When Xue Jiao said she would help Yi Tian Yu study, she genuinely took it seriously. Her attitude had always been proper, and now with the added responsibility of guiding her desk mate, she was focused with extraordinary attention to every minute and second.
Xue Jiao hadn’t forgotten about the “fight” incident with Cheng Ming Jiao not long after she joined Class 1.
She wasn’t one to verbalize her gratitude, nor would she consider things settled just by giving someone a lollipop.
What Xue Jiao remembered in her heart, she naturally dedicated herself to wholeheartedly when Yi Tian Yu needed her help.
Yi Tian Yu was also stubborn. At the thought of leaving Class 1 and no longer being Xue Jiao’s desk mate, he felt as if he was holding his breath in determination. He followed Xue Jiao’s guidance—previewing lessons, doing exercises, attending classes, taking notes, reviewing notes, repeatedly practicing problem areas, and reviewing materials.
His level of effort exceeded even his midterm exam preparation.
——
“Son, you should take a break, it’s already so late.” Yi Da Fa and Yi’s mother looked at him with concern.
Today was Friday night. In the past, they worried when Yi Tian Yu would play video games as soon as he got home, but now they worried even more as he would immediately bury himself in studying.
“I’ll study a bit longer.”
Yi Da Fa stroked his head with compassion: “Son, if you want to stay in Class 1, Dad will find another way. Seventh Middle School has had exceptions where students who didn’t make the top hundred stayed. Dad will figure something out!”
Yi Da Fa was ultimately a businessman. Despite his connections, breaking the rules wasn’t something he had immediate channels for.
But for his son, he would exhaust himself trying to find a way!
Yi Tian Yu finally put down his pen, giving his father a sideways glance—
“I know what you’re capable of. I’ll pass the exam myself, don’t waste your effort.”
After a pause, he continued: “Stop disturbing me. If you want to help, find me a tutor who can start tomorrow afternoon.”
“…”
As Yi’s mother was about to say something, Yi Da Fa gritted his teeth: “Fine! Dad won’t hold you back. You plan your studies, and I’ll find you a teacher!”
With that, he pulled Yi’s mother out, leaving Yi Tian Yu to continue writing diligently.
——
At this moment, Xue Jiao was also writing intensely, well past her usual bedtime.
“Buzz—”
Her phone vibrated slightly. Xue Jiao initially didn’t want to check it but then remembered it was her usual time to greet Lin Zhi Hua.
She quickly went over and opened it—
[Are you resting?]
Her fingers tapped—
[Not yet, I need to “work overtime” for half an hour today, preparing some materials.]
[Materials?] Lin Zhi Hua asked curiously.
Xue Jiao hurriedly explained—
[It’s for my desk mate. I’m helping him review. His grades aren’t very good, and he needs to make it into the top hundred to stay in Class 1 for the final exam.]
After the message was sent, there was silence on the other end.
Deskmate?
That surname-Yu boy?
Lin Zhi Hua’s expression momentarily turned unpleasant, but ultimately, he said nothing about it, only asking—
[You want to help him reach the top hundred?]
[Yes, he helped me before, so I should help him too.]
After Xue Jiao sent this, there was no reply for a long time, which confused her.
Had Lin Zhi Hua gotten busy?
After waiting another two minutes, a message came through—
[Trying to learn a year and a half’s worth of material in less than a month is difficult. Chinese is a subject that requires long-term cultivation and depends on foundation. I don’t recommend spending too much time reviewing it—just make sure to complete the test papers and write out the key points for understanding classical Chinese to score as much as possible. The same goes for English. If his English isn’t too poor, put all your time into math and science to maximize points. Predict the final exam focus areas, connect the knowledge points, use math and science for inductive reasoning, and focus on key points when reviewing. Breaking into the top hundred this time shouldn’t be difficult.]
Xue Jiao was stunned again, and after a while, she replied—
[You’re truly an academic genius!]
