When Lin Xiaoxiao learned that the investigation team was coming, she had already prepared her response. Now, she faced them with utter calm. "I learned a great deal from my grandfather, so my grades really shouldn't have been that poor. The reason I scored so badly was that I was trying to get my mother's attention."

She then shifted into performance mode, her expression turning sorrowful. "As you know, my mother remarried when I was very young. What child doesn't long for a mother's love? I was no different. But she wouldn't even visit me once a year. It wasn't until junior high that I made a fuss to go live with her. Even then, she paid me no attention. I thought if I got bad grades, she'd finally notice me—scold me, teach me a lesson. Then at least I wouldn't feel so alone."

"But it didn't work. She only had eyes for my half-siblings. She wouldn't even look at me. No matter how I acted out or rebelled, she never said a word. I just wanted to experience a little maternal love. Was that so wrong?"

"You are all parents yourselves. Could you bear to abandon your child when they were just a few months old? I was raised by my grandparents. I never knew what it was like to be held by my mother. Now I'm going to be a mother myself, and I still can't understand how any mother could be so cruel."

Her voice trembled with emotion, tears welling in her eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure. It was heartbreaking to hear.

The members of the investigation team fell silent. They had looked into her background and knew her mother had remarried and essentially abandoned her. Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't gone to live with her until she was fifteen.

Li Yunlan, believing every word, was moved to tears. She went over and hugged Lin Xiaoxiao.

"You poor child. What kind of mother could be so heartless? How could she do such a thing?"

Lin Xiaoxiao sniffled, looking at the investigators with tear-filled eyes. "I am willing to cooperate fully with your investigation. You can test me on the spot, or arrange another exam. I've been studying intensely for the past six months."

She then went into another room and brought out stack upon stack of exercise books and draft papers—a pile nearly a foot high—and placed them in front of the group.

"This is the evidence of my hard work. I didn't even know the college entrance exam would be reinstated. I studied so hard because I wanted to become a teacher someday. How else could I get a proper job? How else could I ever feel worthy of my husband?"

One of investigators asked, "We heard you previously worked as a doctor at a clinic. Why did you stop? Being a doctor is a good profession."

Lin Xiaoxiao blinked away her tears. "Is it wrong to want to learn and improve oneself?"

The man quickly shook his head. "No, no, don't misunderstand. It's clear you've worked very hard. We will report your situation accurately. This isn't just our decision—representatives from Peking University's admissions office are also coming. We will review this matter together. With your scores, you would undoubtedly qualify for Peking University."

Lin Xiaoxiao wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I trust you will handle this fairly. Those who fail often refuse to acknowledge others' success."

She couldn't resist adding a confident boast about her own abilities.

The investigation team hadn't expected Lin Xiaoxiao to be not only poised but also so self-assured. They began to seriously doubt the credibility of the accusations they'd received.

After the team left, Li Yunlan remained heartbroken. Holding Lin Xiaoxiao's hand, she asked, "Did your mother really ignore you all those years?"

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "Yes. She had a new family and new children. She didn't have time for me.

She never loved my father, and she didn't love me either."

Li Yunlan wept. "What a sin. If she didn't want to raise such a wonderful child, she shouldn't have given birth to you in the first place. How can someone like that call herself a mother?"

She even regretted not speaking her mind when she'd encountered Lin Xiaoxiao's biological mother in the provincial capital.

Lin Xiaoxiao, who felt no personal attachment to the woman, wasn't upset at all. She hugged Li Yunlan. "It's alright. Look how well I'm doing now. You and Dad treat me so well—I don't feel like I've missed out on anything."

Li Yunlan felt that wasn't enough. "From now on, we'll treat you even better. We'll make sure you never feel any regret."

When Zhou Xiaoling heard about it, she rushed over in a fury. "Is your biological mother out of her mind? Shouldn't she be proud that her daughter is so accomplished? What kind of mother doesn't want her own child to succeed? If I were the top scorer in the province, my mom would set off firecrackers to celebrate!"

Li Yunlan laughed through her tears. "If you came in first in our county, I'd set off firecrackers for you."

Zhou Xiaoling grinned. "That's not the point! The point is, what mother doesn't want her daughter to do well? Let's not talk about my grades."

Lin Xiaoxiao simply smiled, unconcerned about what would happen next. The bigger the fuss, the more it would embarrass those who had accused her—not her.

Besides, the investigation team seemed reasonable. Not everyone was as narrow-minded as her accusers.

Because they had to wait for the representatives from Peking University, Lin Xiaoxiao's family postponed their departure for Beijing by a few more days.

On January 10th, the Municipal Education Bureau delivered a form from Peking University's admissions office for Lin Xiaoxiao to fill out. At the bottom were the names of the officials in charge.

When Lin Xiaoxiao looked at it, she froze. Among the names, she saw one that made her heart stop: Lin Wenbin.

Thinking her eyes were deceiving her, she rubbed them and looked again. It was definitely Lin Wenbin—there was no mistaking it. Was it just someone with the same name? Or could her brother actually be here?

Her hands trembled as she held the paper. She asked the official who delivered it, "Have these people already arrived?"

"Not yet. They should be here tomorrow. Considering your pregnancy, they will come to you. Please fill out this form before they arrive."

Lin Xiaoxiao's voice shook with excitement. "Do you know all the teachers on this list?"

Part of her thought she was being unrealistic. If Lin Wenbin was her brother, how could he be a responsible person in Peking University's admissions office?

The official actually did recognize the names and pointed to Lin Wenbin's. "He's a recently returned neurosurgery expert. Very authoritative."

Hearing that, Lin Xiaoxiao felt it was impossible. Her brother was a business whiz—he didn't know the first thing about medicine. How could he be a neurosurgery expert?

He used to joke with her, "Aren't you scared, a girl like you cutting open skulls all day? Why not go into business with me? Live an easy life with plenty of money."

Her excitement faded. It must just be someone with the same name—not her brother. Still, a small, greedy part of her hoped: what if it really was him?

Her mix of anxiety, tension, and anticipation was noticeable even to Li Yunlan, who tried to comfort her: "Don't worry, Xiaoxiao. Those teachers are reasonable people. You have the ability—there's no need to be afraid."