Chapter 163: Revealed!

Zhenhua and Yuming were, at the start, merely a goal Lu Yan He had set for himself.

He had worked hard before, gotten into a 985 university, and thought about repeating his final year of high school to take a shot at a top-tier institution, but he also knew himself—he had no certainty about whether he could get in; it would depend on the final result.

Over this past year, he had given it his one hundred percent effort, just waiting for the scores to come out.

After all, to get into a top-tier university, you need both ability and luck.

However, he hadn't expected that this goal would eventually become a shackle.

By now, it seemed as if he would become a joke if he didn't get into Zhenhua or Yuming.

Lu Yan He thought to himself that he really shouldn't flaunt such goals so openly in the future.

He had set a trap for himself.

But after being mocked by Ma Zhiyuan and Qu Yousong, Lu Yan He, who had been trying hard not to think about this, couldn't help but wonder:

What kind of results did he actually get on his college entrance exam?

There were only two days left until the results were released.

Lu Yan He's mind began to lose its composure, thinking about it from time to time, feeling anxious and uneasy.

He laughed at himself, thinking he had been through this once before and had the experience, so he wouldn't be overthinking things like this again, but in the end, he still couldn't hold it together.

In the class group chat, many people were expressing their nervousness.

Everyone was waiting for Thursday to arrive with an attitude that was both full of hope and full of tension.

At 1:00 PM on Thursday, the score inquiry channel would open.

Zhenhua University.

He Lan finished the final exam for an elective course, put on her backpack, and went to the library to prepare for the review of the remaining subjects.

The library was packed, and after looking around, she couldn't find a seat.

She felt a bit helpless and had to leave the library to find a place to study outside.

She couldn't go back to the dorm to study.

The atmosphere in the dorm was a bit tense right now; Jiang Linxian and Xu Mingyue were having some conflict.

Xu Mingyue was interning at Jiang Yin Publishing House, and Jiang Linxian was also interested, so she had submitted an internship resume to Jiang Yin Publishing House as well. After Xu Mingyue found out about this, her relationship with Jiang Linxian had become a bit stiff.

Xu Mingyue was planning to stay at Jiang Yin Publishing House, and Jiang Linxian had come over to compete at this time, so naturally, she wasn't happy about it.

Jiang Linxian, on the other hand, felt that she was just going for an internship and didn't intend to actually work at Jiang Yin Publishing House. The publishing industry was already in decline, so who would want to go there? She was also unhappy that Xu Mingyue was so narrow-minded.

He Lan was caught in the middle and felt helpless, so to avoid awkwardness, she usually didn't go back until bedtime.

She came to a coffee shop near the school.

Fortunately, there were still seats here.

She ordered a cup of coffee, sat down, and took out her books to start reviewing.

Scores were something much fairer than other things; it was something where you could get one more point for every bit of effort you put in.

He Lan had always been looked down upon by Jiang Linxian because she was the most laid-back person in the dorm.

He Lan was also holding her breath, wanting to get a good result in this final exam to show them.

"This year's college entrance exam results are coming out too." A couple sitting at the next table, who also looked like they were studying for finals, said as the boy looked at his phone.

"Yeah, the results come out the day after tomorrow," the girl said. "A new wave of freshmen is coming again soon."

The boy chuckled.

"That laugh is so sleazy," the girl teased.

The boy: "You've got the wrong idea. I was just thinking, if that celebrity named Lu something doesn't get into Zhenhua or Yuming, that would be a huge loss of face."

"If he doesn't get in, he doesn't get in. It wasn't that easy to get into in the first place."

"Who else is like him, naming his livestream room 'Goal: Zhenhua or Yuming', shouting it so everyone knows," the boy said.

He Lan was a bit distracted.

She didn't expect to run into people discussing Lu Yan He even when studying at a coffee shop outside.

Was Lu Yan He that popular now?

This was the first thought that popped into He Lan's mind.

It should just be a coincidence.

He Lan couldn't say she had 100% mastery of Lu Yan He's situation, but she could definitely say she was familiar with it.

Lu Yan He couldn't be called popular right now by any means.

It seemed that it was just this college entrance exam that reminded many people of what Lu Yan He had said before.

