Chapter 23: Those With Low Scores Stand; There Are No Seats

Was it really just a test?

Or was it because of Di Yutong? Even though Yutong had said she would step aside if he and Su Wanqing started dating, Su Wanqing could truly understand how heartbreaking that would be for her. Even if she were asked to give up Liang Jiyong right now, she would be devastated.

If only...

Su Wanqing suddenly thought of the story of Ehuang and Nüying, but quickly dismissed the idea as absurd. Yet, did one of them really have to be hurt? Perhaps once Di Yutong started university, she would find someone else she liked. But would she? Was Di Yutong also thinking that once she reached university, she would meet someone she loved?

Would she ever love anyone else? It seemed unlikely.

In the past, she had found Liang Jiyong somewhat annoying, always driving away any other boys around her. But when she was in danger, he was the first person she thought of. And he had truly changed—changing in the very direction she had hoped for.

***

Liang Jiyong lay on the bed, feeling the lingering fragrance of Di Yutong. Wait, what was this? He suddenly noticed a semicircular shape peeking out from under the pillow. That girl had actually left her undergarment under the pillow again. The scent... Liang Jiyong felt his breathing quicken.

"Don't move!"

Liang Jiyong had intended to shift his body to avoid any awkward situation, but Di Yutong’s voice gave him an excuse to continue enjoying the scent. It wasn't his fault; it was...

Back in his dormitory, Liang Jiyong could still feel the air filled with Di Yutong’s scent. He gulped down a cup of cold water to suppress his restlessness. *Discard arrogance and impetuousness. This year, I must work hard and stay focused.*

Liang Jiyong sat down and began to read.

***

The next day, after registering at the school, he spent the day studying in the dorm. By the afternoon, the other students from Hongqi Factory had arrived one after another. In the evening, before the night study session, Di Yutong left with great reluctance to return to Yunzhou University and begin her own college life.

There were four liberal arts prep classes. Liang Jiyong was assigned to Class 3, along with Su Wanqing, Miao Xiaotong, and another boy from Hongqi Factory named Zou Wenlong.

Zou Wenlong was the earnest type—average looks, average grades, and introverted. He had scored 435 in the college entrance exam, missing the cutoff by 55 points. He had plenty of diligence but lacked a bit of natural brilliance. However, he was steady and had great long-term potential; getting into university shouldn't be a problem for him.

In Liang Jiyong’s memories, Zou Wenlong indeed had great staying power. In his previous life, Zou had attended an average undergraduate program, but later passed the postgraduate exam for Zhejiang University and went abroad for a Ph.D. After working overseas for seven or eight years, he returned to China and co-founded a technology company. While not the primary leader, he held shares and served as the technical director.

Liang Jiyong hadn't interacted much with Zou in his past life, but he respected his character. Honest, hardworking, and persistent—people like that would eventually succeed. Never look down on or bully an honest person.

Since there were only four of them from Hongqi Factory, they sat in a row. Su Wanqing and Miao Xiaotong sat together, while Liang Jiyong and Zou Wenlong shared a desk. Because the rows were pushed together, Liang Jiyong and Su Wanqing were also right next to each other.

"Don't sit with me!" Su Wanqing whispered when Miao Xiaotong and Zou Wenlong were away. Liang Jiyong understood that she wanted to maintain a facade of keeping their distance.

"You're just trying to cover up the truth. I’m your loyal bodyguard—if I sat far away from you, that would be the real anomaly!" Liang Jiyong chuckled.

"Hmph. Next week is the first mock test, and then we’ll pick seats based on scores. Though, you won't have to worry about picking!"

Liang Jiyong felt wounded; his grades were at the very bottom of the class.

"It’s fine. Wherever you sit, I’ll just write my name right next to you. Let’s see who dares to sit there!"

"You rogue!" Su Wanqing muttered before burying her head back in her book. She didn't object, so that was the plan. Girls were always saying the opposite of what they meant; Liang Jiyong knew that all too well.

Zhu Qianyun was also in this class, but as soon as she arrived, she sat in the back corner. Liang Jiyong was speechless.

Students continued to arrive, and by the time night study started, the classroom was full. It was a large room with six columns and eight rows, meaning ninety-six seats. Yet, there were already no empty seats left, even though not everyone had arrived.

"How many people are in this class? This is ridiculous!" Liang Jiyong glanced back.

Zou Wenlong whispered, "I heard there are 105. There are so many repeaters this year. They say that starting next year, they’ll offer junior college programs—three-year degrees with cutoffs 50 or 60 points lower than standard undergraduate programs. If those existed this year, I could have gotten in!"

