"This system doesn't know either," the system replied. "Maybe it's because I had family with me today, so I was in particularly good form and performed exceptionally well?"
Wen Yun: "...I just don't quite believe it."
Feeling she probably wouldn't get any answers, she had no choice but to put aside her doubts for the time being and walk with Lin Qiqi, who was talking to herself, towards the book cafe.
With nearly an hour and a half left before the end of the second exam, the two of them were bored out of their minds, reading magazines and scrolling through their phones in the book cafe. They finally managed to endure until the exam ended, but then had to wait another half hour.
Just after 3:30, before Wen Yun could speak, Lin Qiqi stood up abruptly and grabbed her arm.
"Let's go! Let's go see the results!"
Since there are not many transfer students, the marking of the three entrance exams is all done in the grade group office.
As soon as Wen Yun and Lin Qiqi entered, the teacher in charge of grading math papers greeted them with a smile and said, "Sit a little longer, we'll finish grading three more papers."
Answer sheets are scanned into the computer for grading. Multiple-choice questions are scored by machine scanning the marked area. Teachers only need to determine the scores for subjective questions, and the entire grading process is very fast.
Wen Yun and Lin Qiqi obediently sat down in the empty seats next to them. After waiting for about seven or eight minutes, they heard the examiner say, "Alright, you want to see Ruan Yu's exam paper, right?"
"Yes, yes!" Lin Qiqi said eagerly, "Teacher, how are Ruan Yu's math grades?"
The examiner smiled without saying a word, clicked the mouse on the screen, and brought up Ruan Yu's answer sheet.
"See for yourselves," he said, then stood up, stretched his neck, and walked out of the office.
Lin Qiqi immediately leaned close to the screen, and upon seeing something, she froze on the spot.
Wen Yun glanced at her reaction with surprise, then looked curiously at the grades column.
When she saw the number "147", she was so shocked that she couldn't speak.
"I... I don't think I misread the answer sheet, right?" After a long while, Lin Qiqi finally spoke.
"...You're not mistaken, this is Xiaoyu's answer sheet." Wen Yun also came to her senses, and in her astonishment, a series of question marks popped into her mind.
She might be skeptical if being told that scoring 137 in Chinese was an exceptional performance due to being in excellent form, but scoring 147 in math was definitely not an exceptional performance; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was possessed by a genius!
Moreover, she remembered that the protagonist did not have such outstanding math scores at first, and was even ridiculed by Lin Qiqi and others because his first math weekly test score was not very good.
That's why the protagonist went from trying to catch up to frantically doing practice problems every minute, until he barely managed to get a score of 140 in math by the time of the third mock exam.
Thinking of this, Wen Yun's heart skipped a beat. She quickly greeted Lin Qiqi, who was excitedly taking out her phone to take pictures, and got up to leave the office.
"Is the protagonist still from this world?" she asked the system when she found a secluded spot. "Are you sure she wasn't switched?"
Wen Yun's mind worked quickly. If she had indeed transmigrated to the beginning of the original story, then the protagonist's basic attributes, such as experience, personality, and abilities, should match the book's description.
If the numbers don't match, then something must have changed.
For example, the protagonist's inner self is no longer the original soul, but an outsider in a similar situation.
"Don't worry, host, the protagonist is 100% a person from this world!" the system replied. "In order to maintain the stability of the world in the book, we usually only allow one transmigrator to enter. If there are multiple transmigrators, this system will definitely notify you from the beginning."
"Then how do you explain the difference between the protagonist's current grades and those in the original text?" Wen Yun retorted. "137 in Chinese, 147 in Math, and if she continues to 'perform steadily,' her English score should also be around 130 or 140. But are these really the grades a regular student who just transferred schools should have?"
The system seemed stunned by her words, remaining silent for a full five seconds before finally speaking: "Host, please calm down. Regardless of whether she is an ordinary student who just transferred schools, your method of extending life has not changed!"
However, this abruptly changed the subject.
"So you didn't even understand the situation before you dared to drag me into this world?" Wen Yun was speechless.
"I'm sorry, host, this system is only responsible for assisting transmigrators in surviving and is unaware of accidents involving changes to the settings," the system explained in a low voice. "Furthermore, whether or not to bring you into this world is not my decision."
"Since your duty is to help me survive, aren't you afraid that the protagonist is a reincarnated character who is nice to me now but actually just wants to find an opportunity to kill me?" Wen Yun asked irritably.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately frowned as some details began to surface in her mind.
