Early the next morning.
“Grandpa, this is for you.” Shen Yue handed Old Master Shen a medicine bottle.
On the sofa, Old Master Shen had been frowning over Shen Yue’s schooling. At her words, he raised his head slightly and composed himself.
He took the bottle and opened it. A fresh fragrance immediately filled his nostrils, and for a moment, his mind seemed to clear.
Old Master Shen looked surprised and glanced up at Shen Yue. “What is this?”
Shen Yue sat beside him, leaning casually against the back of the sofa. She lifted her eyes slightly.
“Medicine. It’s worth a fortune. Keep it with you, and take one whenever you feel unwell.”
Old Master Shen knew nothing about medicine and had no idea how precious the pills Shen Yue had given him were. He didn’t think much of them.
He looked the bottle over, then put it away with a beaming smile. It was a gift from his beloved granddaughter; he’d treasure it even if it were junk.
Shen Yue lowered her eyes and stood. “Grandpa, I have to go out for a while.”
“Where are you going?”
“First High School.”
The girl kept walking, her voice cool and even, but her answer startled the old man.
He had contacted a teacher at First High School the day before, only to be rejected without the slightest courtesy.
Old Master Shen perked up and hurried to call Shen Yue back. He strode over to her, looking strangely guilty.
“Um, Yueyue, why don’t you consider another school? Second High School would be fine, too.”
Afraid of discouraging Shen Yue, he didn’t dare tell her that First High School didn’t want to take her.
Shen Yue stood casually, one eyebrow raised. She more or less understood, and smiled faintly as she explained.
“Grandpa, I have an acceptance letter from First High School.”
Before coming back, she had passed the school’s online entrance exam.
She had arranged with the principal to go in today and complete her enrollment.
Old Master Shen assumed Shen Yue was only trying to comfort him. He knew what her grades were like; there was no way she could get in by taking an exam.
He was a man of some standing in Cloud City, and even he hadn’t been able to get Shen Yue admitted. How could a student manage it?
He sighed.
“Yueyue, be good. We don’t need First High School. The other schools are good, too…”
Old Master Shen was still speaking earnestly when a red booklet appeared before him.
On its cover, the gold words “Cloud City No. 1 High School Acceptance Letter” gleamed above the school’s embossed seal.
Old Master Shen’s eyes widened. He stared at the acceptance letter, unable to say a word.
He pointed at the letter, then at Shen Yue.
“You—you—you really got in? How?”
Shen Yue was calm and nonchalant. “I just took the online exam.”
The online exam? Old Master Shen drew a deep breath. Could his granddaughter really have passed it?
He took the acceptance letter from Shen Yue and opened it. A stylized white gate rose up from the page—small, yet intricate and imposing.
He saw Shen Yue’s name and her photo, her expression languid.
After turning the letter over several times, he finally held it in both hands. His hearty laughter filled the living room.
“Good, good, good! Who says my granddaughter can’t get into First High School?” He took Shen Yue by the hand and headed outside. “Come on, come on. Grandpa will go with you.”
…
Cloud City No. 1 High School, office of the director of discipline.
When Shen Yue and Old Master Shen arrived, they ran into Shen Jiao, who was just about to leave.
Shen Jiao didn’t look at Shen Yue. She merely greeted Old Master Shen before leaving.
Director Ding was the person Old Master Shen had contacted by phone the previous evening. He knew Old Master Shen, and he knew Shen Yue.
Seeing the two of them, he looked irritated.
“Old Master Shen, didn’t we settle this over the phone last night? There’s no point coming to me in person. Your eldest granddaughter’s grades are simply too poor. She isn’t suited to First High School. Please go home.”
Director Ding had never liked underperforming students, and he especially disliked disobedient ones like Shen Yue.
Old Master Shen couldn’t stand hearing anyone look down on Shen Yue, but this time, he let it pass.
Holding the acceptance letter, he stepped forward with a smile. “Director Ding, my granddaughter passed your school’s exam.”
He placed the First High School acceptance letter on Director Ding’s desk. “This is the letter your school sent her.”
Director Ding hadn’t expected Shen Yue to have an acceptance letter from their school.
He stared, then glanced at Old Master Shen and Shen Yue before opening it, still doubtful.
He did indeed see Shen Yue’s name and photo on the letter, but his expression darkened even further.
With a slap, he tossed the acceptance letter carelessly onto the desk.
“Old Master Shen, if your granddaughter’s going to forge something, she could at least do a better job. Do you know this is an acceptance letter for our special admissions program?”
Director Ding looked past Old Master Shen, his eyes full of scorn.
Shen Yue hooked one hand around her backpack strap and kept the other in her pocket, standing in a relaxed, almost lazy pose.
She certainly didn’t look like a good student.
Until then, Old Master Shen had assumed this was an ordinary acceptance letter from an online exam.
At the accusation of forgery—and hearing the words “special admissions”—his heart lurched and his expression changed.
He knew about First High School’s special admissions program. After the school year began, the principal brought in specially selected talent.
There were only two places each year, yet tens of thousands of people from all over competed for them. Those who earned one were the best of the best—true geniuses.
Getting Shen Yue into First High School had already been an enormous surprise to Old Master Shen. He wouldn’t have dared dream she could be a special admit.
Old Master Shen hurried to explain. “Director Ding, there may have been some misunderstanding.”
He couldn’t help glancing at Shen Yue, silently urging her to explain. He trusted his own granddaughter.
Shen Yue patted Old Master Shen on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring look.
Then she raised her eyes to Director Ding, her expression cool and composed, without the slightest hint of panic at being exposed.
Director Ding couldn’t help feeling a flicker of doubt, but quickly came to his senses and dismissed it.
A student like her? How could she possibly have passed the special admissions exam?
Shen Yue lifted a hand and gestured casually toward Director Ding’s computer. “Have you even checked? How can you make accusations without looking?”
Old Master Shen’s heart lurched again. He quickly tried to signal Shen Yue with his eyebrows.
Director Ding furrowed his brow, his expression darkening, but before he could speak—
As if remembering something, Shen Yue tipped up her chin and said with sudden realization, “Oh, you probably don’t have access.”
Shen Yue’s tone was perfectly calm, but Director Ding’s face turned black. He really didn’t have authorization to view the special admissions records.
But the question was: was Shen Yue actually a special admit?
Shen Yue took out her phone. “Wait a moment. I’ll make a call.”
Director Ding said nothing. He wanted to see how Shen Yue could prove the letter was genuine.
Shen Yue made the call and explained what had happened in the office. She gave a brief “Mm” in response to whatever the person on the other end said, then hung up.
She put her phone away and looked calmly at the anxious Old Master Shen. “We only need to wait five minutes.”
Director Ding gave a thin smile, then ignored them and returned to his work.
Five minutes later, two figures arrived one after the other.