|| A true academic elite
Under normal circumstances, Song Yan had strong willpower, usually sticking to his word and never backing down.
However, this usual demeanor did not apply when it came to Xia Zhiye.
So after Xia Zhiye misbehaved for a whole day and night, he reluctantly sent Song Yan off at the airport. Throughout the entire time, not only did he avoid getting beaten up like the dog he is, but he also managed to sneak in a few kisses from Song Yan without him noticing.
However, Song Yan was completely unaware of this. When Tan Qing came to the airport to pick him up and asked him how his birthday went, he simply replied, “It was okay.”
Despite his modest response, Tan Qing could easily tell that it was actually very good. The gloom that had been lingering around the young man had visibly dissipated, replaced by a sense of relaxation and contentment that even he himself hadn’t realized.
It was the relief of someone who had endured hardship and finally let go of their burdens, emanating a sense of ease and anticipation for the future from within. It seemed that the decision she had made earlier was indeed the right one.
Whether it was the decision to support Song Yan and Xia Zhiye being together or the determination to confront Song Minghai in court, she felt that she had made the right choices.
If it were before, with her gentle, somewhat timid nature, she would surely have chosen to live passively with Song Minghai. But now, seeing Song Lele happily enjoying his childhood without being forced to learn piano, fencing, or French, and witnessing Song Yan emerging from the shadows, she felt that she could be even stronger, fiercer, and more assertive.
So she told Song Yan what could be considered good news: “I’ve decided to confront your father and start divorce proceedings tonight, so I don’t want you to come home for the next few months. Just focus on your studies at school, prepare for the college entrance examination, and don’t worry about anything else. Just trust me, okay?”
Song Yan felt that there was nothing much to think about regarding these matters. Right now, he just wanted to focus on studying well, preparing for the college entrance examination, and having a bright future with Xia Zhiye. So he agreed without any psychological barriers.
“However… there’s one more thing. Auntie wants to ask for your opinion,” Tan Qing said with a gentle smile. “After the divorce from your father, Auntie will buy a new house, probably near Lele’s school. It’s spacious with plenty of rooms. So, would you like Auntie to move your things there?”
Song Yan was stunned for a moment.
Aunt Tan smiled and said, “Auntie knows that you don’t like living with a large family, and I understand that you’ll probably want to live with Xiao Xia when the time comes. But, girls1while she said “girls”, it’s probably because girls are the ones usually married into the groom’s family. still value having a natal family to return to – in your case, if you encounter any unpleasant situations, or during New Year’s holiday, it’s always good to have a place to return to.”
With a deeper smile, as if she felt it’s too serious, she continued, “Besides, you know how mischievous Lele can be. I always find it hard to be too strict with him. He’s afraid of you and only listens to you. If you’re not around, he might turn the world upside down. So, having a room for you will keep him in check. Consider it helping Auntie out.”
Lele might be a bit mischievous and his grades might not be the best, but he’s definitely a sensible child. When Tan Qing said that, she just wanted Song Yan to feel that he was needed, needed by this family.
Song Yan understood everything, including Tan Qing’s implied meanings.
If it were before, he might have felt that his best choice was to reject this suggestion and maintain the most distant and detached attitude possible.
But now, he’s not as “sensible” as before. He felt that sometimes it’s okay to be a bit selfish, a bit greedy, and a bit shameless in grasping the things that he actually really wanted deep down inside.
So, he hooked his right hand around the strap of his backpack, clenched it slightly, and then responded, “Mhm, okay.”
“Good luck for your college entrance examination.”
“Mn, thank you Aunt Tan.”
In the following three months, it could almost be said that they were the most diligent three months of Song Yan’s entire student life. He worked so hard that even Xia Zhiye realized that as long as the college entrance examination was not over, he would always be in second place, and studying would always be the undefeated Empress to Emperor Song.
Every night, he studied until 2 AM., then woke up at 6:20 AM, washed up, went for a jog, ate breakfast, and then appeared in the classroom at 6:50 AM to start a new day of studying.
He gave up any entertainment activities, set aside all distractions and thoughts, and was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he lay down. He was even too exhausted to overthink and unable to sleep. When it came to meals, he ate whatever was available, hurriedly filling his stomach without time for pickiness.
Even his weekend calls with Xia Zhiye were filled with discussions of the final math and physics problems and English reading comprehension.