Yesterday was supposed to be their first meeting, but the protagonist was wary of her from the very beginning. When walking around the Wen family, he seemed overly calm, without even a trace of curiosity or panic, as if he had walked through this place countless times and was already used to it.
She was polite yet distant towards the Wen family elders, herself, and Lin Qiqi. Wen Yun initially thought it was just the discomfort of a newcomer and that it would improve after a while. But now it seems that it was not just politeness and distance, but a deliberate indifference and avoidance.
In other words, the protagonist has no desire to get close to them at all.
Since the system is certain that the protagonist is 100% a person from this world, if the protagonist she is currently encountering is a reincarnated person, and one who returned after committing suicide, then the various strange behaviors the protagonist has exhibited from yesterday to today, as well as the fact that he was able to achieve such good results in the placement test, would make sense!
After all, the protagonist is someone who has just gone through the college entrance examination. He still retains his knowledge reserves and problem-solving skills, and just one exam can awaken them.
"Host? Are you alright?" the system asked weakly.
"It's beyond repair," Wen Yun said quietly. "Can I just confront her directly?"
"Of course not! Host!" the system hurriedly stopped him. "You can't reveal to her that you're a transmigrator, otherwise you'll be violating the rules of time and space, which will lead to unpredictable consequences!"
Wen Yun sighed helplessly and walked back.
"Host, relax. Even if the protagonist is truly a reincarnated person, you haven't done anything to her, have you?" the system tried to reassure her. "Besides, you've taken good care of her from the very beginning! You're a transmigrator, so actively changing the plot is within the allowed scope, so..."
"I know, I understand," Wen Yun interrupted, "Can you let me calm down first?"
She was genuinely terrified by her own guess.
"Okay, host!" the system hurriedly said. "However, this is only your second day in this world. Why don't you observe for a while longer?"
Wen Yun reluctantly agreed, but in her heart she still prepared for the worst.
As if things weren't bad enough, Wen Yun had just returned to her office when she heard Lin Qiqi excitedly talking loudly to the examiner:
"Don't be fooled by Ruan Yu's less-than-ideal math score on the final exam last semester; that was two months ago!"
"She scored 147 points after studying on her own for a summer, which proves that she is extremely capable. She was probably held back by her previous environment. If she changes to a better environment, she will definitely be able to stabilize. Getting a perfect score in math on the college entrance exam might not be a dream!"
"If there are any competitions that can earn you extra points or add to your personal honors record, I hope you'll consider her! I guarantee she won't let you down!"
Wen Yun: "..."
Facing the gaze of the examiners, Wen Yun could only smile and nod, saying meaningfully, "Teacher Wei, my daughter Xiaoyu is undoubtedly a rough gem. I'll have to trouble you to polish her in the future."
-
When Ruan Yu came out after finishing her English exam, she inexplicably felt that Wen Yun's gaze was a little strange.
Rather than being strange, it's more like... the resentment of being deceived?
Ruan Yu was completely confused, but she still went up to greet Wen Yun. Seeing that Lin Qiqi wasn't nearby, she tentatively asked, "I've already taken my measurements, and the school uniform will be delivered to my house the day after tomorrow. Should we go straight home?"
"No rush." Seeing Wen Yun shake her head, she said calmly, "You can stay for another half hour and wait for the results. They'll be ready soon. I've already spoken to your parents."
Ruan Yucai suddenly remembered that the entrance exam results were graded on the spot, and Wen Yun should already know her results, so she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
The three entrance exam questions were all too easy for her. In addition, she wanted to get good grades and prove herself to her family and teachers, so she put all her effort into solving the problems and did not slack off at all.
For some reason, she began to look forward to being praised by the person in front of her, but she was also afraid that the person would be jealous of her excellence and progress, just like Wen Yun had been before.
"Don't be nervous, you did exceptionally well on the test." A gentle voice interrupted Ruan Yu's thoughts. "Qiqi is overjoyed. If it weren't for her family's rule against coming home late, she might have treated you to dinner!"
"Really?!" Ruan Yu's eyes lit up.
"Of course it's true!" She saw Wen Yun nod and took out her phone. "You can see for yourself."
After seeing the photos of her Chinese and math scores, Ruan Yu was surprised and delighted to find that she had done so well. She couldn't help but smile.
