Three Worlds and Three Lives [36]

Now, in the examination hall, Jiang Mingqin looked at the blank sheet of paper and the test paper emitting the smell of printing ink in front of her. She had looked over the paper several times after receiving it, but her mind remained blank. Due to extreme nervousness, all the math formulas she had once learned appeared before her eyes, but she couldn’t seem to apply any of them.

At this moment, she knew that she was in deep trouble.

She didn’t need to pretend, her face was incredibly pale, her hand holding the pen was trembling, and she repeatedly thought about how she could faint. Amidst the backdrop of everyone in the examination hall competing against time to answer questions, the girl’s condition was quite abrupt.

The exam proctor noticed her immediately, and before he could take more than a couple of glances, the girl slumped over her desk and fainted.

The young exam proctor, a regular teacher from a nearby school, was monitoring an exam for the first time that year and had never encountered a situation where a student fainted in the exam hall. He was a bit taken aback and quickly walked over. He gently tapped the girl’s shoulder and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

After just a couple of taps, the girl’s slender arm slipped from his touch, and she fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string. Her eyes were tightly shut, her face as white as paper, her lips devoid of any color, and her breathing was weak, indicating a severe condition that alarmed everyone in the exam hall.

Because someone suddenly collapsed near him, the boy at the neighboring desk was frightened and started shouting, causing all of his stationery to fall to the ground.

Seeing this, the young exam proctor was at a loss, wondering if he had been too rough. Why did the student collapse with just a slight touch? Another experienced exam proctor approached and helped the girl up. After asking several questions and receiving no response, he called for an ambulance. Since the girl’s condition looked serious, and they only had basic first aid supplies in the exam room, they had no choice but to send her to the hospital. They didn’t know what was wrong with her, and if she wasn’t treated promptly, they might be held responsible for delaying her treatment.

The arrival of the ambulance added a sense of excitement to the otherwise quiet campus. Students from other exam rooms heard the commotion, and their thoughts began to wander. Was someone feeling unwell due to a medical condition, or had the difficulty level of this year’s exam frightened them to the point of fainting? As a result, they couldn’t help but flip through their own math questions.

Yin Minglu, however, remained undisturbed. After seeing the stretcher being carried through the corridor and the girl’s face on the stretcher, he disinterestedly retracted his gaze and continued writing calmly on his paper. He meticulously checked his answers, and his elegant handwriting graced the pages, looking very pleasing to the eye.

He had anticipated that Jiang Mingqin would pull such a stunt. During the morning assembly, the girl had occasionally cast resentful glances his way, her face tense, her eyes wandering. Even when someone tried to talk to her, she seemed completely absent, as if she were not preparing for an exam but plotting something else.

At that moment, he knew that this girl would probably try some trick. She likely knew that she wouldn’t pass the exam or could only get into an ordinary university, so she decided to forgo this opportunity to avoid competing with him directly. When the time came, she could use the excuse of not feeling well to explain her poor performance. Whether others believed it or not, she would have an excuse, saying that she couldn’t perform because of her health.

Except for her teachers and classmates, no one knew that she had been completely disinterested in studying for the past six months, causing her performance to deteriorate significantly.

After finishing his paper, Yin Minglu turned back to the first page, carefully reviewed it, confirmed that there were no mistakes, and then tidied up his desk before calmly leaving the examination hall.

He wasn’t the first person to leave the examination hall, and as he stepped out of the school gate, he saw someone surrounded by reporters. Facing a sea of microphones, that student scratched his head, his dark face turning slightly red as if he were a bit embarrassed.

Yin Minglu glanced at the TV reporters, lowered his cap, put on his school uniform, and took a detour to avoid them. However, his appearance was too conspicuous, and he was soon spotted.

“Ah! It’s Yin Minglu! He’s over there!” Someone with sharp eyes quickly noticed his disguise.

“Where? Where?” Another reporter immediately raised his camera and looked around.

“It’s the one with the cap! I recognize his shoes. He showed them on Weibo!” This person spoke confidently, and the reporters rushed toward Yin Minglu as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

“We found him! Director, open the live broadcast room!” This reporter was a bit late and couldn’t find a position to insert himself, so he wore a mournful expression while talking to the director.

In less than half a minute, Yin Minglu was trapped in a circle of reporters. They crowded around him, pushing microphones towards him, and their camera flashes created an artificial daylight.

Most reporters were polite, trying to contain their excitement as they asked several questions.

Reporter A: “Student Yin, you just finished the morning math exam. Do you think this year’s math paper was difficult?”

Yin Minglu: “It was okay.”