Lin Zhi Hua quickly responded—
[I happen to be not busy recently. Let me organize the key points for you. You rest well and review. You’re in your sophomore year now, and if you want perfect scores, you can’t afford to waste time.]
Xue Jiao instinctively replied—
[No need! I can handle it myself!]
But Lin Zhi Hua was insistent.
[Go to sleep, don’t stay up late. I’ll be quick.]
Xue Jiao sent several more messages, insisting it wasn’t necessary.
Partly she didn’t want to trouble him, and partly because Lin Zhi Hua had graduated long ago—how could he possibly still understand their exam points? Only she knew what courses they had taken.
Thinking this way, she decided to go to sleep and wake up earlier tomorrow to list the key points.
——
At six-thirty, Xue Jiao got up. Almost as soon as she woke, her phone vibrated.
It was a WORD document from Lin Zhi Hua. She was surprised and quickly opened it, her mouth forming an O-shape.
It was so clear!
The key points for math and science were listed extremely clearly, with visible outlines and example problems following each key point.
Most crucially, he had practically listed all the key points!
After each key point, there was the probability of it appearing on the final exam, along with example problems. At the end of the document was even a set of mock exercises!
These weren’t specific numerical problems but rather “outline” problems. For the first multiple-choice question, what would be tested and to what depth, with the probability of the former versus the latter?
After reading it, Xue Jiao could barely close her jaw.
She had previously thought Chu Sheng was the most brilliant person she’d ever met, but today she realized there are always people better than you, heights beyond heights!
So this is what a true academic genius is like?
After a good while, she replied—
[Aaaaahhhh!! You’re amazing!! Thank you!!!!]
Receiving the message, Lin Zhi Hua merely smiled slightly without saying anything.
In the morning, at a Ling Corporation meeting.
“Boss?” Manager Xu called softly.
Lin Zhi Hua immediately snapped back to attention, as if he had never been drowsy: “No good, your proposal is too rough, without any highlights. During such an important period, I didn’t work overtime today to hear your nonsense. Revise it.”
“Alright…” Manager Xu wiped his sweat.
Lin Zhi Hua beckoned to Chen Yan, “Make me a cup of coffee, strong.”
He didn’t know why he had stayed up all night preparing an outline for Xue Jiao’s “desk mate”…
Perhaps it was because of that inexplicable feeling inside him. He didn’t want Xue Jiao to share any activities with another boy that he couldn’t be part of, which made him confused and irritated.
Lin Zhi Hua took a sip of coffee, regained his focus, and continued working.
——
Xue Jiao held the outline as if she had found a treasure. She went through it once herself and then gradually explained it to Yi Tian Yu.
Time flew by in this busy manner.
Liu Ya Zhen’s promise to Cheng Ming Jiao to help make Xue Jiao unhappy was no joke. That day, she picked up the phone and called a woman.
Li Si Tong was arranging flowers at home. Her children were at school, her husband at work, and the household chores were handled by the housekeeper, leaving her to find things to occupy herself.
She was surprised when she received a call from a neighbor.
“Mahjong? Sister Li, at your house?”
Receiving confirmation from the other end of the call, Li Si Tong thought for a moment and agreed.
“Alright then, I’ll get ready and come over now!”
After finishing what she was doing, she changed clothes and went out.
When the maid led her into Li Shu’s home, she smiled and asked: “Sister Li, what made you think of…”
Li Si Tong’s words stopped as she saw the other two people sitting on the sofa.
One was Mrs. Chang, whom she occasionally met with, but the other was… Liu Ya Zhen.
Upon seeing her, Liu Ya Zhen smiled, took her arm, and said sweetly: “Sister-in-law, don’t be angry with me anymore. Let’s put our differences behind us today, okay?”
Mrs. Chang also smiled and said: “Ya Zhen said you two had a small misunderstanding. Let’s take advantage of the good weather today to build bridges and let bygones be bygones. What’s worth holding a grudge between sisters-in-law for so long? I remember you two used to get along quite well, didn’t you?”
