After the exam ended, Chuxia looked at the sun hanging in the west, no longer as scorching as at noon but still radiating its light.

She wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief and fully relaxed.

At this moment, Wang Chaoxi walked over to Chuxia’s side and asked, “How many points do you think you’ll score this time?”

Chuxia used her handkerchief to fan herself and replied, “I don’t know. I’ll find out tomorrow when we go to school to estimate the scores.”

After the exams, the school already had the answers, and everyone knew that they would go to school the next day to estimate their scores while the content of their papers was still fresh in their minds.

After estimating the scores, it would be time to fill out the college application forms.

During the exams, Jiang Zhida was waiting outside the school under a large tree, using a fan to cool himself while chatting with the accompanying teachers from the Ninth High School.

Since Jiang Zhida delivered meals to Chuxia every day, everyone knew him as Chuxia’s cousin.

“Teacher, it’s already the end of the exam, but why aren’t the students coming out yet?” he asked.

The teacher accompanying the group was a plump head of the academic affairs office.

Though he wasn’t required to accompany the students, he requested to join another teacher to oversee this group of students taking the exam with Chuxia.

Sweating and fanning himself with a similar fan as Jiang Zhida, he kept pulling at his collar, hoping for a cooler breeze.

“The school gates won’t open until the teachers have collected the papers. Young people should be patient,” he said, though his anxious expression betrayed his impatience more than Jiang Zhida’s.

The reason for his presence was to be among the first to know about Chuxia’s exam results.

Chuxia was the hope of the Ninth High School, and all the teachers hoped she would achieve the best result possible, preferably better than her preliminary exam scores.

Chuxia and Wang Chaoxi were among the first to come out.

Jiang Zhida saw them and happily jumped out to wave at Chuxia, “Cousin-in-law, I’m here!”

As soon as the school gates opened, Chuxia walked towards him and noticed the head of the academic affairs office and another accompanying female teacher standing with Jiang Zhida.

Before Chuxia had even walked far, the principal had already jogged over to her, his flesh jiggling with his movements. “Chuxia, how do you think you did? Are you confident your score will be better than the mock exam?”

Chuxia didn’t indulge in pleasantries and smiled, “I think I did my best. As for the score, I’m not sure yet. Principal, you’ll have to wait until I estimate my score tomorrow before I can tell you.”

“Right, right!” The principal slapped his forehead, “I’m so flustered, how can I know the exam results without the correct answers?”

He decided that he would go to Class 3 the next day when students estimated their scores, hoping to find out Chuxia’s estimated score right away.

Hearing Chuxia’s words, Jiang Zhida relaxed.

He was also worried that his cousin-in-law might not perform well.

With a cheerful smile back on his face, Jiang Zhida nudged the principal aside and said, “Cousin-in-law, the exam is over. How about we go have something good to eat? How about the carp baked noodles?”

Chuxia wasn’t very hungry, mainly because it was too hot.

There was no air conditioning or even a fan in the exam room. It was fine while she was focused on the questions, but after finishing, she felt like she was in a steam room.

“Da Zi, how about we go after I estimate my score tomorrow? Right now, I just want to go home and rest.”

Jiang Zhida had no objections.

He felt he had not considered things well; after three days of exams, his cousin-in-law must be exhausted and needed rest first.

That evening, Chuxia and Jiang Zhida had cold noodles, which were refreshing and appetizing.

Given the heat, Chuxia had no appetite for hot meals; only cold noodles were manageable.

Chuxia felt okay during the exam but, as soon as she lay down at night, she fell asleep instantly.

The next morning, she woke up to Jiang Zhida’s knocking.

Looking at the time, it was already past eight, and the teachers had asked them to arrive at school by nine to review answers and estimate scores.

However, reviewing answers would certainly take time, and estimating scores would be followed by filling out college choices, so Chuxia wasn’t too anxious.

She dressed and opened the door to find Jiang Zhida outside with breakfast. He smiled awkwardly, “Cousin-in-law, I wanted you to continue sleeping, but you need to be at school by nine.”

Chuxia shook her head, “It’s fine, I’m awake now.”

She noticed the soy milk Jiang Zhida was holding and said helplessly, “Da Zi, you don’t have to bring breakfast every time. I can grab something when I go out.”

“That’s not acceptable.” Jiang Zhida placed the breakfast on the table and said, “My job is to make sure you eat well and are in the best shape for the exam. I can’t let Grandpa and Second Cousin down!”

Chuxia had told Jiang Zhida several times, but he always used this argument to persist. She decided not to argue further.

After breakfast, Chuxia and Jiang Zhida took the bus to No. 9 High School.

By the time she arrived at Class 3’s classroom, almost all the students had arrived, with only her missing.

Students gathered around the teacher at the podium, looking at the answers placed on it.

