Chapter 7

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Whitelist us. Ad revenue gives additional support to the translator and keeps the site running.

Interested in being a part of the Nocturne TL team?

We are looking for Editors and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese translators to join our team. Join us on Discord and look for Picky Reader#7543 to guide you through recruitment if you are interested.

====================================================================

In her previous life, Lu Yan’s middle school rank was in the middle pack. But at that time, Beicheng No. 3 Middle School had competent and exigent teachers so naturally their requirements were a hundred times more stringent than their predecessors.

As a result, the school’s rate of advancement to higher education was as high as 90%.

In such a strict environment, even if Lu Yan didn’t pay too much attention, her grades would not be bad. In addition, Lu Zhen paid close attention to her studies. After getting off work every night, he would go through her bag to check her homework as well as read the teacher’s remarks.

Lu Yan was driven like a [1]duck onto the perch , so her results at the college entrance examination were so-so and was admitted into a college in the province.

[1] p/f note, Pushed beyond her abilities

For Lu Yan, the entrance exam questions for Beicheng No. 3 Middle School were quite unrecognizable and blurry academic knowledge, but at any rate, she had a solid foundation. As long as she bought some supplementary materials to review and study, passing the exam should not be a problem.

That afternoon, she went to the Xinhua Bookstore alone to buy a few sets of teaching materials.

The Xinhua Bookstore in the center of the city remained open until Lu Yan reached high school. It had undergone several major renovations and rectifications, and had a long history.

There were not so many books on the bookshelves at this time, neither in quantity nor variety.

Lu Yan found the bookshelf of auxiliary materials, and took down a thick set of mathematics textbooks.

Through the gap between the bookshelves, she was surprised to see a handsome young man standing in front of the opposite bookshelf, lowering his head to take notes.

She paused, peeking from the corner of the bookshelf to steal a look at the man.

Shen Kuo was wearing a white shirt with a delicate and clean temperament. He was holding a pen in his hand, looking intensely at a textbook, transcribing something in the yellowed notebook.

Lu Yan squeezed her hands and walked over like a thief, trying to take a closer look. He was copying a few math problems from the teaching aids in his notebook.

He wrote so attentively that he was unaware of Lu Yan standing behind him.

After a long while, he closed the brand-new textbook and put them back on the bookshelf. Lu Yan quickly hid behind the shelf and avoided him.

When Shen Kuo passed by Lu Yan, he still didn’t squint, not even glancing at her but his footsteps clearly paused.

When he left, Lu Yan walked to the place where he was just now and took out the supplementary material book of “Full Analysis of Mathematics for College Entrance Examination”.

The price of this set was not too expensive, but he would rather copy the topics on the materials and do them himself, which shows that his family was truly in need.

Lu Yan finally realized how this man could rise to the top in just ten years, becoming a wealthy upstart in the upper-class society of Beijing.

He had a calm mind and could endure through tough times.

Compared with him, Lu Zhen, who is now naive and irritable… is simply a scum to be crushed on the ground.

Lu Yan piled up a thick pile of teaching aids on the desk, starting to get up and go to bed early to prepare for the entrance exam. She hadn’t worked so hard for the college entrance examination in her previous life.

Shi Xuexian asked Shi Ya to check on Lu Yan to see how she had been doing in her studies, but Shi Ya felt that her mother was really overthinking.

“She’s a fool, she doesn’t know simple maths, and she wants to pass the admissions exam. Don’t joke with me.”

Shi Xuexian didn’t think so. She clearly remembered what Lu Yan was like in the past. She was innocent and stupid, and couldn’t even utter words clearly. Shi Xuexian used to get angry at Lu Jian, she once secretly pinched the palm of Lu Yan’s hand, and she couldn’t do anything but to cry.

But Lu Yan who came back this time was very different from the Lu Yan of the past. But… if she wasn’t Lu Yan, how could she know so many secrets regarding the Lu family?

Shi Xuexian was inevitably worried.

