C18 (18)

Yiyi finally managed to calm Mo Tingchen down and get out of the house just as her college entrance exam results were released. Her score barely met the minimum requirement for a top-tier university, and she was terrified of letting her parents know.

However, Su Mei had her exam registration information and, after getting no answers from Yiyi, decided to check the results herself. When she saw the disappointing score, she couldn't believe it.

Rumors about Yiyi falsely accusing Lingling had already spread far and wide. To save face, Su Mei had confidently told others that Yiyi had done exceptionally well on her exams. Now, faced with the reality, she felt utterly embarrassed.

Sitting on the couch, Su Mei confronted her, "Yiyi, what's going on? Didn't you say you did well on your exams?"

"Mom, I... I wasn't feeling well on the exam day, but I didn't want to let you and Dad down, so I went ahead and took it anyway. I didn't do my best. I'm sorry."

As Yiyi spoke, tears started streaming down her face.

Yuan Lin, looking sympathetic, said, "It's alright, it's not the end of the world. If you didn't do well, you can always study abroad for a few years."

With Yuan Lin's reassurance, Su Mei didn't press further, though she couldn't help but remark coldly, "Why didn't you tell us earlier? I told everyone you did great, and now... it's embarrassing."

This was the first time Su Mei had spoken so harshly, and Yiyi was taken aback. She had always known that Su Mei and her husband treated her well because she excelled in everything, bringing them pride. But now, just one failure, and Su Mei had changed?

This time, Yiyi truly cried.

"Alright, alright, the kid's already upset enough, no need to say more," Yuan Lin said, always indulgent towards his daughter and never one to scold her.

"I was just asking," Su Mei softened. "Yiyi, I was just worried. Your dad's right, with our family's standing, we don't need test scores to prove anything. You're talented in so many ways, you'll be fine, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, Mom and Dad, for understanding. I'll work harder from now on."

"Well, that's our good girl," Su Mei said with a loving smile, as if she hadn't just been questioning Yiyi moments before.

"Mom, Dad, I'm heading back to my room now."

"Alright, go ahead."

As Yiyi turned away, her expression turned cold. She couldn't rely on her parents, so she needed to secure the family's assets quickly.

Yuan Lin turned on the news, and just then, they were announcing this year's top college entrance exam scorer. Hearing the name Lingling, the family thought it was just someone with the same name. But when they saw the school and class information, they realized it was the Lingling they knew.

Yuan Lin and Su Mei were in disbelief. How could Lingling, who had always had poor grades, be the top scorer?

Yiyi felt a pang of jealousy. Why did Lingling have to become beautiful and steal her academic spotlight too?

Su Mei remarked sarcastically, "So what if she scored well? It's not like she can really stand out." She conveniently ignored how graceful Lingling looked when playing the piano.

"Enough, we have no connection with her anymore. Let's not mention her again. We have Yiyi, and that's enough. Yiyi, go get some rest."

"Thanks, Dad."

In the following days, Yiyi stayed in her room, only coming down for meals. She was terrified of anyone discovering her insecurities.

Yiyi couldn't shake the feeling that her life wasn't supposed to be like this. Where did it all go wrong? She couldn't stand being overshadowed.

---

Lingling had been busy lately, with the game reaching its final stages. Mooh Bai, knowing she disliked hassle, took charge of setting up the company and recruiting talent, while Lingling focused on testing from home.

Meanwhile, Mo Tingchen's emotions were spiraling out of control due to the influence of some photos, yet a deep-seated sense of destiny kept him from letting go.