After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 17
In the afternoon, Jiang Ya packed up her past report cards and certificates and followed Yu Shuang to the school.
She hadn’t spent much time with Miss Yu lately.
Because Miss Yu was too busy.
Even when she was at home, phone calls came one after another. Sometimes, when Jiang Ya went upstairs to call Miss Yu for dinner, she would overhear snippets of conversation laden with heavy implications just standing outside the door.
Not eavesdropping.
But she still heard them.
For example: “Dad, only incompetent people yell at others. Those who are capable solve problems.”
It was clear—their father-daughter relationship was strained.
Jiang Ya wasn’t surprised.
She hadn’t seen her own mother in years, either.
Whenever the topic of her mother came up, people usually just mentioned the fact that the woman had left early, then stopped there out of consideration for her young, fragile heart.
But she had seen her mother.
Or, to be more precise, she had heard her mother’s voice.
Her mother had come back before.
When Jiang Ya was still too young to understand, she didn’t realize it was her mom.
After her grandfather passed away, she overheard her grandmother talking to her mother behind the house and only then learned the woman’s identity.
She would come back every now and then to leave some money, but she had a new family and wasn’t particularly keen on acknowledging Jiang Ya.
Perhaps Jiang Ya was just a mistake from her mother’s past.
It didn’t matter anymore.
If she wasn’t important to someone, then that person wouldn’t be important to her, either.
So after her grandmother died, she never thought about reaching out to her mother.
Because she already knew how the woman felt.
In any case, when a relationship reached this point, it couldn’t all be Miss Yu’s fault.
And when it came to parent-child power dynamics, the child was never the one in control during their early years.
So if things had deteriorated to this extent, the person on the other end of the phone was definitely more at fault.
Then there were phrases like: “It’s fine, I’ll handle it.”
“No problem.”
“It’s okay.”
These short, clipped sentences were repeated often.
But was it really fine?
Jiang Ya didn’t think so.
Only people who were dealing with problems but didn’t want others to worry would keep saying things like that.
Those who were genuinely happy and living smoothly wouldn’t talk like this—they’d be discussing specific moments of joy, specific people and things.
The rest of the calls were work-related.
Fragments of conversation, but from the bits and pieces, it sounded like a lot of trouble.
Miss Yu seemed to have taken root in her studio and study.
Jiang Ya had tried to ask about it indirectly, but the answers were always dismissive.
Like: “Just grown-up things.”
“Nothing much. I have work, so I don’t want to eat too much.”
“If you have time, you should read more. You might need to take an entrance exam.”
Jiang Ya didn’t feel discouraged.
Even if she asked, she couldn’t offer Miss Yu any real support.
In the end, she took Miss Yu’s last piece of advice and devoted more time to studying.
Holding her documents, she counted them one last time before the car started, making sure she had everything. Then she stole a glance at Miss Yu, who was driving.
She thought: I get to spend the whole afternoon with Miss Yu.
Perfect.
–
They had planned to visit one school, but since traffic wasn’t too bad, they ended up going to two.
One was an experimental high school, the other an affiliated high school of a university.
The first school welcomed Jiang Ya warmly. After exchanging a few words with the grade-level director, Yu Shuang picked up on their intention—they lacked top-tier students and wanted Jiang Ya to boost their high-score statistics.
Understandable. After all, it was a mutual selection.
Apart from requiring her to take the entrance exam, they not only agreed to waive all tuition fees but also verbally promised that upon enrollment, Jiang Ya would receive at least two scholarships—one for financially disadvantaged students and another for exemplary students. If she performed exceptionally well in the college entrance exams, the school would offer additional rewards.
The grade director was also very enthusiastic.
Class assignments would be based on entrance exam results. Students ranking in the top 50 would be placed in advanced classes, while the top 10 could choose their own.
“What do you think?”
Once they stepped outside, Yu Shuang asked for Jiang Ya’s opinion.
Jiang Ya replied, “It’s good.”
“They seem to value me highly.”
Yu Shuang nodded. Passing by a milk tea shop, she paused. “Want a milk tea, kid?”
