While inwardly mocking Qin Fen, Jiang Chan’s hands moved quickly. Grinding through problems was a process of accumulating skill through repetition. It was also a process of identifying gaps and filling them. At the very least, Jiang Chan had gained a great deal.
After doing enough problems, unfamiliar question types no longer made her panic. She could calmly break them down step by step. At the very least, she felt her level had improved far beyond what it had been in the real world.
After Song Miao transferred to another class, Jiang Chan did not follow her news anymore. With Song Miao’s grades, returning to Class One would be extremely difficult. Their interactions decreased significantly.
In the following year, Jiang Chan worked tirelessly. Qin Fen’s grades also rose steadily under her guidance. As usual, Jiang Chan, Qin Fen, and Wu You sat in the last row. They had become an unbreakable trio.
No one could separate the three of them. Wu You, seated between two campus heartthrobs, received endless envy. Handsome boys by her side every day, plus a top student explaining problems to her. It was pure enjoyment.
What others did not realize was that Wu You herself was an academic standout. Even after a year of hard work, Qin Fen had not caught up to her.
That year, Jiang Chan participated in physics, biology, mathematics, and chemistry competitions. Her results were excellent. Although she stopped at the finals in chemistry, she entered the national team in the other three subjects.
Her achievements were unprecedented in the school’s history. Ever since she entered the national team, banners had hung across campus without ever being taken down. Every corner displayed notices of Jiang Yuhui winning first prizes at provincial competitions.
Her name had become a legend.
Most students struggled preparing for one competition. She registered for four at once. Aside from chemistry, she made the national team in all of them. It was an extraordinary accomplishment.
When representing externally, Jiang Chan became a core member of the team. Her team won gold. It was the best result in history.
When news returned to school, the principal and teachers nearly lost their composure. With achievements like this, the school’s reputation soared. The principal’s smile was wide and unrestrained. These were tangible results.
With Jiang Chan’s performance, how could his promotion path not go smoothly?
Sure enough, in her third year of high school, the principal was promoted to the Education Bureau. Before leaving, he personally encouraged Jiang Chan to keep working hard. It was clear how much he valued her.
Logically, with such results, guaranteed university admission was inevitable.
Yet to everyone’s surprise, Jiang Chan declined it.
Qin Fen nearly lost his mind. Grabbing her shoulders dramatically, he exclaimed, “That’s the best university in the country. You turned down guaranteed admission. What are you thinking?”
Jiang Chan remained calm, unfazed by his exaggerated expression.
“I want to study software engineering and work in artificial intelligence in the future. The majors they offered for guaranteed admission aren’t what I want.”
Most of the offered programs were mathematics, physics, or biology. They did not align with her goals. Considering the original owner’s interest in robotics and her introverted personality, she would likely become a researcher or programmer.
Looking at the professional landscape, computer science seemed the best choice. The era was advancing rapidly. The future belonged to networks and technology.
“There’s no need to refuse guaranteed admission. If you really like computer science, you could major in something else and take it as a second major.”
Qin Fen knew more about such matters and felt her choice was risky. If he had a guaranteed offer, he would sign immediately. He could not guarantee he would perform perfectly on the college entrance exam.
Jiang Chan brushed his hands aside. “Do you believe that even without guaranteed admission, I can still enter the university I want?”
Qin Fen deflated. “Of course I believe it. With your near perfect scores and competition bonuses, you can go anywhere. It’s just that guaranteed admission is safer.”
Over the years, their relationship had grown close. Their conversations became more relaxed. Jiang Chan smiled more around him than before.
“So there’s no need to worry. My grades are stable. I can go wherever I want.”
The entire class heard her. If anyone else had said that, they would have been mocked. From Jiang Chan, it sounded like simple confidence.
Confidence backed by ability was not arrogance.
After being removed from Class One, Song Miao went quiet for a while before resolving to work hard. There were few truly foolish people in the world. The difference lay in effort.
By the final class reshuffle in the second year, Song Miao returned to Class One. It was almost a story of academic comeback, rising from near the bottom to the top several dozen in the grade.
When Wu You saw Song Miao walking in behind the homeroom teacher, her face fell. “So annoying. I knew she’d come back.”
Qin Fen tugged her ponytail. “She’s not sitting next to us. Just pretend she’s invisible.”
Wu You sighed. “Troublesome. Hui Ge, you’ll have problems again.”
She smiled with clear schadenfreude. Others might not notice Song Miao’s intentions, but Wu You did. After all, Song Miao had once warned her.
Jiang Chan raised her eyes. “Mind your own business. You missed two major questions on the physics test. Have you corrected them?”
Wu You immediately lowered her head.
On the podium, Song Miao watched the group whispering in the back. Her eyes darkened.
She suddenly smiled. “Teacher, my foundation isn’t strong. Could I sit next to Jiang Yuhui and ask him to help tutor me?”
The homeroom teacher frowned.
The homeroom teacher frowned. When Song Miao returned to Class One, he had assumed she had truly turned over a new leaf, after all, her grades had steadily improved. But seeing her stare fixedly at Jiang Chan now, he could not help feeling uneasy.
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