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Upon hearing this, Qu Loong couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. There might still be a way out. If Qu Menghan didn't want to leave, they couldn't force her. That would be illegal. Wang Qi was at a loss for words. Even now, Qu Menghan was still thinking about her stubborn grandparents. "Didn't you hear? Your grandparents agreed to marry you off to an old man. Clearly, in their eyes, you're not as important as their son. Why would you want to stay in a family like that?" Wang Qi was exasperated. Was Qu Menghan really that naive? Qu Menghan fell silent, feeling torn. Wang Qi understood that this was likely due to the gratitude she felt for being raised by them, and he could empathize. Qu Loong still hadn't paid back the money, and it was no surprise that the creditors were coming after the grandparents. Life would be unbearable otherwise. "All right, I'll leave your family with $10,000." Wang Qi thought it over and realized that without giving them money, Qu Menghan wouldn't come with him. He had to provide the money to ease her worries. "Give us $10,000, and you can take her." Qu Loong's eyes lit up. He needed $10,000, and it didn't matter who gave it to him. Wang Qi was speechless. He was essentially paying off someone else's debt, and it was $10,000, enough to buy 10 square feet in the Imperial Capital. However, Wang Qi wasn't doing this for Menghan's second uncle, but for her grandparents. Despite his dissatisfaction with them, they did support Menghan's education. "Let's go. I'll head to the bank to get the money for you." Wang Qi felt resigned. He initially wanted to give the money to Menghan's grandparents, but he figured it would end up being used to pay off Qu Loong's debts anyway, so it didn't matter who he gave it to. Soon, Wang Qi left, dispersing the crowd, and instructed Liu Chao to get $10,000 to compensate the young folks, promising them an additional $200 later. Wang Qi intended to keep his word. Wang Qi withdrew $100,000 in cash from a nearby bank and handed it to Qu Loong, who was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear.

"From now on, Menghan owes you nothing. Also, let me remind you, if you keep gambling, you'll eventually ruin yourself. Someone helped you this time, but what about next time? Of course, old habits die hard, and maybe when you lose everything, you'll finally understand regret." Wang Qi spoke calmly, knowing that people like Qu Loong rarely change. Once he loses everything, his gambling days will be over, and so will his life as he knows it. Qu Loong looked a bit embarrassed and stayed silent. Wang Qi asked Qu Menghan to pack her things, and then they left for school. Qu Menghan definitely wanted to take the college entrance exam. Attending college was not really a problem; she could apply for financial aid or student loans. She did not need anyone's help to finish college. Was she doing well in her studies? "Thank you. I'll pay you back someday," Qu Menghan said. Hearing this, Wang Qi felt a bit dissatisfied. Wasn't this the typical response of someone overly eager to please? He wanted her, not her money. "I'll take care of you. Don't worry, but don't pull a fast one on me later. I've invested a lot, so don't just wave goodbye and disappear," Wang Qi said, still believing that Qu Menghan was not that kind of person. Qu Menghan pursed her lips and rolled her eyes dramatically. Wang Qi knew he had changed Qu Menghan's fate. When they returned to school, Wang Qi had not officially taken leave, but Ms. Lee did not give him any trouble, knowing he had been helping Qu Menghan.

The college entrance exam was drawing closer. Relying on his memory, Wang Qi wrote down the exam questions from that year, though there were a few he couldn’t recall. After all, many years had passed, and it was impossible to remember every single question. It helped that after his own exam, he had been unable to let it go. He had printed out the questions and redone them several times, which left a deep impression. "With my score, getting into Imperial Capital University shouldn’t be a problem." Wang Qi murmured to himself as he sat at his desk, studying the questions carefully. He had to memorize them properly. For senior students in the Imperial Capital, getting into Imperial Capital University came with an advantage. Their required scores were lower than those of students from other places, a benefit tied to household registration. It was already late at night. Lee Fengxia brought in a plate of fried eggs, and seeing how hard Wang Qi was working, she felt deeply relieved. "Son, keep it up. Once you're in college, things will get easier," she encouraged him. Wang Qi was speechless. Was college really going to be a breeze? It didn’t seem that way. Without effort, even college could be a disaster. As time passed, the day of the college entrance exam finally arrived. In the exam room, there were about 30 students, spaced widely apart, with two proctors and surveillance cameras. Wang Qi and Liu Chao were in the same room, along with three other classmates. At first, Wang Qi considered sharing the questions with Liu Chao, but he didn’t dare. He was afraid something would leak and cause trouble. After all, the college entrance exam was no small matter. Liu Chao’s grades weren’t great, and getting into a top university was basically impossible for him. As for Qu Menghan, Wang Qi wasn’t worried at all. With her grades, as long as she performed normally, getting into Imperial Capital University shouldn’t be a problem.

The college entrance examination lasted 2 days. After the first day’s exams ended, Wang Qi saw many parents standing at the school gate. Today was not a holiday, so plenty of them must have taken time off work. They all hoped their sons would become dragons and their daughters phoenixes. Unfortunately, standing out from the crowd was easier said than done. Most people were ordinary; they just refused to admit it. Wang Qi’s mother, Lee Fengxia, had arrived as well. She looked worried, and the moment she saw him, she asked, "How did you do on the exam?" Wang Qi was left speechless. Wang Qi couldn’t resist pinching Qu Menghan’s cheek, charmed by her innocent expression. "I got it," Menghan nodded. With that, Wang Qi left, planning to get some rest since there was an exam the next day.

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