Mrs. Zhang saw that Huo Ling was too persistent. He recognized Jiang Nian and pretty much refused to let go. She was helpless and naturally wondered how a sick little girl could have such a charm that could attract her son. Would he die without her?

Honestly speaking, Huo Ling had been good looking ever since he was a child. Every time she took him out, the little girls’ eyes would aim at him, and the love letters were never ending, though she didn’t know whether he collected them or not. During the rebellious period, he didn’t miss fighting or truancy, but he never had a premature love. When she asked him why, he said he didn’t like it and it was troublesome. Later, when he entered the army, he faced a bunch of stinky old men every day. Let alone a girlfriend, even female friends were lacking.

Well now, he grew up, but he liked a really troublesome little girl.

Mrs. Zhang was naturally curious about what Jiang Nian was really good at, so she asked someone to inquire about it. When she asked Zhang Xing, she knew that the little girl looked sick and was still the champion in the high school and college entrance examinations!

It was also at this time that she learned that Jiang Nian was the neighbor of Huo’s family in City B, and the relationship between the two was not bad. Lao Huo’s evaluation of Jiang Nian was even higher, saying that she was the best little girl who set an example for all the other juniors! As for the Jiang family, except for their spicy eyes, everything else was fine.

Even her brother’s and sister’s evaluation of Jiang Nian was not low, saying that, although she was sick, she was also a very interesting little girl. Speaking of this, Huo Ling would pick up Jiang Nian every time he visited City B, but he’d never been so considerate with Huo Ping before. At that time, they didn’t think much about it. Now, it seemed he was already a little bit interested in Jiang Nian at that time.

This was actually the case!

It turned out that Jiang Nian was not the kind of dodder-like woman she thought, nor the kind of woman who had to cling to someone to live. Even if she were born frail and could not be as happy and carefree as other children and had plenty of restraints, she didn’t give up because of this, but lived more seriously than anyone else!

With such a strong and brave girl beside Huo Ling, Mrs. Zhang felt that she should be relieved.

It’s just that God wasn’t just, and good people don’t get good outcomes, otherwise how could a young girl suffer such a big crime from an early age?

Mrs. Zhang understood, and naturally no longer objected. Originally, she wanted to wait for Huo Ling to come back from the army to see Jiang Nian together, but it was unknown when he would return. She discussed with her husband for a while and decided to go over first.

Besides, she was not too dissatisfied with Jiang Nian in the first place. After the doubts in her heart were gone, she would feel more pity and distress when she saw Jiang Nian.

“Jiang Nian, in the past, auntie had some opinions on you because of some prejudices. Don’t be angry. Auntie thought wrong. Now, auntie has no other ideas. I think you and Huo Ling are all right.”

Jiang Nian appeased her and shivered, promising, “Auntie, don’t worry, I will treat Huo Ling well, and I will never let him down.”

......Why did this sound wrong? But it seemed to be fine. She smiled and patted Jiang Nian’s hand and said, “That’s good; auntie can rest assured. When you come home to eat, auntie will prepare you a good meal.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t rest assured. If Desperate Love of a Broken City wasn’t referring to the family’s response to her and Uncle Huo’s love, then what was it? Was she supposed to almost die? How could she be willing! How could the Uncle Huo she finally ate into her mouth be spit out?

“Okay, I know, thank you aunt.”

“Eh, why are you crying? Don’t cry. You are both good children; aunt must support you!”

“....I’m so happy.”

Aunt really was a good aunt, especially empathetic. Where could she find such a good mother-in-law?

Of course, Mrs. Zhang’s change was the best for Huo Ling. For the mother and wife to live in harmony was best. He didn’t want Jiang Nian to suffer with him.

Jiang Nian was really uncomfortable because she once again felt the malice of fate!

But what could she do? After winning with her beauty and ability, she could only eat the bitter fruit with tears, turning grief and anger into strength, and devoted herself to studying her Great Song.

When the semester was about to end, Jiang Xiaobao, Huo Ping, Chen Yi, and Xu Lihai also had to take the college entrance examination. For her four grand front and back law protectors, she was particularly looking forward to another reunion of fate. She returned two days before the exam and called all of them and gave them a little of her experience in the college entrance examination. The most important thing was to avoid being nervous and absolutely mobilize the whole body for the test. Other miscellaneous people shouldn’t be thought about. At this moment, their goal was only one: college entrance examination!