He Lan couldn't help but worry for Lu Yan He.

Worrying that Lu Yan He had bombed the exam.

He Lan wasn't the only one waiting for Lu Yan He's exam results, and she wasn't the only one worried about them.

Li Zhenzhen had spent the afternoon in the machine room with Chen Biqiu, reviewing the footage with him in person.

After offering various opinions on the rough cut they had made, Chen Biqiu and Li Zhenzhen went to the vending machine in the hallway to buy two drinks.

"Brother Chen, have you decided who to choose between Ma Zhiyuan and Li Zhibai?" Li Zhenzhen asked.

Ever since Li Zhibai called, Li Zhenzhen and Chen Biqiu hadn't brought this up again.

They had a tacit understanding, knowing that they needed time to think.

Chen Biqiu sighed.

"Can't you have your cake and eat it too?"

"It seems like you can't," Li Zhenzhen said with a light laugh. "You always have to make all kinds of choices."

"Let's wait a bit longer," Chen Biqiu said. "I heard that both of their agents are a bit angry because they made decisions on their own, and there's been some conflict. Maybe there will be changes, and we won't even need to make a choice by then."

"Oh?" Li Zhenzhen didn't know about this and looked at Chen Biqiu with some surprise, wondering when he had gotten the news.

"Besides, we have to answer to Chen Ziyan. If we really eliminate Lu Yan He, we have to give her a proper explanation; we can't just kick him out without a word," Chen Biqiu said. "Didn't Chen Ziyan swear that Lu Yan He would definitely do very well on the college entrance exam? This year's results are coming out soon. By the day after tomorrow, we'll know the truth."

Li Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment and asked: "Then what if Lu Yan He really does get into Zhenhua or Yuming?"

Chen Biqiu hesitated.

He hadn't thought that through either.

A high-quality idol with a perfect public image, and a highly popular idol—both types were needed for a life-observation variety show.

Still the same question: why couldn't you have your cake and eat it too?

Li Zhenzhen originally thought Chen Biqiu wouldn't answer.

But after a few seconds, she heard Chen Biqiu say: "In that case, Ma Zhiyuan has Li Zhibai to replace him, but who can replace Lu Yan He?"

Li Zhenzhen smiled with satisfaction.

She let out a sigh of relief, looking at the sunset outside the window that had already turned orange-red.

The setting sun had already begun to sink into the ground.

"Alright, that's it for today's lesson," He Shuyi said, tapping her finger at the young man in front of her. "You were a bit absent-minded at the beginning today."

Lu Yan He showed an apologetic look.

"I was a bit distracted at the start, sorry, Teacher He."

"It's fine. The college entrance exam results are coming out soon, right?" He Shuyi asked.

Lu Yan He nodded.

He didn't expect that even He Shuyi was concerned about this.

He Shuyi said: "Whatever the result is after working so hard for so long, it's the result of your best effort. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Yes." Lu Yan He smiled and bowed slightly to He Shuyi. "Thank you, Teacher He."

"I'm off. Bye, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Teacher He."

Lu Yan He saw He Shuyi out and then turned back to pack his schoolbag.

The setting sun had already dipped low, passing through the transparent glass wall and spilling orange-red light all over the room.

Lu Yan He sat on the floor, staring blankly at the sunset outside the window.

In the same building.

The MX members, who had just finished rehearsing their dance, were also packing their things.

Qu Yousong sighed and said: "Wei Zhuoran isn't here, it's hard to even arrange the formation. What is Brother Suyang thinking, actually letting Wei Zhuoran stop working for half a month at once?"

"He's a coward," Ma Zhiyuan said directly, the disdain on his face very obvious.

Qu Yousong thought of Lu Yan He and said: "Lu Yan He won't really get into Zhenhua or Yuming, will he?"

"What are you thinking? He can get in after working hard for a year? Is he some kind of genius?" Ma Zhiyuan didn't believe Lu Yan He could get in at all, and he slung his bag over his shoulder. "It's just a gimmick he found for himself, building a persona. He's quite slick with this set of tricks. Didn't he debut by relying on a 'selling misery' persona when he participated in the competition? He's our senior when it comes to playing this game."

