Did Song Chan win an award in her previous life?
Wen Ying thought hard but found she had no memory of it.
Back then, she was overwhelmed with her own struggles—failing the high school entrance exam, Chen Li’s divorce, and the pressure of academics after entering the provincial key high school. She was too caught up to care about others’ affairs.
Her inferiority complex meant she didn’t think she could compete in the New Concept Essay Competition. She lacked the courage even to send in an application, let alone follow who from her school was participating or winning.
Many people have an avoidance mentality. When you want to do something but don’t dare, you bury your head in the sand like an ostrich, thinking if you don’t pay attention, you won’t feel the sting of failure.
At the provincial key high school, there were countless students entering competitions, and plenty qualified for guaranteed university admissions. Any competition win only garnered fleeting attention.
In fact, during her three years of high school, Wen Ying never entered a single competition. Thinking back, it felt like she’d attended a fake high school, wasting the incredible platform the school offered!
Someone like Song Chan, a school celebrity, was from an entirely different world than Wen Ying.
She never imagined she’d one day sit beside Song Chan, waiting to receive an award.
Thinking of this, Wen Ying couldn’t help but smile.
Beating others is a victory, but beating yourself is a victory too.
Chen Ru glared at her: “You’ve got the nerve to smile!”
Sensing her mother’s murderous gaze, Wen Ying immediately sat up straight.
The editor-in-chief of *Sprout* magazine was speaking on stage, followed by judges discussing the history and future of the New Concept Essay Competition, before finally moving to the main event.
Due to the competition’s accumulated influence over the years, several journalists were present.
The second-prize winners were announced first.
Neither Song Chan nor Wen Ying was among them.
Song Chan, of course, wasn’t fazed. From behind, both she and her father sat calmly, exuding confidence.
Wen Ying was surprised at first.
She thought she could outshine the Group B contestants with the depth of her essay. To miss out on not just first prize but even second prize?
Impossible!
She had that much confidence. Suddenly, she brightened: if she wasn’t in the second-prize list, she must have a spot in the first-prize list!
Wen Ying sat up even straighter.
Chen Ru glanced over, expecting disappointment, but instead saw Wen Ying brimming with anticipation. It made her dizzy with frustration.
—This girl thinks she’s getting first prize?
If Wu Chunqin had helped, Chen Ru might have dared to hope.
But Wen Ying had rejected Wu Chunqin’s help.
She’d hoped for a second prize as consolation, but not even that materialized.
As Chen Ru mulled this over, the second-prize winners finished their group photo, and the first-prize winners were announced.
“Group A, Song Chan.”
As expected, Song Chan was there!
Song Chan stood up, shared a hug with her father, and went on stage to receive her award.
For some reason, Song Chan glanced back.
Wen Ying, arriving late, was seated diagonally behind the Song family.
No Wen Ying in the second prizes, and none in the first prizes either.
With her round face, she sat there naively, full of expectation.
Song Chan couldn’t help but smile: blind confidence was amusing.
Group A consisted of second- and third-year high school students. Each first prize meant a reduced-score admission to a top university.
Except for students with extreme subject imbalances, for someone like Song Chan, who could already reach the first-tier university cutoff, a first-prize certificate was a ticket to a prestigious school.
An extra point in the college entrance exam could outrank countless peers in the province. With a reduction of dozens of points, how could anyone not be thrilled?
Among the winners, there were those like Song Chan with literary family backgrounds, but also those with no connections to the literary world. In any competition, there are always fierce talents who break through on pure skill.
Talent, like pregnancy, is hard to hide!
Group A’s winners were announced, and it was finally Group B’s turn.
“…Group B, Wen Ying.”
The first name was Wen Ying!
Song Chan was incredulous, and Chen Ru was stunned.
Wen Ying stood up with a grin, “Mum, I’m going up to get my award.”
Chen Ru nodded slowly, her reaction delayed.
As Wen Ying took the stage, Song Chan’s father glanced at Chen Ru twice.
Song Chan had mentioned Wen Ying, a junior from her school.
Compared to Song Chan, Wen Ying had no advantages, yet she’d won an award too.
Song’s father realized he’d underestimated Wen Ying’s family. While there wasn’t a notable literary figure surnamed Wen in Chengdu, who knew what powerful connections they might have?
He smiled at Chen Ru, “The two girls are classmates, and now they’ve won awards together. What a coincidence. When we’re back in Chengdu, they should bond more.”
Chen Ru, still dazed, could only nod along.
Song’s father, with a mix of pride and humility, mentioned Song Chan’s “literary achievements” and quietly asked about Wen Ying’s published works. Chen Ru only knew Wen Ying often typed on the computer but had no clue about her pen name or publications. How could she answer?
