To attend the same college as my rich second-generation boyfriend, I filled my college entrance exam answer sheet with wrong answers. But half an hour before the exam ended, several bullet screen comments (danmu) suddenly appeared before my eyes. [This idiot supporting character. She has the brains for an Ivy League school but insists on playing the 'devoted to community college' role. Did a donkey kick her in the head?] [She really latched onto the male lead, huh? Too bad he's just been using her for amusement from start to finish. Does she really think she has a shot at being a wealthy young mistress?] [Just a gold digger. If she knew she isn't even in Caleb’s future plans, would she go crazy on the spot?] [Caleb must be tired pretending to be a slacker. He’s really going all out just to win a bet.] My hand holding the eraser paused. Then, I erased all the wrong answers on the answer sheet. 1 After writing the last word of my essay, I looked up at the clock. Thirty minutes left until the exam ended. This was a high-scoring essay, smooth and profound. Under normal circumstances, it would deserve a near-perfect score. But right now, it was like gold thrown into a dumpster— Because I had carefully filled in wrong answers for all the multiple-choice questions on this exam, and deliberately left one-third of the subjective questions blank. Yes, I was intentionally tanking my score. For Caleb. The rich second-generation boyfriend who secretly held my hand under the desk during evening study sessions and used his deep voice to describe "simple happiness in an ordinary college." He said he was dumb and could only scrape into a second-tier college even if he tried his best. He said he couldn't live without me, that campus life would be meaningless without me. He even imagined wedding cannons and white veils with me, as if happiness was within reach as long as we settled for mediocrity. So I played along, sinking with him, personally strangling the opportunity I had earned through ten years of hard study. But just as I was about to cap my pen and pack up, a light flashed before my eyes, and several lines of semi-transparent text floated across my answer sheet like bullet screen comments on a video. [This idiot supporting character. She has the brains for an Ivy League school but insists on playing the 'devoted to community college' role. Did a donkey kick her in the head?] My breath hitched, and I froze. Hallucination? Or hysteria from exam stress? Before I could sort out my thoughts, the second and third lines followed, dripping with sharper sarcasm: [She really latched onto the male lead, huh? Too bad he's just been using her for amusement from start to finish. Does she really think she has a shot at being a wealthy young mistress?] [Just a gold digger. If she knew she isn't even in Caleb’s future plans, would she go crazy on the spot?] [Caleb must be tired pretending to be a slacker. He’s really going all out just to win a bet.] Amusement? Bet? Pretending to be a slacker? My mind went blank for a second. Then, Caleb's deeply affectionate eyes surfaced before me, twisted, and finally turned into the wrong options on the answer sheet in front of me. I looked up in confusion, staring at the powerful conclusion of my essay, "A bright future," and actually started to hesitate. Even if these words were fake, was I really going to hand over my last card to Caleb with both hands? But as soon as I closed my eyes, I could recall Caleb standing before me with a huge bouquet of roses, swearing, "Tingting, I will definitely marry you." Twenty-five minutes left. Time was tight, allowing no room for thought or verification. I gripped the eraser in my hand without hesitation and began to scrub the answer sheet furiously. Twenty-five minutes was enough to change all the multiple-choice answers and flesh out the key points for the subjective questions. ... The bell finally rang. The answer sheets were collected in order, but the text on the desk continued to scroll. [What is the supporting character doing? Cold feet at the last minute? Too late.] [She's erasing hard, but unfortunately, life doesn't have an eraser. Her brain must be rusty after all these years.] [Exactly. Caleb burns the midnight oil studying after hanging out with her. How could a love-struck fool like her possibly outscore him?] I stopped my trembling hands. Looking at these comments again, my eyes turned cold. How did they know that Caleb wasn't the only one burning the midnight oil? 2 It's true that I like Caleb. But my feelings for him are seven parts affection, three parts rationality. After all, the day I met Caleb, I had