Chương 13: Liang Hua’s Setback
Qin Sheng could only continue her studies by working part-time. She handed over a portion of her earnings to Shen Mei and concealed her true potential, which allowed her to finish her sophomore year at the town's high school. Balancing work and studies was exhausting, but her resolve was unwavering. Every evening, she poured over her textbooks with a focused determination, making the most of her limited time.
With astonishing speed, Qin Sheng flipped through her textbooks. In just two hours, she had finished one book and promptly picked up a new Chinese textbook from the second semester of her first year. Her progress was impressive, but she knew that to excel, she had to maintain this pace and continue refining her knowledge.
Downstairs, a touching family scene was unfolding.
After a quarrel over Qin Sheng, Qin Hai and Lin Shuyuan sat on opposite sides of the sofa, both brooding in silence. The tension was palpable, and the atmosphere was heavy with unspoken grievances.
Qin Churou stepped in to mediate. "Dad, Mom, thank you for loving me so much. Even after finding out that I'm not your biological daughter, you still treat me as if I am."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened and tears began to fall. The sight of her emotional distress was calculated to elicit sympathy and reinforce her position. "It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, Sister wouldn't misunderstand you. If I move out, you three won't have to argue like this."
Lin Shuyuan, unable to bear the sight of her beloved daughter crying, immediately wrapped her arms around Qin Churou's shoulders, comforting her with a voice full of tenderness. "Rou'er, you will always be our daughter, our true daughter. You don't need to move out; you are not an outsider."
"But, Sister, she..."
"Your sister is just being difficult. Don't mind her," Lin Shuyuan huffed, clearly frustrated. She couldn't understand why her own daughter couldn't compare to Rou'er. Her own sense of injustice was palpable, and she couldn't see beyond her immediate frustration.
"Mom, I'm sure Sister will eventually understand how good you are to her."
Upon hearing this, Lin Shuyuan's heart softened. After all, there was nothing like a daughter raised by your side from a young age—so considerate and understanding. The words seemed to calm the storm within her.
Qin Hai's expression also softened as he watched. "Rou'er, rest assured, the Qin family will always be your home." His voice was warm but tinged with an underlying hint of possessiveness.
To him, Qin Churou was thoughtful, intelligent, and performed well in her studies—in every way superior to Qin Sheng. This was how Qin Hai's heart viewed things, clouded by his preference for Qin Churou.
Held in Lin Shuyuan's embrace, Qin Churou lowered her eyes, brimming with smugness. She savored the moment, knowing that her strategy had worked.
Qin Sheng, you've lost.
Even if you were brought back, you're still nothing more than someone unwanted by your parents. The feeling of victory was sweet as Qin Churou imagined Qin Sheng's future in tatters, a satisfaction she relished in secret.
---
The next day, during the English class taught by Liang Hua, the teacher, still upset over yesterday's events, planned to make Qin Sheng look bad by putting her on the spot during the lesson. She knew how important saving face was for girls. Liang Hua had a personal vendetta and was eager to exact her revenge.
Liang Hua called on Qin Sheng multiple times, asking questions she had painstakingly selected—questions so challenging that even she struggled to answer without looking at the answers. The questions were designed to be difficult, a trap she hoped Qin Sheng would fall into.
To Liang Hua's shock, Qin Sheng answered every question flawlessly, without a single mistake! Her performance was impeccable, showcasing not only her deep understanding of the material but also her ability to think on her feet. Liang Hua had prepared the questions to be her downfall, but it was she who ended up on the losing side.
In the end, Qin Sheng even asked Liang Hua a question. Liang Hua thought about it for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer. The situation was a complete reversal of her expectations. The teacher had made a fool of herself, unable to match Qin Sheng's skill and knowledge.
To her surprise, it wasn't Qin Sheng who was humiliated but herself! The embarrassment was compounded by the fact that Liang Hua had underestimated her student.
As the bell rang to signal the end of class, Liang Hua breathed a sigh of relief and left Class Four with her teaching materials, her head hanging low. The weight of her defeat was heavy on her shoulders.
"Ha ha ha—"
No sooner had she left the classroom than peals of laughter erupted from Class Four, accompanied by the sound of hands slapping desks. The atmosphere in the room was one of triumph and glee, a stark contrast to Liang Hua's dismal mood.
Liang Hua's face flushed with embarrassment. She didn't dare go back to question them, instead swallowing her anger and retreating. The sting of her defeat was sharp, and she struggled to contain her humiliation.
Inside the classroom, a crowd had gathered around Qin Sheng, all of them filled with admiration for her. Their respect for Qin Sheng had grown, seeing her triumph over their usually overbearing teacher.
Liang Hua, always looking down on them, had strutted around their class with her nose in the air, often mocking them during lessons. Their patience had worn thin, and now they had witnessed her comeuppance.
They had long grown tired of her attitude. True, they didn't have the best grades, but they still had their dignity. Besides, it wasn't that they didn't want to learn. They had just fallen behind in their foundational knowledge, making it hard to keep up with the pace in their third year of high school. As a result, they had grown weary of studying but still maintained their self-respect.
**(End of Chapter)**
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