Chapter 97 Results Announcement

Chapter 97: Release of Results

At his words, Jian Sha and Cai Ji immediately appeared.

Jian Sha: [My score was expected—I got 662!]

Seeing this score, Jiang Ruotang’s eyes lit up. This was amazing—absolutely amazing! This score was over a hundred points higher than in his previous life!

Moreover, Jian Sha’s first-choice university was Capital Chinese University, whose cutoff score last year was only 655. She's practically guaranteed admission.

In this life, Jian Sha was finally unaffected and reached her full potential!

Zhao Zhangfeng, ever impatient, immediately asked Cai Ji in the group. Cai Ji finally replied: [I scored 687—just checked my results and was calling my mom!]

When Jiang Ruotang saw Cai Ji’s score, he raised an eyebrow. [Cai Cai, you actually scored over 680? How much did you get in Chinese?]

Cai Ji: [I totally aced it—got 118!]

Jiang Ruotang chuckled. By these numbers, Cai Ji must have scored almost perfect in math and the comprehensive science section.

[If Wang Fuzi knew you scored over a hundred in Chinese, he’d probably be grinning in his grave!]

After sending it, Jiang Ruotang felt a little guilty toward Wang Fuzi.

But… whatever!

“So, the biggest variable in our group is our class monitor? It all depends on whether he won the provincial top scholar title in science?” Zhao Zhangfeng asked.

Now that the results were out, Zhao Zhangfeng was completely relaxed, his long legs draped carelessly on the desk. Jiang Ruotang couldn’t help but wonder—if this guy ever gained fans in the future, would they be disillusioned upon seeing his usual behavior?

Jiang Ruotang glanced at the message Lu Guifan had sent him the night before at past ten and told Zhao Zhangfeng, “Lu Guifan’s house had faulty wiring, and the repairs were troublesome. So last night, he packed his clothes and daily necessities and moved to the Spring Rain Blossoms neighborhood. Today, he’s probably busy shopping for furnishings for his new place and cleaning up.”

Zhao Zhangfeng grumbled, “He didn’t even tell us? We could’ve helped—everything would’ve gone faster! Plus, we could’ve helped break in his new place!”

Just then, Jiang Ruotang received a message from Lu Guifan containing his ID and exam registration numbers—without another word.

“Does he want me to check his score for him?” Jiang Ruotang huffed. “That’s all I get? Not even a nice word?”

Despite complaining, he quickly returned to his room, opened the results page, and carefully entered the information.

He knew that even if Lu Guifan underperformed, he’d have no trouble getting into a top university in the capital. For him, the college entrance exam was likely just an unchallenging step in life. Yet, Jiang Ruotang still felt nervous as hell.

Because this was the person he loved.

Checking his score was a privilege only Lu Guifan would give him.

The page loaded quickly, and a score report appeared before Jiang Ruotang: 731.

“Holy shit, this guy’s a machine—” Jiang Ruotang gritted his teeth.

If it had been in the 720s, he might’ve worried about someone competing with Lu Guifan for the provincial Zhuangyuan. But 731? That was unbeatable.

“No way! Full marks in math and science? Does Lu Guifan even have a human brain?”

Jiang Ruotang angrily stabbed at the screen—142 in English, 139 in Chinese!

He took a photo of the score report and sent it over.

[I could just bite your head off!]

At that moment, Lu Guifan was tidying up his new room.

The previous owner’s renovations were well done, saving his family a lot of time and money.

It wasn't until Lu Guifan framed and hung up the painting Jiang Ruotang had given him that he realized he’d never asked if Jiang Ruotang even liked this style. Had he asked earlier, he could’ve let him choose.

As he pondered, his phone buzzed. Seeing the message, Lu Guifan couldn’t help but smile.

[Your mouth's too tiny—my head won’t fit.]

Jiang Ruotang was busy checking predicted cutoff scores for universities in the capital. Glancing at Lu Guifan’s reply, his entire face flushed crimson.

He knew Lu Guifan was almost certainly oblivious.