Reporter B: “Do you really handle the college entrance exam result inquiries?”

Yin Minglu: “That was a joke.”

Reporter C: “Which university are you planning to attend? Last year, your game won an award in New Zealand, and Mr. Yin made a substantial donation to the local community. If you get into your desired university this time, will Mr. Yin make any similar contributions?”

God knows, everyone just likes these wealthy people who, when they’re in a good mood, scatter money around and engage in charity.

Yin Minglu pondered for a moment before replying, “My dad seems to have said that regardless of which university I become an alumnus of, he will donate a teaching building to that university.” He couldn’t recall the exact words, but he remembered that Yin Yunqiu had asked him if the teaching building should be named after him, and he had quickly declined due to the potential embarrassment it might bring.

As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd exclaimed, “Then Peking University welcomes you!”

This comment was met with laughter.

Of course, amidst the seemingly casual and friendly questions, there were some discordant ones. One reporter, desperately hiding his beer belly, squeezed his way into the interview circle and confronted Yin Minglu with a sudden question: “Young Master Yin, according to information we received, the female student who was just taken to the hospital is your classmate. Her condition seems quite serious. Will you visit her in the hospital later?”

Yin Minglu politely replied, “Yes, but after the college entrance exams.”

Upon hearing this, the reporter seemed to have caught onto something, and his tone turned sharp. He asked, “Why wait until after the exams? Can’t you go now? Last year, a girl had her period during the exam, fainted, and a complete stranger carried her out of the exam hall and took her to the hospital. As classmates who have spent nearly three years together, don’t you have any sympathy? Are you so cold-hearted that you can’t even visit a classmate in the hospital? Is going to the hospital to see a classmate too much for you?”

This aggressive question, while seemingly justified, carried the implication of moral blackmail. If he didn’t go, he would be accused of being heartless, selfish, and indifferent. They were trying to use this to pressure him into taking a stance.

This tactic was all too familiar, and it was exactly what An Meijun, the original owner of this body, was used to doing. Knowing that he was now a public figure of some stature, they wanted to force him into complying. Were they trying to make him drop out of the exam or orchestrate some kind of “accident” on the way to the hospital if his daughter’s exam went awry?

In front of the watching crowd, Yin Minglu’s dark and calm eyes were unwavering. He hadn’t had a chance to respond yet when his real classmates stepped forward to speak up on his behalf.

“Hey, Mr. Journalist, aren’t you acting strangely? We have a very important Chinese exam in the afternoon; where do we have the time to visit someone?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Besides, Jiang has already been taken to the hospital. Her parents will take care of her. Why should classmate Yin go see her? He’s not classmate Jiang’s boyfriend, doctor, or nurse. What’s the use of him going?”

Indeed, what could a young man do by going there? Just act as a wooden stake? It’s better not to go at all!

The people who had initially been misled by the reporters suddenly seemed to wake up, realizing the situation.

“That’s right, don’t bother him. This is really making a fuss over nothing.”

This is where having good social connections comes in handy. A group of students rushed to defend Yin Minglu, and the reporter’s face turned pale. In the end, he looked embarrassed and stood there, seemingly at a loss for words, and eventually left the interview circle.

On the other hand, at the hospital.

Jiang Mingyao had rushed to the hospital due to his sister’s sudden fainting. He couldn’t pick Yin Minglu up, so he called another assistant, Xiao Wang, and asked him to go. He also reminded him to watch what he ate for lunch, especially in the hot weather. He advised him not to consume too much soup and avoid eating spicy or cold foods to prevent stomach problems that might affect his performance in the exam.

Xiao Wang obediently agreed on the surface but secretly muttered to himself, wondering why Jiang Ge (Brother Jiang) was so concerned. He was just a driver and assistant, so why was he micromanaging things like this?

Meanwhile, under the watchful eyes of her family, the “unconscious” Jiang Mingqin slowly woke up. In reality, she had accidentally fallen asleep for a while. In the eyes of her parents, her daughter couldn’t even be awakened, indicating a severe condition. After finally waking up, her parents, trying to console her, suggested that missing the exams this year was not a big deal. They could always repeat a year and focus on recovering her health and studying diligently to excel the following year.

Jiang Mingqin was dumbfounded by their words. She couldn’t help but clench the white bedsheets tightly underneath, thinking how meddlesome they were. She had deliberately pretended to be sick because she didn’t want to take the exams in the first place. She had even asked her uncle to help her conceal her condition. Besides, the Yin family would provide her with a university education, so she had no need to struggle with retaking exams. In fact, she might even be mocked.

