The “possessed by the exam god” function definitely didn’t exist. The system store had been almost completely scoured by her; currently, the only unlocked items were a few beginner-level martial arts manuals.
《Palm Technique for Beginners》, 《Fist Technique for Beginners》, 《Leg Technique for Beginners》, 《Lightness Skill Training Manual》, 《Internal Skill Training Manual》… each book cost twenty life points, no discounts available.
Oh, and there was a discounted painkiller—one life point could exchange for three pills.
The system’s customer service elder reminded warmly, “You don’t need to redeem the painkillers. I’ve applied a few for you; they might be approved in a couple of days.”
“Got it. I only have this much life points, better save them for the sharp end of things.”
With 98 life points, she could survive three months if she didn’t make mistakes, so there was no need to constantly worry.
Practicing martial arts could wait. First, she needed to pass the exam—that was truly urgent.
Lu Jinlan quickly cleared her mind and began intensely preparing: reading characters, writing, studying books.
At first, her family didn’t notice anything unusual, until Lu Jinlan started eating lunch and dinner in her study.
Yan Shi felt heartbroken and muttered to Lu Jinchen, “How could you be such a parent? Don’t you care about the child at all? If the Lu family’s estate isn’t passed to Lan’er, is it going to that little father? Making her the heir isn’t making her crown princess, why push her so hard? Look at how frightened she is.”
Lu Jinchen frowned slightly. “Husband, be careful what you say.”
Yan Shi saw his expression and quietly sat down, muttering, “Two hundredth place or two hundred and third place, what’s the difference? Let her take the exam however she wants.”
Lu Jinchen glared at him. “At least being two hundredth gets her out of the bottom three. What would a man know? A lenient father spoils the child, and Lan’er was spoiled by you.”
Yan Shi pursed his lips without speaking. Lu Jinchen sighed. “Fine, I’ll talk to her myself.”
Lu Jinlan had been studying diligently all day, while Qing’er and Xi Mo took turns trying to persuade her.
Qing’er said, “Young Mistress, forget it. Even if you don’t get into the top 200, Mother and Father will still love you. Why suffer?”
Lu Jinlan replied, “It’s not just because of Mother’s expectations. This is the last exam before graduation. I just don’t want to be at the bottom.”
Xi Mo said, “But you’ve studied all day. The sky’s already dark; you should rest.”
Lu Jinlan shook her sore hands—it was true, she was exhausted.
Luckily, her useless Chinese Language major had calligraphy courses: brush, chalk, and pen writing. She had a solid foundation, though she hadn’t practiced in two or three years. Brushwork was a little shaky after a break.
Fortunately, her previous handwriting had been terrible, so if it was bad now, it wouldn’t matter. If it had been good and now went bad, that would be a problem. Now, once she got her rhythm, she could easily surpass expectations.
Lu Jinlan straightened up and said, “I’ll lie down for a bit. Wake me in half an hour.”
Xi Mo hurried, “Let me massage you. Sitting all day must hurt your waist.”
Qing’er quickly grabbed a soft cloth soaked in warm water, cleaning her ink-stained hands while massaging.
Lu Jinlan lifted her heavy eyelids and saw Qing’er’s slightly reddened eyes. She smiled and held his hand back. “Oh? Feeling sorry for me?”
Qing’er glanced at Xi Mo, embarrassed, and nodded slightly.
Lu Jinlan smiled and closed her eyes. “Someone cares for me—it doesn’t feel so hard.”
Ding! System prompt: Life points +5.
Lu Jinlan secretly thought: I must have some talent for charming people. I’ve been single all this time, just unlucky in circumstances!
Xi Mo’s massage was just right, and she drifted into sleep. Lu Jinlan yawned. “I’ll nap a bit.”
Qing’er gently suggested, “Don’t push yourself. Sleep now, continue tomorrow.”
“How can I? I haven’t finished my books. Mother has high expectations, I want to surprise her. If people strive for breath, monks strive for incense—why should I always be last? I’ll fight to improve.”
Muttering to herself, Lu Jinlan turned over and quickly fell asleep.
Qing’er and Xi Mo hurried to remove her shoes and cover her with blankets. Only then did they notice Lu Jinchen standing at the door.
“Mother,” they quickly explained, “The Young Mistress has been reviewing her lessons and just lay down—she…”
Lu Jinchen waved them off. “I know. You may leave.”
In her sleep, Lu Jinlan felt a warm hand against her face—it was comforting.
When she woke again, it was completely dark. No lamps were lit, only the silhouette of someone seated by the bed was faintly visible.
Lu Jinchen sat silently and upright, deep in thought.
“Mother?”
“Awake?” Lu Jinchen came to her senses. “I didn’t light the candles, didn’t want them to disturb you.” She called an old servant to bring a lamp.
The room brightened immediately.
Lu Jinlan rubbed her eyes. “Why are you here? How long have I been asleep?”
“Only an hour. I heard you were studying hard, so I came to check. Your Father is preparing ginseng soup for you—drink it and rest early, no need to overwork.”
Lu Jinlan smiled wryly. This “studying” was nothing compared to cramming for the college entrance exam all night. Had her foundations not been poor, she wouldn’t need such intense last-minute cramming.
Clearly, the Young Mistress had lived a pampered life for sixteen years, never facing real hardships.
Lu Jinlan felt her life had switched from hard mode to easy mode. She felt almost uncomfortably happy.
As she studied, people waited on her. After Lu Jinchen left, Yan Shi brought the loving ginseng soup.
Lu Jinlan drank some soup, ate half a pastry, and hurried back to her desk.
Yan Shi said, “Is that enough? Can your body handle this?”
