Chapter 38

On the day of the final exams.
Qiao An listened to the teacher explain the exam precautions in the classroom before leaving for her assigned exam location.
Her ranking had dropped unprecedentedly low after the first exam. Although she still ranked higher than people like Bi Jiabei, by a strange coincidence, she was assigned to the same exam room as them.
As she entered the room, Bi Jiabei, seeing the figure just a few steps ahead, sneered and quickly stepped forward, intending to bump into her in the narrow doorway.
She had been keeping a low profile lately and had almost forgotten about Qiao An. But now that they had crossed paths again, how could she not do something?
However, when her shoulder collided with Qiao An's, it felt completely different from the first time, like hitting a concrete wall. "Ugh!" Bi Jiabei grunted in pain, clutching her injured shoulder. She watched as Qiao An, who seemed completely unfazed as if she had only been lightly tapped, remembered the fear she had felt the last time and shrank back, sobering up. She pressed her lips together and took two steps back.
Qiao An looked at her with confusion, her expression utterly innocent, and smiled slightly. "Is something wrong?"
As if Bi Jiabei were just an ordinary classmate.
This was infuriating!
Bi Jiabei had initially planned to act as if nothing had happened, but Qiao An's reaction only made her angrier. She snorted coldly and said, "What excuse are you going to use this time to explain your low score? Top student!"
Qiao An smiled faintly. "No excuses. I'll rely on my own abilities."
Her tone was as casual as if she were asking, "Have you eaten?" Bi Jiabei felt like she had punched cotton, leaving her frustrated.
By then, Qiao An had already entered the classroom and taken her seat.
She was assigned the first seat in the room.
The school randomized seating within certain ranges. Bi Jiabei glanced at the seat and smirked. It wouldn't be easy to pull any tricks there.
She didn't believe Qiao An could score well. After all, her recent behavior resembled her desperate studying before the monthly exam.
Yet, her ranking had dropped so low last time.
This time wouldn't be any better!
Qiao An ignored her and sat in her seat, checking that she had all her exam tools.
The final exam results would be announced on the school's website in five days. Each grade level would have its own ranking list, along with individual class rankings and subject-specific rankings.
Not long after sitting down, the exam bell rang.
The teacher turned on the signal jammer and distributed the test papers. Qiao An quickly scanned the exam and felt reassured, the tutoring sessions she had been attending lately hadn’t been in vain. None of the questions seemed particularly difficult for her.
The final exams were much stricter and more formal than the previous monthly exams, so they lasted two days.
Once the exams were over, Qiao An took Gu Ting to Country M. Since Grandpa Gu had recovered, he had arranged for Gu Ting to see psychological experts and some highly reputable doctors abroad.
Gu Ting, however, refused to go alone and insisted on waiting for Qiao An to accompany him.
On the very day the exams ended, they boarded a flight overseas.
The treatment process wasn’t simple, but it was genuinely effective. Especially since Gu Ting had already started opening up to Qiao An in his heart, which meant he wasn’t as completely closed off as some individuals with severe autism, there was a crack in his shell.
Five days after the final exams ended.
On the day the results were released, all parents registered with the school received a text message reminding them to check their children’s scores on the official website.
Qiao An had completely forgotten about it until Xu Hui called to tell her the results.
Her scores were excellent, she ranked tenth in her grade, with consistently strong performance across all subjects, especially English and Math, both of which she aced with perfect scores.
Xu Hui was overjoyed on the phone, laughing heartily: "I was worried you hadn’t fully recovered from what happened last time. When I checked your scores, I was so nervous I broke out in a cold sweat. In the end, your dad had to look them up for me. He’s thrilled too…"
If their daughter had always been this outstanding, they might not have been so pleasantly surprised. But given what had happened before, as experienced adults, they understood, a young girl’s vanity being exposed and having to stay in the same class would inevitably make her uncomfortable.
Under such circumstances, a drop in grades would have been expected.
Fortunately, Qiao An bounced back quickly and even performed so well this time, proving that she had truly moved past the incident.
That was what made them genuinely happy.
