Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Zexin sat between Lin Wan and Li Yanchen, unsure where to put his hands.
Eventually, he folded his legs together, placed his hands on his knees, straightened his back, and focused on the podium.
Lin Wan glanced at her stepson. âLi Zexin, you can relax. Why are you so nervous?â
âWhat? Iâm not. Iâm fine.â He looked even more nervous than before.
This was the first time he was attending a meeting with his parents. He didnât know what he was supposed to do. He glanced at the other students and saw that they were all calm and happy. Some were even holding their parentâs hands.
Li Zexin had an idea. Since his parents were here just for him, he wanted to hold their hands too. He was always jealous when his father carried his younger brother in his arms.
He linked his arms with Lin Wan and Li Yanchen on each side.
Lin Wan was surprised. She then continued to listen to the teacher.
Li Yanchen moved his chair closer to his son.
The English teacher saw this and took some pictures with her phone.
She wanted to keep these photos to show parents who make excuses for work to neglect their children. She never imagined that she would ever see Li Zexin attending an important meeting with his parents.
Seeing the happiness on the studentsâ faces through her camera lens almost made her cry.
The English teacher felt that this parent meeting would motivate Li Zexin to study even harder, and he might even top the next yearâs midterm exam.
âThank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the meeting. Please read the materials on your desks carefully with your children and discuss with them for half an hour,â the class teacher announced.
The previously silent classroom suddenly became lively.
âMs. Lin, my goal is Yun Xi High School. The same school where my brother goes. Do you think I have a chance?â Li Zexin asked. âI want to rely on my own abilities to get in.â
Li Zexin was full of confidence.
Lin Wan gave him a thumbs-up. âYou have ambition, and I believe in you. My son is intelligent and hardworking.â
Li Yanchen couldnât help but snort. âDonât be too confidentâ¦â
He wanted to remind his son to be humble just in case he embarrassed himself later, but he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Lin Wan glare at him.
âI⦠also believe in you. Having confidence is like winning half the battle.â
âTsk⦠you were saying something else entirely a few seconds ago. You are such a chameleon. Always changing your colors. Only my mom knows me best.â Li Zexin took the materials and turned to Lin Wan. âMom, which schools do you think I should consider? Iâll listen to you.â
Li Yanchen was speechless.
âDid I bring this upon myself?â On the way to school, Lin Wan had advised him to be encouraging to the kids, no matter what their grades might be. So, why had he said something so mean?
If other parents saw his son ignoring him, it would be so embarrassing. Li Yanchen leaned closer to him. âI think the top three schools are all good. You can try them.â
âYou only say that because of the scores,â said Li Zexin with a scoff.
He was just giving his opinion, why did his son have such an attitude?
Lin Wan didnât have much experience when it came to schools. The schools in her original world were vastly different from the ones here. She did have some idea about Li Zexinâs grades and his capabilities. She knew he could get into a four-star high school with no problem at all. However, Yun Xi High School was the top school in Yun City, and Li Zexin had barely met the cutoff.
Yun Xi High School had three early admission conditions: signing a contract with the school in advance, achieving a certain score, and not signing with other schools. Even if the score was enough, they would not be admitted if they signed with another school. As for whether there were any exceptionally outstanding cases, Lin Wan didnât know about them.
If Li Zexin insisted on applying to Yun Xi High School, he had to give up other choices. If he wanted to play it safe, he could sign up for two more schools. Of course, in addition to early admission, students could also choose to take the midterm exam.
This rule was somewhat similar to the one in her original world.
âHelp me decide,â Li Zexin said to Lin Wan.
âChild, our opinions are only for reference. The choice is yours. You know yourself best and understand your abilities,â Lin Wan said earnestly.
âI want to choose Yun Xi High School. If I canât get early admission, Iâll prepare for the midterm exam. I just want to go to the same school as my brother. He took the art route, and I can only rely on my scores. I have a 50% chance, but I want to give it a try.â
âThatâs great! No matter what decision you make, Li Yanchen and I will support you unconditionally.â
âTrue. You have my unconditional support, â said Li Yanchen.
âXinxin, are you really going to Yun Xi High School? Have you considered Yun Harbor High School?â Big Mouth had sneaked behind Li Zexin.
âXinxin, donât listen to him. You should choose a better school. You can fly as high as you want. Donât forget, you still have us, your brothers,â said Chubby Jiang as he put his hands around Big Mouthâs shoulders.
âChubby Jiang, youâre crushing my shoulders. Get off. This makes me look selfish. Fine, Xinxin, live a rich and noble life and never forget your brothers.â
âI feel like I can take a chance too. I met the cutoff once at least,â said Preserved Egg proudly.
âJust because thereâs a one percent chance, you want to choose Yun Xi High School? Preserved Egg, youâre different from Xinxin. Taking risks is good, but donât be suicidal.â
Preserved Egg was speechless.
After thinking for a moment, he said, âYou all are stepping stones on my path to success. Shouldnât you encourage me to try even if thereâs only a one-in- ten-thousand chance? Itâs just an early admission. If Iâm not accepted,
I can take the regular exam in June next year and go to the school I qualify for.â
âWell, Preserved Egg, you go for it too! Donât forget your friends when you succeed. Our dorm has two promising candidates. I feel so proud!â said Big
Mouth. âThis is good. I and Chubby Jiang seek stability and safety, but you and Xinxin are going for it! Weâll share the good times and face difficulties together in the future.â
âIn matters of choosing schools, you should decide for yourself. Letâs not discuss it too much. Too much discussion can confuse the person involved,â Li Zexin said and turned away from his friends.
âIâm a decisive person, donât worry. I wonât be easily swayed by others. As long as I get into high school, itâs fine. I donât care which one it is.â Getting into a four-star high school was already a significant achievement for Chubby Jiang.
âLi Zexin, where are you applying?â A straight-A student who rarely spoke to Li Zexin nudged him from behind..