“Of course, you don’t have to be too reluctant. After all, you may not be able to find a second worldly wizard like me. You can do what you want. Otherwise, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.”

“......???”

Jiang Nian said again, “However, you are also the four grand front and back law protectors of my genius, bathing in my magnificent brilliance for several years. I hope I can bless you with a good test and I will pray for you. Come on”

“......!!!”

This devil grew up with poison? Why was her mouth getting more and more poisonous after going to university?

Jiang Nian: “Okay, don’t talk to you anymore, I should encourage Chen Yi them.”

Huo Ping grinded his teeth at the beeping mobile phone, while darkly lighting a candle for his good brother1.

Oh, yes, this wonderful flower has deceived his cousin now; he will also call her cousin in the future. He wondered if his cousin has bathed too much in her magnificence, so that his mind was corroded by the wonderful flower?

With such a thought, Huo Ping shuddered. Fortunately, his mind was firm enough- otherwise, he would certainly be assimilated by a wonderful flower. That would be a big loss for the talent world!

Besides, in order to let this wonderful flower see, they also had to fight hard, otherwise where would their faces go? Wasn’t his head being saved for this day?

Seeing that Huo Ping was so hard-working, Grandpa Huo is naturally very happy, and credited Jiang Nian. Without Jiang Nian’s stimulation, his grandson might still be a mischievous boy.

From this point of view, although Jiang Nian was a little ill in the head, she was also a good person who did good deeds, and he must be thankful.

****

Jiang Nian called Jiang Xiaobao, Huo Ping, Chen Yi and Xu Lihai in turn, teaching each one by one and encouraging them. A big rock in her heart finally shrunk in half, hoping she would inspire them to take a good grade!

She hoped they could feel her care and thoughtfulness. Not to mention, they also inherited her study notes, along with tutoring sessions during winter and summer vacations when she went home. It should be no problem for them to perform well....

Of course, even if they didn’t, she wouldn’t say anything. After all, ordinary mortals have limited IQ and couldn’t force things. She was reasonable enough to understand.

Jiang Xiaobao, Huo Ping, Chen Yi, and Xu Lihai:......(╯ ‵ □ ‘) ╯︵┻─┻

Oh, I once grinded my teeth and wanted to take a break, but I can’t stop now. I must read this book! Questions must be done! It’s unreasonable if I can’t test well!

Of course, what they studied from was mostly Jiang Nian’s notes, so the taste was really stimulating.

After some consolation, Jiang Nian assured herself to go back to writing again, word by word, crackling and writing a lot. She hoped that her masterpiece would soon meet the world and let her identity as a genius spread more widely.

In the meantime, rumors gradually blew through the school.

One said Jiang Nian had a boyfriend. Some people saw her and a man walking hand in hand in the school. The second was that Jiang Nian’s boyfriend was not an unknown person, but Instructor Huo!

Even when Jiang Nian was in class, she could hear some comments.

“Jiang Nian took advantage of Instructor Huo and hooked his hand!”2

Dammit, what is this? Shouldn’t Instructor Huo not have a legendary lover? How did he become Jiang Nian’s boyfriend?

“Really? No way. Although Instructor Huo is very caring for Jiang Nian, the two people did not even speak. I don’t believe!”

“I don’t believe it either. Jiang Nian and Instructor Huo? The gap between the two is so big that they don’t even match up!”

“But I heard that someone saw Instructor Huo and Jiang Nian behaving intimately. When Instructor Huo started the military training, he didn’t have a girlfriend. But he suddenly had one the day after Jiang Nian fell ill. Are you surprised ”

“No, I don’t believe it! I won’t believe anything you say!”

“Why does my heart ache?”

......Heartache was right.

Jiang Yun and Chen Chen still had some sense of superiority. This heartache was not a problem. When faced with the truth, they would also realize what was called “the street is chopped by thunder”.

A girl also found Jiang Nian in particular and asked her, “You and Instructor Huo are fake, right?”

Jiang Nian said: “No.”

The girl blushed: “....No, I don’t believe it, Instructor Huo won’t like you.”

Jiang Nian: “Instructor Huo doesn’t like me.”

When the other party was happy, she heard Jiang Nian say again, “Instructor Huo loves me.”

“........!”

