The car jolted suddenly. Jiang Chan snapped back to her senses. They had just passed over a speed bump.
Watching the buildings flash past outside the window, she felt slightly dazed. Three years in a mission world, yet upon opening her eyes, it had only been an instant.
To be honest, the fourth mission had been simple. The main objective was to avoid Song Miao. The rest of the time, she had been grinding competition experience. It had almost felt like a vacation.
During that period, she had nearly maxed out her experience in mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry competitions. Aside from chemistry, where she had stopped at the finals, the other three had essentially reached full mastery.
Thinking back on the semifinal she had just experienced, she found the problems almost laughably easy. It was like a max level player wandering into a beginner village.
With anticipation for the upcoming competitions, Jiang Chan leaned against the window and summoned Qing Yuan in her mind.
The glowing orb appeared, hovering before her. “You did very well. As expected of the person I painstakingly chose.”
Qing Yuan did not forget to praise itself.
Jiang Chan narrowed her eyes. “You don’t look any different. At least not visibly.”
The orb bobbed up and down. “You can’t see it with your eyes. But I can feel it. My soul has solidified somewhat. That’s thanks to you. I didn’t expect you to perform so well.”
Many people lost themselves during missions. Qing Yuan had once worried that Jiang Chan might be tempted. After all, she came from poor circumstances. The mission worlds were filled with temptations such as wealth, power, and luxury.
Yet she had come through it all. That only deepened Qing Yuan’s appreciation for her resolve.
“How did you manage it? Not letting external things shake your mind?”
“It’s simple. I know that isn’t my world. My true roots are here. No matter what, I will return. Everything else can be discarded. Why live someone else’s life? What matters is living your own well.”
She had never forgotten she was a task executor, nor her original purpose.
As long as you remembered who you were and held firm to your intent, how could you be lost in fleeting things?
Qing Yuan fell silent. The orb trembled once, then slipped into the jade cicada at her neck. To others, her neck appeared bare.
Less than a month remained before the physics and biology competitions.
Jiang Chan licked her lips, her blood stirring with excitement. Achievements in mission worlds were illusory. Only results in reality were solid.
The bus soon entered campus. It was mealtime.
She separated from the group and headed toward the cafeteria.
As a student from a poor background, she received a five hundred yuan monthly subsidy from the school. She was frugal. Her cafeteria expenses were just over three hundred yuan a month. The rest she saved.
She needed to earn her first pot of gold. Only with money could she change her current constrained life.
She did not worship money, but she also refused to live in hardship unnecessarily.
Being content with poverty was an old fashioned ideal. If one had the ability, one should live comfortably.
At the cafeteria entrance, she saw Wen Jing, Yu Jie, and Yang Liuqing waiting.
Yang Liuqing was a gossip enthusiast. Knowing Jiang Chan would return at this time, she had been waiting early.
Once seated, Yu Jie hesitated. “Xiao Chan, do you not check the school forum?”
Jiang Chan shook her head. “My phone is basic. I don’t have data. I rarely go online.”
Her phone had been donated by a kind person. It could only make calls and send messages. She had no need for internet access.
Hearing the word forum, she frowned. “Is there something negative about me?”
Wen Jing quickly logged in. A pinned post read: “Arrogant freshman claims preliminaries are easy?”
Below it were numerous replies. Though no name was mentioned, everyone knew the only freshman girl who had gone to the competition was Jiang Chan.
First reply: Bold words for a freshman.
Second: She always ranks first. Her gap to full marks keeps shrinking.
Third: Regular exams aren’t competitions. She’s too confident.
Fourth: The competition was hard. When results come out, she’ll be embarrassed.
Fifth: Let seniors teach her some humility.
There were over a hundred replies already.
Jiang Chan noted the posting time. It had gone up shortly after they left the exam hall.
She handed the phone back. “Ignore it. Let them talk. As they said, when results come out, we’ll see.”
She remembered the preliminaries were not difficult, at least not from her current perspective.
A faint smile curved her lips. She was not concerned.
Yang Liuqing hesitated. “Xiao Chan, be more careful with your words in the future. You may mean one thing, but others twist it.”
Jiang Chan nodded. “I understand. I was careless.”
She now truly felt that school was a small society. There was intrigue here too. It was never purely harmonious.
Wen Jing waved her chopsticks. “Eat. Stop thinking about it. Xiao Chan is right. When the results come out, let’s see their faces.”
Jiang Chan spoke confidently. “Trust me. Even if I don’t do well, it’s fine. I only studied for a few weeks. Losing is normal. Winning means I gain.”
Her calmness eased the others.
Yang Liuqing quickly snatched the chicken drumstick from Wen Jing’s bowl. “Mine now!”
Wen Jing retaliated instantly, spearing a piece of ribbonfish she had been eyeing.
Jiang Chan and Yu Jie exchanged a smile and lowered their heads to eat.
Those two loved their playful quarrels. Watching them was half the fun.
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Thanks for the chapter!