Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Dark Curtain

That was what she said, but everyone knew that Chen Xin truly cared for Zhang Zhang; she was not using him as a shield, as she claimed. The Zhang family was grateful for her kindness, and naturally they treated her even better.

“You don’t need to take it too much to heart either. People’s mouths are on their own faces. If you took every word seriously, no one could live.”

After spending the New Year on the mountain, Chen Xin took Zhang Zhang back down. She wanted to send the corrected manuscript before the editor returned to work in a few days. The food-and-travel guides for those two small towns had also been edited and were just waiting to be uploaded.

This time, she hurried back to campus for another important matter: the second round of the postgraduate recommendation interview.

Ordinarily, the recommended-admission process was not so troublesome. In most cases, one already knew whether they had passed before the national entrance exam. But this time, the mentor Chen Xin had applied to asked the school to arrange another interview, and no one knew the exact reason. If she failed this interview, it seemed the students who were not chosen would be assigned to study under another teacher. As for whether that teacher would be the one they had wanted, nothing was certain.

In truth, for Chen Xin, the result of this recommendation was not as important as others imagined. She had chosen this mentor in the first place because he ranked first in the department and his specialty matched hers exactly, so she had filled in his name.

After two exhausting days, she returned home and rested well for one night. The next morning, she got up, dressed carefully, and went to the classroom at school for the second interview.

There had originally been three students who had passed the first round. Two were local, and one was even a relative of a school staff member. That one was probably only there to go through the motions. He sat to the side, chatting and laughing with the other. When Chen Xin came in, the two of them looked at her with a meaningful expression, even with a faint mocking smile that suggested they were waiting for a show.

One look at their faces, and Chen Xin knew that today’s interview was probably aimed at her.

Sure enough, after a while, two more people came in, saying they had been recommended by other schools and were also there for the second round. Though they tried hard to hide it, Chen Xin was no fool, and their acting was plainly poor. It was obvious that one of them had already been decided upon, while the other had only been brought in to play along.

At nine-thirty, the mentor arrived together with someone from the admissions office, carrying several files.

When the admissions officer entered, he paused for a moment. After only two or three seconds, his gaze swept over the students sitting in pairs before finally settling on Chen Xin, who sat alone by herself.

Chen Xin looked at them expressionlessly. After listening to the admissions officer explain the reason for this sudden interview, she let out a cold laugh in her heart.

She had long known that there was mostly corruption in these circles, but the wider environment had seemed relatively innocent by comparison, so she had never imagined it would happen to her. Yet once it did, she realized that whether she passed or failed was not the real blow. It was the disgusting feeling that was hardest to bear.

If she were not still waiting to receive her diploma, she would certainly have stood up and left without another word, too lazy to keep acting with them.

After the admissions officer finished speaking, he told everyone to go outside and gave them ten minutes to prepare before beginning the second interview. Those whose names were called would go in, while the others could watch from outside through the glass window.

Chen Xin followed them out and found a random seat. Just as she sat down, she received a text message.

It was from Bai Mengqing, and it was about this very recommendation issue.

Bai Mengqing was also planning to pursue graduate studies, but because she was on sick leave, she would have to wait until next year to take the exam. This year, while chatting with classmates, she had learned that Chen Xin’s originally secured recommendation had run into trouble, so she had looked into it. Now, with time running out, she sent Chen Xin everything she had found out.

One of the local candidates had connections; the other came from a wealthy family and had already made the necessary arrangements during winter break, so there was basically no problem. As for the one who had been inserted halfway through and was already predetermined, it was said that he was related to the mentor’s spouse. He had originally failed to secure recommendation at his own school and then also done badly on the national exam, so he had simply used his connections to seize a slot and crowd Chen Xin out.

“That professor is actually quite knowledgeable, but he’s afraid of his wife. I’m guessing this time you’re probably done for. Otherwise, why not think of some way to make a few arrangements? Even if you don’t end up with that professor, you could still find another one who’s about the same.”

Chen Xin replied casually, telling Bai Mengqing not to worry and that she had it under control.

Things like this were not rare. In any era, there were always people with crooked minds; it was only because one had not suffered from them personally that one did not feel it. But Chen Xin was not someone who could be casually manipulated. She did not want to sever ties with the school over the diploma, but giving them a taste of their own medicine was certainly possible.

She was third in line, and by the time it was her turn, it was already ten-twenty.

The teacher called her name and told her to go in and get ready to begin. Chen Xin stood up and walked a few steps toward the classroom. When she reached the doorway, she suddenly smiled.

“Actually, when I came today, I wasn’t expecting to pass anyway. So perhaps there’s no need for me to go in. There’s still a child at home, and I’d like to go back early.”

When she spoke, her expression remained as calm as ever, with not the slightest hint of anger. The admissions officer was good at reading faces, but he had long been accustomed to being in a superior position and naturally felt psychologically above the students. Hearing Chen Xin’s words, he immediately raised his brows and snapped in anger.

“What do you think this is? Come when you want, leave when you want? If you didn’t want to study, you should have said so earlier! What’s the point of putting everyone through all this?”

“Yes, putting everyone through all this really is pointless, so there’s no need to keep going through it.”

Chen Xin answered evenly. On the words “going through it,” she placed extra emphasis.

“Since I’m withdrawing, the two over there should be able to keep one, I suppose. That would also lighten the teacher’s workload, wouldn’t it?”

As she said this, she tilted her face slightly and met the professor’s eyes inside the room.

If this had been another major, Chen Xin might have endured it, but in her field, what mattered most was personal ability. No matter how much one studied, it was still only a slightly more impressive piece of paper. If one truly wanted to accomplish anything, one had to rely on one’s own accumulation and experience. Still, no matter how one looked at it, having a teacher to guide the way was certainly easier than stumbling forward alone.

The professor looked at Chen Xin for a while, then nodded and agreed to her withdrawal.

After Chen Xin left, he pinched the bridge of his nose and finished acting out the rest of the scene. But the outcome had already been decided, and performing for himself only made the whole thing more unbearable. So both the actors and the audience were rather perfunctory.

When it was over, the admissions officer wanted to send Chen Xin’s file back immediately, but the professor took it away first.

“This matter was already handled wrongly by us. She must have found out something, otherwise she would not have reacted like this. I can’t take her as a student, so I may as well settle for the next best thing and help her find another teacher.”

“Professor, there’s no need to go that far. That student is simply too proud.”

The admissions officer was still seething, but he could not stop the professor from walking away with the file.