Chapter 39 : Chapter 39
Chapter 39. Good Grief, So You're Controlling Your Score Too?
"Principal, Young Master Jiang left every multiple-choice question blank in all seven subjects, and everything after that was correct..."
The assistant's words echoed through the office, and then the room fell into dead silence.
Shen Qingyue stared at her son's papers, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Every month, Uncle Feng reported on Xiao Chen's situation to her. In the most recent graduation mock exam, Xiao Chen had ranked dead last in the entire school.
But today, not only had he passed every subject in half an hour, he even seemed to have deliberately scored exactly 60 in each one by giving up the forty points from the multiple-choice sections.
Could it be that Xiao Chen had been pretending all along? That he had been deliberately controlling his score?
For a moment, Shen Qingyue almost began to doubt whether this was really her son.
Still, now that Xiao Chen had passed, she finally had the confidence to speak on certain matters.
Shen Qingyue adjusted her moon-white soft-satin qipao and turned to Su Zhan with a smile. "Brother Su Zhan, my son's results are decent enough, are they not? I think the marriage arrangement between our two families should proceed as before."
Hearing that, Su Zhan slowly came back to himself and frowned in thought.
The Jiang family was, after all, the foremost family in Huaxia. Since Jiang Yichen's academic results were not poor, going to the Jiang family to break off the engagement would be no different from openly offending them.
"Qingyue, there is no need to rush. There is still the martial exam this afternoon." Su Zhan smiled faintly. "If Xiao Chen also passes the martial exam, then naturally I will not make things difficult."
The moment those words were spoken, Zhou Mingyuan's and Jiang Dongnian's eyes narrowed, and they exchanged a glance as their lips curled upward once more.
The written exam accounted for only a small portion of the total score. The martial exam was the real deciding factor.
And during the last mock exam, Jiang Yichen had only been at the Second Realm. Even if Jiang Zhentian had used heavenly treasures to push him up to the Third Realm, it would still have been impossible for him to achieve a good result.
Inside the Monster Battlefield used for the martial exam, the weakest demon beasts were all Third-rank. There was no way Jiang Yichen could pass.
"Haha, Patriarch Su is quite right. The written exam only makes up 30% of the total score. Madam Shen need not be in such a hurry." Zhou Mingyuan smiled, though there was no warmth in it.
Jiang Dongnian said nothing and merely nodded along.
Shen Qingyue remained expressionless, but beneath the table her hand clenched tightly.
Uncle Feng had said that Xiao Chen had only just broken through to the Third Realm. With nothing more than a barely passing written score, it was almost impossible for him to pass the martial exam.
Ah, well. We can only take it one step at a time.
Shen Qingyue looked at her son's results, her face full of worry, though beneath that worry still lingered a faint hope that a miracle might happen.
...
Examination Hall No. 1.
After writing furiously for more than an hour, Su Linyu had finally finished her own papers.
Yes! There is still an hour and a half left. That is more than enough time to help Brother Yichen answer his questions.
She first lifted her head and glanced at the proctor standing by the door. After confirming that the teacher was not looking in her direction, she slowly turned her head.
But what she saw was Brother Yichen asleep on the desk, the draft paper before him completely blank, and the virtual window showing that he had already submitted his exam.
Su Linyu froze, as if a bolt of lightning had struck her straight on the head.
Brother Yichen... submitted already!
She suddenly grabbed her head with both hands and muttered in a tiny voice, "This has to be a hallucination. How could Brother Yichen have handed it in already? I must have strained my eyes from doing too many questions."
Unwilling to believe it, she turned to look again.
But the result was still the same.
It was over. Her whole world had collapsed.
Biting her lower lip, Su Linyu looked as though she were about to cry.
She had wanted to help Brother Yichen answer the questions and make sure he passed, but who could have guessed that he would submit the paper directly?
Seeing how soundly he was sleeping, he had probably turned it in a long time ago.
Could it be that Brother Yichen had not answered anything at all and had handed in a blank paper?
The more Su Linyu thought about it, the more frightened she became. If Brother Yichen failed his total graduation assessment, then her father really would go to the Jiang family and dissolve the engagement.
What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?
If he failed the written exam, then the martial exam was even less worth mentioning.
Brother Yichen had only just broken through to the Third Realm, and the Monster Battlefield in the martial exam was filled entirely with Third-rank demon beasts. It would already be impressive if he could kill even one.
