Chapter 38: So, what were your college entrance exam scores back in the day?

"Come on, Lin Yi, let’s have a drink."
"I really can’t drink any more."
"What, do you look down on me? If you respect me, drink it!"
Lin Yi: ...
"Lin Yi, come on, let’s have one too."
"I really can’t anymore!"
"Since when does a man say he can't? Finish this glass and we’re brothers!"
...
"Ugh..."
Lin Yi braced himself against the wall, his stomach churning violently.
"Old Kong, you really went too far, joining in with everyone else to pressure Lin Yi into drinking so much," Li Xue said, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Hey, don't act like you didn't do the same. I remember you were the one who pushed him the most," Kong Sheng retorted, glaring at him before letting out a loud belch.
"I did no such thing!" Li Xue hurriedly denied.
"Do you have no idea what you did?" Kong Sheng swayed unsteadily, pointing a finger at Li Xue.
"Oh, forget it, let's just get him back to the hotel," Li Xue said, leaning against the door while supporting Lin Yi with both hands, his voice weak.
...
When he woke up the next day, Lin Yi found himself slumped against the toilet.
A wave of nausea surged up his throat, and he quickly opened his mouth.
*Ugh!*
He didn't know if those crafty old foxes were jealous of him or if they truly admired his youthful success, but they had poured drinks for him relentlessly. He had no idea how many glasses he’d downed last night.
*Ugh!*
It was miserable.
Lin Yi patted his chest, still feeling the lingering effects. He told himself he must learn to say no—to refuse firmly—in the future.
Getting up, he splashed his face with hot water. Looking at himself in the mirror, he frowned. *Damn it, why is my face still so red? Am I still drunk?*
He shook his head, picked up his toothpaste to brush his teeth, and scrubbed his face with a towel several times before finally setting it down.
"Phew! Finally feeling a bit better. But my head is killing me!" Lin Yi tapped his forehead lightly.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
"Lin Yi, here, have some hangover soup!"
"Thank you!" Lin Yi said, taking the soup from Tong Liya.
"Lin Yi, honestly, you shouldn't push yourself if you can't drink that much! Those old guys are just plain mean, specifically targeting you," Tong Liya said indignantly.
"I couldn't refuse them; they’re all big shots, *hiccup*," Lin Yi explained.
"Do you want to come in and sit for a while?"
Tong Liya checked her phone and hurriedly replied, "There’s no time left. Let’s do it another time. Take good care of yourself!"
"Yeah."
*Click, click, click.*

Tong Liya walked away with quick, hurried steps; for actors like them, traveling across the country was nothing out of the ordinary.
Lin Yi watched her beautiful figure disappear from sight, reluctant to look away. He glanced down at the insulated container in his hand, and a warm feeling washed over his heart.
Being away from home, it felt good to be cared for.
*Gulp, gulp!*
After finishing the soup, Lin Yi lay down on the bed, his head still spinning, and soon drifted off to sleep.
"Hmph, that kid Lin Yi, he’s just got dumb luck!" Qu Wanting clutched her pillow, recalling how all the big names had toasted Lin Yi the night before. Her nose stung with jealousy.
She had no idea how Lin Yi even knew someone as important as Chen Hongjing, let alone being able to sing a duet with him!
She hadn't even had the chance to strike up a conversation with Chen Hongjing last night!
"Ahhh!"
Her scream of frustration echoed in the room. Fortunately, the walls were soundproof, or she would have been reported by the neighbor.

Qidian Chinese Network.
Ever since the editor known as Cookie learned that *Republic of China Spy Shadows* was written by the high-profile top scorer of the national college entrance exam, an idea had been brewing in his mind.
After refining and perfecting the plan, Cookie presented it to the senior management that evening.
The next day, a new slot appeared on the homepage of Qidian, featuring a book titled *Republic of China Spy Shadows*. Next to the title were several eye-catching words: "New Work by the Top Scorer!"
This move by Qidian shocked countless readers.
"Holy crap, this book is actually written by Lin Yi! Mom, you scared the heck out of me!"
"Is it really this intense? I'm about to explode!"
"The top scorer is writing a novel? I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Yay, it's Brother Lin Yi's work! Sisters, come over and check it out!"
"I'm here!"
"Me too!"
"Lin Yi's Little Cutie gifted 100,000 book coins to *Republic of China Spy Shadows*."
"My Husband Lin Yi gifted 1,000,000 book coins to *Republic of China Spy Shadows*."
"Lin Yi's Wife Xiao Yi gifted 100,000 book coins to *Republic of China Spy Shadows*."
"Lin Yi, My Woman gifted 1,000,000 book coins to *Republic of China Spy Shadows*."
*Gasp!*
The male readers were completely stunned by the actions of these women.
*Are they that rich?*
*Young ladies, are you really that wealthy?*
"Young lady, please let me hug your thigh."
"Young lady, please adopt me. I can warm the bed, *ying ying ying*."
"Ugh! Stop pretending! Young lady, look at me, look at me! I’m a fresh young hunk, I can do anything!"
...
Qidian's Elite Author Group.
Nine-Colored Old Demon: Who is this big shot? The site is raining red packets today.
Tomato: It's Lin Yi.
Egg-Eating Brother: Never heard of him.
Skull Head: Me neither.
Potato Stir-Fry: Lin Yi? You guys don't know him? Are you all on 2G internet?
Skull Head: 1.5G, heh heh (evil grin).
Egg-Eating Brother: That's terrifying! I'm out of here! Cherish life, stay away from Skull!
Water Fish: By the way, what were your college entrance exam scores back in the day?
Nine-Colored Old Demon: ...
Tomato: ...
Potato Stir-Fry: ...
Egg-Eating Brother: ...
The group suddenly went quiet.

Qidian Headquarters.
Cookie watched the rain of red packets, his eyes narrowed into slits. The power of fans was truly terrifying!
Celebrities were not to be underestimated!
Should Qidian also try to cultivate idol writers with multiple talents like Lin Yi?
No hurry, let’s see how Lin Yi does first, Cookie thought, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Lin Yi, have you filled out your college application yet? It closes tomorrow at noon," Lin Yi saw the message from Niu Junjie and remembered that there wasn't much time left to submit his undergraduate applications.
*Phew!*
He got up, took a hot shower, put on a mask and sunglasses, and headed out.
After searching for a while, he finally found a place to buy a computer. Once he had bought all the necessary equipment, he hurried back to the hotel.
"Hey, Lin Yi, remember to fly to Tianjin J County No. 1 High School in two days. I've booked your ticket."
"Yeah, got it."
Lin Yi hung up the phone and went to the official admissions website. Just as he was about to fill out his application, his phone rang again.
It was his homeroom teacher, Li Shuihua.
"Lin Yi, how’s the application going? Are you picking Qinghua or Beida?" Facing this guy, Li Shuihua felt nothing but helplessness. *Isn't it good enough to be pre-admitted by Qinghua or Beida? Why do you have to fill out these applications?*
Lin Yi rubbed his cheek helplessly. *How should I brush him off this time?*
"Hello? Hello? Teacher, can you hear me? Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you clearly. Teacher, can you hear me? My signal is bad here, hello, hello..."
*Beep!*
*Phew*, Lin Yi quickly turned off his phone.
Usually, he didn't care much, but ever since he found out Lin Yi got into Qinghua and Beida, he’d been calling several times a day to check on him.
*Sigh! Oh, life!*