“If she fails the admissions exam, your Uncle Lu will definitely use his connections to let her enter the school. You can also enter this way too if that happens.” Shi Xuexian told Shi Ya, “You’d better figure out her level.”

Shi Yachi didn’t agree, “You think she can really do better than me in the exam? You’re underestimating me too much.”

Shi Xuexian thought about it and concluded that Lu Yan was a child with congenital mental retardation. Maybe she had become a little clever after living outside, but mental retardation was mental retardation. There was no way she could become a normal person.

Of course, not only Shi Xuexian, but even Lu Jian didn’t have much confidence in Lu Yan. He didn’t expect her to pass the entrance exam of a prestigious middle school. As long as she could live happily in school, he was satisfied.

While waiting for the school’s admission notice, Shi Ya was also full of confidence and was very excited every day. She and Shi Xuexian planned to go to the mountains and play at the end of the high school entrance examination.

After Lu Yan finished the exam, she didn’t know if she would pass or not. The difficulty of the exam was far beyond her expectations. She thought it would be easier to learn 20 years back in time, but she didn’t expect… it would be so difficult!

Sure enough, everyone wants to squeeze into the prestigious middle schools. Entrance exams of this difficulty would only screen high-quality students.

Early that morning, the mailman had delivered an admission letter. Shi Ya ran downstairs in a gust of wind, and happily accepted the admission notice, shouting into the house, “Mom, Uncle Lu, I passed the exam!”

Lu Yan came out of the room, stood in front of the corridor railing on the second floor, looking at Shi Ya, who was overjoyed in the living room.

She only had an admission notice in her hand. Sure enough, she didn’t pass the exam. Lu Yan was a little discouraged. Although she had never been interested in learning in her previous life, she actually tried to study this time and failed to pass the exam. It seems that learning cannot be accomplished overnight.

Lu Jian and Shi Xuexian heard Shi Ya’s voice and walked out of the room.

Shi Xuexian looked at Lu Yan who was standing on the side of the corridor with a frustrated face, and there was a trace of contempt in her eyes.

“Yaya is awesome.” She walked over and stroked her head and praised, “I heard that this exam is very difficult. Several of my friends said that their child failed. I didn’t expect our family to be so proud! “

Lu Jian asked Shi Ya, “Is there only one copy?”

“Yes, only my admission letter!”

Lu Jian shrugged, but he was not disappointed, as if he expected it.

Shi Xuexian urged Shi Ya, “Quickly open the envelope and show you Uncle Lu for a good look.”

So Shi Ya asked the servant for scissors and opened the paper envelope of the admission notice.

Shi Xuexian said to Lu Jian, “I want to host a grand entrance banquet for Yaya. Invite all your relatives ,friends and your partners to celebrate Yaya’s entrance into the Third Middle School. After all, such a prestigious middle school as the Third Middle School, not anyone can pass the exam, and you have light on your face.”

Lu Jian did not respond. After all, she was not his daughter. Why would he hold a banquet for his stepdaughter? What light could he have on his face?

Shi Ya opened the envelope happily and looked at the top of the notice. The words “Lu Yan” were written, she was shocked stupid.

Seeing her daughter’s pale lips and her throwing the paper to the ground, Shi Xuexian picked up the notice on the ground in surprise, and was then dumbfounded.

This admission notice belonged to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan took the notice in Shi Xuexian’s hand and saw that her score was 614.

She couldn’t help but murmured, “I’m just too good.”

Since childhood, Lu Yan has never scored six hundred.

Lu Jian couldn’t believe it even more, flicking the notice up and down to check if it was real. Then he silently called the principal to confirm.

The principal smiled and said, “Mr. Lu is really too humble. This year’s enrollment exam questions are difficult. Only 18 of the 2,000 people were admitted with a score higher than 600 points. Lu Yan is among the best and got 614 on the exam!”

“Are … Are you sure?”

“As you said, if she has not taken a junior high school curriculum in school, and can get such a score. There is no problem with her intelligence, she is simply a genius! We will not only enroll her, but also I want to give her a scholarship!”

