Provocation Tactics!
Don't be too obvious!
But…
Ning Xi found herself in a dilemma. She didn't want to break her promise, yet she lacked the courage to tell her parents about it.
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
At this moment, the girl finally understood the true meaning of the phrase.
What should she do?
"Nothing special! Just make do," she thought to herself, "Even the simplest kind, without soy sauce..."
"I…"
After nearly two minutes, Ning Xi's red lips parted slightly, "I… I'll give it a try. If I really can't, then you'll have to choose another condition."
"Alright."
Seeing Ning Xi agree, a hint of a smile flashed in Ye Fan's eyes as he nodded subtly.
Time passed, and half a class had gone by.
Lin Dejiang's figure finally appeared at the door of the classroom. The creases on his dark skin told tales of years gone by. The usual kindness in his expression was gone, replaced by sternness.
"Everyone, stop for a moment."
As soon as Lin Dejiang spoke, the students in the sprint class all looked up at the podium. Seeing this, he announced loudly, "I have received the latest directive from the Ministry of Education: the nationwide third mock exam has been canceled."
As his words fell, a chorus of exclamations filled the classroom.
"Whoa!"
"I knew something big was going to happen, and here it is!"
"Tch—hindsight genius!"
"Why cancel the third mock exam? Isn't it said to be the test closest in difficulty to the college entrance exams? How can it just be canceled like that?"
…
Su Ke turned her head and winked at Ning Xi, who was sitting behind her. "Xiao Xi, the third mock exam is canceled. What's the Ministry of Education thinking?"
"Ke Ke, do you think I'd know?"
With that, Ning Xi turned her gaze toward Ye Fan, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Noticing her gaze, Ye Fan maintained his calm and unbothered demeanor, showing no trace of surprise. He explained in a low voice, "I don't know either, but one thing's for sure: it's not as simple as it seems. Let's listen to the teacher's explanation."
"Mm."
Ning Xi nodded softly.
Lin Dejiang clapped his hands, raising his voice. "Quiet down, everyone. I haven't finished yet. What I'm about to say next is the main point."
As soon as he said this, the classroom fell silent.
Everyone straightened up, holding their breath and pricking up their ears, waiting to hear what the "main point" was.
Lin Dejiang sat down at the lectern, cleared his throat, and announced loudly, "The Ministry of Education has decided to cancel the third mock exam and instead introduce three rounds of nationwide joint exams. The exam dates are the 5th, 15th, and 25th of next month."
"In each joint exam, students ranked 51st to 100th will receive 1 extra point on their college entrance exam scores. Those ranked 11th to 50th will receive 2 extra points. Ranks 4th to 9th will get 3 extra points, the 3rd rank will get 4 points, the 2nd rank 5 points, and the 1st rank will receive 10 points."
"The points from all three joint exams will be cumulative. Combined with the final college entrance exam scores, the total will determine the ranking for the Genius List, taking into account the rankings from the three joint exams."
The classroom was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Even Ye Fan, who was usually calm, looked visibly surprised. His brows furrowed deeply.
Nationwide joint exams?
Cumulative bonus points?
In his previous life, when the Genius List was introduced, it was based solely on college entrance exam scores. There were no nationwide joint exams at all.
Could it be…
That his rebirth had caused this change?
Ye Fan shook his head, pushing down the many thoughts swirling in his mind.
No matter what, he just needed to focus on doing his best.
When the soldiers come, use the general to block them; when the flood comes, build a dam!
"This is so sudden."
Ning Xi furrowed her delicate brows, resting her chin on her right hand while her left hand unconsciously played with her hair. She muttered, "Why suddenly hold nationwide joint exams? And bonus points for college entrance exams… this…"
Before she could finish her complaint, a mischievous hand appeared above her head, and within moments, her soft hair was turned into a mess.
"Ye Fan!"
The girl's playful protest was utterly adorable but had no real bite.
"Don't overthink it."
Ye Fan's deep voice carried a touch of indulgence as his eyes glimmered. "Xiao Xi, the nationwide joint exams aren't as scary as you think. You're already good enough to compete for those bonus points."
"Believe in yourself. Treat the exams as practice. This isn't a bad thing."
As he spoke, he gently smoothed out her tousled hair. The tenderness in his actions was enough to make anyone want to sink into it.
Ning Xi's eyes sparkled like stars. She nervously glanced at the front of the classroom and, seeing that everyone was still in shock and hadn't noticed Ye Fan's actions, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
She lowered her head, using her study materials to cover herself, then stopped Ye Fan's actions.
"Big brother, I'll call you big brother, okay? We're in the classroom. If you don't care about yourself, at least spare me!"
"I just wanted to cheer you up."
Ye Fan shrugged, pretending to be hurt. "I had good intentions, and this is how you treat me? Sigh, I'm heartbroken!"
"You…"
Ning Xi raised her fist but ultimately didn't use it. Her fair face was full of helplessness.
"I know you mean well, but can we find another way? If someone had seen what you just did, I wouldn't be able to explain myself even if I jumped into the Yellow River!"
After saying that, she drooped her head, looking completely dejected. In a small voice, she said, "I thought I only needed to overcome the hurdle of the college entrance exams, but now there are these nationwide joint exams. With so many candidates this year, it's way too hard to make it into the top 100!"
"But without the bonus points, just relying on the college entrance exam scores to get onto the Genius List is almost hopeless!"
There might not be many top academic students, but among nearly 10 million candidates, the number of top students would easily exceed 800 or even 1,000.
Starting at a disadvantage, hoping to overtake others during the college entrance exams was almost a pipe dream!
Because of this, the three nationwide joint exams next month had become crucial. At the very least, she had to earn bonus points from one of them to have a chance of making it onto the Genius List.
Seeing Ning Xi like this, Ye Fan chuckled softly. He had to help her regain her confidence.
"Xiao Xi."
"Hmm?"
"How about we make a bet?"
"No bets!"
At the mention of "betting," Ning Xi's face filled with caution, and she shook her head like a rattle drum.
After being tricked twice before, she absolutely wasn't going to fall for it again.
Trick her? She wasn't stupid…
"Don't be so quick to refuse. Listen to what I have to say first."
Ye Fan's clear eyes sparkled with light as he explained, "This time, we won't bet on anything. To be precise, it's just a verbal agreement. Even if you lose, you won't have to pay anything."
"Really?"
Ning Xi's eyes swirled with doubt as they darted back and forth.
Ye Fan removed the cherry-themed hair tie from his wrist and used it to tie up Ning Xi's silky hair. Looking at his handiwork, he nodded in satisfaction. "Of course. If I'm lying, you can back out when the time comes."
"Well… tell me then."
"I bet that in the first nationwide joint exam, you'll definitely make it into the top 100!"
"Ah?"
Ning Xi was stunned. She could feel the trust in Ye Fan's words, and her heart swelled with joy. "You… you really believe in me that much?"