Rebirth: Daily Face Slaps - Chapter 191

Strictly speaking, neither Fang Min nor Lin Mengting could be described as stunningly beautiful; they were both simply “pretty.”

Back in the day, their similar academic performance made them favorites among teachers and parents.

Normally, such girls would become good friends, helping each other.

But even though Fang Min was “gentle” and adept at dealing with people—winning over teachers and classmates alike—she couldn’t get through to the introverted, nearly “autistic” Lin Mengting.

…

Nowadays?

Dressed stylishly and smiling, Fang Min had mastered the art of “saying the right things to the right people” after living through two lifetimes. She knew when to bring up past memories to keep this conversation going.

Just like now, Fang Min suddenly smiled mysteriously, “Tingting, do you know how many of our classmates went to teachers’ college like me?”

Lin Mengting shook her head. She hadn’t paid much attention to such things.

High school and teacher’s college had separate admission times, and after the exams, she either stayed home or visited relatives, not keeping in touch with classmates!

So how could she remember which school nearly sixty classmates attended and where they ended up?!

Fang Min seemed to understand this, looking at Lin Mengting with a complex expression. “Tingting, you joked about me ‘changing a lot,’ but I think it applies more to you!”

For someone as introverted as Lin Mengting to become so outgoing, she must have gone through some tough times. Fang Min couldn’t believe otherwise.

“Society is like a dyeing vat; it changes everyone,” Lin Mengting said meaningfully. As she expected, Fang Min’s eyes flickered with surprise and complexity before turning more intrigued.

“True, but we can still keep our original selves,” Fang Min said, smiling coldly.

【She has kept her original self, but what about Lin Mengting?】

【She wouldn’t even help a classmate and supposed friend. Lin Mengting’s heart is colder than a snake’s!】

【Lin Mengting could have easily helped her, changing her entire life!】

“We had twenty-five classmates apply to teachers’ college, but only twenty attended. The other five took their admission letters and went to the city’s top high school,” Fang Min said, sighing. “Back then, I laughed at them for ‘seeking trouble.’ They could have ended their studies early, started making money, and gained more work experience than college graduates, making promotions and raises easier. Yet they chose three more years of hard work in high school.”

“Now, thinking back, I realize how foolish I was!”

A bitter smile appeared on Fang Min’s face. Who wouldn’t feel resentment watching those who struggled in middle school now holding degrees from prestigious universities and leading far more successful lives?

Lin Mengting had once felt that way too.

But she later figured it out.

This realization was why she chose to pursue adult education in both her past and current lives.

The only difference was that in her past life, it took her five or six years of struggling in society and facing countless setbacks to understand this.

— Degrees and experience are both important.

When it comes to promotions and raises, between two people with similar experience, the one with the higher degree usually gets the advantage.

“I heard you signed up for adult education?” Fang Min finally brought up the lingering question she had buried since arriving at Lin’s house.

“And you’re a member of G Province’s Painting and Calligraphy Association? Recently, you participated in a cultural exchange as a respected young artist and received the title ‘Most Promising Young Artist’?”

【In her past life, Lin Mengting never ventured into the arts, always fighting in the business world. Yet in this life, she made such a surprising move! Is this the so-called ‘butterfly effect’?!】

【If that’s true, this ‘butterfly’ sure is dramatic!】

【But the higher Lin Mengting climbs, the harder she’ll fall when her true nature is exposed!】

【I can’t wait for that day to come!】

“Our company’s average education level is a bachelor’s degree, so my technical college diploma feels inadequate. That’s why I squeeze in time for adult education,” Lin Mengting said, showing clear frustration and regret.

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t work all day and then rush to evening classes. After three hours of class, I get home at eleven or twelve, take a quick shower, and barely have time to watch TV before it’s 1 AM. Then I have to get up at seven for work. Even weekends are filled with classes. It’s exhausting, feeling like a machine with no rest. And it’s hard to focus like I did in school, making it tough to absorb and retain the material. This is the typical ‘twice the effort, half the result’ scenario!”

Lin Mengting sighed. “I really envy those who went to high school and now reap the benefits of their hard work. And honestly, although people say adult education, self-study diplomas, and full-time university degrees are treated equally in job applications and promotions, the truth is?”