Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The very thought of his university major annoyed Ning Yichu. He couldn't be bothered to respond to Ning Zeshu, who had suddenly brought it up, and he was equally disinclined to respond to Zheng Gu, who now seemed to think he had found a sore spot.

Seeing Ning Yichu's silence, Zheng Gu assumed he had hit the nail on the head and grew even more smug. "Why so quiet? You had plenty to say before! So generous airing out other people's dirty laundry, but when it's your own turn, you know to feel guilty, huh? Come to think of it, that Ning family wasn't so bad to you after all. They even let you study art to gild your resume. Yet here you are, an adopted son, badmouthing them non-stop on the show. Tsk tsk..."

"Forcing the top science scorer in the national college entrance exam to choose a fine arts major he had zero exposure to since childhood—the Ning family sure knows how to raise a child," He Shixia said disapprovingly.

Zheng Gu was taken aback. The others were also somewhat surprised. Zhang Kejiu repeated, "Top science scorer? Oh my god, that's amazing..."

After his initial shock, Zheng Gu grew furious with embarrassment. "Who knows if what you're saying is even true! Looks like Film Emperor He just wants to shield his own!"

"Uh, there's only one top science scorer each year. Faking something that big just to gild Ning Yichu's resume? How is that even possible? Maybe Zheng Gu should use his brain before questioning things?"

"Oh my god! Academic god above, I bow to you! Please share some of your smarts with me..."

"I was going to say this earlier—the previous rumors were true. Ning Yichu really did graduate from University A. During their art school's graduation exhibition, graduates had to stand by their own works. There was a huge crowd around Ning Yichu back then. Not sure if they were looking at the painting or the person, but I went and took a photo too."

"Photo! Please share!"

[I'm a freshman at University A's College of Fine Arts, and I'm shocked... So the rumor circulating in our college—'The top science scorer who could choose any major picked our College of Fine Arts'—is actually true! I thought my senior was just bragging...]

"By the way, is it easier to get into University A through the art student route?"

"While people generally think art students have lower academic scores, the cultural course requirements for University A's art students aren't actually low, okay? The difficulty of their art entrance exams is also top-tier. It's just that the academic score requirement for art students is indeed a bit lower than for regular admissions."

"So why did Ning Yichu, as the top science scorer that year, choose a fine arts major when he could have picked any program?"

"Just to add—not looking down on art students at all! I'm super envious of art students who can draw. It's just that He Shixia said Ning Yichu had no exposure to drawing since childhood, so it doesn't sound like a choice he would have made willingly..."

"Friend from earlier, don't just listen to half the sentence. Didn't He Shixia also say it was the Ning family who chose for Ning Yichu? So clearly, he was forced."

"But can someone really be forced when it comes to filling out college applications... Okay, sorry, as soon as I typed that, I realized how naive I sounded."

"Even in ordinary families, kids sometimes cave to pressure and choose majors their parents want. Let alone Ning Yichu, who was adopted and abused by the Ning family since childhood."

"What a waste. The top science scorer, no less."

"Speaking of which, with a score like Ning Yichu's, wouldn't university admissions offices usually rush to the student's home to recruit them (exaggerating a bit, sorry)? Weren't they puzzled when they later saw him choose a fine arts college?"

"Even if they were puzzled, they probably couldn't interfere."

"But I just feel like Ning Yichu isn't the type to obey so easily. He probably suffered a lot in the process and ultimately couldn't win against them."

"You can still search for photos of Ning Yichu from high school if you look up the top science scorer from four years ago. He really has that 'white moonlight' vibe. There's also a bit of an interview with his teacher."

"Too lazy to search. Kind soul, please tell us what the interview said!"

"It said Ning Yichu worked extremely hard in high school. Even though he was always first in his year, he studied as if relaxing for a moment would cause him to fall behind. Unfortunately, his health wasn't great. Probably after the stress of the exams ended, he fell ill right after the scores came out. His school invited him back for photos and to receive the scholarship, but they couldn't reach him. His family replied on his behalf, and they also collected his high school diploma for him."