Lu Jian hung up the phone in a daze, and stood there in silence for a long time. His mentally retarded daughter actually turned out to be a genius daughter.

In the past few months, Lu Yan bought a large stack of reference materials home. Every day, she shut herself up in the room and immersed herself in studying. But he didn’t take it seriously, just as his daughter’s whim.

Unexpectedly, she actually passed the exam!

Shi Xuexian hurriedly asked Shi Ya, “Is there only one, what about your admission notice?”

Shi Ya was hit hard and stamped her feet, “How would I know!”

“Didn’t you say that the test is very simple, and that you passed for sure!”

“You ask me, let me ask who is going!” Shi Ya ran back to the room so angrily, closing the door heavily.

Lu Jian stood on the balcony and called to announce the good news to his relatives.

Lu Yan passed, but Shi Ya did not. Shi Xuexian wanted to ask him to use the connection of his for Shi Ya to enroll.

Shi Xuexian turned her head, just in time to meet Lu Yan’s gaze.

She looked at her blankly, and the corners of her mouth were slightly picked.

Shi Xuexian could see the irony in her eyes.

She felt that this little girl seemed to be intentional. It was as if she purposely aimed it at her. Did she know anything about her abduction then?

Shi Xuexian suddenly felt a thin layer of cold sweat on her back.

Later, Lu Jian consulted a doctor. The doctor said that perhaps Lu Yan’s condition was getting better. This situation was extremely rare, but not impossible.

He was so happy that he even hosted a grand entrance banquet and invited many partners to share the good news that Lu Yan was admitted to Beicheng No. 3 Middle School.

A few days before school started, Lu Zhen mysteriously took Lu Yan to the backyard of the mansion, saying that he would give her a surprise.

She followed him curiously, and suddenly found a brand new giant bicycle on the turquoise lawn!

To be honest, Lu Yan hasn’t been riding a bicycle for many years. Since high school, her dad sent a driver to pick her up every day to prevent her from fooling around after school.

In fact, she was quite envious of those students who have bicycles, they can ride to school together.

Now Lu Zhen has given her a brand-new bicycle. In a sense, it may be regarded as a kind of compensation.

Lu Yan gave her father a hug in excitement, and couldn’t wait to ride this delicate women’s bicycle.

The model is not big, matching her petite physique quite well. Lu Zhen had a typical straight male way of thinking. He thought all girls liked pink, so he chose a bike with a pink color. This way of thought was even maintained until his middle age in her previous life. Lu Yan’s childhood dress or room design would be in pink and girly style.

Lu Yan now likes to go out and wander around on a bicycle. At this time, the bicycles all over the street were all old styles. It was quite popular to own a niche fashion brand bicycle. The surrounding area of Beijing City had not been planned yet, so the roads looked extremely small and you could meet acquaintances everywhere on the road.

She turned a corner and suddenly saw Shen Kuo’s tall figure in front of her, wearing a racer vest and carrying a bag of yellow Sydney pears. He walked towards the laneway of Tong Zilou nearby, seemingly trying to going home. Lu Yan stepped on the pedals and hurriedly followed, keeping a distance of more than ten meters from him to avoid being spotted by him.

Many residents lived in the alleys. For convenience, many people burnt honeycomb briquettes in the alleys to cook and dry clothes. Children ran around with paper airplanes.

Such alleys were always crowded and smelled of mud and smoke. In the setting sun, the lamps cast a soft light on Shen Kuo’s tall and straight back. As soon as the naughty bear children running around saw him coming, they shouted that the bad guy was back. They then scattered and ran away

There was a woman drying clothes at the entrance of the alley. After Shen Kuo passed by, she deliberately increased her voice and cursed, “There is a sick seedling in the house, who yells all the time. The noise makes the children unable to concentrate on studying. It is good for everyone to die early.”

Shen Kuo’s footsteps suddenly stopped, and then he glanced back at her coldly.

The woman was swept away by his cold eyes, and was a little scared in her heart, but she still dared to curse again and grin, “It was originally, I won’t let people say it, really.”

