Chapter Forty-Four: Wencheng

The two of them walked beneath the locust tree, ending the inexplicable questioning and shutting out the songs from the Dragon and Phoenix Tea Shop. Ye Mian was about to go home.

She stood at the doorway, watching Jiang Chen’s unhurried figure recede into the distance before letting out a slow breath. Now, whenever they interacted, she felt her cheeks flush and her heart race.

Her thoughts drifted. She truly wished to attend the same university as Jiang Chen. She was fortunate that he hadn’t immediately chosen Qingbei in the northern city; perhaps she still had a chance.

The days following the college entrance exam were shrouded in misty rain, the temperature rising steadily. Occasionally, a few drops would fall, scalding rather than refreshing, lacking any coolness.

Ye Mian couldn’t help but visit the tea shop again, buying a cup of iced lemon water. The chill lingered in her mouth, making her squint her eyes in delight.

Her phone kept ringing with notifications.

She opened it and saw chaos in the class group chat. The teacher announced that later, the school would release the answer keys, and everyone should estimate their scores and report back.

Ye Mian paused, then hurried home to tell Ye Haisheng.

Soon, the school sent out the exam answers.

Ye Mian opened the file on her phone and spent the entire afternoon in her room, meticulously cross-checking and calculating her scores over and over.

Ye Haisheng sat in the living room, barely daring to breathe, waiting anxiously for her to finish and report back.

He’d spoken with Ye Mian’s teachers: this year’s college entrance exam seemed tougher than usual, but with a good mindset, Ye Mian should have no trouble getting into a top-tier university, perhaps even a key institution.

But before estimating the scores, no one could be sure.

Cicadas clamored tirelessly in the tree outside the courtyard. Ye Mian wiped sweat from her forehead, looked at her calculated score, and exhaled.

On sheets of messy white paper, line after line of numbers added up to a final score: 654.

This was Ye Mian’s lowest estimate.

It could be five to ten points lower, or higher by the same margin. It all depended on fate.

But...

Ye Mian’s face flushed, her gaze outside the window unusually bright and clear. Even so, this score was already excellent—much higher than her previous life.

It might not be enough for a “double first-class” university, but she could certainly get into a key school.

She squinted, smiled, and as she walked to the door, a mischievous thought popped into her head. Her expression grew solemn, even a bit desolate.

Ye Haisheng heard footsteps from the once-silent bedroom and knew his daughter had finished calculating her score.

He stood up quickly, nervously rubbing his hands. When Ye Mian opened the door, he saw her dejected face and swallowed hard. “Mianmian, how did it go?”

Ye Mian pouted. “Dad, what should I do?”

“Huh?” Ye Haisheng, rarely so surprised, made a face. “Don’t worry. Tell me, no matter your score, Dad will find a way for you.”

Ye Mian shook her head. “It’s really tough. I’m afraid you can’t handle it.”

“How could that be? Dad’s seen worse storms,” Ye Haisheng patted his chest, feigning indifference. “It’s just the college entrance exam—no big deal.”

Ye Mian was touched. She stopped playing around, patted her father’s shoulder. “Comrade Ye, get ready to make your daughter a feast—six hundred and fifty points should be secure.”

A gentle breeze drifted in, and Ye Haisheng paused for a moment, then smiled.

“Very good, very good,” he nodded steadily, turned to walk to the kitchen, and finally let his tightly controlled smile break free.

Ye Mian watched her father enter the kitchen and close the door. Soon, she heard him on the phone.

“Old Lu, yes, yes, estimated score—my daughter got at least 650.”

“I never managed her studies. How would I know? The kid just did well, nothing I could do.”

“Hey, no need for red envelopes, what red envelopes? Don’t bother. When you come to Jiang City for New Year, I’ll treat you.”

Ye Mian couldn’t help but laugh. It was only an estimate, yet her father couldn’t contain his excitement.

After a while, she returned to her room, using the excuse of checking the score cutoff.

She lay on her bed, pulled out her phone, and opened Jiang Chen’s chat window. Her small feet swung anxiously; finally, she typed:

[Good Sleep: So, top student of the grade, what’s your estimated score?]

[Good Sleep: Have you decided which university you want to attend?]

[Good Sleep: If you haven’t had time to estimate your score, send it to me—I can help.]

In the bright rental apartment, a few staff members sat in Jiang Chen’s home, discussing the compensation scheme for the demolition. It was all haggling, their words full of “letting you profit” but giving no ground, the atmosphere chilling.

In this tense air, what Jiang Chen saw on his phone was Ye Mian’s barrage of question marks almost filling the screen.

He took a sip of water, listened to the staff’s verbal sparring without saying a word, calm as an outsider.

Finally, because of the urgent paperwork, the staff relented. “We’ll apply to give you an elevator-equipped apartment in the new district. How does that sound?”

Jiang Chen turned to look out the window at the distant city—a bustling metropolis, and beyond that, an even more prosperous economic hub.

He spoke lightly, “No need for an apartment. I’ll leave once I receive the compensation.”

The staff sighed in relief, nodded, but couldn’t bear to let a young man suffer. “But an apartment is better than cash. Your house burned down, and the land belongs to the state. The compensation won’t be much, at most a few hundred thousand.”

A few words later, dusk deepened.

The young man raised an eyebrow, his eyes like the tide blending into the twilight.

Within them, shadows flickered, unreadable to others.

Only he understood.

It was ambition.

Boundless, profound ambition.

He said, “It’s enough.”

After the staff left, Jiang Chen took out his phone and replied:

[Jiang Chen: I’ve decided—Wen City.]

Would you...

He had just typed the words, but quickly deleted them.

In the end, he sent only that one message.

When Ye Mian saw those two words, joy swept over her. Wen City was an excellent place: rapid economic growth, rich cultural heritage, top universities, and strong economic infrastructure.

But the name sounded familiar.

Though she’d never been there, she remembered hearing it in a previous life, on a finance news program, where the host discussed Jiang Chen’s rise to prominence and mentioned Wen City.

He built his fortune there.

This was... where his power and wealth began.

Ye Mian couldn’t help but suspect Jiang Chen had already decided to go there.

She attended university in Jiang City in her previous life.

But now she wanted to go to Wen City.

Most importantly, her score was enough!

Maybe she could witness the rise of a legend up close!

This was even more exciting than reading a success novel!

Ye Mian rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling, taking a long time to calm her joy.

Fate!

Marvelous and inexplicable!