Ye Qianying was completely unaware that she had been spotted by those two people on the street.
She was in a particularly good mood today—not only because she had helped her older brother refine a key project, but also because she had come to a certain realization. This buoyant feeling remained undiminished even after she returned home and settled at her desk.
So, as a celebration of her high spirits…
Ye Qianying spread open her workbook on the table and said cheerfully to the system, "Since I'm in such a rare good mood, why not cool off by doing a practice exam?"
The learning system was so surprised its voice glitched. "Host, you’ve truly seen the light!"
"That’s right. I want to enter the mock exam… Hmm, didn’t you say before that there’s no limit to how many times I can take it? Meaning as long as I have the energy, I can keep grinding away at it? Oh, and can I submit the exam early?"
The learning system: "…"
Even the system’s loopholes aren’t safe from your scheming. Truly, the daughter of a capitalist tycoon through and through.
The same old loophole-hunting, the same old host. Some things never change—this was the same familiar flavor from when they’d first bonded.
After receiving the system’s confirmation that early submission was allowed, Ye Qianying stretched her shoulders in relaxation.
"Oh, right. I mentioned before that I’d bring something for Teacher Zhong next time we meet. System, I remember you said I could exchange points for gifts?"
The system’s electronic voice sounded hesitant. "The system does have a gift shop function, but due to insufficient host permissions, it’s currently unavailable to you."
Ye Qianying pondered this. "What conditions do I need to meet to unlock it?"
"You need to accumulate 100,000 points—so points are very important, Host. You should complete more tasks and work hard to save them up."
A hundred thousand—again with the hundred thousand. Last time, during their discussion about liberal arts versus sciences, the system had also said she needed 100,000 to unlock further functions.
It seemed that 100,000 points was the threshold to uncovering just the tip of the system’s iceberg.
Thinking of the first main task she’d accepted—scoring a perfect 120 points on an exam would reward her with 10,000 points—Ye Qianying quietly steeled her resolve.
She didn’t press the issue further, simply instructing the system to activate the mock exam function.
The next moment, she found herself back in that familiar classroom, her face smooth and unblemished, her legs steady beneath her.
This time, however, Ye Qianying didn’t marvel at her restored health. Without waiting for the elderly teacher’s prompting, she took her seat and offered a slight bow to the invigilator at the podium.
"My apologies for the trouble."
Teacher Zhong adjusted his glasses, his expression as stern and unyielding as ever. He followed protocol, showing Ye Qianying the sealed exam packet before delivering the same line as before.
"You have an hour and a half. Manage your time wisely."
This time, the first thing Ye Qianying did upon receiving the exam was write her name on the designated line.
……
She performed well on this attempt.
The exam’s major problems weren’t overly difficult, with the trickiest question being a fill-in-the-blank—one that Ye Qianying, unsurprisingly, couldn’t solve.
The knowledge point tested by that blank was admittedly obscure. During her studies, she’d focused primarily on high-frequency topics to maximize her score, leaving some of the more peripheral material neglected.
Teacher Zhong still walked her through the problem afterward, asking, "Is there anything else you don’t understand?"
At the moment, Ye Qianying had no other questions.
Not because she knew everything—far from it. She simply hadn’t yet identified where her gaps lay.
But she was confident she’d soon discover which areas needed reinforcement.
She mentally noted the knowledge point from the fill-in-the-blank, then logged out of the mock exam system.
The instant she returned to reality, greeted by the familiar sight of her bedroom, Ye Qianying didn’t hesitate before calling the system again.
"System, I want another math mock exam."
And so, Ye Qianying logged out and back in with lightning speed.
From Teacher Zhong’s perspective, his student had vanished into thin air one second, only to abruptly rematerialize in the center of the classroom the next—an effect no less startling than a teleportation.
Teacher Zhong: "…"
Without a word, he removed his thick bifocals and polished them meticulously.
"You have an hour and a half. Manage your time wisely."
……
After this exam concluded, Ye Qianying again logged out immediately after reviewing her mistakes.
She’d grown so accustomed to the routine that her movements were perhaps a bit too brisk.
Teacher Zhong, his voice slightly frail with age, had barely begun to say, "Student Ye, wait—" when the girl vanished before his eyes.
Teacher Zhong: "…"
Then, in the blink of an eye, Ye Qianying reappeared in the middle of the room, looking faintly puzzled.
"Sorry, did you call for me just now, Teacher?"
"Ah." Teacher Zhong sighed, removing his glasses to wipe them again. The lenses, already thin from constant polishing, seemed on the verge of evaporating into transparency.
"You youngsters are always so impatient, never letting people finish speaking."
"I wanted to ask if you’d like me to go over the key points with you after this exam." He paused, fixing Ye Qianying with a stern yet affectionate look. "You clearly have nothing better to do—must be dreadfully bored."
Ye Qianying’s expression immediately brightened. "Oh! That’s an option? Thank you, Teacher."
She hadn’t tried this approach before—evidently, she still wasn’t fully exploiting the system’s loopholes.
