The exchange meeting was at the end of September, so the competition was naturally to be held as early as possible.
This was to avoid delaying the decision on who Su Jinwen would bring.
Teacher Yang and several other teachers jointly prepared the questions, while Su Jinwen and Teacher Yang would jointly supervise.
It was just a simple four-part written test, after which students could leave.
Su Jinwen was at the front, Teacher Yang at the back, with Qiu Yingxun and Cheng You positioned to the left and right, spaced apart.
In the entire examination hall, apart from the rustling of pens, there was only the irritating chirping of cicadas outside.
Qiu Yingxun appeared somewhat restless, while Cheng You, by comparison, had much better psychological fortitude.
She answered the questions systematically and clearly, finishing all of them with half an hour to spare.
She submitted her paper immediately, gathered her belongings, and left.
Her departure made Qiu Yingxun even more agitated.
The questions were more difficult than the final exams, so for Cheng You to finish so quickly, she must have been writing randomly.
It wasn't until Teacher Yang announced the end of the exam that Qiu Yingxun put down his pen, a hint of panic in his expression.
He felt an indescribable sense of defeat; he hadn't even finished the test.
After watching Su Jinwen leave with the papers, Teacher Yang walked over to him and patted his shoulder.
"These questions were beyond the syllabus, so it's normal for you to find them difficult."
His consolation did not ease Qiu Yingxun's unease. He said dejectedly, "Teacher, but Cheng You finished."
Teacher Yang scoffed, "So what if she finished? Don't you forget that I set these questions. Do you think she can score higher than you?"
Qiu Yingxun felt a twinge of guilt, but at the same time, he felt more grounded.
A third of the questions here were ones he had already done; he shouldn't score lower than Cheng You.
The two exam papers didn't take long to grade.
The results were announced very quickly.
Cheng You won by a five-point margin, and Qiu Yingxun lost.
A difference of five points didn't seem like much, but only Qiu Yingxun knew that he shouldn't have lost!
Even Teacher Yang exclaimed in surprise the moment he saw the results: "This is impossible!"
He repeatedly compared Cheng You's paper, searching for any errors in Su Jinwen's grading.
But this single paper made him understand how outstanding Cheng You was.
Her answers were textbook-worthy, even superior to the reference answers.
She was not someone who overestimated herself; she did not omit any steps in her answers and even provided very detailed explanations.
Teacher Yang was greatly discouraged; this student wasn't even in his class, and it was Su Jinwen who benefited.
"Teacher Yang, can I announce the results to everyone now?"
Teacher Yang, though reluctant, had to concede.
He placed Cheng You's paper down forcefully, suppressing his anger, and said, "Announce it. This opportunity for the exchange meeting will go to Cheng You."
Su Jinwen corrected him, "It's not 'giving,' it's something Cheng You won through her abilities."
Teacher Yang smiled, his gaze carrying a hint of implication.
"Teacher Su, this opportunity was yielded to her by Yingxun. Without Yingxun, where would she have had the chance to compete again?"
Su Jinwen suppressed her frustration and walked out, having anticipated such remarks.
Yet, hearing Teacher Yang's words still displeased her.
The result didn't surprise most people; Cheng You had the ability.
Since her freshman year, she had basically swept all the prize money.
Her academic performance was that outstanding.
Fang Yunbao raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, so the spot for the exchange meeting is for our Cheng You?"
Su Jinwen's expression softened slightly. "Yes."
She could introduce Cheng You to more people, and this thought somewhat comforted her.
What did a few idle remarks matter? The benefits were tangible.
Unexpectedly, Cheng You spoke up at that moment, "Teacher, I agreed to the competition because it was to fulfill classmate Qiu Yingxun's request, but I never intended to compete for the exchange meeting spot. Therefore, I will not take this spot."
Su Jinwen's temples throbbed. How could she have such an unpredictable student!
She had initially told her not to agree, but Cheng You had agreed.
Now that she had won the competition, she was pushing the spot away!
She was never one to take things easy.
Calming herself, she said with a stern face, "This is what you deserve."
Cheng You smiled sweetly, "Teacher, if this competition hadn't happened, the spot would originally have belonged to classmate Qiu Yingxun. Even if it's deserved, it's his to deserve. After much thought, the competition between classmate Qiu Yingxun and me is a healthy one, and we shouldn't use this exchange meeting spot as a bargaining chip."
Cao Yanyan nodded in agreement, "Teacher, Cheng You is right. Her willingness to yield the spot to classmate Qiu Yingxun further reflects our academy's excellent academic atmosphere."
Fang Yunbao didn't grasp their intentions, but he figured agreement was the best course of action.
Su Jinwen had no choice but to nod under everyone's gaze.
"I will inform Qiu Yingxun."
Cheng You added with a smile, "Please trouble Teacher Su to make it clear to classmate Qiu Yingxun that even if he doesn't go, I still won't take the spot, so he shouldn't worry about me."
She appeared understanding and considerate.
The classmates looked at her as if to say: Cheng You is truly beautiful and kind-hearted.
However, hearing these words, Qiu Yingxun felt as if he had swallowed a fly; it was disgusting.
Not only had he lost the competition, but he was still subjected to the narrative that Cheng You was yielding the spot to him.
Teacher Yang didn't care about this. Although he was upset, it was better for Qiu Yingxun to attend the exchange meeting.
He directly accepted on Qiu Yingxun's behalf.
"Since Cheng You is willing to yield, then our class's Yingxun will still go to the exchange meeting. Teacher Su, you have no objections, right?"
Su Jinwen smiled, "Of course not."
By the time Qiu Yingxun learned of this, it was a done deal, leaving him no room to refuse.
Teacher Yang patted his shoulder, consoling him, "A true man can bend and stretch. It's just a few idle remarks, let them talk."
Qiu Yingxun nodded with a grim expression, gritting his teeth and swallowing his accumulated grievances.
He was still not as ruthless as Cheng You, who could so easily push away the exchange meeting spot.
Or perhaps, she simply didn't understand how important this exchange meeting was to a student.
Thinking this, he felt a bit better.
If Cheng You understood the importance of the exchange meeting, she would surely regret it.
Putting aside these vexing matters, Qiu Yingxun returned to the military compound.
Since becoming an adult, he had rarely returned to this place.
Because here, he had almost no good memories.
His childhood, he recalled, was largely filled with scolding and violence.
Recently, he had been returning with increasing frequency.
Cheng Tao, upon seeing him, hurried out.
New injuries adorned her face, making her look somewhat pitiful.
But Cheng Tao seemed happy, likely because she saw him.
"Did he hit you again recently?"
Cheng Tao lowered her head uncomfortably, "It's nothing."
Qiu Yingxun didn't understand, "Why don't you divorce him? My mother did."
Cheng Tao gave a bitter smile, "If I divorced, where would I go? Moreover..."
Qiu Yingxun's eyebrows twitched, awaiting her continuation.
But Cheng Tao didn't speak, merely looking at him with expectant eyes.
It seemed like there was no continuation, yet everything was implied.