Chapter 18: Grumbling

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lu Baobao mentioned a few names in rapid succession. Jiang Se did not even have the time to eat while commuting to the academy and back. When Lu Baobao grabbed her hand and swung it, she felt slightly dizzy.

“No.”

She looked at the open English textbook before Lu Baobao. “Aren’t you done yet?”

“I’ve copied them a few times already. Teacher Lin is doing this on purpose.” Lu Baobao tossed her pen away in irritation and held onto Jiang Se’s hand with both of hers. “She said that I’m not using my brain while writing from memory.”

She had been left alone to copy the English vocabulary in the classroom. Her mind had traveled elsewhere long ago, so she naturally could not continue.

Despite having copied them for half a day, she did not remember even a single one, thus she made several mistakes during the dictation test.

Teacher Lin was furious at this. She would only allow her to leave when she passed the dictation test.

“Tell me about the film academy,” she inquired about the trip that she did not make with Jiang Se, seeming as if she was wronged. “I wanted to go as well.”

“I didn’t see any stars. I just when there and looked around. I don’t think it’s possible for me to casually bump into celebrities on campus.”

The National College Entrance Examination was just around the corner, yet this young girl was still thinking about meeting celebrities. Jiang Se thought about it and decided to not tell Lu Baobao about the casting call in the Yijing Building at the outer circle of the imperial capital on the 12th in case she would be distracted from the looming exams.

She decided to tell her about it after the exams and go with her.

She gave her no hints about this and ended her chat with Lu Baobao. Then, she took out her books and started revising.

Because she could not switch on the lights as she liked back at home, she could only make full use of the night revision times at school to cram the contents of the books into her head. Beside her, Lu Baobao was still trying to find out about the film academy. However, she noticed Jiang Se memorizing the books in silence. After pestering her for some time to no avail, she felt bored and turned to annoy someone else.

When it was time for the National College Entrance Examination, Jiang Se was well prepared. After the final paper on the morning of the ninth, many of the students lingered outside and were reluctant to part.

Jiang Se packed her things and went out, but someone poked her back with a pen.

She turned to look and saw a boy blush under her gaze. There was a hopeful look in his eyes as if he wanted to get a response. He stammered, “H-hi, do you remember what your answer was for the question 5(c)?”

After the exams, many of the students compared their answers the moment they got out. When he asked this, some other students moved closer as well.

“I don’t remember,” Jiang Se rejected them directly.

As she shook her head, the boy behind her turned a bright shade of red. He merely looked on as she walked down the stairs, not daring to give chase.

When she returned home, Zhou Hui was still clearing the table. She did not ask how Jiang Se did in her exams. Instead, she demanded, “When will you get your graduation certificate?”

After she asked her question, she added an explanation, “It’ll be easier for you to land a job if you have a high school certificate. I heard from your Uncle Du that even factory salespeople need to have high school certificates now…”

Jiang Se paused halfway through her drink. When she saw that Zhou Hui wanted to continue, she made a gesture to stop her. “I told you that I don’t want to give up on my studies to find work in the factory.”

Zhou Hui paused halfway while she was wiping the table. There was an accusing look in her eyes. “Your results are bad. You’ll only be wasting your time in college. Moreover…”

“I have some confidence in my results this time. As for the tuition fees, I’ll find something to do during the summer holidays. I’ll think of a way to earn money. You and Uncle Du won’t have to bear the cost.”

Zhou Hui clearly did not believe her. However, it was difficult to put a rein on her daughter once she was grown up.

After her second marriage, the centers of her life were her new family and children. She could barely help neglecting her eldest daughter. She wanted to give her a lesson now, but she realized that when she met Jiang Se’s eyes, she could not say a word.

When she mentioned this to Du Changqun that night, he merely said coldly, “If she has the ability to earn her tuition fees, then let her study all she wants. In any case, I won’t spend even a single penny on her.”

He did not speak softly, so Jiang Se could hear the entirety of his statement clearly from the lower compartment.

“I found a sales job in the factory for her, but she doesn’t appreciate it. I’ve done my part. Since she’s graduated from high school, she’ll have to pay if she wants to continue living under this roof…”

The remainder of his words were drowned out by thumping footsteps. Zhou Hui blindly agreed to him, “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

The couple spoke no more. Jiang Se heaved a long sigh.

Fortunately, Du Changqun did not insist on forbidding her from furthering her studies. However, his words were filled with disdain and he was very upset with her.

She had to earn some money as quickly as possible. It would be best if she could live independently.

The girl she had met in the Imperial Capital Film Academy the other day had said that the “Pretense to Reality” crew would be holding an audition for the cast on the 12th, so Jiang Se went to Lu Baobao’s house the next morning.

When she reached the Lu residence, she found that Lu Baobao had been grounded.

Lu Baobao looked sullen at the door, dressed in her pink pajamas and she had not even bothered to tidy her hair. When she saw Jiang Se, she pouted and pointed into the house.

“I’m dead!” The first sentence she uttered when she saw Jiang Se was a sort of wail.

“My dad told me to repeat Grade 12 for doing badly in my National College Entrance Examination.” Tears were welling up in her eyes while she looked sickly and her usual smile was nowhere to be seen. “I’ve compared answers with the others after the exams and I got most of them wrong.”

A few days before the exams, she had still been busy paying attention to the celebrities. Naturally, her results were not too satisfactory.

Her parents were eyeing her like hungry tigers glaring at their prey. They asked, “Who’s there at the door?”

“My classmate,” she turned and answered. She turned back to Jiang Se and admitted sadly, “My parents forbid me from going out with you. They’re still nagging me about returning late from Shen Villa the last time.”

In Lu Baobao’s parent’s eyes, the beautiful Jiang Se was like the devil who had taught their daughter to become wild, thus they did not like her. Jiang Se had been standing at the door for a long time now, yet they did not invite her in.

Lu Baobao turned and swept her gaze across the inside of her house before asking Jiang Se, “By the way, what brings you here?”

Jiang Se could see that she was flustered as she replied, “When I went to the film academy the other day, I met one of the students there and learned about the audition for the ‘Pretense to Reality’ cast.

When Lu Baobao heard this, her eyes brightened first. Shortly after that, she stomped her feet and asked, “For real?”

Jiang Se nodded. “She said that there’s an audition tomorrow in the outer circle of the imperial capital on level 13 of the Yijing Building.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

When Lu Baobao heard that it was the next day, she was so exasperated that she almost cried. “Tomorrow’s impossible. My dad’s forcing me to compare my answers with the other students. I won’t be able to go anywhere tomorrow.” When she finished, she grumbled again, “Now that you came here to meet me, my dad will raise his guard even higher and keep a closer eye on me. Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

She harped on, “If you’d told me this sooner, I might’ve been able to think of something.”

“We were sitting for the National College Entrance Examination a few days ago. How was I supposed to tell you? Was I supposed to distract you?” Jiang Se frowned whilst Lu Baobao appeared to be at a loss for words.

“Anyway, I told you the time and address. If you have the time, just go. If you don’t, forget it.”

Lu Baobao mumbled, “How can I let this opportunity slip past me?”

Soon, Father Lu called her name from inside the house, and Jiang Se took a step back.

“Your father’s calling you. I’ll head back now.”