CHAPTER 355: 149 HE WANTS TO TAKE THE ENTRANCE EXAM FOR LANYA HIGH SCHOOL

A butterfly in the tropical rainforest of the Amazon basin in South America occasionally flutters its wings, which can trigger a tornado in North America two weeks later.

This is the famous Butterfly Effect.

Her rebirth is like that butterfly—perhaps her seemingly insignificant words and actions are enough to alter someone’s original life trajectory, leading them down an unknown road.

After meeting her, can Rong Xianning still continue his legendary, resplendent myth? Shen You’an isn’t sure.

For instance, the prematurely revealed truth about Rong Xianning’s background might just be part of the Butterfly Effect.

Eighteen-year-old Rong Xianning and fourteen-year-old Rong Xianning are separated by four years of time; four years can change too much.

What Shen You’an is certain of is that for the present fourteen-year-old Rong Xianning, such severe rumors are equivalent to directly destroying his brilliant future as a star.

Shen You’an doesn’t know whether her rebirth caused unpredictable "variables" in Rong Xianning’s life, but merely because of the event months ago when she saved her drunk uncle lying by the roadside, Shen You’an could never stand idly by.

Moreover, regarding this boy, there’s a vague, indescribable sense of familiarity deep within her.

She once explained why she often had nightmares: a specific point during the day triggered neurons in the memory storage system, causing the brain to unconsciously connect disparate pieces of information. These fragments, for the most part, came from her previous life.

And that trigger point... was Rong Xianning—or rather, Rong Xianning’s voice.

Due to this anomaly, she had always paid extra attention to this boy, trying to find something in him.

She had a faint feeling that the answer might be enough to overturn all her perceptions of this life and the previous one. That fear of the unknown terrified her, yet it excited her even more.

Shen You’an’s eyes lit up, her exhaustion swept away, and she energetically turned on her computer.

~

The "rumors" fermented faster than expected, dominating the trending lists within mere hours.

Previously, the public judgment was merely moral; this time, however, it involved illegal activities. The situation was dire, and the public opinion was overwhelmingly unfavorable toward Rong Xianning.

Director Li Kun received a barrage of calls from upper-level management and investors, all inquiring whether Rong Xianning’s parents were debt defaulters. If true, given the strong societal backlash, Rong Xianning would have to withdraw from the program.

Li Kun felt his head aching terribly—the exposé had come out of nowhere, catching everyone off guard. He hadn’t even had time to question Rong Xianning before everyone pounced on him with pressure.

After dealing with them perfunctorily, Li Kun promptly told his assistant to bring Rong Xianning over.

His assistant shook his head. "Director Li, I contacted Rong immediately, but he’s not at the filming site."

"What? He’s not here?"

"Today is a rest day, so contestants are allowed free activities for one day. Last night, Rong reported his plans to the staff, and at six this morning, he went out. No one knows where he’s gone, and his phone has been off all this time."

Li Kun frowned deeply. "Nothing will happen to him, right? Contact his agency, and also send someone out to search for him."

Since joining the program, Rong Xianning had been surrounded by drama. The farce involving Wen Yan had barely passed, and now here came another incident. This time, the public opinion was even more dangerous than before.

Truly, he seemed to attract chaos like a magnet.

~

In the top-floor study room of the city library, the silence was so profound you could nearly hear a pin drop.

Sitting in the corner by the window was a thin, lanky boy. Beside his hand rested a thick math textbook, while on the tablet propped up in front of him, an award-winning teacher was giving a lecture.

The boy wore headphones, his expression utterly focused. While listening, he jotted notes onto his notebook.

This was a paid study room in the city library. People who came to study here hardly ever glanced around at others—they were wholly immersed in their learning.

Their ages varied, but every face bore a shared thirst for knowledge and respect for education. Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, quietly accompanying them as they worked.

The boy wore a black high-necked sweater, his backpack hanging on the back of his chair. On the chair next to him lay an empty seat with a black long coat draped over it.

Under the sunlight, his skin appeared as pale as crystal.

His features hadn’t fully lost their youthful sharpness, but the way he carried himself reflected the trials of time, lending him an air that surpassed his age—calm yet tinged with maturity.

The lecture ended, and a stern yet gentle voice emerged from his headphones: "I’ve already graded last week’s papers, Xiao Rong. Based on your current level, as long as you maintain this pace, you’ll have no problem getting into Jingzhou No.1 Middle School next year. Honestly, I can’t imagine how you manage to keep your grades steadily improving despite your overwhelmingly intense training schedule. You truly are a natural learner. If you focused entirely on studying, you’d perform even better..."