just ranked first in the city and was being kicked out of my house. "First in the city? Xie Ting, are you crazy? How much money did you steal from home to pay tuition?!" My mom screamed, spit flying onto my face. "I earned it from part-time jobs." I clutched the report card, knuckles white. "That little money is useless! The neighbor Old Wang's daughter married a factory owner before finishing high school. Now she wears gold and silver and owns three houses! And you? Did reading books turn into gold for you?" My dad squatted in the corner smoking, the cheap tobacco smoke hiding his expression. "Get out! You're an eyesore! Don't stand here blocking the way." Bang! The heavy slam of the security door triggered the hallway lights. I was swept out like trash, without mercy. Nowhere to go, didn't even grab a coat. The report card I was so proud of became waste paper in an instant. —Turns out my hard work, my grades, were worthless. Yet I counted on them to give me a way out. How ridiculous. Caleb appeared at that moment. When I was nearly frozen numb, piercing headlights cut through the darkness. Caleb sat in the back seat of a Porsche, wearing a well-tailored cashmere coat, a dark scarf highlighting his cold, fair skin. "Student," he said, his voice gentle, "Aren't you cold?" I looked at him. I watched him drape an expensive scarf over me, saw the inherent ease and superiority that money piled up around him, and contrasted it with my own wretched state. A strong, almost instinctive thought grew wildly. Money. Power. Status. Only by grasping these would my words matter. So, I reached out to Caleb. He was the only driftwood I could see, the closest one to me as I drowned. What happened next followed naturally. He took me to his unused luxury apartment, listened to my grievances, and built a perfect future for me with expensive gifts and sweet words—a blueprint of happiness where I didn't need to be excellent, just needed to be by his side to have everything. He said his parents didn't want a daughter-in-law who was too smart, just virtuous enough. And my parents came to the door with fawning smiles and fruit baskets, praising my ability and vision. I could finally be their "daughter" again, bringing more glory to their faces than Old Wang's daughter next door. Yes, I love Caleb. I love his money, his face, his family background, and the vanity of being his girlfriend that allowed me to crush my past. To marry him, of course I could give up these worthless grades. However, people who have been abandoned don't gain a sense of security so easily. The despair of the day I met him was like a thorn, stuck deep in my heart. —I was afraid he would break his promise. Caleb's world was cold and flashy. His kindness was too perfect, too selfless. His friends all looked at me with pity that said "you'll be dumped sooner or later." Behind him, there were whispers that "Xie Ting isn't worthy." The speaker might not mean it, but the listener takes it to heart. This fear followed me like a shadow during this seemingly stable year. So, in the late nights when I seemed to have given up, I devoured problem sets on scratch paper again and again, comforting myself with full marks on practice tests that I had a trump card. A card I might not need, but must have. Just like in the exam hall, those subjective questions I left blank were the easiest to fill, and the multiple-choice questions were the easiest to change. Was it worth trading a temporary future for a backer? For me, yes. As long as we married, I could share the family assets. Giving up these four years might get me things I couldn't get with years of hard work. But if it was traded for a false promise and a result of ridicule... Then it wasn't worth it. 3 Coming out of the exam hall, I saw Caleb immediately. He leaned against that flashy Porsche, his posture lazy and noble. A few girls passing by wanted to strike up a conversation but were deterred by his distant gaze. Standing next to him was his childhood friend, Zhao Lin. They chatted enthusiastically, completely unaware of me submerged in the crowd. "Awesome, bro! A gentleman isn't afraid to wait!" Zhao Lin's face was full of schadenfreude. "Once the admission notices come out, you can completely escape this misery." I paused. From a short distance, I heard Caleb's voice. —Unlike usual, with his back to me, his tone was full of contempt. "Soon. Just thinking about not having to act in front of that pretentiously noble face makes me feel comfortable all over." Zhao Lin asked again: "When the time comes, our Young Master Zhou won't be reluctant to let go, right?" I held my breath, actually