It's all his fault for being an artist!

Chapter 41 Spring Exams: Do your best, and let nature take its course.

With Li Xixi, a top student, helping him with tutoring, Cheng Wang used the three-day New Year's Day holiday to put aside his art studies and immerse himself in intensive academic subjects.

For the next two days, he taught the girls one-on-one with Mu Ziling and Li Xixi. After satisfying their curiosity about Yun Jingyuan, the girls were not very interested in the tutoring itself, so they each took their completed error notebooks home to review.

The saying goes, "Even last-minute cramming can be effective, though not perfect."

He didn't expect to excel in both arts and sports, but since he was going to give it a try, it was only natural to put his energy into something he had never done before.

As for the outcome, let nature take its course. At least you should have proven how far you can go with your efforts. There's no need to waste time on the rest. Giving your all is also a natural process to follow after achieving a rebirth.

The college entrance examination on June 6th is not the end of life, and neither is the spring college entrance examination.

Just like in his high school, monthly exams can no longer be called monthly exams; instead, the education bureau has mandated that they be named periodic tests.

Cheng Wang also regarded the spring exam after New Year's Day as a test for himself.

You'll need to pay extra attention to English, as Shanghai has a unique college entrance exam system where the higher score from the two English tests will be used to calculate your final score.

after all--

That year, Cheng Wang faced tens of thousands of students in the city in the college entrance examination, and he ultimately failed. I saw him dozing off in his chair. At that moment, I thought, if I could be reborn, I would definitely win everything. Now, the spring college entrance examination is just around the corner, and I have to consider whether this might be my only chance in this life.

In his own words, that was roughly his attitude.

First theft, second theft will be prosecuted.

Fortunately, Cheng Wang had been in the industry in his previous life, which helped him improve his English.

Although the vocabulary and the scope of the college entrance examination do not completely overlap, the more rigorous test points such as grammar need to be improved.

However, when he was tutoring with Mu Ziling, he still mastered the material much faster than her.

"Chengwang, I seem to remember that before the art training camp, your English wasn't this good. You were only ranked 30th or lower in the class."

"I scored 105 points on this test paper, which is close to the passing score. The difficulty level should be similar to the spring college entrance examination. The class average score is around 95 points."

Li Xixi was surprised when she graded his grades.

The English exam in Shanghai is comparable to the CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) and close to the CET-6 (College English Test Band 6), making it one of the most difficult exams in the country.

Qiuzhen Experimental High School ranks in the middle of the district's key high schools. The bottom 40% of students are basically eliminated and fall below the passing score. Only the top ten students in the grade have a chance to score 120 points.

Including Li Xixi, there are only two students in the entire school who consistently score above 135 points and can compete with top-tier schools in the city.

In just a few days.

Cheng Wang's English score, which had been hovering around the grade average, suddenly jumped by 10 points, like a rocket.

Li Xixi saw it all.

"Strange, this test paper is quite difficult in reading comprehension. There are many computer-related technical terms that are not commonly used in the dictionary. I have to read them slowly, but you got all four questions right."

Is it possible that I really am a genius?

"Mr. Genius, shall we test your math skills now?"

"Ahem, Mu Ziling, what score did you get?"

"Hmph." Li Xixi gave a haughty snort, looking down at another exam paper beside her:

"You lost quite a few points in the listening section, barely making it 100. Ziling, you used to be in the top 15 of your class, right? You need to work hard to catch up."

"Hmm."

Mu Ziling looked like a wilted cucumber as she sullenly accepted the exam paper, her ponytail drooping listlessly and looking somewhat loose.

The school where I took the spring college entrance exam was very close to the Chengwang Art Joint Examination.

He set off early for a walk along the same road.

Lin Qin and Cheng Jianhua did not accompany their son to the exam this time, perhaps because they felt that with their son's meager income, the spring exam was just for fun and a formality.

Unlike the continuous drizzle during the art exam, the temperature in Shanghai in January was a bit lower, reaching 0 degrees Celsius.

On a rare sunny day, the morning light spilled onto the road, creating a romantic, white carpet. Walking in the winter sunshine, I wrapped my down jacket tightly around my neck. It was still cold, but there was also a subtle warmth that seeped into my bones from my skin.

The homeroom teacher, Ms. Chen, was waiting at the examination site, wearing an elegant plum-red cheongsam.

Looking around the campus, many high school students were gathered here, and some of them were young teachers who, in order to send blessings to their students, did not hesitate to go all out, changing into the same outfits and wearing heavy makeup.

Some parts are cringe-worthy, while others show heartwarming moments between teachers and students.

Li Xixi arrived even earlier and was in line when she turned around in the crowd in the distance.

Tall and slender, she was almost immediately noticeable. She was still trying to stand on tiptoe and wave, vying for air superiority with the boys around her.

Cheng Wang could vaguely make out what Li Xixi was saying by reading her lips.

"Keep going, and stay calm!"

He nodded in response, his face calm and composed, unusually without any joking, his expression steady and relaxed.

Li Xixi hurriedly turned her head back.

The process of taking the three exams was faster than Cheng Wang had imagined; he wrote non-stop and handed in his papers hastily.

Whether it's a Chinese composition written down to the very last line, or a math problem struggling on scratch paper, the black pen gallops to the very last moment.

The spring college entrance examination is a preparation for independent enrollment, and the number of professional spots released in advance is small. It is said that the exam will be more difficult than the regular college entrance examination.

At this stage, Cheng Wang doesn't have such a deep understanding that he can objectively compare the differences between the two.

In his view, the spring college entrance examination might be even simpler than the national college entrance examination.

Even though I used up all my time on every exam and didn't have much time to check my work, I wasn't as calm and composed as when I was drawing.

But this feeling of fulfillment also has its own charm.

He genuinely wanted to give it his all and put in the effort. It wasn't until he handed in the last English exam paper that Cheng Wang, who had lived two lives, felt like he had finally become a high school student.

Mu Ziling and Li Xixi tacitly met outside the examination hall, waiting for Cheng Wang to meet them so they could leave together.

"Ziling, that's awesome!"

"uh-huh?"

"The last big math problem was solved using a similar approach to what we discussed yesterday. The English essay was also included in the demonstration, which I specifically had you memorize. What did you think of the difficulty level of this spring exam?"

"Thank you, class monitor. I'm sure I can get an even higher score than in the mock exam."

Learning and exams, art and culture, gentle as water and passionate as fire, from now to the future.

Cheng Wang slowed down slightly, watching the high ponytail swaying in front of him, occasionally brushing against the edge of his short hair. He couldn't help but think of the eight words he had set for himself.

Do your best and let nature take its course.

Okay, that's good.

"Cheng Wang? Where have you been? Why aren't you answering?"

"Um."

"The math test covered many of your common mistakes, and I've compiled them all. Are you sure you can get them all right this time?"

"This one—"

Two people ahead stopped.

Li Xixi stared at Cheng Wang, looking slightly nervous.

Mu Ziling, however, turned her head in confusion and blinked.

"Of course it was made."

"Hopefully!"