Chapter 106: A Score of 30 Points

For Zhang Shen at this moment, Lu Ming's words were like a warm ray of sunshine in the harshest winter. Since coming down the mountain, the only silver coins he had earned were from his part-time work at the internet café. As for buying a gift to make amends, Zhang Shen dared not even hope for such a luxury.

Looking at the 500 silver coins Lu Ming handed over, Zhang Shen felt deeply grateful in his heart.

“Teacher Lu, don’t worry. I’m short on cash right now, but I promise I’ll pay you back in time,” he said earnestly.

Seeing Zhang Shen’s sincere demeanor, Lu Ming simply nodded in response.

For Lu Ming, a wealthy second-generation heir, this small sum was nothing worth worrying about. Besides, he had just cured his mother’s illness and helped bring about the relationship between himself and Hao Lei. From any perspective, helping Zhang Shen with this minor favor was only natural.

Afterward, Zhang Shen went straight to the classroom.

However, the room was still rather sparsely occupied. Taking his seat, Zhang Shen began flipping through his textbooks. In the past, he had never paid much attention to such academic knowledge, but after the recent quiz, he couldn’t help but take it more seriously.

As Zhang Shen bent over his books, a slight movement came from the seat beside him. He glanced over to see Wang Ying approaching. When he turned his head, he noticed Meng Ran sitting there with a sly, gleeful smile.

Zhang Shen understood the situation well enough—those two had become inseparable companions.

He ignored Meng Ran’s smug expression and focused back on reviewing his books. Yet, Wang Ying suddenly spoke up.

“How about this bag?”

Her question left Zhang Shen momentarily stunned.

Looking at the black bag before him, Zhang Shen recognized it as Huang Wanting’s. But seeing Wang Ying’s demeanor, he couldn’t say much and simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Wang Ying knew the bag wasn’t original, but since she was now with Meng Ran, she was more than willing to accept his gifts. Her question to Zhang Shen was merely a test, a way to gauge his reaction, but his indifferent response clearly disappointed her.

Seeing Zhang Shen’s detached attitude, Wang Ying lost interest and put the bag away. Zhang Shen wanted to reveal the truth to her but, thinking of her cold attitude toward him, a sense of resignation washed over him.

“Ring ring ring!”

With the ringing bell, everyone straightened up—the first class of the morning was with the homeroom teacher, Hao Lei.

Two minutes later, Hao Lei strode to the podium holding a thick stack of test papers, her expression darkening. Everyone knew this was a sign of an impending storm.

She slammed the papers onto the desk with a loud thud, then began sharply, “Although you’re all in your graduating year, can you at least put some effort into your studies? Look at these results—they’re utterly disgraceful. If you take the graduation exams like this, you’re doomed to fail!”

Her furious words silenced the class. No one dared speak, all anxiously awaiting their scores. Zhang Shen was no exception.

“Now, I want to highlight the results of two students.”

“Highlight?” Zhang Shen wondered silently. Could his name be next?

Before his thoughts could drift further, Hao Lei announced the first name.

“Wang Ying, 148 points!”

The room erupted in surprise.

Regardless of how excellent 148 points was, no one expected Wang Ying to achieve such a remarkable score. This revelation shattered everyone’s preconceived notions of her.

Yet Wang Ying remained unfazed, sitting quietly as if none of it concerned her.

Zhang Shen noticed Meng Ran’s expression beside her—not shocked, but clearly ecstatic.

Hao Lei approached Wang Ying, handing over the test paper and softly praising, “Xiaoying, well done.”

After announcing Wang Ying’s score, Hao Lei’s mood shifted dramatically.

“Now, I must severely criticize one student!”

While everyone exchanged nervous glances, Hao Lei named the person without hesitation.

“Zhang Shen, 30 points!”

The entire class turned toward Zhang Shen in disbelief. They preferred to believe that Zhang Shen and Wang Ying had swapped papers rather than accept that the famed ‘Divine Doctor’ had scored so poorly.

A mere 30 points was not just a gap in scores but a glaring unfamiliarity with theoretical knowledge. How could this ‘Divine Doctor’ possibly earn his certificate with such results?

“Zhang Shen, I never expected you to perform like this. I had hoped you’d assist Wang Ying, but you’ve greatly disappointed me. Tell me, what were you thinking with this 30 points?”

Zhang Shen was rendered speechless by Hao Lei’s reprimand. How could he explain this? Would it sound like an excuse to blame unfamiliarity with textbooks and old habits?

Hao Lei, unwilling to argue further in class, stopped pressing when Zhang Shen remained silent.

She then distributed all the test papers and began reviewing each question. This time, Zhang Shen listened intently. Though his poor score did not define his abilities, it cast a shadow over his reputation as a healer.

Deep down, he knew he had to change this situation.

The class lasted an hour, but Hao Lei’s thorough explanation only got halfway through the papers before time was up. She lamented that the next period wasn’t Lu Ming’s P.E. class, or she would have continued reviewing questions.

After all, as a graduating class, everyone tacitly understood each other’s grades. Once Hao Lei left the room, the students went their separate ways, no longer dwelling on the exams.

Only Zhang Shen remained, sitting quietly, carefully studying the questions on his paper.

Just then, a test paper with a score of 148 unexpectedly drifted onto his desk.

Zhang Shen knew it was Wang Ying’s paper—but why had she given it to him? What was the meaning behind this gesture?

All of it left Zhang Shen puzzled.

When he looked up, he found Wang Ying watching him. Her eyes held a message, as if she had something to say.