With just two days left until the college entrance examination, Fu Yunshen was reviewing Lu Ning’s performance analysis report. Since February, when Lu Ning began receiving tutoring, his test scores had shown a steady upward trend. The professional analysts in the tutoring team had given Lu Ning high praise, asserting, “Lu Ning has the potential to rank in the top ten in the city.”

Fu Yunshen usually remained indifferent when looking at financial reports, but this performance analysis report surprisingly brought him some comfort—or perhaps a peculiar sense of satisfaction?

The system described this feeling: 【Isn’t it like playing a game? After ruining your main account, you casually start a new one, only to find that it unexpectedly ranks in the top ten of the server. Isn’t that satisfying? Of course, it is!】

A smile tugged at the corners of Fu Yunshen’s lips, clearly indicating his agreement with the system’s words: 【Once this year’s college entrance examination is over, Fu Cheng will be a senior. Maybe I should let him receive some tutoring too.】

In the WeChat group named “Huanyu Tutoring Group,” Xiao Yumo and a few others were encouraging each other. Months of studying together had forged a strong bond of camaraderie among them.

【Everyone must wear Nike for the exam the day after tomorrow.】

【Why?】

【Because the Nike logo is a checkmark!】

【Pfft, that’s such a lame joke.】

【Pfft! I’m serious.】

【Well, if that’s the case, should you wear a qipao to the exam? It symbolizes good luck and success. Maybe you can ask the company if they have a red flag to borrow so you can get a ride to the exam.】

【That actually makes some sense. I’ll ask.】

【Hahaha, Mo Er, are you crazy? If you’re that superstitious, why not just pray to our Huanyu study committee? @Lu Ning.】 Everyone has started calling Lu Ning the Huanyu study committee because they all belong to the same tutoring team, and they’ve gained a deep understanding of Lu Ning’s academic prowess.

To everyone’s surprise, Xiao Yumo replied seriously: 【You’re right!】

After thinking for a moment, he logged onto Weibo and posted: 【 @Lu Ning, I pray to the Huanyu study committee, hoping to score 450 on the college entrance exam.】

Xiao Yumo was well aware of his own abilities. He had made significant progress during the tutoring sessions, and scoring over 450 shouldn’t be a problem. However, he felt a bit nervous. Posting this on Weibo was not only a way to rally support for Lu Ning but also a way to bask in the aura of an academic genius.

Everyone in the group knew about Lu Ning’s impressive test scores; he consistently scored in the 670-680 range in science subjects, so it was unlikely that he would falter now.

Seeing Xiao Yumo’s post, the others in the group quickly caught on to his intent and followed suit: 【@Lu Ning, I pray to the Huanyu study committee, hoping to score 500 on the college entrance exam.】

【@Lu Ning…】

In contrast to the harmonious atmosphere in the Huanyu group, Zheng Qingze felt very troubled. On one hand, he was anxious before the exam; as one of the top influencers in the industry, he had always maintained the persona of an academic overachiever, so all eyes were on him for the entrance exam. On the other hand, with everyone in Huanyu expressing such confidence, could it be that Lu Ning really had the assurance to get into Peking University and Huazhong University?

Frustrated, Zheng Qingze said to his manager, “Why did we have to step on Lu Ning and Xiao Yumo for our marketing strategy? What if I can’t perform well? I’d be ridiculed!”

At that time, he had thought Lu Ning was just a small celebrity who could be easily overshadowed. He had carelessly turned Lu Ning into collateral damage for his marketing persona. Little did he know that Lu Ning would stand up to him so fiercely. As events unfolded, he found himself stuck deeper in a quagmire.

His manager reassured him, “Qingze, don’t worry. Haven’t we been sending out our team to stir things up in the comments under Lu Ning’s Weibo posts? He will be affected, one way or another. Getting into Peking University and Huazhong University isn’t that easy; it’s a pipe dream for people in our circle. If anyone gets hurt, it will be Lu Ning.”

“What if he doesn’t even go online?”

“How could that be? Didn’t he retweet those Weibo posts where Xiao Yumo and the others mentioned him?”