But Jiang Ruotang had seen all sorts of naughty stuff in his past life—this line had *implications*, okay?

Who knew the Academic God was such a speedster.

Meanwhile, the class group chat was blowing up. Teacher Song had already confirmed that Lu Guifan was the provincial science champion.

Seeing this news, Jiang Ruotang was even happier than if it were his own.

He immediately replied to Lu Guifan: [O great champion, now that you’re basking in your glory, don’t let the flowers of the capital turn your head.]

Lu Guifan had been sitting at his desk. He never cared for texting.

But now, every message from Jiang Ruotang got to him. He found himself waiting for them eagerly, even imagining the other’s tone with amusement.

Just then, Lu Guifan walked to his parents’ bedroom—the door left ajar—and overheard them talking.

“Life is better now, but who knows about the future? We can’t just put pressure on Guifan for no reason.”

“The problem is, even if he’s unhappy, he’d never say it…”

Lu Guifan sighed. So his parents were keeping something from him. He knocked and said calmly, “What’s this about adding pressure on me?”

“You… you heard?” His mother tensed.

Lu Guifan smiled. “Mom, wait, are you pregnant?”

His mother flushed. “Since when do you talk like this?”

Lu Guifan chuckled. “Who else? Ruotang, of course. Don’t you love his nonsense?”

His father finally spoke. “Your third uncle… remember how he was paralyzed after that construction accident? Your aunt had to care for him and their daughter alone… and she worked herself to death. Last month, she passed away.”

The smile faded from Lu Guifan’s lips. “If you want to take in Third Uncle and little Wei, I’m fine with it.”

After all, they’d been kind to him as a child.

“Your third uncle… passed away two weeks ago. You were at the lab, so we didn’t want to upset you. We handled the funeral back in the village, but now little Wei's left with nowhere to go. The other relatives consider her a burden… If no one steps up, she’ll have to go to an orphanage.” His father glanced at him, then lowered his eyes.

His parents were kind-hearted and genuinely fond of Lu Wei—they couldn’t bear to see her homeless.

“Mom, Dad, my college results are out. Capital Science and Technology University is pretty much guaranteed.”

His parents’ eyes brightened instantly. This was an immense honor—Lu Guifan was likely the most accomplished student to ever come from their village.

“Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll probably pursue a master’s, a Ph.D… maybe even work in labs abroad for long periods. If you adopt Wei, the house won't feel so empty. So I’m fine with it—go ahead with the adoption process quickly. Don’t let Wei think she has no home.”

Moreover, Lu Guifan didn’t see this as a burden. On the contrary, his patent income and research stipend were increasing, enough to provide a good life for the whole family.

Lu’s father and mother both had tears in their eyes and nodded vigorously.

Lu Guifan smiled and said, “This makes it a double celebration—I got into university, and our family has gained a baby sister.”

Back in his room, Lu Guifan told Jiang Ruotang about this. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ruotang’s first reaction was, “Ah, I’m about to have a sister-in-law! Should I prepare a welcome present for her?”

Lu Guifan chuckled in response, “She’s only four years old—she should be easy to win over.”

Who knew Jiang Ruotang would suddenly blurt out, “If this were ancient times, a four-year-old could be our daughter!”

Lu Guifan immediately coughed hard, his neck faintly turning red.

Then Jiang Ruotang added, “But we haven’t even slept together—how could we have a daughter?”

This time, Lu Guifan’s face burned from his cheeks to his ears. He covered his eyes, fully aware that Jiang Ruotang was just messing with him, yet still unable to control his emotions.

“Sigh, even though the top-scoring scholar is well-read, he hasn’t even learned to kiss.”

Hearing Jiang Ruotang’s deliberate teasing, Lu Guifan subconsciously bit his lip. Jiang Ruotang’s nonsense would inevitably become Lu Guifan’s racing thoughts by night—he really wanted to teach this tease a lesson.

Who says I don’t know how?

Put your money where your mouth is.

The next day, the admission scores for major universities were released.

The entire Jiang family was overjoyed.

