The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Repeat a Year

The call from A University’s admissions office came in the evening while Chu Zhi Lu and Zhao Xunyu were watching others play basketball at the village court.

It was a bit noisy around, so she turned on the speakerphone. The caller was a senior sister who had graduated from a county high school and attended University A.

The senior said that the admissions team had learned about her estimated scores and ranking in previous exams from her teacher. Although her college entrance exam scores were not yet known, as long as she signed an enrollment contract with University A, she would be guaranteed admission, no matter how much her scores differed from the estimated ones.

The senior asked if Chu Zhi Lu was home and said an admissions officer would come for a meeting the next morning if she was. A University was planning a trip in the province and wanted to invite Chu Zhi Lu to join the group after the meeting. The group included teachers and current A University students from the province.

Zhao Xunyu was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped and his hand holding Chu Zhi Lu’s became stiff.

Chu Zhi Lu remained calm and told the senior that she would wait for her actual score before making a decision. She also politely declined the in-person meeting.

The senior persisted, listing the many benefits that A University offered and persuading her with her own experience.

Chu Zhi Lu remained unmoved, saying that she hadn’t made up her mind yet and that the admissions office didn’t need to make a special trip. She remained unyielding, and the senior finally hung up, clearly disappointed.

Zhao Xunyu looked at her with a complex expression. “Chu Zhizhi, you… your estimated score of 730 was real?!”

Chu Zhi Lu nodded. “It shouldn’t be far from my actual score.”

They could check their scores at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. The admissions office was probably calling now because they already knew Chu Zhi Lu’s score. The senior was trying to get her to agree to attend A University first.

Zhao Xunyu was overwhelmed with emotions. First, there was shock. Then, pride swelled within him as if her honor were his own. Finally, all of that gave way to a surge of inferiority and anxiety screaming in his head, ‘I’m so useless! I’m such a f*cking chicken.’

They had been completely relaxed before going out, leisurely enjoying tea and a Thai drama. Zhao Xunyu hadn’t expected it. He was content with his simple life while Chu Zhi Lu was calmly confident of victory.

After a flurry of thoughts, he finally said in utter despair, “I think I need to repeat a year.”

Chu Zhi Lu mercilessly shot him down: “You can’t even get through the first-year textbooks right now.”

Dejected, Zhao Xunyu buried his head on her shoulder. “What should I do? I’m so useless.”

Chu Zhi Lu patted his head. “Let’s talk after we see the scores tomorrow.”

“I think I should estimate my score now,” said Zhao Xunyu miserably. He felt as if a meteorite had struck him, shattering his composure.

“Why worry unnecessarily?”

“That senior sister was really something, calling you while I was here. Now, I’m so anxious.”

“…” When wasn’t he here?

Later that evening, the head of the admissions office at A University called Chu Zhi Lu. The senior must have reported the situation. He frankly told her that she was the top scorer in the province and that the admissions team had arrived in the county. The senior who had called earlier was already in the county and would go to the Chu family first to talk to Chu Zhi Lu; the admissions team would arrive afterward.

Chu Zhi Lu turned to look at Zhao Xunyu, who was trying to distance himself to avoid overhearing. She said, “It’s too late. Let’s talk tomorrow morning.”

She didn’t want anyone to lose sleep tonight.

The admissions officer understood that she would agree to a meeting the next day. He confirmed this and, upon receiving a definitive answer, said goodbye contentedly.

After she hung up, Zhao Xunyu asked, “Who was it?”

If she said it was the admissions office, he would stop her from continuing.

“A friend.”

After washing up, Zhao Xunyu went to bed and started teasing her.

Exasperated, Chu Zhi Lu closed her English novel. “Go back to your room and sleep.”

Zhao Xunyu hugged her tightly. “No, I want to share your good luck.”

Chu Zhi Lu sighed, got out of bed and randomly picked a math workbook from the bookcase. “Aren’t you going to repeat a year? Find your rhythm by doing some exercises, junior.”

Zhao Xunyu listlessly took it and leaned against the headboard with her, flipping through it. Two minutes later, he gasped and clutched his ch*st. “I can’t even focus on the problems. I’m going to die.”

“…”

“I’m going to call my dad!”

“Mm.” Chu Zhi Lu was also feeling restless because of him.

Zhao Qingtang didn’t want to pressure Zhao Xunyu, so he planned to call him the next day. Unexpectedly, he received a call from his son while having dinner with his wife.

Zhao Xunyu was already restless, and knowing his father was out having fun made him even more unhappy. “Dad, my exam scores are coming out tomorrow. You’re ignoring me. You still have time to eat out. Am I your real son?”

Zhao Qingtang held his wife’s hand. “I want to ask you the same question: Am I your real father? I’ve been busy all afternoon, and I just had dinner, and you’re still unhappy?”

“What were you busy with? Too busy to care about me?”

“I was busy making money for my retirement. Mind your own business. Your voice is annoying. Do you still need to worry about your score? If you can’t get into a vocational school, come home and work as a waiter.”

Zhao Qingtang didn’t like studying himself, and he knew his son was playful and didn’t do well in school. He believed in treating others the way he wanted to be treated, and besides, poor grades wouldn’t affect inheriting the family business.

“…” Zhao Xunyu was insulted. “Am I so useless in your eyes?”

“If you have nothing to say, hang up.”

“Seriously… I might have to repeat a year.”

“What’s gotten into you? Just study hotel management or something. Why would you repeat a year? Didn’t you tear up and throw away all your books?”

Zhao Qingtang didn’t know why he had such a sudden impulse, but he knew his son didn’t have the determination, so he didn’t take it seriously.

Zhao Xunyu was serious. “Dad, I’m serious.”

“Mm, I’m going home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“… Dad! Don’t you want to know why? I’m really serious.”

“Mm, it’s not convenient now. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

Beep beep beep—

“…”

Zhao Xunyu was feeling too emotionally unstable. He didn’t want to affect Chu Zhi Lu, so he told her to go back to her room and sleep. He went downstairs and watched the melodramatic Thai drama she’d been following. He watched it on mute and in the dark. Even without sound, he could still mentally fill in the actors’ emotions. As he watched, he felt like he needed a quick-acting heart-saving pill.

He flipped through several more shows, eventually settling on a popular comedy. But it felt bland and hollow; his mind was elsewhere. Even after watching the whole thing, he still couldn’t sleep.

He kept thinking: If he repeated a year, could he get a score just 100 points below Chu Zhi Lu’s? However, if he did repeat, he and Chu Zhi Lu would be in a long-distance relationship for a year. High school would leave him with even less time for love. Once she got to college, she’d meet many other excellent classmates and upperclassmen. She was so talented and beautiful that there would definitely be some guy who wouldn’t care that she already had a boyfriend stuck in his fourth year of high school and would shamelessly try to steal her away.

If he didn’t repeat the year, his scores would be too low. They’d seem like a complete mismatch—a beautiful flower stuck in a pile of cow dung. Once she went to university, she’d meet classmates and upperclassmen who were just as smart as her. Those guys wouldn’t think twice about him—this guy with his trash-tier IQ—and would shamelessly try to steal her away.

When it came down to it, d*mn it, why couldn’t he just have a brain?

After stewing in his misery all night, he heard a stir in the courtyard outside a little after six the next morning.