She Traded My Genius for Pity Points

Several comments suddenly float across my vision on the day the college entrance exam results are released. "I can't believe that he's still in the mood to laugh. Your girlfriend is using the exchange system to swap your college entrance exam results with Hugo's!" "I feel so sorry for Daniel. He's the genius of the school, and yet he's only going to score 400 points for the college entrance exams." "That's not all! Taylor's system has the ability to absorb Daniel's luck. She's going to use his entire family as stepping stones to pave her own future." "She's so ruthless. I can't believe that she's going to 'annihilate' her boyfriend's family just because his better background makes her feel inferior." A chill runs down my spine as I stare at the strange comments scrolling past my eyes. I'm the "Daniel" the commenters are referring to, the unlucky sap whose college entrance exam results were swapped with the poor student Hugo Powell's. I have no idea that my good-natured girlfriend, Taylor Wakeham, hates me so much. However, what the commenters don't know is that I've already secured a special invitation from Woodrow University's Department of Science long ago. I only take the college entrance exams purely because I want to experience what it's like. Not wanting to take up space on the rankings, I write all my answers on a spare piece of paper instead of the actual answer sheet. Chapter 1 My girlfriend, Taylor Wakeham, was gently peeling oranges for me one hour before the college entrance exam results were released. She was wearing a faded white shirt. Her features gave her a clean and youthful demeanor. However, if one scrutinized her closely, they would notice that her eyes kept darting around, and that she kept fidgeting in her seat. "Don't be nervous, Daniel," she said gently as she brought an orange slice near my mouth. "Although you always get first place during the mock exams, there's still a possibility that you might underperform during an important occasion such as the college entrance exams. "It's alright even if you get a bad score. Your family is so rich. You can just ask your father to donate a building to the school. Maybe we can still end up in the same university." How absurd. Everything Taylor said clearly wished for my downfall. At first, I was suspicious of the comments that suddenly appeared in my vision. But a chill ran down my spine when I heard her words. "You've never gotten a better score than me. There's no way that your college entrance exam results are going to be better than mine," I said as I shot a small smile at her, enjoying the way her expression darkened. "Whoa! I had no idea that Daniel could be so mean. It's a shame that the results have already been swapped. The Hudsons are going to have a bad time." "I can't believe that Taylor is willing to stab Daniel in the back when he treats her so well. He even takes care of her family." "We think that he's being nice to her, but she thinks that he's treating her like a charity case. She envies him for having top-tier resources without needing to lift a single finger and wants to claim all the luxuries that he enjoys for herself!" A charity case? I had always been the top student during my high school years. Out of consideration for Taylor's pitiful pride, I forwent sleep every night to organize revision notes for her, guiding her every step of the way. In the end, she improved so much that she became the school's second-highest scorer, even though she had been an average student before. When her family was struggling financially, I asked Mom and Dad to donate to the school to establish various funds so that she could get scholarship money. My family also discreetly introduced her parents to the easy, high-paying jobs they were currently working at. I loved Taylor, which was why I unconditionally used my influence and resources for her sake. However, she saw my kindness as indisputable proof that I was treating her as a so-called charity case, and she used it as an excuse to destroy me. It was truly absurd and despicable! Confusion flickered in Taylor's eyes when I didn't react to her displeased expression. After all, in the past, I would automatically comfort her whenever she so much as frowned. I would never provoke her as I did earlier. "When did you become so arrogant, Daniel?" she demanded, shooting me a disapproving look as if I had done something utterly unreasonable. "I didn't want you to get upset if I took the top spot from you during the mock exams. That's why I didn't go all out. "Do you really think that you'll be able to cling to your first-place position if I actually gave it my all? I'll definitely beat you if I give it my all." "Wow! We’ve just met the world’s most lacking-in-self-awareness person!" "What a classic trope. This bitch is trying to manipulate the genius male lead again. It makes me sick." "She needs to shut up! Someone needs to put her in her place!" I couldn't help but chuckle as I read the comments. Most of the anger that had flared up in me when I heard Taylor's shameless words had faded away. "You're laughing?" Taylor snapped, tossing the orange aside in frustration and splattering a few drops of orange juice on my clothes. "You didn't study hard before