"Uh... Combining this with earlier guesses, maybe the Ning family didn't allow him to appear in public at the time?"

"I have a dark thought, but I think the Ning family might be capable of it... Could it be that Ning Yichu was directly controlled by them back then? Maybe the Ning family filled out his college applications for him?"

"Oh my god..."

"But why would the Ning family treat him like that? Even as an adopted son, he was such a credit to them."

[Ning Zeshu and Ning Yichu are the same age, right? Ning Yichu being the top scorer brought face, but what about Ning Zeshu? Probably the Ning family 'pities' their biological son, so they didn't see Ning Yichu's results as a good thing. Instead, they wanted to suppress him.]

"I bet if it weren't for the fact that it would be too suspicious for a top scorer not to choose the best university—the Ning family might dare to do it but wouldn't want gossip, fearing exposure of their suppression of the adopted son—Ning Yichu's college choices that year might not have even included University A..."

"Yeah, sending him to a fine arts major could still be spun as 'he wanted to go himself, and the family, being rich, didn't interfere with his major choice.' But if he didn't apply to University A, it wouldn't match Ning Yichu's state of desperately studying throughout high school."

"Sigh, poor Xiao Chu."

"Damn! The college entrance exam! University major! If I were Ning Yichu, I'd want to slaughter the entire Ning family."

"And if Ning Yichu really had no prior exposure, starting from zero in university must have been painful too. Plus, being controlled by the Ning family, he probably couldn't even change majors..."

"Wait, I suddenly thought of a question... Don't fine arts majors require entrance exams? Those happen before the official college entrance exam. How could Ning Yichu apply for a fine arts major if he didn't take the art entrance exam?"

"University A's fine arts program allows it. As long as your academic score meets University A's threshold, you can literally choose any major. A humanities student could choose a science major. They truly dare to accept you if you dare to apply to University A."

"Alumni here confirming, haha! So there are always students who realize their major doesn't suit them after entering university and transfer the next year. But it's extremely rare for someone to get into University A through the regular exam and then choose an arts major (though it happens, so the university might not have found Ning Yichu's case puzzling back then)."

"Poor, pitiful A Ning. *pats*"

"Ning Zeshu brought up A Ning's major on purpose to poke at his sore spot, right?"

"But if the Ning family really forced Ning Yichu to choose that major, doesn't that just give people another reason to criticize the Ning family? I really don't understand what Ning Zeshu is trying to do."

"Maybe a spoiled young master from a wealthy family is just that capricious..."

Before Ning Yichu could even explain the specifics of his college application that year, the live stream audience had already used their imagination to guess through a whole cycle—and their guesses weren't far from the truth.

After Zheng Gu voiced his doubts, his teammate Ji Tianfeng was the first to mock him. "Are you an idiot? You can look up the top scorer online. If I were going to fake something, I wouldn't make such an outrageous claim. I'd just name a decent school that's harder to verify on the spot. So that actually proves Teacher He isn't lying now. Ning Yichu really is... damn, the top scorer. You should have said so earlier! I love people who are good at studying!"

Ning Yichu: "..."

Zheng Gu grew even angrier, lashing out at Ji Tianfeng. "Are you brain-dead, you psycho? He's already spilled all your dirty secrets! You're about to be shelved, and you're still here sucking up? Is it even worth it now? You're so clever now, huh? Where was that cleverness when you were buying that 'corpse oil lipstick'? Even Han Wushuang, that fool I just egged on a bit, could trick you. You're utterly stupid, no wonder you like people who are good at studying!"

Ji Tianfeng also flew into a rage, and the two of them launched into another round of rehashing old grievances and bickering.

Their other teammate, Shen Zhou, remained silent as ever.

The other guests and the production crew couldn't be bothered to intervene anymore. They were used to it. Anyway, Ji Tianfeng and Zheng Gu kept walking while they argued, not delaying the journey.

The live stream audience had lost interest in Ji Tianfeng and Zheng Gu's squabbling. Now they just wanted to hear Ning Yichu explain the whole story behind his fine arts major.

However, Ning Yichu just found the memory irritating.