The learning system: "…" Host, you’re already pushing it!
As for the elderly teacher, his stern façade cracked at Ye Qianying’s earnest gratitude, revealing a warm smile beneath.
"I’ll never understand what goes on in you kids’ heads," Teacher Zhong grumbled, though his eyes sparkled with fondness. "Invigilating is just a side gig—teaching is a teacher’s real job."
Any dedicated educator would leap at the chance to answer questions. The more diligent and eager the student, the happier they’d be. How could he stand by and watch this child grind mock exams just to identify her weak spots?
Ah well. Better put his old bones to work and walk her through the key concepts properly.
Under Teacher Zhong’s guidance, Ye Qianying’s progress advanced by leaps and bounds.
From that day onward, every afternoon after her lessons with Teacher Liu, Ye Qianying would log into the simulation space to tackle another exam. No matter what else happened, she maintained this habit without fail.
Practicing exams kept her skills sharp—that was reason one. Identifying her weaknesses was reason two. And the most crucial reason of all? Those extra tutorial sessions with Teacher Zhong.
The only reason Ye Qianying didn’t spend every waking moment in the simulation was out of consideration for Teacher Zhong’s age—his energy had its limits.
Although Ye Qianying knew that Teacher Zhong would always gladly answer her questions whenever she asked, and although this elderly teacher might just be a virtual character in the system's settings, it went against her personal principles to overburden an old man like this.
If not for the fact that the simulation system had no day or night cycle—remaining perpetually bright—Ye Qianying would have even considered adjusting her testing hours to noon.
Apart from seeking guidance from Teacher Zhong in the evenings, she usually attended classes with Teacher Liu during the day.
Teacher Liu was astonished by Ye Qianying’s progress.
Anyone who has ever taught knows that helping a student improve from 60 to 90 points is relatively easy. Such students have numerous gaps in their knowledge, and filling in about 80% of those gaps can lead to a significant leap in their scores.
But pushing a student from 90 to 120 points? That’s an entirely different challenge.
After all, exam papers are deliberately designed with tiered difficulty—ensuring average students can score while allowing top students to stand out.
To achieve a perfect score, a student can’t just master 80% of the material; they need to grasp 120% of it.
Most students hitting the 90-point mark would inevitably face bottlenecks, stumbling blocks, and countless hours spent wrestling with concepts they hadn’t fully understood.
Yet Ye Qianying was different. Her progress was as steady as a straight line—just as consistent from 60 to 90 as it was from 90 to 120.
She was like a cup that never overflowed, no matter how much was poured into it. No matter how complex the topic, she absorbed it all with calm composure, never once complaining about the difficulty.
Of course, Teacher Zhong’s guidance played a role, but Ye Qianying’s own relentless effort was just as crucial.
On average, she spent at least sixteen hours a day immersed in mathematics. Ever since discovering the simulated exam function, she had never slept more than five hours a night.
Under such an intense study regimen, the short yet interminable month finally passed, and the main task entered its evaluation phase.
[Task: Junior High Mathematics Test initiated. Host, please manage your time wisely and enter the learning space to take the exam before 24:00 today.]
The moment had arrived at last.
Ye Qianying wasn’t particularly nervous. After all, she had given her absolute best in preparation over the past month.
"Begin the exam."
The next instant, she found herself back in that familiar examination hall.
This time, besides Teacher Zhong, there was also a smiling male teacher on the podium. As Ye Qianying entered the testing area, he was leaning against the desk, chatting quietly with Teacher Zhong.
Noticing her arrival, he straightened up and gave Teacher Zhong a slight nod. "The examinee is here."
The male teacher took the test paper from the elderly instructor and personally placed it in front of Ye Qianying.
"Two hours. Keep an eye on the clock while answering."
As he spoke, his eyes crinkled warmly, the friendly lines at their corners making him seem like a kindly uncle who’d watched her grow up.
Sixty-seven minutes later, Ye Qianying submitted her paper.
Teacher Zhong graded it on the spot, pulling out that stubby red pen of his to mark one correct answer after another.
Five minutes later, the old teacher gave Ye Qianying a solemn nod.
"Full marks—120." After a pause, he added teasingly, "This time, you didn’t forget to write your name."
Even though she had anticipated this result, hearing it confirmed still made Ye Qianying clench her fist in quiet triumph.
The system’s announcement arrived almost simultaneously, just ten seconds behind Teacher Zhong’s remark.
[Main Task: Junior High Mathematics Test completed.
Rewards: 5% progress on appearance restoration, +10,000 points.
Bonus: One beauty enhancement lottery draw.]
"Congratulations, Host. You have completed your junior high mathematics studies. Please don’t rush—the system will issue tasks related to high school knowledge in the future."
"Host, your beauty enhancement lottery draw is ready. Would you like to proceed now?"
Ye Qianying stared at the delicate little box before her, as if she could see through its thin, crystal-clear surface to glimpse the wonders inside.
"Draw now."