“Oh, Father, don’t worry. If I eat too much, I’ll get sleepy. I still have three books to memorize. You should rest.”
Yan Shi sighed. “You’re so diligent—won’t argue.” He told Xi Mo and Qing’er, “Take care of her, don’t let the Young Mistress stay up too late.”
But she was destined not to sleep early. At night, Lu Jinlan told them to rest.
Qing’er said, “That won’t do! The Master is studying, the servants shouldn’t leave. And if we leave, who will make tea?”
Lu Jinlan laughed. “I won’t die of thirst. I can get water myself. You’ve worked all day; go rest. Who cares about master and servant? You’re just working, earning your hard-earned pay—don’t belittle yourselves.”
Qing’er and Xi Mo looked confused, glanced at each other, and knelt.
“We would never think that way. We are loyal to the Lu family and you. We will not fail our duties as servants.”
“….” Lu Jinlan was momentarily stunned. Feudal hierarchies were strict—her words were ahead of their time.
“Fine. I like quiet. You don’t need to watch me all the time.”
Qing’er said, “Then let Xi Mo leave; I’ll stay.”
Xi Mo objected, “I’m a woman—how can I let a boy stay up at night? I’ll stay.”
“I’ll stay. Women can’t take care of people as well as men.”
“I’ll stay. Both of us are women; it’s easier.”
The two bickered while Lu Jinlan focused on writing. She clicked her tongue. “Enough. You two can sleep on the couch.”
The room fell silent. Qing’er mumbled, “But gender… I’m just a young man…”
Lu Jinlan nearly forgot. She sent Qing’er out, letting Xi Mo lie down. Finally, peace.
She studied by lamplight until dawn, slept two hours, ate quickly, and continued studying.
After two days and nights of intense cramming, she still didn’t feel confident—half a book remained unread.
On the way to the exam, she kept reviewing every moment.
Xizhou Academy, the top school in Xizhou.
Xizhou was wealthy and culturally lacking compared to other regions. Many wealthy merchant families invested heavily in the academy. Led by Xizhou’s richest, Lu Jinchen, they built a large academy with top teachers. Yet the students were ordinary. Even the best in Xizhou were mediocre compared nationally.
Lu Jinlan, being the worst in Xizhou, felt for Lu Jinchen. It was like spending tens of thousands on tutoring, only for a child to score poorly.
She suspected her enrollment was bought. In a city this big, only 203 students were admitted. Luckily, it wasn’t 800—otherwise, she’d be even lower ranked.
The carriage swayed. Xi Mo reminded, “Young Mistress, we’ve arrived.”
As Lu Jinlan stepped down, staring at the Xizhou Academy plaque, someone bumped her shoulder.
A cheerful young woman leaned on her. “Young Lady Lu, long time no see.”
Another round-faced, fair-skinned, plump girl affectionately looped her arm through Lu Jinlan’s. “Why do you have dark circles under your eyes? Didn’t sleep well?”
Lu Jinlan glanced at the hint tags floating near their heads and realized these two were Young Lady Sun and Young Lady Yin—the ones who took turns finishing last alongside her.
“I’ve been reviewing my lessons these past couple of days, haven’t slept much,” she replied.
The two froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“You? Reviewing lessons? Hahaha…”
“I say, Young Lady Lu, are you trying to fool us, thinking we haven’t woken up yet? Your textbooks look brand new, just like the day they were issued. And you’re reviewing? Don’t make me laugh.”
Lu Jinlan smiled and chatted casually with them, when a sudden cold, sinister voice drifted past:
“Bad students are bad students. Reviewing won’t help. You should have been expelled long ago, so the spot could go to someone who actually needs it.”
The three of them changed expression. Young Lady Yin immediately called out, “Wu Siqun, stop right there! Don’t be sarcastic. If you’re a woman, say it properly!”
Wu Siqun turned her head and said coldly, “Sorry, I just can’t help speaking the truth.”
Young Lady Sun couldn’t help defending herself. “We’re all classmates. How can you talk like that?”
Wu Siqun snorted. “I hate fools. Is that not allowed?”
“Hmph! You think you’re so smart? Last time you only got 180th place. How can you look down on us?”
Wu Siqun smiled slightly. “I may be no genius, but 180th is still far above your bottom three.”
Lu Jinlan saw the two girls beside her grinding their teeth in anger and laughed. “No need for pointless arguments. Let’s settle it with this exam. No other bets—whoever scores worse will stand at the academy gate and shout three times: ‘I am as dull as a pig.’ How’s that?”
The words made Young Lady Sun and Young Lady Yin jump.
Wu Siqun responded without hesitation, “Fine. If I score higher than the three of you, you’ll shout. If any of you beat me, I’ll shout.”
Lu Jinlan: “It’s a deal.”
Young Lady Yin and Young Lady Sun: “Eh? Wait… can we at least discuss the terms before betting?”
“What’s there to fear? I’m confident. 180th is your level? So arrogant and rude, what’s so scary about it? If I can’t even beat her, I might as well hit a tofu block and die.”
Lu Jinlan led the two into the exam hall. Inside, the room was noisy, and Wu Siqun occasionally threw provocative glances their way—until the teacher entered.
A white-haired lady in her sixties tapped the desk with her pointer. “Quiet! The exam begins.”
“Hmm?” Lu Jinlan glanced at her paper, startled. What is this?
She had studied the wrong questions.
________________________________________
Author’s note:
Actually, the reason Sun and Yin were so happy to see Lu Jinlan so cheerful was that if Young Lady Lu didn’t come, they would have to take turns finishing last themselves…