Since He Shixia had already summed it up for him in one sentence, and Ning Zeshu hadn't continued provoking him, he couldn't be bothered to volunteer more details about that year. It was enough that the public knew the Ning family had forced him into a major he never wanted.

He believed that with the internet users' gossip-sleuthing abilities, He Shixia's one sentence was enough for them to deduce the truth.

On the way to the beach, there was a particularly uneven stretch of path. Ji Tianfeng and Zheng Gu, too busy arguing, didn't notice and both fell, seemingly worsening their injuries.

Grimacing, the two got up and brushed off the dirt and grass from their clothes, finally ceasing fire and shutting up.

And as soon as they quieted down, Ning Zeshu started up again.

Looking at Ning Yichu, Ning Zeshu said leisurely, "Xiao Chu really is amazing. The top scorer that year. Even though you had no exposure to art before university, you picked it up quickly once you started. I actually went to see your graduation exhibition that day. The painting was very good. Xiao Chu has natural talent, and you put effort into everything you do. No wonder you excel at whatever you try."

Ning Zeshu smiled. "So that's how it was. You, me, and Seventh Aunt studied together from elementary school all the way through high school. I really wasn't used to it after we separated for university."

"Seventh Aunt is written as Ning Andong, right? That pairs with Ning Anxia's name. But I didn't expect such a big age gap within the Ning family's same generation. This Seventh Aunt Ning Andong is actually the same age as Ning Yichu and Ning Zeshu?"

"This Seventh Aunt was also mentioned in the earlier haunted house incident, right? The Ning family really is full of villains, evil since childhood."

"I have a reasonable suspicion that Ning Yichu is deliberately not hiding the fact he calls the Ning family members by their full names to expose them! Lol!"

"That's so messed up, growing up in a family like that and having to commute to and from school with those who bullied you."

"So that's what was going through Ning Yichu's mind, which is why even though he consistently ranked first in high school, he still pushed himself so hard that even teachers wanted to advise him to relax."

"Fortunately, Ning Zeshu and Ning Andong's grades weren't that good. Otherwise, no matter how hard Ning Yichu tried, as long as they could apply to A University, Ning Yichu wouldn't have been able to shake them off..."

"Sigh, putting aside the major, it still counts as successfully ditching Ning Zeshu and Ning Andong. After all, if the top science scorer in the college entrance exam had 'downgraded' to apply to the same university as them, it would have been too obvious. The Ning family seems quite afraid of gossip."

"It's just that he doesn't have to see them all the time anymore. In reality, he was probably still under the Ning family's control, since he hadn't reached financial independence yet."

"And in the rare chance to relax a bit more in university, the major he studied was also forced upon him by the Ning family. He probably couldn't relax much anyway."

"Fortunately, Ning Yichu didn't give up on himself. It sounds like he did quite well in his art major too."

"I'm even more confused now. I can't tell if Ning Zeshu is speaking sincerely or sarcastically mocking, or whether he wants to make Ning Yichu uncomfortable or help boost his reputation..."

"It's clearly meant to belittle and provoke, and the malice is just oozing out. It's just that Ning Yichu himself stands firm and upright, so Ning Zeshu didn't succeed. Ning Yichu has consistently held the upper hand and even gained more audience sympathy. Don't think Ning Zeshu's initial intention was good just because the resulting public opinion favors Ning Yichu."

"Yes, we generally call Ning Zeshu's behavior 'trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice'."

Ning Yichu urged Ning Zeshu impatiently, "What else do you want to bring up?"

Ning Zeshu chuckled, "I just wanted to say you're very impressive, Xiao Chu, so many people like you. For example, me—though you don't believe it, I really like you. For example, the Sixth Young Master of the He family—though I heard before that he was very cold toward you, today it doesn't seem so bad. Looks like after daily interaction, he's also been won over by your charm."

Ning Yichu frowned, listening to these disgusting words.

He didn't expect Ning Zeshu's next sentence to be even more nauseating: "And also, for example, the Third Young Master of the He family, the Sixth Young Master's third cousin..."

