Cheng Xuemin, I beg you, please stop being so twisted, will you? (Please keep following the story)

“Xueming, do you believe it? My mom must have gone to her workplace to show off! And she claims she’s not proud at all!”
Feng Jiayou walked out with Cheng Xueming, mumbling under her breath, but her face was blossoming with joy.
“I think you’re a hundred times prouder than your mom!”
Cheng Xueming pushed his bicycle, watching his mother-in-law hop onto her own and ride away. He couldn’t help teasing Feng Jiayou.
“Hehe, am I really?”
“If I am, it’s because you’re so outstanding, Xueming! My mom’s so proud and stubborn, yet you managed to win her over. How could I not be proud?”
Feng Jiayou hugged Cheng Xueming tightly from behind, feeling utterly blissful. She had expected her mother would kill her after she confessed everything, but the storm turned out to be little more than a drizzle! In the end, it was her husband’s brilliant article that conquered her mother.
“Actually, Mom isn’t that hard to talk to.”
“So you’re saying your wife is hard to talk to?”
That wouldn’t do—her husband was starting to lean too much toward her mother! Not willing to indulge him, Feng Jiayou slipped her hand around Cheng Xueming’s waist.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! No, no, I never said you’re hard to talk to! You’re so gentle, sensible, obedient, and a little greedy—if anyone says you’re hard to talk to, I’ll argue with them!”
Cheng Xueming laughed and cried at the same time. This filial daughter was jealous even of her own mother; he’d merely mentioned her mom wasn’t so hard to talk to, and Feng Jiayou immediately took it personally!
“Hmph! My mom’s always at odds with me; why don’t you dare try arguing with her for once?”
“And greedy? When am I greedy? What am I greedy for?”
Feng Jiayou retorted stubbornly, refusing to let go of Cheng Xueming, her hand pinching him as she kept asking.
“Ouch, ouch, stop it! If you keep messing around, someone’s going to see!”
Their playful banter brought them past the entrance to Yan University’s affiliated school. Feng Jiayou’s eyes lit up as she suggested, “Xueming, let’s go check the scores! Didn’t that heartless Feng Jiamei say yesterday that the results were already posted?”
“Maybe we should wait. Classes don’t start until next week anyway. We can come back later!” Cheng Xueming knew Feng Jiayou just wanted to show off. She couldn’t wait for the whole school to know her lover had taken first place.
“Hey, isn’t that Second Sister-in-law?”
They were about to ride past, but Feng Jiayou’s sharp eyes spotted Sun Juan, her second sister-in-law, standing in front of the school’s bulletin board.
Yesterday, after picking up her child, Sun Juan hadn’t returned home, but instead went to her parents’ house. So Feng Jiamei hadn’t told her the results. Clearly, Sun Juan had come early to check the scores after dropping off her child.
“Should we go?”
Cheng Xueming suggested they pretend not to see her; it would only embarrass Second Sister-in-law. Cheng Xueming, the brother-in-law, had taken first place and was guaranteed a spot at the affiliated school, but Second Sister-in-law’s name wasn’t on the list, meaning she hadn’t been admitted.
“Let’s go say hello! If we pretend not to see her and she notices us, what would she think?”
Cheng Xueming nodded, so they rode over.
“Second Sister-in-law, you’re here to check the scores too?” Feng Jiayou called out from afar.
“Uh... Jiayou, Xueming, you’re here too?”
Sun Juan’s face looked troubled. She’d known even before the exam that she had little hope, but now that the results were out, how could she not feel disappointed?

Especially since the top scorer was her brother-in-law, the man Feng Jiayou had brought from Shaanbei. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
It was hard to be a son-in-law in the Feng family, but being a daughter-in-law seemed so much easier.
“We’re headed to Yan University and just happened to pass by. Saw you here, so we came over!” Feng Jiayou smiled at her second sister-in-law. “You weren’t home yesterday, so you missed the excitement last night!”
“Did Jiamei bring Xueming’s scores home? Then it must have been lively—a celebration, right?”
Sun Juan had avoided going home yesterday, hoping to sidestep the awkward scene. She’d already suspected the results would be announced at the affiliated school.
And now, though Jiayou’s words seemed casual, Sun Juan couldn’t help but read into them. She said they were going to Yan University, not just school.
Yan University, Yan University—was it really that impressive? Everyone in the Feng family had ties to Yan University; did that make them so extraordinary?
“What celebration! It wasn’t really a celebration!”
Now, the word “celebration” was the last thing Feng Jiayou wanted to hear.
“Never mind, Second Sister-in-law. You’ll find out when you get home.” Jiayou had intended to boast a little, but considering Second Sister-in-law’s feelings, she held back.
“Second Sister-in-law, Jiamei found out your score—three hundred and twenty-six. That’s actually really good! Better than the papers I wrote when I first started preparing!”
“So your foundation is stronger than mine... How about this: why don’t Xueming tutor you two hours every night? He’s a great teacher—he helped me get my score up!”
“And he only spent two months helping me get into Yan University! So you can definitely do it too!”
Cheng Xueming was taken aback. What did she mean by him going to Second Sister-in-law’s room every night for two hours? Tutoring? What could Second Sister-in-law possibly need him to tutor for?
Feng Jiayou really dared to say anything! Did she not know how long it had been since Second Sister-in-law and Second Brother had seen each other?
“Ah? Well... maybe we’ll talk about it later. I have to get to work!”
Sun Juan was equally startled and shy. What sister-in-law would speak like that? If there were lessons, she should go to their room, not have her brother-in-law come to hers!
Embarrassed, she hurriedly covered her face and rushed off with her bicycle.
“What... why did Second Sister-in-law run off? It’s just tutoring! Is it really so hard to admit Xueming is better?”
Feng Jiayou stared in confusion at Cheng Xueming, asking.
“Don’t you think your tone... was a bit showy?”
Cheng Xueming didn’t know what else to say. His sister-in-law probably meant well, but Second Sister-in-law might have taken it the wrong way.
But could he say more?
“Really? I wasn’t trying to show off—I just wanted Xueming to help Second Sister-in-law with her studies. Maybe next year you’ll both get into Yan University!”
“Yes! If you help Second Sister-in-law get into Yan University, I bet my mom will look at you with new respect—she might even put you on a pedestal!”
“Give me a break! I’ve barely been in your family a month, and you want to hang me up already?”
Cheng Xueming rolled his eyes. Put him on a pedestal? Why not just hang him up for everyone to see!
...