the exam. I'm worried that you're going to get terrible results this time. That's why I'm giving you a warning. Do you really not care at all? "Hugo's different. His family is struggling so much. He's pinning all his hopes on the college entrance exams so that he can get a fresh start. I heard that he did quite well this time." Hugo Powell was another poor student in our class who usually presented himself as a simple, honest man. Taylor was always telling me to watch over him because he had a rough life. The high-quality supplements that I gave her always ended up on Hugo's desk instead. "Is that so? I'm happy for him," I said with a knowing smile. "The college entrance exam results have been released, Taylor. I'm too lazy to enter my login details. Can you check my results for me?" Chapter 2 Taylor took my phone from me. Her fingers flew across the screen as she typed in my exam admission details. Her fingers trembled as the page loaded, her breaths turning heavy. She wasn't nervous. Instead, she was buzzing with excitement because her scheme was about to come to fruition. A list of scores was displayed on the screen when the page finally loaded. Reading and writing: 67 points. Mathematics: 89 points. Language: 103 points. Science: 162 points. The total score was 421 points. Taylor's eyes widened as she stared at the score. A few seconds later, the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. She could barely keep the elated expression off her face. She knew that the 421 points must be Hugo's actual score. Meanwhile, my score, which had to be over 1,400 points, had probably already been attributed to Hugo thanks to the system. The channel that allowed her to absorb my luck would be completely unlocked as long as the results swap was successful. Taylor quickly composed herself and put on a sorrowful, sympathetic expression. "Daniel…" she mumbled in a low voice as she placed the phone down. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you this. You… You might have actually messed up this time." Pretending that I had no idea what she was talking about, I moved closer to her and asked, "How many points did I get? 1,300 points? Or maybe 1,350 points?" "You only scored 421 points," Taylor said, turning the phone screen to face me. "I told you that you were being too arrogant, Daniel. You shouldn't have underestimated the college entrance exams. You were so serious when you were tutoring me. Why did you mess up so badly for your own exams? "421 points… You'll probably have trouble getting accepted into a regular community college." I silently snorted to myself as I stared at the "421 points" on the screen. Still, I made sure to keep a grim expression on my face. I frowned as I clenched my fists, asking, "How is this possible? I thought that I did quite well. How did I only score 421 points?" Taylor patted my shoulder comfortingly. She sounded rather relieved when she said, "Don't be upset, Daniel. Perhaps this is your fate. Although you only scored 421 points, you were born into a good family. "Your father can easily make the arrangements for you to study in a private university. Or perhaps you can consider repeating the year?" She paused for a moment before adding, "To be honest, 421 points isn't that bad. At the very least, it proves that you tried your best. I'll do some research for you and check if there are any speciality schools in remote areas that are willing to accept you." I scoffed inwardly. I would truly become the laughingstock of the city if I had only scored 421 points and didn't have the special invitation from Woodrow University. As for Taylor, I couldn't believe how easily she suggested I study at a speciality school instead. "Don't get mad, Daniel. That score actually belongs to that bastard!" "Taylor is so nasty. She actually smiled even though Daniel's so upset. She must be thinking that the system has already started absorbing Daniel's luck!" "Hugo must be over the moon with joy too. His score suddenly shot up over 1,000 points. He's also about to steal Daniel's bright future away from him!" As expected, Taylor's phone vibrated wildly in her pocket. "Take some time to calm down for now, Daniel. I… I just remembered that I have something urgent to do at home. I have to go home for now. I'll come back and accompany you later. Don't do anything drastic. You can just ask your father to donate a building if it comes down to it." She grabbed her coat and rushed out the door after she finished speaking. The anger in my eyes disappeared the moment she was out of sight. Chapter 3 I tapped on my social media account after Taylor left. As expected, Hugo had uploaded a new post to his account that was only visible to his acquaintances not even five minutes ago. The post already had over 100 likes. The attached photo was a screenshot of his college entrance exam results. He had also included a caption. "All my hard work has paid off. I'd like to thank the country for protecting the students who got a high score. I'm the happiest person on the planet right now. Thank you for always staying by my side and guiding me @TaylorWakeham." His post was flooded with comments. "Oh my god! Zero points! Could this be the legendary 'locked score' that only the cream of the crop among the students