Embarrassed, Chen Ru said Wen Ying loved reading extracurricular books and had entered the competition on a whim, unexpectedly making the finals.
“Just scribbling casually.”
Now it was Song’s father who fell silent.
Scribbling casually and winning?
That was practically an insult to Song Chan!
Suspecting Chen Ru was being provocative, he turned away, ignoring her.
Chen Ru didn’t realize she’d offended him. She was only now processing the news.
Wen Ying had actually won first prize?
Her eyes lit up—first prize meant reduced admission scores!
With this thought, Chen Ru’s gloom vanished, a wave of exhilaration surging from her feet to her head. Even without makeup, her glow was unstoppable.
She wanted to take a photo of Wen Ying receiving her award but realized she’d left the camera in the room.
She hadn’t expected a win, and now it was too late for regrets.
Overwhelmed by this massive surprise, Chen Ru was ecstatic, secretly pinching her arm.
It hurt—it wasn’t a dream.
She took out her phone and texted Wen Dongrong, “Wen Ying won an award, first prize!”
Then she sent the same message to Chen Li.
With few close relatives, after messaging her husband and sister, Chen Ru’s urge to share wasn’t satisfied. Ignoring her disdain for Deng Shangwei, she sent him the news too.
She wanted to tell her colleagues but stopped herself as the first-prize winners lined up for photos on stage, diverting her attention.
On stage, Song Chan was just recovering.
She hadn’t expected Wen Ying to win first prize.
Smiling, she waved, “Junior Wen, stand next to me.”
Song Chan looked slim but had surprising strength. As soon as Wen Ying received her certificate, Song Chan pulled her to her side.
Tall and slender with a strong literary aura, Song Chan made Wen Ying’s round face seem even rounder by comparison.
But this wasn’t a beauty contest. Wen Ying was used to standing beside Xie Qian’s godlike looks, so she felt no pressure next to Song Chan.
“Congrats, junior!” Song Chan said.
“Congrats to you too, senior! Your win is well-deserved; I just got lucky,” Wen Ying replied.
You don’t hit a smiling face. Song Chan was polite, so Wen Ying was too.
Though she called it luck, her confident expression stung Song Chan’s eyes.
Wen Ying had no time for Song Chan’s subtle feelings. Looking at her certificate, she felt the moment was surreal.
She smiled at it.
Unlike Chen Ru, who was fixated on reduced scores, Wen Ying was laughing at her past cowardice.
In her previous life, she sent an application but, lacking adult perspective, probably couldn’t write anything profound, destined to miss the first prize. Yet she didn’t even dare fill out the form—her execution was too weak.
With so many hardworking people not guaranteed success, why would fate favor someone timid and uncommitted?
Her past regrets were like mountains, and today she’d climbed another.
While others saw their first-prize certificate as a university ticket, Wen Ying saw it as a stamped travel pass from a famous scenic spot.
Since both she and Song Chan, from the same high school, won first prizes, a reporter wanted to interview them and took several photos together.
Wen Ying cooperated fully.
The ceremony started at three and didn’t end until after six.
Non-winners could leave, and second-prize winners got little attention, but every first-prize winner stayed, even those in Group C who didn’t need admission score reductions, eager to network with the judges.
The two hottest bestselling authors had emerged from the New Concept Essay Competition.
Though it was just one part of their resumes, their market success beyond the competition gave first-prize winners significant influence.
Everyone believed the competition could launch young authors.
If *Sprout* offered them space, their names could appear regularly, and publishing a book wouldn’t be hard. Some judges were publishing house executives. For someone like Song Chan, who’d already published, the win could be leveraged—her lackluster novel could be repackaged with a “New Concept Essay Competition First-Prize Winner Song Chan” sash and relaunched.
Most readers valued an author’s credentials, and with the award’s boost, Song Chan’s book could see a sales surge.
Wen Ying stayed too.
Representatives from the dozen top universities co-hosting with *Sprout* would discuss reduced-score admissions with Group A’s first-prize winners after the ceremony.
No decisions needed to be finalized, but both sides could connect. If there was mutual interest and the exam score met the threshold, the university could directly admit them.
The most generous universities set the bar at the first-tier cutoff.
How could Chen Ru not be tempted?
Group B contestants were at a disadvantage, being only in their first year with too many future uncertainties. The universities focused on Group A winners.
Seeing this, Chen Ru panicked and called Wu Chunqin.
“…Wen Ying won first prize?”
Wu Chunqin was surprised over the phone.
Out of respect, after Wen Ying declined her help, Wu Chunqin hadn’t intervened. So Wen Ying had won first prize purely on talent.