Chen Chen sat next to Jiang Nian Next and fluttered and laughed with a sneer: “Some people, thinking that they are something, they love to make a play for themselves. Let’s not say whether Instructor Huo likes Jiang Nian or not, he must not like you. You don’t even have Instructor Huo’s phone number, what makes you dare to be sloppy here? Even if Instructor Huo is blind, he will only choose our Jiang Nian, not you. Wake up.”

Jiang Nian looked at Chen Chen, how come it sounded so weird?

“You’re wrong, my instructor Huo is not blind.”

“Oh, blind with eyes open?”

“Yellow card warning, not allowed to insult my baby.”

“........”

The girl choked for a long while, just to see the two of them kept on for a long while, stomped heavily, glared at Jiang Nian and ran away aggrievedly, and immediately caused a lot of people to look. Jiang Nian just pretended she didn’t see it.

Chen Chen shook her head.

Just after the class, Huo Ling, who had been away for more than a month, seemed to have come back. He was dressed casually in a black trench coat. He stood tall and straight. He held a black umbrella and walked in the pleasant spring drizzle.

At that time, Jiang Nian had just finished class and, when the shower came suddenly, she and her classmates were stopped in front of the teaching building. So, she saw Huo Ling standing under the rain curtain.

The entire freshman year, probably no one did not know him. Instructor Huo was familiar to many people, but after the end of military training, he completely disappeared and only lived in legends. Now he suddenly appeared like this, and suddenly caused the attention of everyone, and even some people exclaimed in a low voice. The more active boys also stepped forward to say hello.

Huo Ling’s popularity was not only because he looked good, but also because he was extremely strong and capable, along with his mystery and his background. Such men do not need to do anything in particular and would naturally attract countless people to worship.

“Instructor Huo, Instructor Huo, did you come back to find us to play?”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s have dinner together at night!”

“No, I’ll pick up my girlfriend after class.”

Everyone: “........!!!”

Looking at the cool and handsome instructor Huo, Jiang Nian was so excited that she almost wiped her tears. After being tortured by destiny for so long, she finally realized the magnificent light that was only available as a heroine!

Huo Ling felt that Jiang Nian seemed to be extremely happy today. She smirked holding his arm for a long time, and he also smiled: “My mother said that I have to go home for dinner together, do you have time?”

As a caring little girlfriend, Jiang Nian was very good and said, “Okay.”

****

The college entrance examination was held on June 7th and 8th and, half a month later, the results were released. Jiang Nian was also preparing for her final exam when Jiang Xiaobao called on the phone, crying out of breath, huffing and puffing as if he were going to die.

“Don’t cry, obediently just say. How many points did you take?”

Jiang Xiaobao wailed again, and the neighbor passing by heard it, and said he didn’t do well in the test and was irritated by the excitement! Grandpa Jiang working in the garden outside and Grandma Jiang who washed vegetables in the kitchen heard and ran, one throwing down a hoe, and the other grabbing a kitchen knife, and said in a panic, “What’s the matter, what’s up, Xiaobao?”

“Are the grades coming out? Don’t cry, even if you don’t test well, our family still has mines!”

“Old lady, what you said is not good. So what if our family has mines? ”

“What does not sound good? It means that our family has mines, which can provide Xiaobao with a year or two of re-reading. He can study slowly. Don’t worry, it’s nothing to be stupid. We don’t ask you to do too well. Don’t be sad because you can’t read well. After all, there are really few geniuses like your sister. One is enough to satisfy our family.”

Speaking of Jiang Xiaobao’s sister, Grandma Jiang wiped the kitchen knife in tears, lamenting that her granddaughter was really distressing. Grandfather Jiang was comforting Grandmother Jiang right next to Jiang Xiaobao, busy saying that his sister was so tenacious and would surely live long and long, blah blah blah....Grandma Jiang: “Oh my poor Niannian–!”

Grandpa Jiang: “Ah! Wife, you should accept it soon!”

Jiang Xiaobao: “........??? ”

Jiang Nian on the other end of the phone: “........!!!”

No grandpa, grandma, don’t cry, ah! She can live another 500 years, ah!

1. You light a candle to honor the dead. So, he’s pitying the other two as if they’re about to meet fatal accidents lol?^

2. I used the term ‘hook’ here since the story didn’t specify whether it was literally referring to her grabbing his hand and holding it (hence the rumor of them holding hands), or as a euphemism for ‘capturing him’, so to speak.