The speaker’s tone carried a hint of regret. With parents like that, it was astonishing how this child could excel so impressively—a prime example of talent flourishing in adversity.

The boy typed on his keyboard, sending over a line of information.

The voice on the other end instantly shot up eight octaves in disbelief: "Lanya High School? You want to apply to Lanya High School?"

Sunlight entered the boy’s eyes, like shattered stars cascading into a lake, creating ripples of gentle light.

"Xiao Rong, how did you suddenly come up with the idea of applying to Lanya High School? That school is nationally renowned, but its entry threshold for students from other provinces is terrifyingly high. You know that this year’s high school entrance exams saw Lanya High School recruiting top scorers from provinces and cities across the nation. With your current grades, it’s almost impossible."

If Rong Xianning hadn’t been sold to an agency by his parents for five million yuan, hadn’t participated in this absurd talent show, and hadn’t had his study time squeezed out by grueling training, with his natural talent and ability, he could have easily been admitted to Lanya High School.

She had taught many gifted students over the years, but no one could rival Rong Xianning in terms of aptitude and potential.

Despite the endless troubles caused by his unreliable parents over the past two years—for instance, moving constantly to evade debt collectors—this boy managed to excel under intense pressure, maintaining extraordinary academic performance.

She vividly remembered one home visit when she met Rong Xianning’s parents. It had been unbelievable that such superficial and vulgar people could produce someone as gifted and striking as Rong Xianning—the mysteries of genetics were truly profound.

"What’s the point of studying well? Even if he graduates, he’ll just end up an office drone, earning a pathetic monthly salary barely enough to cover mortgage payments. I’ve already planned out his life for him: he’ll debut through a talent show and become a celebrity. Mr. Lin, you don’t know—an agency is willing to offer five million yuan to sign Ningning! Five million!"

A heavily made-up woman exaggeratedly raised five fingers, her hands adorned with glaringly shiny gold rings.

What left her speechless was the woman’s eyes, gleaming with greed and unbridled desire.

"Luckily, I had foresight and spent money on all sorts of art training for him since he was young. It was money well spent..." The woman spoke with undisguised pride in her voice.

The boy sat on a low stool, his posture straight. Despite his tender age, his striking appearance hadn’t yet blossomed into maturity, yet his face bore no emotion—cold and indifferent.

In his black-and-white pupils, a faint trace of mockery flickered.

In front of him stood these two parents, their outfits gaudy and extravagant, with words crude and shallow, every sentence revolving around money.

Yet their only child was dressed in faded, hand-me-down clothes, silent and obedient like a fish waiting for fate’s knife to descend upon it.

These parents perfectly embodied what "bad parenting ruins a child’s life" truly meant.

She took out Rong Xianning’s report card and earnestly advised them that he had outstanding academic performance, urging them to think long-term and respect the boy’s wishes rather than focusing solely on temporary gains.

As a result, she was ridiculed by those parents and driven out of their home.

Standing before the battered, outdated iron gate, she felt for the first time a deep helplessness and anger as a teacher.

How could such ignorant, foolish, and malicious parents exist in this world?

She, alas, was merely a teacher, unable to prevent the signing of the contract.

She still remembered the last time she saw the boy—his eyes cold with apathy and disdain.

"If I don’t agree, they’ll only torment me further. Mr. Lin, thank you for all your help, but this is my destiny—I have to face it myself, for better or worse, and bear the consequences on my own."

He agreed to sign the contract with the agency, but only under the condition that he cut ties with his parents. That couple happily took the money and left, completely unconcerned about Rong Xianning’s words.

In their shallow understanding, as their son, Rong Xianning was bound to be at their disposal; any momentary anger was trivial to them.

After his decision, she continued to follow his journey, witnessing him become the brightest rising star. She was genuinely happy for Rong Xianning.

The boy’s determination and relentless effort ensured that whatever he pursued, he would achieve success.

Even under such suffocatingly intense training schedules, he still found slivers of time to study, miraculously managing to keep his grades from slipping—truly incredible.

Still, to be admitted into Lanya High School, his current grades weren’t enough; he would need to perform even better.

The boy lifted his gaze, and under the sunlight, his crystal-clear black pupils reflected unprecedented resolve.

Opposite him, Lin Shu slowly smiled. She knew that once this boy set his mind on something, he would always dedicate two hundred percent effort to it.

With his combination of talent and hard work, he would succeed in his ambitions.