Chapter 56: Monthly Exam Morning

In the early morning, I entered the kitchen and tied on my apron. Upon opening the refrigerator door, I found only instant noodles.

Alas, I couldn’t really blame myself. With school occupying my days, there was simply no time to acquire fresh ingredients, so I resolved to buy some new provisions on Sunday to offer a change of pace. It truly was difficult for them, having to subsist on instant noodles every single day.

Mu Rong Xin Xue, thankfully, wasn’t particularly picky. Huang Beifeng, on the other hand, being a pampered young lady, certainly found plain instant noodles unappetizing.

Still, this was all we had for now, so they would simply have to make do.

Huang Beifeng had been staying for nearly a week now and had largely grown accustomed to the routine. Every morning, after completing her ablutions, she would find the silver-haired loli, donned in a pink apron, already busily preparing in the kitchen.

Just as the water began to boil, Huang Beifeng’s figure appeared outside the kitchen.

“Mu Rong Luo Ye, good morning. What are we having today?”

Before I could even respond, her gaze fell upon the handful of instant noodles clutched in my hand, and comprehension dawned upon her.

“Instant noodles again? I’ve lost my appetite.”

Seeing Huang Beifeng’s utterly dispirited expression, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. Truth be told, her lack of appetite wasn’t solely due to the daily instant noodles; more significantly, today marked the monthly exam.

Convinced that she would fail, she naturally appeared quite dejected.

As for myself, encountering the first monthly exam merely ten days after arriving at this school was, in fact, not surprising at all.

After all, my transfer had caused a delay, so it was hardly unusual for me to face an exam after only a dozen days of classes.

I remained quite confident in my own foundational knowledge. As for Huang Beifeng, one only needed to observe her current state to understand the precarious situation she was in.

“Don’t be too nervous. Come, eat your noodles first. We can get some new ingredients this weekend.”

“Mm.”

She nodded faintly, then took the bowl of noodles I offered and forced herself to eat.

“If you truly don’t want to eat, it’s still early. I can take you for some dessert.”

“Forget it. I have no appetite.”

Dropping her chopsticks, she once again displayed that utterly dejected expression, slumping weakly onto the table as if to pray for the upcoming exam.

“Mu Rong Luo Ye, if I don’t make it into the top hundred, I’ll be scolded to death. But I feel like I…”

“Oh, but you’ll only make it into the top ten.”

“I truly don’t understand what you’re so worried about.”

I cast a helpless glance her way. Truth be told, before every exam, Huang Beifeng would always adopt this demeanor, fretting that she wouldn’t perform well.

As a normal person, anyone might experience nervousness, but Huang Beifeng’s anxiety was somewhat excessive. At this very moment, the words ‘utter despair’ seemed almost etched onto her face.

It was also quite evident that the difference between her current self and her usual demeanor was stark, almost as if she were two entirely different people.

“Alright, there’s no need to worry,” I said, “Just let nature take its course.” I offered a soft word of comfort, but just as expected, it had no effect whatsoever.

Still, it was fine to let her continue in this state; after all these years, I had grown accustomed to it. Once the exam concluded, she would undoubtedly return to her usual self.

Reflecting on my earlier comment, I realized I hadn’t been mistaken. Although Huang Beifeng rarely paid attention in class, she likely possessed a strong foundational knowledge, much like myself, which allowed her to consistently achieve high scores.

However, the ‘top ten’ was merely an estimation. The overall strength of the students in this academy remained unknown, a mystery that would only be unveiled after this monthly exam.

Just how formidable they truly were would be revealed with the test.

But with my foundation firmly in place, I was unconcerned with the difficulty of the exam. There was truly nothing for me to worry about.

“Alright, alright, just relax. Everything will become clear once we get to school.”

Before I could finish speaking, Huang Beifeng suddenly lunged forward, pressing herself against my back and burying her face in my waist-length silver hair.

“Eh? Let—let go, let go!”

My cheeks flushed as I pondered how to dislodge her. However, a quick comparison of our respective strengths convinced me to give up.

I was utterly defeated.

Ignoring Huang Beifeng, who remained plastered to my back, I picked up another bowl of noodles from the kitchen and gently placed it on the dining table. This one was, of course, for Mu Rong Xin Xue.

It was likely that Mu Rong Xin Xue wouldn’t even stir until we had already left the house. Her schedule was relatively flexible, allowing her to wake up as late as seven or eight in the morning without issue. In stark contrast, we had to be up by six—the comparison truly was infuriating.

Returning to my room, I gathered my belongings. Then, still burdened by Huang Beifeng clinging to my back, I simply walked straight out the door.

Although we undoubtedly presented a peculiar sight, drawing curious glances from passersby, it was still far better than when she used to hook her arm around my shoulder back when I wore male clothing.

The monthly exam was upon us. What would it truly entail? Regardless, I felt not a shred of panic. Hehehe.

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