The system for the second national joint exam was exactly the same as the first.
For unknown reasons, the number of teachers assigned to supervise Zhenhua's exams this time had nearly doubled compared to the last time.
After the exam rooms were allocated, Ye Fan and Ning Xi were once again separated.
This situation left him feeling rather helpless.
As soon as Ye Fan entered the exam room, he keenly noticed this change, his eyes flickering slightly.
In just a single breath, he figured out everything.
During the first joint exam, Zhenhua secured the first and third places nationwide, along with another student ranking within the top 100. Naturally, the increase in proctors made sense.
Key individuals, key monitoring, right?
"Ding-ling—"
As the bell rang, the tense exam began once again.
For Ye Fan, exams were as common as a daily meal.
With a fourth-year level of knowledge, tackling high school exams was like a college student solving elementary school worksheets—it was that simple, perhaps even more exaggerated.
Meanwhile...
Ning Xi was brimming with motivation. Her mind was filled with the goal of getting into the top three nationwide. While being focused, her beautiful face remained calm.
Because...
She was very capable!
When a person's attention is highly concentrated, their sense of time becomes very fuzzy.
Before they knew it, the morning had passed.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the exam, the morning session concluded.
Ning Xi was the last to leave the exam room. The moment she stepped out, she noticed two girls standing in front of Ye Fan, their smiles radiating happiness.
Her good mood instantly vanished.
This guy was way too popular with the girls!
"Ye Fan, could we add each other on WeChat?"
One of the girls, with twin ponytails, had a delicate face combined with an incredibly pure aura, making her stand out.
A girl like her was undoubtedly very appealing to boys.
Standing next to the twin-ponytail girl was a chubby girl, who seemed to have been dragged along to ease any potential awkwardness.
"No," Ye Fan said, his voice calm and unwavering, as he shook his head to refuse.
The hopeful sparkle in the twin-ponytail girl's eyes immediately dimmed. She looked pitiful, her expression full of grievance as she asked, "Not even just adding WeChat?"
"No," Ye Fan repeated.
Within just a few minutes, the same situation had already occurred several times.
He was also helpless about his own face.
"Ye Fan, could I invite you to have lunch together?"
Just as the twin-ponytail girl was about to speak again, a soft, gentle voice interrupted.
Ning Xi approached with a faint smile.
The twin-ponytail girl looked a little upset and turned her head, only to lose confidence the moment she saw Ning Xi.
She recognized Ning Xi. At Zhenhua, there were only two girls considered school beauties.
One was Su Qiaoyu from Class One, and the other was Ning Xi from Class Two. Most people believed Ning Xi was even more beautiful, making her the undisputed top beauty of Zhenhua.
Although everyone has their own preferences, Ning Xi's type of beauty—radiant yet clean, lovely yet soft—was completely irresistible to all the boys.
Whether it was her looks, figure, or temperament, Ning Xi outclassed her in every way.
"First come, first served, don't you understand?"
The chubby girl couldn't help speaking up for her friend, her face showing displeasure. "Ning Xi, don't think you can cut in line just because you're pretty. Can't you see we were talking to Ye Fan first?"
"First come, first served?"
Ning Xi's clear eyes sparkled as dimples appeared on her face. Tilting her cute little head, she blinked at Ye Fan with a meaningful expression and said, "Ye Fan, you're really popular. Even just talking to you requires queuing up. Tsk tsk!"
Ye Fan raised his eyebrows slightly, shaking his head with a smile. He offered an apologetic smile to the two girls in front of him and said, "Sorry, but I'm having lunch with Ning Xi. No WeChat."
After speaking, he stepped over to Ning Xi. "Xiaoxi, let's go."
Ning Xi shrugged her delicate shoulders and, with a playful smile, said to the two dumbfounded girls, "This has nothing to do with me. I didn't cut in line."
Then, under the stunned gazes of the two girls, she turned and left.
Seeing this, Ye Fan quickly followed her.
The two girls were left standing there in a daze.
It turned out...
Being pretty really does let you do whatever you want!
"Xiaoxi, my feelings for you are as clear as the sun and the moon. Don't misunderstand me."
Catching up to Ning Xi, Ye Fan smiled at the petite girl and said, "I only have you and my mom on my WeChat. If you don't believe me, I'll let you check my phone right now."
"I don't need to check. Whoever is on your WeChat has nothing to do with me."
Ning Xi huffed softly and teased in a gentle voice, "You're so heartless. Those girls came up to you asking for your WeChat, and you couldn't even give it to them?"
"Relying on your popularity with girls to act all high and mighty? Hmph, scumbag!"
"..."
Ye Fan felt as wronged as a 130-pound child.
A scumbag?
How was he scummy?
"Xiaoxi, it's not like I asked those girls to approach me. I can't help it!"
"Heh—"
Ning Xi cast a haughty glance at Ye Fan and said jealously, "You sound so proud of yourself. For your information, plenty of boys pursue me too. I've been getting confessed to since I was little! Don't think you're the only popular one!"
Hearing this, and seeing Ning Xi's expression, Ye Fan suddenly laughed and asked, "Xiaoxi, are you jealous?"
"Who's jealous?"
Ning Xi immediately denied it. She stopped walking, her bright eyes staring at Ye Fan. "I'm just stating a fact. Besides, we're just friends. Why would I be jealous? You narcissist, hmph!"
"You're definitely jealous."
"..."
Ning Xi's cheeks flushed as she lightly stomped her foot. "I don't want to eat with you anymore. You're ruining my appetite. Stop following me!"
"Too late!"
Ye Fan's smile was warm and radiant. Placing his hands on Ning Xi's shoulders, he gently pushed her toward the cafeteria. "You already invited me, and I've accepted. This meal has to happen."
"Take your hands off me!"
Ning Xi's adorable, fierce gaze fell on Ye Fan, her eyes filled with shy annoyance. "Fine, we'll eat. Just don't push me—I can walk by myself."
"Alright, cheer up."
Ye Fan sensibly released his grip. After all, this was school, and overly intimate behavior could easily lead to rumors, which wouldn't be good for either of them or for the school's reputation.
"Seeing you already ruins my mood."
Ning Xi muttered softly, her white sneakers kicking at the air in annoyance. "You're always attracting girls. Seriously, why do you have to look so good?"
"Do I look good?"
Ye Fan asked with a half-smile.
"Good..."
Ning Xi paused, then rolled her eyes. "Good-looking, my foot! Let's go eat!"
"Alright."
Ye Fan's eyes were full of laughter as he walked alongside her. "Xiaoxi, how did your Chinese and math exams go?"
"Math was okay, but I'm not too confident about my essay."
At the mention of the exams, Ning Xi's expression immediately turned serious, her eyes showing a trace of worry. "Last time, I lost four points on the essay. I wonder how many points I'll lose this time. It's so hard."
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