expecting Caleb to hesitate. Unfortunately, Caleb barely thought before saying with disgust: "Her? Besides being a bit smart, how can she compare to Xia? Playing with her is already doing her a favor." Zhao Lin punched his shoulder: "True, you really went all out for Xu Xia. Who would have thought Young Master Zhou would condescend to transfer to this crappy place for her, and even bite the bullet to coax a nerd? Pretending to be deep, pretending to be a slacker, smiling every day... big sacrifice!" Caleb sneered: "This is nothing. Pei Xiao made this bet with me just to keep me away from Xia. I want to see, after the applications are done, who will have to leave Xia." ...Who is Pei Xiao? And who is Xu Xia? So, those comments were all true. I was a gambling chip in Caleb's hand, his pastime for the year, never part of his future plans. So that's how it is. My past efforts were worthless to my parents. Now, my willing sacrifice is still worthless in his eyes. Then who allowed this world to treat me so lightly? The disappeared comments reappeared at this moment. [Holy crap, when did the supporting female arrive? Did she hear everything?] [Didn't she just erase the answer sheet? The script isn't written like this!] [Small change, it's normal for the supporting character to struggle a bit. Can't make big waves anyway~] [Can she go offline already! I really want to see Xu Xia and Caleb together! No more cold war for the Leopard and Cat!] I took a deep breath and walked towards them. Seeing me, Caleb's face changed. He quickly signaled Zhao Lin. Zhao Lin understood, shouted an exaggerated "Hi sister-in-law," and disappeared instantly. Caleb took my favorite lemon tea from the back seat and smoothly took the pencil case from my hand, welcoming me into the car. "Hard work, baby. How was the exam? Tired?" I was a bit dispirited, only answering "It was okay" in a muffled voice. The comments that just flashed by were in my mind. "Good is good. I know our Tingting is the best." He smiled and rubbed my hair, his actions intimate and natural. However, the next sentence added an imperceptible nervousness. "But, Tingting..." His voice became lighter, softer, with a coaxing tone. "Did you really... change the answers as we agreed? Chose the wrong ones for multiple choice?" My heart sank, but soon I adjusted my mood and nodded. "Mmh, I wrote wrong answers even for the ones I knew." "Really?" His follow-up question came almost immediately. "Left the essay blank too? Didn't... couldn't help writing too much?" [Hahahahaha Examiner Zhou: Please confirm again if the candidate has self-destructed their future.] [She wrote it! She even changed the multiple-choice answers back! (Violent Roar!) Don't believe her!] [Wait, screenwriter are you there? What is she doing! Can someone give a spoiler??] I looked up, my gaze piercing through the comments, meeting Caleb's eyes directly. "Of course. You said your parents hope their future daughter-in-law isn't too sharp, should be docile and virtuous, and too high a degree is bad. And..." I tilted my head slightly, leaning shyly into his arms: "And didn't you say this gives you a sense of security? Proving I really love you, willing to give up better choices for you, to live an ordinary, stable life with you. I remember it all." Caleb's body visibly relaxed, as if relieved of a heavy burden. "I knew you were so understanding. Don't worry, those diplomas people fight for are nothing. I'll only give you something better." Better... mockery? I leaned on him docilely, but my gaze went over his shoulder, lingering on a few new comments. [Can't take it anymore! This supporting female is so tea (fake/manipulative) ahhhhhhh!] [Caleb, if you keep this up, I'm telling Xu Xia! (Hands on hips)] [Reporting +1! Xu Xia come see your Leopard tricking another cat!] [It's fine! Once the bet is over, Pei Xiao and Xie Ting can both roll far away!] ... Xu Xia... Pei Xiao... In other words, this Caleb who spared no "huge sacrifice" to trick me into failing the college entrance exam is a "love brain" (lovesick fool). A love brain? That makes things easier. 