Huo Yueze was in the midst of his middle school entrance exams. Although the pressure wasn't intense, his studies kept him busy, and he also faced the same herbal soup task as Huo Guining.
"Come on, this one's for Ning Ning, and this one's for Aze," Zheng Jinxiu enthusiastically placed the soup bowls in front of the two.
Considering Ning Ning had just recovered from a cold, Zheng Jinxiu had added extra ingredients to hers.
The siblings exchanged glances across the dining table.
Huo Guining, with the air of someone who'd been through it all, advised, "Brother, this herbal soup is quite good."
Despite her words, her posture as she drank the soup resembled that of someone resigned to their fate.
Huo Yueze thought: There's no need for that.
All of this happened behind Zheng Jinxiu's back.
When Zheng Jinxiu sat down at the table, the siblings greeted her with identical smiles: "Grandma, the herbal soup you made is absolutely delicious!"
Huo Xiaozheng: I can't bear to watch.
After dinner, Old Master Huo called Huo Xiaozheng to his study.
Huo Yueze and Huo Guining each held a fruit platter, sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, resembling old folks gossiping at the village entrance.
"Sister, is North City fun?"
Huo Guining lay like a lazy fish, popping a grape into her mouth: "It's alright, the scenery is quite nice."
Huo Yueze complained, "Why didn't you take me along? I could have been part of the parent-child program too!"
Huo Guining shook her head wearily: "It's all little kids. You'd get tired looking after them."
Huo Yueze imagined a flock of ducklings circling around him and couldn't help but shudder.
"Well, never mind then. After my entrance exams, let's go on a trip together, shall we?"
Hearing the words 'entrance exams', Huo Guining sat up straight: "Brother, which high school are you aiming for?"
Huo Yueze took some time to explain to Ning Ning that he was currently in a prestigious private school with both middle and high school sections. If his scores met the standard, he could directly enter the high school section.
"Ning Ning, will you be starting elementary school in the second half of the year?" Huo Yueze asked casually.
Thinking of her private tutor, Huo Guining hesitated: "I probably won't be going."
Huo Yueze: "Won't you get bored?"
Huo Guining: "I suppose so."
After pondering for a moment, Huo Guining thought: "If I went to sixth grade, would the classmates be less rowdy?"
Huo Yueze paused: "Ning Ning, sixth grade isn't kindergarten. You can't go there..."
Huo Guining smiled mischievously: "My tutor suggested I start directly with middle school knowledge, you know~"
Huo Yueze's expression froze.
"You're joking, right?"
Just then, Huo Xiaozheng came downstairs. Huo Guining waved at him, calling out loudly: "Dad, didn't my teacher say before that I could skip elementary school learning?"
Huo Xiaozheng nodded: "Indeed, it's possible. Have you made up your mind?"
Huo Guining didn't answer his question. Instead, she flashed a triumphant smile at Huo Yueze: "Now do you believe me?"
Huo Yueze suddenly found the fruit in his hand less sweet.
"Uncle, did Ning Ning inherit her intelligence... from you?"
Huo Guining suddenly felt nervous. Her accumulated knowledge only went up to high school level. To call her a genius might be an overstatement.
Huo Xiaozheng shook his head.
Huo Guining breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, Huo Xiaozheng's words caught her off guard.
"We haven't had Ning Ning tested, but it's probably not far off," Huo Xiaozheng said casually.
Huo Guining: ...
"Aze will be entering high school next semester. If you want to go to school, you could certainly enter the middle school section," Huo Xiaozheng said. "However, given your young age, you might attract too much attention..."
What Huo Xiaozheng didn't finish saying was that he worried Ning Ning might be bullied due to her young age.
But it didn't matter. As long as Ning Ning wanted to do it, he would clear all obstacles for her.
Huo Guining fell into deep thought.
In her previous life, her time had been limited. She hadn't had the chance to do much before passing away.
Now, she had plenty of time to spare. Although her body wasn't in the best condition, it didn't stop her from pursuing her dreams.
In her previous life, due to her physical condition, she hadn't been able to properly experience campus life.
Given this second chance, she not only wanted to realize her dreams but also experience normal school life.
"Dad, I want to enter first grade through the normal process," Huo Guining said. "But for my studies, I'd still like to have a private tutor teach me according to my abilities."
In other words, she would enter first grade but learn middle school and beyond knowledge in advance.
Huo Yueze was stunned.
He was at the top of his class at school, but he had never encountered anyone skipping grades.
Yet his sister was so intelligent.
Huo Xiaozheng was very calm: "Alright, we'll arrange for your enrollment in September."
Huo Guining gave Huo Xiaozheng an OK sign and continued chatting with Huo Yueze.
"Brother, come September, we'll be schoolmates then."
Huo Yueze waved at her with a stiff smile: "Hi, junior..."
...
On the day the variety show aired, Zheng Jinxiu specially gathered the Huo family to watch together.
Huo Xiaozheng also cleared his evening schedule, and the family sat comfortably on the sofa, waiting for the show to start.
Due to editing, the official broadcast differed quite a bit from what actually happened.
The show opened with a stunningly handsome shot of Huo Xiaozheng standing on the second floor.
As the camera switched, Huo Guining appeared on the screen.
Her rosy cheeks and slightly babyish whining made the elders exclaim how adorable she was.
The joy was theirs, the embarrassment was Huo Guining's.
She buried her face in her piggy plush, not daring to look up.
Zheng Jinxiu teased, "Is Ning Ning feeling shy?"
Huo Guining nodded frantically.
Zheng Jinxiu laughed, "If I hadn't seen it on TV, I wouldn't have known Ning Ning looked so cute when waking up!"
Huo Guining shyly raised her head, reached past Huo Xiaozheng to hug Zheng Jinxiu, and softly said, "Love you, Grandma."
Huo Yueze let out a strange cry: "Oh~ Only love for Grandma~ Brother hasn't seen Ning Ning looking so cute either!"
Huo Guining didn't fall for it: "Well, now you've seen it."
She pointed towards the TV screen.
Huo Yueze: My sister looks super cute even when she's sassing me!
At this moment, Zhang Ling's impolite comment suddenly rang out.
Huo Guining glanced at Huo Xiaozheng, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She hadn't expected Huo Xiaozheng to allow the production team to include this line in the final cut.
Huo Yueze was the first to get angry: "How dare that brat speak so rudely? Uncle, why didn't you punch him!"
Huo Xiaozheng gave him a sidelong glance: "How do you know I didn't?"
Huo Guining was shocked: "Dad, did you really hit Zhang Ling in private?!"
Huo Xiaozheng: "No, Dad didn't."
He had only beaten the boy black and blue with his eyes.
Huo Yueze snorted: "Just let me run into that kid, I'll definitely..."
Zuo Qinfang slapped the back of his head: "What are you going to do? Getting above yourself, aren't you? Haven't I always told you to learn from your uncle? What have you been learning all this time?"
Huo Yueze looked bewildered: Learn from uncle to do what? To be a spiritual Ah Q?
Huo Xiaozheng gave a cold smile.
In the art of war, the supreme excellence is to subdue the enemy without fighting, to kill without spilling blood.