Jiang Huaiyuan had been on the phone all day. The last time he had proudly boasted about Jiang Ruotang with such a bright smile was when his painting won the “Emerging Artists” category at Fu Chunshi’s art exhibition.

“Uncle Qin, Ruotang got in! He scored over a dozen points above the Central Academy of Fine Arts’ cutoff! It’s pretty much a sure thing! You wouldn’t believe it—since yesterday, three professors from the Central Academy of Fine Arts have been asking about his scores, vying to be his advisor! Hahaha, yes, yes, his old man has finally made it!”

On the other end, Old Master Qin was also beaming and congratulated Jiang Huaiyuan for a while.

He was playing chess with Qin Zhanchao, who took the opportunity to refill his grandfather’s tea.

“It seems Ruotang is truly set on the path of art,” Old Master Qin rubbed his chin and looked at Qin Zhanchao. “You, on the other hand, should maintain a good relationship with Ruotang. Mu Xianqing and his mother adore Ruotang’s paintings—that’s his network. You want to pursue the entertainment route, and Huaiyuan didn’t obstruct you at the shareholders’ meeting. Meanwhile, Ruotang has the Mu family as his backing, and Yunshu has left Universe to focus on producing Huaiyuan's films. Their whole family has abandoned internal conflicts—you can’t let people think you’re still targeting the Jiang family.”

“I understand. My subordinates overstepped before, undermining the lead actor and causing trouble for Uncle Jiang’s *Drunken Immortal Terrace* project. I’ll do my best to make amends,” Qin Zhanchao nodded.

“Good. I heard Huaiyuan has his eye on an actor named Ling Song to replace the lead. He’ll officially join the crew in a couple of days. This Ling Song has been targeted by President Han of Cefeng Pictures—grease the wheels so it doesn’t affect Huaiyuan’s project,” Old Master Qin said seriously.

“Understood, Grandfather.” Qin Zhanchao’s worries eased now that Jiang Ruotang’s college plans were confirmed.

Whether Gao Cheng did it on purpose or not, the SweetFruit platform launched the day after Jiang Ruotang announced his college entrance exam results!

This was a full five months ahead of schedule, catching Qilin Video and Yunfeng Video completely off guard.

The app’s welcome screen read: “Wishing all our student bosses a resounding success and a bright future!”

Gao Cheng even deliberately messaged Jiang Ruotang: “Hey boss, bet you didn't see this coming?”

Having been busy cramming for exams, Jiang Ruotang had left SweetFruit entirely in Gao Cheng’s hands. In his past life, Qilin Video’s app launched in October, followed closely by Yunfeng Video.

SweetFruit had rushed its release to celebrate its boss’s exam success, with airtight secrecy, instantly dominating the summer market.

One could only imagine how frantic Qilin Video and Yunfeng Video must be now, scrambling to push their apps forward.

Gen Z users downloaded and logged in without delay, kicking off a frenzy in their own online hub.

To attract new users, Gao Cheng released the meticulously prepared animated short *Hope* on the same day—a dystopian survival story where the protagonist builds a team, each member with distinct traits.

Though the first episode was only thirty minutes, the post-apocalyptic wasteland theme was a hit with young audiences. The opening was gripping—vast deserts, decaying cities, monsters hunting humans—immersive from the start.

The protagonist, an engineer, gets by in this environment, building a small base until he encounters a sniper who mistakes him for a monster and nearly blows his head off.

And so their story begins.

Viewers were riveted. No one expected such a bold, fresh theme to pass censorship. The stunning visuals and sleek animation left audiences exhilarated.

Combined with SweetFruit’s anti-piracy measures, users who had watched low-quality pirated copies flocked to register as members.

This truly exceeded Qilin and Yunfeng Video’s expectations. They were baffled—how did a post-apocalyptic animated series aimed at teens get approved? And so suddenly?

But Jiang Ruotang knew why.