"But after Xiao Chu clarified the truth, He Third Young Master is no longer a member of the He family. Since he's been expelled, let's just say his name directly... He Rulin. Back when you were about to marry the Sixth Young Master, he publicly admitted that he had confessed to you earlier, right? I don't know what he was thinking—no one asked him. Saying that then just caused trouble for you."

Ning Yichu scoffed, "You could take those last few sentences of what you said and apply them to yourself."

Ning Zeshu just continued with a smile, "But fortunately, it didn't affect your marriage to the Sixth Young Master."

"Oh my god, He Shixia's cousin also likes Ning Yichu?!"

"Ning Zeshu's intention to provoke is really obvious... Fortunately, Ning Yichu didn't let him have the satisfaction."

"What's this about being expelled from the He family? Seems like it was Ning Yichu's doing? Impressive, Xiao Yichu."

"Looks like Ning Yichu really dislikes this Third He guy who confessed to him, even had him expelled from the family. Film Emperor He, stop frowning! Your wife personally dealt with a love rival! Smile!"

"Third He, hahaha."

Listening to Ning Zeshu's provocative words, He Shixia felt he had been frowning too frequently today. If this continued, he was afraid he'd get wrinkles, which would only make Ning Yichu find him even more "ugly."

"Even without me, A Ning would never have agreed to He Rulin," He Shixia said coldly.

Ning Zeshu shrugged.

But Ning Yichu suddenly laughed, contradicting He Shixia: "That has nothing to do with whether you were there or not... But I really couldn't have agreed to He Rulin."

He Shixia was slightly taken aback—not by the first part; he wasn't surprised Ning Yichu would say that. But the second part—He Shixia sensed that besides "Ning Yichu doesn't like He Rulin," there was likely another hidden reason, which was why Ning Yichu said it that way.

This time, before anyone could ask or provoke, Ning Yichu leisurely spoke up and continued: "After the college entrance exam results came out, the Ning family confiscated my electronic devices, locked me in my room, and told outsiders I was sick. They used my account and password to fill out my college application for me... I was terrified."

He Shixia's lips trembled slightly, "A Ning..."

In his previous life, while Ning Yichu was still alive, He Shixia knew very little about his past treatment in the Ning family. He learned many things only after Ning Yichu was gone, through extensive investigation—including the college application matter.

Before that, in his previous life, He Shixia had even thought that Ning Yichu himself really liked painting but hadn't had the chance to pursue it in the Ning family, so he chose this university major himself... After all, Ning Yichu's paintings were indeed very good, giving the impression that he was passionate about it.

Later, although he learned that Ning Yichu hadn't entered the art academy voluntarily, the specific details of the entire college application process remained unclear to He Shixia, let alone Ning Yichu's thoughts and feelings at the time.

Now, hearing Ning Yichu casually mention "I was terrified," He Shixia felt heart-wrenching pain, but he could do nothing, making him feel even more useless.

Ignoring him, Ning Yichu chuckled lightly and continued, "At that time, I was afraid the Ning family wasn't as concerned about public image as I had gambled on. I feared they would directly fill in a terrible university and major for me..."

To Ning Yichu back then, the Ning family was an immovable behemoth. He couldn't imagine how to resist them...

"I waited until just before the college application deadline, regardless of whether I'd be discovered, broke the glass window of my room, and—I don't know where I got the courage—jumped out... Fortunately, my room was on the second floor, and the garden below had just been tilled. I sprained my ankle but managed to slip out of the Ning estate before the family noticed."

Ning Yichu recalled unhurriedly, "But my foot hurt too much. I hadn't eaten or slept well while locked up, and after running out, I was struggling to keep going... Then I ran into He Rulin, who happened to be heading to the Ning estate to visit his classmate Ning Shaoyi."

The area around the Ning estate was quiet, with little pedestrian or vehicle traffic. Ning Yichu didn't even have a phone on him at the time. In that environment, forget hailing a taxi—even trying to flag down a car was difficult.

He walked slowly and painfully along the road, also worrying that the Ning family might come after him.

