Volume One, Chapter One Hundred Seventeen: Jealous Fury

Seeing his older sister still agonizing over that special invitation quota, Ning Chengfeng, having just enjoyed a meal on her dime, felt compelled to offer some advice. "Sis, if you were to ask Dad for a special spot for yourself, he might be willing to trade on his reputation to secure one, regardless of whether it actually worked out. But why on earth would you try to get one for an outsider?"

It was no wonder their father, Ning Rucheng, had flatly rejected his precious daughter's request, especially since Ning Muyu was trying to secure the spot for a classmate. When he heard her request, he was utterly bewildered.

*My dear girl, do you have any idea how difficult it is to apply for a special invitation quota? If you and Chengfeng hadn't been gifted enough to earn your spots in the winter camp on your own merits, even if I staked my entire reputation, I couldn't guarantee getting a spot for either of you!*

"What 'outsider'? That is your future brother-in-law!" Ning Muyu retorted, clearly displeased with Ning Chengfeng’s phrasing.

"Which brother-in-law is this, exactly?" Ning Chengfeng asked after finishing his meal and stacking his utensils.

It wasn't that he didn't care about his sister’s love life; it was simply that there had been so many "brothers-in-law" over the years that he had long since mixed up the names and identities of those scoundrels.

"Xiao Mo, the sports representative from the class next door," Ning Muyu huffed, ignoring her brother’s attitude and naming her current boyfriend.

"Oh, him... didn't you two have a massive fight just a while ago? You haven't even broken up yet and you're already looking for the next one?" Ning Chengfeng scratched his cheek, surprised.

"Pah, pah, pah! Bite your tongue! We didn't break up; Xiao Chen and I just had a little spat!" Ning Muyu brandished her fist to warn her brother against talking nonsense. "If we get that special invitation, we’ll definitely make up, and this winter camp will basically become our honeymoon..." Her voice softened as she thought of her prince charming.

*If that actually happens, I’m going to be the third wheel,* Ning Chengfeng thought to himself. After a moment of hesitation, he finally decided to be blunt. "The day before break, I saw that Mo Jianyun on a date with the class beauty from his group. They were kissing and hugging behind the building—it was very inappropriate."

He had assumed that after their previous argument, Ning Muyu would have dumped the scoundrel, which was why he hadn't bothered to mention it until now.

Ning Muyu looked as if she had been struck by lightning, her face turning deathly pale. Ning Chengfeng sighed, stood up, and went to order a plate of stir-fried pork liver with leeks and a bowl of rice, thinking his sister might need the iron.

By the time he returned to the table, Ning Muyu had hung up the phone. She was biting her lip, struggling to hold back tears, though her shoulders continued to tremble. Ning Chengfeng sat down, placing the food on the table to shield her with his broad frame. He handed her a handkerchief and patted her shoulder, signaling that it was okay to let it all out.

Ning Muyu took the cloth and blew her nose loudly into it. Ning Chengfeng’s eyes widened in horror. *That handkerchief was for your tears, not for your snot!*

He realized once again that being dumped by a string of boyfriends wasn't just about Ning Muyu’s poor taste in men; a large part of it was her own lack of common sense. Frowning, he pinched the corner of the handkerchief with two fingers and walked over to the sink to wash it.

He held the clean cloth out and gave it a gentle shake. A soft current of energy swirled around it, evaporating the moisture instantly. As he tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket, he wondered if his sister even remembered that it had been her birthday gift to her twin brother when they were six.

He truly hoped his sister would grow out of her bad habits and that the next man she met would be at least somewhat reliable. After all, once they graduated from high school, they might attend different universities for the gifted. He wouldn't be able to look after her forever.

...

When Ning Chengfeng returned to his seat, he found Ning Muyu chatting happily with a stranger.

As the man noticed Ning Chengfeng approaching, he stood up, smiled, and waved goodbye to Ning Muyu.

"Who was that?" Ning Chengfeng handed Ning Muyu a fruit tea he had just bought, sipping his own iced lemon soda.

"A senior from the Third Academy of the Gifted. He came over to chat for a while." Ning Muyu’s spirit had clearly lifted, and she seemed much more cheerful.

"A senior?" Ning Chengfeng frowned. Was this another guy trying to hit on her? Shouldn't they have exchanged names or contact info if that were the case? "What were you two talking about?"

After taking a sip of the fruit tea, Ning Muyu found it delicious, which improved her mood even further. "He just asked what grade I was in. When I told him I was a visiting student for the winter camp, he seemed quite surprised."

"And that was it?" Ning Chengfeng felt something was off.

"We talked about the forty-person group and some funny stories about the teachers. I even complained to him about that guy who cheated his way to the top of the Grand Assessment leaderboard!" Recalling how the handsome senior had shared her indignation, she felt as if she had finally found a kindred spirit.

"I've told you so many times, that guy Mo De didn't cheat to get to the top," Ning Chengfeng said, his brow furrowing as he analyzed his sister’s words.

"How could he not have cheated? That score is impossible for a human to achieve! And didn't Dad say that brat didn't even take the assessment with the rest of us? Someone gave him a back-door deal and treated him differently!" Ning Muyu grew more agitated as she spoke.

Her own score in the Grand Assessment hadn't been bad. While she hadn't surpassed her brother, who was third on the leaderboard, the gap between her, her brother, and that Xuanyuan kid wasn't large. She had only been docked points during the "interview" phase.

But when she saw the score of the person at the top—the number one in the North China region—she felt sick. That person was similar to her, performing better in practical tests than in interviews. The difference was that while her interview score was abysmal, his was average, and his practical test scores were all perfect!

Just based on that guy named Mo De, there was no way he could be that much better than her and her brother. He must have used some method to cheat!