The next morning at nine o'clock, Tong Yang insisted on going home.
Yang Lin's father tried to persuade her but failed, so he personally drove them back to Dongyang Community.
"Tong Yang, if you feel unwell at all, make sure to contact us immediately," Yang Lin's father reminded her with concern, then glanced at Tong Le, who was trailing closely behind her. "As for Tong Le's situation, take your time to think it over. We’ll help however we can."
"Thank you. Please drive safely on your way back."
After seeing Uncle Yang off, Tong Yang closed the door and turned to find Tong Le standing in the living room, his eyes red-rimmed, his face filled with confusion and worry.
"I'm going to take a shower," Tong Yang announced before heading to the bedroom to grab fresh clothes and stepping into the bathroom.
The request she had made to Yang Lin’s parents the previous day hadn’t been immediately agreed to. They had asked her to reconsider and reach out later—likely because they sensed Tong Le’s reluctance, not because they didn’t want to help.
Neither Tong Yang nor Tong Le brought it up again afterward, and they spent the night peacefully. However, ever since she had mentioned it, Tong Le had clung to her side wherever she went, as if afraid to let her out of his sight.
Tong Yang wasn’t good with words. Truthfully, she didn’t know how to explain the situation to Tong Le. But the dangers ahead were unpredictable. If Tong Le followed her, they wouldn’t just be a short distance away like in the old neighborhood. The outside world was chaotic, and they would inevitably encounter far more dangerous and frightening situations. She couldn’t keep him tied to her side forever—it was better to let him stay away from it all as early as possible.
The words she had spoken in front of Yang Lin’s parents had been carefully thought through.
But how could she explain the parallel world to him?
When Tong Yang stepped out of the shower, she opened the door to find Tong Le crouched nearby, watching her cautiously.
"Sis."
Tong Yang frowned. "What are you doing here?"
Tong Le lowered his head, nervously fidgeting with his fingers. "I... I wanted to wait for you."
Her frown deepened. "Alright, have you finished your homework? Go to your room and work on it. I’m going out for a bit."
"Where are you going? I want to come too!"
Tong Le sprang up and instinctively grabbed her hand, as if afraid she would leave him behind.
"I lost my phone. I’m just going to get a new SIM card. I’ll be back before noon," Tong Yang softened her tone. "What do you want to eat? I’ll bring something back for you."
"Please let me come with you, Sis..." Tong Le’s lips trembled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he gazed at her pleadingly.
"Not this time. Be good. I’ll be back by noon."
Tong Le sniffled. "Promise?"
"Yeah."
Tong Yang hastily dried her hair, then took her ID to the nearby service center to replace her SIM card. Instead of heading straight home afterward, she stopped by a mall to buy a smartwatch.
By eleven, she returned to find clattering sounds coming from the kitchen.
"Tong Le?" Tong Yang called out in surprise, setting her things down before walking over. There, she found Tong Le chopping carrots, a pot of water boiling beside him.
"Sis, you’re back! Are you tired? I’m making lunch for you," Tong Le smiled at her. "I’ll get really good at it, so I won’t be too much trouble for you."
Tong Yang stared at him, momentarily speechless.
"Go rest. I’ll call you when it’s ready."
Silently, Tong Yang turned and retreated to her room.
At lunch, Tong Le asked hopefully, "Sis, is it good?"
Tong Yang nodded. "Yeah, it’s good."
She pressed her lips together before asking, "Then can I—"
"I’ll take care of myself from now on. You just focus on school. I can handle everything else. Please... please don’t leave me behind, okay?"
Tong Yang hesitated before replying, "Tong Le, I’m not abandoning you. It’s just safer for you here. Once things settle down, I’ll come get you right away. It won’t take long."
"When? When will things be better? When will you come back for me?" Tong Le stared at her, his eyes red and watery.
"I don’t want to live with anyone else. I don’t want to leave you. I can earn money too. I can take care of you. Didn’t you promise to take me with you to college? I can live in the dorms. If you don’t want to see me on weekends, I’ll stay at school. I won’t be a burden. We can stay together like we are now—I just want to be with you!"
