The summer break flew by, and September arrived. Early in the morning, Chen Xiue’e prepared a lucky breakfast for Qian Jiayue—one fried dough stick and two eggs. Today was the class placement exam, and out of nine classes, only one was an advanced class. Qian Jiayue was determined to score high enough to join Xiao Han in the advanced class, so she forced herself to finish the hearty breakfast.
Before the exam, Qian Jiayue, feeling stuffed from breakfast, rushed to the bathroom. She was holding the fountain pen Xiao Han had gifted her, but she accidentally left it on the sink while washing her hands. At that moment, she heard someone else in the bathroom asking her for help buying sanitary pads—a desperate favor for a girl on her period. In a hurry, Qian Jiayue ran to buy them.
Unfortunately, during the first exam (English), Qian Jiayue’s listening section was a complete mess. Distraught, she blamed herself for losing the precious fountain pen from Xiao Han and feared she wouldn’t make it into his class. After school, she poured her heart out to her best friend Carmen. Just then, the girl Qian Jiayue had helped in the morning appeared. Her name was Chen Mo, and it turned out Carmen and Chen Mo had attended the same school before. They hit it off instantly, and their reunion brought them closer. What used to be a duo between Carmen and Qian Jiayue now became a trio with the addition of Chen Mo.
Carmen had promised to teach Qian Jiayue how to ride a bike, but Chen Mo insisted that Carmen go shopping with her instead. The biking lesson was postponed, and Qian Jiayue waited at home all day for news. Finally, Carmen called, apologizing for spending too much time shopping and suggesting they reschedule.
As time passed, Carmen and Chen Mo grew closer. Carmen even shared the location of their secret hangout spot with Chen Mo, something that had always been just between her and Qian Jiayue. Feeling left out, Qian Jiayue decided not to sit idly by. Knowing Carmen was a big fan of Jeff Chang, she bought some of his collectible cards from the convenience store and excitedly gave them to her. Carmen was delighted to see Qian Jiayue and invited her to her room, where she proudly showed off a giant Jeff Chang poster Chen Mo had given her. Carmen’s enthusiasm and praise for Chen Mo left Qian Jiayue feeling even more disheartened.
Meanwhile, Maotou had a fight with his father, Zhang Qiming, and moved back to their old neighborhood in protest. Since he often called Qian Jiayue’s parents his “godparents,” he started freeloading meals at her house again. Hearing about a new transfer student at school, Maotou assumed Qian Jiayue and Chen Mo were close because they were often seen together. He couldn’t help but ask about Chen Mo. When he commented on how pretty Chen Mo was, Qian Jiayue felt a pang of jealousy. Sensing her discomfort, Maotou quickly changed the subject and praised Qian Jiayue instead.
When the exam results came out, Qian Jiayue, Carmen, and Chen Mo were all placed in the same class. As expected, Xiao Han ranked first in the entire school. Carmen comforted Qian Jiayue, saying there were still three years to prove herself. Maotou noticed Qian Jiayue was upset over losing the gold-tipped fountain pen her mom had given her, which was worth over 200 yuan. To cheer her up, he decided to earn money himself. He turned to gaming but was tricked by some local troublemakers, which landed him at the police station. In the end, it was Qian Jiayue’s mom who bailed him out.
