The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class

Zong Jincheng waved his fist threateningly and warned, "I’m telling you to watch your words. I study harder than any of you—where’s the laziness? It’s just that the higher you climb, the tougher the exams get, got it?"

He Zheng grinned. "Exactly! The higher you go, the harder it gets. Remember last month? Qin Ye only improved by sixteen ranks. He was already seventeenth in the entire academy—that’s pretty high up. So this time, he must’ve improved even less."

"Right, there’s no way he took first place," Zong Jincheng declared confidently.

But then, pointing at the rankings, Zong Wenxiu said to the smug young troublemakers, "And yet, it happened."

"What?!" The four troublemakers froze.

No longer slinging arms over each other’s shoulders, they sprinted forward in unison to check the rankings. Sure enough, at the top of Qingbo Academy’s list, bold characters glared back at them: **First Place: Qin Ye.**

"No way!!!" the little troublemaker yelled first.

He Zheng was equally stunned. "He was already at the top, and he still improved by sixteen ranks? Is Qin Ye even human?!"

Shen Yibai gulped. "No wonder our class motto is ‘Defeat Qin Ye and Secure Top Honors’—both are equally impossible."

Wei Xinglu seriously suggested, "Maybe we should change the motto to ‘Defeat Jincheng.’ That seems more achievable."

The little troublemaker, still baffled, exploded at this. "What did you just say? Who’s more achievable? Are you saying I’m worse than Qin Ye?!"

Wei Xinglu immediately bolted, shouting over his shoulder, "Facts speak for themselves—Qin Ye is just the best!"

"Ahhhh, I’m gonna kill you!!!" The little troublemaker chased after him.

Even while being hunted, Wei Xinglu managed to yell, "Help! I still need to check the rankings! Yibai, go see if I’m first yet!"

Shen Yibai crossed his arms smugly. "Hah, as long as I don’t look, first place is mine."

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Wei Xinglu: "!! You’re the king of self-delusion!"

Xu Wan watched their antics with amusement before turning back to the rankings, her eyes lingering on Qin Ye’s name. Jincheng and the others weren’t wrong—the higher the rank, the harder it was to climb. Qin Ye had truly excelled this time.

Since he would likely remain firmly in first place from now on, making his progress less visible, she went to the headmaster’s office to ask when the next inter-academy exam would be held.

The headmaster beamed. "Next month, in early December. We’ll be holding a joint exam with the top four academies in the Capital City. Ah, finally, Qin Ye is back to normal—I was worried about how we’d fare in this year’s joint exam otherwise."

"Back to normal?" Xu Wan frowned. "What happened to Qin Ye?"

Judging by his grades, he had been steadily improving.

The headmaster sighed. "Qin Ye is naturally brilliant and studies diligently. His first-place ranking in the junior exams was expected. But once policy essays were introduced, his scores kept dropping—he kept writing radical, impractical proposals. Fortunately, last month, I visited the Qin family and discussed his studies with his father. Surprisingly, it actually helped."

"So his policy essays are no longer extreme?" Xu Wan asked.

"Not just that!" The headmaster’s eyes sparkled. "His essays are now model examples—clear logic, feasible solutions, thoroughly considered from every angle. This is the real Qin Ye. Those earlier radical writings? I almost doubted they were his. But now, he’s finally back to normal."

The headmaster’s face glowed with pride, as if Qin Ye were his own child. Usually, when students had issues, the academy summoned their parents—but this time, the headmaster had gone to them.

Xu Wan smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Headmaster. I’m sure Qingbo Academy will perform excellently in the joint exam."

The headmaster chuckled. "Ah, thank you, thank you! And don’t worry too much, Madam—Jincheng and Wenxiu have also made great progress. They’ll surely do well too."

Xu Wan bid him farewell.

On ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍the way back, Cui Zhi sighed. "I thought Young Master Jincheng finally had a chance to surpass Qin Ye, but it was just a fleeting hope."

Xu Wan chuckled softly. "Qin Ye is truly Qin Ye. No matter how hard we try, catching up to him is difficult. But it’s fine—we still have a year and a half. There’s time."

Cui Zhi hesitated. "Should we tell Young Master Jincheng and the others about this?"

Telling them might crush their spirits, but keeping it secret risked them underestimating the challenge.

Wenxiu would take it in stride, but the other four? A little praise went straight to their heads.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Wan said, "Let’s not mention it for now. A gap this big might demoralize them. It’s better this way—we’ll shoulder the pressure and let them chase for a few more months."

"Understood."

This exam had been a resounding success.

The Zong brothers had improved significantly; He Zheng remained first in the junior class; Wei Xinglu and Shen Yibai had claimed the top two spots in the ten-year-olds’ class—though Shen Yibai was clearly unhappy with second place.

"I’m taking the eleven-year-olds’ exam next month," he declared. "Xinglu and I will each have our own first place!"

Wei Xinglu snorted. "Then I’ll take the twelve-year-olds’ first. No way I’m falling behind you."

"You—!" Shen Yibai gritted his teeth.

Xu Wan clapped her hands. "Ahem, our two champions, settle down."

Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu immediately straightened up.

"Did you know? Jincheng tested into the junior class after six months of study, Wenxiu after seven, and He Zheng in just five. You two have been in class for seven months now—in a few days, you can take the junior class entrance exam together."

"Huh?" "What?"

They blinked in unison. "We can really do it?"

"But we’ve only ever taken the ten-year-olds’ exams!"

Xu Wan exchanged a glance with their tutors before smiling. "Your practice tests included eleven- and twelve-year-old material. Your skills are solid—give the junior exam a try."

"No way! Auntie, you’re not tricking us, are you?!" Shen Yibai jumped in excitement.

Wei Xinglu was still skeptical. "Auntie, are we really as good as Wenxiu-ge?"

Zong Wenxiu scratched his head modestly. "Probably. I’m not that talented."

At that, the two burst into cheers.

Xu Wan laughed. "Our teaching methods have improved, so you’ve caught up to Wenxiu faster. Work hard, do your best—I’ll be waiting for your good results."

Shen Yibai thumped his chest. "Don’t worry, Auntie! I’ll show them what the Marquis Manor Elite Class is made of!"