“Gu Mang, she…” Jianghuai almost couldn’t speak up. He struggled for a long time before he could. “She was the top scholar on the first national joint exam ten years ago. Clearwater High School, Elder Tan’s student…”
Hearing this, Gu Yin heard a buzzing sound in her heart. Then, everything before her went blurry. She felt as if a vein in her brain that was tense had been torn apart. The surrounding noises started to blur together and a scene from a decade ago floated in her mind. That year, she was five. Her parents had sent her and Gu Mang to Clearwater High School. The school accepted Gu Mang who had been to a reform school before and but they did not want her. She could never forget the way that their relatives looked at her. Why did Gu Mang get accepted and not her!
For a year, she lived in Gu Mang’s shadow. In the second year, Gu Mang was expelled from Clearwater High School. In fact, she received a heavy penalty for having a gang fight at Clearwater High School. It was hard for her to find another school.
“Yinyin, did Gu Mang really study at Clearwater High School before?” Her desk mate’s hand shook as she held her cell phone. “She had only gone through year one in primary school and yet she took the national joint exam. How is this possible?!”
She took the national joint exam at the age of seven and even achieved a perfect score?! It was as if something was stuck in Gu Yin’s throat. She could not speak up.
…
Every department in the staff room was dead silent. They all looked at the latest post from the Ministry of Education in silence. There were photos of Gu Mang’s answer script during the national joint exams ten years ago and her most recent answers online. This cold hard evidence was like a slap on everyone’s face.
Xi Yan returned to the General Science department office and no one spoke. It was as if Luo Songhua’s mockery of Xi Yan was still in sight. Yet on this day, the top performing student in the entire school was from Xi Yan’s class. She was not just the top student in the school. She was also the top student in the city, the province, and the nation!
The humiliation was too soon.
Only a female biology teacher who always had a good relationship with Xi Yan walked to the front of her desk and spoke softly. “You are so clever and have such an eye for detail. You can even see through an ’academia god’ like Gu Mang!”
Until now, Xi Yan had been in a confused state. Everything was very surreal. She looked at the biology teacher and did not know what to answer. She had never thought that Gu Mang had such a hobby. She either scored full marks or zeros. She remembered when Gu Mang scored 3 marks in chemistry. How nice of her.
“Now, you have hopes of getting the National Year Three Best Teacher Award. Remember to treat me to a meal. I want hotpot!” The biology teacher said while smiling.
Thump—
The sound of a door being slammed shook the entire office. Luo Songhua’s seat was empty now.
The biology teacher turned around to look and she smiled. “Who asked her to despise and bully you all the time?”
Xi Yan said nothing.
…
Gu Mang sent Elder Tan to the school car park and opened the door. “I will visit you during the next vacation.”
Elder Tan looked kind and he smiled. He seemed relieved by her words. “What do you intend to study? Design, med school, or something else?”
Gu Mang pondered for a few seconds and answered, “I’ll let you know when I’ve decided.”
“Sure.” Elder Tan nodded. He looked at her and reminded her, “You have grown taller but you are too slim. For someone who really loves eating sweet things, I wonder where it all went. Remember to have proper meals, okay?”
Gu Mang uttered an assent and she looked really obedient.
When Elder Tan bent over to get into the car, she shut the door and the look in her beautiful eyes changed instantly. She looked a little evil, nonchalant and rebellious.
Qin Fang was silent. Big boss changes so naturally.
Gu Mang stuck both hands into her pocket and looked at Lu Shangjin. Then, she said politely, “Thank you, Uncle Lu.”
Lu Shangjin smiled. “I’ll send Elder Tan back first.”
Gu Mang nodded.
Lu Chengzhou had been thinking about how Lu Shangjin knew Gu Mang.
Now, he suddenly remembered that Lu Shangjin was once the discipline master at Clearwater High School ten years ago. It is no wonder he knew Gu Mang.