Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 903 - 904 Toxic Fatherly Love 36

Chapter 903: Chapter 904 Toxic Fatherly Love 36

When Wang Lei saw Zhang Yu return home with a less-than-happy expression, she asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Who came looking for you today?" Yesterday it was Wu Hao, Zhang Yu’s dad, but today it was an elementary school kid—how strange.

"Wu Hao’s daughter came looking for me to ask why Wu Hao showed up yesterday." Zhang Yu nonchalantly mentioned how Wu Hao had schemed against her.

"Your dad’s not bad, really. Landing a job in the system isn’t easy; it’s pretty decent." A classmate chimed in, thinking Wu Hao’s maneuvering wasn’t all that terrible. "It could even solve your employment issues."

"Good? Are you kidding?" Zhang Yu chuckled. "That place is Wu Hao’s domain. Everything I do would be under his control."

"He’s paving the way for his son, Wu Jian. Of course, he hopes I’ll lend a hand to boost Wu Jian further."

"Maybe help him get into a unit after graduating, and if possible, even speed up his promotions."

"If I fail him in any way, I’ll just be labeled as a bitter older sister holding grudges over the feuds between our parents’ generation."

"People would say I’m petty, and at work, I might even get ostracized."

"Forget it. I don’t want to deal with all that drama. My goal is to get into a university, find an easy job, and take good care of Grandma."

"As for anything else, I’ll pass." Zhang Yu really had no desire for fame or glory, or to fight for lofty ambitions.

Her motto was all about lying flat and not getting caught up in the rat race. "What Grandma left me is more than enough for a decent life. Why should I push myself so hard?"

"I only live once, not multiple times." Right, living many lives might make life itself seem transactional, just about completing tasks for the sake of it.

As for having grand ideas about changing people’s destinies or reshaping this world? Those desires had long disappeared.

In the end, her approach was to finish life’s tasks effortlessly and walk the journey of life lying flat.

So eat when she felt like eating, drink when she felt like drinking. And what if one day she woke up time-traveled to an era of poverty?

Basically, everything was possible. Yup, this time she was going to enjoy life to the fullest.

For instance, her current goal was to take Li Cuifen to travel to more places. That would be her food-and-drink-filled life.

Ahhh, as everyone listened to Zhang Yu chatting about her goals and plans, they stared at her with mouths agape, spitting disbelief.

"You’re not even planning to find a good job. Why are you taking this so seriously?"

Honestly, during their senior year, they didn’t even need to push this hard. They could’ve relaxed a little more.

But with Zhang Yu there leading the charge, working hard and competing fiercely, they couldn’t help but get swept into it too. It was endless cycles of practice tests and rote memorization.

When it came to the college entrance exams, to be honest, they weren’t even nervous anymore. Instead, they were eagerly waiting for the exams to arrive.

They hoped the exams would end soon so they could rest when it was time to rest and travel as soon as possible afterward.

But now, the always-competitive Zhang Yu suddenly claimed she didn’t want to compete in the future. Her only condition for future work? Light responsibilities.

Ugh, a job that easy didn’t require serious study, did it?

Not at all. "You could’ve just gone to a vocational college."

"Vocational college?" Zhang Yu shook her head. "I want an easy life later, but that doesn’t mean I can slack off now."

"I need to study hard and aim for a top university."

"That way, after I graduate, I’ll have more choices."

"If I want to make a lot of money, I can go for demanding but well-paying jobs."

"If I don’t want to work too hard, I can just pick something with low stress and low pay. The point is, there will be options—it’s all up to me."

Zhang Yu didn’t want to reveal her career aspirations to them; these were just classmates she wasn’t close to. Better to keep some things to herself.

"Right now, we have to focus on studying hard and getting into our dream universities, so we won’t regret it later."

"Maybe when I get to college, I’ll change my mind and want to compete again. Who knows? That’s all possible."

"I only started pushing myself in senior year, after all." Sure, she didn’t want a job, but there were still certificates she’d need to earn, and plenty of knowledge to pick up.

Thinking about it, Zhang Yu realized college life would still be pretty busy, with so much to learn.

Ugh, all the intense grinding in high school, and then grinding again in college—Zhang Yu honestly didn’t know what to think.

"Back to practice tests!" Zhang Yu lowered her head and began focusing on her work again.

Seeing Zhang Yu studying so intently, the group suddenly felt like all her earlier words were just talk.

Starting from her senior year, Zhang Yu had surged ahead in under a year, proving her mind was sharp.

When she got to college, her competitive streak from senior year would no doubt give her the edge over many others.

What they didn’t know was that they’d all guessed wrong. After starting college, Zhang Yu really did work hard; she was diligent right from the start.

Many of her high school classmates, upon learning about Zhang Yu’s college performance, breathed a sigh of relief, grateful they didn’t end up at the same university or major with her. Otherwise, it would’ve been too exhausting.

Some who heard about Zhang Yu’s college efforts started pushing themselves, joining the competition frenzy—getting certifications, keeping their grades above average.

They didn’t even realize why, upon hearing updates about Zhang Yu, they felt compelled to keep up, as if it was instinctive.

Later, they thought about giving up, but by then they’d already formed habits—studying for this certification, or that license. Even the ones planning to study abroad started working harder.

After graduation, they found their efforts paid off, securing offers from their desired employers.

They figured Zhang Yu, the one who’d driven them to excel, must’ve also landed a prestigious job by now. Otherwise, why work so hard in college?

But when they inquired about Zhang Yu’s post-college plans, they were dumbfounded, utterly incredulous.

Wang Lei listened to the ongoing discussions about whether Zhang Yu turned out to be competitive or not after entering college and couldn’t help laughing to herself.

She believed Zhang Yu wouldn’t compete. Her plans seemed to revolve around being a freelance writer thanks to her excellent writing skills and photography. Did she really need to do anything more?

Wang Lei, listening to their chatter, returned to her studies, working hard on more practice tests. "Just a little over ten days left, and we’ll finally take the college entrance exams."

"By the way, what are your plans after the exams?" Wang Lei asked out of curiosity.

"Take my grandma to the seaside for a few days."

"Then, while waiting for the results, I’ll explore some nearby cities." Without her acceptance letter, long trips weren’t feasible.

Zhang Yu might be nonchalant, but Li Cuifen was anxious. The old lady had said that since no one in the Zhang Family had ever made it to college, they’d have to visit family graves to mark the occasion properly after her admission.

Wow, Wang Lei could already imagine Zhang Yu’s beaming joy at the time. "That’s wonderful."

"You can come, too." Zhang Yu knew Wang Lei wasn’t someone short on money.

"Sure!" Wang Lei agreed immediately.

"So you’d better work hard," Zhang Yu encouraged her.