Xingren pursed her lips and smiled embarrassedly seeing Gu Zhang bragging about her to Mr. Wen like this. However, seeing his excitement and proud expressions, the color of her face that has become pale since Grandfather Gu has announced the truth of her identity was returning.
" Dad, please don't be like that. It's embarrassing," she said shyly while shaking her head when Gu Zhang was trying to pass on the phone to her to talk to Mr. Wen.
Eventually, seeing him insisting so much, she took the phone from him and put a few strands of her hair behind her hairs embarrassedly and cleared her throat before saying, " Good evening sir, thank you for calling to congratulate me. I am grateful that you remembered me." She greeted him formally and thanked him politely.
Mr. Wen was in a bewildered state. What's happening?
" Is...is it Xingren? Gu...Gu Xingren?" He confirmed the name of the girl upon hearing her words, wondering if he has called the right person or not.
A crease appeared on Xingren's forehead as she awkwardly responded to his question, wondering why he was asking for her name all of a sudden.
Mr. Wen was puzzled and as he was still in his office, he opened the file that was on his desk of the student who topped the scholarship exam and checked the girl's name wondering if he has made some mistake.
'But the girl's name is Xu Nuan, daughter of Gu Zhang. Did Gu Zhang confuse Xingren with Xu Nuan?'
After checking the results again, he cleared his throat and apologized, " Ah, sorry for holding you for long. Xingren, right? You're such a bright student, it was not an easy exam. Yet you scored well and got the second position. Even though you didn't get the scholarship, you still made your parents and university proud." he said while trying best to not embarrass her.
"....."
Xingren who was smiling from ear to ear while listening to his words, her smile froze when she heard him say the second position. Second position? What?
She was in disbelief and wondering if she heard something wrong. " Sir, I….I think there is some mistake. Why are you saying the second position? How can I be second? I have scored 92% marks, seems like you have confused me with someone else." she laughed awkwardly, trying to reduce the tension on the dining table.
Gu Zhang frowned upon hearing the second position but seeing Xingren laughing his expressions relaxed. It happens, people do make mistakes.
He must have confused Xingren's position with someone else.
He looked at Xingren and said, " Put the phone on speaker." She nodded and put the phone on speaker.
Once on speaker, Gu Zhang said, " Mr. Wen, seems like you're getting old. How can you confuse the topper of the exam with the second position? Do you want me to send you some ginseng and walnuts for your good memory?" he laughed and teased him, making everyone chuckle on the table except Grandfather Gu.
Grandfather Gu stared at Xingren with complicated expressions and was frowning. He was having a feeling that something is not right. How can the dean of the college, who has called to congratulate the winner, mistake her as second?
It's not something normal.
Mr. Wen laughed awkwardly upon hearing Gu Zhang's words and said, " Well, I think rather than me, you need to take health supplements for your eyes. Didn't you check the result properly?" He asked while trying to sound not so serious and rude.
Gu Zhang's words annoyed him since he was stating the fact yet Gu Zhang made such a stupid joke. He can't get his facts straight and was telling him to strengthen his memory. Hah!
"....."
Gu Zhang's expressions stiffened upon hearing his words. He might be chuckling but he didn't seem to be joking. Xingren who was smiling till now also looked at him in confusion.
Something is not right.
" Mr. Wen, what do you mean? Isn't Xingren the one who topped the scholarship exam? She even got 92%, we checked it well." He said, trying to make things clear.
Maybe Mr. Wen made some mistake.
" That's why I congratulated her since she got 92%, it was not an easy exam after all. Scoring this much is incredible. However, I never said that she has topped the exam. Didn't you check the rankings on the main website of the university? It's already up."
Xingren pursed her lips and picked her phone to check the list of the rankings. She didn't need to go through the website as someone has already updated the list on their class group chat. When she clicked on the list, her expressions froze.
She is not first? How can she be second with such high scores? But what was more shocking was the name of the person who was first.
Meanwhile, Gu Zhang spoke to Mr. Wen, " Then why did you say that my daughter has made me proud? Isn't it because she topped the exam?" He asked while frowning, irritated at his childish joke.
If he was joking, then this is the worst prank that anyone has ever played on him.
Mr. Wen sighed and said, " Seems like you only saw the scorecard and not the ranking list. I called you to congratulate you because your daughter has indeed topped the exam."
" What are you saying? Why do you keep contracting your wo-
Mr. Wen tightened his jaw and interrupted Gu Zhang who was babbling in frustration," However, the person who has topped the exam is not Xingren but Xu Nuan. I was checking the information file of hers and just realized that in the father's column, it was your name that was written."
"After checking her details, I remembered that you have another daughter that you haven't introduced to us before. So I assumed that it must be Xu Nuan." He said while remembering about Xu Nuan's amazing gaming skills and the way she negotiated with him.
"Xu..Xu Nuan? Mr. Wen, what are you saying? How can it be Xu Nuan, she isn't part of Xin Lin University, then can she?" Gu Zhang asked in shock.
How can she top the exam when she can't even give the exam? What's happening?
Mr. Wen frowned upon hearing his words. He doesn't know about the deal that his daughter has made with him?
He had thought that Xu Nuan wouldn't be able to clear the exam, let alone topping it since it was only a few weeks ago when she participated in the match and proposed this deal.
He was considering offering him to give something else in prize since her skills had really impressed him.
However, she made it. More than that, he has never thought that the girl would be the adopted daughter of Gu family. He has heard that Gu family have an adopted daughter and he was very impressed at their generosity.
However, upon seeing their reaction and that they didn't even know about Xu Nuan giving the exam, he was not sure if they really have a familial relationship or not.
How can they not know what's happening in their daughter's life? It's such a proud news afterall.
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