Just as the children made a fuss about Luo Xianxian, the parents sitting in the gallery also wondered out loud, "Who is this Luo Xianxian?"
They turned to look at each other, craning their necks left and right curiously, as if they could spot someone, whom they had never met before.
"The Jiang brothers have never flaunted this niece in public before."
"Since the Jiang brothers remain unmarried to this day, does this mean that they are going to make this little girl their heir?"
"If that's the case, Luo Xianxian is going to be quite powerful!"
"Is she here without any guardian? How brave!"
"Her parents must both be busy. So busy that they could not spare the time to accompany their daughter on their first day at school..."
"True, true. Poor child, she must be so lonely."
Luo Xianxian's mother, Fang Ruoye, was very well among the parents. She listened to their words attentively, but she did not have the wish to stand out. Let Xianxian enjoy her glorious first day. There was no need to talk about her parents.
But among the parents who sat in the gallery, there was a certain man who knew very well who the mother of Luo Xianxian was.
The handsome man sat in his chair, arms folded before his chest, and a long leg crossed over the other casually. He kept looking in Fang Ruoye's direction, but the latter kept her eyes trained on her daughter, too busy to notice his gaze.
The first-graders were split into four classes -- the Sunflower Class, the Daisy Class, the Lily Class, and the Cherry Class.
One by one, they were called by their names and sorted into one of these four classes.
Two ladies who sat next to Fang Ruoye chatted animatedly with each other.
"Hey, do you want to know something interesting? I heard that the class placement is not arbitrary."
"How so?"
"In Golden Dragon Academy, educational background, academic achievement, good personality, special talents, and many other unknown factors are quantified into a so-called student index, and this student value will determine the student's overall rank for every grade in the academy. The best ones will be placed in Sunflower Class, the second best in Daisy Class, the third best in Lily Class, and the worst ones will be placed in Cherry Class."
"Really. And they already judge the children before they even enter the academy???"
"The classes will be reshuffled every semester. After six months, we will know where our children stand in the academy."
Fang Ruoye's gaze swept over the children. Since the children had just entered the academy, only one factor would decide their class placement -- family background, wealth, and influence. She wondered what class her daughter would be in. Probably Cherry Class, but that's not bad for starters. She could slowly work her way upward...
"Luo Xianxian, Sunflower Class!" a teacher announced.
Fang Ruoye gaped in disbelief.
The other parents clapped their hands while Luo Xianxian made her way to the other end of the hall to sit among her classmates. Fang Ruoye clapped so hard that her palms stung in the end.
Sunflower Class.
She could hardly believe it.
She was happy for her daughter, but she did feel sorry for other children, particularly those who were sorted into Cherry Class. It was easy to find out who their parents were. They were the ones who sat in the gallery with faces as dark as pot bottom.
And then, Fang Ruoye spotted a boy among the unsorted children, one who looked quite familiar to her.
She couldn't pinpoint the exact time and location she saw him, but when his name was called, she suddenly remembered.
"Bai Yusheng, Sunflower Class!"
Bai.
Fang Ruoye's eyes widened in surprise. This boy... was the son of Dr. Bai Liuxian.
Fang Ruoye craned her neck in an attempt to spot the boy's father among the many parents sitting in the gallery. After much searching, she found him. Bai Liuxian gave off a different aura from the last time she saw him. He was now clothed in branded clothes, with an expensive watch lining his wrist and a silk tie around his collar.
With a charming smile upon his lips and a face as handsome as a god, he effortlessly mingled among the other wealthy parents, bewitching especially the ladies. Fang Ruoye could almost see pink hearts blooming in the depths of their eyes as they watched Bai Liuxian's shapely lips open and close.
So the other school he found for his son was Golden Dragon Academy.
What a coincidence.
Fang Ruoye played with the thought of greeting the man, but then she decided not to. They were not familiar with each other. And Bai Liuxian seemed to be three parts shady, seven parts creepy. If he had the means to enroll his son at the Golden Dragon Academy in the first place, why did he even bother registering his son at Blooming Peony Elementary School? The gap between the two was as vast as the sky and the sea!
Once all children had been sorted into their classes, the parents were invited to the garden for some refreshments. The children, on the other hand, would be introduced to their homeroom teachers and taken on a tour around the academy.
Fang Ruoye, who stood out without any acquaintances among the crowd of wealthy parents, made her way to the drinks table and poured herself a glass of fruit cocktail.
She took small sips of her drinks while watching the other parents socialize with each other. Although she had three powerful cousins, her family background was quite humble. Her parents did not have anything to boast about, but they raised her with love and gave her all the attention she could ever need.
Still, she had to learn to mingle with other parents somehow.
Just then, Bai Liuxian came over with a smile hanging on his lips.
"Miss Fang, I didn't expect to see you here."