The homeroom teacher of Class One was so delighted to gain such a promising student as Jiang Chan that he could not stop smiling as he led her toward the classroom. He had only graduated three or four years ago and was still quite young.
On the way, he asked why she had chosen Class One. Jiang Chan answered honestly. “Wu Jin is my older half-sister. We have the same mother. My parents favor her, and I don’t want to be in the same class as her.”
Old Tang nodded. “Then stay in our Class One. Your grades look excellent. By a rough calculation, you could make the top five in the year. You’re also the youngest in our class, so everyone will probably be looking after you more.”
“Stay in the classroom for now. I need to handle the students’ paperwork. Or you can go buy things yourself. The academic affairs director just gave you a meal card and your scholarship money. Keep them safe. I’ll get back to work.”
The start of term was extremely busy for the class, especially the homeroom teacher, who was rushed off his feet. His phone rang constantly during the short walk with Jiang Chan.
Jiang Chan nodded. “Go ahead, Teacher. I’ll go to the classroom first. Once I’ve collected my new textbooks, I’ll buy my daily necessities.”
Watching Old Tang hurry away, Jiang Chan looked up at the sky. Without that family of four hovering before her eyes, even the sky seemed much bluer.
After collecting her new textbooks, Jiang Chan went to the dormitory arranged by the academic affairs director. The moment she entered, she was startled. Goodness, every single person wore glasses. There really was a strong atmosphere of learning.
She put down her things. Seeing that everyone was reading, she instinctively quieted her movements. No one spoke to her or offered to help. Jiang Chan thought this was quite good too.
Everyone could keep a little distance. As long as they did not cause her trouble, that was fine. After making her bed, Jiang Chan lightly jumped down from the upper bunk, landing softly and silently.
One girl happened to see her and instinctively gaped. Where had this martial arts expert come from?
Jiang Chan paid them no mind and went about her own business. She had originally planned to return to the Lian home after the examination to collect her bedding and luggage. Now that the school had given her a scholarship, she simply decided not to go back.
She could buy whatever she needed. Going back would waste time and put her in a bad mood. In Lian Shuguo and Wu Xiuzhen’s minds, their biological daughter was probably no different from a child they had picked up off the street.
At this moment, Jiang Chan felt fortunate that the original owner did not have a phone. Even if the Lian family wanted to find her, they would have no way to reach her.
The original owner used to envy Wu Jin for having the latest iPhone while she had nothing. Now, it seemed this might actually be a good thing.
No matter which time or world she was in, every school held a Placement Test at the start of term. Jiang Chan was an old hand at this and found it very easy. Although the questions took a few twists and turns, she still handled them with ease.
The Placement Test lasted only two days. Jiang Chan’s leisurely manner stood in sharp contrast to the nervous anticipation of her classmates. At first, they had been very surprised by this unfamiliar face. None of them knew her background, and their homeroom teacher had not introduced her in detail.
So everyone assumed Jiang Chan had gotten in through connections, and they were rather distant when speaking to her. Top students were aloof and looked down on poor students.
Jiang Chan did not take any of this to heart. They were all strangers. Why care so much? Once the results came out, they would see who had the last laugh.
On the day after the Placement Test ended, the results began coming out one after another. Old Tang had already estimated Jiang Chan’s performance as generously as he could, yet the unmistakable scores still made him dizzy.
He suddenly slapped the shoulder of Class Two’s homeroom teacher beside him. “Mr. Xing, I really must thank Wu Jin from your class. If it weren’t for her, Lian Qiao wouldn’t have come to mine. I really must thank you.”
Mr. Xing frowned. “What are you thanking me for? She’s just one student. How good could she possibly be?”
As he spoke, Mr. Xing casually glanced at the newly compiled results. When he saw Lian Qiao’s name, he swallowed everything else he had been about to say.
“First in the year? No wonder you’re showing off!”
The words left a bitter taste in Mr. Xing’s mouth. If Wu Jin had not been in his class, would Lian Qiao have been more likely to choose him?
But it was too late to say anything now. Mr. Xing sighed. “I suppose you and Lian Qiao were meant to be teacher and student.”
Mr. Tang smiled. “You flatter me. You and Wu Jin were meant to be teacher and student too. Otherwise, how would she have ended up in your class?”
Mr. Xing nearly toppled backward in anger. If Lian Qiao could come to his class, he would trade ten Wu Jins for her! Forget it. Perhaps he simply was not destined to be Lian Qiao’s teacher.
Mr. Xing took it in stride. “Now that such a promising student is in your Class One, Mr. Tang, you must teach her well.”
Mr. Tang was still grinning. “Of course. That’s my duty.”
He knew when to stop. A little showing off was enough. Any more would be excessive. The first class that afternoon was Old Tang’s Chinese lesson. He was not normally one to announce scores, but today, for once, he began reading out each student’s name and score.
Class One was a class of top students, after all, so almost no one had poor marks. As he announced them one by one, only the final paper soon remained. Jiang Chan was the only one who had not received hers.
Everyone turned to Jiang Chan, their eyes full of disdain. They had said she got in through connections. Now she was in last place.
Old Tang cleared his throat. “This next paper belongs to Lian Qiao from our class. Lian Qiao ranked first in Chinese across the entire year and wrote the only full-mark essay among all second-year students. Lian Qiao, 148 points.”
The score caused an immediate stir. Just two points short of full marks. What did that mean?
Jiang Chan stood and went to the front to collect her paper. Old Tang smiled. “I marked your Chinese paper myself. In fact, even full marks wouldn’t have been excessive. I had to look hard to find a reason to deduct those two points.”
Jiang Chan nodded coolly and carried her paper back to the last row. By now, everyone was looking at her differently. Someone who could score 148 in Chinese? Where had the school found this genius?
Why had they never heard of her before? Seeing their puzzled looks, Old Tang braced both hands on the lectern. “Lian Qiao was originally a first-year student. When term began the day before yesterday, she took a grade-skipping examination, and the principal made an exception to let her enter the second year. She’s the youngest in our class, so everyone should look after her.”
No one heard anything Old Tang said after that. All they heard was that she had skipped a grade and come straight from the first year. The whole class erupted.
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