“I’ve seen your previous report cards. We were originally considering having your parents hire a tutor for you, but now we’re a bit undecided,” she heard Wen Yun say shyly. “Besides, Ms. Mo, who grades your Chinese, and Mr. Wei, who grades your math, both welcome you to ask them questions anytime. Do you have any thoughts on this?”
Ruan Yu thought about it seriously for a while, then shook her head and said, "I'll ask my teachers at school first to see if I can keep up with the pace. If not, I'll consider hiring a tutor."
"That's fine too." Seeing Wen Yun smile, she put away her phone and took her arm. "You must have worked so hard taking the exam for so long, Xiaoyu. Let's go to the book cafe to sit down and have something to eat. I also have some personal things to tell you."
For some reason, Ruan Yu's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged. She obediently replied "okay" and followed her to the book cafe.
A note from the author:
It seems like everyone is more used to reading in the evening, so the update time will be temporarily changed to 6 PM from now on.
Chapter 12
Walking with Ruan Yu on their way to the book cafe, Wen Yun recalled what the system had said that afternoon and realized it made some sense.
Regardless of whether the protagonist is a reincarnated person or not, if she wants to live in this world for a long time, she still needs to rely on tea talk to prolong her life.
Anyway, the system never specified who she should talk to, and she never intended to go against the protagonist. She could never offend the protagonist. As long as she continued to take good care of the protagonist and treat him sincerely, it was definitely the safest way to survive.
After settling down at the book cafe, Wen Yun ordered a plate of popcorn chicken and a fruit salad before speaking: "What I want to tell you is perhaps what you've been worried about since you got home."
Seeing Ruan Yu's confused expression, Wen Yun said seriously, "I will not treat you as a competitor or mortal enemy just because you are your parents' biological daughter. Regardless of whether you choose to stay in the Wen family a year from now, I will consider you an important member of the family."
“Of course, it’s meaningless to just say nice things,” she said earnestly. “So I will try my best to put it into action and be a family member that you can trust and rely on.”
After hearing this, the girl sitting opposite her was silent for a few seconds, then asked softly, "What do you need me to do?"
Wen Yun was taken aback when Ruan Yu asked such a question. She realized that Ruan Yu had misunderstood and that Ruan Yu must have some ulterior motive for saying it.
She wanted to correct him, but before she could finish, she said, "All I need is for you to focus on your studies, graduate smoothly, get into your dream university, and... not go astray."
If the protagonist doesn't believe in unconditional kindness, then setting some clear goals is the only way to put her at ease.
Ruan Yu looked up in surprise, her dark eyes fixed on Wen Yun.
But the next second, the girl nodded vigorously: "Okay, I promise you everything."
The popcorn chicken and salad were served quickly, and Wen Yun gestured to the waiter to place all the snacks in front of Ruan Yu.
"Thank you, Yunyun, I'm sorry to have troubled you again." Ruan Yu said apologetically, then forked a piece of popcorn chicken, dipped it in ketchup, and put it in her mouth without hesitation, thus accepting her kindness.
Wen Yun relaxed and happily picked up a small fork to eat with her.
After eating for a while, Wen Yun asked, "Would you like to fulfill a wish based on your entrance exam score?"
Ruan Yu was taken aback, but decisively shook her head: "I've only been here for two days, it's not appropriate to make requests..."
"What's wrong with mentioning it?" Wen Yun retorted. "As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You have to stand up for yourself and tell your parents how strong you are so they'll value your efforts and achievements!"
"What if Mom and Dad don't agree?" Ruan Yu asked again.
“Then you can make a request to me,” Wen Yun said without hesitation. “I will help you fulfill a wish.”
Seeing Ruan Yu stunned again, she smiled and said, "Our family has always been fair in rewarding and punishing. My parents are very generous. In the past, as long as I got good grades in important exams, I could have a wish granted or have a small party at home to celebrate."
This time, Ruan Yu hesitated for a long time before answering, "My wish may not be easy to fulfill."
"Tell me about it first."
"I want to sit alone at the back of the classroom, with a single desk." Ruan Yu's words greatly surprised Wen Yun. "It will be quieter that way, and there won't be anyone staring at me from behind."
Wen Yun paused for a few seconds before coming to her senses and reminded her, "It's not difficult to do, but the students sitting in the back row are all tall boys and girls, who will block your view of the blackboard."