?

’Xue Rui told Lin Ruoxi to memorize the test?’

The students instantly sensed something else was going on.

"What do you think is the relationship between Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi?"

"I don’t know, but I feel like Lin Ruoxi treats Xue Rui very differently."

...

The students began whispering among themselves.

Director Li took out a pack of cigarettes, walked over to Director Wang, and without a word, simply offered him one.

"Don’t worry, I’m not that petty." Director Wang looked smug. ’Didn’t he come begging me after all?’ he thought.

Just as he took the cigarette but before he could light it, Director Li’s brow twitched and he snatched it back.

Director Li was so angry he could grind his teeth, but there was nothing he could do about this shameless bastard.

In the end, he tossed the whole pack onto the table, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

"This year’s science exam answers are out! Our school’s Lin Ruoxi memorized them, and I’ll be sending them to all the schools’ email inboxes," Director Wang shouted to the teachers from the other schools.

Lin Ruoxi had already agreed, and he had no intention of keeping the test paper for himself. He would give it to anyone who needed it.

Many teachers crowded around Lin Ruoxi. They all wanted to see what this year’s top science scorer looked like.

’Memorizing the test questions in the exam hall?’

Many sized her up with curiosity.

Lin Ruoxi still wasn’t used to crowded places, especially being stared at by so many strangers.

"Teacher... give me back the laptop. I... I want to..." The little girl started stuttering again.

She still had the English exam to transcribe.

Xue Rui put the laptop back in Lin Ruoxi’s bag. "Let’s go. We’ll sign up for driving school today. I’ll take you to get your license."