At the entrance of the machinery factory.

He Dan’s nostrils flared, and her throat felt as if it were burning with fire. Her eyes were locked onto the list posted on the wall.

Fifteenth!

She was ranked fifteenth!

Dead last!

“This is impossible!”

Her shrill voice exploded in the air, drawing the attention of those checking the results. Instinctively, they took a step back in unison.

There were plenty of lunatics these days!

“What’s so impossible about it?”

“She must’ve thought she was some genius.”

The other test-takers whispered among themselves.

The man posting the results, with an air of authority, spoke sternly, “Comrade, our examination was fair and impartial. Please refrain from making baseless accusations and disrupting order.

“Zhou Lian, Cao Hong, Li Chunxiang—did you all bring your documents?”

The three people whose names were called immediately raised their hands, confirming they had their papers. They followed the man into the factory to complete their employment procedures.

The others who had failed, though disappointed, could only accept their fate and gradually dispersed.

Except for He Dan.

She stood under the scorching sun, unwilling to accept the results before her.

“I want to see Lin Chengyuan! He’s in your security department!”

Coming to her senses, He Dan began shouting for Lin Chengyuan at the factory gate.

The old guard at the entrance felt a pang of annoyance upon hearing that name but still called someone to fetch him.

The moment He Dan saw Lin Chengyuan, she burst into tears, looking utterly pitiful.

The gatekeeper curled his lips in disdain.

No wonder they were a couple—they were exactly the same.

Lin Chengyuan was just as shocked that He Dan had failed the exam.

Even if she didn’t pass, she shouldn’t have ranked dead last!

“Stop crying. I’ll ask around and find out what happened.”

He Dan sniffled and nodded. Comforted by Lin Chengyuan’s words, she decided to go home and wait for news.

Lin Chengyuan, meanwhile, headed inside to investigate.

Only to get scolded by the HR department.

“Lin Chengyuan, what’s the meaning of this? Are you accusing us of tampering with the results?”

“I’ve worked in this factory for decades, and this is the first time someone has dared to question me to my face!”

“This is your wife’s exam paper—she got eight out of ten questions wrong! And she still has the nerve to complain?”

Lin Chengyuan was not only cursed out but also publicly humiliated.

Even Jiang Cheng came to watch the commotion.

With her lunchbox in hand, she found the perfect spot, enjoying her meal while watching the drama unfold—it was quite entertaining!

In the end, it was Director Chen from the security department who stepped in to calm HR down.

The onlookers gradually dispersed, but Jiang Cheng wasn’t quite satisfied.

So, He Dan had taken the exam too?

She had a feeling the Lin household was going to be lively tonight.

Maybe she should leave work early to watch the show?

Decision made!

Jiang Cheng returned to work and clocked out right on time at 5 PM.

She carried a thick stack of documents home to translate.

As she cycled back to the courtyard house, she arrived just in time to witness a full-blown shouting match between Lin’s mother and Li Chunxiang’s mother.

Li Chunxiang’s mother stood with her hands on her hips, chin raised like a victorious rooster.

“My Chunxiang graduated high school. Why wouldn’t she pass? Your daughter-in-law failed and still has the nerve to blame others?”

“When normal people talk, your family spits filth! Every single one of you stinks like a cesspit! You have the audacity to insult my Chunxiang?”

Jiang Cheng tried to suppress her laughter but ultimately gave up.

She was delighted!

Pushing her bike into the house with Grandma Shen’s help, she then received a small stool from Shen Xing and sat down. Meanwhile, Shen Yue cracked open sunflower seeds beside her.

The four of them had prime seats for the spectacle.

Lin’s mother couldn’t outargue Li Chunxiang’s mother and trembled with rage.

As for He Dan, she stood in the background, maintaining a haughty expression, tears streaming down her face in the wind—looking like she was about to go blind.

Li Chunxiang’s mother spat on the ground.

“I’m telling you, He Dan, if you dare to drag my Chunxiang into this again, I’ll slap you every time I see you!”

“You walk around with your nose in the air, desperate to marry into their family! Your shamelessness is a perfect match for the Lin family’s rat-like behavior!”

He Dan, who had been fake crying, started sobbing for real.

“What’s going on here?!”

Lin Chengyuan had returned.

He Dan lunged at him like a delicate bird seeking refuge in his embrace.

“Chengyuan!”

Unfortunately, this time, Lin Chengyuan didn’t catch her.

Instead, he took a step back.

“Stop crying! What’s there to cry about? You failed the exam—who else is to blame?”

His cold tone made He Dan’s heart sink.

She suddenly felt embarrassed, standing awkwardly in the middle while the neighbors gossiped.

Even between married couples, public displays of affection were rare. Holding hands had to be done discreetly.

He Dan’s dramatic lunge for a hug was not well received by onlookers.

Lin Chengyuan’s face darkened.

He had already been scolded by his superiors for He Dan’s stunt earlier. Then, he had to watch several of his colleagues get publicly commended for helping capture human traffickers.

Those commendations would be recorded in their files, boosting their chances for future promotions.

But what about him?

Not only was he completely uninvolved in the trafficking case, but he hadn’t even heard about it until it was too late.

Proud as he was, Lin Chengyuan couldn’t accept that. Yet, after the dressing-down he received earlier, he didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction.

His frustration had been piling up, suffocating him.

And now, coming home to this mess?

Naturally, he began to resent He Dan.

Sensing his foul mood, He Dan was wise enough not to make a scene in public.

“Everyone, get inside!”

Father Lin, who had been hiding inside the house, finally emerged, hands clasped behind his back. He shot He Dan a cold glance.

He had thought she was smart. But she couldn’t even secure a job.

The Lin family already had no justification for their complaints, so they chose to retreat for now.

Li Chunxiang’s mother wasn’t a fool either. She scoffed but didn’t press the issue.

However, her stride as she left radiated satisfaction.

Who would’ve thought her daughter would actually land a job at the machinery factory?

She had never even dared to dream of such a thing, yet it had come true!

Amazing! Absolutely amazing!

Li Chunxiang, standing in the back, secretly winked at Jiang Cheng before quietly following her mother home.

“Is this the place…?”

A voice unfamiliar to most suddenly echoed from outside the courtyard, causing those who had started walking away to stop and turn back, curious.

Who were they looking for?

Three people entered the courtyard—one man and two women, including an elderly lady.

“Director Chen? Are you looking for me?”

Lin Chengyuan, who hadn’t yet entered the house, quickly stepped forward, his gaze briefly landing on the bag in Director Chen’s hand.

Malted milk, a tin of biscuits, apples?

Such an expensive gift…

Lin Chengyuan’s mind cleared a little—this definitely wasn’t for him. Just as he was about to speak up—

“Oh my! So this is the Director Chen that Chengyuan always talks about! Please, come in! You didn’t have to bring anything!”

Lin’s mother was already reaching for the gift bag, smiling ear to ear.

The neighbors watching felt something was off.

People giving gifts to their superiors was normal.

But a superior bringing gifts to a subordinate?

Something about this wasn’t right.

“Mom—”

Lin Chengyuan tried to stop her.

A flash of displeasure crossed Director Chen’s eyes as he stepped back, avoiding her hand.

“Madam, I’m not here for Lin Chengyuan. I’m here for Jiang Cheng—Comrade Jiang!”