“What if he has a good mindset?” Zheng Qingze felt uneasy about not having completely overshadowed Lu Ning. “No, we need to do something more…”

When they initially targeted Lu Ning, Zheng Qingze’s team had thoroughly investigated his family background. His mother and younger brother were rather low-key, but he had a gambling-addicted father who owed a significant amount of money. Lu Ning had shown strength by only providing living expenses to his family and refusing to give his father any money; since Lu Ning wasn’t particularly famous, his father hadn’t thought of leaving their hometown to find him in City A.

With this in mind, Zheng Qingze made a harsh decision in his troubled state: “I don’t know how things are online, but let’s escalate it in reality. I’ll find someone to go to City E and give that gambling addict some money. They can tell him that Lu Ning will be taking the college entrance exam at Yizhong and suggest he waits outside, demanding money from Lu Ning and accusing him of abandoning his parents after becoming a celebrity.”

The manager felt that Zheng Qingze’s mentality was being negatively influenced; there was no need to expend so much energy on a small celebrity. However, to ease Zheng Qingze’s mind, the manager reluctantly agreed to the plan.

Lu Ning returned to City E a day early, staying in a suite that Huanyu had booked for him. They had also arranged for the hotel to prepare appropriate meals for the college entrance examination and sent a professional teacher along to help him adjust his mindset.

In the days leading up to the exam, Lu Ning had received a flurry of well-wishing calls and texts from various people—his family, Huanyu members, friends in the industry, teachers, and even—from his mentor.

However, he himself wasn’t particularly nervous. As a science student, once you grasp subjects like math and physics, you either know them or you don’t, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

The next day, Lu Ning prepared all his exam materials and, accompanied by his teacher, made his way to the hotel parking lot. There, he saw Fu Yunshen waiting for him in a red car.

Immediately, Lu Ning recalled the conversation from their group chat: “…”

But seeing Fu Yunshen made Lu Ning extremely happy. He got into the car and exclaimed, “Sir, you came!”

Fu Yunshen replied, “I heard that family members usually accompany students to the exam, so I thought I’d come to see you off.” After all, he had raised this young man for almost half a year.

It felt as if a buff had been added to Lu Ning in that moment. His eyes sparkled with joy, and he said, “Thank you so much, sir! With you seeing me off, I’m sure I’ll perform exceptionally well!” His mother’s health wasn’t great, so he hadn’t brought her along, but seeing other candidates with their families made him envious. He hadn’t expected that his mentor would come for him.

This father-son dynamic was quite something… The system commented, “Host, aren’t you a bit nervous about your godson’s exam? You even switched to a red car.”

Fu Yunshen cleared his throat and replied, “I just hope this creates a bit of a placebo effect for Lu Ning.”

The hotel booked by Huanyu was very close to Yizhong; they arrived in just over ten minutes. The area around the school was already under lockdown, so Lu Ning got out at the nearest spot. Fu Yunshen walked alongside him with his assistant, and they encountered many parents accompanying their children to the exam.

Unexpectedly, as they reached the entrance of Yizhong, a middle-aged man suddenly rushed out, shouting, “Lu Ning! Wow, you’re too good for home now that you’re taking the college entrance exam, huh?!”

“Now that you’re a big star, you don’t recognize me anymore?!”

“I raised you for so many years, and now that you’re famous, you won’t even give me a dime. Is this how unfilial sons behave?!”

“Lu Ning, you…”

The middle-aged man shouted angrily at Lu Ning, drawing the attention of surrounding parents and students, some of whom recognized Lu Ning and began filming with their phones.

Lu Ning looked at the man he referred to as his father and said, “I haven’t made any money. The company hired a tutor for me, and I still owe them hundreds of thousands.”

Lu Ning had anticipated this situation and didn’t want to take Fu Yunshen’s kindness for granted. So he had specifically signed an agreement with the Fu family, considering himself in debt to them for the educational expenses they covered, which he planned to repay after graduating from university.

“Dad, I’m just a student. Ideally, my education expenses should be covered by the family. Can you help me pay off that debt?” Lu Ning’s tone was that of a wronged child, expertly leveraging his position of weakness.

