Should I pursue science? Or should I continue with humanities like in my past life?
Ye Qianying didn’t answer the system’s question directly.
Instead, she smiled sincerely and replied vaguely, "I’ve been spending more time on these subjects because, lately, I’ve found numbers, geometry, and the theorems that reveal the workings of the world truly fascinating."
Of course, it was also because Ye Qianying’s foundation in science was relatively weak, which was why she needed to invest more effort and approach them with greater seriousness.
In her past life, Ye Qianying had studied human sociology abroad, a field closely tied to history, geography, biology, and politics.
In fact, thanks to her major, she discovered an unexpected talent for languages.
Her thesis had focused on Mexican customs and culture, prompting her to spend half a year in Mexico. During that time, she incidentally picked up Spanish.
And once she’d mastered Spanish, Portuguese naturally came easily too.
As for the other languages she knew, their origins were a bit peculiar: her second caretaker abroad was Italian, and she’d picked up the language through casual conversations. Meanwhile, since her thesis couldn’t avoid addressing religious topics, she’d also gained a rudimentary understanding of Greek and Latin.
So…
"Honestly, I always thought my talent lay in languages," Ye Qianying mused, twirling a strand of her hair as she spoke to the system, a touch of wonder in her tone. "Who would’ve guessed I’d turn out to be just as good at math and physics?"
Life was truly unpredictable. Without experiencing it firsthand, who would’ve believed that Ye Qianying was actually an all-rounder?
The learning system: "…" The host’s ego was so inflated, its surface area had exceeded all reasonable limits.
The two exchanged a lighthearted joke, their moods thoroughly lifted.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Class 15 was electric with excitement.
Though Classes 15 and 16 shared the same set of teachers, Class 15’s academic performance had always lagged far behind. Whether it was the number of students in the top 50, the class average, or any other metric, they were almost always at the bottom.
As a result, teachers tended to favor the neighboring class, and students from Class 16 generally looked down on Class 15. Though the two classes were nominally "sibling classes," their relationship was anything but harmonious.
In the past, whenever disputes arose between them, the exchanges usually went like this—
Class 16: "Our class has better grades."
Class 15: "Our class has more money."
Class 16 upped the ante: "Our class has the school heartthrob, Young Master Qi."
Class 15 promptly countered: "Our class has the campus belle, Sister Ying."
Class 16 delivered the final blow: "Hah, your campus belle was chasing after our Young Master Qi, and he wasn’t even interested."
Class 15: KO.
Especially after Ye Qianying took a leave of absence last semester, the title of campus belle somehow ended up with Xing Yuwei—a development that left everyone fuming.
But who could’ve predicted that, after just one winter break, Class 15 would rise from the very spot they’d fallen? Not only had Ye Qianying returned, but her academic performance had also skyrocketed!
Young Master Qi? Pah, we don’t want him anymore—Sister Ying dumped him first!
Disfigured? Get lost! Everyone in the hallway saw with their own eyes—Sister Ying is still drop-dead gorgeous!
As for academics…
Heh, that so-called "new campus belle" you’ve been hyping up on the forums? She’s still light-years behind our Sister Ying!
Not just her—even your class’s Qi Yuanwen has been utterly crushed by Sister Ying!
Well, okay, the science scores haven’t been released yet, but dominating them in humanities still counts as domination.
In this triumphant mood, Class 15 was practically drowning in laughter and cheers, as if they were ready to unfurl banners and throw a celebration party.
Meanwhile, the lively clamor from Class 15 only made Class 16 seem all the more desolate and subdued in comparison.
Hearing the commotion next door, Qi Yuanwen wordlessly tossed his pen into his pencil case. His irritation made his movements rougher than intended, and the resulting clatter was far louder than he’d expected, drawing curious glances from those around him.
His classmates took one look at his stormy expression and wisely averted their eyes, not daring to provoke him further.
Qi Yuanwen was indeed in a foul mood.
If it had been someone else who’d outshone him—say, Liu Zhixuan from Class 8 or Qin Yawen from Class 24—he might’ve taken it in stride. After all, they’d been rivals since middle school, and he could’ve accepted the loss with relative calm.
But why did it have to be Ye Qianying?
She… she wasn’t just some dark horse that had emerged out of nowhere. She was his ex-girlfriend!
And when it came to exes, no matter how trivial the matter, it was never easy to swallow.
Just as some girls would sneak onto their ex-boyfriend’s social media in the dead of night to compare themselves to his new girlfriend, a guy would feel a sting if his current partner couldn’t measure up to his ex—no one else even needed to point it out.
Even if the two of you had long since cut ties, people who knew about your history would inevitably compare you.
That was why, even though Qi Yuanwen had acted as if he couldn’t care less about Ye Qianying in front of Xing Yuwei, he still felt a twinge of something complicated whenever she crossed his mind.
If Ye Qianying won the bet against Xing Yuwei, it would mean his current girlfriend paled in comparison to his ex—of course, that would rankle.
But if Ye Qianying outscored him in the bet…
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Qi Yuanwen dismissed it outright.
Impossible. Excelling in science wasn’t that easy, and mastering it couldn’t happen overnight.
The gap between humanities and science was obvious—just look at the scores of past top scorers in each field, and the difference was clear.
