Unfortunately, in the deep of winter, at just past six in the morning, the sky was not yet fully bright, and a dense fog shrouded everything, making it nearly impossible to spot anyone on the road.
But something was wrong... Why would the matchmaker, Mrs. Li, be blocking her path to school so early on such a frigid day?
It was clearly premeditated.
Mrs. Li’s intent was very likely to prevent her from taking the exam as a means of retaliation.
This conjecture made Shen Mianmian’s heart sink. She simply couldn’t stand up to Mrs. Li, and if no one came to her aid, she truly feared she would miss the exam this time.
Had the heavens shown her favor by granting her rebirth and a glimmer of hope, only to lead her into despair once again?
No, she couldn’t just accept her fate.
"Deliberately obstructing a student from taking an exam is against the law," she said. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
Her eyes flashed with a coldness and determination that belied her young age, creating an oppressive feeling in others.
But after all, she was just a child in body, and Mrs. Li, a seasoned veteran, was only startled momentarily before regaining her composure.
With a sneer, Mrs. Li scoffed, "Don’t try to scare me with the police. Even if the Jade Emperor himself showed up, I wouldn’t be afraid."
If Mrs. Li truly wanted to stop Shen Mianmian from taking the exam, she would be afraid. But since her goal wasn’t actually to prevent the exam, she wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
Out of nowhere, the sound of bicycle bells approached. Shen Mianmian’s eyes lit up, and soon she saw two students riding by on their bicycles. The students, surprised to find someone standing in the middle of the road, quickly stopped their bikes.
Seeing this, Mrs. Li’s grip tightened.
Shen Mianmian didn’t know these two students and could tell from their expressions that they wouldn’t help her.
However, she didn’t give up. "Please, could you let Teacher Chen at the school know that someone is blocking the way and preventing me from reaching the exam?" she pleaded.
Mrs. Li glared at the students passing by and snapped viciously, "Sly girl, aren’t you? Mind your own business and don’t interfere, unless you want to be prevented from leaving too."
The two students were frightened and, after exchanging a glance with Shen Mianmian, pushed their bikes and left.
Realizing that further delay would definitely make her late for school, Shen Mianmian’s eyes reddened with anger. In a moment of desperation, she took advantage of Mrs. Li’s unguarded moment and bit her hand fiercely.
"Ow! You little brat! Were you born in the Year of the Dog or what?" Mrs. Li yelped.
Caught off guard, Mrs. Li instinctively let go, and Shen Mianmian seized the opportunity to turn and run. Mrs. Li was older and not as agile as Shen Mianmian. Plus, Mianmian was running with all her might, quickly leaving Mrs. Li behind.
She ran so fervently that, compounded by the heavy fog, she quickly collided into someone. The impact sent her reeling back a step, nearly toppling over, but the person caught her arm in time.
"Careful," came the voice.
The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Before Shen Mianmian could get a clear look at who it was, the person expressed surprise.
"Hey! It’s you? Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked.
"Let go of me," she demanded.
Was fate truly toying with her?
She had just managed to break away from Mrs. Li, only to run into Xu Haiyang.
She struggled fiercely, but Xu Haiyang’s grip was like a vise, firmly restraining her arm. "Are you running late for an exam?"
"You little devil, were you born in the Year of the Dog? How dare you bite me," Mrs. Li panted as she caught up. Seeing Shen Mianmian held by Xu Haiyang, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
That darned girl dared to bite her; she deserved to be punished.
Shen Mianmian felt a chill in her heart, and the light in her eyes extinguished completely.
"Auntie Li, why are you chasing her?" Xu Haiyang asked, puzzled.