The surrounding parents found Lu Ning’s father ridiculous and shameless. No matter what career a child pursued, how could a father chase after a high school student for money? Doing so on exam day was particularly malicious.

Lu Ning’s father refused to believe Lu Ning’s words. “Nonsense! Stars make money, and you’re just…”

Fu Yunshen glanced at his assistant and said, “Go ahead, make him pay for his son’s education.” This father clearly wasn’t doing his job properly.

The assistant quickly stepped forward to separate Lu Ning’s father from Lu Ning, addressing him, “Mr. Lu, I’m an employee of Lu Ning’s company. He has signed a contract with us…”

Fu Yunshen patted Lu Ning’s shoulder, reassuring him, “Just focus on your exam. Don’t worry too much; we’ll handle this.”

Lu Ning maintained a smile, not letting this nominal father affect his mood. “I have you, Mr. Fu, and that’s enough for me. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely make you proud!”

He waved goodbye to Fu Yunshen and turned resolutely towards the examination hall, ready to face the challenge ahead.

Zheng Qingze had arranged for paparazzi to stake out the entrance, and the footage they captured was sent to his manager. Although they didn’t get the desired shots, the scene of Lu Ning’s father scolding him could still be used.

The manager prepared the video and reached out to various marketing accounts, hoping to ride the wave of controversy during Lu Ning’s exam period. However, to his surprise, all the marketing accounts rejected him.

Unwilling to accept this, the manager asked for reasons but received no responses. Finally, a familiar contact, someone he’d worked with for a long time, offered a vague warning: “Someone up top has spoken out. What exactly did Zheng Qingze do to offend them? It seems they’re genuinely angry; you should tread carefully.”

After finishing the Chinese exam, Zheng Qingze immediately checked the trending topics on Weibo, only to find discussions centered around the college entrance examinations, with no mention of Lu Ning at all. What was happening? Had he failed? That couldn’t be possible.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Zheng Qingze called his manager. Though the manager had intended to keep things from him to ensure he could focus on his exams, Zheng Qingze insisted on knowing, prompting the manager to reveal the situation.

Hearing this made Zheng Qingze feel anxious and unsettled. Who had such power to silence the marketing accounts? Who was backing Lu Ning? As he pondered these questions, his mind became increasingly chaotic, throwing him off balance.

Finally, the two-day college entrance examination came to an end. When the last English exam papers were collected, some students rushed out of the classroom, joining in the celebratory cheers, while others quietly packed their belongings, letting out a long sigh of relief. The heavy weight that had pressed on everyone’s hearts was finally lifted.

As Lu Ning walked out of the examination hall, everything felt settled. Thanks to Mr. Fu, he had performed exceptionally well; he had no doubt he would get into Huada. He envisioned himself conducting research there and eventually working in Mr. Fu’s company after graduation.

On the other hand, Zheng Qingze was in a state of despair. What was he going to do? He had performed poorly this time, his mind lost in chaos during the exams. Just as he stepped out of the school gate, he was bombarded by reporters eager for an interview. He had no choice but to muster his spirits; this was the price of maintaining the perfect student image.

Once Lu Ning stepped beyond the security perimeter of the school, he spotted Fu Yunshen and Yu Zhou waiting for him in the red flag car. A genuine, warm smile spread across his face; it felt wonderful to be part of Mr. Fu’s family. However, he couldn’t help but wonder what Yu Zhou was doing there.

Yu Zhou, in a delightful mood, marveled at the scene. It resembled a picture-perfect family moment—father and mother picking up their son after his college entrance exams, radiating warmth and harmony.

But Fu Yunshen shattered Yu Zhou’s idyllic fantasy with a single sentence: “Xiao Ning, now that you’ve finished the exams, I need you to help me take care of the cat.”

Yu Zhou froze, feeling like his hair would have stood on end if he had any.

Lu Ning didn’t hesitate to respond to Fu Yunshen’s request: “Of course, I’d love to!”

The system awarded Lu Ning a candle: 【Poor son, just finished the college entrance examination and now has to take care of his spoiled sister at home. What a tough life~】