Chapter 3

"No way!" Chloe shrieked instinctively.

Realizing her reaction was too strong, Chloe forced a strained laugh.

"The exam is in just one week. Cassie, you should really stay and study hard. How else will you pass?"

I shot back, mercilessly.

"Why are you so invested in my grades?"

Noah frowned, looking at me.

"Chloe was giving you kind advice, and that's wrong?"

I was completely speechless.

"Who cares? You should worry about yourself."

I turned to leave.

Chloe, her eyes red, grabbed my arm.

"Cassie, it's all my fault, please don't be angry..."

I instinctively pulled my hand away, and Chloe stumbled, collapsing onto the ground.

Noah instantly exploded with rage, shoving me to the ground.

I landed hard, a sharp pain shooting through my knees. For a moment, I couldn't get back up.

Noah looked flustered for a second, but then quickly recomposed himself, speaking coldly.

"Consider that a lesson. You need to seriously reflect on your behavior!"

"I'm laying it out now: if you don't pass this exam, don't even think about being my girlfriend anymore!"

With that, Noah grabbed Chloe and stormed off.

I stared intensely at their retreating backs.

Go ahead, enjoy your smugness for a few more days. We'll see who really needs to reflect.

I went home, packed my things, and left.

Having prepped for a year, I knew the immense pressure of the competition; I'd never relaxed for a moment.

It was a rare chance to really let loose and have some fun.

I lay on the beach, soaking up the sun, occasionally checking my phone. Chloe was always live-streaming.

Every time I tuned in, Noah was right there by Chloe's side. They were having a blast, squeezing in all sorts of couple challenges.

Chloe spent her days filming travel videos and live-streaming. Only at 10 PM would she transform into a 'study influencer,' pretending to study for an hour, always on the same page of her textbook.

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

The next morning, I spotted them from a distance at the exam venue entrance.

Both of them looked completely drained.

Chloe was in flip-flops, yawning. Noah didn't look much better, sporting massive dark circles under his eyes.

I knew exactly why. Last night, Chloe had streamed about finding a balance between work and play, saying she needed to relax before the exam, and dragged Noah into an all-night gaming session.

This time, I was just waiting to see what 'miracle' they'd pull off.

After the exam, I blocked Noah and didn't unblock him until the day the results were released.

Noah stormed over to my place, furious.

"Where the hell have you been?! I've been going crazy looking for you! Why wouldn't you answer my calls?!"

I brushed him off casually, and Noah immediately pressed me for my score.

I pulled out the screenshot I'd already photoshopped and said blandly.

"99."

The moment the words left my mouth, Chloe's face lit up with barely contained excitement.

Noah was ecstatic. He rushed over and hugged me, exclaiming excitedly.

"That high?! You must be the top scorer on the Certified Senior Real Estate Broker Exam!"

"I knew you could do it!"

I instinctively took two steps back, making an excuse that I needed to prepare for upcoming company interviews before leaving.

That evening, Chloe couldn't resist going live.

"Guess what score I got on the exam?"

The chat immediately blew up with all sorts of guesses.

Chloe shook her head mysteriously, a smile she couldn't hide spreading across her face.

"It's a 99! The highest score on the Certified Senior Real Estate Broker Exam so far!"

Netizens weren't stupid. Aside from a few congratulatory messages, most people were skeptical.

"No screenshot, no proof? Big talker!"

"Every other high-scoring Certified Senior Real Estate Broker influencer studies ten hours a day! But I saw the streamer just playing around constantly."

"The streamer is seriously overselling herself! Do you even know what it means to pass with zero experience after 30 days? If it's true, I'll eat dirt on live stream."

Facing the skepticism, Chloe didn't bother to argue much, full of confidence.

"I achieved this score through my own genuine effort. Besides, what century are we in? Who still studies rigidly?"

"My unique 'happy learning' method lets you pass exams while having fun. After I land that million-dollar-a-year real estate manager job at a top company, I'll come back and share my joy with all of you."

The Certified Senior Real Estate Broker qualification was just the first hurdle; next came the company interviews.

I raised an eyebrow. This time, I was eager to see how she'd pull it off!