After the New Year holiday, Li Xudong and Yan Yuxin were transferred to Class 3. The students in Class 1 immediately felt that even the air was fresher. In order to quell the students' previous anger, the school actually transferred two students who were among the top students in Class 2 to Class 1 voluntarily.
The students in Class 3 were unhappy. The rich kids and poor kids didn't affect them. All they knew was that they were in the same class as two students with bad character. Moreover, they knew best how much Xu Zifan had taken care of Yan Yuxin over the past three years, and they had even witnessed Xu Zifan's transformation into a top student. They were all biased towards Xu Zifan and hated the two of them intensely.
They were completely isolated. No one talked to them or played with them. This didn't need to be done intentionally; everyone was busy studying in the final semester, and ignoring them was equivalent to cutting ties with them. Li Xudong didn't care, of course. In his eyes, these people might work themselves to the bone and still not become low-level employees in his family's company, while he was destined to be the president of a large company. It would be beneath him to even acknowledge them.
Yan Yuxin's situation is much more painful. She was pampered by her family and childhood sweetheart since childhood. Later, after following Li Xudong, she rose to become a wealthy heiress without even having to humble herself for long. Her life had been smooth sailing. But now, her adoptive parents are disappointed in her and refuse to associate with her. Her biological parents treat her like trash. Her boyfriend cheated on her with so many women that even after breaking up, they still find it disgusting. And her childhood sweetheart has fallen in love with the fake heiress she kicked out of the house.
Now even her classmates are ostracizing her, and she can't have a single moment of happiness. It seems that ever since she changed her surname back to Yan, all her good luck has run out. She feels like she can't hold onto anything and everything is slipping away. She is terrified and doesn't know what to do, and her whole being has become gloomy.
Now that Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru's relationship was out in the open, the teachers spoke with them separately and also communicated with their parents. Seeing that one consistently ranked first in the monthly exams and the other was still improving, they stopped interfering. The classmates noticed that when they asked Xu Zifan questions, Ji Yaru would help answer them, sometimes even asking him to play basketball while she explained. All the classmates were stunned, suddenly realizing that the female academic star wasn't so aloof and unapproachable after all; she was clearly very patient and considerate towards her boyfriend. Unexpectedly, Ji Yaru became much more popular in the class.
Fans also noticed during the live stream that the usually aloof girl was no longer so cold and would often be amused by the handsome guy. Fans complained that they were exhausted, getting fed dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection) while watching the live stream to study. But the other day, when they were serious and didn't interact, everyone would urge them to finish the lesson and chat, saying they were starving if they didn't get to eat dog food.
The two began their love at the most tender age, displaying their sweet romance to everyone, and incidentally, they also earned more and more money.
When Ji Yaru learned that her parents had sacrificed a stable life to work hard in business for her sake, she was so moved that she couldn't sleep all night. The next day, she became even closer to them, putting her knowledge to use and actively helping with the family business, offering advice, and leveraging her past connections to introduce them to business partners. Although her connections were now significantly diminished, they still greatly helped her father. The family seemed to come together as one, working together to expand their business, sharing many common interests, and unknowingly truly merging into one family.
Mr. Xu started going out to socialize, often attending banquets where leaders were present. He also made outstanding achievements at work from time to time. Over time, he became familiar with the leaders and became a "loyal subject" of the faction of the provincial top leader.
The second semester of senior year flew by, and the college entrance exam was just around the corner. Many students were anxious, but Xu Zifan was excited. After living several lifetimes, he was finally going to take the college entrance exam! He would finally be someone who had taken the college entrance exam, and the feeling was truly amazing!
So the parents waiting outside the school gate saw Xu Zifan cheerfully tell his parents not to be nervous, and then happily walk into the examination room holding Ji Yaru's hand. They all knew that there were two academic geniuses in this year's class. Looking at the academic geniuses and then at their own children, they really had the urge to send their children back to school for a second chance, wondering if they could raise an academic genius like them.
The two days of exams flew by. When estimating their scores, Ji Yaru estimated 740 points, while Xu Zifan, being more conservative, estimated 730 points. That was it; they were guaranteed admission to one of the top universities in the country. Even though the scores hadn't been released yet, both families celebrated, and some even suggested the two boys take advantage of the long holiday to travel abroad.
The exam results wouldn't be available for about 20 days, so Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru discussed it and decided to fly to a country with a pleasant climate and beautiful scenery for a trip. The two would occasionally go live to share their travel experiences, and their fans enjoyed seeing the beautiful foreign landscapes with them. They also loved sharing food photos, sometimes posting tempting pictures late at night that could really annoy their fans. Because they expanded their live streams from studying to include more lifestyle content, their fan base grew larger and wider.
Yan Yuxin was under too much pressure during the college entrance examination. She suffered from stomach cramps and was sent to the hospital. It is estimated that her total score will not even reach 300, and she can only get into an ordinary vocational college at most. She even scored 610 points in the mock exam before the actual exam, but she fell ill during the actual exam. When no one visited her in the hospital, she did not even dare to contact her biological parents.
