Even Top Students Fail

The Scholar's Heartbreak

Lilith's mood had been gloomy all winter break, thanks to William's interference. Her mother, Louise Maria, oblivious to her daughter's budding romance, chalked it up to academic stress. She doted on Lilith, whipping up tasty treats to cheer her up.

Always reserved about her feelings, even in her past life, Lilith felt even less inclined to confide in Jennifer now. She could only torment herself, feeling like she was losing hair from stress.

When school resumed on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Lilith still hadn't sorted out her feelings. But news soon spread that made her dilemma moot.

William had a new girlfriend. Though keeping a low profile due to school rules, they were seen waiting for each other between classes and lunching together. Within two days, the whole class knew about William's change of heart.

Most classmates, aware of William's crush on Lilith, now gave her odd looks. Even Candy, usually buried in her books, glanced at Lilith a few times.

Thanks to her mother's holiday nutrition boost, Lilith looked healthier than before the break. Rosy-cheeked and seemingly unaffected, Candy soon returned to her studies, determined to outdo Lilith.

Seventeen or eighteen-year-olds don't truly understand love. Vague inner stirrings drive them as they notice the opposite s*x. High school crushes can spark from the simplest things - good grades, a pretty smile, or borrowing an eraser.

So, William's quick move wasn't surprising. Some boys had already dated several girls by this age. His fickleness only drew attention because it involved Lilith, the class genius.

The gossip died down after a few days as teachers swamped students with work, shifting focus back to studies.

Lilith, however, was far from composed. Bitter and confused, she couldn't fathom how William could profess love before the break, only to find a new girlfriend ten days later - even earlier than in her past life.

She began questioning if events were predestined, wondering if her efforts to change fate were futile. For the first time since her rebirth, Lilith felt truly lost. She wasn't sure if she still had feelings for William or saw him as proof her life had changed.

Lilith knew herself well. Despite her soft exterior, she was stubborn at heart. She clung to the memory of her pure first love, unsure if she truly still loved William or if he had become a fixation like her college entrance exams.

In this life, William had actually confessed, but she realized her reaction lacked the heart-fluttering excitement she'd felt in her past life from just a meaningful glance.

William's new relationship plunged Lilith into confusion. Her mind felt frozen, and while she knew she needed to reboot, part of her welcomed this temporary shutdown. She needed time to process everything, including the second demise of her first love.

Jennifer, sensing Lilith's feelings for William, was furious about his betrayal. With less than a hundred days until the college entrance exams, she hated seeing Lilith distracted. She constantly reminded Lilith that there were plenty of fish in the sea and that college would bring better options.

Whenever Jennifer spotted William with his new girlfriend in the cafeteria, she'd spit in disgust. She was now glad she hadn't encouraged Lilith to accept William's pursuit, realizing the rumors about his flirtatious past were likely true.

Jennifer's antics helped cheer Lilith up, and after about two weeks, she began to move past the William situation. Though still uncertain about the future, she had accepted the reality of the situation.

Lilith reminded herself that this life was different from her past one. At least William had waited until after high school graduation to find a girlfriend in her previous life. As for her studies, she had never ranked in the top twenty before, and her foundation wasn't as solid as it was now. The recent events had thrown her off balance, but as her mind cleared, she began to sort things out. She could even recall the general types of questions from the college entrance exam in her past life.

With so many advantages, Lilith couldn't believe she would be as unlucky as before. Even if things didn't go perfectly, how could it be worse than her previous life? She realized she had been too fixated on changing everything.

As Lilith came to terms with the situation, she felt a lightness she hadn't experienced since her rebirth. This inner peace came just as the countdown to the college entrance exam dropped below seventy days. Her recent poor condition, including a bout of flu, had even worried her homeroom teacher, Linda.

Linda had not only prepared chicken soup for Lilith but also moved William away from sitting behind her. As a dedicated teacher, Linda cared for all her students when they fell ill. She also felt somewhat responsible for the trouble her nephew had caused Lilith.

Lilith was a star student recognized by both the grade director and the principal. Although First High School was a provincial key school, they faced significant pressure for college admissions. Their rival, Second High School, had produced the province's top science student for two consecutive years. This year, the school was determined to secure both the liberal arts and science top spots to challenge Second High School's dominance. School leaders repeatedly emphasized to homeroom teachers the importance of maintaining students' peak condition for the exams.

Although Lilith's grades consistently placed her within the top twenty but never in the top ten, Linda's years of experience told her that regular high performers didn't always achieve the best results in the college entrance exam. Students ranking within the top hundred were often separated by minimal margins, with their final performance largely dependent on their mental state.

Having taught Lilith for two years, Linda knew that her greatest strength was her mindset. Lilith had the potential not only to enter top national universities like Harvard or Oxford but also to compete for the city or even provincial top score. It would be a tremendous waste if such a promising student's performance was affected by puppy love, especially involving Linda's own nephew.

Fortunately, Lilith had quickly adjusted and even seemed to have an improved attitude. This made Linda appreciate her even more.

As the college entrance exam approached, everyone focused intensely on their studies. Even the sweetest couples in class devoted all their attention to preparing for the exam.

Despite her previous experience, Lilith still felt exhausted facing the dreaded "Black June" again. Since coming to terms with her situation, she had thrown herself completely into her studies. She also subtly shared her memories of exam question types with Jennifer and her dormmates, Elizabeth and Barbara.

They often discussed problems together, allowing Lilith to reveal information without raising suspicion. As for others, Lilith felt helpless to assist further. In truth, the experienced teachers at First High were already quite adept at predicting exam questions, making her intervention unnecessary.

Busy days passed quickly, and suddenly it was June, with the college entrance exam looming on the horizon.