A Permanent Loss for a Temporary Role

"No way!" Cassandra blurted, then quickly forced a laugh to play it cool.

"The exam's only a week away. Yvette, you really should stay and focus on studying. How else are you going to score high?"

I snapped back. "Why are you so worried about my results?"

Derrick frowned at me. "Is Cassandra at fault for giving you good advice?"

I was speechless. "Who cares? You should worry about yourself instead."

I turned to walk away, but Cassandra grabbed my hand, her eyes full of tears. "Yvette, it's all my fault… Please don't be mad…"

I pulled my hand back instinctively, and she stumbled to the ground.

Derrick's temper flared instantly. In one swift motion, he shoved me to the floor.

I hit the floor hard, my knees shooting with pain, and for a moment, I couldn't get up.

Derrick froze for a second, then quickly composed himself, his voice cold. "Consider this a lesson. You'd better think about what you did wrong.

"You know my mom's requirements. I'm just giving you a heads-up. If you don't pass, don't even think about coming home with me this year."

With that, he left with Cassandra, leaving me staring at their retreating backs.

"Go on. Enjoy your victory while it lasts. The one who really needs to think this over is you."

I went home, grabbed my stuff, and signed up for a tour.

Three years of intense studying had taught me the pressure of competition. I had never slacked off for a single second.

Now, I finally had a chance to play and enjoy myself.

I lay on the beach, soaking up the sun and occasionally scrolling through my phone. Cassandra was always livestreaming.

Every time I checked, Derrick was right there with her, doing couple challenges and having a blast.

During the day, Cassandra filmed travel videos and livestreamed. It wasn't until around 10:00 pm that she "switched" to study mode, pretending to study for an hour while flipping back and forth on the same page.

I didn't return home until the day before the exam.

The next morning, at the exam site, I spotted them from a distance. They both looked exhausted.

Cassandra was yawning in her slippers, and Derrick wasn't any better, sporting messy stubble and deep, dark circles under his eyes.

Of course, I knew why. The night before, Cassandra had livestreamed about balancing work and play and ended up staying up all night gaming with Derrick.

I could only wait and see what kind of miracle they would pull off this time.

After the exam, I blocked Derrick until the day the scores were released.

He stormed over in a fury. "Where did you go? I almost went crazy looking for you! Why didn't you answer your phone?"

I shrugged it off casually, and he quickly asked about my score.

I showed him the screenshot I had already doctored, saying calmly, "I got 100."

Hearing my answer, Cassandra's face practically glowed with excitement she couldn't hide.

Derrick's eyes went wide, and he practically bounced over to hug me. "Wow, that's insane! That's the top score in the whole country, right?"

"I knew you could do it! Get ready for the interview, and by the end of the year… No! By the end of the month, you're coming home to meet my family!"

I instinctively took a step back, giving the excuse that I needed to prepare for the interview.

That night, Cassandra couldn't resist going live. "Guess what my score was on the written exam?"

The chat exploded with guesses.

Cassandra shook her head with a teasing grin, unable to hide her excitement.

"100! I got the highest score in the civil service exam!"

The audience wasn't foolish. A few congratulated her, but most were skeptical.

"Heh, just saying it without proof? Bold claim!"

"All the top civil service exam streamers wake up at 6.00 am to study. But this streamer's been playing all day!"

"She's just talking crap. Zero experience, 30 days of prep, and now topping the national exam? Yeah, I'll eat my hat if that's real."

Cassandra didn't bother defending herself too much. She radiated confidence.

"I earned this score through real, solid effort. Besides, who still slaves away at boring, rigid studying these days?

"I've got my own fun learning method. You can have fun while studying and still come out on top. In two months, watch me snag the number-one post on the exam, and we'll celebrate together!"

I raised an eyebrow. This time, I actually wanted to see how Cassandra would even snag the top spot.