Lu Ning initially felt a bit lonely studying alone in his apartment, but now, with five seniors from Huanyu joining him, he feels like he has classmates. The living room has been rearranged with five additional desks, and the six of them attend some classes together when their schedules align. However, the tutoring team still customizes the content based on each person’s progress and individual needs.

Unlike Lu Ning, who is fully committed to studying all day, his five classmates can only attend whenever their schedules permit, adjusting according to their work commitments.

Late at night, Xiao Yumo knocked on Lu Ning’s door. Holding a test paper prepared by the tutoring team, he said, “Ningning, hurry up and explain this problem to me. The assignment is due tomorrow.”

Xiao Yumo had mixed feelings towards Lu Ning. On one hand, he looked down on him for having a wealthy backer, but on the other hand, he felt that he was caught up in Lu Ning’s troubles and believed that Lu Ning should help with his homework. So, he confidently asked Lu Ning for assistance.

Lu Ning stepped aside to let him in, saying, “Come over here.” With his left hand, he pulled up a chair for Xiao Yumo and grabbed a sheet of scrap paper with his right.

Seeing that Lu Ning was also working on assignments, and with a workload seemingly several times heavier than his own, Xiao Yumo didn’t feel guilty but still asked insincerely, “I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“No,” Lu Ning replied with a smile, his dimples appearing charmingly on his cheeks. “Explaining problems to others helps reinforce my own understanding and also allows me to organize my thoughts.”

Xiao Yumo sat down carelessly and said, “Well, thanks then.” He pointed out all the problems on the test paper, saying impatiently, “I don’t know how to solve any of these.”

Lu Ning glanced at the test paper and quickly understood the situation. The tutoring team tailored the questions for each person based on their needs. For instance, Lu Ning had a good grasp of basic knowledge but lacked time to tackle difficult problems, so the team created questions focusing on the challenging areas he hadn’t mastered.

As for Xiao Yumo, who usually didn’t study much, he needed to secure as many basic points as possible. Therefore, his test paper consisted of elementary questions, and before giving him the paper, the tutors had already reviewed the relevant concepts with him.

After reviewing the questions, Lu Ning circled a few with a pen, marked some with triangles, and checked others, saying, “The questions with the same marks are similar. I’ll explain three of them, and you can try solving the rest on your own.”

Xiao Yumo, still impatient, responded, “I don’t know how to solve them all. Just explain everything to me; it won’t take much time.”

Lu Ning maintained his sweet smile and looked at Xiao Yumo with his beautiful, large eyes, seemingly innocent and puzzled as he said, “Actually, the related knowledge points on this test paper were already covered by the teacher. I heard that Brother Yumo masters acting lessons in one go; did you perhaps not pay attention this time?”

Xiao Yumo cursed inwardly. Should he admit that he didn’t pay attention in class, or confess that he was too stupid to understand the material? Either option would be a blow to his image!

Being young and hot-headed, Xiao Yumo scoffed, “Of course, I know everything; I’m just too lazy to write.”

“So, does Brother Yumo want me to do your homework for you?”

Damn! Xiao Yumo ruffled his hair in frustration. This little bunny looks so obedient, yet every word out of his mouth is a trap! If he dared to ask Lu Ning to do his homework, Sister Yu Nuo would definitely break his head.

“Of course not. Can’t I just ask for help?”

“Of course you can,” Lu Ning replied with a bright smile, holding up three fingers. “Three questions.”

“Alright, three questions. Thanks.”

“In this step, draw an auxiliary line here…”

“Now, apply this formula…”

Lu Ning quickly and clearly explained the three questions to Xiao Yumo. Afterward, he looked at him with bright, eager eyes, almost as if he was expecting something. “Do you understand the other questions now, Brother Yumo? Do you need more help?”

Xiao Yumo had to admit that after Lu Ning’s explanations, he actually understood how to solve these types of problems. Lu Ning was indeed a top student, and a slight sense of admiration began to grow within him.

But seeing the expectant look in Lu Ning’s eyes, Xiao Yumo responded a bit haughtily, “I already knew how to do them; I don’t need any more help.”

“I’m heading back now.” Xiao Yumo quickly snatched up his test paper. As he reached the door, he hesitated and awkwardly added, “Uh… thanks for explaining the problems to me…” This time, his thanks were laced with genuine sincerity and a hint of embarrassment.