Tong Yang was at a loss for words. "I’ll visit often and call you. But you’re only in fourth grade. Leaving here means adjusting to a whole new place. You’d have to leave your school, your friends. You might never see Yang Lin again. Would you really be okay with that? Maybe by middle school, once I’m more stable, I can bring you with me..."
She didn’t know how to tell him the real reason—that taking him along would make their future too uncertain.
"I would be okay with it!" Tong Le’s tears spilled over. "Sis, do you really think I care more about them than I care about you?"
"Tong Le," Tong Yang called sternly.
His expression stubborn, Tong Le glared at her unyielding face before throwing his chopsticks down and storming off to his room, slamming the door behind him.
Tong Yang pinched the bridge of her nose. Tong Le rarely lost his temper with her—the last time had been when she refused to go to the hospital while sick.
What should she do?
She didn’t want a repeat of yesterday, but if Tong Le refused to accept this, staying here wouldn’t spare him from those dangers either. Yet if they left together, they’d have no stable home outside of school.
What if Tong Le got lost? How would she find him?
Tong Le stayed in his room all day. By evening, when Tong Yang urged him to eat, he ignored her completely, as if determined to starve unless she gave in.
She carried a plate of food to his door. "Even if you’re upset, you still need to eat."
No response came from inside. She knocked lightly and lowered her voice. "I’ll count to three. Come out and take this to your room. One... two..."
Before she even finished "two," the door swung open. A pair of hands snatched the plate from her, and the door slammed shut again.
Tong Yang almost laughed. Throwing a tantrum but still obedient?
She figured he’d lock himself in for the rest of the night—giving her time to think about how to explain things tomorrow. She returned to her room to read.
Soon, the sound of running water came from the kitchen. Tong Le must have finished eating and was washing the dishes himself.
Relieved, she waited until she heard his bedroom door close again before setting her book aside and picking up her phone.
After entering the verification code to log into her social account, she saw numerous messages asking about yesterday’s events and how she was doing.
She didn’t reply, instead opening the "Gossip Squad 007" group chat.
The last message, sent six hours ago, read:
[Is Tong Yang okay?]
【The news has changed again—Tong Yang and her classmate bravely saved four students】
【@StudyToMakeMoney What’s going on?! Are you okay? Are you hurt?】
【This is so weird, why hasn’t Tong Yang been online?】
Tong Yang continued scrolling up, stopping at a message from around 7:30 PM the previous night.
【What’s wrong? It’s only 6:30 AM】
Seeing this, Tong Yang’s breathing grew heavier.
The message showed a received timestamp of 19:37, and she distinctly remembered reading it last night—yet the sender claimed it was morning.
At the time, she had sensed something unusual, but the urgency of the situation left no room for further questions.
StudyToMakeMoney: 【What time is it where you are right now?】
After waiting a few minutes with no reply, Tong Yang exited the chat.
She checked the message list and noticed that the "1209 Secret Incident Group" had recently discussed the matter. Most had already guessed it was related to parallel worlds, and Chu Shiyu had already responded, so Tong Yang stayed silent.
As for other inquiries, she brushed them off with vague replies.
Half an hour passed, and the gossip group remained silent.
Tong Yang sighed, thinking again about Tong Le, who was still upset with her. What should she do about him? Even if she could alter the future through time loops, what if something happened to him that no loop could fix?
The thought made her pause.
If she left Tong Le in the old district and he encountered danger again, no number of loops would let her reach him in ten minutes. She couldn’t rely on Chu Shiyu’s help like yesterday—so what then?
Maybe keeping him in the old district was safer than bringing him along, but it wasn’t foolproof.
By nearly 10 PM, Tong Yang turned off the lights, but the group chat stayed quiet.
After much deliberation, she realized there was no perfect solution—unless she wiped out everyone from the parallel worlds.
Ding-dong—
Ding-dong—
At 10:09 PM, a flurry of messages flooded the group.
Tong Yang lay in bed, rolling over to grab her phone and open the app.
