Zhang Xiuyun said, “Congratulations, Yulun. You’re the top scholar for this Humanities batch.”


  “Bang,” His phone having fallen onto the table due to his trembling hands, the excited Chen Yulun hurriedly picked it back up, asking, “Sorry, Mrs Zhang, about that……I’d like to ask, can you confirm this? ……I scored higher than Ye Yingjing?”


  Actually, Chen Yulun had only attained first in the year once throughout his entire twelfth grade. Most of the time, it had been Ye Yingjing who had ranked first.

  With both of them being her precious students, Zhang Xiuyun was not especially joyful as she even said rather regretfully, “She didn’t score well for Mathematics. She was behind you by just 1 mark.”


  “Yeah……no, what I mean is: thank you, Mrs Zhang. I’d also like to ask-how did that Xu Tingsheng from Class 10 do?”


  “I’m not very clear on that. He seems to have flunked, perhaps not even having made it to a national key university. Mr Zhou is currently sighing just over there.”


  The entire office heard Zhang Xiuyun’s words. Fang Yunyao heard it, and Old Zhou heard it as well. Still, he was helpless against them, only able to grit his teeth.

  Over at the other end, as soon as he had put down his phone, Chen Yulun yelled loudly, “Mom, Dad, I’m the top scholar for Humanities.”


  “What?”


  “Top scholar for Humanities.”


  “Huh?! Top scholar……”


  After their initial joy, the Chen Family began frantically making calls all around:

  “Oh, Yulun’s aunt. Let me tell you a good piece of news. Our family’s Yulun is the top scholar for Humanities……right, the kid’s still rather competent. A banquet? Definitely……nah, what red packet, just showing up will be more than enough.”


  “Hi, factory head. I’ll be taking leave for the next two days……No, there’s nothing wrong with my health. It’s a good thing: My family’s Yulun is the top scholar for Humanities. No matter what, I should also set down a few tables for celebration……oh, you’re coming as well? Yes, of course, you’re definitely welcome. Let’s say this first-you don’t have to prepare a red packet, okay? Just you coming personally is in itself already the greatest honour.”


  Chen Yulun’s parents called all their friends and relatives one by one. Suddenly, Chen Yulun’s mother remembered a relative of theirs who could be considered neither close nor distant to them. Their daughter just happened to be a classmate of her son, and also seemed always to have been presiding over Chen Yulun by a head.

  Should she make this call?

  Chen Yulun’s mother felt that she had to. In the past, when their relatives and friends were chatting about their kids, it was always that girl who received the most praises. No matter what, she definitely had to vent this out now.

  She picked up the phone, “Hello, is this sister-in-law? ……Is brother also at home?…… Nothing, I’m just calling to ask about your Yingjing’s results. She’s always been very good in her studies, I heard from our Yulun that she gets first nine out of ten times……oh, so it’s like this, what a pity. Still, it’s already quite good, right? Hey, isn’t this really coincidental? She just scored a single mark lower than our family’s Yulun. One of those rare one out of ten times in which she didn’t score first, and it had to be the most important university entrance examinations, that’s just so……Right, my Yulun was lucky and became the top scholar. Still, Yingjing did pretty good as well……Yes, we will be hosting a banquet. At that time, do remember to come, and bring Yingjing along as well, okay?”


  Having listened to her words from the side, Chen Yulun’s father reproached her afterwards rather unhappily, “Isn’t this stirring things up?”


  Chen Yulun’s mother rebutted, “So what if I am stirring things up?”


  Hearing his parents argue, after learning of what had happened, Chen Yulun just said nonchalantly, “Anyway, the call’s been made. It’s also better than leaving her prideful like whatnot everyday anyways.”


  Chen Yulun had actually pursued Ye Yingjing before, in the end having failed. As a result, his favourable sentiments towards her having turned into resentment, he currently felt a great sense of pride and elation as well as a little joy at having achieved successful vengeance.

  In Ye Yingjing’s home, Mrs Ye rather unhappily told her husband of what had transpired over the phone. Mr Ye gently comforted her. A very magnanimous and knowledgeable person, it was precisely because of such that he had managed to raise up a daughter like Ye Yingjing.

  Of course, there was no avoiding a sense of regret at what could have been.

  Having inherited her father’s tolerance and magnanimity, Ye Yingjing had gone out early in the morning for some mountain climbing with her classmates, afterwards eating lunch together with them. Just after she had returned, Mrs Ye told her rather angrily and uneasily about the matter of her having missed out on being the top scholar by a single mark.

  Ye Yingjing was instead the one who comforted her mother, after which she said, “Actually, this might not definitely be the case. On my way home just now, I met that Xu Tingsheng from Class 10 whom I told you was very awesome before and spoke with him a little. Can you guess what he said?”


  “What, he scored even higher?”


  “I don’t know. He said that for some reason, he forget about the results being released yesterday night. Instead, he got really drunk with his father, only just having woken up at around noon today,” Ye Yingjing laughed, “When I saw him, he and his father were just about to go home to get his entry proof for checking his results.”


  Mrs Ye looked at her husband and daughter, saying, “This father and son really have vast hearts, vaster even than the both of yours.”


