Chapter 90: You Control the Score, Go Ahead
As time gracefully ticked by, the college entrance exams quietly snuck up like a Ninja in a dark alley.
Everyone was so hyped they could probably power a small city.
They all looked forward to this day like kids waiting for Santa—probably even more excited than they were for their own birthday parties.
Some people, the serious types, had been sweating bullets nonstop, waiting to prove themselves and climb the ladder to university fame.
Others, the lazy-bones crowd, had tossed caution to the wind, dreaming of escaping school and basking in the glorious freedom of adulthood.
And then there was the tiny, tiny minority—as crazy as a squirrel on caffeine.
Class 1-A.
Ye Liang Chen stared at Li Qing Xue’s back, muttering to himself like a mad scientist in his secret lair: “Why? Why did I write so much space? Why didn’t she regret it? Why didn’t she come find me?”
During this time, he was waiting for Hu Yu Ying to see Dragon Brother’s evil side clearly, and for Li Qing Xue to regret her hesitation—hoping she’d hurriedly come back and do some sort of “I-knew-I-was-wrong” scene.
But here we are, more than a month later, the big exams are almost here, and neither of them has shown up. Are they mad at me? Still throwing shade for dreaming I got bullied by Dragon Brother? Or is it the Butterfly Effect again?
Ye Liang Chen finally realized—it could totally be the butterfly fluttering its wings causing a hurricane in his life. Just like how he got involved with Hu Yu Ying beforehand…
His fists clenched tighter than a drum: “d*mn Dragon Brother! It’s all your fault! Why didn’t you h*rass Hu Yu Ying? Why didn’t you show your evil true colors to Li Qing Xue?”
Honestly, right now, Ye Liang Chen felt a twinge of regret, like he’d just eaten a dozen bad mooncakes.
If only he had just held back and stopped looking for Hu Yu Ying from the start—then Dragon Brother wouldn’t have felt threatened and forced Hu Yu Ying into this mess.
If Dragon Brother could just control his lower half, maybe—just maybe—it wouldn’t have spiraled into this butterfly storm…
He was truly panicking now.
Less than a week till the big test, and he hadn’t even been tutored by Hu Yu Ying yet!
No way, what’s the point now? Even if she helped him tomorrow, wouldn’t that be just a few days? And he’d still be a giant mess.
Next time, maybe don’t say so much, idiot.
He took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked towards Li Qing Xue.
“Qing Xue.”
Li Qing Xue, who was busy jamming her brain with last-minute cram sessions, blinked: “What’s up?”
Looking into her eyes, Ye Liang Chen forced a bitter smile. “I know you’re probably a little regretful right now, huh?”
Li Qing Xue’s brow furrowed slightly.
Seeing this, Ye Liang Chen went on: “Qing Xue, you control the scores, okay? I didn’t review well this time. I probably can’t get into a decent university. How about you stay with me for another year’s re-take?”
“What? Are you crazy?” Before Li Qing Xue could refuse, Wang Rui, her seatmate, couldn’t help but burst out, “Li Qing Xue, you’re already set for A University, why the hell are you re-doing this for him?”
Ye Liang Chen wasn’t moved. He just looked at Li Qing Xue with hope—well, maybe a little hope mixed with desperation.
He admitted; he was betting on the fact that Li Qing Xue might regret rejecting him—because of his screw-ups and making her angry.
That anger suppressed his regret right now.
If he just took the initiative, let her vent, maybe she’d feel guilty and come back to him later.
“Ye Liang Chen, you’re so weird,” Li Qing Xue said plainly. “Why would I give up the college entrance exam just to stay with you another year?”
After all the bizarre stuff they’d been through, her mood was surprisingly steady.
Ye Liang Chen chuckled bitterly, taking a deep breath. “Qing Xue, I know what I’m about to say might be hard for you to accept.”
“But I have to say—deep down, you’re hesitating, aren’t you?”
“You’ve been apart from me all these days. I believe you’ve thought this through. You probably regret not accepting my 98th confession, huh?”
His eyes blinked rapidly, as if afraid she’d react badly.
“Ye Liang Chen, do you even know what you’re talking about?” Li Qing Xue smirked lightly.
Just yesterday, she had made a fuss to her parents about her boyfriend at school. She told the truth—felt a bit uncomfortable, but then quickly brushed it off.
But today, Ye Liang Chen’s words felt like he was treating her like a total dunce—a hopeless idiot.
Since high school, she’d never slack off. She might look chill in school, but at home, nobody knew how much effort she put in.
Step by step, inch by inch, she drew closer to her dream university. And yet, now, based on just one sentence, he wanted her to give up three years of hard work?
She really wanted to laugh—laugh at what a joke this was, how she’d met such a bizarre friend.
He steepled Dragon Brother’s villainy, yet told her to dump her worries, face the exams seriously, and look forward to entering the university she’d fought so hard for.
And her good friend of nearly ten years suggested she control her scores and re-do the year? What a joke.
How could he say that so confidently? Why did he act like offering her this cruel deal was some great favor?
“Whenever I try to help you, you refuse. I thought you’d work hard yourself. Turns out, you’re just saying such nonsense now,” Li Qing Xue said, shaking her head slowly.
“You have no right to say that,” she added.
Ye Liang Chen, clutching his chest, took two steps back. His face turned ghostly pale. “Qing Xue, how can you say that? Am I not your best friend anymore? If you treat me like this, you’ll regret it!”
Seeing her resolute stance, Ye Liang Chen suddenly felt she had become terrifying. How could she say such things to him?
“You’re not the Li Qing Xue I used to know,” she said. “I told you not to contact Dragon Brother. Look what he’s turned you into—almost a stranger to me.”
Li Qing Xue didn’t want to argue anymore—better to spend this time solving two more problems. “At least now, you’re not even better than Dragon Brother!”
That one sentence hit Ye Liang Chen like a lightning strike.
“Huh! So one day, knights will turn into villains in princesses’ eyes? Fine, I lost this time.”
He smiled a defeated smile. “Then, let me finally call you princess one last time. Your knight is about to retreat—and this retreat is for life!”
As he spoke, Ye Liang Chen stepped out of the classroom, looking up at the sky, fighting back tears: “From this moment on, I, Ye Liang Chen, declare that I officially strip Li Qing Xue of the ‘Pure Moonlight’ title.”
After saying this, he glanced back at Li Qing Xue. “You forced me into this. If I hadn’t been cornered, I wouldn’t have had to ask for such things.”
“And it’s just redoing the exam—nothing difficult for someone like you. Yet you rejected me.”
“Haha, I’m laughing. When you finally realize it, don’t blame me for sending you to the ‘torment and cremation’ arena!”
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, lowering his head slowly.
But when he looked up again, his eyes were bloodshot, fists clenched: “d*mn it! If it weren’t for you, how could I have taken away their titles?!”