get?" "I don't know. I've never made it into the top 50 students of the province. I have no idea what a locked score looks like." "It probably is. You should get at least one or two points as long as you don't submit a blank answer sheet. His score must be locked since it's showing zero points." "This is a modern example of a terrible student transforming into a genius. Amazing!" "Taylor's pretty good too. She's been tutoring Hugo all this time. Their relationship is really like a fairytale romance." I couldn't hold back my laughter as I scrolled through the comments. The "locked score" that they were talking about referred to the students who achieved extremely high scores. Typically, these students' scores would either be hidden, or a message would appear on their accounts, informing them that they had secured a spot among other outstanding students. Zero points would appear on a student's account only if they submitted blank answer sheets. I had to admit that Taylor's system, which let her swap two students' results, was quite impressive. It had actually succeeded in swapping the data for my and Hugo's answer sheets. However, Taylor and Hugo probably never would have guessed that I would score zero points. Hugo was uneducated and unskilled. It was obvious he had been brainwashed by comments claiming he had achieved a locked score. There was no other reason he would think the zero points on his account meant his score was locked because it was too high. Based on the comments floating across my vision, it was obvious the commenters had also realized something was amiss. "Hold on. Why did Hugo score zero points? The page that appears when you get a locked score is totally different." "You're right. Don't tell me that Daniel scored zero points?" "That's impossible. He's the genius of the school!" "I know! There must be a bug in Taylor's system." "Hugo's such an idiot. He actually thinks that he's a top scholar because he got zero points. I'm howling with laughter right now." Just then, Taylor sent me a voice message. I could imagine how smug she must look right now because she believed that her scheme had succeeded. "Hugo has been named the top scholar of the province, Daniel. We've decided to throw a party for him tomorrow to celebrate his amazing results. Although you didn't do too well, you should still join us since all of us are classmates. "Also, can you book the private room in your family's five-star hotel on Hugo's behalf? His family is struggling financially. He can't afford to pay for it. You should book it for him as your congratulatory present since you're his classmate." "Sure. I'll book the private room," I answered without hesitation. "I'll definitely be there for the party tomorrow." … The next day, I intentionally changed into a tailored suit before I left for the party, giving off a subtle but refined elegance. Taylor was already waiting for me at the entrance when I made it to my family's five-star hotel. Her eyes glimmered with pleasant surprise when she spotted me. However, an annoyed frown quickly appeared on her face. "Hugo's supposed to be the star today, Daniel. Why are you dressed so handsomely? You only scored 421 points. How shameless do you have to be to steal the spotlight from him? Change out of your suit right now and wear something simpler. Don't let Hugo see you. You're going to make him feel uneasy." I ignored her and entered the hotel. Taylor grabbed my arm. She sounded a little anxious when she said, "Oh, that's right. Have you already paid the 2,000-dollar deposit? I invited a lot of my relatives today. Make sure that you don't drop the ball. "Hugo's a top scholar now. His future is filled with endless possibilities. The Hudson family will also benefit if you get in his good graces now." "I've paid," I said while swatting her hand away. "Not only did I pay the deposit, but I also prepared a grand surprise for Hugo. I hope that you'll enjoy it later." I immediately noticed Taylor's parents, Milo Wakeham and Alicia Morton, happily greeting their relatives when I walked into the banquet hall. Those who didn't know who they were might even mistake them for Hugo's parents. Milo and Alicia were wearing the tailored clothes that I had ordered for them two weeks ago. They had grinned ear-to-ear when I gave them the clothes, holding my hands and calling me a good son-in-law. Alicia had a rosy glow on her face when she noticed me and approached me. "You're here, Daniel!" she exclaimed loudly as if she wanted all of her relatives in the hall to hear her. "I heard that you didn't do well on your college entrance exams. Did you really only score 421 points? That's such a shame. "But I realized that it doesn't really matter that you only scored 421 points. Your family's so rich, after all. You can just ask your father to spend some money to send you to a specialty school." Chapter 4 Although it sounded like Alicia was worried about me, in reality, every word was like a blade that stabbed into my heart. The rest of the guests around us shot mocking looks at me. I wasn't able to get a single word out before Alicia turned away to affectionately lock arms with Hugo. "Everyone, look! This is the man who was named the top scholar thanks to Taylor's tutoring. His score is so good that