Xia Yingluo's beauty was nothing short of breathtaking.
Every smile, every frown, seemed to cast a spell of fascination.
"What would you like to interview us about?" Ye Chen glanced at Zhang Ying and said calmly.
Zhang Ying smiled. "Judging by your ages, you two should still be in High School."
Ye Chen nodded. "That's right, we're in Senior Year."
"Senior Year?" Zhang Ying's eyes lit up.
The National Higher Education Entrance Examination was imminent and she'd been racking her brain for interview topics—when two Senior-Year students walked right into her lap.
My luck's too good to be true.
Ye Chen said, "Mm, my friend and I are both in Senior Year."
Beside him, Xia Yingluo's cheeks flushed a delicate pink.
Zhang Ying continued, "Isn't Senior Year insanely busy? Why do you still have time for an Amusement Park? And are you two dating? With all this pressure, you still find time for romance?"
At the question, the corner of Ye Chen's mouth curved slightly.
"An ordinary student couldn't stroll through an Amusement Park or date in Senior Year—but since you asked, I'll let you in on a secret."
Zhang Ying blinked. "What secret?"
Ye Chen asked, "Have you heard of Top Students?"
Zhang Ying nodded. "Of course."
Ye Chen went on, "Well, the two Top Students standing before you right now. Others may be barred from Amusement Parks in Senior Year—Top Students can go. Dating may be off-limits—Top Students can still date."
Zhang Ying: "…"
Is that even allowed?
In Zhang Ying's mind, dating in Senior Year—no matter how good your grades—meant a parent-teacher conference.
Had high-schoolers become this formidable in just the few years since she graduated?
At that moment, in front of TVs and across the web-livestream, viewers couldn't bear it any longer.
Seeing Ye Chen with a beauty like Xia Yingluo had already set many seething with jealousy.
Him calling himself a Top Student handed them the perfect cue for mockery.
"Damn, I've seen shameless, but never this thick-skinned."
"Right? Calling yourself a Top Student—this guy's got guts."
"Dating and sightseeing in Senior Year? More like a bottom-feeder than a Top Student."
"Bragging's tax-free—so he lays it on thick."
…This was Jiangzhou Television Station's first attempt at web-livestreaming, so they'd promoted it heavily beforehand.
Hence, both TV and online audiences were sizable.
In previous segments the livestream chat had been sparse, but today the bullet-screen exploded.
Zhang Ying herself was getting flustered.
Ye Chen's remarks left her at a loss for a comeback.
She'd hoped to get him to complain about the grind of Senior Year.
Instead, he'd killed the conversation in one stroke.
Ye Chen seemed to know people were roasting him and sighed, "Sigh—the world of Top Students is beyond your grasp."
Zhang Ying gave an awkward chuckle and moved on. "You sound very confident. Which University are you aiming for?"
Ye Chen answered, "Haven't decided yet—depends on which of Huaqing or Peking offers better terms."
Truth be told, Ye Chen was stating facts.
Every year Huaqing and Peking fought tooth-and-nail over students, dangling ever-better incentives.
Yet to everyone else's ears, it sounded anything but factual.
All they thought was: this guy's arrogance is off the charts.
Waiting to see which of Huaqing or Peking offers better—who does he think he is, the Top Scholar?
Once again Zhang Ying was tongue-tied.
Beside her, Xia Yingluo tugged Ye Chen's sleeve.
"Ye Chen, let's keep a lower profile—you're scaring the interviewer."
Xia Yingluo disliked flamboyance, and this was airing live.
Countless viewers were watching on TV and online.
Ye Chen said innocently, "I am being low-key."
"Everything I just said was the honest truth," he added, scratching his head.
Though the two spoke softly, Zhang Ying heard every word.
How was she supposed to continue the interview?
The guy was talking complete nonsense.
The Gaokao topic could definitely boost ratings.
But this Senior's claims were simply too wild.
Waiting to see which of Huaqing or Peking gives better terms?
You think you're the provincial top scorer and universities are family businesses?
This youngster's boasting was astronomical.
In the web-livestream chat, curses filled the screen.
"This kid's blowing hot air—even a Top Scholar wouldn't be this cocky."
"His brain's flooded."
"I say he's delusional—dating and shopping right before the exam. If he gets into Huaqing or Peking, I'll stream myself eating crap."
"After seeing his bragging, I realize I'm just a bronze-tier rookie."
…In 2008's livestream era, viewers rarely posted comments, content to simply watch.
Yet this broadcast flooded the screen with bullets—mostly roasting Ye Chen for blowing smoke.
After all, Huaqing and Peking were the dreams of many.
But Ye Chen spoke of them like everyday meals—who could stand that?
Though Zhang Ying disliked Ye Chen's bravado, the director whispered through her earpiece that viewer engagement was sky-high and to keep going.
Zhang Ying thought for a moment and asked, "Since you're so confident, could you two estimate your scores?"
In truth, she posed the question to give Xia Yingluo a chance to speak.
From the start Ye Chen had dominated while Xia Yingluo stayed behind him.
With looks like hers, a few words should boost the segment.
More importantly, if the boy spouted nonsense, the girl might be more grounded.
"Scores?"
Ye Chen pondered a second, then said breezily, "Seven-fifty shouldn't be a problem."
Zhang Ying: "…"
If she could, she'd have turned and walked off right then.
Every single chat with this guy ended in a dead end.
How could she respond?
Seven-hundred-fifty—the perfect score.
Ye Chen now looked at Xia Yingluo.
"Yingluo, what do you think you'll get?"
Xia Yingluo bit her lip, thought briefly, and said in a lovely voice, "I'm not as amazing as you—around seven-thirty should be fine."
After all, she'd scored 735 in the latest Mock Exam.
Saying 730 was actually modest.
When the two stated their scores, their faces stayed calm—no hint of bragging at all.
Zhang Ying: "…"
Could you two please give a normal interview?
How am I supposed to continue?
At that moment, as a rookie reporter, her mind was in meltdown.
The boy talking nonsense was bad enough—now the girl was bragging just as wildly.