Shen Kuo didn’t care about her, turned to the other side of the alley, and walked to the Tonglou.

Lu Yan rode through the alley, deliberately speeding up, and rode towards the puddle beside the woman.

With a bang, the bicycle behind him splashed the mud in the puddle on the sheet that the woman had just dried. It was horrible.

The woman was caught off guard, her eyebrows knitted in anger, and she yelled at Lu Yan, “You don’t have eyes!”

Lu Yan smiled provocatively at her, stepped on the pedals, and left like a gust of wind.

The woman wanted to chase her, but with her fat body, she was so tired and panting that she couldn’t run a few steps. She could only stand at the intersection, cursing loudly.

Lu Yan had never seen such a fierce street shrew before, being chased and scolded, she was actually a little embarrassed, but seeing Shen Kuo being bullied made her feel uncomfortable.

His emotions were like a shallow lake, not knowing when it would bottom out.

All his sharp edges will later stab Lu Zhen and their home. For example, his crazy revenge against Lu Zhen in those years has driven her father to ruin.

As Lu Yan arrived in front of Shen Kuo’s home, she suddenly felt a strong grip on her arm. It pulled her off from the motorcycle and slammed her against something hard.

She exclaimed.

Before she could see clearly, she was pressed against the wall. The boy’s hand was over her head (kabedon~), held in place by his other hand clenching on her frail wrist.

“Why are you following me?” His voice was deep and strong.

Lu Yan looked at his facial features right in front of her, and her heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

The lines of his facial features were exceptionally sharp, his brows were like blades, his eyes are chilly. His whole body smells like a stranger.

“I just saw you and I wanted to say hello.” Lu Yan said guiltily, “You’re hurting my hand.”

Shen Kuo shifted his eyes to the side, and sure enough, there were red bruises on her slender and white wrist.

Girls are not like boys, they are soft and easily bruised, especially this spoiled little girl.

His grip lightened, but he leaned close to her, looked at black eyes dodging in fluster, and asked, “Why are you interested in me?”

Lu Yan leaned back against the wall and blinked with a pair of bright eyes, stupefied, then she looked straight into his eyes.

“Yes.” She admitted frankly, “Can we go to the arcade again in the future?”

Shen Kuo sneered.

He was aware that it was impossible for a spoiled rich girl like her to have an idea about a poor boy with a background like him.

“I don’t have time, if you want to play, go ask your brother…” Before he finished his words, Lu Yan reached out and touched the corner of his lips, which was bruised badly.

“You’re fighting again. Did my brother do it?”

Shen Kuo immediately took two steps back as if he was electrocuted, the slight cooling sensation of the girl’s fingertips still remaining on his lips.

“No.” He tilted his head, avoiding her sight, but his heart rate suddenly increased.

At this time, a heavy cough came from the door next to him, and a hoarse voice clearly belonging to a middle-aged male sounded, “Xiao Kuo, who are you talking to?”

“A classmate.”

Lu Yan walked towards the dark door. After a glance, Shen Kuo immediately reached out to cover the door and said to her, “Quickly go, don’t come again.”

She was bored and lifted the bicycle on the ground before looking back at where he lived.

On the damp first floor, the iron-barred windows were dark and gloomy, looking dull and depressing.

“By the way, I was admitted to the third middle school. I will be seeing you more often in the future.” Lu Yan smiled at him slightly, “Uncle Shen Kuo, please give me some advice.”

“What kind of nonsense are you spitting? Go away now!”

Lu Yan hurriedly rode on the bicycle, hastened the pedaling, and left the alley hurriedly.

He watched her gradually fade away, the corners of his mouth faintly raised, and he murmured–

“Who the hell is your… uncle?”

============================================================

This translation is brought by Nocturne Translation

============================================================

[Editor note] : Hi, please let me know if any sentence, wording or grammar seem weird to you (You can msg me in discord, welp#7432). Any criticism is welcome so I can improve my editing because I want to make it a more fun and easier read for you all, the readers :D. Thanks for reading!

-Welp

Related