Jiang Xuxu had previously attended the same school as Guan Ruirui. While it was considered an aristocratic school, it was not the same one Lu Xuexi and Jiang Han attended, so it was not surprising that Jiang Cheng was unaware of her history.
Before Jiang Xuxu could answer, Jiang Cheng spoke up as if showing off, placing heavy emphasis on his words. "Xuexi received a recommended admission spot at Hai University."
Beside him, Lu Xuexi listened with a smile, appearing slightly embarrassed, but she did not interrupt him.
This was the first time Jiang Xuxu had heard about the selection criteria for this so-called City Image Representative. She turned to look at Jiang Cheng and simply said, "I don't have a recommended admission spot."
She spoke bluntly, leaving Jiang Cheng stunned. "If you don't have a recommended admission spot, then how were you selected?"
As he spoke, his gaze instinctively drifted toward Jiang Yutong. Since the final list was handed over to the Jianghai Group, it wasn't impossible for Jiang Cheng to suspect his third uncle of some under-the-table manipulation.
Jiang Yutong naturally understood the look in his nephew's eyes. He only chuckled and said, "Don't look at me like that. When the list was submitted, Xuxu hadn't even returned to our family yet."
The implication was clear: he hadn't used any backdoors.
Jiang Cheng turned his gaze back to Jiang Xuxu. Compared to her, he was clearly more aware of certain insider details. The City Image Representative was originally intended to be chosen from the most outstanding high school students of this graduating class, both in terms of character and academics.
Hearing her say she didn't have a recommended admission spot, he asked again, "Are your grades in school very good?"
"They're okay," Jiang Xuxu replied dismissively.
Beside them, Jiang Han couldn't help but chime in. "What do you mean by 'okay'..." How okay?
Just as the words left his mouth, he saw Jiang Xuxu's gaze sweep over him coldly. Jiang Han suddenly remembered that the agreed-upon time hadn't arrived yet, and he immediately shut his mouth awkwardly, though his eyes remained fixed on her.
Jiang Cheng was on good terms with him and naturally knew what he was asking, so he pressed her, "What is your grade ranking?"
Jiang Xuxu frowned slightly. She felt that this person was simply never-ending with his questions. They clearly weren't close.
"Am I obligated to tell you?" Jiang Xuxu asked back without a hint of politeness. Her retort left Jiang Cheng momentarily stifled, but before he could speak, he saw Jiang Xuxu already heading upstairs.
Jiang Cheng's expression turned quite ugly. He truly felt that this cousin of his was incredibly rude. She couldn't compare to Xuexi at all!
Lu Xuexi watched Jiang Xuxu's reaction and hid the smile in her eyes. On the surface, she only said, "Brother Jiang Cheng, you were asking too many detailed questions, almost like an interrogation. Xuxu was bound to be unhappy."
Before Jiang Cheng could respond, Jiang Han, who had been watching Jiang Xuxu go upstairs and was certain she could no longer hear him, spoke up immediately. "She gets impatient after just two questions? Her temper is way too foul."
Jiang Han snorted, then said with certainty, "Her grades definitely aren't that great."
After all, although they weren't in the same school, they had heard the names of those who consistently ranked at the top of the various aristocratic high schools in Hai City. Between mock exams and academic competitions, the top tier of elite students often crossed paths or at least knew of each other's reputations.
He was certain he had never heard the name Guan Xuxu.
Not only was Jiang Han certain, but Lu Xuexi was as well. Thinking that Jiang Xuxu, the eldest young lady of the Jiang family who had just been brought back, might not be that exceptional made Lu Xuexi feel much more at ease. She turned to Jiang Han with a smile.
"I remember the Gaokao results come out tomorrow. Your grades have always been stable; you'll definitely have a good ranking tomorrow."
She had received her early admission qualification in advance and didn't need to take the Gaokao, but that didn't stop her from using another high-achieving student in the house as a point of comparison against Jiang Xuxu.
Mentioning his grades gave Jiang Han a boost of confidence. "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll be going to Hai University with you."
His tone suggested the matter was already settled. After all, not everyone could get a recommended admission spot, and someone as confident as Jiang Han felt he could get in on his own merits without needing one.
Lu Xuexi's smile became even more sincere. "Then I'll bake a cake in advance tomorrow to celebrate for you."
Jiang Han looked delighted but said, "You just got out of the hospital, so don't push yourself. It's easy to get tired."
Lu Xuexi replied, "I'm not tired."
Standing to the side, Jiang Su listened to their back-and-forth and secretly rolled his eyes. He stood up and headed upstairs on his own.
Lu Xuexi watched Jiang Su's retreating back and frowned slightly. Looking at the favorability points belonging to Jiang Su within her Systemwhich were still hovering right around the passing lineshe felt a surge of anger.
She had tried to be kind to him several times since returning home, yet Jiang Su remained unappreciative. Did he really intend to refuse to acknowledge her as his sister?
Thinking of this, Lu Xuexi's expression darkened. Jiang Cheng had been paying attention to her emotions; seeing her unhappy, he asked a few concerned questions. Lu Xuexi casually remarked, "I just feel a bit of regret for choosing the recommended admission directly. The Gaokao only happens once in a lifetime; I should have taken it myself."
She then shifted the topic, looking at Jiang Han. "Jiang Han's grades are better than mine. I heard that if one becomes the Provincial Scholar, the admissions offices of several major universities will come to the door personally to invite them. Tomorrow is going to be quite lively at home."
Jiang Han curled his lip, looking indifferent but clearly feeling like he had the situation well in hand. Although families like theirs could choose to study abroad, most of them still recognized the Gaokao as a significant milestone.
The Guan family felt the same way.
Because of the incident where the Qin family had hired thugs to threaten Jiang Xuxuonly to have it backfireJiang Yucheng had his assistant intervene yesterday. The Qin family's business was immediately affected, leaving them with no time to manage the online public opinion.
Without the Qin family's efforts to suppress the narrative, the online condemnation of Guan Ruirui and Qin Hao became even more unrestrained. Guan Ruirui was so furious she had simply turned off her phone.
It was at this time that the upcoming release of the Gaokao results drew some of the internet's attention away. When Bai Shuqin saw this, she suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.
"With everything that's been happening lately, I almost forgot that the Gaokao results are being released tomorrow!"
Guan Ruirui was in no mood to care about that. Leaving aside the online drama, Guan Qishen had already had a falling out with the family over the jade pendant and hadn't come to see her for two days.
"Look at the state I'm in. How could I possibly care about Gaokao scores?" Guan Ruirui felt incredibly aggrieved.
"That's not what I mean!" Bai Shuqin said. "Think about it. When the results come out tomorrow, the internet will be filled with news about scores. Who will have the energy to keep following your scandal? Tomorrow,
as long as your scores are out, and you are successfully admitted to Peking University or Tsinghua University, it will prove that you are a student of excellent character and scholarship. High-achieving students have a special halo in the eyes of ordinary people. Those people online definitely won't keep cursing you."
Bai Shuqin spoke with absolute conviction. Guan Ruirui was stunned for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "Will they really stop?"
"Of course they will," Bai Shuqin said. "People nowadays have a higher tolerance for top-tier talent. What we need to do now is try our best to pull your public image back."
Bai Shuqin explained the logic behind it, and Guan Ruirui's eyes lit up. She suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. After all, while her grades weren't at the absolute top, getting into a key prestigious university shouldn't be a problem.
Thinking of this, Guan Ruirui began to feel a sense of anticipation for the results tomorrow. She even took the initiative to turn her phone back on. After all, if she were admitted to a top university, the admissions office would certainly call to notify her, and she couldn't afford to miss it.
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