【8:51 AM, what’s up?】
【So tired… don’t wanna go to class】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【It’s 10:09 PM where I am】
【???】
【Huh???】
【Wait, it’s nighttime for you? You still asleep? I wish it were nighttime here too】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【What’s the date where you are?】
【June 22】
【Why?】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【It’s June 23 here, nighttime】
【Our timelines weren’t synced anyway, so what’s the big deal?】
【Oh yeah, I wanted to ask about your brother】
Tong Yang sighed and replied: 【A few days ago, our timelines matched. Now I’m nearly two days ahead. That shouldn’t happen】
【Eh, but we’ve already crossed a two-year gap. What’s a day or two?】
【+1】
【I’ve fully accepted this setting at this point】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【This means our timeflows are different】
【And…?】
【You know we’re not the sharpest tools in the shed—just spell it out】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【Yesterday, I met the parallel-world “Tong Yang.” She told me we aren’t the first parallel world discovered. They found others before us】
【???】
【HOLY CRAP?!】
【Now I’m wide awake! Keep going, what happened?】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【By the time they realized, 30% of society had already been replaced. The two worlds clashed, systems collapsed, and countless people died. Survivors had to kill to live. Resources dwindled, controlled by a privileged few. Now they plan to invade our world, just like the last parallel world invaded theirs】
【Damn… so it really is a multiverse】
【Wait, does that mean people around us could already be replaced? Will we end up like them?】
【Don’t say that, I’m scared】
【What do we do? This keeps getting more complicated】
StudyToMakeMoney: 【She said our world has time displacement—I’m part of it, and so are you. We originally had a two-year gap, but now it’s shrinking】
Tong Yang still didn’t mention the time loops or anchors. The other “Tong Yang” speculated she was a “time anchor,” allowing her to loop, but nothing was confirmed. The cause of the displacement remained unclear, and Tong Yang needed more information.
Her goal hadn’t changed—those people might know more about anchors and loops.
But right now, she wondered: Was the displacement through the gossip group accidental, or engineered?
If the time gap vanished entirely, what would happen to her?
【Aaaah my brain itches! I’m growing neurons!】
【You know us—college students don’t have much brainpower to spare】
【What even IS time displacement?! Explain!!!】
【If we don’t stop this, we’ll end up like the parallel world, won’t we?】
【I think I get it. The gossip group is the medium for displacement. Could someone have gathered us on purpose, using the two-year gap to change the future before the parallel worlds invade?】
After a moment’s thought, Tong Yang agreed it was possible.
If parallel-world people could cross dimensions, maybe future people could send messages through time—and she was the “anchor.”
But why her? In the original timeline, she should’ve died on May 28.
StudyToMakeMoney: 【Where’s the group admin?】
【The admin? They’ve never spoken in the group】
【True! Never seen them post!】
【I bet the admin knows something】
Tong Yang checked the member list. The admin’s username was a pink flower, their avatar the same. Their profile listed their gender as male, age 120 (likely fake), and showed no past activity—meaning they’d never posted since Tong Yang joined.
Who were they? What did they know about time displacement?
Or—which world and timeline did they come from?
【@FlowerAdmin Come out!】
【@Flower This is about saving the world】
【@Flower Bro, stop playing dead. What’s really going on?】
【@Flower, just say it straight】
Naturally, no matter how much they tagged him, there was no response.
Tong Yang wasn’t surprised. If the other party had wanted to be upfront with them, they wouldn’t have stayed silent this long.
【Um… okay… what I’m about to tell you, don’t freak out】
【???】
【(listening intently】
【Go ahead, I’ve already accepted the multiverse theory. What else is there to fear?】
【Go to the group info, scroll to the bottom, and tap on the group creation time. You’ll see two options: one for the creation time, and one for the number of days since creation】
Tong Yang followed the steps and selected the "days since creation" option, only to be met with a system error that kicked her back to the creation time.
In her timeline, the group hadn’t even been created yet, so it made sense she couldn’t see the days.
When she returned to the chat, the group was already flooded with question marks.
【???】
【Huh????】
【How many days has this group existed??】
【Am I seeing this right??】
【Holy crap??? This is terrifying when you think about it!!】
【What the hell is going on???】
【No way, this is getting scarier by the minute???】
Tong Yang asked what they were seeing.