Qu Yousong nodded. "You're the one who sees it clearly."

Chen Jing listened to them discussing Lu Yan He from the side, without saying a word.

He didn't have much contact with Lu Yan He, but the fact that Lu Yan He was willing to lend him the rehearsal room made him feel that Lu Yan He was a good person.

Unlike Ma Zhiyuan.

Who was wary that his dancing was better than his, so he even forced him to quit the show.

"When his results come out, I want to see what kind of excuse he finds for himself," Ma Zhiyuan sneered.

Chen Jing, on the side, thought silently to himself: Then if Lu Yan He gets into Zhenhua or Yuming, what kind of excuse will you find for yourself?

"Buzz—"

"Buzz—"

His phone suddenly vibrated.

In the empty and quiet rehearsal room, the vibration of the phone was particularly noticeable.

Lu Yan He was dazed, and hearing the sound, he came back to his senses. He looked at the caller's name on the phone screen and was stunned.

The caller was actually Liu Laoshi Qin.

Lu Yan He shook his head. Why was Liu Laoshi calling him at this time?

He answered the phone and called out "Liu Laoshi" in confusion.

Liu Qin's voice came through clearly from the other end of the phone: "Lu Yan He, the school just received the results for a few students, and yours is among them."

Liu Qin's voice revealed an unconcealable joy.

At this moment, Lu Yan He felt that the already quiet rehearsal room became even quieter, so quiet that he could almost hear his own heartbeat.

"My, my results?"

Lu Yan He heard his own voice trembling.

How embarrassing.

Wasn't he supposed to be calm and steady?

It was mainly because this call came too unexpectedly.

He thought he wouldn't know his results until the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. Who knew that Liu Qin would suddenly call him and tell him that his results were already known?!

Liu Qin's voice seemed to come from another world: "Congratulations, you scored second in our grade for liberal arts this year, with a total of 657 points."

Lu Yan He felt like he had heard it, but also felt like he had misheard.

Second in the grade?

657 points?

A tingling sensation surged up from the soles of his feet.

"Liu Laoshi, you're not joking with me, are you?" Lu Yan He's voice already carried a bit of irrepressible excitement and joy. "Is it true, 657?"

"Why would I joke with you about this!" Liu Qin's voice finally carried a bit of emotion at this moment. "I checked it several times. It's not someone with the same name, and I didn't misread it. It's you, it's this score, it's exactly 657 points!"

Lu Yan He wanted to shout out loud at this moment.

He looked at the sunset in front of him and controlled himself.

"Thank you, thank you, Liu Laoshi!" A surge of ecstasy rose from his heart, rushing straight to his head. "I, I'm so surprised! I never expected, I..."

After experiencing a brief moment of disbelief, Lu Yan He was finally wrapped in crazy joy, and for a moment, he couldn't even control his emotions.

His eyes were even a little hot.

He was incredibly excited.

"I never expected it either. I saw how hard you worked over the past year, but I didn't dare to imagine such a miracle," Liu Qin said with great emotion. "From today on, you are the legend of the Thirteenth High School! Starting to work hard from the third year of high school, you can still get into Zhenhua and Yuming!"

Lu Yan He was stunned.

"Can my score get into Zhenhua and Yuming?"

"Of course you can! Your score ranks thirteenth in Yuming. You can choose between Zhenhua and Yuming!" Liu Qin said very firmly. "I think both Zhenhua and Yuming will call you tomorrow."

Ranking thirteenth in Yuming—this ranking result could be the top of the whole school in many high schools.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yan He still had a feeling of being in a dream, an incredible feeling.

"Knock knock!" Someone knocked on the door.

Lu Yan He was still immersed in this unexpected excitement and joy. He turned around and found it was Tu Song.

Tu Song asked him: "Do you want to eat together tonight?"

Lu Yan He shook his head and said: "I'm going back."

Tu Song said "Oh," took a look at Lu Yan He, felt a bit confused, and asked: "You look a bit different from usual."

Lu Yan He's mouth grinned subconsciously. "How is it different?"