"You have no ambition. With your grades, you should be aiming for Yunzhou University next year."

Zou Wenlong shook his head. "I'm not that smart. Just passing the line is enough. I’ll study properly once I’m in university. Most of what we learn now isn't useful; university courses are more specialized. No need to waste time on these useless things."

Liang Jiyong nodded silently. Zou Wenlong wasn't a genius, but he was rational and methodical.

"Well said. I believe in you. Ten years from now, you’ll be a doctor!"

"Haha, stop joking. I’m not cut out for that!"

"Just wait and see. Ten years, and you’ll be buying me a drink!"

"Fine. If I can get a Ph.D., I’ll definitely treat you to a good meal!"

In his previous life, Zou Wenlong had indeed earned a doctorate. Liang Jiyong didn't want his "butterfly effect" to change Zou’s life—or rather, he knew it wouldn't. A person's achievements were determined by character and habits. There wasn't much he could change, so he had to go with the flow.

The bell for night study rang. There were seven or eight people standing in the back without seats. Some squeezed in with friends, while others simply chatted outside.

When a stern old man with slightly graying hair and tilted eyebrows stepped onto the podium, the classroom fell silent. Those standing outside finally entered, crowding the back.

"The school is short on desks. They'll be here in a few days, so bear with it. I’ll call roll to get to know everyone." The teacher didn't waste words.

He was a famous special-grade teacher from Yunzhou No. 1 High School, renowned throughout the province. The classes he taught had high admission rates every year. His name was Huang Defa, but because of his strict teaching style, he had earned the nickname "Old Heretic Huang."

"Zhang Jixiang!" A festive name was called, and several students chuckled. A bespectacled, refined-looking boy stood up. He looked at the laughing students with disdain—a bunch of academic failures.

"Present!" Zhang Jixiang shouted.

Huang Defa nodded, a rare hint of a smile appearing on his face. "Zhang Jixiang studied at Yunzhou No. 3 High School last year. He scored 585 on the entrance exam, missing the Peking University cutoff by only four points, so he chose to repeat. He has great ambition. He’s an excellent student and was class monitor for three years. He’ll serve as the monitor for Class 3 for now."

585 points. In the entire school, only a dozen students scored that high each year, out of two thousand candidates. 585 wouldn't get him into Peking University, but Fudan or Zhejiang University would be easy choices. And yet, this guy chose to repeat.

"Sit down," Huang Defa said, moving to the next name.

There were a few others with scores over 500, but the highest was 530—not enough for Yunzhou University. Ten students had passed the cutoff but were repeating; the rest were those who had failed.

Su Wanqing had scored 488, and the provincial cutoff was 491. She missed it by three points because she had a severe cold during the exam, her head a complete fog. Zhu Qianyun scored 466, missing it by twenty-five points.

Names were called one by one, but by the time Huang Defa finished the list, he hadn't called Liang Jiyong's name.

"Those whose names were not called, vacate your seats and stand in the back."

Liang Jiyong was stunned. What was this? Discrimination! He realized that those whose names weren't called were the ones with lower scores. The roll call had been based on test results.

"Why should I give up my seat? I got here first!" someone from another school shouted, not yet realizing how tough Old Heretic Huang was.

Huang Defa glanced at the student with a calm gaze. "In my class, everything is based on scores. Without scores, there is no dignity. I will apply to the school to not add any more desks to Class 3. The bottom ten in every test will stand during class. If you want a seat, study hard. If you can't take the pressure and feel you have no rights, you can leave. My class last year had a 48% admission rate. If you think you have no hope, don't waste our time. All roads lead to Rome; society is diverse, and university isn't the only narrow bridge to success."

As he spoke, Huang Defa glanced at Zhu Qianyun in the back. He didn't know what to say about her. She wasn't lazy, she studied hard, and her knowledge was solid, but she always choked during exams. In practice tests, she hovered around 550, but when the real exam came, she would panic and forget everything. He had tried to help her, but nothing worked. After three years, he had given up. He knew her family was wealthy and she didn't *have* to go to university, but she was stubborn.

Zhu Qianyun felt the teacher's gaze and lowered her head.

Su Wanqing tugged at Liang Jiyong’s sleeve, worried he might clash with the teacher. But Liang Jiyong said nothing. He simply picked up a book and walked to the back, leaning against the wall to read.

Old Heretic Huang lived up to his name. Following his advice, none of the four liberal arts classes received extra desks. The low scorers stood.