【The group’s been around for over 3,600 days!】
【This group was created at least ten years ago??】
【What the—! The timeline for this group is in 2036?!】
【Mom, save me, what is happening!】
【I can’t take this anymore, I’m leaving the group. I don’t care about the money!】
Tong Yang stared at the messages, momentarily stunned, before replying: 【This means someone from 2036 gathered us in this group】
【Aaaah, just tell us what you want! I’ll do anything, okay?】
【What the hell do you want from us?】
Jiao Yang reminds you that "Horror Gossip Group [Unlimited]" will be updated first on [], remember to check [()] for the latest chapters
"Learning is for Making Money": 【Everyone, calm down. We don’t know the reason, but it doesn’t seem malicious. Maybe it’s like you guessed—they’re using the time difference to change the future】
【But we don’t know what happens after 2026】
【Tong-jie, you’re the only one who can really change history. All we can do is give you information】
【I seriously want to call the police! Damn it】
"Learning is for Making Money": 【For now, let’s stick to the original plan. If I find anything else, I’ll let you know】
Hearing footsteps outside the door, Tong Yang quickly ended the chat, silenced her phone, and closed her eyes.
The footsteps stopped outside her room. Half a minute later, there was a soft "click" as the door was opened from the outside.
In the darkness, Tong Yang held her breath. The intruder’s steps were light as they approached her bed.
Lying with her back to them, she heard a quiet sob. Then, a small hand lifted the blanket, and a damp cheek pressed against her back. Small arms wrapped around her waist, the body trembling slightly.
"Big sis… I’m sorry…"
"I’ll never go with strangers again… I won’t make you worry anymore…"
"Don’t leave me with someone else… I’ll be good… I won’t be a burden…"
"Please…"
Tong Yang’s body stiffened, but she couldn’t help turning around to wipe his tears. "Why are you crying?"
Tong Le’s body shook with sobs. "Don’t abandon me…"
She ruffled his hair. "I told you, I’m not abandoning you."
"Wherever you go, I’m going too! I don’t care… I want to stay with you!"
"If you don’t let me come, I’ll earn money myself and sneak after you!"
"You don’t even have an ID. How are you going to find me?"
"I’ll walk! Crawl if I have to! No matter where you go, I’ll find you!"
They had relied on each other for so long that they’d never really been apart.
The longest separation was probably the five days Tong Le spent at boarding school.
Tong Yang had once thought that since Tong Le was smart enough to earn money on his own, he’d survive just fine even if she died on May 18th.
But now, she wasn’t so sure.
If he was already crying and throwing a tantrum over being left in the old district, how would he react if she really died?
With a sigh, she patted his back soothingly. "Don’t you have anything to ask me?"
Tong Le stopped sniffling, lifting his tear-streaked face. "Sis, what do you mean?"
"You saw someone who looked just like me, didn’t you?"
He wiped his eyes. "C-Can you tell me about it?"
"Mm. I’ll tell you a little."
"A lot of strange things have been happening lately, like what happened to Yang Lin and the others last night. If I take you with me, we’ll probably run into more of that. You’re still young. You can’t protect yourself, and I can’t shield you from everything. I don’t want you to experience those scary things."
Tong Le said, "I can protect myself. I’m not scared."
"You say that now, but when it actually happens, you might feel differently."
Tong Yang continued, "I’m not trying to leave you behind. I just need time to find the source of all this and stop it for good. That’s why I want you somewhere safe. Those people might target me, so it’s safer if we’re apart."
"Besides, Yang Lin’s parents are good people. I saved Yang Lin, so they’ll take care of you. I’ll call often, visit when I can, and ask the police to keep an eye on you."
Tong Le clutched her sleeve anxiously. "Sis, are you going to be in a lot of danger?"
"Yeah, so I can’t—"
"No! Then I have to stay with you! Even if I’m small, I can still protect you!"
Tong Yang: "…"
"How are you going to protect me? You can’t even fight kids your own age."
"That’s because there were too many of them! And even if I can’t win, I can stall the bad guys so you can run!"
"Then you’d die."
Tong Le sat up, his expression resolute. "Sis, I’m not afraid of dying. I’m not afraid of danger."
"You might not be scared, but I don’t want to drag you into this."