Many people couldn’t understand why Song Yan was pushing himself so hard. In their eyes, with his background as a wealthy second-generation and his academic foundation, there was no need for him to drastically change his fate with a single college entrance examination. Therefore, it seemed unreasonable for him to study so intensely just to pass exams.
Moreover, Song Yan was not lacking in money, and the scholarships at his current school were not as lucrative as those at Huiying. Even if he became the top scorer in the college entrance examination, the rewards would be minimal compared to the interest he earned annually from his bank account.
But it’s different.
That money was his mother’s money, it was given to him by others, not really his own.
He wanted to prove to Song Minghai once and for all that he could rely on his own abilities to lead his life with dignity, even without relying on that money. He believed he had the right to control his own destiny, rather than accepting Song Minghai’s patronage and dictation from above.
This intense lifestyle continued until the 7th of June.
When he arrived at the examination center on the school’s arranged bus, he immediately spotted Tan Qing standing in the crowd wearing a bright red qipao and holding a sunflower, smiling gently at him.
It was a scene he never expected.
Tan Qing, like all other parents, arranged his clothes for him, gave him words of encouragement and comfort in a warm voice, cheered for him, and wished him a successful victory.
Just before entering the examination hall, he received a call from Xia Zhiye, who lazily chuckled and said, “Song Yan, do you think we should hold our celebration banquet for being the top scorers in Beijing or Nanwu? Or should we hold one in each place, and combine it with our wedding directly?”
“Dumbass,” Song Yan chuckled and scolded, “Let’s talk about it after the exam. Anyway, Aunt Tan said, only the top scorer in the college entrance exam is worthy of entering our family. You figure it out yourself.”
After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone and walked into the examination room with enough confidence, hope, and a smile.
After walking into the exam room, he realized that this exam, which has always been regarded as the ultimate enemy of life by students, was nothing more than, well, an exam.
The usual exam papers, the usual questions, the usual students, the usual sunrise and sunset, the usual ringing of the bell. It drew a concrete period with different numerical values for their twelve years of efforts.
The scores were divided into three, six, and nine levels, distinct and strict. With just one point difference, it could feel like the difference between heaven and earth. However, these scores wouldn’t necessarily define the rest of these young people’s lives.
—At least that’s how Shen Jiayan comforted himself.
After the college entrance examination, Xia Zhiye came to Beijing to find Song Yan.
The new house that Tan Qing bought was in the same neighborhood as Shen Jiayan’s family. It was a three-story mansion, with the ground floor reserved for Tan Qing’s parents, the second floor for Tan QIng and Song Lele, and the large room on the third floor with an ensuite bathroom and balcony reserved specifically for Song Yan.
The layout and decoration of the rooms were identical to the previous ones, with everything remaining unchanged. They even added a matching desk and gaming chair next to Song Yan’s original computer desk, although it wasn’t clear who it was intended for.
Anyway, when Xia Zhiye brought his alien-themed laptop over, he was very satisfied with the arrangement.
The elderly couple of the Tan family rarely visited, and Song Lele usually stayed at school. Tan Qing was busy reorganizing the company while also dealing with the lawsuit against Song Minghai, keeping herself occupied all the time.
So basically, the entire mansion was mostly occupied by Song Yan and Xia Zhiye. They lounged around in the air-conditioned rooms, munching on watermelon, ordering takeout, playing games, and enjoying their carefree world without study, exams, shame, or restraint.
In the middle of Xia Zhiye’s stay, the two young men also went next door to Shen Jiayan’s house to say hello. However, they accidentally witnessed Zhou Ziqiu walking out of Shen Jiayan’s bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist… and caught a glimpse of a maid’s outfit peeking out from behind the corner of the bed. Feeling awkward, they silently left and never went back again.
The two couples maintained a polite distance, neither interfering nor revealing each other’s secrets, separated only by a not-so-long avenue lined with trees.
It wasn’t until the day of the college entrance examination results were released that Shen Jiayan became extremely nervous, so nervous that his entire nervous system was in chaos, and Zhou Ziqiu couldn’t control him at all.
He could only watch as he wore his dinosaur pajamas, hugged a large plush toy, slipped on his slippers, and ran to the door of Song Yan’s house. He knocked loudly and shouted, “Song Yan! Open the door! I know you’re home!! If you have the guts, open the door!!”
