So what does her smugness these days amount to? She's already lost enough face in Linjiang City and can't make a living there anymore. She finally came to the capital and built up her own social circle, only to be brought back to square one.

That feeling of utter shame washed over her once again, but this time, it felt more unbearable than ever before.

Therefore, although she rationally knew that she shouldn't blame Xie Ziyuan, she ultimately didn't speak up to defend Xie Ziyuan.

Instead, Feng Ruoxue's sister-in-law spoke up first: "Ziyuan's grades are already excellent. To be able to achieve such good results under such a busy schedule proves Ziyuan's ability. If she were my daughter, I would be overjoyed."

Ding Huizhu forced a smile, but Ding Ruoxu couldn't take it anymore and stood up, saying, "I have something to do, so I'll leave first."

Since you're not number one or the top scorer, what's the point of celebrating? Aren't you ashamed as you already are?

Xie Ziyuan watched Ding Ruoxu leave without hesitation, her expression stiff. She turned to look at Huo Yuntang, who was staring blankly with his head down, clearly distracted.

She quietly clenched her fingers.

She can't afford to lose to Xie Li again; she must get first place in this TCM exam!

——

When the college entrance exam results came out, Xie Li was overwhelmed with congratulations from his friends. Shen Lian and Su Ying even made a special trip over with a large red envelope from Madam Shen.

Before the Xie family even held their banquet, people came to their door with gifts and congratulations in an endless stream, making it incredibly lively every day.

After Xie Li finished her busy period, Ming Lihua came to her door and this time handed her an invitation.

“We’re going back to the capital. Your father wants you to participate in the major examination for ancient medicine in July.”

She was referring to Shen Ye. Once the two of them returned to the capital, their carefree days would likely come to an end soon, followed by a period of busyness.

Xie Li nodded: "Okay."

She accepted the invitation and saw Ming Lihua off. Although she was reluctant to part with her this time, her heart was full of hope and anticipation.

Before returning to the Xie family, she went to Huichuntang. The bodyguard who had blocked the sulfuric acid last time was urgently transferred to Huichuntang by her. Since then, he has been recuperating in a high-class ward at Huichuntang, and she and Pharmacist Chen have been in charge of his treatment.

Many people online are still speculating about conspiracy theories, feeling that the statement issued by the Xie family was unclear and essentially said nothing at all.

In addition, Xie Ziyuan repeatedly stated that there could be no delay, because if it continued, even she was not confident that she could save him.

This led to a new wave of attacks against the Xie family, forcing them to hand over the poor bodyguard.

Various rumors and gossip have also emerged one after another, presented with absolute certainty, as if they had personally witnessed how the Xie family disregarded human life and bribed bodyguards and family members.

Just then, Huichuntang's official Weibo account released a short video, stating that because netizens were very concerned about bodyguard Cheng Bin's injuries, they had obtained Cheng Bin's consent to release this treatment video to reassure netizens that he was safe.

The video includes Cheng Bin's medical records and photos of his facial injuries, as well as his gradual recovery process. In the end, when the gauze was removed, the honest-looking man's face was clean as before; such a terrible injury had not left a trace on his face.

"Thank you for your concern, netizens." Cheng Bin scratched his head a little embarrassedly. "I'm recovering very well. Miss Xie Li has been doing her best to treat me. Her medical skills are truly superb. I almost thought that even if I didn't die this time, I would be disfigured."

The video abruptly ended.

But the video quickly drew a barrage of criticism.