4 For the next two days of exams, I dutifully played my role as the "stupid trophy wife." Facing Caleb's every seemingly casual but actually scheming probe— "Tingting, that last big question was hard, right? Did you help writing too much again?" My eyes were clear to the bottom, with just the right amount of innocence and dependence: "You said to leave it blank. I remembered, so I just scribbled a bit." Tone soft, no flaws. Everything seemed to be advancing steadily in the direction Caleb planned. Except, I saw a name mentioned repeatedly in the comments on the list outside the exam hall. Pei Xiao. Coincidentally, sitting diagonally behind me. If the comments were true, then we "protagonists" and "supporting roles" with names would definitely be arranged in close proximity according to plot needs. So, the female lead Xu Xia must be here too. Following this guess, I quickly found Xu Xia's name in this building. She was arranged in the same corridor as Caleb's exam room. The female lead is right next to the male lead. How fitting for the plot. So do those comments that follow like shadows, yet fail to notice my late-night studying, only focus on the main plot line? My gaze fell on Pei Xiao's name again. The last exam ended. I deliberately slowed down packing my stationery, but my gaze locked onto the figure diagonally behind me who had already stood up. He moved swiftly, stuffing his pencil case into his bag, and strode out of the classroom with the flow of people. I stood up quickly, entering the crowd almost at the same time as him. It was crowded. I had to be very close to keep up. Fortunately, he never looked back, just walking steadily through the noisy crowd, disappearing into the stairwell on the other side of the corridor. I quickened my pace, following him into the stairwell. —The stairwell was empty. Footsteps gone. Even Pei Xiao was gone. Discovered. My heart tightened. I instinctively took a step back, looking around alertly. A voice descended from above. "You're following me." I looked up sharply. Pei Xiao stood on the platform of the highest step, looking down at me. "Something up?" "Let's talk." I looked up, meeting his gaze without flinching. "About you and Caleb betting on me." "You're that city-wide first place?" Pei Xiao raised an eyebrow, sneering. "I'm not interested in talking to a love-struck fool with no willpower." I curled my lips: "A-B-B-B, C-C-C-A, C-C-A." Pei Xiao stopped in his tracks. "Should I continue? You know, just out of the exam, I haven't had time to check the answers." A brief silence filled the empty stairwell. The mockery in his eyes faded, replaced by interest. "I can make Caleb win," I issued an invitation to him, "Naturally, I can also make you win." Just as he was about to speak— "Xiao!" A clear female voice came from upstairs. "Waited for you for so long, so you were here!" Almost forgot, the male and female leads' exam rooms were upstairs. Xu Xia's figure soon appeared at the top of the stairs, and behind her, Caleb walked out looking unkind. Seeing Pei Xiao, his face was indifferent. But soon, he noticed me in front of Pei Xiao, and frowned: "Tingting? You know each other?" I looked at Pei Xiao. He shrugged, with no intention of explaining. So I stepped forward, familiarly wrapping my arm around Caleb's, my voice sweetly cloying: "You're here? I dropped my pencil case just now, thanks to this student for picking it up for me." As I spoke, I shook the pencil case in my hand, looking at Pei Xiao sincerely: "Didn't have time to say it just now, thanks student. Want to grab a meal together? My boyfriend is very rich." After speaking, I seemed to just notice Xu Xia at the top of the stairs: "Eh? Is this pretty sister your friend?" I deliberately emphasized the word "friend," leaning half my body onto Caleb. Caleb's body stiffened noticeably, looking at Xu Xia nervously. Xu Xia didn't look at me. Her gaze first fell on my hand holding Caleb, then moved straight up to meet Caleb's eyes: "This is your love-struck girlfriend? Very sweet. Bless you two." ? Did I provoke you? Before anyone could react, Xu Xia walked down the steps, reached out naturally, and gently hooked Pei Xiao's pinky: "Xiao, I'm a bit tired. Take me home." Under Caleb's visibly green face, Xu Xia led Pei Xiao away from the stairwell holding hands. Passing me, I saw Pei Xiao's left eye wink imperceptibly. [Holy crap holy crap holy crap! Nuclear level Shura field (love triangle chaos)!!!] [Xu · Niu Gulu · Xia: The arm-link kill! Counterattack!] [Female lead scolded well! This supporting female is tea to the max.] [Pei Xiao: Who am I, where am I? Whatever, I'll just stand here.] [Why do I suddenly feel Caleb and Xu Xia fighting is also exciting? Love to watch!] [Shura field plot over. Next plot is the reconciliation, right! Leopard and Cat, speak your feelings!] The comments appeared again. Countless curses at me, discussions about the leads, discussions about the next plot. But not a word about the confrontation between me and Pei Xiao before Xu Xia and Caleb appeared. Indeed, the plot has blind spots. This plot blind spot is my free zone.
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