Two students were copying answers onto the blackboard.

The teacher’s eyes kept drifting toward the door, and when she saw Chuxia enter, she quietly sighed with relief, though her face remained stern.

Chuxia noticed the crowd and decided not to squeeze in to review answers.

She waited for others to finish before doing so herself.

However, the teacher called out to her directly, “Chuxia, come over and take a look at the answers. Estimate your score.”

Seeing the crowd of students, Chuxia found a vacant spot and sat down, saying, “Teacher, I’m not in a hurry. I’ll look at the answers on the blackboard.”

The teacher did not press further but did not leave either.

As time passed and the sun climbed higher outside, the classroom gradually grew hotter.

The students at the podium displayed various expressions—some were elated, while others sighed in despair.

Many students had already left the podium, but the answers on the blackboard were not yet fully written.

Not wanting to wait longer in the increasing heat, Chuxia decided to check the answers herself.

She walked to the podium, reviewed the answers for the seven subjects one by one, and wrote down her estimated scores on a piece of paper: 578 points.

This was after deliberately underestimating her scores in politics and literature, as these subjects had subjective questions.

She estimated her essay score based on previous experiences, and her answers in politics were mostly aligned with key points.

The teacher saw Chuxia’s estimated score and was stunned.

This score not only exceeded the top three in the province but might even be the highest.

The total score for science subjects was 620 points, with mathematics 120 points, foreign language considered at 70% for 70 points, biology 30 points, and other subjects with 100 points each.

This score was just over 40 points short of the full score, higher even than her mock exam scores.

“Chuxia, did you possibly estimate incorrectly?”

Chuxia looked at the answers and said, “No errors in objective questions. I’m not sure about the subjective questions, but my essay didn’t stray off-topic, and most of my answers in politics were on point.”

This implied that her score estimate was not overly high.

“Good! Good!” The usually stern teacher even showed some smiles.

At this moment, the principal, who had been watching from outside, rushed in.

“Chuxia, calculate your score again to confirm.”

The principal spoke with trembling hands, his only thought being: The glory of No. 9 High School in this exam was secured!

Chuxia recalculated, and the score remained the same.

The principal took Chuxia’s score sheet, treating it as a treasure and handling it carefully, “Chuxia, do you still need this paper? If not, please give it to me.”

Chuxia looked at the director with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

It was just a piece of white paper; she had already noted down her estimated scores for each subject, so it didn’t matter whether she had that paper or not.

She handed it to the director.

The director hurried off with the paper, presumably to discuss it with the principal.

By this time, most students had estimated their scores.

Upon hearing Chuxia’s estimated scores, everyone looked at her with admiration, as if to say: “You’re amazing!”

The gap was so large that there was no room for jealousy.

With Chuxia’s estimated scores, she could apply to any top school and choose the best program.

The homeroom teacher then distributed the college application forms and instructed students to fill in their preferences based on the previous year’s admission scores posted on the bulletin board.

“Don’t fill in your choices based on the estimated scores; you should lower them a bit,” the teacher advised sincerely.

Many students every year overestimate their scores, leading to mismatched choices where they either don’t get into any school or end up in one they don’t like.

“Also, this year’s English full score is 20 points higher than last year’s. Remember to factor that into your calculations.”

The teacher sighed, noting the changes. Since the college entrance exam had only recently been reinstated, adjustments were still being made.

However, students with high scores, like Chuxia, had less to worry about.

They could just pick the best schools and programs.

In addition to the score lines, the bulletin board also displayed the programs offered by each university.

Many students were confused about the programs and how to fill out the forms.

They quickly gathered around the teacher for guidance.

The application forms were not collected on the same day; students were expected to take them home, discuss with their parents, and submit them by the deadline.

However, most students hadn’t prepared to take them home, and parents were not always well-informed, so consulting the homeroom teacher was the most reliable option.

Chuxia, however, did not fill out her form with one of the top universities as other students might have expected.

She confidently wrote down her long-cherished choice: the Capital City Traditional Chinese Medicine University.

This was the best school for traditional Chinese medicine and ranked among the top medical schools in the capital.

Jiang Zhida, who had been standing by, was surprised to see Chuxia’s choice.

“Cousin-in-law, are you sure about this school? Have you considered others, like Jinghua University or Jingyan University?”

Chuxia shook her head. “I’m not interested. I only want to study traditional Chinese medicine.”

Jiang Zhida was perplexed and tried to persuade her. “Jingyan University has a medical program. You could consider that!”

“But it doesn’t offer traditional Chinese medicine.”

Chuxia didn’t care which school she attended.

She didn’t have a dream of attending a prestigious university. Although the Capital City Traditional Chinese Medicine University might not be as famous as Jinghua University or Jingyan University, it was still a well-regarded institution with a high admission score.