Chapter 249: Chapter 249
After having a meal at the company and watching the performances prepared by the staff, the group was driven back to the compound by the company car once dinner was over. After getting off the car, Ye Ling said goodbye to Zhang Linong and the others and returned to her flat. It was still bright outside. Zhang Linong and the others wanted to walk her home, but Ye Ling refused and went back on her own.
By mid-August, it was time to collect the admission letters.
In the past two weeks, Ye Ling hadn’t left her room. She didn’t need to go to the market for groceries either, as Zhang Linong and Wang Ping picked vegetables from the garden. Zhao Guodong, who had gone back to his hometown, also returned and frequently visited this flat with Zhang Linong. They had lunch and dinner here, which meant they had to bring food with them, so Ye Ling saved a lot of money and only needed to provide rice.
The day to collect the admission letters finally arrived. The usually quiet campus became lively, with many parents accompanying their children to check their results. Ye Ling and a few others who took the skipping exam drew special attention, and when people saw the large board posted by the school, some became restless. Not only did Ye Ling and her peers pass, but their scores were also quite high, all surpassing the undergraduate line.
Even though he knew beforehand, Zhao Guodong couldn’t help but excitedly pat Zhang Linong on the shoulder when he saw the scores. "Lining, you did great."
Zhang Linong raised an eyebrow. Was he indirectly praising himself?
Wang Ping, on the other hand, just kept smiling. When he saw seniors and asked about their results, none had scores better than his. His natural demeanor didn’t earn good looks from others, but Wang Ping didn’t mind. The group went to the office, as the admission letters were supposed to arrive together.
Upon entering the office, as school hadn’t started yet, other teachers weren’t around, except for a few senior teachers, but no sign of Ji Zhongjun. An Lan called Ye Ling and the others over, saying, "Your admission letters are with me."
Although Ye Ling wasn’t her student, her stellar results were unprecedented. Skipping grades and achieving such high scores were unbelievable. There were over 400 senior students in the school, and only a little over ten got into a first-tier university, and four of those spots went to Ye Ling and her group.
"Politeness begets politeness," as the saying goes. Ye Ling politely greeted Teacher An and awaited the admission letter. Since all undergraduate letters were grouped, it was easy to find them. Teacher An quickly found and handed the four letters over, "As expected, children from the compound all have the same aspirations. You’ve made us proud, now take a look at your letters."
An Lan was making a friendly gesture. Although she hadn’t thought highly of Ye Ling before, she had neither targeted her nor shown any warmth. Now that these compound kids brought honors to the school, An Lan naturally wouldn’t look down on them anymore.
Zhao Guodong and Wang Ping, overwhelmed with joy, didn’t notice anything amiss. They eagerly opened their letters and, upon seeing the National Defense Science and Technology University, couldn’t stop smiling. Zhang Linong wasn’t in a hurry to open his and watched Ye Ling open hers instead.
The smile on Ye Ling’s face faded a bit. Though she hadn’t opened it yet, it was the same as what Zhang Linong and the others received, which indicated what? She had applied to a military medical university but received an admission letter from the National Defense Science and Technology University. When she opened it and saw the words, Ye Ling knew she hadn’t been mistaken; she was indeed going to the same school as Zhang Linong and the others.
"Huh, didn’t Ye Ling apply to a medical university?" Zhao Guodong leaned over, puzzled.
An Lan was also taken aback. Seeing they weren’t joking, she took Ye Ling’s letter, glanced at it, and looked up at Ye Ling, "Did you fill this in initially?"
Ye Ling shook her head. She had always wanted to attend university; what university didn’t matter much to her. But having her choice altered was unsettling.
"Who changed it?" Zhao Guodong blurted out angrily.
An Lan also turned serious. Spotting Liu Zhiyuan and his group coming in to collect their letters, she said, "You all wait a moment, let me finish up before addressing this. At this point, there’s nothing that can be done, since the letters have already been issued."
Ye Ling knew An Lan was right. Besides, this situation wasn’t An Lan’s fault, so there was no reason to be angry with her. Ye Ling called the group over to one side and looked at the returned admission letter. Apart from Ji Zhongjun, no one could have changed her choice. Knowing Ji Zhongjun’s character, it wasn’t out of the question for him to alter the application.
Ye Ling was so frustrated that she didn’t know what to say. Ji Zhongjun certainly had some nerve, but he knew there was no evidence, so he could easily deny responsibility later, couldn’t he?
When Liu Zhiyuan entered with his group, they naturally noticed Ye Ling and the others. With Zhao Guodong grumbling and Zhang Linong clenching his lips, no one paid attention to them. Liu Zhiyuan didn’t understand why everyone looked so troubled during such a good occasion.
Xiang Weilai, being lively and having scored well, chatted with the homeroom teacher and then inquired about Ye Ling’s situation. While Ye Ling was still present, he asked away, and Zhao Guodong gave a dismissive glance. Ye Ling didn’t mind much.
An Lan also felt there was nothing to hide and explained the situation in a few words. Upon hearing it, Xiang Weilai and his group gasped audibly, "Someone altered your choices? This is no trivial matter."
"I remember, the applications were submitted by their homeroom teacher to me. I even glanced at it, and there were no signs of alterations," An Lan said, recalling. At that time, she even noted that Ye Ling’s handwriting was commendable. If it hadn’t been for Ye Ling’s name, she would have thought it was written by someone much older with refined handwriting.
Having this doubt in mind, An Lan chose not to voice it out. After all, speaking up would offend someone. Although Ye Ling’s choices were altered, she still ended up in a good school. When comparing both options, An Lan chose silence.
Xiang Weilai stood up for Ye Ling, and Zhao Guodong was careful with his words, "I have an idea who might be behind this."
Now that they had the letters in hand, Zhao Guodong felt no further worries. Before heading off to school, he decided to teach that person a lesson, since Zhao Guodong never hid his emotions. Watching him clenching his fists, it was clear what he intended to do.
Xiang Weilai raised an eyebrow, "If you know who it is, then it’s easier to handle."
"Do as you see fit," he hinted to Zhao Guodong indirectly. This text is hosted at noᴠelfire.net
Finally meeting Ye Ling’s gaze, Xiang Weilai shot her a grin before walking away with Liu Zhiyuan and the others. In the time they hadn’t seen each other, Ye Ling apparently gained some weight, making him less worried. Regardless, they were heading to the same university, and whatever was unresolved could wait until they reached there. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please access the site through m.qidian.com to read.)