This was thanks to his high school classmate Geng Yu. Previously, under Lin Lu’s instigation, Geng Yu had accused Jiang Ruotang of cheating in the art exam—only to expose his own misconduct, leading to his father’s transfer to the cultural affairs bureau.

However, with Jiang Ruotang’s advice, Geng Yu’s father distanced himself from Lin Chengdong, and Geng Yu’s mother maintained a good relationship with Zhao Yunshu.

*Hope*’s approval was thanks to Director Geng’s efforts in explaining to higher-ups that this project, if successful, could compete for Asia’s “Nebula Award” in animation. If nominated, it would showcase their department’s support for domestic animation on the global stage—a major career milestone.

Instantly, *Hope*’s first episode became a sensation, a must-see for animation fans. Even the much-maligned censorship department received praise, with netizens joking, “Heaven has opened its eyes—animation is taking off.”

Director Geng, observing the online buzz, felt he had rode the wave of the times.

If *Hope* maintained its quality, dominating the summer was guaranteed. A *Nebula Award* nomination would further boost his career.

Seizing the massive summer traffic, SweetFruit’s user base grew rapidly, a success that even made co-investor Qi Yanze hold his head high before his family elders.

His elder brother teased, “Jiang Ruotang got into the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Even if you don’t care, you should send congratulations on my behalf.”

This irked Qi Yanze.

Why was it that among rich heirs, Jiang Ruotang not only had a business mind but also got into the country’s top art school on merit, while he was labeled “idle” and “mooching off his brother”?

“What should I send?” Qi Yanze snapped. “Flowers? Jewelry? A Cadillac?”

Qi Yanfeng nearly hurled the paperweight at his head.

“He’s not one of those boys you fool around with—he’s your legitimate business partner. Since he loves art, consider having commissioned a suitable piece for him.”

“From whom?”

“Mu Xianqing, owner of Deep Blue Gallery. That way, we can also establish ties with him—two birds with one stone.”

Qi Yanze rolled his eyes, “Ruotang will see through that ploy. I’ll congratulate him my way!”

“Which is?”

“Flowers, a luxury car, and a hot male model!”

Qi Yanfeng: “…”

Admission notices were being confirmed in batches, and the school posted a grand honors list.

Lu Guifan’s name was the largest, written at the top of the list, and he was even invited for press interviews. The bulletin board was crowded—not just with graduating seniors, but also many parents.

Jiang Ruotang's name appeared in the fourth row—the closest he'd ever gotten to Lu Guifan's ranking after three years of monthly and mock exams in high school.

Someone gently tapped his shoulder, and when Jiang Ruotang turned around, he saw Mr. Song Qinghe.

"Jiang Ruotang, you’ve done amazing," Song Qinghe said with a smile full of admiration in his eyes.

"I don't deserve..." Jiang Ruotang rubbed the tip of his nose.

"You know what? In my teaching career, you’re like a dream, a miracle. Neither I nor the entire teaching group ever imagined you’d make such huge progress in your final year, working your way into such a great university on your own. Before, those teachers called you 'the director's kid.' I always told them it was impolite, but no one seemed to listen. Yet in this last year, gradually, people stopped calling you that anymore—they all called you Jiang Ruotang." Song Qinghe smiled.

Three years of hard work had left his temples streaked with white and crow's feet forming at the corners of his eyes, though he was only thirty-five.

Whether in the past or now, he had always been the teacher who genuinely cared for Jiang Ruotang.

"Teacher Song, thank you too. I wouldn't be who I am today without you."

Jiang Ruotang opened his arms and hugged Song Qinghe tightly.

Song Qinghe paused, his eyes growing misty. He patted Jiang Ruotang’s back and laughed, "Next time I hear from you, it’ll probably be when you become a great painter!"

Unexpectedly, some younger art students from their first and second years came to give Jiang Ruotang flowers and ask for his autograph, saying he was their role model. Jiang Ruotang was overwhelmed—he never imagined that one day he’d become someone else’s ideal.

Teacher Song let go of Jiang Ruotang and went to chat with Zhao Zhangfeng.

"Zhang Feng, you’re also a real dark horse!"

