God's Descent in the Magical City

Chapter 50: The College Entrance Exam

By June of the following year, A Lai had maintained his position as the top student in the school. He consistently ranked highly in various major competitions in the city, earning prestigious awards that caught the attention of several top universities. He had already been recommended by his school to a renowned university.

The college entrance exam was finally here. Three days before the exam, Grandpa suggested that A Lai visit the temple to pray for good fortune before the relics of the late Master Le Kong, seeking blessings for high scores in the upcoming tests.

Dressed in monk's robes, A Lai arrived at the temple. As he made his way through the winding paths, he passed by the Guanyin Hall, not far from the abbot's quarters.

Just then, someone emerged from the Guanyin Hall.

In his rush, A Lai collided with the person head-on. The two of them quickly bounced off each other. A Lai looked up and was surprised to see the tear-streaked face of a gentle girl. It was Hanh Hanh, the same girl he had met at his street stall. What was she doing here?

At that moment, a middle-aged woman by Hanh Hanh's side hurriedly supported her, asking anxiously, "Did you get hurt? Let me see."

Hanh Hanh blushed and looked up at A Lai, staring at him intently. She was startled—this handsome young monk looked so familiar. He reminded her of someone she had met before. How had he become a monk?

A Lai, embarrassed, said, "Amitabha, I apologize for the collision, dear patron."

The middle-aged woman, seething with anger, scolded him, "What are you staring at? You're a monk! How can you be so careless and clumsy?"

A Lai, inwardly relieved that neither of them seemed to recognize him, kept his head down, hands clasped together, waiting for Hanh Hanh to forgive him.

Hanh Hanh, interrupting the woman's tirade, looked at A Lai's awkward expression and said, "I came here today to make a wish. I'll forgive you if you light a wish lamp for me and help me make my wish. Can you do that?"

Seeing the sharp glare in the woman's eyes, A Lai had no choice but to comply. He entered the Guanyin Hall, lit a wish lamp, and clasped his hands in prayer, muttering softly. After a while, he asked, "May I leave now, dear patron?"

Hanh Hanh responded, "No, you have to write down how you made the wish and prayed on a piece of paper, fold it up, and give it to me. If it works, I'll come back and make a donation to the temple."

A Lai sighed inwardly at her persistence, glancing at the middle-aged woman whose anger hadn't subsided. Then, looking at Hanh Hanh, who seemed like an angel in his eyes, her pure aura filling the air, he couldn't help but comply. The memory of her smile on the street still lingered in his mind.

Resolutely, A Lai picked up a red piece of paper from the offering table, quickly wrote his wish, let it dry, and folded it before handing it to Hanh Hanh.

The woman, who had been watching closely, seemed to notice something unusual. She scrutinized A Lai as if he were some sort of strange creature.

A Lai did his best to hide his identity, clasping his hands together repeatedly and saying, "Amitabha, bless you, bless you."

The woman finally laughed and teased, "Why would such a handsome young man become a monk? If only you weren't wearing that robe..."

"Heh heh," A Lai chuckled to himself, "If only you knew I'm the same guy from the street, you wouldn't be saying that."

Fearing that his disguise might slip and remembering his important task, A Lai quickly made his exit. He hurried to the abbot's quarters, where the abbot led him to a secret chamber to offer incense and prayers before the relics of Master Le Kong.

...

On the day of the exam, A Lai entered the annual college entrance exam with confidence.

Fang Fang, accompanied by Grandpa Lei, had arranged everything for A Lai's logistical support. The morning exam was Chinese.

"Ding, ding, ding..."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. Fang Fang pushed through the crowd and grabbed A Lai's hand, eagerly asking, "How did it go? How do you feel?"

A Lai countered with, "What do you think?"

Fang Fang replied, "I didn't see the questions, so how would I know? Just tell me."

A Lai, brimming with confidence, said, "I'm pretty sure I got 95% of the answers right. The last part was a 40-point essay. The topic was 'Adding a Layer of Brightness to Character.'"

"What was your interpretation? Tell me how you approached the essay," Fang Fang prompted.

"I often wander alone under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, pondering what I should hold onto and what I should let go of... How do we measure personal dignity, value, and moral character? In different times, when faced with difficulties, some people choose to stand by, while others choose to help. We should remind ourselves to be positive and strive for personal growth, allowing our character to shine brightly. I referenced a passage from *Mencius*: 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a person...' I believe that if I keep trying, I will hear the sound of flowers blooming in my dreams."

Fang Fang nodded approvingly. "Well done. I like your honesty. I'm sure you'll get a high score on this essay. Just make sure you perform normally on the rest of the exams, and everything will be fine."

Grandpa Lei, listening nearby, grinned from ear to ear, saying, "No worries, no worries. With the two of us supporting him and his usual strength, what's there to fear?"

Fang Fang replied, "For a regular high school to recommend a student to a prestigious university is unheard of. If A Lai doesn't do well, it'll be a huge embarrassment. Let's hope nothing goes wrong."

...

The afternoon exam was mathematics. A Lai breezed through the multiple-choice questions, then moved on to the fill-in-the-blank questions, tackling the easier ones first. Finally, he reached the long-answer questions. Only two remained, questions 18 and 21, worth 12 points each. Together, they totaled 24 points. If he couldn't solve them, it would be a disaster.

A Lai began to worry. He struggled, barely managing to complete one of the questions, though he wasn't sure if it was correct. With only one question left, he knew he had to solve it no matter what. But the more he panicked, the harder it became to think. Time was running out.

As he worked, he could almost feel the eyes of Fang Fang and Grandpa Lei watching him expectantly, making him even more nervous. He couldn't control the anxiety that kept building, feeling as if his blood was boiling under the pressure.

Staring at the exam paper, A Lai suddenly saw it turning yellow in his hands, then blackening and disintegrating into ash, scattering across the desk.

A Lai was dumbfounded.

This scene was witnessed by one of the invigilators, a professor, who was stunned. He quickly walked over to A Lai.

Pushing his frameless glasses up the bridge of his nose, the invigilator said, "Even if you're struggling with the exam, you can't use a lighter to burn your test paper. What kind of attitude is that? I'm going to report this to the exam board and have you disqualified from future exams!"

"I... I didn't use a lighter," A Lai stammered.

"Then did the paper spontaneously combust?"

By this time, several other invigilators had gathered around, all reprimanding A Lai for his behavior.

"So, can you give us a satisfactory explanation, just like you would solve a math problem?"

A Lai's mind raced to find a way to explain. He considered telling them about the lightning strike, but that would sound like a tall tale. They would think he was making up stories.