33: Comfortable crying

Shu Chang contacted her uncle and wanted to stay with Li Xiuwu for two weeks.

Although Shu Chang's uncle had met Liu Yifei and her mother, he still drove over to see Shu Chang.

Li Xiuwu was last year's top scholar of the college entrance examination, and since he had tutored Shu Chang on her schoolwork on the set of "a deadly secret," they were not exactly strangers.

After dropping off some clothes and daily necessities he had brought for Shu Chang, he left, feeling reassured.

"I want to be this year's top scholar," Shu Chang said.

Liu Yifei's eyes widened, and she reached out to touch Shu Chang's forehead.

"You're only in your second year of high school, and taking the Gaokao this year is already absurd enough, yet you want to become the top scholar of the college entrance examination as well?" Liu Yifei suspected that Shu Chang had a high fever.

"That's different. I feel like I'm terrifyingly smart right now," she said with great confidence.

She felt that after crying in Li Xiuwu's arms that night, she had become incredibly smart; she could learn the knowledge in the textbooks just by looking at them.

For the more difficult content, she could understand it as soon as Xiuwu taught it to her.

"That's because you've let go of your psychological burden; when your mind is at ease, everything becomes easy."

She told Li Xiuwu about her changes, and that was how Li Xiuwu explained it to her.

She thought it made a lot of sense.

"Good, I support you. Aiming to be the top scholar—didn't the ancients say, 'If you aim for the highest, you will get the middle'?" Liu Xiaoli was actually very supportive of this.

Having confidence is a good thing; by working towards a goal, even if she didn't become the top scholar, she could still get a good score.

Under Li Xiuwu's guidance, Shu Chang made rapid progress.

After the pandemic restrictions were relaxed, she went to school to get some test papers, and her results were excellent.

The teachers who graded the papers were surprised.

The teacher personally called to confirm whether she had cheated by looking at books while doing the problems.

"If I were to cheat, wouldn't I just be deceiving myself?" Shu Chang replied.

The teacher asked her to go to school to redo another set of test papers, and her results were still excellent, so the teacher wanted her to go to school to review with the third-year high school students.

"Teacher, Li Xiuwu is my brother. I'm at my brother's house, and he is tutoring me one-on-one," Shu Chang replied to the teacher.

The school was somewhat surprised that the top scholar of the college entrance examination from last year, who had achieved a perfect score, was tutoring her one-on-one.

"That's good. Study hard, and let your teacher know if you have any needs."

The school agreed to Shu Chang's request to study at home, but she had to take regular tests just like the third-year students.

Li Xiuwu took Shu Chang's grades and went to see Wang Jinsong in person.

"Are these grades real?" After looking at the test papers and hearing about Li Xiuwu's purpose, Wang Jinsong's eyes lit up.

Li Xiuwu nodded.

"Good," Wang Jinsong said, patting the table.

"Her art exam is waived. As long as she passes five hundred points, our Beijing Film Academy will accept her."

Looking at the test papers, Wang Jinsong felt like he could wake up laughing in his sleep.

Shu Chang's acting talent was obvious to all. In "Xiaozhuang Mishi," which had just aired a few days ago, everyone was stunned by Shu Chang's acting.

A concubine who was neglected in the palace, failed in the harem intrigues, lost her son, and died of depression in her thirties.

She portrayed this character vividly and incisively.

If it had been a thirty-something-year-old actress, no one would have been surprised, but she was only fourteen when she played this role.

In fact, as long as Shu Chang signed up for the art exam, no matter how she performed, Beijing Film Academy would let her pass.

Li Xiuwu's request to waive Shu Chang's art exam was not excessive at all.

It wouldn't even have been out of the question to give her a perfect score on the art exam.

In April, the gloom of the pandemic finally passed, and the restrictions in the capital were completely lifted.

"What? 'The Chef Official'?" Shu Chang received a call from He Xujun.

After the pandemic was lifted, she had discussed with her uncle that she would continue to stay at Li Xiuwu's place to prepare for the Gaokao.

