Chapter 10 — Journey of Love

Oh wow, both of you are masked scorers! Meng Shi Yun was practically vibrating with excitement. Lu Ding Chu also whipped out his phone to take a screenshot of my screen. Just wait, once your scores are officially released, I am going to squeeze a fortune out of old Lu.

The very next second, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. Hello Cam Hoa Diep, this is the admissions office of B University...

The moment I placed my phone down, Song Minh Xuyen’s phone began to ring as well. That entire day was a blur of calls from various university admissions departments. When I finally confirmed that I was the top scorer in the entire province for the college entrance examination, I wrapped my arms around each member of our little group in a joyous embrace. When my turn came to hug Song Minh Xuyen, I could not suppress my triumphant giggle. Sorry, but it looks like I scored higher than you this time around.

He smiled back, his eyes warm. Congratulations.

Standing right beside us, Lu Ding Chu spluttered indignantly. Hey, hey, just how long are you two going to hug? That is quite enough!

Meng Shi Yun immediately reached out and yanked him back by the arm. Oh, please, brother, do not be such a buzzkill. Do not go ruining my favorite ship!

The following day, we abruptly cut our graduation trip short, scrambling to purchase return plane tickets so we could meet with the visiting admissions officers. Huai Cheng First High School stood exceptionally tall with pride this year. Both the provincial top scorer and runner-up belonged to their halls, so naturally, aside from university recruiters, even the local television station had their cameras primed and ready. Filling out our college applications was a dizzying ordeal of hesitation and second-guessing, but once the dust finally settled, the reality of it all still felt wonderfully surreal.

Scrolling through WeChat later that evening, I discovered that Lu Ding Chu had posted a screenshot of my score report on his personal feed, complete with the caption: My top-scorer little sister. Both of my parents immediately showered the post with likes. Before long, my father uploaded a similar post to his own social circle, proudly declaring: My child's college entrance exam scores. The only difference was that he had generously included Lu Ding Chu's scores right alongside mine. My mother had been bragging since day one, sharing the results the moment they dropped, prompting all her friends to flood her comments with praise for raising such brilliant children.

Lu Ding Chu called me shortly after, his voice dripping with grievance. Tell me honestly, do you think old Lu did that on purpose? Why on earth did he post my score right next to yours when there is a gap of over a hundred points between them? It is utterly humiliating.

I chuckled softly. Well, would you like me to ask Dad to post your high school senior year baseline exam scores right next to it so everyone can see just how much progress you have made?

I am willing to bet old Lu's phone is about to explode with calls from parents whose kids have not even taken the exam yet, begging to know what tutoring center or teacher worked these supposed miracles.

Hahahahaha.

Make sure you properly thank Song Minh Xuyen tonight, too. He really did put in the work tutoring you.

Lu Ding Chu clicked his tongue unhappily. I know, I know.

Later that night, he forwarded me a screenshot of a conversation—a chat log between himself and Song Minh Xuyen. After Lu Ding Chu had stumbled through a rather awkward expression of gratitude, the other boy had simply replied a few minutes later: No need to thank me. It was only right.

Directly beneath that was a frantic text from Lu Ding Chu himself: What on earth is he implying by that? What does that even mean!

Lu Ding Chu successfully secured admission to a respectable university, and Meng Shi Yun was accepted precisely where she had wished to go. As for Song Minh Xuyen and me, we ended up attending the same university, though we pursued different majors. Even so, our paths crossed with astonishing frequency. Much like our high school days during senior year, whenever an afternoon rolled around with no classes, we would invariably find ourselves studying side by side in the quiet corners of the library, each absorbed in our own tasks. Though our fields of study diverged, we occasionally found ourselves attending external academic seminars together.

One afternoon, a sudden thought struck me, and I turned to him with a mischievous, sparkling smile. Come to think of it, if I had not transferred back to our hometown school, you probably would have claimed the title of provincial top scorer.

Song Minh Xuyen, who seemed to have grown even taller in the aftermath of the exams, lowered his gaze to look at me, a soft smile spreading across his features. That would not have worked out. If you had not transferred, then when your brother tried to corner me in the alleyway, who would have played the righteous swordswoman coming to my rescue?

You know perfectly well he was not actually going to lay a hand on you...

Before I could finish my sentence, Song Minh Xuyen smoothly interrupted, But at the time, it certainly looked like he was gearing up for a real fight. His eyes curved into gentle crescents, shining with galaxies of quiet affection as he gazed down at me, entirely refusing to look away. He reached out, gently capturing my hand and interlacing his fingers with mine, his grip slowly tightening. If your brother decides to come after me now, I wonder if our brave swordswoman will still step in to save the day?

With that handsome face hovering dangerously close within my field of vision, my internal boundaries began to retreat at an alarming rate. I suppose... I would probably still help...

When Lu Ding Chu finally discovered that Song Minh Xuyen and I were officially dating, he called me in a towering rage. I knew that guy never harbored any innocent intentions! I guarded you across so many different classes, and yet I still could not stop you two from winding up at the same university. He is an absolute double-dealer!

A schemer of that caliber—if you are going to date him, just date him, but do not actually fall for him! Do not let yourself get mesmerized by a pretty face!

I calmly replied, Brother, what should I do if I am already mesmerized?

Cam Hoa Diep, where has your willpower gone?

It is entirely gone. Rest assured, brother, I am merely pretending to be bewitched by him. This is all meticulously calculated; I am merely playing a long game according to my own rhythm.

Side Story – Song Minh Xuyen’s Internal Journey
Regarding Cam Hoa Diep: Swordswoman -> Clever Swordswoman -> Clueless Swordswoman -> Swordswoman with a fondness for her brother (turns out she was just someone else's sister all along) -> Crushing -> Girlfriend
Regarding Lu Ding Chu: Absolute Fool -> Noisy Pest -> Future Brother-in-Law