"Of course! When I make it to the NBA, Teacher Song, you can point at the screen and say, 'That’s my student!'" Zhao Zhangfeng bragged smugly, only to be mercilessly kicked from behind by Jian Sha.

Jiang Ruotang looked away and inadvertently spotted Lin Lu’s name at the bottom of the second red list.

He had been admitted to Shenzhou Business College, a pretty average college. It seemed everything he'd been through had affected his exam performance.

If it were the Lin Lu from before the incident, he'd have been too proud to accept Shenzhou Business College. But now, going to Shenzhou to study, far from Sheng City, might help him escape his harsh reality.

Without his family’s support, stripped of his identity as the Lin family’s young master, and even left without financial resources by his parents, he’d have to make his own way. Whether he had the determination for that remained to be seen.

Somehow, Jiang Ruotang thought back to his old life—at least he’d had Zhao Yunshu, Zhao Zhangfeng, and Lu Guifan by his side. Lin Lu, on the other hand, had truly lost everything.

Lowering his eyes, Jiang Ruotang didn't pity Lin Lu. On the contrary, what Lin Lu needed was to start from scratch, see the world anew, shatter everything, and rebuild himself… but that kind of resolve was something the old Lin Lu had never possessed.

Jiang Ruotang turned and quickly ran to his friends. He first punched Zhao Zhangfeng lightly. "You little punk, you actually did it! I thought we’d be lucky if you got into Capital Sports University, but you made it into Capital Science and Technology University? After all this, the one we least expected ends up as classmates with our Provincial Zhuangyuan! I’m not happy about this—I’m totally jealous!"

Zhao Zhangfeng was absolutely gloating. "That’s because we won the national championship in the high school league, and I was the MVP of that game!"

"Cai Cai’s amazing too! The computer science department at Capital Aerospace Engineering University—from what I know, that department produces top talent!" Jian Sha grinned and patted Cai Ji’s back.

Cai Ji shyly rubbed the tip of his nose, then suddenly took two steps back and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, shocking everyone.

"What’s… what’s going on?" Zhao Zhangfeng hurried forward to steady him.

"Thank you, everyone, for always supporting me. If not for you helping me, getting me out, making me realize I didn’t have to stay in that household… I never would’ve imagined I could one day get into a university in the capital. Without you, I wouldn’t have been this strong."

When Cai Ji raised his head again, his eyes held a mature, inspiring brilliance.

Jiang Ruotang looked at him and suddenly blurted out, "Cai Cai… you look awesome!"

"Yeah, seriously cool!"

Lu Guifan pushed up his glasses and remarked calmly, "Everyone really picked their schools well—they’re all in the university district."

"Really?" Zhao Zhangfeng immediately whipped out his phone to check. "Hey, you’re right! The Science and Technology University is on the east side of the university district, just two subway stops from Jian Sha’s Chinese Literature University? And the art academy…"

Before he could finish, Lu Guifan answered for him, "Two bus stops."

"Wow, how far is my Aerospace Engineering University from the class president?"

"Three subway stops—still pretty close," Lu Guifan replied.

Jian Sha laughed, hands on hips. "This is meant to be!"

"As expected of the class president, even checking the distances so clearly!" Zhao Zhangfeng chuckled.

"Of course! Zhang Feng, if you ever compete, won’t we all drag our friends and family to cheer for you?" Jian Sha stood on her toes to pat Zhao Zhangfeng’s shoulder.

Today was too joyous. Zhao Zhangfeng suggested taking everyone out for a nice meal, so the group of five took the bus to a fancy restaurant called "Fortune House."

As the bus rocked, Cai Ji hesitated. "I heard Fortune House has great food, but it’s also really expensive. Are we sure about this?"

Zhao Zhangfeng, towering over everyone while gripping the overhead handle, pressed down on Jiang Ruotang’s shoulder. "What’s there to fear? We’ve got our little rich kid here."

Jian Sha also laughed. "No need for the little rich kid—my article got noticed by the editor-in-chief at Rockheart Culture. It’s going through the first round of review. My treat!"