When he finally saw a car approaching ahead, Ning Yichu was overjoyed. He wanted to stop the car, explain his urgent situation to the driver, and borrow their phone to log into the college application system—Chinese people take the college entrance exam extremely seriously, and Ning Yichu felt there was a good chance of getting help.

Ning Yichu successfully stopped the passing car. The driver's window rolled down—it was He Rulin.

Ning Yichu had seen He Rulin at the Ning estate before, knew he was from the He family and Ning Shaoyi's classmate, but wasn't very familiar with his personality and had no particular like or dislike for him. Under normal circumstances, if they met, he would at most give a simple greeting if unavoidable.

But at that moment, Ning Yichu almost saw He Rulin as a lifeline.

He really couldn't walk anymore. He didn't know when the next car would pass on this road or if he could successfully stop it, so he could only gamble that He Rulin, after all, didn't share the Ning surname and wouldn't join the Ning family in wrongdoing.

After listening to Ning Yichu's desperate predicament, He Rulin thought briefly and actually agreed. He let Ning Yichu into the car, lent him his phone, and even asked with concern, "Would your family have already changed your account password?"

"They can't change it. Modifying the password requires facial recognition," Ning Yichu said as he logged into the system.

But before he could see what the Ning family had filled in for his application, the phone was suddenly snatched back by He Rulin.

—Now, recounting it on the live-streamed program, Ning Yichu omitted the minor details and summarized: "I explained the situation to He Rulin and begged him to lend me his phone to log into the system and fill out my application. At that time, there were only thirty minutes left before the deadline. As long as I stayed logged into the system and monitored it for those last thirty minutes, the Ning family couldn't make decisions for me."

"After I logged into the system, He Rulin took the phone back and locked the car doors so I couldn't get out. He said, since there were still thirty minutes left, instead of staring at the system the whole time, it would be better to confirm in the last few minutes. As for the rest of the time... I don't know what he was thinking, but he wanted me to listen to him give a speech."

The live-stream audience was somewhat surprised by this—

"A speech?!"

"Like, an actual on-stage speech kind of speech, not some coded language?"

"I was already darkly speculating that this He Third was taking advantage of the situation, forcing A Ning to have car sex with him during those twenty-something minutes. Didn't expect it to be a speech... This direction is a bit bizarre!"

"Sigh, looking at the outcome, Ning Yichu probably didn't manage to change his application. Don't know what this He Third was thinking."

Ning Zeshu also frowned, "A speech? How bizarre... Xiao Chu, I really didn't know about you being locked up. I'm sorry."

Ning Yichu scoffed, "Of course you 'didn't know.' You were on a graduation trip abroad at the time. Anyway, He Rulin said he was about to attend a very important business summit where he had to give a public speech. His speech was already prepared; he just needed an audience for a rehearsal. Since he ran into me, it would be me."

"I was locked in the car with no other options, so I could only hope He Rulin would keep his word. When there were fifteen minutes left, I kept urging He Rulin to give me the phone. With five minutes left, he gave me the phone as if he were enjoying a show."

Filling out college applications requires university and major codes, which were in the application guidebook the school provided. Fortunately, before both the book and his phone were taken by the Ning family, Ning Yichu had memorized the crucial codes. As long as there was time left, he just needed to input and submit them...

Ning Yichu gave a wry smile, "When I logged back into the system, I saw the application period had already ended... Because He Rulin had set his phone's time ten minutes slow, so the displayed time didn't match the official time. I could only look at the unchangeable application form and be thankful that although only A University's art major was filled in, at least it was A University."

"Although He Rulin apologized at the time, saying he was used to it and had forgotten his phone's time was inaccurate, and that it wasn't intentional—because of this incident, I hate him to death. He should have either not helped at all, letting me use the remaining time to think of other methods. Even if I still failed, it would have been my own fault. But he had to play with me..."

At this point, Ning Yichu looked at He Shixia and said with a light laugh, "Honestly, if not for this grudge, when He Rulin approached me earlier, in order to escape the Ning family's control, I might not have refused him. Then you really would have been out of the picture."

He Shixia's throat moved with difficulty.