Qi Yuanwen had always prided himself on being a logical thinker, different from those who relied on rote memorization. He’d only scored modestly in humanities because he couldn’t be bothered to memorize the material, which was why Ye Qianying had temporarily overshadowed him.
But as for her surpassing him in math or the science subjects…
Qi Yuanwen smirked arrogantly, refusing to entertain the possibility.
His self-reassurance worked like a miracle cure, and his expression quickly brightened.
Before long, the math class representative entered the room carrying a stack of test papers, a score sheet placed on top.
Several students immediately crowded around to look. Though Qi Yuanwen remained seated, his gaze involuntarily flicked toward the list.
"146 points! As expected of Young Master Qi!" a classmate exclaimed. "You’re ranked third in the grade for math!"
Qi Yuanwen immediately averted his eyes, a self-satisfied smile spreading across his face.
This math test was exceptionally tricky. Even students with a strong foundation in the subject might not score above 130, let alone Ye Qianying, who had previously struggled to even pass!
Even if she had been taking extra lessons, given her abysmal academic background, she’d probably have to start learning math from middle school level. Qi Yuanwen couldn’t help but think with biting sarcasm.
Little did he know, his assumption had accidentally hit the mark.
However, before Qi Yuanwen’s triumphant smile could fully form, the math class representative from Ye Qianying’s class arrived late, carrying a stack of test papers.
As soon as he passed by Classroom 16’s window, the students noticed him. Someone, eager to stir up drama, called out, "Hey, stop him! Let’s ask what Ye Qianying scored!"
But before anyone could react, the class rep from Classroom 15 changed course. Instead of heading to his own classroom, he marched straight into Classroom 16’s front door!
Under the stunned gazes of the entire class, the rep from Classroom 15 stood tall and announced, "Our class’s Ye Qianying—third in the entire grade! Math score: 146!"
His words landed like an atomic bomb, instantly igniting an explosive reaction in Classroom 16.
The room fell silent for a split second before erupting into chaos, like water splashed into hot oil.
"What?!" "No way!" "Show us the test papers if you dare!"
Qi Yuanwen’s heart skipped a beat. The moment he heard "third in the grade," a sinking feeling hit him. Then, hearing the exact same score as his own, disbelief surged through him, mirroring the shock of his classmates.
How? Ye Qianying, 146? That’s got to be a lie.
The rep from Classroom 15 smirked, feeling as if he’d finally vented all the frustration from the past semester. Bathed in the reflected glory of his class’s top scorer, he couldn’t have been prouder.
He couldn’t care less about the turmoil he’d left behind in Classroom 16. After savoring the stunned expressions of his rivals, he turned and walked away without a second glance, leaving their clamor in his wake.
As if he’d let them see his classmate’s test papers!
Amid the uproar in Classroom 16, a boy who had been checking the rankings for Xing Yuwei hesitated before speaking up. His voice was quiet, stumbling slightly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Xing Yuwei… you got 91 in math…"
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the room turned toward Xing Yuwei.
The class’s academic goddess didn’t even break 100?
91…
Converted to a percentage, that was barely a passing grade.
The words seemed to cast a spell, shifting the atmosphere from restless disbelief to a heavy silence. Even though they knew it was inappropriate, some couldn’t help but glance back and forth between Qi Yuanwen and Xing Yuwei.
Xing Yuwei’s mind went blank.
In that moment, she remembered the major problem on the test she hadn’t been able to solve.
Wasn’t that question worth exactly ten points? If she’d gotten those points, wouldn’t she have broken 100?
Damn it! She’d practiced that type of problem before—she even remembered the concept. But with everything going on lately, she hadn’t had time to review, and when she picked up her pen, her mind went completely blank.
A subtle wave of pity hung in the air.
Other students might have just been surprised, thinking, "Xing Yuwei did that badly this time?" But since it didn’t concern them, they quickly moved on.
In Xing Yuwei’s mind, however, she was already imagining the online backlash once her scores spread—"The Snowflake Girl just got famous, and now her grades are plummeting." The thought alone was suffocating.
Every breath she took felt laced with the weight of everyone’s stares. The pressure was crushing, making it hard to breathe.
Only the math scores were out so far. But after math came physics, then chemistry. She’d already felt off during the exams—what if her scores in those subjects were just as bad? Xing Yuwei didn’t dare think about it.
After what felt like an eternity (though in reality, only a few seconds), Xing Yuwei abruptly stood up and stumbled out of the classroom.
The moment she left, Qi Yuanwen also rose to his feet.
He chased after her but collided with a classmate at the door.
Qi Yuanwen, standing at a tall 1.8 meters, crashed into a much shorter male student. The impact sent the boy sprawling onto his backside. Grimacing, the boy reached out, grabbing Qi Yuanwen’s hand to pull himself up.
Qi Yuanwen had no time for small talk. As soon as he steadied the boy, he turned to leave—but the boy stopped him.
"Qi… Qi-ge, the teachers have finished calculating the overall rankings…"
"…" Qi Yuanwen’s head snapped up.
The boy’s hesitant expression was identical to the one their classmate had worn when announcing Xing Yuwei’s math score.
In an instant, Qi Yuanwen’s heart plunged into icy well water—not just cold, but jagged with shards that left him bleeding.
The boy stammered, "In the nine-subject overall ranking… Ye Qianying is first in the grade."