(Though maybe it’s unavoidable.)
And she didn’t want Tong Le to see her kill someone.
She wanted him to be the opposite of her—bright, happy, carefree.
Those things were too bloody for him.
Tong Le mumbled, "I’m really not scared at all."
Tong Yang chuckled and said, "Still, keeping you here isn't foolproof. I’ll think it over some more, and you should do the same. Go rest early—I’ll take you to school tomorrow."
Tong Le rubbed his eyes. "I just don’t want to be apart from you."
"I know. Go to sleep. It’s not like I’m leaving right this second."
Tong Le wanted to sleep with her, but Tong Yang refused. Grumbling, he rubbed his eyes and shuffled back to his own room.
The next day, Monday, Tong Yang took Tong Le to school as usual.
It was unclear how the school had handled the incident involving the homeroom teacher of Class 6, Grade 4, but there didn’t seem to be any visible repercussions. Before leaving, Tong Yang asked around and learned that the class had been assigned a more experienced teacher.
To ensure student safety and prevent similar incidents, the school now required parents to refrain from entering the premises during school hours. At dismissal, parents had to personally pick up their children at the gate.
As Tong Yang was leaving, she ran into Yang Lin and his mother.
After two days of rest, Yang Lin had mostly regained his usual energy.
"Auntie," Tong Yang greeted.
Yang Lin’s mother beamed at her. "Here to drop off Lele?"
"Yeah."
Yang Lin glanced up at her and called out, "Sis."
"Linlin, you can go in by yourself," his mother said.
"Bye, Mom. Bye, Sis." Yang Lin waved and headed into the school.
Yang Lin’s mother offered Tong Yang a ride back to Dongyang Community, and she didn’t refuse.
Once in the car, Yang Lin’s mother asked, "Tong Yang, have you thought about what we discussed the other day?"
Tong Yang hesitated, then shook her head. "Not yet."
Yang Lin’s mother sighed. "You’ve had it tough. If you go away for school, you won’t have time to look after your brother. We all adore Lele—if he’s okay with it, we’d be more than happy to help. But after what happened, we’ll likely transfer Linlin to a school in the capital next semester. His grandmother is a professor at Peking University, so he might be able to attend the affiliated elementary school."
She paused briefly before continuing, "Shiyu estimated her college entrance exam score at around 700. Her grandmother wants her to apply to Peking University, but that girl insists on going to the same school as you."
Tong Yang looked at her, puzzled. She didn’t understand why this was being brought up.
The drive from the experimental primary school to Dongyang Community was short, and they soon arrived at the gate.
Yang Lin’s mother parked by the roadside and turned to Tong Yang with gentle eyes. "Shiyu mentioned your grades are even better than hers. Getting into Peking University won’t be a problem for you. So we thought—if you don’t mind—you could apply there together with Shiyu and take Lele to the capital. His grades are excellent too. The affiliated elementary school might be strict with admissions, but there are plenty of other good schools nearby. With his scores and our connections, it shouldn’t be an issue."
Tong Yang stared at her, stunned.
"You mean…?"
Yang Lin’s mother smiled. "I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how to repay you. You and Lele have done so much for our Linlin. We’ve even asked him, and this is what we’ve decided: you and Shiyu can attend Peking University together, while Linlin and Lele transfer to schools in the capital next semester. My husband and I plan to move back to Beijing and stay with his grandmother. While you’re in school, Lele can live with us—we’ll take care of him. Don’t worry about expenses; we’ll cover everything. This is the least we can do to repay you both."
"Auntie, you don’t have to go this far," Tong Yang murmured, lowering her gaze, her emotions in turmoil.
Admittedly, the offer was incredibly tempting. Tong Yang had been afraid of venturing into unfamiliar territory where she couldn’t watch over Tong Le. They didn’t even have a place to stay, and with recent events—and potential future dangers—she couldn’t risk his safety.
But Tong Le didn’t want to be separated from her, and she felt the same.
Yang Lin’s mother’s proposal solved all her immediate problems. She could take Tong Le with her without worrying about leaving him vulnerable.