Lu Ning’s dimples appeared again as he smiled. “You’re welcome. Finish your work and get some rest.”

Suddenly, Xiao Yumo remembered that Lu Ning still had a mountain of assignments to complete, and a pang of guilt struck him. “You too.”

However, after Xiao Yumo left, the smile on Lu Ning’s face faded. He murmured softly to himself, “If you weren’t an artist from Mr. Fu’s Company’s agency, I wouldn’t have helped you at all.”

After Xiao Yumo’s visit, the other four seniors from Huanyu, who were equally frustrated with their homework, also came to Lu Ning for help. Like Xiao Yumo, they initially looked down on Lu Ning.

However, after a few rounds of Lu Ning explaining problems to them, they realized that not only was he incredibly smart, but he also had a great temperament, explaining everything clearly and patiently. Plus, he was good-looking, and his smile was especially endearing. Gradually, they all became won over by Lu Ning. To them, he became the perfect little brother next door. And of course, when your little brother looks at you with such hopeful eyes, you can’t help but study hard.

Yu Nuo, who had initially been worried about the dynamics among the artists, had been quietly monitoring the situation. But to her surprise, she watched as room 1602 turned into a harmonious, supportive study group. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this picture was off.

So much so that when Lu Ning looked up at her with his big, innocent eyes, she felt a bit uneasy.

“You want to meet Mr. Fu? Why?”

Lu Ning’s eyes were filled with sincere anticipation as he earnestly explained, “The results of this phase’s exams are out, and the teacher said we should show them to our parents.”

This time, he had scored 624 points, finally having something to show Mr. Fu. The expensive tutoring team Mr. Fu hired for him hadn’t been wasted.

“Hmm? Is Mr. Fu your guardian? What about your parents?”

Lu Ning’s head drooped in disappointment as he whispered, “My parents only ever call me to ask for money and never inquire about how I’m doing. Ever since I was little, only Mr. Fu has cared about my studies.”

Lu Ning looked so well-behaved and pitiful that Yu Nuo, being a mother herself, couldn’t help but feel a wave of sympathy. She sighed and said, “Alright, I’ll ask him for you.” After all, it was Mr. Fu who wanted this child to focus on his studies, so he must be interested in the results.

“Thank you, Sister Yu Nuo,” Lu Ning murmured, a small, excited smile appearing on his lips as he kept his head down.

….

Backstage at a variety show, Xiao Yumo, waiting for his turn, quickly pulled out his test papers to squeeze in some homework. After a week of classes, he had realized there wasn’t much he could handle in subjects like Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, or biology. He had originally planned to take the college entrance exam just for the sake of it, but now he was feeling a sense of urgency and pressure, realizing that he might not even pass the threshold for the cultural subjects.

At that moment, a mocking voice came from behind him, “Doing homework now? Are you trying to pretend you’re working hard to earn some publicity? Or is your performance so bad that you’re cramming at the last minute?”

Xiao Yumo didn’t need to turn around to know it was Zheng Qingze. They had both debuted from the same talent show and had been at odds since then. Later, they signed with different companies, solidifying their status as rivals.

Without stopping his pen, Xiao Yumo retorted, “I never marketed myself as a top student, so I don’t need to keep up a fake image like you do.”

Someone nearby chimed in to support Zheng Qingze, “Qingze really is a top student. That’s just a fact.”

Xiao Yumo twirled his pen and shot back, “Oh, right, a top student with just over 500 points?”

He had seen Zheng Qingze’s final exam scores during the talent show—just over 500 points, which didn’t compare at all to Xiao Ningning’s scores.

“It seems the Huanyu tutoring team has boosted your confidence. Are you now looking down on scores above 500?”

“Not at all, not at all,” Xiao Yumo shook his head. “I’m just a lowly student who barely scores over 300, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking that someone with just over 500 points isn’t exactly a top student, right? Be careful with all those ‘top student’ press releases, or they might come back to bite you.”

“No matter what, I can’t compare to that Lu Ning from your company, always marketing himself as debating whether to attend Peking University or Tsinghua,” Zheng Qingze smirked as he glanced backward, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Looks like you’re dismissive of me because you’ve got a friend with even better grades?”