She spends her days watching Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru's live streams on her phone and reading posts about them—a habit she inexplicably developed over the past six months. At first, she would create alternate accounts to criticize them, but their fans were too powerful, and they would always leave her feeling angry. Eventually, she stopped torturing herself and just watched silently.
She didn't know what she was looking at; perhaps she wanted to see them fall from grace, otherwise she wouldn't feel any sense of superiority about returning to the Yan family. Why were these two people, who should have been trampled underfoot and looked down upon, becoming increasingly successful and happy? Why was Xu Zifan so good to Ji Yaru? Even better than before! Her childhood friend, whom she thought would love her and always bow to her, had simply forgotten about her!
Now lying weakly in the hospital, she watched the live stream of the two enjoying their sweet trip. Many fans in the chat speculated that Xu Zifan's sudden ambition stemmed from his feelings for Ji Yaru. This reminded her of past speculations that Xu Zifan's ambition was due to being hurt by her and wanting to prove her wrong. She had scoffed at the time, but now no one would even guess about her anymore, as if she were merely a tiny, insignificant stain on Xu Zifan's life.
Yan Yuxin felt a pang of regret. If she had stayed with Xu Zifan back then, she would definitely be the one being pampered now. Xu Zifan had liked her for so many years; he would never have been as disgusting as Li Xudong, who went around looking for other women. Tears streamed down her face without her realizing it. When she came to her senses, she quickly wiped them away, gave a sneer, and tossed her phone aside.
So what if they're good at studying? So many elites from prestigious universities are just ordinary employees in their company. Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru's current arrogance is just because they've been flattered by a bunch of ignorant students. Once they graduate and enter the workforce, who will look at them differently? Academic geniuses are nothing; she was never on the same starting line as them, and no matter how hard they try, they can't catch up. She doesn't regret it!
After the college entrance exam scores were released, Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru returned home. These past few days, they hadn't just been sightseeing; they had also been seriously considering their future paths. Actually, they had already thought these things through and knew what they were doing; this was just a final confirmation.
Checking the scores, Ji Yaru scored 742! Xu Zifan also exceeded his estimate, scoring 735! They were a full 30 points ahead of the third-ranked student in the province, truly far ahead. Ji Yaru became this year's top science student, and although Xu Zifan didn't have the official title, he was considered an uncrowned champion by students throughout the city, even jokingly referred to as the "double champion." After all, Xu Zifan's comeback was so amazing that Ji Yaru couldn't overshadow him. He was a true role model for the students, showing them that even academic underachievers can achieve success!
After the top scorers in arts and sciences from various regions were interviewed, Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru immediately stood out. Compared to other students who focused on their studies and didn't generate much buzz, the two of them were the subject of countless discussions!
Ji Yaru has consistently ranked first in her class since elementary school, and now she's the top scorer, truly a genius. What's even more legendary is that she was once the daughter of the richest man in the province, the heiress of a large corporation. However, during her senior year of high school, a sudden change occurred, and she became a child from an ordinary family. Yet, she was completely unaffected, still firmly holding onto her number one spot, with her grades never fluctuating.
When the reporter interviewed her, she smiled gently, her eyes softening, "Because from the very beginning, I saw the sunshine."
Many people didn't quite understand the meaning behind her words, but everyone could see that someone must have helped her during her darkest period, pulling her out of the abyss. Judging from the timeline, that person was undoubtedly Xu Zifan, especially since who else but Xu Zifan could make this young lady smile! Their public displays of affection have become even sweeter.
When Xu Zifan was interviewed about his sudden motivation, some people expected him to share a sweet moment, suggesting he was working hard for a girl. However, Xu Zifan's answer was unusually mature: "I was an adult then and started thinking about my future. There are many paths to success in life, and for someone like me without any skills, studying is undoubtedly the best shortcut. If I got into a good university and a good major, my future would be much easier. Also, many people can't go to school for various reasons, and I had this opportunity, so why not cherish it? I had to graduate with a satisfactory report card to make my years of studying worthwhile, so I decided to focus on my studies, to be a qualified student, and to be a student who is worthy of my parents, teachers, and myself."
"So, why does Xu work hard to earn money in addition to studying?"
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "As adults, whether it's dating or taking care of our parents, we should always take money out of our own pockets and be responsible people."
After his interview was released, no one regretted that he didn't give out candy this time, because everyone was inspired by him! If you don't cherish what you have now, what right do you have to succeed? Correctly understanding yourself is the hardest thing, but Xu Zifan did it, and he is also a particularly responsible man. He is the most inspiring person in this year's college entrance examination!
News outlets across the country reported on Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru's story. These two are truly legendary figures among high school students, representatives of positive energy. This time, Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru became incredibly famous, appearing in the news, trending on social media, and on various forums and online communities, truly becoming national celebrities and well-known academic geniuses!