First Performance of a Young Phoenix

July, the day of the college entrance exam results release.

In Anhe County, the long-suppressed atmosphere finally erupted on this day.

Lu Ruoxi—or rather, Ye Ruoxi—became the center of heated discussions across the county, even the entire province, in an unprecedented manner.

A total score of 738, the top science student in the province.

This result detonated like a bombshell in her shabby little home.

Zhang Cuilan stood frozen for a long moment.

Though she had always been harsh on Ye Ruoxi, even she couldn’t help feeling a surge of excitement now.

Then, her gaze toward Ye Ruoxi turned uneasy, tinged with a hint of fear.

She hadn’t treated the girl well all these years, but at least she had raised her, kept her from starving. Surely, she wouldn’t repay kindness with ingratitude?

Zhang Cuilan thought to herself.

Neighbors soon flooded in with congratulations, filling the air with praise, envy, and flattery.

Lu Ruoxi stood at the center of the crowd, wearing a serene smile as she responded to each well-wisher, her eyes remaining clear and calm.

She felt no overwhelming joy, only the quiet certainty of a long-awaited outcome.

To her, this score was no accident. It was the inevitable fruit of countless sleepless nights spent studying over the past decade.

More than that, it was a ticket—a ticket that would carry her away from this cramped harbor and into a far wider world.

At the same time, Ye Ruoxi looked at her mother, Zhang Cuilan, with complicated emotions.

Her father had loved her dearly.

But after his death, Ye Ruoxi had never again felt a mother’s love from Zhang Cuilan.

Her childhood memories were filled with endless chores and her mother’s scolding.

Once, she had hated this woman so fiercely, had yearned so desperately to escape this home.

Now, staring at Zhang Cuilan, she found the hatred gone.

It was time to start a new life.

As the noise faded and the night deepened, Lu Ruoxi walked to the window, gazing at the bright moon outside. She dialed a number.

The call connected.

"Hello." Lu Chenyuan’s steady voice came through the receiver.

"Mr. Lu, it’s me, Ye Ruoxi."

"Hmm, I saw." A faint trace of amusement colored his tone. "Congratulations. 738 points—higher than I estimated. Your 'return on investment' is impressive."

Hearing this familiar "investment" analogy, Ye Ruoxi couldn’t help a small smile.

"Thank you," she said, her voice brimming with genuine gratitude. "If not for you, I might have—"

"There are no 'ifs,'" Lu Chenyuan cut her off. "The path was yours to walk. I only provided a map and some supplies when you needed them. Where you stand today is the result of your own resilience and effort."

"Ye Ruoxi, remember this—everything you’ve achieved belongs, first and foremost, to you."

These words touched her more deeply than any empty praise ever could.

Just like their first meeting, Mr. Lu respected her efforts, affirmed her worth, and never treated her as an object of pity or charity.

Though his words were always so cold, he truly acted like an older brother—one who knew exactly how to comfort her.

What if I really had a brother like him?

The thought flashed through her mind before she quickly dismissed it.

Why am I even thinking this?

She chided herself for being greedy.

"I understand," Ye Ruoxi said, taking a deep breath, her resolve firming. "Jingzhou University, here I come."

"Good. I’ll be waiting for you in Jingzhou."

Hanging up, she finally felt at peace.

Meanwhile, in a dim corner of an internet café on the other side of the county, a boy sat frozen, staring at the admission results on his screen.

Su Yang’s hands trembled slightly.

He refreshed the page again and again, but the line of text remained unchanged:

"Candidate Su Yang, congratulations on your admission to Jingzhou University’s 'Integrated Sciences' program."

Jingzhou University?

How was this possible?

At Anhe High, Su Yang had always been second in his grade.

But compared to Ye Ruoxi, the undisputed top student, he was leagues behind.

Ye Ruoxi had the ability to get into Jingzhou University.

But Su Yang? Even getting into a decent university in Jingzhou would have been a stretch for him.

This was more unbelievable than a pie falling from the sky.

He pinched himself hard—the sharp pain confirmed this wasn’t a dream.

After the shock came an indescribable euphoria.

He was going to Jingzhou!

To the same city, the same university as her!

Su Yang had some idea of what might have happened behind the scenes, but he couldn’t be sure.

Before submitting his application, a powerful figure from Jingzhou had called him, suggesting he consider Jingzhou University’s newly established "Integrated Sciences" program.

The name alone made it sound like a degree mill.

Every year, people gambled on Jingzhou University’s obscure programs—that was no secret.

It all came down to strategy.

Determined to follow Ye Ruoxi and encouraged by the mysterious call, Su Yang had taken the gamble.

And somehow, he’d won—even getting in with a lower cutoff score.

Fate, it seemed, had handed him a miracle.

Su Yang bolted from the internet café, jumped onto his battered bicycle, and pedaled furiously toward Ye Ruoxi’s home under the moonlight.

He had to tell her the good news as soon as possible.

Lu Chenyuan set down his phone as Zhang Qi handed him a file—Su Yang’s records.

"Mr. Lu, everything went according to plan. Our 50-million-yuan donation to Jingzhou University’s research fund prompted them to move up the launch of the 'Integrated Sciences' program from next year to this one."

"The field is too niche and cutting-edge, and the rushed enrollment left them short on applicants. That’s how Su Yang got in with the minimum score," Lin Yuan reported.

"Mm." Lu Chenyuan nodded, his gaze distant.

In the original timeline, Su Yang had followed Ye Ruoxi to Jingzhou but only made it into an average college.

He had silently watched over her, only to meet a tragic end under Li Jinchuan’s wheels.

This time, Lu Chenyuan refused to let history repeat itself.

Su Yang’s devotion to Ye Ruoxi was sincere, if clumsy.

Rather than let it be crushed in the shadows of conspiracy, he would give it a chance to grow in the light.

Su Yang’s admission to Jingzhou University had Lu Chenyuan’s influence behind it.

But the boy’s own merit was the real key.

In the future, he would face a world a hundred times more complex than Anhe County.

Whether he could keep up with Ye Ruoxi would depend entirely on himself.

Lu Chenyuan looked out the window at Jingzhou’s nightscape, glittering like a river of stars.

Lu Ruoxi, the stage is set.

Now, it’s your turn to step into the spotlight.