Chapter 474: Doing One's Best

Mu Youyu's eyes moved from the longest banner to the side, then to the Jiang family's side.

On the banner with red background and gold characters, it read: "The exam hall is like a battlefield; Jiang Zong will surely be king."

It was also trimmed with a floral border, the work so fine it didn't look hastily made, but as if prepared long ago.

Jiang's mother beamed, waving at the two, "A Yu, A Jin, come over."

Jiang Liangjin told them not to do this, too showy.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he raised his hand to cover his face and slipped behind Mu Youyu.

Mu Youyu held back her laughter, didn't expose him, just gently tugged his sleeve to signal him to follow.

Grandma Song had already come forward holding flowers, her cheongsam especially bright in the sunlight, her smile more radiant than the flowers.

She handed the flowers to her granddaughter, examined her from head to toe, saw she was fine, then affectionately said, "Ah, our Youbao has come out, so capable, knowing to come find grandma."

Mu Youyu took the flowers, affectionately linked arms with her, "Grandma, you've waited long, thank you!"

Mu Xin stood behind Grandma Song, also holding a bouquet, his blue eyes on her face, "Dear, you've worked hard."

Song LuXiao followed up, shoved the flowers into her arms, "Little sister, you've worked hard, you've worked hard."

Song Huaiyu and Song Huaixian each held a bouquet, Song Huaixian laughed the loudest, holding the flowers high, afraid his sister wouldn't see, "Baby, look here, look here! Xi Bao, come over quickly."

Mu Xi: "Don't call me that."

""

The flower bouquets piled up, Mu Youyu could no longer hold them in her arms, so Jiang Liangjin stepped forward to take a few, sharing the weight.

Mu Xi's face was all sour, yet he also held several bouquets at his side, forming a curious contrast.

Song Yusui had already posted a message in the family group, ninety-nine plus, accompanied by a short video of his sister and Mu Xi leaving the school gate, with the caption: "Celebrating our family's two little treasures finishing their first exam!"

Lu Yuchu was basically surrounded, people asking for autographs; standing beside him, his eyes held a smile.

Song Yan followed behind his aunt-in-law, cap brim lowered, one arm holding flowers, not stepping forward.

Mu Xianqi followed behind his uncle Mu, toe tapping the floor.

Qing An hadn't given up asking: "Did you and that lovey-dovey get back together?"

Mu Xianqi didn't understand why he had so much to say, "Don't ask."

Qing An was just a curious baby, "Did she really dump you? She really doesn't love you at all."

Mu Xianqi: "Shut up."

"Oh ho, I don't, you're so pitiful."

Mu Yichen and Mu Yichi, for some reason, kept hanging back, not stepping forward, just helping the elders fetch things from the side, their eyes occasionally sweeping the crowd to make sure their sister was still in sight.

The elders gradually gathered around.

The reporters had long noticed the commotion here, shouldering their cameras and pushing forward.

The camera swept from the banner to the flowers, then from the flowers to the girl at the center of the crowd, surrounded like stars around the moon, flashbulbs blinking in succession, freezing the scene into an image.

A young reporter thrust his microphone to the front row, aiming at Mu Youyu, "Hello, student, may I ask you……"

Before he could finish, he was shoved aside by a colleague beside him.

Another reporter snatched the front, thrust the microphone at Mu Youyu, "Mu student, as this year's examinee, what are your thoughts on the difficulty of this Chinese exam?"

Mu Youyu held the flowers, her gaze sweeping over the lens, she slightly curled the corner of her mouth.

Jiang Liangjin stepped forward, blocking her, and said flatly to the camera, "No interviews, thank you."

The reporters looked at each other, sensibly put down their microphones, and stepped aside.

Grandma Song took Mu Youyu's hand and led her to the car, muttering, "Tired? Hungry? What do you want to eat?"

Jiang Liangjin's family stood on the other side, his mother embraced by his father, his grandfather holding a small horn, no idea where he got it.

He shouted with full vigor: "After finishing one exam, put down one subject, rest well at noon!"

The surrounding examinees and parents were startled by the shout, all turning around in unison.

English: Jiang Ye Ye didn't care, shoved the horn into his son's hand, and grinned at his grandson, his wrinkles bunching up.

Jiang Liangjin: "……"

Mu Youyu laughed and called out, "Uncle, aunt, grandpa!"

Jiang's mother: "This is the difference between sons and daughters!!"

These two days of exams went smoothly; after the last one ended, there were many more people, and the banners were more than double those of the first day.

Mu Youyu stood at the entrance, startled by the scene, clutching a transparent document bag, momentarily unsure whether to step left or right.

Jiang Liangjin's mouth twitched, he muttered something low, drowned out by the surrounding noise.

Mu Youyu didn't catch it, but from his expression it was probably not a compliment.

Liu Wanwan, Feng Cen, and Yu Yu didn't know when they had rushed over from A City, the three side by side holding a banner— "Welcome back Mu Sister from the college entrance exam, little brothers await your support!"

Lin Ning stood beside them, holding up her phone, continuously taking selfies with them.

There was also another banner lying among the brothers' pile, unknown whose it was: "Must win the college entrance exam, I'll support you in the future."

Looking around, Bai Yun, Xia Chaoyi, Mo Song, Leng Yueyou, Leng Anzhi, and other classmates from Senior Two Class A had also come, their banners a riot of colors.

Things like "Fearless of wind and sun, Yu Sister and Jin Brother are top-notch", "Not a side character, only a benchmark—Mu Youyu"... all in all, the writings were a chaotic mess of everything.

Mu Youyu was dazed by the sea of red.

Mu Xi saw the embarrassing quotes prepared by his brothers from other schools, covered his face and lowered his baseball cap.

""

On the other side, Gu Xingnan and Yu Ci walked out of the exam hall, instantly spotting the banner bearing their names.

Yu Ci saw at once that it was a banner prepared by his father: "Yu Ci, effort equals victory."

Next to it, a banner held by a boy read: "Nan Nan appears, no one can stop him in the exam hall!"

Yu Ci compared the two lines and found his own better, feeling much relieved.

The boy holding the banner saw Gu Xingnan and came over, 'Annan, you finished the exam so fast, Luoluo~ went to answer the phone~'

Gu Xingnan: '...... I know.'

Yu Ci hearing that tone got goosebumps; just thinking that this person would later become Annan's... brother-in-law made him feel weird.

Mu Youyu still hadn't recovered from that red impact when a microphone already reached out from the crowd gap toward her.

This time the reporters had learned to be smart; they didn't crowd in front of her but aimed at the nearby Jiang Liangjin, who was surrounded by flowers and banners, 'Jiang classmate, as president of the Jiang Consortium and also chairman of the Shen Consortium, what are your expectations for this college entrance exam?'

Jiang Liangjin turned aside, his brows slightly furrowed; the word 'no' was already on his lips, but the person beside him lightly tugged his sleeve.

He lowered his head; Mu Youyu lifted her face, shook her head at him, lips moving slightly, 'Just get through it, don't let the scene look too bad.'

Jiang Liangjin withdrew the refusal on his lips, turned back to the camera, 'Do one's best.'

Four words—attitude present, content essentially none.