After the pandemic ended, film crews became active again, and her aunt had actually accepted a TV drama role for her.

"Aunt, I am preparing for the Gaokao," she said, expressing her dissatisfaction and resistance for the first time.

"Your current grades are not bad; they are already enough for an art school," He Xujun said over the phone.

"I want to take the Gaokao, so naturally I want to get a good score," she said, her voice filled with grievance. The Gaokao results were also a way for her to prove herself to her mother.

"You can still review when you go to the set. We will hire a tutor just like before."

"I don't want to act. Aunt, can you wait until I finish the Gaokao?" Shu Chang's voice carried a hint of pleading.

"I'm sorry, Chang Chang, but Aunt has already signed the contract with them. If you don't film, we will have to pay a penalty for breach of contract."

He Xujun's voice carried an apology, and her face showed difficulty, but her shrewd eyes kept watching Shu Chang's reaction.

"I had to call in quite a few favors to get this role."

"Aunt, can we decline? Let Uncle help talk to them." Her voice carried a last glimmer of hope.

"Chang Chang, your uncle is already working very hard. Why are you still bothering him with such trivial matters?"

"I understand." Shu Chang hung up the phone, feeling very dejected and aggrieved.

...

"I am looking up, at the moon above." Li Xiuwu hummed the most popular song from the Chinese New Year.

Although this song was cheesy, it was really widespread.

Hearing Li Xiuwu's voice, Shu Chang wiped away her tears and pretended to be normal.

Li Xiuwu walked past the door, then turned back. He looked at Shu Chang's eyes and walked in.

"Have you been crying?"

"No, it was just windy, and something got in my eye," Shu Chang said, lowering her head.

"Are you still lying?" Li Xiuwu tapped the table.

"Am I still your brother?"

Shu Chang looked up, and seeing Li Xiuwu's angry expression, the grievance in her heart erupted.

"Wuwu." She burst into tears.

"I want to be the top scholar so that Mom can also be honored."

She spoke of her thoughts and told him everything.

Li Xiuwu frowned; this was actually a bit troublesome.

Shu Chang's guardian was her uncle, and her management affairs had been handed over to her aunt to handle.

"Alright, don't cry. Your brother will decide for you. You just need to focus on preparing for the exam."

Li Xiuwu considered the feasibility of the matter.

"Brother." She looked up, her eyes red from crying.

"Don't worry, there won't be any problems." Li Xiuwu gave her a reassuring look.

Li Xiuwu took out his phone and called Xu Muyang.

"Come to the capital. There is something I need you to do." Li Xiuwu roughly explained the situation over the phone.

"Alright, Mr. Li. I will arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow and start handling this matter." Xu Muyang agreed decisively; the matter was not complicated, and he thought it would be easy to handle.

After hanging up, Li Xiuwu thought for a moment and, through Qiu Wanjun, contacted some people in the gray industry and gave them some financial sponsorship.

"Rest assured, sir. Within three days, I will help you find out everything, and the information will be mailed to the address you specified."

For the past two days, Shu Chang's state of mind had not been very good, and He Xujun had sent over the script for "The Chef Official."

"Xiuwu, you persuade Chang Chang. Studying is important, but acting is also quite important. Making money is secondary; building connections is the key." He Xujun spoke in a high-sounding manner.

Li Xiuwu looked at her with a smile, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Three days later, Xu Muyang arrived in the capital. Qiu Wanjun sent someone to pick him up and, by the way, delivered the information he had received.

"Mr. Li, you really know how to enjoy life." The environment in the Courtyard House made even Xu Muyang feel comfortable.

As the manager of Golden Culture, he certainly knew about the largest expenditure of funds, which was this Courtyard House.

He did not doubt Li Xiuwu's strength at all, as there was nearly one hundred million in funds lying in the company's account.

"Haha, isn't earning money for the sake of enjoying it? Just call me by my name from now on," Li Xiuwu said.

Xu Muyang nodded, understanding that Li Xiuwu did not want to reveal his identity. He sighed inwardly, thinking, "Look at the quirky tastes of the rich."