One couldn't be sure where Cheng Ying's favorable view of him originated; perhaps it was because she saw him as a junior, a child she had personally guided, and naturally believed that anyone she raised would be superior to those taught by others. This, as people say, was simply nepotism.

Cheng Ying glanced at Chi Wu and cautioned, "Don't mention it yet."

Chi Wu understood immediately. In his view, he and Cheng Ying were closer to being family with the Old Lady than anyone else.

It wasn't surprising that the unlucky child was outgoing; anyone would struggle for a sense of belonging when living with an uncle who already had his own children.

When Yang Zhi and Chi Yong held the little fatty, Chi Wu always felt like an outsider.

This child had been ** since he was small.

It could only be said that Chi Yong had raised Chi Wu too roughly, treating him like a regular man, and failed to notice the delicate emotional sensitivity of his own child.

Parents really needed to pay attention to the emotional education of their children. To think, one could accidentally push away a child one had raised since they were little.

That heart had wandered quite far.

Of course, Chi Yong didn't know it could wander even further. It was all the result of careless mistakes.

When Chi Wu heard Cheng Ying's words, it felt as though the two of them shared a secret.

In Chi Wu's heart, it was like a young couple going out to manage private affairs—a feeling of secret delight layered upon secret delight.

He was ecstatic.

But he couldn't express it, and the one who suffered was the little fatty, who had just begun to feel things were going well.

Why did big brother's turnabout be even harsher than big sister's kneading?

The little fatty’s face crumpled into a mournful expression. He could only wait for his own parents to come rescue him. Oh, big brother, big sister—these creatures were indeed beings who specialized in bullying and stealing their mothers.

After dinner, while an aunt tidied the house, Yang Zhi came straight over to chat with her daughter. "Yingzi, how were the exams?"

Cheng Ying, as usual, maintained her lofty composure. "As for my scores, any school I wanted would be fighting to keep me."

The Old Lady of the Chi family impatiently shoved a segment of orange into her mouth. The child is young, a country girl, inexperienced; try not to pay too much attention to this. As long as she doesn't embarrass them out in public, that'll be enough.

The Old Man of the Chi family sprinkled fish food for the two fat red carp, which were growing fatter by the day. "Spirited, good momentum, but as for the level, we shall see."

Chi Yong was very supportive; he understood his own daughter well. "There's no need to look. Yingzi’s scores will be fine anywhere."

The Old Lady of the Chi family felt a lump in her chest. Having to share a bed with a country wife day in and day out—her son’s perspective had narrowed so much.

They always say a wife is important. Look at what a good son he was, yet his vision became so short. The Old Lady didn't want to torment her son too much.

The Old Man of the Chi family said, "This is the provincial capital; use your brain."

One sentence expressed the Old Lady's inner thoughts perfectly. It's not your tiny mountain ditch where getting an award certificate makes you the top scholar. She lacked perspective.

The Old Lady finally couldn't hold back a jab. "Yongzi, you need to broaden your horizons; you’ve already walked out of that small mountain village."

Cheng Ying was unconcerned. Some things can't be conveyed through words; they must be shown through facts.

Yang Zhi, having listened to everyone talk for a long time, felt a headache coming on. "Stop with the fluff; just tell us how the exam went. What rank did you get?"

This was urging her daughter to be practical and let the scores speak for themselves.

That was straightforward. Traditionally, Chinese people measured heroes by their rankings.

Cheng Ying shrugged, spreading her hands. "After the exam, I was busy fooling around with Wuzi. Who had time to look at my scores?"

Yang Zhi was annoyed. "It's such a big deal, why are you so careless? This isn't something you can just forget!"

Chi Yong said, "Yingzi, it’s not that I’m lecturing you, but you’re making your mother worry. I'm telling you, in high school, you must attend school here in the provincial capital. Getting into university isn't just talk. I'm not discussing this with you."

Cheng Ying replied, "Let’s see the scores first. If my scores from this little mountain ditch aren't good enough for the Provincial No. 1 High School, then there’s nothing we can do."

Chi Yong smiled internally. As long as she agreed to the main point, his daughter getting into No. 1 High was certain.

The Old Lady of the Chi family worried. Did she have to endure three more years around this troublesome girl? No. 1 High? It would be good enough if she could get into No. 3 High. She really saw herself as a prodigy! "Yingzi, aiming high is good, but you also have to look at your own results. No. 1 High is very strict about admitting students."

Cheng Ying deliberately poked the Old Lady’s sore spot. "It’s fine. My uncle hasn't been struggling for nothing all these years. He works in the Education Bureau, after all. Arranging admission for his niece shouldn't be a problem."

The Old Lady’s breathing grew shallow. This was deliberately sprinkling salt on her wounds. "Yingzi, in our family, we shouldn't say such things. No matter how capable your uncle is, you must prove yourself. If you don't have the ability, school will be very hard for you in the future."

Objectively speaking, the Old Lady was right: no diamond, no porcelain bowl. She genuinely cared for her well-being.

Cheng Ying replied, "Thank you for your concern, Grandma Chi. That's why seeing my scores is most important right now. Talking about anything else is premature."

The backdoor route was left open, perhaps specifically to provoke the Old Lady of the Chi family.

Chi Yong thought his own mother needed a good shock. With her, the more setbacks, the better. His girl’s ability? Honestly, not just No. 1 High—if there were better schools, she could climb even higher.