A cup of milk tea cost over twenty yuan. As Jiang Ya held it, she thought this single cup could buy three or four cups of Snow King’s tea instead.
After a few sips, she noted the boba was crispy.
Aside from being less sweet, her tongue couldn’t discern much difference.
Meanwhile, Miss Yu, holding her own milk tea, stopped by Snow King on the way and bought two ice creams.
Jiang Ya took a lick. “I didn’t think you’d eat from this place.”
Her voice was soft, but Yu Shuang caught every word.
“Why?” Yu Shuang took a big bite, her lips curling into a smile.
“Well, people say it’s made with non-dairy creamer, not very healthy.”
Yu Shuang countered, “That’s definitely not what you really think.”
“…”
“Let me guess,” Yu Shuang turned to face Jiang Ya, walking backward. The sunlight bathed her skin, making it glow. She winked at Jiang Ya. “Is it because it’s so cheap, you didn’t think someone like me would eat it?”
Jiang Ya’s silence was answer enough.
Yu Shuang burst into laughter and reached out to ruffle Jiang Ya’s hair. Jiang Ya instinctively flinched but froze as Yu Shuang’s hand approached, allowing the playful gesture.
“Little brat,” Yu Shuang teased affectionately.
“Don’t worry, rich people don’t just eat cheap stuff—they can be stingy too. Once you meet a few more, the mystique will wear off!”
Jiang Ya’s gaze, which had been distant, finally flickered back to Yu Shuang, lingering briefly before darting away again.
Nibbling on her cone, Jiang Ya muttered, “Miss Yu isn’t stingy.”
“Of course not! Beautiful, wealthy, and generous—the three finest qualities of a rich lady!”
The epitome of these fine qualities elegantly crunched the cone between her teeth, chewing happily.
Jiang Ya glanced at Yu Shuang again, who was still walking backward, the sunlight framing her like a backdrop.
Jiang Ya took another bite of her cone, her mood lifting as if she might float away, buoyed by Yu Shuang’s infectious energy.
The affiliated high school had better teaching resources, which also meant no shortage of top students.
The terms weren’t as generous as the experimental high school’s, but they weren’t bad either.
Impressed by Jiang Ya’s past grades, they still insisted her enrollment depended on the entrance exam results.
Yu Shuang scheduled exams at both schools for Jiang Ya.
That evening, they dined out. Sensing their time alone together was dwindling, Jiang Ya cherished every moment.
Over the next day, they visited two more schools, but neither matched up to the first two. After discussing it, they agreed that choosing between the experimental high school and the affiliated high school was the best option.
The exams were scheduled for ten days later, back-to-back.
The preparation period flew by in a blur.
After completing both exams, Jiang Ya could clearly tell the questions were more challenging and varied than those at her rural high school, with many extending beyond the standard curriculum.
Yu Shuang, worried that the child might feel too much pressure, kept saying it was okay. Even if she did poorly, it was just due to imbalances in educational resources and the like, offering a slew of excuses.
About a week later, the results came out.
At Shigao High, Jiang Ya ranked seventh in her grade.
At Fuzhong High, she ranked sixteenth.
Yu Shuang double-checked the results, confirming them repeatedly, and suddenly felt her earlier reassurances were nothing short of a joke.
To make matters worse, the kid’s self-study skills were downright terrifying. When she brought back her test papers, she also requested a copy of the correct answers. While Yu Shuang was still reeling from the shock of how ridiculously capable this academic prodigy was, the kid had already meticulously analyzed her mistakes. With utmost seriousness, she apologized, “I still regressed. I shouldn’t have gotten so many familiar questions wrong. When the difficulty increased, my speed dropped, and I lost time on one major problem…”
Yu Shuang: “…”
Yu Shuang looked Jiang Ya straight in the eye and said earnestly, “Even with extra time, most students wouldn’t be able to solve the last major problem anyway.”
Jiang Ya could have picked any other subject’s test to obsess over, but no—she had to choose math!
The last major problem! Yu Shuang had attended high school in China too—she knew exactly how much weight that question carried!
Jiang Ya: “But I knew how to solve it.”