And the martial exam scores were awarded based on ranking. First place received full marks, and from second place onward, the score dropped by ten points at a time.
If Brother Yichen failed the written exam, then in the martial exam he would have to place at least in the top ten.
How could that possibly happen?
Su Linyu was beginning to despair. She truly did not want her engagement to Brother Yichen to be dissolved.
But what was she supposed to do now?
She trembled anxiously all over, while beside her Jiang Yichen remained sunk in a sweet dream.
"Right! Father said that if Brother Yichen's results differ too much from mine, he will go to the Jiang family and break off the engagement. In that case, if I fail too and end up the same as Brother Yichen, wouldn't that solve it?"
Suddenly struck by inspiration, Su Linyu revealed a sweet smile.
Although graduation assessment results played a major role in the military district internship afterward, and the high-ranking authorities of Huaxia would also select outstanding students to enter the national team—
and once someone entered the national team, Huaxia would increase the resource support given to that person's family, which was even more beneficial to the family's future development—
she knew her father would definitely scold her to death if she did this, but compared to Brother Yichen, that meant nothing!
A determined look appeared on Su Linyu's little face as she began changing her test papers, altering every correct answer into a wrong one.
She only needed to fail. She just had to control her score.
Time passed quietly, and soon the broadcast announcing the end of the exam rang out.
"The exam is over. Your results may be checked on the school website in half an hour." After saying that, the proctor gathered her belongings and left the examination hall.
Jiang Yichen also woke up at a leisurely pace, then walked out of the hall with Su Linyu and headed for the cafeteria.
"Brother Yichen, how did you do on the exam?" Su Linyu asked, her hands behind her back as she tilted her head to look at him from the side.
Jiang Yichen stretched lazily and smiled. "Passing definitely will not be a problem."
A puzzled look appeared on Su Linyu's little face. He had handed in his paper so early, and he could still pass?
Could it be that Brother Yichen is just trying to comfort me?
"Brother Yichen, I did terribly this time. I might not even pass the written exam," Su Linyu said, pretending to smile bitterly.
Jiang Yichen's mouth twitched.
Who are you trying to fool?
In his previous life, Su Linyu had taken first place in the graduation assessment, and not just first place, but by an overwhelming margin. And now she was telling him she had done badly.
This girl's way of comforting people was far too absurdly showy.
"Let us eat first," he said, changing the subject.
"All right. You sit down, and I'll go get your food. I'll pick all your favorite dishes."
After entering the cafeteria, Jiang Yichen casually found a seat and sat down, while Su Linyu enthusiastically volunteered to order the food.
He did not stop her.
He would simply enjoy it.
If he tried to stop her, Su Linyu would probably end up pouting and making a fuss instead. That was simply the bizarre way a girl hopelessly in love behaved.
As Jiang Yichen sat there in a daze, waiting, his keen perception picked up two gazes observing him.
Hm?
He turned his head slightly.
Not far away, Jiang Feng, dressed in a custom-tailored suit and carrying himself with polished elegance, was watching him cut into his steak, a smug smile curled at the corner of his lips.
The other gaze was full of resentment. It belonged to Lin Wan, whose face was still flushed red. She was holding a cheap meal that had cost less than twenty yuan and staring at him fixedly.
Lin Wan did not hesitate in the slightest. She strode over and sat down directly across from him.
Jiang Yichen frowned slightly. He was just about to call Uncle Feng and have him come over to drag this nuisance away.
But then he heard Lin Wan cross her arms over her chest and say in a perfectly self-righteous tone, "Jiang Yichen, I was impulsive this morning. Now go buy me what I like to eat, and then we can have a proper talk."
The sight of the miserable food on her tray made her stomach turn.
In the past, Jiang Yichen had bought all three of her daily meals for her. They had always been delicacies and premium ingredients. This cheap cafeteria food was truly impossible to swallow.
After hearing that, Jiang Yichen simply could not comprehend the way this woman's mind worked. No wonder she had been brainwashed by that prissy Ye Chengyu. Idiot.
"Why are you still sitting there? I'm hungry. Hurry up and go buy my meal," Lin Wan reminded him.
Dream on.
A look of utter disgust at stupidity appeared on Jiang Yichen's face. Just as he was about to tell her to get lost, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
【Ding! A Taking-It-Easy choice has been triggered...】