Song Yan, who was playing PUBG with Xia Zhiye at home, was suddenly startled by the loud shout. His hands trembled, causing both of them to be eliminated in the final circle. The easily attainable victory slipped away just like that. Song Yan took a deep breath, his knuckles turning white from gripping the mouse tightly. If it were Shen Jiayan’s neck instead, he might have already lost his life.
Xia Zhiye rubbed his head in a soothing manner. “It’s okay, I’ll assassinate him, I promise not to leave any traces.”
“Forget it, no need to do that.”
After all, nowadays, such naive and innocent people are quite rare. Sparing Shen Jiayan’s life was akin to protecting a rare species in the country.
With a blank expression, Song Yan released the mouse, stood up, and slowly went downstairs. He opened the door and looked down at the eccentrically dressed and mentally abnormal Shen Jiayan outside, asking, “What’s the matter?”
“What are you talking about?! The college entrance examination results will be released soon! Are you not nervous at all!!” Shen Jiayan was so nervous that his voice was wavering, as if the end of time was nigh.
And Song Yan just looked back lazily, looked at Xia Zhiye behind him, and said casually, “The result is announced today?”
Xia Zhiye glanced at his phone. “Mn, about half an hour from now.”
“Oh, I see.”
Song Yan replied casually, as if it was not a big deal.
However, after listening to the conversation between the two, Shen Jiayan only had question marks in his head.
What?
So these two people were playing so recklessly, day and night, forgetting everything, even such an important thing as the college entrance exam results?
Are they still human? !
“Are you two really not nervous at all?” Shen Jiayan was utterly enraged, “I know your grades are good, but what if you don’t perform well in the exam? Song Yan, didn’t you set a goal to be the top scorer in the college entrance exam? Xia Zhiye, didn’t you set a goal to get into Peking University? Aren’t you afraid of embarrassment? What if you fail to get into the top universities? Will you continue with the long-distance relationship?”
Shen Jiayan felt like he’s dying.
The college entrance exam results were about to come out… it was the crucial moment to determine his monthly allowance for university and whether he could end the long-distance relationship with Zhou Ziqiu. He became so nervous that his calves started to tremble.
But Song Yan just leaned against the door frame, casually remarking, “If I can’t even get into Peking University, what’s the point of going to any other school?”
As soon as he said that, the audience fell silent.
Shen Jiayan, slowly but surely: “……?”
Is this what a human should say?
How on earth did this person live without getting beaten for so many years?
Wouldn’t Song Yan get flamed to hell and back if what he said is uploaded to the Internet?
Hatred.
Outright contempt!
Provocation.
This is naked provocation!
What a show off.
What a fucking show off!
At that moment, Shen Jiayan couldn’t help but clench his fists, his face turning red, as he shouted angrily, “Song Xiaoyan! Let me tell you! The scores haven’t come out yet, so don’t be so arrogant! If you dare, let’s check the scores together! If I score higher than you, remember to call me ‘Dad’…”
“Ring ring ring… Ring ring ring…”
Before Shen Jiayan could finish his threat with a cute but self-deemed fierce expression, Song Yan’s phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and made a “shush” gesture to Shen Jiayan. Shen Jiayan immediately calmed down and shut up.
Then Song Yan pressed the speakerphone, and immediately, an extremely magnetic male voice came from the speaker: “Hello, may I speak to Student Song Yan? This is Zhang-laoshi from the admissions office of Peking University. Yes, I’m the one you left your contact information with during the Strong Foundation Program promotion. I had a deep impression of you at that time. Just now, I learned that your score this time is 721 points, ranking first in Beijing’s science classes. Congratulations on this achievement. I would like to inquire if you are interested in learning more about the majors offered at our university…”
The rest of the conversation, in Shen Jiayan’s ear, gradually began to sound incomprehensible.
What molecular science, what engineering, what plans? All the mentioned field were something he didn’t understand
He just remembered a cruel fact he had forgotten — atrue academic elites never have to check their scores themselves, so the only one who still needs to anxiously wait for half an hour to check his score is himself.
“…”
“Zhou Ziqiu! I will never play with Song Yan again!”
Shen Jiayan turned around and crashed into Zhou Ziqiu’s arms, shedding humble and sad tears belonging to the learning scumbags.
