Chapter 77: The Scores |
Liu Xiazhi’s homeroom teacher was the same bespectacled woman with a scholarly air from before.
Her attire was modest and conservative, and despite the sweltering weather, she remained fully covered.
The chatter among the parents instantly ceased as she entered the room.
Adjusting her glasses, the teacher cleared her throat.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m the homeroom teacher of Class 4-3 and the language arts instructor. Many of you are probably familiar with me, as I’ve been with this class for two years now. I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this end-of-term parent-teacher meeting.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Changqing started clapping, and the rest of the parents quickly joined in.
The teacher blushed slightly, shyly scratching her head as the applause faded.
She continued, “In a moment, the class monitor will distribute the report cards to all parents. Please review your child’s performance to see if you’re satisfied or if there’s room for improvement.”
With that, a chubby boy in the front row stood up, walked to the podium, and received a thick stack of report cards from the teacher. He began distributing them row by row.
It was Haohao, his round face smiling adorably—at least to others.
When the report cards reached the parents, most ignored their children’s uneasy expressions and eagerly checked the scores.
Some children’s faces turned pale as disgruntled parents began softly scolding them.
Liu Changqing frowned at this behavior.
A child’s worth shouldn’t be determined solely by grades. And really—how bad could an elementary schooler’s scores be?
As Haohao approached their row, he handed Feng Shuyan’s report card to Feng Qian, whose face lit up with delight upon seeing her grades.
Next, Haohao passed Xiazhi’s report card to Liu Changqing.
Liu Changqing grabbed it, giving Haohao a pointed look that immediately wiped the smile off the boy’s face.
Unfolding the report card, Liu Changqing’s initial smile froze as he read the numbers. Slowly, he turned to look at Xiazhi, who was nestled in An Yuanyao’s arms.
Xiazhi seemed prepared for this moment.
Pouting, she attempted to whistle but only managed to spit a bit. Her large eyes darted toward the window, deliberately avoiding her father’s gaze.
“Xiazhi...”
“What?”
Noticing Liu Changqing’s expression, An Yuanyao leaned in to peek at the report card.
Before she could see anything, Liu Changqing quickly folded it and tucked it away.
“What’s that about?” she asked, puzzled.
“Nothing,” Liu Changqing replied calmly.
As the saying goes, family disgrace should not be aired publicly. Seeing his daughter’s abysmal scores, he felt a pang of guilt.
Previously, Xiazhi’s grades were average—usually in the 70s or 80s out of 100. But this time, it seemed she hadn’t studied at all, with scores that could only be described as shockingly poor.
Math: 66.
Language arts: 62.
English: 41.
Two subjects barely passing and one outright failing—this was a record low for Xiazhi.
Glancing over, Liu Changqing saw Feng Qian’s beaming face and leaned in to peek at Feng Shuyan’s scores out of curiosity.
Math: 96.
Language arts: 92.
English: 88.
Liu Changqing’s face darkened further.
That dead-eyed little imp played all week before exams and still scored so well?
He remembered the first time he met Feng Shuyan, accidentally stepping on her glasses. It seemed they weren’t just decorative—they were a testament to her hard work!
Clutching the report card tightly, Liu Changqing heard Feng Qian’s amused voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Your daughter’s scores are impressive.”
“They’re decent. She didn’t even review this time.”
“...Impressive indeed.”
Maintaining a strained smile, Liu Changqing patted Xiazhi’s head, causing her to stiffen nervously in An Yuanyao’s lap.
Once all the report cards were distributed, it was time for awards.
The teacher called out a name, and one child after another walked up to the podium to receive their certificates, greeted by enthusiastic applause.
Liu Changqing watched as Feng Shuyan climbed down from her father’s lap, leisurely made her way to the podium, and held her award high for all to see.
The applause rang out again as she returned and handed her certificate to Feng Qian, who praised her warmly.
Predictably, Xiazhi didn’t receive an award.
Among Liu Changqing’s children, only his son had ever won an award in the past. He realized now that Xiazhi had never brought one home, something he should have noticed earlier.
Seemingly aware of her poor performance, Xiazhi hung her head, remaining silent.
The meeting concluded with the teacher’s closing remarks, officially marking the start of summer vacation.
Parents began to leave the classroom in small groups.
Liu Changqing and Feng Qian exited together, with An Yuanyao following behind, holding the hands of both children.
Feng Qian’s gaze occasionally flicked between Liu Changqing and An Yuanyao, sensing something unusual in their dynamic.
Suddenly, Liu Changqing tugged at Feng Qian’s sleeve.
“What’s up?”
“About that game—I wanted to ask you something.”
“You’re thinking of getting into the industry?”
“Something like that. I have a concept in mind.”
Liu Changqing nodded.
“I’ve already thought of the world-building, storyline, characters, and basic gameplay. But since you’re the expert, I wanted your advice.”
“What about the kids?”
“No problem. Let’s chat briefly and then grab some food. The kids can have some milk tea while they wait—it won’t take long. I’ve brought my sketches with me.”
Liu Changqing spoke to An Yuanyao, who nodded in agreement. After leaving the school grounds, she took the two children to a nearby milk tea shop.
Meanwhile, Liu Changqing led Feng Qian to his van. Opening the door, he pulled out several sketches and handed them over.