Chapter 31: Preparing to Take the Acceleration Exam

The more Gu Siqing spoke, the more surprised and delighted Liang Jingwen became. At first, she thought Gu Siqing only had a superficial understanding, but as she listened to one professional term after another effortlessly coming out of her mouth, along with her animated expression when discussing the subject, Liang Jingwen could tell that Gu Siqing had indeed studied this field for a long time. Even Qi Yuan, sitting beside them, was stunned. Though she couldn’t understand the content, she could tell it was very professional just by the way it was being delivered. And judging by Liang Jingwen’s expression, she was clearly impressed!

Liang Jingwen’s opinion of Gu Siqing rose rapidly.

After finishing what she had to say, Gu Siqing softly asked, “Teacher Liang, as a freshman, am I eligible to take the acceleration exam?”

“You can,” Liang Jingwen replied. “Even though you’re a freshman, your level is too advanced to stay in first year. Based on your capability, I’d say go for the exam.”

She even encouraged her, “At your level, skipping directly to fourth year shouldn’t be a problem. Study for one more year after that, and you might be done. You might even become the fastest graduating student in the entire medical program.”

“Thank you, teacher.”
Gu Siqing finally felt a weight lifted from her heart—she’d received the clear answer she wanted.

Qi Yuan blinked beside her, originally planning to speak up on Gu Siqing’s behalf, but now it seemed unnecessary.

“Of course, the actual exam may not be exactly what you expect. It all depends on your scores. As long as you do well and pass the acceleration exam, I’ll be happy for you,” Liang Jingwen added with a hint of admiration in her gaze.

With everything resolved, Gu Siqing walked back home with a light step.

“Siqing, are you really planning to skip to fourth year?” Qi Yuan was a bit worried. “I think third year is already pretty advanced. The courses are substantial.”

“Mom.” Gu Siqing smiled brightly. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. If I meet the criteria and can skip straight to fourth year, that would be ideal.”

“After all, in medicine, it’s not about theory. What really matters is practice in top hospitals.”

Once Qi Yuan heard this, all her worries vanished.

When they got home, Gu Siqing immediately shared the good news with Shen Qingyan, and that very evening, she began reviewing her professional textbooks.

Compared to the knowledge and case studies she’d learned across ten different worlds, the textbook content seemed dry and shallow. But since she had to take the test, she patiently went through it again.

A few days later, new student registration was complete, and classes officially began. There was still some time before the acceleration exam.

Every day, Gu Siqing would wake up early to study, then give Shen Qingyan massages and acupuncture before going to school. In the afternoons, she sometimes came home to cook a hearty dinner. In the evenings, if she had free time, she’d read while accompanying Shen Qingyan through rehab.
Life was busy, but fulfilling.

One day before class, the professor hadn’t arrived yet, so Gu Siqing chose a seat in the back and started reading.

“That girl is so pretty!”
“She’s probably the prettiest in our major, right?”
“She always leaves right after class—I wanted to say hi, but never got the chance.”
“A pretty girl who also loves studying is just so likable!”

Gu Siqing was immersed in her book and didn’t notice the chatter around her. But a girl sitting a few rows in front frowned deeply.

Her name was Zhang Yanran, also a new medical student this year. She was originally assigned to the same dorm as Gu Siqing, only to find out the next day that Gu Siqing had applied for off-campus living.

She hadn’t paid Gu Siqing much attention—until day after day, Gu Siqing kept earning the teachers’ praise and admiration from classmates. Zhang Yanran started to feel a little bitter.

Before Gu Siqing arrived, everyone in the dorm had said Zhang Yanran was the prettiest in class. But Gu Siqing’s appearance had completely overshadowed her.

Hearing everyone’s discussion now, Zhang Yanran’s jealousy flared. A twisted expression briefly crossed her face, but she took a deep breath to suppress her emotions and walked to the back.

No matter how angry she felt, she couldn’t let her carefully crafted image as the “campus goddess” fall apart.

She sat down next to Gu Siqing and glanced over, surprised to see her reading a much later chapter.

“Hey, aren’t we only on chapter two? How come you’re already on chapter ten?” Zhang Yanran asked, puzzled, then muttered under her breath, “Reading ahead like this—maybe it’s just for show. Can she even understand it?”

Gu Siqing didn’t hear the muttered comment. She looked up at Zhang Yanran and calmly replied, “Oh, that? I’m planning to take the acceleration exam, so I’m just reading ahead a bit.”

Acceleration exam?

Hearing that, Zhang Yanran’s lips twitched slightly. “Heh,” she fake-smiled, “Gu, you really are something. Well, good luck then!”

She turned and left, her expression turning sour the moment her back was turned.

Class started, but Zhang Yanran couldn’t concentrate. Her mind was a mess. Once the lecture ended, she immediately gathered a few of her close friends.

“Did you hear? Gu Siqing is planning to take the acceleration exam!”

Finally blurting out the words that had been stuck in her chest, Zhang Yanran felt relieved.

Her friends were momentarily stunned. Before they could respond, Zhang Yanran continued, “Sure, she’s pretty, but she’s really overestimating herself.”

“How so?”
Girls love gossip, and now that there was a juicy topic, they all leaned in.

Zhang Yanran sighed dramatically, keeping up her image. “We’re only in first year. We haven’t even fully grasped the basics, and she wants to skip ahead? Isn’t that a bit delusional?”

“Didn’t the seniors we know only take the acceleration exam in their second year?” one of them noted.

Hearing this, everyone started to agree. First-years trying to skip grades without a solid foundation—was that confidence or arrogance?

As Zhang Yanran gossiped, more students gathered around. Soon, everyone had heard the news: Gu Siqing, a freshman, was going to attempt the acceleration exam.

Not only did this spread throughout the first-year cohort, but it also reached the second and third years.

In a tightly connected department, once one person hears something, everyone hears it.

Many second- and third-year students who had tried to skip grades themselves were instantly intrigued. They knew how hard it was: studying multiple times harder than their peers, attending advanced lectures, practically living in the library.

But Gu Siqing?

“She just comes and goes like clockwork. Who knows if she even studies at home? And she wants to skip grades?”

“These freshmen really aren’t like our generation. We had more realistic expectations.”

“Right, right!”

“She’s clearly delusional. Or maybe it’s all just a stunt to get attention.”

“Could be! Pretty girls often play these games. Maybe she just wants to be noticed.”

As rumors flew, Zhang Yanran gleefully soaked it all in. She’d said from the start—Gu Siqing didn’t have what it took. Now everyone else was confirming it.

Still, some voices remained neutral.

“Well, if she dares to say it, maybe she really has the skills.”

“If she actually passes, won’t everyone look ridiculous?”

“I don’t buy it. There’s no such genius in real life.”

Some spread rumors. Others stayed firm. Many just treated it like gossip with no personal stake.

After about a week, the news reached Gu Siqing herself.

She yawned, picked up another book, and didn’t care in the slightest. She ignored the noise completely.
Once the test results came out, those people would naturally eat their words.

But her indifference was taken by Zhang Yanran as weakness and an opportunity.

In the next class, Zhang Yanran brought a few friends and deliberately sat in front of Gu Siqing. Once seated, she began her passive-aggressive remarks:

“Some people really have no self-awareness. They think they’re so amazing—trying to take the acceleration exam? A freshman with that level?”

Her friends, who had already assumed Gu Siqing would fail, eagerly chimed in.

“Well, maybe she just wants attention. Just joined school and already trying to stand out.”

“You know what? Probably true. Pretty girls these days all have ulterior motives. Maybe she’s trying to use this to get noticed by everyone.”