Standing to listen to lectures was physically exhausting. Even though Liang Jiyong had been trained in military posture since childhood, a full day was tough. Most students would try to squeeze into a seat during most classes, otherwise, they wouldn't last. But during Huang Defa’s math lectures, the ten of them had to stand.

The classroom was large, and there was a speaker on the podium, so it was audible, but seeing the blackboard from that distance was difficult. By the third day, Liang Jiyong stood by the window in front of the first row. He was still standing, but he could see the blackboard perfectly.

Huang Defa noticed him and just gave a brief, surprised look. He didn't say anything, clearly tacitly approving. It showed the boy wanted to learn. Even though he knew Liang Jiyong was at the bottom of the class, he still held a glimmer of hope because Liang’s older siblings had been his best students. If this younger brother studied hard, he could still be saved.

Because he didn't have a seat, Liang Jiyong stopped going to the classroom for night study, choosing to review in the dorm instead. Su Wanqing, at his request, also stopped going to school for night study. It was the only time they could study alone together. She would only pretend to be angry when he snuck a kiss.

Liang Jiyong didn't push further. Through a week of study, he realized his gap was massive. He couldn't keep up with the lessons. His foundation was too poor. Tomorrow was the mock test, and he would likely be standing again. Now, a seat wasn't just a place to sit—it was dignity.

On the day of the test, an extra row of desks appeared in the back. The school had bought them, but Old Heretic Huang would rather let them rot in the storage room than bring them out. The ten students who had been standing for a week were fuming, gritting their teeth and vowing to grab a seat this time.

The highest score among the bottom ten was 339, over sixty points higher than Liang Jiyong's entrance exam result. But that exam score didn't mean much. He had forgotten most of the humanities, and he barely remembered any math formulas. However, his understanding of politics and history was deeper, and while his English grammar was rusty, reading and writing weren't a problem.

The test lasted a day and a half. After it ended, the desks in the back weren't removed. It wasn't because Old Heretic Huang had a change of heart, but because the results wouldn't be out until the day after tomorrow, so they could enjoy two more days of "dignity."

It was Saturday, and they had the next day off. Results would be posted on Monday.

At lunchtime in the cafeteria, Liang Jiyong was carrying two plates of egg fried rice toward Su Wanqing. He saw the guy named Zhang Jixiang sitting across from her, talking animatedly while Su Wanqing kept her head down, reading.

If it were the old Liang Jiyong, he would have punched him already.

"Read later, fill your stomach first," Liang Jiyong said, placing a plate in front of Su Wanqing.

"Thanks," she replied, picking up her spoon.

"Wanqing, that has no nutritional value. Try this braised pork, it's amazing..." Zhang Jixiang sat opposite her with a bowl of rice and a container of braised pork—definitely not from the cafeteria. Before she could refuse, he dropped a piece of pork onto her rice.

Su Wanqing frowned. She detested him picking food for her without permission. Liang Jiyong immediately picked up the piece of pork. "I'll take care of this."

"Thanks," Su Wanqing said to Liang Jiyong. Zhang Jixiang was furious; she thanked that academic failure for *his* pork.

"Tastes average. Too much MSG and star anise. Tell your mom to use less MSG next time; it affects memory. Wanqing, my mom is making braised pork tomorrow, I'll bring some for you!"

"Mm," Su Wanqing responded. So much for not liking braised pork.

Zhang Jixiang felt humiliated. Yet, Su Wanqing ignored his existence. She only gave short replies to Liang Jiyong, but it was enough to make Zhang burn with jealousy. Zhang Jixiang had a good background and good grades; he was used to being pursued. But he had never felt like this about a girl before. Su Wanqing was that girl. He felt repeating at No. 1 High School was worth it. But after days of trying to talk to her, he was met with nothing but indifference.

Just as he was thinking about what to do, his eyes lit up. There was another stunning girl in the school. He felt a spark of interest—the girls at No. 1 were on a completely different level than No. 3!

The girl was walking toward him, smiling! Zhang Jixiang thought that instead of wasting time on Su Wanqing, this exotic, hot-bodied beauty might be...

His expression froze. The exotic beauty walked right behind Liang Jiyong and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Stick 'em up!"

Liang Jiyong was eating and hadn't noticed her. But Di Yutong’s voice was too familiar, as was her scent.

"Are you robbing me of my money or my virtue?" Liang Jiyong asked, putting down his chopsticks, unhurried.

"Do you even have any money or virtue to rob?" Di Yutong let go.