Duan Qili raised an eyebrow, lowered his head, and murmured to himself, "That necklace she had on... it looked strangely familiar."
"Brother Li, you aren't actually going to take that young girl's money, are you?"
Duan Qili spread his hands. "Why not? I need to work hard to save up for my dowry."
Jiang Zhi: "..."
"Brother Li, we are supposed to be preparing a *bride price*! It’s the girls who prepare a dowry."
Duan Qili couldn't be bothered to explain; Jiang Zhi wouldn't understand anyway.
...
A few days flew by. A panel of experts jointly compiled a set of exam questions, and the difficulty was exactly what you would expect.
Naturally, the Chu Family was involved.
The Chu Family knew Li Jiu’s aptitude; simple questions were a piece of cake for her. But... what if they raised the difficulty to a university level?
Chu Yunyun stepped out of her luxury RV just as Li Jiu arrived on her bicycle.
"Yunyun, just say the word if you need money," said Chu Xun, who had come to see her off personally.
When Chu Xun caught sight of Li Jiu, he froze. He hadn't expected his little sister to hold out for this long! The three brothers had all been waiting for Li Jiu to come and beg for leniency.
"Okay, thank you, Second Brother," Chu Yunyun replied sweetly.
Seeing Li Jiu pass by without a word, treating him like air, Chu Xun felt a sudden flare of irritation. "Li Jiu!"
Li Jiu looked surprised, but out of politeness, she turned her head to glance at him.
"I heard you're taking an exam today?" Chu Xun asked, his face tight.
Li Jiu remained cold, her expression devoid of any familial warmth. "Yes."
"If you don't pass, you'll be expelled. Only the Chu Family can put in a good word for you." Chu Xun’s implication was clear.
Li Jiu gave a faint smile. "Mr. Chu, if you have so much free time, you really should spend it on researching your medicine."
The "Mr. Chu" completely distanced their relationship. Li Jiu had said it on purpose. Chu Xun was a doctor, but his skills were currently quite mediocre. Years ago, it was Li Jiu who had bit by bit taught him the lost needle techniques of traditional Chinese medicine, which was why he had become a master, revered by the world as a medical expert.
Now... Li Jiu was a little curious. If she didn't help him, what would become of Chu Xun’s future?
Chu Xun let out a cold huff. "After staying in the slums, you've really picked up the same disposition as those unruly rabble. Since you won't accept my kindness, we’ll see what happens when the results come out. Don't come begging on your knees for us then!"
Chu Yunyun seized the chance to grab Chu Xun's hand. "Brother, don't be angry. Sister... she didn't mean it. She might just have some resentment. It’s my fault."
Chu Xun exhaled slowly. "It's alright, Yunyun, don't blame yourself. Go to class."
Li Jiu cast a sidelong glance. *A fine performance of "green tea" tactics.*
For the entire exam, it was just her and Duan Qili. Everyone had assumed Duan Qili wouldn't show up, but who would have thought he not only arrived but wasn't even late! Truly a rare occurrence.
Li Jiu looked up and noticed cameras everywhere, as if they were guarding prisoners. She raised an eyebrow. That was fine; it saved people from accusing her of cheating.
Duan Qili took a nap. When he woke up, he glanced in Li Jiu’s direction and saw her head down, working on the paper.
"You really know how to do it?" Duan Qili acted as if no one else was there, completely ignoring the proctor.
Li Jiu turned to look at him but didn't respond. *I'm taking an exam.*
The proctor remained silent. He didn't dare say a word! Who would dare offend this young master?
"This question..." Duan Qili scanned it and frowned slightly. "Wasn't written for humans."
"I'm done. Submitting my paper." Thirty minutes before the end of the exam, Li Jiu raised her hand.
"Finished?" The proctor was shocked. The difficulty of this exam was extreme—even he couldn't guarantee he could finish it, yet she was handing it in early.
The teacher later concluded that she must have just scribbled nonsense. What capability could a student who scored zero possibly have?
Seeing her hand in her paper, Duan Qili set down his pen, submitted his own, and walked out. Nothing this ancestor did was surprising.
Li Jiu was the first to emerge. A group of students was already gathered outside.
"Hey, look, the zero-score girl is actually out early."
"Must have handed in a blank sheet again, right?"
"Hilarious. Another joke to watch."
"I can't wait to see this poor wretch scrubbing the floor on the playground!"
Chu Yunyun walked up to Li Jiu, her voice soft and fragile. "Student Li, our family has connections. How about I put in a word for you so you can stay? There are still one or two spots left in the remedial class."
"Forget it, Yunyun. Someone like her isn't even worthy of the remedial class, hahaha!"
"Exactly. Even if I closed my eyes, I couldn't score a zero, yet who would have thought she could."
"Don't even wait for the results; get lost already."
"Fool, get out of our school!"
The insults were harsh. These so-called nobles looked down on anyone from the slums, even if Li Jiu was beautiful.
Li Jiu gave them a cursory glance. "I know you have mouths, but it's best to speak less. It's easy to flip your car."
It was a friendly reminder, but everyone scoffed.
"Laughable. This country bumpkin actually dares to threaten us."
"Does she think she's someone special? What right does she have? It’s simply hilarious..."
"The results will be out quickly this time. Let's just go back to the classroom and wait."
With that, they all headed back to the classroom, buzzing with excitement.
Duan Qili smiled. "Helping me hit rock bottom?"
Li Jiu looked at him. He had quite a lot of clothes and changed his outfit every day, each with a different style. Today was more casual, giving off an elegant, roguish vibe. But no matter how he dressed, the core remained the same: handsome. And this man was clearly the type who knew he was handsome.
"I don't like that word," Li Jiu replied calmly, looking away.
Duan Qili nodded. Although she was still an eighteen-year-old student, he could always feel a powerful aura about her. She seemed lifeless, yet those eyes were so expressive—the first person... who made him want to approach her again and again.
Duan Qili took a step forward. "The results are out. Let’s see who’s first."
They walked in one after the other. When Li Jiu entered, the classroom was still mocking her loudly. Duan Qili kicked the door open, his brow furrowed. "Even the pigs in a sty aren't as noisy as you lot."
Li Jiu had just sat down. Upon hearing that, she almost burst into laughter. It was a crude remark, but coming from this man, it had a certain ring to it.
"Hey? Young Master Duan isn't even in our class; why do you keep hanging around here? It wouldn't really be because of the eldest daughter of the Chu Family, would it?" The girl next to her was Fang Cheng, from an average-upper class family. Because her grades were good, she had been placed in this class.
Li Jiu subconsciously glanced at the girl—a round, pretty face with nice features. She was the type Li Jiu liked. In her past life... Fang Cheng had helped her. But to the Li Jiu of that time, Fang Cheng had been nothing more than an insignificant character she hadn't paid much attention to. Later, she learned that Fang Cheng had met a tragic end, having committed suicide after being deceived by a scumbag.
Li Jiu parted her lips, intending to reply, but in the end, she said nothing.
Duan Qili scanned the room, pulled over a desk, and sat down right behind Li Jiu.
And just like that, Li Jiu was moved to the second-to-last row.