Zheng Qingze and Xiao Yumo were the most popular among male artists of their age group. Zheng Qingze had always maintained his “top student” persona and kept an eye on the academic performance of other artists around his age. After all, with the upcoming art and college entrance exams within the next six months, if someone scored better than him, his carefully crafted image might crumble during the college entrance exams. The sudden emergence of Lu Ning, a lesser-known star, had put him on Zheng Qingze’s radar.

“As you said, it’s not just marketing,” Xiao Yumo replied with a confident smile. “Lu Ning really is going to attend Peking University or Tsinghua.”

As someone who struggled academically, Xiao Yumo didn’t feel any jealousy towards Lu Ning’s achievements. Instead, he felt a sense of pride—as if Lu Ning’s success was his own. Whenever someone mentioned Lu Ning, Xiao Yumo couldn’t help but boast.

“Well then, I’ll be watching closely.”

…

The recording of the variety show went smoothly, and Xiao Yumo and Zheng Qingze maintained their cordial, albeit superficial, friendship on stage.

However, as soon as Xiao Yumo got off the stage, his assistant quickly approached him. “Brother Yumo, check out the trending topics!”

With both his and Zheng Qingze’s popularity high, the trending topics included three hashtags: #XiaoYumoZhengQingzeBackstage#, #LuNingPekingUniversityTsinghuaUniversity#, and #LuNingMarketing#.

Clicking on the first hashtag revealed a short video. The video, taken in the dimly lit backstage area, showed:

Zheng Qingze said: 【Looks like you’re dismissive of me because you have a friend with even better grades?】

Xiao Yumo, upon seeing the video in the nanny car, muttered a curse under his breath.

【Xiao Yumo actually dares to look down on Qingze? A person who only scores over 300 points, hmm…】

【So Lu Ning is actually marketing himself? Where did this minor celebrity come from? How dare he use Peking University and Tsinghua University for marketing?】

【To be fair, Qingze’s score of over 500 is quite good among celebrities. Being called a top student in this batch of art exam candidates is reasonable. But that minor celebrity Lu Ning is overdoing the marketing.】

【Honestly, with less than four months until the college entrance exams, hiring a tutoring team now is just cramming at the last minute. True top students wouldn’t need this.】

【I think if Lu Ning and the Huanyu team needed a million-dollar tutoring team, their scores must be really low. At this stage, scores are pretty much set.】

Originally, the idea of Lu Ning attending Peking University or Tsinghua University was just a joke among his fans, with not many people taking it seriously. Now that Zheng Qingze has brought it up, even if Lu Ning scores over 600 points, which is higher than Zheng Qingze, he will face ridicule if he doesn’t get into either of those top universities. Expectations are high, and so is the potential disappointment.

On the other hand, Zheng Qingze, benefiting from Xiao Yumo’s “disdain,” would gain sympathy from the public. Compared to Xiao Yumo’s score of just over 300, Zheng Qingze’s score of over 500 would appear impressive, reinforcing his “top student” image.

His manager couldn’t help but chide him: “Yumo, why can’t you control your mouth? Now, Lu Ning is suffering because of your careless remarks. Lu Ning is Mr. Fu’s person—what are we going to do?”

Xiao Yumo felt deeply guilty: “This time, I’ve wronged Xiao Ningning.”

He quickly called Lu Ning to check on him.

Under Yu Nuo’s reminder, Lu Ning had already seen the trending topics. When he received Xiao Yumo’s call, he had just finished his homework and was checking his answers, methodically marking each correct solution with a red pen on his neatly completed work.

Hearing Xiao Yumo’s repeated apologies, Lu Ning finished marking the last check on his homework and said, “It’s okay. There are still over three months left. I’ll give Peking University and Tsinghua University a try.”

Xiao Yumo was taken aback. “???” I was just mocking Zheng Qingze.

“No worries! Whatever happens,” Xiao Yumo said, determined to boost Lu Ning’s confidence. “In the future, I’ve got your back in this industry.”

As Xiao Yumo and Lu Ning’s relationship grew closer, Fu Yunshen suddenly received a system notification: 【Plot Reversal Value: 26%】

On the other end of the call, Lu Ning smiled, thinking about how easily people seemed to like him. What about Mr. Fu?

【Plot Reversal Value: 24%】

Fu Yunshen: 【? 】The value increased suddenly and then dropped back. What happened?