That was because she had been swallowing her anger before!
Li Si Tong almost blurted this out, but for the sake of face, she didn’t say such words.
As for the cause of the conflict with Liu Ya Zhen, how could Li Si Tong possibly speak of it?
Her niece had called her a vixen! How could she say that out loud?
So Li Si Tong held back, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
The four women soon sat at the mahjong table. Li Si Tong played absent-mindedly for one round, feeling like leaving.
Liu Ya Zhen suddenly smiled and said: “Sister Li! I just remembered something. Didn’t you say before that your Hong Yi was being disobedient?”
Li Shu threw down the tile she had just picked up, looking exasperated.
“Indeed! You have no idea, that boy only knows how to go out and play. He doesn’t understand what it means to study hard. The way he is, his father wouldn’t dare hand over the company to him after graduation. He’ll squander it all sooner or later!”
Li Shu’s husband was considered the most successful in their circle. Cheng Shuo had many business collaborations with her husband, which was why they all came when she extended the invitation.
In the past, Li Si Tong and she had a lot in common—both were surnamed Li, and both with disobedient younger relatives in their families!
Liu Ya Zhen, fearing Li Si Tong would win Li Shu over, had put in considerable effort with Li Shu.
“Children are still young! They’ll become sensible when they grow older!” Mrs. Chang matched a tile and smiled.
“Bah, sensible my foot. He’s already eighteen, in his senior year! The way he is, forgets about a good university, and whether he can even get into an undergraduate program is questionable. Sigh!” Li Shu held a tile in her hand, looking worried.
Liu Ya Zhen suddenly smiled: “Hey! Sister Li, you should ask my sister-in-law about this problem! Wasn’t Xue Jiao the same before, not knowing any better, with grades at the bottom of the grade? Look at her now, less than a semester and she’s first in the grade! Let Hong Yi learn from her. I’m not saying he’ll be first in a semester, but he should at least get into a first-tier university!”
Li Shu and Mrs. Chang were shocked: “First in the grade! First in the grade at Seventh Middle School?!”
“That’s right! She was first in the midterm, and first again in last month’s monthly exam. Before her sophomore year, she was always at the bottom!” Liu Ya Zhen smiled sweetly.
Li Shu immediately looked toward Li Si Tong: “Sister! You can’t keep secrets from me, we’re family!”
Li Si Tong didn’t know what to say. Her daughter had indeed shot straight to first place, but apart from the bet with Cheng Ming Jiao, she didn’t know why her daughter had progressed so rapidly!
“I guess she suddenly became enlightened. Jiao Jiao is very serious about studying now, focusing all her attention on academics.”
After Li Si Tong finished, Li Shu pressed: “How did she become enlightened?!”
“I think it was because of a bet with Ming Jiao, so she worked hard out of determination.” Li Si Tong hesitated.
“Sister-in-law, stop keeping secrets. How can a child’s determination last so long? Besides, many study diligently but don’t get first place, right?” Liu Ya Zhen continued smiling sweetly.
“That’s right!” Li Shu frowned slightly.
Liu Ya Zhen flashed a smile: “Why don’t you let Hong Yi stay close to Xue Jiao, Sister Li? Following someone good at studying will help improve. Not everyone has Xue Jiao’s ability to reach first place in one semester! You know Yi Da Fa, right? His son used to be at the bottom too, but he found a way to have his son be Xue Jiao’s desk mate, and now his grades are rising steadily! If you’re willing, let Xue Jiao stay at your home for a while, to help guide Hong Yi in his studies!”
Li Si Tong’s eyes widened, almost coughing up blood.
How could Hong Yi possibly live with Xue Jiao?!
Everyone on the mountain knew what that boy was like—always in bars and racing cars! At such a young age, he couldn’t take his eyes off any pretty girl!
His family couldn’t even control him!
Putting him together with Xue Jiao would be harming her!
Li Si Tong instinctively said: “Absolutely not!”