Faking Fools, Rising Higher
Yumi Xia was a naturally gifted academic prodigy, a top student from childhood all the way through high school. Three years ago, she was admitted to the prestigious No. 1 High School in Shengjing City with the highest provincial exam score. However, due to a high fever and her father, Jian Guo Xia’s mistress, Lily Zhang, diverting her medical funds, her treatment was delayed, leaving her with lasting brain damage. For the past three years, she remained in class as an observer. With just three days left before the national college entrance exam (Gaokao), the school’s dean, Benjamin Li, pressured Yumi to sign a withdrawal form to protect the school’s admission rate. Her mother, Wendy Qin, refused, and during the argument, Yumi hit her head. When she woke up, she found her intelligence fully restored. To avoid further schemes from Lily Zhang, she pretended to still be impaired and signed a liability waiver before leaving school. Suspecting Yumi was faking, Lily Zhang tore up her textbooks to sabotage her studies and kicked Yumi and her mother out of their home. In desperation, Yumi remembered that the daughter of Mrs. Ye—a business partner of her father—was struggling academically. She approached Mrs. Ye, offering to tutor her daughter, Lynn Ye, in exchange for study materials. With Mrs. Ye’s help, Yumi entered the Gaokao, aced it, and became the national top scorer. She then used her brilliance to help Lynn Ye, gaining the Ye family’s support in return. As Yumi exposed Lily Zhang and her daughter, Jane Xia, they grew increasingly desperate. In a final act of retaliation, they tried to run Yumi over with a car, but Wendy shielded her and was severely injured. Using her photographic memory, Yumi recalled the taillight design of the fleeing vehicle and worked with Mrs. Ye to set a trap, bankrupting Lily Zhang. Yumi later won an international math competition, ensuring Lily Zhang and Jian Guo Xia faced justice while Jane lost all educational opportunities. On the day of Yumi’s victory, Wendy woke from her coma. With her mother by her side, Yumi stepped into a bright new future.