Lin Zhi Hua didn’t directly give her a solution, but first analyzed the situation—

[Liu Ya Zhen is both poisonous and vicious. The words she said today completely captured Li Shu’s psychology. Behind the scenes, she will continue to instill in Li Shu the benefits of having her son learn from you. Li Shu loves her son desperately and won’t give up on something that might help, even if she’s not sure it will. If you want your Cheng family to avoid offending them completely, you cannot refuse her request to have her son move in.]

[What? So he has to live with us? Won’t there be negative influences?]

Lin Zhi Hua tapped his finger on the table. This matter was easy to resolve—he could put some pressure on the Bai family or show favor to the Cheng family, and then even if they directly refused, the Bai family wouldn’t dare make trouble.

But… Xue Jiao was unwilling. The solution she needed was one she could implement herself.

So Lin Zhi Hua replied—

[There definitely would be. The fact that Liu Ya Zhen is scheming indicates there would be a significant impact. And clearly, the issue with Bai Hong Yi isn’t that Li Shu can’t control him, but that she’s unwilling to discipline him. He’s lawless, and you cannot live with him.]

Xue Jiao was completely dumbfounded. If they couldn’t refuse but also couldn’t live together, what could they do?

Soon after, a new message came from Lin Zhi Hua. Xue Jiao glanced at it and immediately smiled.

Of course! How could she have forgotten that option?

——

Early the next morning, Xue Jiao went downstairs.

Li Si Tong was yawning ungracefully while heading to the kitchen to serve them breakfast.

“Hurry up and eat, we’re running a bit late today.”

Cheng Shuo had just come out of the bedroom and said: “Jiao Jiao and Ming Ze should eat first, then hurry to school. I’m leaving late today.”

“Okay,” Cheng Ming Ze nodded.

Xue Jiao quickly finished her breakfast and then looked at Li Si Tong.

“Mom, don’t refuse Aunt Li Shu.”

“Huh?” Li Si Tong was stunned.

Cheng Shuo, who was washing his hands, hurried out anxiously: “Jiao Jiao, don’t worry about these things. Your uncle and mom will resolve it.”

Cheng Shuo thought Xue Jiao was willing to compromise herself for the sake of the relationship between the two families.

Even Cheng Ming Ze disapprovingly said: “Right, leave this matter to Dad and Aunt Li.”

“That’s not it,” Xue Jiao shook her head. “I’m letting him move in because my brother and I won’t be staying at home during winter break.”

“What?”

Xue Jiao looked at Cheng Ming Ze and smiled: “Can you pass the first round of the math competition?”

Cheng Ming Ze was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood: “Right, Jiao Jiao and I are going to attend a winter camp!”

Li Si Tong blinked her eyes and said: “So I’ll tell her you’re going to winter camp? Then she’ll have no choice!”

But Xue Jiao shook her head, thinking it wasn’t that simple.

So she relayed what Lin Zhi Hua had told her: “It’s not that simple. If we tell her this, she’ll still be thinking about sending her son over in the future. If we don’t eliminate her idea, it will happen again sooner or later.”

“Then what should we do?” Li Si Tong asked.

Xue Jiao smiled lightly: “Let him move in after my brother and I leave. We won’t meet him. You be strict with him, ensure he never wants to come back, and then Aunt Li Shu won’t be able to force him to come over!”

“That sounds good!” Li Si Tong’s eyes lit up.

Even Cheng Shuo nodded: “This idea is indeed feasible, but can you guarantee entry into the winter camp?”

Cheng Ming Ze nodded: “No problem for me.”

Xue Jiao swallowed her last bite of bread: “No problem for me either.”

——

After resolving the issue of Li Si Tong’s hasty agreement, the final exams were drawing closer. Xue Jiao focused all her attention on the final exams and teaching Yi Tian Yu.

“Not bad. Your math and science are quite good now. As long as the questions aren’t too obscure, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Yi Tian Yu’s eyes brightened: “Am I free?!”

Xue Jiao raised her head from the exam papers and glanced at him: “The exam hasn’t happened yet, what do you mean ‘free’? Starting today, memorize the Chinese writing prompts and fixed English sentence patterns!”