Cai Ji quickly waved his hands. "No, no! The copyright fee from Little Sweet Fruit for my Shan Hai Jing deities… I listened to Ruo Tang and invested some of it. I made some good money, so I can treat everyone too!"

Zhao Zhangfeng grinned. "Wow, we’ve got quite a few little moneybags here! If I’d known, we wouldn’t have taken the bus—we could’ve sprung for a cab!"

Jiang Ruotang shot him a look. "That’s because there are five of us, and with your build taking up two seats, we’d have to split up!"

Zhao Zhangfeng chuckled. "Thanks for sticking with me!"

Jiang Ruotang playfully bumped his head against Lu Guifan’s shoulder, and Lu Guifan immediately understood.

"I’ll treat," Lu Guifan said softly, looking at Jiang Ruotang’s ear with a smile.

They enjoyed the thrill of secretly dating, curious to see which friend would notice first.

Lu Guifan thought it’d be Jian Sha—after all, as a hardcore shipper, Sister Sha might’ve already figured it out.

But Jiang Ruotang believed it’d be Cai Cai. Though Cai Cai rarely spoke, he was gentle and perceptive.

As for Zhao Zhangfeng… this big goofball only cared about running wild. Though he harbored fantasies about Jiang Ruotang ending up with a good man like Lu Guifan, if it actually happened, it’d probably make him spit out his drink.

This meal would be their celebration with friends—their way of announcing they were together.

They arrived at Fortune House, but the vibe turned sour immediately. The manager, seeing their youthful student attire, put on a polite front but let slip his condescension.

"Students, would you like to review our menu first before deciding whether to dine here?"

The subtext was clear: check the prices now and back out while you still can.

"Sure, let’s see. I’d love to know if your dishes are lined with gold," Zhao Zhangfeng replied, missing the hint entirely as he took the menu.

Jian Sha and Cai Ji leaned in, gasping in disbelief.

"My god, what’s this 'Crystal Sliced Pork'—just plain boiled pork, right? And it’s 120 yuan a plate? Is this pork or dragon meat?" Zhao Zhangfeng inhaled sharply.

Jian Sha’s eyes widened. "Wow, this salmon is 560 yuan a serving—is this salmon or mermaid flesh? I guess money really buys taste!"

Cai Ji gulped. "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is 128 yuan per serving… if I understand correctly, 'per serving' means one person’s portion, right?"

The manager maintained a polite smile: "Yes."

"I feel like I'm seeing the world in a new light."

Jiang Ruotang finally understood—however good the food might be here, the target clientele wasn't students like them, but rather high-profile individuals.

He gently tugged Lu Guifan's sleeve: "Let's eat somewhere else."

Unexpectedly, Lu Guifan leaned in and whispered in his ear: "Don't worry, I've got this."

Jiang Ruotang glanced at the others—their attention was still fixed on the menu, oblivious to Lu Guifan's affectionate gesture toward him.

Amused, Jiang Ruotang also leaned close to Lu Guifan's ear and murmured: "But I don’t think it’s worth it, and we might not even get full."

In his past life, Jiang Ruotang had spent years as a working-class man. Even now, with money to spare, he didn’t see the point in blowing money like this.

Not to mention, Lu Guifan was offering to treat him—in his eyes, that money was hard-earned from pulling late nights in the lab. Jiang Ruotang couldn’t bear to waste it.

The manager suggested: "Actually, at the end of this street, there’s a restaurant called He Wei Zhai. Their signature boiled fish is quite popular—perhaps you’d like to try it?"

This was basically their polite way out.

Jian Sha glanced at Cai Ji and Zhao Zhangfeng, giving a slight chin jerk—a silent signal to leave.

Meanwhile, just then, a young man in casual business attire walked in briskly, accompanied by an authoritative, sharp-featured middle-aged man, followed by two assistants or secretaries. The manager immediately greeted them with a smile.

"Mr. Qin, Mr. Han! Welcome, your VIP room is ready!"