Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The moment Song Ning heard her daughter calling it a trivial quiz, her lips twitched. She could not help recalling the same nonchalant attitude Huo Yao had given her when she asked about the quiz a few days ago. Huo Yao had called it a dumb quiz, that did not even offer a cash prize.
How could this be trivial if Huo Yao stood to win a commendation to the country’s best college?
There was a complicated expression on Song Ning’s face. What should she do about her daughter? Huo Yao really deserved a spanking.
Huo Jinyan, alongwith his wife and daughter, drove their old Volkswagen Santana to the Education Center.
The people standing at the building entrance were mostly students’ parents. Apart from them, a television station was also present there to film the event.
“Hmmm? Will the quiz be aired on TV?” asked Huo Jinyan in surprise.
Huo Yao frowned when she caught sight of the camera at the entrance. Then she shook her head and replied to him. “I don’t know.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just perform like you usually do,” said Song Ning.
Huo Yao said indifferently, “Mhm.” She seemed very calm and not the slightest bit anxious.
At the same time, the Lu family chauffeur brought Lu Xia and He Xiaoman to the venue.
When Lu Xia and He Xiaoman got out of the car, the cameraman at the entrance swiftly turned to film her, and the host went over to interview her.
Huo Jinyan and Song Ning were unsurprised to see Lu Xia. They were well aware that she had signed up for the quiz.
Since the camera crew surrounded Lu Xia, they did not go up to say hi. Moreover, He Xiaoman was standing right next to her, and they did not like her at all.
Song Ning especially detested He Xiaoman for her attitude in the past. Just the thought of it made her seethe. Moreover, He Xiaoman had dumped Huo Yao in a small county all her life because she held a contemptible patriarchal view.
Song Ning averted her eyes and turned sideways to block Huo Yao from He Xiaoman’s view. She hurriedly said to Huo Yao, “Why don’t you move to the exam hall? You can go in and locate your seat first.”
Huo Yao detected that something was amiss with Song Ning but did not probe her and replied with a nod. “Okay, I’m going in.”
Song Ning patted Huo Yao’s shoulder and encouraged her. “Good luck! Mom and Dad will be waiting for you at the entrance.”
Huo Yao hung her student pass around her neck and headed towards the entrance, where the staff scanned her pass before letting her in.
After the television station was done interviewing Lu Xia, they moved towards other students’ parents.
Even without the camera on her, He Xiaoman kept up a gracious smile. But she frowned when her eyes landed on Song Ning and Huo Jinyan, who were standing nearby.
She asked her daughter softly. “Why are your foster parents here?”
Lu Xia was well aware of He Xiaoman’s despise for the Huo family, so she could not greet them in her mother’s presence. She merely lowered her eyes and replied gently. “Huo Yao signed up for the quiz too.”
He Xiaoman scoffed when she heard that. “How dare she take part in this quiz with those atrocious grades of hers? Does she think that this is a joke?”
Lu Xia’s expression turned dark when she thought about the score that Huo Yao had achieved in the preliminary test.
She said, “Mom, she is not the same Huo Yao as earlier. She’s gotten quite… good these days.”
“Good? Ok, but can she beat my daughter?” replied He Xiaoman without taking Lu Xia’s words seriously.
She did not even want to find out more about Huo Yao’s situation. Instead, she checked the time on her watch and became impatient.
She said, “Enough. Hurry up and go in. Do well, and don’t disgrace the Lu family.”
Lu Xia’s lips twitched as she replied in a confident manner. “Okay.”
