She is a Genius

In her previous life, Lina's high school grades were average within her school, Northville Middle School. However, the school was renowned for its robust faculty and rigorous academic standards, which were a hundred times more demanding than they are now.

As a result, the school had an impressive rate of students advancing to top-tier universities, reaching up to ninety percent.

In such an environment, even without putting in much effort, Lina's grades weren't too bad. This was also thanks to Talon's strict supervision of her studies. He would check her backpack and homework every night after work, reviewing the teachers' comments and annotations.

Lina was pushed to the limit, and even though she barely scraped by, she managed to get into a decent university.

Now, the entrance exam for Northville Middle School seemed like a distant memory to Lina, but her solid foundation meant that with some review materials, she should have no problem passing the exam.

One afternoon, Lina went to a bookstore alone to buy some textbooks.

The bookstore in the city center had been open since Lina was in middle school. It had undergone several major renovations and changes over the years.

The bookshelves now didn't have as many diverse books as before, and the overall variety was less.

Lina found the section with study guides and picked up a thick math textbook.

Through the gap in the bookshelf, she caught a glimpse of a handsome young man standing in front of the opposite shelf, taking notes.

Lina paused, then moved to the corner of the bookshelf to get a better look—

Kairo was wearing a white shirt, looking clean and refined. He was holding a pen, copying something from a study guide onto a yellowed notebook.

Lina tiptoed over like a thief, and saw clearly... he was copying math problems from the study guide.

He was so focused that he didn't notice Lina standing behind him.

After a while, he closed the new study guide and put it back on the shelf. Lina quickly hid behind the shelf to avoid him.

As Kairo passed by Lina, he didn't glance at her, but his steps faltered slightly.

After he left, Lina went to where he had been standing and took out the study guide titled "Complete Analysis of College Entrance Examination Mathematics".

The study guide wasn't too expensive, but the fact that he chose to copy the problems instead of buying the book suggested his family was struggling financially.

Lina finally understood why this man was able to build an empire with his own hands in just ten years, becoming a new tycoon in the upper class of North City.

He was calm, adaptable, patient, and enduring.

Compared to him, the current immature and impulsive Talon Lu seemed like nothing.

-- -

Lina had a stack of study guides on her desk and started studying day and night for the entrance exam, putting in more effort than she ever had for her college entrance exam.

Shelley sent Sierra to check on Lina's progress several times, but Sierra thought her mother was overthinking it.

"She's a fool who can't even do basic arithmetic, and she thinks she can pass the entrance exam?"

But Shelley didn't think so. She clearly remembered what Lina was like in the past: naive, stuttering, and unable to articulate her thoughts. When Shelley was upset with Jace, she used to pinch Lina's hand secretly, and all Lina could do was cry.

But the Lina who returned this time was very different from the past. Yet... if she wasn't Lina, how would she know so much about their family?

Shelley was somewhat worried.

"If she fails the entrance exam, your Uncle Lu will definitely use his connections to get her into the school, and you could benefit from it too," Shelley advised Sierra. "You'd better figure out what she's up to."

Sierra was dismissive: "Do you really think she can do better than me? You don't trust me at all."

Shelley thought about it and agreed. Lina was born with intellectual disabilities. Maybe she became smarter after being out in the world, but she would never become normal.

-- -

Of course, not only Shelley, but even Jace didn't have much faith in Lina. He didn't expect her to get into any prestigious university. As long as she was happy in school, he would be satisfied.

During the days waiting for the school admission notice, Sierra was full of confidence and excitement, planning with Shelley about the trips they would take after the middle school exam.

After the exam, Lina was not so confident. The difficulty of the exam was much higher than she had expected. She thought that going back in time twenty years would make studying easier, but it turned out... it was too hard!

Indeed, the entrance exam for a key middle school that everyone wanted to get into was designed to select the best students.

One early morning, a postman delivered an admission notice. Sierra ran downstairs like the wind, joyfully took the admission notice, and shouted into the house: "Mom, Uncle Lu, I got in!"

Lina came out of her room, standing at the railing of the second-floor corridor, looking at the overjoyed Sierra in the living room.

She only had one admission notice in her hand. So, she didn't get in...

Lina felt a bit deflated. Although she had never been serious about studying in her previous life, she had put in a lot of effort this time. Still, she didn't get in. It seemed that success in studying couldn't be achieved overnight.

Jace and Shelley heard Sierra's voice and came out of their rooms.

Shelley looked at Lina, who was standing at the edge of the corridor looking dejected, and a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes.

"Sierra is really great." She went over and gently stroked her head, praising, "I heard this exam was very difficult. Several of my friends said their children failed, but our Sierra did so well!"

Jace asked Sierra, "Is there only one?"

"Yes, there's only my admission letter!"

Jace shrugged, not feeling disappointed. This was within his expectations.

Shelley urged Sierra to open the envelope. As Sierra did, Shelley mentioned throwing a grand celebration for Sierra's achievement, suggesting it would reflect well on Jace too.

Jace didn't respond. After all, she wasn't his biological daughter. Throwing a celebration for his stepdaughter's admission didn't bring him any honor.

Sierra joyfully opened the envelope, read the name on the notice, and suddenly saw "Lina Lu". She was stunned.

Shelley saw her daughter's pale lips and how she dropped the admission notice.

She picked up the notice from the floor and was equally shocked.

The admission notice was for Lina.

Lina took the notice from Shelley's hand and saw her score: 614.

She couldn't help but murmur, "I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"

She had never scored over 600 in her entire life.

Jace couldn't believe it. He kept looking at the notice, then called the principal to confirm.

The principal laughed, "Mr. Lu, you're too modest. This year's entrance exam was very difficult. Out of two thousand participants, only 18 scored over 600. Your daughter ranked among the top with a score of 614!"

"Are... are you sure?"

"If she hasn't studied the middle school curriculum at school and can score like this, she's not intellectually challenged. She's a genius! We not only want to admit her but also offer her a scholarship!"

Jace hung up the phone, feeling dizzy. His daughter, who was once considered intellectually challenged, had turned into a genius.

Over the past few months, Lina had brought home a pile of reference materials and studied hard every day. He didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a phase.

But she actually got in!