It turned out that Shi Xingwu was doing very well.
He even waved excitedly, inviting Nie Qingkong to sit beside him.
Nie Qingkong also sat down with a faint smile and glanced at Li Xiaozhong, who was on Shi Xingwu's other side. After meeting Li Xiaozhong's warning gaze, Nie Qingkong let out a hearty laugh, revealing a small canine tooth, looking shy and sunny.
On the other side, Xia Qingyu was too lazy to talk to Miao Tong anymore.
Miao Tong deserved the beating he received. Perhaps a few more beatings in the future might make him smarter.
She was too lazy to bother anyway.
After breakfast, Bai Yuqi personally escorted everyone off the ship.
At the port, there were vehicles arranged by Bai Yuqi to escort them, showing excellent service.
"Thanks." Xia Qingtian thanked Bai Yuqi, "See you in two days."
Bai Yuqi waved at Xia Qingtian and then smiled mysteriously, "At the Bai family's old residence in Kyoto, if you want to see me these two days... or if you crave a big meal, just come over."
"Okay." Xia Qingtian knew who Bai Yuqi was referring to and simply responded with a faint smile.
Standing next to Xia Qingtian, Xia Qingyu's head activated its invisible surveillance radar, emitting beeping sounds.
What big meal?
Was it that chef who wanted to trick her sister into leaving?
The Bai family's old residence?
Rest assured, she would absolutely not give that chef such an opportunity!
Without further ado, Xia Qingtian drove Xia Qingyu and the other two to the hotel designated for the examinees.
The exam was scheduled to start precisely at two in the afternoon, allowing for some rest in the morning.
To facilitate taking care of Xia Qingyu, Xia Qingtian had already asked Xia Honglang's secretary to book two rooms in advance at this hotel.
One room for Xia Qingtian, and another for Miao Tong and Shi Xingwu.
Following the earlier misunderstanding involving a fight, Shi Xingwu kept calling her "Little Uncle" with great sweetness, diligently serving Miao Tong.
This made Miao Tong a bit uncomfortable, but he could only force a smile and maintain politeness.
At noon, the examinees received buffet coupons. Xia Qingtian also got buffet coupons from the hotel, and everyone gathered to dine together, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.
Until an unfriendly voice broke the pleasantness: "Xia Qingyu?"
Upon hearing the voice, Xia Qingyu turned her head and recognized the speaker as Liao Tingting, a student from Kyoto whom she had encountered multiple times in competitions.
Frankly speaking, Xia Qingyu had no good impression of Liao Tingting. Liao Tingting always carried an air of arrogance, and she had been repeatedly outclassed by Xia Qingyu in several competitions. Despite her inferior skills, she refused to yield, thus creating animosity with Xia Qingyu.
"Do you know her?" Xia Qingtian followed Xia Qingyu's gaze and saw a girl wearing round glasses.
"Not well." Xia Qingyu admitted frankly. Apart from competitions, she had no personal relationship with Liao Tingting, nor had they ever exchanged contact information. Moreover, since they were not from the same city, it was difficult to develop any personal connection.
"Xia Qingyu, I've prepared thoroughly this time! Just watch!" Liao Tingting snorted, glancing at everyone at Xia Qingyu's table and saying, "No matter how many people come from your City No. 1 High School, you are all just our foils!"
"Three," Xia Qingyu replied. "As usual, the top three."
"Top three?" Liao Tingting looked at the others.
"I'm here to accompany her," Shi Xingwu immediately replied. He didn't possess the academic prowess to represent them in the competition, although he might have a chance in a sports event.
"I'm just passing by," Miao Tong added.
"I came to accompany Qingyu," Xia Qingtian said with a faint smile as Liao Tingting's gaze fell upon her.
"You're old enough to need parental accompaniment for exams! Aren't you ashamed, Xia Qingyu!" Liao Tingting snorted triumphantly. "It's different for me; I've always participated in competitions alone since I was young. An independent person like me is different from you!"
"Is that so? Then you must be very pitiful," Xia Qingtian said with a slight smile, seeing Liao Tingting's demeanor. "You've been accustomed to being alone your whole life, haven't you? Going to school alone, going home alone, eating alone, sleeping alone.
When you're happy, there's no one to share it with. When you're sad, there's no one to accompany you. When you're angry, no one to appease you. When you're depressed, no one to alleviate it.
When you see beautiful scenery, there's no one to enjoy it with. When you taste delicious food, there's no one to share it with. When you hear pleasant music, there's no one to share it with.
At times like these, you might deceive yourself by saying 'different paths lead to different pursuits,' 'fierce beasts walk alone, while cattle and sheep gather in herds.'
Regardless, you can study; academic performance is the priority. But then again...
When you achieve good grades, it's taken for granted. When you don't do well, there's no one by your side to pat your shoulder and tell you it's okay.
When you're sick, you're probably alone too, right?
No one asks if you're in pain, or if you're tired."
How ridiculous, to dare speak of her sister in front of her?
Did she think she was invisible?
"So this is what you call independence," Xia Qingtian clasped her hands to the side of her face and smiled faintly. "Then it's truly a pity. Our Qingyu will never learn this in her life. She's different from you."
"You!" Liao Tingting felt as if a hole had been poked in her heart, followed by another and another. Especially since she had been encountering Xia Qingyu in competitions for the past two years and was always being crushed. Every time she was blamed, her busy parents would still find time to scold her.
And when she was sick, she could only go to the hospital alone to register, receive IV drips alone, and so on...
It was as if the strength she had always pretended to have was completely torn apart at this moment, leaving behind only the most pathetic vulnerability.
"Waaaa!" Liao Tingting burst into tears and ran out. Everyone in the dining hall looked on in bewilderment.
"She broke down already?" Xia Qingtian scoffed. "Students nowadays are too weak, so fragile. Come, let's continue eating."
Xia Qingyu's eyes sparkled as she looked at Xia Qingtian, her heart filled with blissful admiration.
The boys present exchanged glances, silently swallowed their saliva, and reached a consensus: Xia Qingtian was terrifying.
After that, no one dared to provoke Xia Qingyu again. Xia Qingtian and the others could dine peacefully and then escorted Xia Qingyu and the other two to their exam.
"Relax, I'll treat you to something delicious tonight." Xia Qingtian adjusted Xia Qingyu's collar. "Your grades don't matter; happiness is more important."
"Mmm~" Xia Qingyu nodded vigorously. Xia Qingtian's presence to accompany her felt like a dream.
"You all need to do your best too," Xia Qingtian encouraged Li Xiaozhong and Nie Qingkong, then waved and watched the three get into the car.
After Xia Qingyu and the other two departed, Xia Qingtian also had to attend to her own matters.
Her trip to Kyoto was not solely for accompanying Xia Qingyu to her exam.
She had more important things to do. Miao Tong also made an excuse to leave.
He needed to figure out if Xia Qingtian had indeed secretly transported the Tang family's master to Kyoto.
Letting a tiger return to the mountain would only lead to future trouble.
Meanwhile, various forces that had been monitoring Xia Qingtian since her arrival in Kyoto began to stir.
The first piece of news was already disseminated: Xia Qingtian made a female student cry in the hotel restaurant, and the student cried until she was convulsed, looking very pitiful.
Those who received the news couldn't help but sigh: Xia Qingtian was indeed brutal.