In fact, at one point, they had even considered transferring her to another school. But seeing that their daughter didn’t bring it up, and knowing that transferring in the second year of high school could negatively impact a child’s mindset, potentially leaving her even more isolated, they had dismissed the idea.
Now, it seemed their decision had been the right one.
"An An, are you eating well over there? Don’t stay cooped up indoors all the time. I heard there are plenty of places to visit. Young Master Gu doesn’t need consultations all the time either, take some time to explore when you can," Qiao Yi took the phone and spoke gently to his daughter.
His eyes were filled with tender affection.
Qiao An nodded obediently: "Mm, I was thinking the same. I’m already looking into it."
"There’s a beautiful beach over there, very safe with lots of recreational activities. I’ve been there before with the Old Master. Should I make arrangements for you?" Qiao Yi asked softly.
Working under Grandpa Gu, he actually held considerable authority, though he seldom used it.
Qiao An shook her head: "No need, I can go on my own."
"This is a reward from the Old Master, it’s fine," Qiao Yi said generously.
"Alright then, thank you, Dad."
Qiao An didn’t refuse further.

The next day, a private car arrived at the residence where Gu Ting and Qiao An were staying to take them out for the day.
Gu Ting was here for medical treatment, but his condition showed no abnormalities from the back-of-head injury he had suffered earlier. There was no need for surgery or anything of the sort, and going out for leisure was quite convenient. The doctor treating Gu Ting, upon hearing they were going out, agreed wholeheartedly: "It’s good for him to interact with more people. In fact, he’s already slowly recovering on his own."
With that reassurance, Qiao An had no worries at all. She even specially brought a beautiful swimsuit.
Since she was still underage, she opted for something less revealing, a deep blue one that resembled the color of the sea, with lace covering most of it, leaving only her arms and a pair of fair, slender legs exposed. She looked as if she had stepped right out of a manga.
This was also thanks to the leg-enhancing cream she had exchanged from the system. After just one application, it helped shape her legs, making them long and straight.
Guided by the attendant who was assigned to them, Qiao An immediately shed the towel covering her body without hesitation, proudly showing off her figure.
Gu Ting, on the other hand, stubbornly refused to wear just swim trunks and insisted on adding a short-sleeved shirt, following closely behind her with light steps.
The attendant asked, "Would you like to learn surfing? Or diving? Or perhaps ride a jet ski…"
A series of questions followed. Gu Ting looked at Qiao An, who clutched her chest, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Had she really transformed from an ordinary person into a young lady who could enjoy personalized services like this?
After a moment of serious thought, Qiao An decided, "Jet ski!"
The attendant nodded and led them over.
They had only taken a few steps when Qiao An suddenly heard a familiar voice: [Mission 32: Gu Ting still has no friends. Please ensure that the antagonist Gu Ting makes three friends within 24 hours (exchanging names counts). Reward: 2000 points.]
Qiao An tilted her head and looked at Gu Ting, who blinked in confusion, pursed his lips, and stared back at her.
"Gu Ting, don’t you think it’s time to make some friends?" Qiao An said with a smile.
Gu Ting remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on her.
Qiao An chuckled softly and said, "Didn’t I teach you before? Go greet this attendant and ask for her name. Can you do that?"
She pointed to the same attendant who was guiding them.
Gu Ting frowned, glanced reluctantly at the girl leading the way, and pouted.
"Go on!" Qiao An gave him a light push.
How could he not make friends?
Gu Ting looked at her again, and when Qiao An glared at him, he resignedly sighed under his breath, quickened his pace, and clenched his fists nervously at his sides.
The attendant had been listening to their conversation all along and had a general understanding of their situation. Seeing the boy approach, she felt a bit nervous, worried she might unintentionally say something hurtful. So, she turned to him with a gentle smile and asked softly, "What’s the matter?"
Gu Ting glanced at her, then quickly lowered his head. His voice was muffled, but his pronunciation was surprisingly clear: "Hello, my name is Gu Ting. May I ask what your name is?"
The young woman, seeing the boy so naive, softened her smile even more. "My name is Xia Yue. Nice to meet you."