Whether or not his mother-in-law would put Cheng Xueming on a pedestal, what was certain was that she was already walking with a spring in her step, thanks to her son-in-law, author of “The Horseman.”
“Hey, Teacher Gu, do you have something to celebrate today? You’re practically floating down the hall!”
Arriving at work in October, she ran into her old colleague, Cao Aiqin, who greeted Feng’s mother with a smile.
“What do I have to celebrate? I’m about to get driven mad by my little troublemaker at home! Yesterday she caused a huge misunderstanding, nearly died of embarrassment!”
Before, Feng’s mother would never have been so pleased, nor would she have mentioned the blunder. But now, Gu Xueqing had the confidence!
Let them laugh behind her back all they want! The more they ridicule her, the louder her comeback will be when she strikes back.
Now, she wasn’t rushing to reveal that Yan Literary Journal’s big scoop had come from her son-in-law.
If she said too much, it would look like she was showing off. Better let them learn the truth from elsewhere, so their shock would be all the greater, and her triumph sweeter.
Yes, she’d let them gossip, while she waited to see who would have the last laugh.
“Don’t say that, Teacher Gu. Everyone makes mistakes. Besides, it’s not all your fault!
I heard the author of ‘The Horseman’ is a student work from Yan University—your daughter’s school. I just don’t know which student. I’ll have to ask Jiayou later! If we could get that manuscript, it’d be even better!”
Cao Aiqin sounded polite and concerned, but was really just poking at sore spots. Previously, this would have infuriated Feng’s mother.
But today, Gu Xueqing replied with a smile, chatting as she walked into the office.
Instantly, the editors already at work exchanged puzzled glances. Teacher Gu’s mood seemed excellent—not at all like yesterday when she stormed out in anger!
“Teacher Gu, we’re sorry! We should have spotted the problem sooner.”
Junior editor Xiao Yang apologized, her face miserable. After Teacher Gu left yesterday, Chief Editor Liu had harshly criticized them for being careless in the initial review.
If they’d paid more attention to manuscripts from other journals, the blunder wouldn’t have happened.
“You really should reflect on this, Xiao Yang. Since Yan Literary Journal released such a big scoop, you two need to write a review and commentary as soon as possible!”
Gu Xueqing was strict with her staff; a mistake was a mistake.
“Yes, yes, Teacher Gu, we’ll do it right away!” Xiao Yang was greatly relieved—a review was a light punishment.
“Good! Is Old Liu in yet?”
After dealing with her office colleagues, Gu Xueqing could hardly wait to submit her two manuscripts.
“Old Liu is here—in his office!” Xiao Yang nodded quickly.
“Great, I brought two manuscripts today. No need for initial review, I’ll submit them directly to Old Liu for final approval. You can add your initial comments later.”
Their rules allowed editors to bypass initial or secondary review and submit directly to the chief editor, but summary comments from both were still required.
“Ah! Teacher Gu, you really got a manuscript from the author of ‘The Horseman’?!”
Xiao Yang nodded, then suddenly gasped in surprise.
The other editors looked up, curiosity piqued.
Cao Aiqin, just pouring tea, was even more shocked: “Teacher Gu, you got a manuscript from the author of ‘The Horseman’?!”
How could that be?
Wasn’t it said that Gu Xueqing had made a huge mistake—mistaking the wrong person for the author? Her daughter’s classmate wasn’t the real author, was he?
How, after just one night, did Gu Xueqing manage to get a manuscript from the real author of ‘The Horseman’?
Was it true?
“Let Old Liu review it first!”
Gu Xueqing, proud as a peacock once more, walked into Chief Editor Liu’s office with a thick stack of manuscripts.
...
Cao Aiqin, Xiao Yang, and the other editors all followed, eager to find out if the manuscript really was from the author of ‘The Horseman.’

...

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