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Yan Xiaohong was both amused and exasperated. She handed over a roasted chicken leg, smiling as she said, "You little glutton, I saved a chicken leg for you. Eat this and some vegetables first. Don't wait for your sister."
Huang Xiaobao took the chicken leg and began devouring it, smugly declaring, "I knew it! Mom loves me the most. You don't like my sister at all. Did you poison this or something?"
Yan Xiaohong's expression darkened. She rapped Xiaobao on the forehead and scolded, "Eat your chicken leg and stop talking nonsense, or I'll give you a taste of bamboo shoots fried with pork—right on your little bottom!"
Xiaobao, frightened into silence, quickly finished his meal, his face smeared with grease. He tossed the chicken bone aside, emptied his bowl, and jumped off the table to go play.
About half an hour later.
Yan Xiaohong's face was grim. She couldn't wait any longer and dialed Guo Damei's number. "Sorry to bother you, Teacher Guo, but my Qiaoqiao hasn't come home yet. Have you seen her?"
Guo Damei replied, "Don't worry. I saw her going to the small cafeteria with her classmates. The food there is safe—no risk of stomachaches that could affect her college entrance exam results."
Yan Xiaohong hung up the phone, her face twisted in frustration. She had spent all morning preparing special sweet and sour spare ribs, hoping to make Qiaoqiao drowsy or give her a stomachache. But Qiaoqiao hadn't come home for lunch—she had gone to the cafeteria instead.
"That damn girl!" Yan Xiaohong muttered under her breath. She had gone through so much trouble, even spiking the juice and the ribs, only for it all to be for nothing. The little brat was more cunning than she thought, dodging two traps in a row.
But it didn't matter. When Qiaoqiao came home that evening, Yan Xiaohong would burn her admission ticket. Without it, Qiaoqiao wouldn't be able to take the exam. She'd have no choice but to give up on her studies, marry some rich old man, and bring in a hefty dowry to buy Xiaobao a wedding house.
"Just you wait, you little brat," Yan Xiaohong seethed, determined to ruin Qiaoqiao's chances at the college entrance exam and prevent her from soaring to new heights.
In the afternoon, the math exam went off without a hitch. The questions were mostly basic, with no particularly challenging problems.
Most students focused on difficult problems, but few paid attention to the fundamentals. Many top students stumbled on the simplest questions because they were so basic that they didn't know how to approach them.
Zhao Feng, however, was an exception. He had studied the basics thoroughly and breezed through the exam, leaving the testing hall early.
As the sun set, casting a fiery glow over the horizon, Huang Qiaoqiao walked out of the exam hall, her braids swaying. She skipped happily and said, "The math exam was all basic questions. Good thing I listened to you and reviewed the fundamentals. How did you do?"
Zhao Feng took Qiaoqiao's hand and strolled leisurely toward the school gate. "Just average. You treated me to lunch, so I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
Qiaoqiao hesitated. "I shouldn't. I need to go home and study. Tomorrow's the English and comprehensive exams."
Zhao Feng's expression turned serious. "I've discovered something important and want to share it with you. Come with me, okay?"
Qiaoqiao paused, then nodded. "Alright. I'll follow your lead."
Zhao Feng decisively led Qiaoqiao to the market, where they bought a large rooster. Then they went to the Shunxin Hotel, booked a double room, ordered two fast-food meals, and entered the room, locking the door behind them.
Qiaoqiao's face flushed as she sat on the edge of the bed, her hands fidgeting nervously. "This is... moving a bit fast. We have exams tomorrow. I thought you liked Bai Xiaohua. How could you do this to me?"
Zhao Feng chuckled without answering. He placed the lively rooster on the table, opened a bottle of juice, and poured it into a cup to feed the bird.
The rooster, having spent the day under the sun, was thirsty and hungry. It eagerly drank the juice, quickly emptying the cup.
But then the rooster began to sway, its eyes rolling back. It stumbled and collapsed on the table, falling into a deep sleep, even snoring softly. It looked oddly adorable.
Qiaoqiao's expression turned strange. She stood up, picked up the juice bottle, and examined it closely. "This can't be. My dad bought this juice for me. How could it make the rooster fall asleep?"
Zhao Feng teased, "If you drank it, you'd fall asleep too. Want to try?"
Qiaoqiao slumped back onto the bed, exclaiming, "No way! My dad loves me. He wouldn't do this to me."
Zhao Feng picked up the room's landline phone and said seriously, "Call your dad and ask if he bought you the juice. I bet it was your stepmom who gave it to you, trying to ruin your chances at the exam."
Qiaoqiao took the phone and dialed her father's number.
"Dad, are you still at the market selling fish?"
"Qiaoqiao, I haven't closed up yet. How did the exam go?"
"I did fine. Did you buy me juice this morning?"
"Juice? I left for the market at four in the morning. The stores weren't even open. Where would I get you juice?"
"Got it. Don't wait for me for dinner. Bye."
Qiaoqiao's face darkened as she let out a long sigh. "My stepmom has always been nice to me. Why would she do this? Thank goodness you gave me that Nutri-Express. Otherwise, I would've failed. Why didn't you drink the juice?"
Zhao Feng replied coldly, "I never drink beverages or eat food given to me by others. I bought my own Mizone and got you the Nutri-Express."
Qiaoqiao leaned against the headboard, feeling lost. "My stepmom wants me to fail. If I go home, I might fall into her trap. I can't even eat the food she cooks now. What should I do?"
Zhao Feng kicked off his shoes and lay back on the pillow, teasing, "I've already made arrangements. Can't you see? Just get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the exam together. Your stepmom can't follow us into the testing hall to force-feed you."
Qiaoqiao looked around nervously. "But staying out overnight... isn't that bad?"
Zhao Feng said nonchalantly, "Are you afraid I'll take advantage of you? I'm still a virgin. If anything, you'd be the one scoring, stealing Bai Xiaohua's thunder. You could brag about it for the rest of your life."
Qiaoqiao burst into laughter, though she tried to sound annoyed. "Stop being so full of yourself. It's not like you're some magical elixir that turns people into immortals."
Zhao Feng grinned mischievously. "Oh, you little demoness. Here's your chance to ascend to immortality. Come and get it!"
Qiaoqiao playfully scolded, "Get lost! Even if you were Tang Sanzang, you'd be the annoying one who keeps chanting 'Only You.'"
Zhao Feng shook his head and said in a mock-serious tone, "Dear lady, could you spare this poor monk a bowl of vegetarian food?"
Qiaoqiao sighed. "Stop joking around. I'm really worried. Help me figure out how to stay out overnight without causing trouble."
Zhao Feng shrugged. "Just make up an excuse to your dad. Do I really have to teach you everything, silly girl?"
After some thought, Qiaoqiao dialed her father's number and lied, saying she was staying overnight at Bai Jiaxin's house to study together for the next day's exams.
Her father, completely unsuspecting, agreed and reminded her to come home the following evening. He also asked how the exams were going.
"It worked!" Qiaoqiao exclaimed, overjoyed. She leaped onto the comfortable single bed, bouncing up and down a few times.