Gu Ting, having secured his life, let out a huge sigh of relief and relaxed. Without another word, he turned and ran over to Qiao An, who had slowed her pace, looking at her with an expression begging for praise.
Qiao An patted his head approvingly, then narrowed her eyes and scanned the rest of the beach. Pointing at a chubby five-year-old girl in a swimsuit, she said, "There's one more. Go ask for her name."
Gu Ting’s face visibly scrunched up again, and the invisible tail that had been wagging like a fan just moments ago drooped listlessly.
If he hadn’t held back from complaining in front of Qiao An, she would surely have heard him mutter, "How can there be another one?"
Fortunately, Gu Ting was still obedient. After dawdling for a long time, he eventually went over to ask.
Qiao An pointed out another child.
Since they were all young kids, most of them were well-behaved and harmless, so the task was easily completed. Seeing that Qiao An didn’t assign any more, Gu Ting breathed another huge sigh of relief and happily took her hand to ride the jet ski.
When the jet ski sped across the sea, the sensation was so intense it felt like their faces might get blown out of shape.
But it was exhilarating.
The first ride was with Qiao An and Gu Ting each accompanied by an instructor. It lasted only a few minutes before ending, giving them a chance to catch their breath.
Qiao An loved the activity and immediately raised her hand, eager for a second round.
Gu Ting pressed her hand down, his handsome face tense and serious. "I’ll drive!" he declared.
Qiao An: "???"
As it turned out, the antagonist truly lived up to his reputation. Gu Ting’s learning ability was terrifying. After just one ride and a few verbal instructions from the instructors, he was immediately able to take Qiao An out on the water.
Both wore life jackets, and there were professionals nearby, just in case Gu Ting’s amateur skills caused trouble. But in the end, nothing went wrong. In fact, he grew more and more skilled.
After two more rounds, they headed to the beach to sunbathe.
Qiao An lay on a beach chair, shielded from the sun, enjoying the sea breeze and munching on grilled skewers, utterly content.
Gu Ting, meanwhile, sat in a pile of sand, playing with some beach toys Qiao An had rented for him, diligently trying to build a castle.
The little girl he had greeted earlier noticed him playing alone and ran over amiably, asking in a sweet, childish voice, "Brother, can I play with you?"
Gu Ting glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
The little girl immediately beamed, sitting down to play with him. From time to time, her soft, childish voice piped up with questions like, "Will this collapse?"
Gu Ting replied earnestly, "No!"
"Wow, you’re so amazing, brother…"
Qiao An, lying nearby and watching, nearly laughed out loud. But as she observed, new thoughts began to form.
Gu Ting was clearly improving. He had always been averse to interacting with outsiders, Qiao An had never seen him speak to anyone outside the Gu family besides herself.
Yet, after just a few days of treatment here, he could easily complete the tasks the system assigned. Having taken care of him for so long, she was well aware of these changes.
The more she thought about it, the more she believed that if he could grow slowly like this, his mental development might not need to be forced as it had been in the original plot. Perhaps then, he wouldn’t become the great antagonist of the story.
So as long as he didn't meet the female lead and fall in love with her, he would be fine in the future, and she would be fine too.
Lost in thought, she watched as Gu Ting skillfully finished building a sandcastle. The little girl beside him clapped her hands joyfully and ran off to fetch her parents to see it.
Qiao An looked at the boy, who was pursing his lips in restraint, his eyes sparkling brightly as he clearly awaited praise. She took the toy shovel from his hand and said seriously, "Remember, the more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she becomes. You mustn't get close to them!"
Gu Ting's eyes widened slightly. He remembered what his grandfather had said before, An An was very beautiful. So did that mean he couldn't get close to An An?
He grew unhappy, pouted, and turned away angrily.
Qiao An watched his series of reactions and couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. He had only just improved a little, and he was already throwing a tantrum at her?
She snorted coldly and turned away as well, pretending to take a few steps.
But soon, a large hand grabbed her ankle, and she heard a soft voice calling from behind, "An An"