How was Qiao Dongliang to know that what Ding Jiayi meant was that Qiao Zijin's results had indeed been good, but that had nothing to do with the scholarship? In fact, not only did Qiao Zijin have nothing to do with the scholarship, but her results had even been a long shot from those who had won the scholarship. No matter how hard Qiao Zijin tried, she would never be able to overcome the vast difference and catch up with them.
Ding Jiayi had been confused the first time Qiao Zijin talked about it this way, but Ding Jiayi had fallen under Qiao Zijin's spell and thought that Qiao Zijin was always right and that whatever Qiao Zijin did was right too.
Qiao Zijin had only told a half-lie, and even after Ding Jiayi learned of the truth, she had been in cahoots with Qiao Zijin to keep the truth hidden from Qiao Dongliang.