“What?” At the mention of English and Chinese, Yi Tian Yu’s head drooped.

Xue Jiao handed him a small booklet with a cold face, “Start, memorize all of these, everything.”

Then she opened her book and began memorizing.

Even though she knew it by heart, Xue Jiao still carefully read every character. Points lost in Chinese writing exercises were points that shouldn’t have been lost.

Yi Tian Yu held the booklet, wide-eyed.

After a moment, with a cry of dismay, he opened the booklet.

The neat handwriting was extremely beautiful. Yi Tian Yu thought about how the girl beside him had written these things so meticulously…

He lowered his head and began memorizing seriously.

——

After reviewing a set of science questions the previous night, Yi Tian Yu stared at the booklet, his eyes starting to lose focus.

Gradually, his eyelids began to droop.

Slowly, his head also began to droop, almost making intimate contact with the desk.

Thump—

Xue Jiao’s Chinese textbook struck his forehead. Yi Tian Yu suddenly looked up at the girl who was glaring at him.

Embarrassed, he scratched his head and grinned sheepishly: “Hehe… I’ll continue memorizing!”

——

At noon, after a math class came lunchtime. Yi Tian Yu turned and was about to head to the cafeteria.

From behind came Xue Jiao’s voice: “Yi Tian Yu!”

He turned back: “What?”

Xue Jiao said: “The cattails are woven like silk.”

Yi Tian Yu replied instinctively: “The bedrock remains unmoved.”

“Okay, go eat now.”

“…”

——

After lunch, preparing for chemistry class.

A voice came from beside him: “Yi Tian Yu!”

“Here!” he responded instinctively.

“The large strings boom like sudden rain.”

“The small strings chirp like private whispers.”

Just as he finished, the teacher walked into the classroom—

“Alright students, let’s continue reviewing.”

——

In the morning, Yi Tian Yu had just arrived at the classroom.

“It is also what my heart values.”

He opened his mouth instinctively: “Yet it fails to examine the people’s hearts.”

Xue Jiao’s Chinese textbook hit his head: “Wrong! After morning self-study, find me to recite the entire text again!”

“Ah? This stuff with ‘xi’ and ‘fu’ is too difficult to pronounce!”

Yi Tian Yu’s expression turned grim as he wailed: “Li Sao, Li Sao! Why are you so torturous!”

Xue Jiao expressionlessly said: “Twice.”

“…”

“I’ll memorize it! I’ll memorize it!!”

——

Finally, after days like this, it was time for the final exam.

Xue Jiao leaned against the back cabinet, casually taking the water Yi Tian Yu poured for her.

“How are you not nervous at all?” Yi Tian Yu’s face was bitter.

If he hadn’t tried hard, it would be one thing, but once he had put in effort, he was afraid the results wouldn’t be satisfactory, making all his hard work wasted!

He had never worked so hard in his life. He had hired four tutors, though he felt none of them taught as well as Xue Jiao or helped him as much as she did.

“What’s there to be nervous about?” Xue Jiao glanced at him. “Are you showing a lack of confidence in me?”

Yi Tian Yu banged his head against the cabinet: “Ahhh! It’s a lack of confidence in myself!”

“…”

After a moment, Xue Jiao patted his shoulder: “…Good luck.”

Though her hand merely rested on his shoulder, it felt as if she had injected some kind of strength into him.

Yi Tian Yu straightened his back and strode toward his exam room—

Good luck, Yi Tian Yu!!!

——

Finally, the final exam that had troubled Yi Tian Yu was over.

He rushed straight back to the classroom—

“Bookworm!!! Who was that genius who gave us those outlines?! Damn, the predictions were too accurate!!!!”

Xue Jiao had just pulled her desk back into place. She paused, then smiled: “Yes, a genius.”

After speaking, she didn’t give Yi Tian Yu a chance to inquire further and went to retrieve her books from the back cabinet.

“Wait! Bookworm, I’ll get them!” Yi Tian Yu called out, rushing over to pick up Xue Jiao’s stack of books and placing them on her desk.