After studying Tong Yang for a moment, Yang Lin’s mother reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Tong Yang, it’s time you let yourself breathe a little."
"Don’t feel awkward about this. Linlin means more to me than my own life. You saved him, and I genuinely want to help you."
Tong Yang kept her eyes down for a long moment before finally smiling. "Auntie, thank you. Right now… I really do need your help. But I’ll transfer Lele’s living expenses to you every month. Please don’t refuse."
Recognizing her stubbornness—the same determination that had kept her and her brother afloat all these years—Yang Lin’s mother sighed in resignation. "Alright."
"Tong Yang, make sure to explain things properly to Lele. Ever since that day, he hasn’t been speaking to our Linlin."
Tong Yang laughed. "Sorry about that, Auntie. Lele’s always been clingy with me."
"It’s fine. If Linlin had a sister like you, he’d probably stick to you even at night."
"Thank you, truly."
"We should be thanking you."
After saying goodbye, Tong Yang returned home.
If she could take Tong Le with her without worrying about neglecting him, Yang Lin’s mother’s help was a godsend. Tong Le would be overjoyed when he found out.
As for attending Peking University with Chu Shiyu, Tong Yang had no objections. The university’s admissions office had already reached out to her last week.
She pulled up the call log from that day, hesitating over whether to dial the number back. In the end, she decided to wait—tonight at midnight, she could check her exam results. She’d decide then.
Before then, she spent time researching the capital. It was a massive city, and Tong Yang had barely even left the old district.
She looked up transportation, cost of living, and some well-ranked elementary schools. The admission requirements and tuition fees were steep—around 40,000 to 50,000 a year. Her savings might last one year, and scholarships would help, but she’d still need to earn more.
Still, with her past experience, making money shouldn’t be too hard.
Tong Yang had planned to stay up until midnight to check her results, but she’d forgotten about the community’s nightly power outage. After 11:30 PM, there wasn’t a single bar of signal.
Cursing under her breath, she threw on a jacket and slipped out into the night.
The neighborhood was quiet and dark, the rows of buildings rustling in the wind.
Unfazed by the eerie atmosphere, Tong Yang walked alone out of the community and stopped under a streetlamp nearby. Her phone regained signal just as the clock struck midnight.
The group chat in the social app was flooded with messages late into the night, as everyone stayed up waiting to check their exam results.
[Ahhhhhh!]
[The official website is so laggy ahhhhh!]
[So nervous, so nervous! Even though it was a rollercoaster, I think I did pretty well!]
[Has anyone checked yet? Mine won’t load!]
[Ahhh, I’m freaking out!]
Tong Yang felt her nerves spike from the endless stream of messages. Even though she knew her score would undoubtedly be high, the tension was still unbearable.
She logged into the Beiwang Provincial Education Examination Institute’s official website. The progress bar crawled agonizingly slow before the page finally loaded. She clicked on the admission query, entered her exam ticket number, name, and verification code, then hit search.
The progress bar inched forward while the group chat continued buzzing—some students had already managed to check their scores.
Tong Yang clenched her fists, watching the sluggish blue bar creep across the screen, the page stubbornly blank.
"Trash internet," she muttered through gritted teeth.
The moment the words left her mouth, the snail-paced progress bar suddenly shot forward like a rocket, and the page finally displayed her results.
Tong Yang’s eyes lit up as she scanned from top to bottom:
Name: Tong Yang
Chinese:
Math:
English:
Science:
Note: Your ranking is being calculated.
(Please check on the 29th.)
Tong Yang stayed silent for a few seconds, closed the browser, and reopened the social app.
[No way! I got the exact same score as mine!]
[Ahhh, I scored higher than usual!]
[I bombed it…]
[Well, some are happy, some are miserable.]
[I wanna know Chu Shiyu and Tong Yang’s scores!]
[@Chu Shiyu @StudyForMoney]
[@Chu Shiyu @StudyForMoney]
[@Chu Shiyu @StudyForMoney]
StudyForMoney: [Transfer 50 for a screenshot.]
[Chu Shiyu transferred 500 to StudyForMoney.]
Chu Shiyu: [Send it.]
StudyForMoney: [Got it. Thanks for the tip, Miss Chu.]