the country locked it to keep it a secret." Alicia smugly swept her gaze across the hall before finally letting her eyes linger on me. It felt as if they had been waiting for their chance to gloat in front of me. "Hugo's the real deal. He's smart and not afraid to endure hardship," Alicia said. "I feel relieved that Taylor will have someone so wonderful to help her out once she starts attending classes at Woodrow University." A few of their snobbish relatives immediately noticed what was going on and surged forward to curry favor with Alicia. "We were worried that Taylor would have a hard time when she was dating a certain heir of a prestigious family. We were concerned that he would have a short temper. It's wonderful that you've found yourself a top scholar to be your future son-in-law. They're truly a perfect match for each other!" "She's right! Certain people can only score 421 points even though they're rolling in cash. Our dear Taylor is destined for greatness in the future. She definitely has to find someone who's as intelligent as she is to be her partner." It seemed that Alicia and her relatives were already choosing to ignore the fact that Taylor and I were in a relationship. Milo sighed as he stood to the side, balancing a wine glass between his fingers. He turned to me and said, "Let me be real with you, Daniel. Although money is a powerful thing, it can't buy real talent. You should take a leaf out of Hugo's book from now on. "Although the party is being hosted in your family's hotel, the glory belongs to Hugo today. You should bask in his presence a little more. If you repeat the year, you might be able to get into a proper university next year." The fawning guests formed a circle around Hugo. His eyes were full of triumphant glee when he looked at me. "Don't be too upset, Daniel," he hollered, his tone dripping with faux magnanimity. "You spent so much time and effort tutoring Taylor in the past. How did you mess up so badly on your own exams? But that's okay. I'll ask around if there are any suitable tutoring classes when I get to Woodrow University." A faint smile played on my lips as I stared at Hugo's smug face. "Are you sure that you'll be able to get to Woodrow University, Hugo?" I asked. The smile disappeared from Hugo's face upon hearing my words. "Are you still mad at me, Daniel?" he asked haughtily. "I know that you're jealous of me because I was named the top scholar. But that just goes to show how capable I am. You can't deny the truth. Taylor also said that a person's attitude is the deciding factor for many things." "Watch your attitude, Daniel!" Taylor chimed in to support Hugo. "Hugo's a big shot in the province right now. In fact, people from the Department of Education and the media are coming over to interview him later. Don't you dare humiliate yourself and tarnish Hugo's reputation!" The doors to the banquet hall swung open at that moment. The sounds of a commotion erupted from that direction. "They're here! The people from the media and the admissions office are here!" A few reporters who were carrying recording cameras entered the hall, followed by two well-dressed middle-aged men. The principal was hot on their heels, excitedly shouting, "Congratulations, Hugo! Our school has finally produced a genius with a locked score thanks to you!" Hugo couldn't hide his excitement upon hearing his words and hurriedly adjusted his collar. The reporter at the front of the pack, who was holding a microphone, aimed his camera at Hugo and said, "I heard that you're the only student who got a locked score in our city this year, Hugo. What do you have to say to the netizens and the other students?" Hugo took a deep breath before shooting a calm and practiced smile at the camera. "I think that the college entrance exams don't just test a person's knowledge. It also tests a person's attitude. "Truth be told, I wasn't excited when I saw my results. I knew that the country was acknowledging my capabilities. It proved that my score was so good that the country needed to keep it under wraps." The reporter nodded upon hearing his words. A smile broke across his face before he said, "The netizens and other students are rather curious about what the results page of a locked score looks like, Hugo. Would you mind sharing your results page with everyone right now? Give us a chance to share in your glory." "Of course," Hugo said, pulling out his phone without hesitation and navigating to the college entrance exam results site. "Oh my god! My toes are curling from the imminent second-hand embarrassment." "He's actually going to show his results page. He truly believes that the results page of a locked score looks like that!" "Look at the expressions of the reporters and admissions office staff members. They're not even looking at him in confusion anymore. They're looking at him as if he has loose screws in his head!" As expected, the noisy banquet hall fell silent in an instant. "No… That can't be right!" the reporter exclaimed, being the first to snap back to his senses. He pointed at the screen and shouted, "I interviewed a student with a locked score whose results landed him a spot in the top ten of the province last year. The actual results page of a locked score looks nothing like this!"