Jiang Chan rarely smiled, but this time she did. “If I could launch a rocket myself, I would’ve gone up to the heavens a long time ago. I just feel like I’ve pretty much mastered everything from the first year. I might as well move up to the second year early, then take the college entrance examination ahead of schedule.”
Jiang Chan would turn fifteen after the New Year. Her original plan had been to spend no more than two years in high school and start university at sixteen. Now that the physics teacher, who had connections, was right here, of course she was going to use them.
The little old physics teacher snapped, “You haven’t even chosen between humanities and science yet, and you’re already thinking about moving up to the second year? Can you even keep up? This isn’t up to me. Go talk to the dean of academic affairs yourself!”
“Aren’t you the principal’s uncle? Help me figure something out.” Jiang Chan was close to the physics teacher, so she simply kept pestering him until the little old man finally could not take it anymore.
He pointed at Jiang Chan. “Only because it’s you. If it were anyone else, I would’ve turned them down immediately. You haven’t even learned to walk properly and you already want to run. The dean should still be at school when we get back. I can put in a word for you, but he’ll definitely arrange an exam first.”
Jiang Chan clenched her fist. “Bring it on! I’m not afraid!”
The little old physics teacher could not help laughing. He leaned closer to Jiang Chan. “Tell me, are you planning to choose humanities or science? Your grades are pretty balanced, so you could go either way.”
Jiang Chan answered without hesitation, “Science, of course. Science is so much easier to understand. Humanities has so many twists and turns that it makes my head hurt!”
The little old physics teacher immediately broke into a huge grin. “Looks like the two of us really were meant to be teacher and student. At least I didn’t teach you for nothing.”
Jiang Chan had become much more lively lately, perhaps because so much of the pressure on her had eased. She no longer kept such a stern expression all the time, and her features had softened considerably. The little old physics teacher, who had watched her grow and change, could not have been more pleased.
Eavesdropping from the row behind them, Ye Jingze found his mood improving as well. By now, he could tell that the two were teacher and student, and they clearly got along very well. Every so often, one of them would say something funny. Ye Jingze continued eavesdropping on their conversation, and whenever he heard something amusing, the corners of his mouth would lift without him even realizing it.
The plane soon landed at the airport. Once word got out that Jiang Chan, the gold medal winner from the international competitions, was on this flight, reporters crowded around the exit waiting eagerly for her. No one had managed to get an interview with Jiang Chan yet, so now it was a matter of who could get to her first.
Jiang Chan and the little old physics teacher were the last to get off the plane. As Ye Jingze passed their seats, he deliberately glanced at Jiang Chan.
She was a dark-skinned girl with a little softness in her cheeks, the baby fat not quite gone yet. If her complexion were a little fairer, she would be quite a pretty young girl.
After committing Jiang Chan’s face to memory, Ye Jingze walked off the plane with his head held high.
Jiang Chan and the little old physics teacher came out carrying their luggage, only to be greeted by microphones and flashing cameras.
Jiang Chan, who had never experienced anything like this before, froze for a moment. The flashes were so bright she could barely see!
“Jiang Chan, you won gold medals in both the International Biology and Physics Competitions this time. How do you feel?”
“Jiang Chan, we heard that you grew up in an orphanage. Now that you’ve achieved such outstanding results, who would you most like to thank?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Question after question came at her from every direction until Jiang Chan could hear nothing else. Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, airport security quickly stepped forward to help maintain order.
Ye Jingze stood some distance away and watched for a moment. Now that he knew Jiang Chan’s name, he got into a nearby business van.
“Look into Jiang Chan for me, as well as the orphanage she grew up in,” he instructed the driver coldly.
The driver silently nodded, planning to take care of it later.
Jiang Chan frowned slightly and pressed both hands downward. “Everyone, one at a time. Please don’t make so much noise. I’ll answer your questions.”
Once the reporters quieted down, Jiang Chan’s expression relaxed slightly. She tugged at the little old physics teacher beside her.
“This is my physics teacher. He was the one who suggested that I enter the competition in the first place. He’s taught me a lot along the way, not only about academics, but also about how to conduct myself. He is a teacher with great professional integrity.”
The little old physics teacher immediately straightened his back and lifted his head. Despite his thin, wiry frame, he somehow managed to look ten feet tall.
Jiang Chan smiled. “I wouldn’t have made it this far or achieved these small accomplishments without the careful guidance of my teachers at City High. And of course, without the kindhearted people from all walks of life who helped us over the years, I wouldn’t be standing here today either. I’m truly very grateful to them.”
These words came straight from Jiang Chan’s heart. She was not simply saying them because the situation called for it.
The orphanage itself had always struggled to stay afloat. Without donations from kindhearted people, it would have closed down long ago. If that had happened, how could Jiang Chan have even made it through middle school?
The reporters fell silent. Some of the more emotional ones already had red-rimmed eyes. Looking at such a young girl, they could hardly bring themselves to ask her anything too difficult.
But some media outlets would ask anything for attention. One reporter threw out a particularly pointed question.
“Jiang Chan, if your biological parents see these reports and come looking for you, would you choose to go back with them?”
Jiang Chan frowned and gave the reporter who asked the question a cold glance.
He was a man in his early thirties wearing a baseball cap. His face was difficult to make out, with only his nose and chin visible. The logo on his microphone belonged to a small, little-known local media outlet.
Jiang Chan’s expression remained unchanged. “I won’t deliberately go looking for them. Of course, if they come to find me, I won’t refuse to see them either. I only hope they won’t try to interfere with my life or decide my future for me. I’m already past the age when I need a parent’s affection.”
“Alright, Jiang Chan has only just returned from the competition and she’s already exhausted. Please make some room for us.” The little old physics teacher also realized things were taking a turn for the worse. He pushed through the reporters and shielded Jiang Chan as they left the airport.
Once they were in the car, the little old physics teacher pointed at her. “Don’t you know how to give a diplomatic answer? What happens if they publish that? Don’t you care about your reputation? A young woman’s reputation is very important.”
Jiang Chan grumbled inwardly. No matter how important reputation was here, could it possibly be stricter than it had been in ancient times?
“I know what I was supposed to say, but I didn’t want to say it. If they really do come looking for me one day, then no matter what polite things I said today, I’d have to follow through on them. I’m stubborn. I can’t do that.”
“You’re just too stubborn.” The little old physics teacher sighed. “Fortunately, you’ll be seventeen1 after the New Year, and you’ll be an adult next year. Let’s just hope they don’t show up before then.”
Jiang Chan laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m some huge celebrity. Give it a while and everyone will forget about me. This won’t make that much of a splash.”
The little old physics teacher thought about it and agreed.
The teacher and student splurged on a taxi back to City High. The school was reimbursing the fare anyway. It was freezing outside, so why shouldn’t they enjoy themselves for once?
- I know earlier in the chapter it was stated that she’d turn 15 after the new year. But I checked and the author put 17 later on in the chapter, so I’m leaving it as is. ↩︎
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