"Did something good happen to you?" Tu Song asked. "It's not like the college entrance exam results are out, right? Aren't they coming out the day after tomorrow?"

Lu Yan He nodded. "Yes, they come out the day after tomorrow."

Tu Song: "Never mind, then I'll go eat first. I have to come back and continue recording tonight."

"Okay."

Tu Song left.

Being interrupted by Tu Song, Lu Yan He finally recovered a bit.

He took a long, deep breath. At this moment, his first reaction was actually to call Chen Ziyan.

To share the good news.

"Sister Ziyan, are you still at the company?"

"No, I have a dinner appointment. Are you looking for me?" Chen Ziyan asked.

Lu Yan He said "Mm."

"Is it urgent?"

"Not urgent."

"Then are you going to tell me over the phone, or tomorrow?" Chen Ziyan asked.

Lu Yan He smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed, but his mouth was grinning, unable to close.

"It's nothing big, just tell you over the phone."

"Then go ahead." Chen Ziyan's tone was very relaxed.

"My homeroom teacher just called me. My college entrance exam results are out." Lu Yan He tried to make his tone sound calm, cool, and casual, but his control wasn't that good, and a bit of a young man's pride still leaked out. "657 points, ranked thirteenth in Yuming City. I can get into both Zhenhua and Yuming. I didn't exaggerate; I got in."

The phone was silent for a moment.

A rare hint of excitement appeared in Chen Ziyan's voice.

"Really?"

"Really."

Chen Ziyan actually screamed in surprise.

"Ah—"

Lu Yan He finally broke his composure and laughed.

He still couldn't keep pretending to be indifferent.

When he went out alone facing the morning sun at six o'clock, he had imagined this day.

When he went home alone wrapped in the biting cold wind, he had also imagined this day.

When he was squeezed onto the bus during rush hour, smelling of sweat and not knowing what was going on, he had imagined this day.

When he sat alone at his desk in the early morning doing problems, he had also imagined this day.

He had imagined this day countless times, countless days, waiting, and finally, this day had arrived.

No golden finger, no divine protection. He came to this strange world alone. He had nothing, only the ability to study.

This was the only skill he was familiar with and had mastered without practice. It was the foundation he relied on to survive when facing the company's suppression, the agent's exclusion, the ridicule of those around him, and the nightmare of life's uncertainty.

Over the past year, he seemed to have become familiar with and accepted this world, this identity. Only he knew how many times he had tossed and turned in his sleep at midnight, how many times he had woken up in the middle of the night, unable to find peace of mind.

He said he would get into Zhenhua and Yuming. This was a goal, a rational analysis, and also a spiritual reliance that had to be spoken out loud.

If he didn't speak out a goal to force himself to fight with all his might, how else could he force himself to let go of the fear, hesitation, and anxiety about the new world, relying on studying hard to numb the panic deep in his heart?

He built his familiarity with this world and the identity of Lu Yan He bit by bit, got to know Li Pengfei, Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, and Lin Yu bit by bit, and got familiar with the Thirteenth High School and Class Three bit by bit. Only then did he have the foundation he had accumulated, and only then did he have this excitement and joy at this moment.

If someone saw the joy and sadness he couldn't hide on his face at this moment, and saw the contradictory emotions alternating on his face, they might think he was crying with joy at the moment of getting the result after a long period of preparation for the college entrance exam.

But no one knew that the truth was far from that.

Lu Yan He vented his emotions silently in the quiet rehearsal room alone.

Occasionally, someone would pass by outside the rehearsal room and could only see Lu Yan He's back as he faced the sunset. This back looked inexplicably lonely, yet it held the pride of a young man.

Alright, the results are out.

Alright, at this moment, the dust has settled.

The third year of high school has truly ended.

From now on, Lu Yan He, you are no longer a high school student. You have experienced the first year of coming to this world. You have matured a lot and grown a lot. You have to start letting go of the past and take big steps forward.

You are no longer alone. You have friends who care about you, teachers who care about you, and you have met a very good agent.

You have no reason to be uneasy anymore. You must believe that since you can get a good result through your own efforts, you can also do anything you want to do on your own.

Your life is still continuing. ===== CHAPTER 164 =====