With determination, she decided to reveal the truth. Now, the Jiang family was in chaos. After looking at her medical examination report, she had turned even paler. Tears streamed down her delicate face uncontrollably, as if she couldn’t contain her grief. She finally used all her strength to cry out, “Dad! Mom! I’m not your biological daughter, am I? I was adopted, right?”

The Jiang couple was instantly bewildered, wondering how their daughter could not be theirs. They had taken care of her since she was a child, so how could they have made such a mistake?

The young girl’s almost pale face showed signs of hurt as she covered her face, saying, “Don’t hide it from me anymore. Our blood types don’t match at all. Dad has AB-type blood, so how could I be O-type?”

What!? Apart from Jiang Mingyao, who already knew the truth, Jiang’s parents were shocked and deeply affected. However, what confused them even more was the girl’s behavior. No matter how they explained that she wasn’t adopted, or even if she was the biological child of different parents, they would never abandon her. The young girl, with a look of injury, waved her sharp claws as she tore at the bedsheet, her eyes red, constantly throwing a tantrum. All she said was that she wanted to find her biological parents.

The Jiang parents were so overwhelmed that they didn’t have time to grieve. Seeing their daughter so emotionally charged and fragile, they didn’t dare to upset her further and could only console her gently. However, the more they tried to soothe her, the more agitated she became, crying even louder. The hospital room turned into a chaotic scene.

On the other side, An Meijun was once again resorting to her old tricks. She lay weakly on the plain hospital bed, reaching out with her delicate, boneless hand toward Yin Yunqiu. It seemed she wanted to grasp the man who had left the deepest mark on her heart in her lifetime.

She lay weakly on the hospital bed, extending a delicate, boneless hand toward Yin Yunqiu. It seemed as though she wanted to grasp the man who had been the most unforgettable and deeply emotional figure in her life.

Yin Yunqiu gave her a cold look and avoided her hand. He then turned to the doctor and asked, “So, you’re saying that Miss An fainted due to anemia, and after some tests, you suspect that her child doesn’t match my blood type or hers, leading you to believe that Minglu might not be my biological child?”

The man’s demeanor was full of authority and not a hint of anger. Under the piercing and icy gaze, An Meijun’s uncle felt momentarily embarrassed. He felt like his every secret had been exposed. However, thinking of his niece’s request, he could only muster the courage to continue the act and said, “Yes, it’s quite coincidental. Young Master and Madam, as well as Mr. Yin, all have incompatible blood types. I suspect there was a mix-up in the past. Last year, our hospital relocated, and we lost some of the old records, so searching for them might be troublesome. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Mr. Yin, you will surely find your biological child.”

Before Yin Yunqiu could even sneer, An Meijun’s body swayed and she clutched her chest, crying pitifully, “Yunqiu, you may not believe it, but my heart aches terribly now. It’s as if I can sense a girl deep in my soul, our own child, suffering somewhere unknown for the past eighteen years. Minglu also doesn’t know whose child he is. It turns out that we made a mistake back then. It’s the nature of blood that caused this. No wonder I couldn’t get close to Minglu back then.”

Is she trying to whitewash herself now? And she even didn’t forget to put on a show to emotionally manipulate her supposed son who was currently taking an exam.

She cried for a long time, and Yin Yunqiu remained stern, as if he were watching a performance unrelated to him. It wasn’t until she brought up Mingluo that he asked, “Do you really not know where your daughter is?”

Suddenly being asked, An Meijun hesitated for a moment. Tears still lingered in her eyes, but she momentarily forgot to cry. She awkwardly said, “Y-yes, that’s my biological daughter. If I had known earlier, how could I have let her suffer and be alone at such a young age, stranded outside? After all, she’s my own flesh and blood.”

As she spoke more and more, the man remained completely unresponsive. An Meijun felt anxious and uneasy, raising her eyes to meet the man’s deep, bottomless, jet-black pupils. He stared at her with a frosty expression, his aura sharp and predatory, as if he were a vulture about to pounce, a storm brewing in his eyes.

An Meijun was suddenly at a loss for words, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Her heart raced, and she couldn’t help but wonder what Yunqiu meant. Did he not believe what she was saying?

As if giving her one last chance, the man’s eyes grew even darker, his tone icy, “I’ll ask again, do you really not know? You’re so sure it’s your daughter, even though you’ve never seen her.”

The air grew tense.

An Meijun’s breath caught, realizing where she had gone wrong. While she may have had a connection, it was too presumptuous of her to be so confident about the girl’s age and appearance.

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Author’s Note: Sorry for the delay in updating by an hour T_T, but I did request leave in advance (whispering).

 

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