Then he went back for his books. As they organized their books together, he continued: “I think I filled in that ‘Li Sao’ line wrong again! I just can’t memorize ‘Li Sao’.”

Xue Jiao consoled him casually: “It’s okay, just one point.”

“Sigh, I’m afraid I’ll never forget Qu Yuan and his flamboyant ‘Li Sao.’ He jumped into the river, and nearly drove me to jump too!”

Xue Jiao chuckled, shaking her head.

“Hehehe,” Yi Tian Yu laughed as he packed up.

After the teachers assigned all homework, vacation began. They would come back in a few days for their results.

“Hey, bookworm! It’s vacation time, will you come when they hand out the report cards?”

Yi Tian Yu’s voice was low. For some reason, thinking about not seeing Xue Jiao for a long time made him feel uncomfortable all over.

Coming to receive the report card was optional—if you came, you would get your results directly; if not, you would see them in the class group chat that evening.

Hence, Yi Tian Yu’s question.

Xue Jiao nodded: “I’ll come.”

Yi Tian Yu immediately brightened up: “Great, I’ll come too!”

“Oh, goodbye.” Xue Jiao smiled slightly, then shouldered her backpack, carried a stack of books, and left.

Yi Tian Yu watched her figure disappear, and long after everyone had gone, he belatedly said: “…Goodbye.”

——

Almost as soon as they started their vacation, Li Shu called to inquire.

She saw the Cheng family as her last lifeline.

Xue Jiao and Cheng Ming Ze had already received their winter camp notices, but there was still some time before they needed to report. Cheng Ming Ze also had to attend remedial classes, so Li Si Tong said they were going to play for a few days before returning.

She asked Li Shu to wait a few days before sending Bai Hong Yi over.

Li Shu could only agree.

Then Cheng Shuo thought, why not have Li Si Tong take Xue Jiao to Beijing first, to familiarize themselves with the place, then play for a couple of days before returning?

Beijing… In her previous life, Xue Jiao was just a high school graduate and an orphan. Whenever she had free time, she would work. She had never been there before.

Even though her relationship with Li Si Tong was still somewhat distant, she had to admit that she had enjoyed these few days.

Her smiles had even increased noticeably.

On the return flight.

“Will you get your report card tomorrow morning?” Li Si Tong asked.

Xue Jiao nodded: “Yes, I’ll get my results tomorrow morning.”

“Bai Hong Yi will come tomorrow afternoon. After you get your results, you should go straight to Beijing. Even though Ming Ze is your brother, since you’ve already familiarized yourself with the place, you should guide him a bit. Don’t let him take care of you the whole way.”

Xue Jiao, wearing headphones, responded casually: “Oh, okay.”

Li Si Tong had nothing more to say.

——

The next morning, Xue Jiao went to school to get her results. Cheng Ming Ze was still attending remedial classes but had already requested leave and would leave with Xue Jiao at noon.

Seventh Middle School had originally planned for everyone to go tomorrow, but since Xue Jiao and Cheng Ming Ze had to leave today, they wouldn’t be going with the others.

As Xue Jiao approached the door of Class 1, she looked up and saw Yin Fang walking toward the notice board with the honor roll, a smile of satisfaction on her face.

Students who had already arrived swarmed over.

“Bookworm! You’re here!” Yi Tian Yu wasn’t wearing his school uniform today, probably because he had just exercised, and was only wearing a fleece sweatshirt.

Bundled in a thick white down jacket, Xue Jiao had half her face hidden in her raised collar, her voice muffled: “Mm, just arrived.”

“Damn! The results are out! I don’t dare look!” Yi Tian Yu suddenly became panicked.

Xue Jiao glanced at him, keeping her hands in her gloves, and walked over slowly. Yi Tian Yu hurriedly followed.

Before they got close, they heard someone they recognized exclaim—

“Xue Jiao is first again! Two points higher than Chu Sheng!! Two points!”

Not like last time when they tied—this time she was two points ahead.

Even though it was only two points, Xue Jiao was still two points higher, firmly in first place.

No wonder Yin Fang was smiling so proudly as she posted the honor roll.