Liu Chen's seat was next to Ren Mo, likely to help him integrate faster into the class. Mi Zhuzhu was seated beside Lai Jielun.
After Liu Chen and Ren Mo settled in, Lai Jing remained in the classroom. Standing at the lectern, she addressed the students, who seemed a bit restless after a summer break.
"This year, you're in your senior year. Regardless of whether you plan to study abroad or take the college entrance examination domestically, your senior year will be the most crucial in your life. Because, in this year, you will understand that effort yields rewards, and striving leads to progress.
In the future, when you feel lost, you will recall this year, and it will become your spiritual encouragement. Take a deep breath now."
The students in the classroom instinctively followed their teacher's instruction and took a deep breath.
"Then exhale slowly.
From this moment on, begin your new senior year, one you won't regret!"
Liu Chen also followed Teacher Lai's instructions to take a deep breath. For some reason, even though it was just a simple inhale and exhale, it strangely calmed his mind.
This Teacher Lai… was quite impressive.
"Alright, class monitor, come with me to the office. I've made copies of this year's college entrance exam papers for you to try. This year's paper is more challenging, but also more representative, and it will reveal your weak areas."
The exam papers were distributed. Liu Chen and Ren Mo had already taken this particular exam. In fact, there were likely very few students in the class who hadn't taken this college entrance exam paper. After all, during the summer break between the second and third years of high school, no matter how doting the parents were, they would enroll their children in cram schools. This year's college entrance exam paper was the ultimate assessment that these cram schools could not avoid.
Two class periods were enough to complete the Chinese paper. Then came mathematics, and finally, the English paper was finished during the last evening study session.
"Alright, pass the papers forward, from back to front. The first row, bring the papers to the lectern. Also, starting from senior year, day students are to arrive at class by 7:40 AM. Boarding students will have their morning exercises canceled, and morning study will begin at 7:20 AM."
"Waaah, I wish I could be a day student, I could sleep twenty minutes longer, I'm so jealous..."
"Are you stupid? It takes twenty minutes to get to school for day students. They have to wake up even earlier than us."
At this moment, Mi Zhuzhu, who had been doing exam papers all afternoon, turned around from the front and looked at Liu Chen, who was sitting in the back. "Chen Chen, are you a boarding student or a day student?"
"Day student. I'm not used to boarding."
The secret she carried was too significant, and boarding might lead to exposure. Moreover... *cough*, if she applied for boarding, wouldn't Liu Fang know she had transferred schools?
She had planned to take a taxi home directly, but as soon as she reached the school gate, she spotted her godmother's familiar black Mercedes.
The rear window rolled down, revealing her godmother, Ren Yuanying, smiling and waving at Liu Chen and Ren Mo as they walked out of the school.
Ren Mo obediently got into the front passenger seat, while Liu Chen took his place in the back. As soon as she sat down, her godmother handed her a thermos.
"It's brown sugar ginger water. Drink it well. Your hand was ice-cold when I held it today."
"Mom, I want some too!" Ren Mo leaned over from the passenger seat and pouted towards the back.
Ren Yuanying playfully swatted Ren Mo's hand.
"Want, want, want, you big dummy! This is for girls when they don't feel well. What do you want it for?"
Upon hearing this, Ren Mo instantly retracted her hand and remained silent for the rest of the journey.
The residential complex's gate, which normally required identification and phone numbers for entry, silently opened upon seeing the Mercedes. Without asking for identification or a phone number, Liu Chen felt that Wang Dong would probably shed tears if he saw this.
After Liu Chen got out of the car, she turned to close the door.
"Wait, godmother needs to talk to your mother about the transfer."
Liu Chen smiled.
"Godmother! You're so kind!"
***
Liu Chen turned the doorknob and opened the door. The house was pitch black, with only faint yellow light from the streetlamps outside casting onto the floor tiles.
"Liu Chen, you still know how to come back?"
"Click."
Ren Yuanying flipped the living room light switch. Liu Fang, sitting upright on the sofa, squinted at the sudden bright light. As her vision cleared, she asked,
"Sister Yuanying? What are you doing here?"
Ren Yuanying sat on the sofa, her eyes fixed on Liu Fang.
"Chen Chen, go to your room and do your homework. Sister Fang, whatever you want to say, I'll explain." After saying this, she saw Liu Chen still standing there looking at Liu Fang and nodded. "Go on."
Since her godmother was there to explain, Liu Chen simply went into her room.
Outside, seeing Liu Chen go into the room obediently at Sister Yuanying's words, Liu Fang frowned. She felt that since the beginning of the summer, Chen Chen had become more independent. She still listened to her, but more often than not, she only half-listened.
*Well, I'll deal with Sister Yuanying first, and then I'll have a good talk with this child.*
Who was Ren Yuanying? How could she not see Liu Fang's intention to placate her? However, Ren Yuanying wasn't angry. As parents, they naturally had a desire to control their children, which was normal. But wise parents also knew when to let go for the sake of their children.
After a busy day, lying in bed, Liu Chen finally had the time to check how many lucky draw tickets she had accumulated.
Sixty-two.
She was still a long way from the thousand she desired. She hoped that when the sausages officially went on sale, the tickets would come in a more torrential fashion!
Liu Chen didn't know when her godmother left. Lying in the air-conditioned bedroom, she eventually fell asleep. She slept until 5:30 AM.
"Hiss..."
Liu Chen looked at the dim dawn light outside the window. She turned over, facing the wall side of the bed. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she instinctively touched her waist.
Why did it feel sore and heavy?
Taking a deep breath, she sat up from the bed. A warm current flowed down from her lower abdomen.
Liu Chen's expression changed.
*Auntie is here...*
She got up and put the bedsheets and duvet cover into the washing machine. Then she took a shower. After the shower, she hung the quilt to dry. It was already almost 7:15 AM. There was no time for breakfast, so Liu Chen directly put the hand-grabbed pancakes from the table into a plastic bag to eat at school.
At 7:40 AM, Liu Chen entered the classroom just as the morning study bell rang. As soon as she sat down, she saw Teacher Lai walking in from outside the door.
"Comrades, your old Sun is here!~"
With a roar, Lai Jielun also slid into the classroom with a drift from the front door. He flicked his bangs and then looked at Lai Jing, who stood with her arms crossed, smiling at him.
His pupils dilated in shock. "Mom! How are you faster than me! That's impossible! I deliberately turned off your alarm clock last night!"
Liu Chen sat in her seat, watching as the seemingly gentle Teacher Lai held Lai Jielun's ear and told him to go to the office. She was astonished.
"Lai Jielun is Teacher Lai's son?!"
Ren Mo blinked her still-sleepy eyes and nodded affirmatively.
"They both have the surname Lai, isn't that obvious? Sister Chen? Hey? Sister Chen, what are you carrying? It smells so good... Gulp..."