  “It’s better having vast hearts; those with vast hearts live happier,” Mr Ye said.

  “Well, my heart is not that vast. I can’t wait now for that kid to check out the highest score, angering those guys of the Chen Family to death. Look at that arrogant look of theirs,” Saying thus, Mrs Ye then truly joined her hands together in prayer.

  The father and daughter both burst into laughter at this.

  Ye Yingjing pursed her lips, saying, “Actually, I also hope that he’s done well.”


  Mr and Mrs Ye exchanged looks. Their daughter seldom paid much attention to anybody, and it was even rarer for her to talk about any male classmates. However, many matters regarding this Xu Tingsheng, including his improvement in results, his interaction lesson, even that time he had done a reflection up on stage, had been mentioned to them by their daughter, and not just once as well……

  Thinking that her daughter had already graduated anyway, Mrs Ye gave her a knowing smile, “Oh, how rare……That boy must have quite the charm?”


  “No, no,” Ye Yingjing frantically waved her hands in denial, “It’s just, it’s just pure admiration.”


  Seeing her daughter’s flustered look, Mrs Ye grew even more interested. She heard already mostly heard about all of Xu Tingsheng’s school exploits by way of her daughter, and what parents were concerned about was usually different from their children.

  Mrs Ye asked, “Then, do you know what that Xu Tingsheng’s family does?”


  “Huh?” Ye Yingjing had a reddened face at her mother’s question.

  “I’m just asking; what’s wrong with that?” Mrs Ye said.

  Ye Yingjing thought for a bit before answering, “I heard that that departmental store on the first floor of that Golden City Tower, with the ‘Wait For Me’ written on it, is run by his family.”


  “Oh, this is good,” Mrs Ye jumped up in joy, continuously exclaiming towards Mr Ye, “This is good, this is good!”


  The father and daughter exchanged looks, smiling bitterly as they shook their heads.

  Meanwhile, Chen Yulun did not know about this at all. He made calls to one classmate after another inviting them out for a gathering, at the same time also casually mentioning his results.

  He even invited some ex-classmates from junior high.

  After his final call, Chen Yulun still felt like his joy was yet to abate. Actually, he very much wanted to give Xu Tingsheng a call. If not for the fact that he did not know Xu Tingsheng’s number……Alright, it should be: if not for him being afraid of getting beaten up……

  Feeling rather regretful at not being able to call Xu Tingsheng, Chen Yulun thought of someone else.

  He grabbed his phone and dialled Song Ni’s number.

  The one who answered was precisely Song Ni. Not having scored well, she was inevitably despondent. Still, long since having been mentally prepared for it, Song Ni had already come to terms with it, intending to heed Xu Tingsheng’s advice and study accounting in a vocational college. Therefore, she did not mind receiving the calls of her classmates, also not minding telling them about her results. These past two days, too many classmates had called. Thus, Song Ni just casually picked up the phone without thinking, without looking at who the caller was.

  “Hi.”


  “Hi, is this Song Ni? It’s me, I’m Yulun.”


  “.……Oh, is there something?”


  “How are your results?”


  “Vocational college.”


  “Vocational?” That’s too bad. Still, if it’s like this……you might as well go find a job……No, sorry, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is that there isn’t really much meaning in vocational college. Why don’t you consider finding a job in the provincial capital Xihu City? I will be attending university there.”


  “.……” Song Ni did not speak, only wondering at how ignorant she must have originally been to have had a crush on such a person for so long.

  Chen Yulun thought that Song Ni was hesitating. Without Xu Tingsheng and the others interfering, he felt that he still had a rather good chance of getting his way with her. Back then, due to having felt repressed, he had needed to vent. Song Ni had been a very good choice for that. Having an inferiority complex and also liking him so much, she should be especially subservient to him. Now, his blood surging and boiling at being the top scholar, Chen Yulun felt like he needed to vent once more, and Song Ni was still the best choice for this in his mind. It was not just that-he wished for Song Ni to find a job in the city he would be attending university in as well. That way, whether it was from an economic or a physiological standpoint, he would be able to get all he needed for her.

  As for the future, how could two people who lived in two completely different worlds have a future together? Chen Yulun thought to just keep her for use first, only discarding her after he had found a lover in university.

  Chen Yulun struck while the iron was hot, “Song Ni, I am very sorry about what happened back then. Do you think it’s still possible between us……? What I promised back then still stands. Do you know? I’m this time’s top scholar for Humanities. I will fill in Jianhai University……let’s have it like this: I’ll attend university while you work in Xihu City. We’ll be together, and after I graduate……”


  “Du……du……du……” Song Ni hung up.

  Chen Yulun bitterly terminated the call, hatefully scolding, “This idiot woman, it’s your fortune that this old man even considered you.”


  The top scholar Chen Yuluan quickly forget about this small bit of unhappiness as he remained in the highest of spirits. He was the top scholar; the future that lay ahead of him was unprecedented. A woman like Song Ni-how was she worthy of him, Chen Yulun? Also, Xu Tingsheng’s group-other than bravery and viciousness, what did they know? Sooner or later, they would be trampled on beneath his feet.