The news of Lâm Như Nguyệt applying to take the university entrance exam spread within just a few days.
Lưu Quang Academy had never had a precedent of a student who had just moved up to the 12th grade confidently registering to take the university entrance exam. That news was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating quite a few ripples.
In class 12-1, a group of girls gathered and whispered.
"Is she crazy? Just started 12th grade not long ago and already wants to take the university entrance exam."
"I heard she's applying for the City University of Economics, the top school for Economics in the southern region."
"She might fail and embarrass herself."
In a corner of the room, Thẩm Vũ sat with her chin resting on her hand, silent. She still vividly remembered the cold slap that day. Still feeling angry, upon hearing the news that Như Nguyệt was taking the university entrance exam, she could only scoff.
Teacher So – the homeroom teacher of the special class – did not comment. But after class, he quietly sent a detailed assessment of Nhu Nguyet's abilities to Lam Thien Duong. Among it was a highlighted line:
"With her IQ, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, I believe her chances of passing are very high."
The Exam Day
Nhu Nguyet entered the exam room with a calm expression. To many, she appeared reckless, making a fool of herself. But only she knew – this was her first opportunity to change her destiny with her own hands.
September 10th – her birthday
In the morning, the Lam family's villa was quiet. Nhu Nguyet sat alone in the living room, her phone placed on the table, displaying the exam score inquiry page.
8:00 AM – the official inquiry portal opened.
She entered her candidate number, date of birth, and verification code.
The results appeared after a few seconds.
Total score: 28.5 / 30 – PASSED
Her fingers tightened slightly. A surge of emotion rose in her chest – but her expression remained unchanged.
In her past life, she had never had a complete birthday. She had never been celebrated or acknowledged.
But this year – she gifted herself her first present. It was victory.
At that moment, the door opened.
Lam Thien Duong entered, holding a paper bag.
"I knew you passed." – He placed the bag on the table and took out a small gift box – "Happy birthday."
She looked at him for a moment, then softly said:
"Thank you."
No cake. No party.
Only acknowledgment – and the serious gaze of a brother who had begun to truly care.Teacher So – the homeroom teacher of the special class – did not comment. But after class, he quietly sent a detailed assessment of Nhu Nguyet's abilities to Lam Thien Duong. Among it was a highlighted line:
"With her IQ, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, I believe her chances of passing are very high."
The Exam Day
Nhu Nguyet entered the exam room with a calm expression. To many, she appeared reckless, making a fool of herself. But only she knew – this was her first opportunity to change her destiny with her own hands.
September 10th – her birthday
In the morning, the Lam family's villa was quiet. Nhu Nguyet sat alone in the living room, her phone placed on the table, displaying the exam score inquiry page.
8:00 AM – the official inquiry portal opened.
She entered her candidate number, date of birth, and verification code.
The results appeared after a few seconds.
Total score: 28.5 / 30 – PASSED
Her fingers tightened slightly. A surge of emotion rose in her chest – but her expression remained unchanged.
In her past life, she had never had a complete birthday. She had never been celebrated or acknowledged.
But this year – she gifted herself her first present. It was victory.
At that moment, the door opened.
Lam Thien Duong entered, holding a paper bag.
"I knew you passed." – He placed the bag on the table and took out a small gift box – "Happy birthday."
She looked at him for a moment, then softly said:
"Thank you."
No cake. No party
Lâm Thiên Dương – the eldest brother – took the initiative to toast and recounted the story of Như Nguyệt skipping grades. He didn't say much, but the details he provided were enough to make the other three brothers look at her differently.
"She finished the test for three subjects of the 12th grade in less than two hours. The result exceeded the university entrance exam cutoff score," Thiên Dương said calmly, his gaze briefly passing over Như Nguyệt.
Hạo Kỳ raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's not at all how I thought of her."
Minh Hiên chuckled lightly, a bit surprised but still maintaining an arrogant demeanor. "I thought she was just good at some tricks like last time…"
Dạ Thần said nothing, but tilted his head to look at Như Nguyệt longer than usual.
For the first time, Như Nguyệt felt that the three who had once been indifferent to her… were beginning to show cracks in their perfect facade.
Her parents remained cold. Mrs. Lâm poured the wine, looked her up and down, and said softly but bitterly:
"This girl definitely has some schemes; don't let her deceive you."
Mr. Lâm didn't respond but whispered back, "Don't worry, the plan is ready. When the time comes, we will deal with her."
They didn't know that Như Nguyệt was standing not far away… hearing every word.
She smiled, gently cutting a piece of birthday cake, like an innocent child.
"You want to set a trap for me? Then let's see who the real prey is."
The birthday party didn't last too long, even though half of the table was still full, and the cake hadn't completely melted yet.
Lâm Minh Hiên used the excuse of an emergency meeting to leave early, although everyone knew he didn't want to sit any longer with his parents and his younger sister whom he wasn't really familiar with. Lâm Hạo Kỳ made up a story about a patient calling urgently – he smiled lightly, glanced at Như Nguyệt, then turned away, his eyes lingering as if hiding a secret. Only Dạ Thần – the quietest one – stayed a few minutes longer, standing on the second-floor balcony, silently looking down at the garden as if contemplating something. Then he walked away without saying another word.
The living room gradually fell silent.
The clattering of dishes and cutlery being cleaned up by the maid sounded jarring in the lavish emptiness.
Mrs. Lâm took out a tissue and wiped her mouth. "This girl really knows how to pretend," she muttered, loud enough for Như Nguyệt to hear.
Mr. Lâm did not respond, only lifted his glass of wine, slightly frowning. His gaze still followed his youngest daughter – no longer with disdain, but with caution.
As for Như Nguyệt, after seeing her three brothers off, she quietly returned to the dining table. She sat down, lifted a glass of water, and gently swirled it. Her dark eyes reflected the chandelier light from the ceiling.
The first birthday party in her second life.
A party without laughter, without heartfelt wishes, without familial love. Just a stage. A play. With forced performances.
But that's fine.
She had clearly seen the true faces of each person. And for the next act… she would be the one to write the script.
Outside, dark clouds gathered, signaling the first rain of the night.The lightning flashed through the window just as Như Nguyệt smiled faintly. The smile was as faint as the cold dew.
The birthday party ended in a gloomy atmosphere, like the very tragedy that the Lâm family was oblivious to, which was gradually unfolding.