Tong Yang swiftly took a screenshot, blurred out personal details, and left only the subjects, scores, and the note at the bottom.
[What the—??]
[What do the asterisks mean?]
[Wait, Tong Yang, your score wasn’t recorded?!]
[How? Everyone else’s was…]
[AHHH! Tong Yang, you’re a god! A shielded examinee!!!]
[Huh? What’s a shielded examinee?]
[It’s to prevent media hype over top scorers—the top 50 in the province have their scores hidden for a few days.]
[Wait… Tong Yang is in the top 50 provincially???]
[Why is this surprising? She aced science—she could be the provincial champion!]
StudyForMoney: [@Chu Shiyu What about you?]
Less than two minutes later, Chu Shiyu dropped a screenshot—identical to Tong Yang’s.
[Huh?]
[Wait, what??]
[No way???]
[Didn’t we all take the same exam?]
[You two… holy crap! Is Third High insane this year? Two in the provincial top 50??]
[Damn! My mom wanted me to transfer to Third High last year, but I refused because of the ugly uniforms. I regret it so much now!]
[Well, not everyone from Third High did well…]
Sun Ye: […Are you shading me?]
[Pfft, no.]
[You’ve always been bad, it’s not news.]
Chu Shiyu: [I’ve never scored above 700 before. Tong Yang’s mock exam predicted five of the math problems, and she nailed the reading comprehension and physics sections.]
[No way!]
[I should’ve bought her notes!]
[Tong Yang, you’re this good??]
[Chills… terrifying.]
StudyForMoney: [Even if you had the predictions, understanding the material is another thing.]
Sun Ye: […Are you shading me again?]
StudyForMoney: [Shrug.jpg]
Before Tong Yang could chat further, Teacher Yang called.
"Tong Yang, did you check your score?!"
"No, it’s all asterisks."
"Provincial top 50!!! You made it!!! Our school’s first shielded examinee EVER!!!"
Tong Yang paused. "Chu Shiyu too."
Teacher Yang gasped. "Seriously?? She’s in the top 50??"
"Yeah. You should call her."
After hanging up, Tong Yang headed straight home.
She knew she’d land in the top 50—she just didn’t know her exact rank.
Back home, she slept soundly until morning. When she woke up, her phone was flooded with notifications—Group 1209 had gone wild.
[Third High in the old district just won at life.]
[This is HUGE! It’s blowing up!]
[The news barely had traction before, but now it’s trending #1 on Weibo!]
[The Provincial Education Department publicly praised them—who can compete with that?]
[LOL, the old district was dirt poor, but now the government’s gonna pour money into it. The local officials probably wanna kiss them.]
StudyForMoney: [?]
Tong Yang was lost.
[Check Weibo, Tong Yang!]
[You and Miss Chu are famous!]
Skeptical, Tong Yang opened Weibo and saw the trending tag: #HeroicGaokaoTopScorers.
Clicking in, she found an official post from the Old District Police—two Third High students, surnamed Tong and Chu, had risked their lives to save four elementary schoolers.
She’d seen the post before, but back then, it had little attention. Now, it had over a million likes and 700K reposts.
Scrolling further, someone had shared an old district newspaper clipping—Third High had two shielded examinees. Netizens quickly connected the dots, realizing they were the same heroic students. Then, an anonymous user posted their class graduation photo, circling their faces. Reporters called the school for confirmation, and just like that—they went viral.
"Such kindness, such beauty, such terrifying scores, such niche vocabulary."
"Sis, pls—come to our school, I beg."
"Junior, I’m calling dibs! I’ll fight the principal for you!"
"At first glance, just a normal news story. At second glance—way out of my league."
"I NEED their contact info ASAP."
"At 22, I’ve met the two people I’d die to protect. Should’ve studied harder—maybe we’d be classmates."
"Principal, if you recruit them, I’ll be your loyal dog."
"Y’all, they’re ridiculously good-looking."
"Give up. They’re either going to Peking U or Tsinghua."
…
Tong Yang pondered—maybe she could ride the hype and start live-streaming. Would brands reach out for promotions?
Before she could decide, a call from the capital flashed on her screen.