Still holding the test paper, she analyzed it further, “I should’ve tackled this one first. The parts I couldn’t recall right away should’ve been set aside. Using brute-force methods wasted too much time…”
Her delicate face was utterly sincere and earnest.
Yu Shuang: “…”
Jiang Ya looked up, puzzled. “Miss Yu, is something wrong?”
Yu Shuang said gravely, “Quiet. I’m contemplating the gap between prodigies and ordinary people.”
“…Have you figured it out?”
“Yes,” Yu Shuang nodded solemnly. “In your next life, just stay up in the heavens where you belong. Reincarnating is unfair to the rest of us mortals.”
“…”
Pfft.
Seeing Jiang Ya short-circuit, Yu Shuang burst out laughing.
Slowly, very slowly, the corners of Jiang Ya’s lips curled up too—a faint, bashful smile from being praised.
Outwardly, she was modest, but inwardly, her little tail was wagging with pride.
Miss Yu said she was exceptional!
–
Jiang Ya decided to attend Fuzhong High.
This surprised Yu Shuang.
Yu Shuang: “Were you unhappy with Shigao?”
Jiang Ya shook her head. “No, Shigao is great too.”
“Then why choose Fuzhong? You’ll just be another face in the crowd of top students. The only perk they offered was waiving your tuition—no other promises. Do you enjoy challenging yourself that much?”
Yes and no.
Attending Shigao would indeed be more comfortable.
And the teachers would prioritize her.
But Jiang Ya felt this was her performance after a two-month break. If she could fully re-immerse herself in studying, her grades would improve significantly.
Besides… she had once promised Miss Yu she’d aim for the top score.
Fuzhong’s elite students were practically guaranteed to dominate the subject rankings every year.
Though the competition was fierce, the increased difficulty of the exams meant that persevering would yield substantial rewards.
Jiang Ya chose a famous quote to answer: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Yu Shuang nodded thoughtfully. “Got it. ‘Fortune favors the bold.’”
“…”
Fine.
–
In the end, Yu Shuang didn’t argue further.
The enrollment process was completed in two or three days.
After transferring a living allowance to Jiang Ya’s account and packing her things, Yu Shuang personally drove her to the gates of Fuzhong High.
For now, she didn’t arrange dormitory living.
Unsure if the kid could adjust, Yu Shuang booked her a week’s stay at a nice hotel nearby. She told Jiang Ya to try attending classes for a week first, while Little Huang stayed home with the housekeeper. They’d figure out the rest if things went well.
Jiang Ya wanted to say she wasn’t that delicate.
Yet, these words all died in her throat under Yu Shuang’s concerned gaze.
She still longed for someone to care about her.
Especially someone as wonderful as Miss Yu.
Before seeing her off at the school gate, Yu Shuang felt like she had forgotten something, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall it. Eventually, she let it go.
If there’s anything on your mind, don’t keep it bottled up. Remember to speak up.
Kid.
Once inside the school gates, a message from Miss Yu arrived.
Jiang Ya: Got it.
What Yu Shuang had actually forgotten was to take Jiang Ya shopping for clothes.
Jiang Ya still remembered.
But seeing how busy Miss Yu was, and knowing she had money in her own account, Jiang Ya decided to handle it herself after some thought.
Transferring schools in the final year of high school was already uncommon, let alone moving into the top-ranked class filled with elite students. Jiang Ya had quickly become a hot topic among the student body.
Everyone was asking who this sudden newcomer was, the name now occupying the top spots on the grade lists.
Unbeknownst to Jiang Ya, while she was out shopping for clothes after school, her photo was posted on the school forum.
The outfit she chose was simple—a modest little white dress, freshly tried on, the tag still attached.
But the girl in the photo was far too striking. The moment the post went up, it shot straight to the top of trending.
Is this the new transfer student? Oh my god, I’m gonna work my butt off to get into Class One now!
Mom, I just fell in love for the first time.
Sis, don’t be so strict about gender!!! doge with a rose in its mouth
Just one photo? You’re treating us like beggars—post more!
This pleases the emperor. Update swiftly.
Post more, post more!
Don’t hide behind the screen—we know you’ve got more pics.
I know you’ve got them.