He truly understood his daughter's capabilities.

Looking at his own parents, Chi Yong said in one sentence, "I'll have your maternal uncle mail over your test papers. When we approach the schools, we’ll use these, and no one can argue."

This was telling everyone: we speak with facts.

Cheng Ying shrugged, not caring. As long as her own grandmother was willing to move to the city, where she studied was essentially irrelevant.

The Old Lady and the Old Man of the Chi family exchanged a glance, feeling their son was inviting humiliation.

The Old Man of the Chi family had no other intention; he just felt that no matter how good the girl was at studying, it was confined to the countryside. At best, she might rank in the county. In a massive place like the provincial capital, his son was being a bit too insistent.

But the children were grown; parents had let go of some things long ago.

The Old Man of the Chi family returned to feeding his two nearly sinking fish.

As for the Old Lady, she picked up her grandson and left. The child couldn't be allowed to pick up too much common country dust.

She hadn't approved of Cheng Ying from the very beginning.

Chi Wu paid no mind to anyone’s reaction. Yingzi certainly didn't care. Besides, even if Yingzi didn't go to school, she could still make a name for herself; this was a non-issue for Chi Wu.

The only benefit was that he could spend time with Cheng Ying day and night, no longer having to wait for holidays to run up the mountain just to see her.

Thinking of this, Chi Wu’s heart began to beat uncontrollably.

A youth's feelings are hard to hide, especially a newly discovered youthful affection.

Chi Wu couldn't help but ask, "Yingzi, do you have a boy you like?"

The question was direct, and Chi Wu’s own face was redder than Cheng Ying’s.

Cheng Ying replied, "What, feeling the stirrings of romance? Tell big sister, what kind of girl? Sister will help you advise."

Cheng Ying was even more excited than Chi Wu—gossip! It was innate in women. Her own child was growing up!

Chi Wu felt annoyed. Before he could say anything, Yang Zhi started to suppress things from the side. "No early romance! Do you hear me? Both of you listen to me!"

Seeing their usually stern mother asserting authority, Cheng Ying raised her hands in surrender. "It's not me, definitely not me! You must believe me, your daughter’s taste is absolutely high, very high. I have no interest in these little brats who just wiped their noses clean."

Although a bit arrogant, it cleared her name.

Yang Zhi turned her gaze to Chi Wu.

Chi Wu said, "I was just afraid Yingzi would be dazzled when she first got to the city. I was reminding her. What does it have to do with me?"

Chi Yong sighed deeply. He had too much faith in this issue. If only his own son had problems in this area, that would be great. "You need to interact more with the young people your age. Girls can be very cute sometimes."

Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying, the girl who had just put him in his place, and coldly retorted, "Do you mean someone like her?"

Chi Yong looked at his daughter. Cute didn't really apply to her. "That doesn't count."

Cheng Ying felt insulted. Was she not a woman?

She turned away, too lazy to deal with them. She was worried because at her age, she still hadn't found anyone who made her heart flutter.

Did she have a problem internally? It was so upsetting.

It didn't fit the developmental pattern of adolescents.

It was as if she had skipped an entire puberty stage.

Yang Zhi said, "Yingzi, once you get to university, your perspective will broaden. Don't worry; there are plenty of good young men waiting for my daughter."

Cheng Ying nodded along, knowing full well in her heart that she wasn't interested in them. Sighing, she wished her standards could lean more toward the age of her teachers.

Finding an old bachelor who was decent in physique, passable in looks, and mentally sound was incredibly difficult.

After all, Cheng Ying wanted to be a harmonious member of society; she certainly wouldn't take the unconventional path or break up families.

Considering her standards for a spouse, it was too arduous.

Just thinking about it was a headache. "Mom, you can rest assured about this issue with me. I definitely won't be swayed by those boys combing their hair in little side parts. If I ever bring someone home, don't complain that he’s too old."

This came from the bottom of her heart, a way to confide in her mother that her taste might be rather unique.

Chi Wu was thrilled that he had escaped the "little side part" category, only to plunge into a new crisis immediately. He shot up from the sofa. "What do you mean? You have a target? What kind of old man are you trying to fool a child with?"

Both Chi Yong and Yang Zhi stared at Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't have a target. I mean, I prefer someone older, perhaps slightly older."

Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying, his face darkening until it looked like it could drip water. "What kind of terrible taste is that? Are you lacking fatherly love? Why do you have to find someone older?"

Saying that, he spun on his heel and stormed out. No one knew where this sudden burst of unwarranted anger came from.

Cheng Ying felt she genuinely lacked fatherly love.

Chi Yong looked embarrassed. "What's wrong with this kid? I'll go check on him. You two can chat, mother and daughter."

Yang Zhi sat down next to her daughter. "Do you really like older men?"

Cheng Ying replied, "Haven't met anyone yet. Don't worry, I won't date early."

Yang Zhi said, "It’s all Mom’s fault. They say people look for what they lack. You’re looking for what you lack, aren't you? Are you missing your dad?"

Cheng Ying felt a toothache, a jaw-aching pain. Could that really be applied here? Mom, are you perhaps thinking too wildly?

However, facing Yang Zhi’s low spirits, Cheng Ying reluctantly opened her mouth. "Going by your logic, I should find a grandpa to bring home, since I yearn more for the grandpa my grandma talks about." Ah, she also lacked an ancestor.

P.S.: Asking for votes! Asking for votes! RL

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