Chapter 33

Lin Miaomiao sat in frustration, biting her pen as she glanced at the girl's test paper on her right. Her neck stretched long as she attempted to sneak a peek at the answers, but she ended up disappointed. 'I don't know the answer, but it's definitely not that,' she thought to herself. Thanks to Ye Bai's tutoring, she studied enough to know what was wrong, but not enough to know what was right.

Glancing to her right, Lin Miaomiao observed Ye Bai focused on his own test paper. She couldn't ask him for help with Teacher Liu, who was seated in front of their aisle. Leaning her head down, she tried to catch a glimpse of Qian Sanyi's paper, offering him a smile. However, he promptly moved his table backward to shield his answers from her view.

Both Ye Bai and Jiang Tianhao noticed the exchange. Ye Bai shook his head, understanding that Science was Lin Miaomiao's weak spot. Despite his tutoring efforts, he recognized that each person had their own learning capacity.

In a gesture of desperation, Lin Miaomiao signaled to Jiang Tianhao for assistance. Nervously, he glanced ahead, swallowing hard. Slowly, Lin Miaomiao slid her test paper between them, silently pleading for help. Qian Sanyi's eyes widened at the sight.

Caught between Lin Miaomiao's pleading gaze and the pressure of the situation, Jiang Tianhao hesitantly placed his test paper next to hers. With a smile, Lin Miaomiao picked up the two papers, grateful for Jiang Tianhao's assistance.

...

New season is coming to Elite High School, and every student is now wearing their dark blue winter uniform. As the bells rang, every student went to their respective seat.

Teacher Liu of Physics enters the Class 1 classroom. "Now I will give back to you the result of the Physics test last week." 

Calling out the test papers by rank, Teacher Liu began, "In first place, Ye Bai and Qian Sanyi, both with a perfect score." The students erupted into applause, prompting Teacher Liu to remark, "Do you really need to clap? They are always in first place. Learn something from them." Ye Bai and Qian Sanyi collected their papers and returned to their seats.

"Next, in second place, we have Jiang Tianhao," Teacher Liu continued.

Jiang Tianhao happily retrieved his test paper, and Teacher Liu reminded him, "Take your time, Jiang Tianhao. You've really made progress this time."

Sun Chuanchu couldn't resist chiming in, "Congratulations, Tianhao! You moved up from third place." The students chuckled, knowing that Jiang Tianhao remained in third place due to Ye Bai and Qian Sanyi's tie.

Jiang Tianhao snapped back, "If you are good, you can take my place; if you can't, don't mumble."

"Now, for third place," Teacher Liu announced, scanning the classroom. Liang Yunshu adjusted her uniform, anticipating that her name would be called. She half rose from her seat— "Lin Miaomiao, third place goes to Lin Miaomiao."

Qian Sanyi, who was sipping his tea, choked in surprise, while Jiang Tianhao dropped his test paper in shock. Shocked murmurs spread among the students. Liang Yunshu sank back into her seat slowly, realizing she hadn't been called.

Ye Bai just smiled awkwardly; he didn't know, but he felt a little embarrassed at the turn of events in front of him.

"Silence!" Teacher Liu commanded, then turned to Lin Miaomiao. "What are you waiting for? Come and collect your test."

Lin Miaomiao approached the front awkwardly, only to be stopped by Teacher Liu. "Stop there, hold it up," he instructed, placing the test paper in front of her like a prize. "Let your classmates see your grade. Hold it a little higher." Moving behind her, Teacher Liu continued, "Student Lin Miaomiao, from being a struggling student to achieving top marks, what does this prove? It shows that nothing in life is insurmountable. All you need to do is try." The students remained skeptical.

Lin Miaomiao attempted to raise the test paper to shield her face, but the teacher corrected her posture. "When I asked you to clap earlier, you were silent. Now, let's give her a round of applause." Teacher Liu remarked, prompting the students to clap their hands in acknowledgment.

...

After Teacher Liu left the classroom, Jiang Tianhao approached Lin Miaomiao's desk and confronted her. "Hey, are you stupid? Don't copy the difficult questions. You know you can't handle them, right? If you get caught, I'll be implicated too."

Lin Miaomiao looked down guiltily. "You know I struggle with Physics. All the questions seem equally challenging to me. How am I supposed to differentiate between easy and hard ones?"

Qian Sanyi, seated behind Lin Miaomiao, chimed in, "Haozi, you've got a pig teammate. Are you still surprised?"

"Wow, criticizing me," Lin Miaomiao sighed, leaning back in her seat. "You didn't know how embarrassed I felt up there. I didn't even want to achieve that thing in front of everyone."

"Then you need to put in a little more effort. But I suggest you don't cheat again next time. It's much more fulfilling to stand in front without the weight of guilt on your mind," Ye Bai advised her.

Lin Miaomiao glanced at Ye Bai and nodded in agreement. She didn't want to experience that feeling again.

...

"Okay, my lovely daughter, Muah muah. Alright, I'll hang up now," Wang Shengnan said with a wide smile as she looked at Lin Dawei and hugged him tightly. "She's swimming upstream; her Physics grade is improving."

"That's good news," Lin Dawei remarked.

"Guess where our daughter ranked this time?" Wang Shengnan asked excitedly.

"In Physics? Considering her usual performance, maybe around 20th place?" Lin Dawei guessed.

"No, this time she's in third place," Wang Shengnan proudly announced.

"It can't be," Lin Dawei said in disbelief.

"This could be her chance for a comeback. Do you think she could pass the college entrance exams for prestigious universities like Peking University or Tsinghua University?" Wang Shengnan speculated, already envisioning her daughter's bright future.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. But I better prepare what to say if other parents ask me, 'How did you raise such an excellent daughter?'" Lin Dawei joked.

Wang Shengnan giggled at Lin Dawei's remark, feeling hopeful and optimistic about their daughter's prospects.

...

The teacher looked at Lin Miaomiao with concern. "What happened, Lin Miaomiao? Last exam you got 89, but now it's 68. You soared high, then suddenly you dropped under the ocean."

Lin Miaomiao understood this time that she didn't cheat. Ye Bai had put in a lot of effort into tutoring her, and she knew that this time she had truly worked hard to earn her score. "Teacher, I accidentally got 89 points last time. 68 is my real score. Teacher Liu, I'm a student preparing for the Social Sciences branch. I just need to pass Physics; even if it's just a passing grade, I'll be happy."

"Are you sure about that, Lin Miaomiao? Many students strive for higher grades, but you?" Teacher Liu asked, clearly surprised.

Lin Miaomiao bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Teacher Liu. I want to study Social Science and Literature, that's what I truly desire," she said before exiting the teacher's office.

...

Lin Miaomiao observed Deng Xiaoqi, who seemed lost in thought. "What's got you acting like that?" she asked curiously.

"I'm thinking about whether Yiyi will choose social science because of me," Deng Xiaoqi voiced her concern to Miaomiao.

Lin Miaomiao didn't know how to respond at first. "Haha!" she laughed awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Deng Xiaoqi lightly slapped Miaomiao's arm, bringing her attention back. "This actually happened. There was a guy at Jiangzhou's No. 1 school who chose social science because of love. Could the same thing happen to me?" Deng Xiaoqi explained.

When Lin Miaomiao heard this, her heart raced. She remembered that Ye Bai also chose social science because of her.

"Hey, Miaomiao, are you still there?" Deng Xiaoqi's voice broke through Miaomiao's thoughts.

Lin Miaomiao shook her head, snapping back to reality. "Why don't we ask her directly if she's going to choose Social Science or not?" she suggested.

"Okay, let's ask her tomorrow," Deng Xiaoqi eagerly agreed.

Suddenly, Lin Miaomiao leaned on Deng Xiaoqi's shoulder.

"Miaomiao, what's on your mind?" Deng Xiaoqi asked, noticing Miaomiao's contemplative expression.

Miaomiao paused, contemplating her question before blurting out, "Deng Xiaoqi, how do you know if you like someone?"

Deng Xiaoqi turned to face Miaomiao with a soft smile. "Well, it's different for everyone, but usually, you just... feel different around them. Your heart beats a little faster, you find yourself smiling for no reason, and you just want to spend more time with them," she reminisced about Qian Sanyi.

Miaomiao nodded, processing Deng Xiaoqi's words. "But what if you're not sure if it's like or something else?"

Deng Xiaoqi chuckled, understanding Miaomiao's dilemma. "Well, sometimes it takes time to figure it out. Just pay attention to how you feel when you're around that person, and eventually, you'll know."

Miaomiao nodded again, grateful for Deng Xiaoqi's advice. "Thanks, Xiaoqi."

"Why did you ask? Do you like someone?" Deng Xiaoqi asked nonchalantly, then her eyebrows raised as she realized that it was unlike Lin Miaomiao to ask such questions. "Who is it?" she whispered to Miaomiao.

Lin Miaomiao suddenly startled. "N-Nothing, I just read about it in comics. I'm just curious," she explained hastily.

Deng Xiaoqi nodded. They had been friends for a long time, and she knew Lin Miaomiao's character well—innocent, pure, lively, brave, and kind. Miaomiao was a girl full of vitality. So, Deng Xiaoqi didn't ask any more questions; perhaps Miaomiao was indeed just curious.

...