“Once you can solve all these problems, I’ll praise you.” said Lu Ran.
Jiang Nuan squinted her eyes and smiled, asking, “Ah, so are you encouraging me?”
As long as she was shameless enough, no matter how much Lu Ran teased her, it had no effect.
She thought Lu Ran would say something like, “If I encourage you, will you get into Tsinghua or Peking University?” But instead, Lu Ran said, “I’m going to apply to a university in the capital. You should work harder; the admission cutoff there is quite high even for second-tier universities.”
Without thinking, Jiang Nuan responded, “Don’t worry, I never planned on applying to a university in the capital. I’m aiming for Hai Chuan City, and their fencing program is better than ours in Nan City.”
Lu Ran, who had been listing out important points and thought processes on a scratch paper, suddenly stopped. His pen pierced the paper, leaving a hole.
“Be gentle! You might ruin the tip of your pen!”
“Hai Chuan University isn’t bad either. It’s a 211 key university.” Lu Ran said.
“You wouldn’t consider Hai Chuan University.” Jiang Nuan said, still lamenting the hole in her scratch paper.
“How do you know?” Lu Ran continued writing on the scratch paper, but Jiang Nuan suddenly felt something was off and gently poked his arm.
“You’re not seriously applying to Hai Chuan University, are you?”
“It depends on where you apply.”
“Wherever you go, I won’t go. I don’t want to see you and get annoyed.”
Actually, it’s me who doesn’t want to see you and get annoyed.
If by some miracle I get into a university in the capital, I might run into you at a KFC while hanging out with my classmates. That would mess up my mood.
“If your goal is a second-tier university in Hai Chuan City, you might as well go home and sleep. With your current level, you’re good enough.”
Lu Ran put down his pen and started to tidy up the notebooks Jiang Nuan had spread across his desk.
“Hey! Don’t do that!” Jiang Nuan thought Lu Ran was probably angry because she said she wouldn’t go wherever he went. She quickly pressed his hand down and said, “I’ll definitely do my best and strive for a second-tier university in the capital! Forward! Forward! Forward!”
Suddenly, Lu Ran’s finger lightly brushed against Jiang Nuan’s nose.
“Don’t be so unambitious. If you keep studying like this, getting into a top university in the capital is very possible.”
Jiang Nuan looked at Lu Ran, and something inside her felt warm. She quickly turned her face away.
“You… hurry up and teach me these problems! It’s already past ten; I still need to sleep!”
In just half an hour, Lu Ran had finished explaining the problems. As usual, he took his notes back and left Jiang Nuan to solve the problems herself.
“I’m going to cook some noodles. Do you want some?”
Jiang Nuan, who was busy working on the problems, nodded subconsciously, “Yes, yes, yes, and add a sausage.”
“I’m making regular noodles, not instant ones.”
Only then did Jiang Nuan look up, scratching her head with her pen. “Wow, Lu Ran can cook noodles?”
She then remembered how Lu Ran had brushed her nose earlier.
Sometimes, just sometimes… she thought he was actually quite nice.
About ten minutes later, Lu Ran’s voice came from the kitchen, “Have you finished the problems?”
“Yes, I solved them!” Jiang Nuan, like a child showing off a treasure, brought the scratch paper over to Lu Ran.
The entire living room was filled with a delicious aroma. Jiang Nuan lifted the pot lid, but the steam scalded her hand. She pinched her ear, trying not to cry out.
Lu Ran glanced at her and said, “Silly, there’s a cloth right next to you.”
“I’m digging in then!” Jiang Nuan felt there was no need to be polite and scooped out a big bowl of noodles, which had mushrooms, bean sprouts, and some shredded meat.
“There’s an egg in there for you. Let it cool before you eat.” Lu Ran turned Jiang Nuan’s scratch paper to the next page.
Just as Jiang Nuan was about to shove a mouthful of noodles into her mouth, she suddenly paused, blew on it twice, and then looked up at him as if something had just occurred to her.
Actually, you’re really good.
And you’re especially good.
“What is it?” Lu Ran asked, noticing that Jiang Nuan hadn’t started eating yet.
“Lu Ran, I want to ask you something.”
“What?”
“If… I mean, if my dad weren’t your coach, would you still look after me?”
Lu Ran didn’t respond, and Jiang Nuan lowered her head, feeling a bit disappointed as she resumed eating her noodles.
Suddenly, she realized that her rivalry with Lu Ran wasn’t just because he was perfect in her parents’ eyes, making her envious and jealous. It was more because he did things for her that he wouldn’t do for others, but only because she was the coach’s only daughter.
“What do you mean by ‘look after you’?”
“Helping me with my studies.” Jiang Nuan replied, raising her chin slightly.
“I help you because you once said you wanted me to go with you to the capital to study. You might have forgotten, but I haven’t. This is between us, and it has nothing to do with Coach Jiang.”
Jiang Nuan was stunned. So… Lu Ran had been helping her study all this time because of that? But why did she say she wanted to go to the capital? She was always the type to be content with mediocrity when it came to studying!
Could it be because the fencing level in the capital was higher?
Jiang Nuan lowered her head and took a big bite of her noodles.
“Your noodles are really good. They look light, but they’re so flavorful.”
“That’s because you even manage to make instant noodles taste terrible.” Lu Ran replied.
“You’ve never even tried them!” Jiang Nuan looked at him with an expression that said, “You’re making stuff up.”
“Do you remember if I’ve tried them?” Lu Ran retorted.
Jiang Nuan fell silent, realizing that Lu Ran might have actually tried them before.
When Lu Ran finally put down the scratch paper, he said, “You got them all right, but make sure to be careful with your calculations during the exam.”
“Got it.”
Lu Ran picked up his chopsticks, about to dig into the noodles, but all he managed to scoop up were a few green vegetables.
Jiang Nuan stood up and looked at the pot, “Hey, it’s all gone! Only the soup is left… Did you cook too little?”
“Are you sure you’re not just eating too much?”
Jiang Nuan had no response to that.
The monthly exams came around quickly. Even in the morning, Jiang Nuan was munching on a bun while holding a textbook, trying to memorize ancient Chinese prose.
She was even reciting while waiting for the elevator.
Although Luo Chen was glad to see how diligent Jiang Nuan had become, he couldn’t help but worry about her safety on the way.
“Xiao Nuan, stop reciting while walking! Watch where you’re going!”
“I got it!”
When the elevator door dinged open, Jiang Nuan walked in with her head still buried in her book, and promptly bumped into someone.
“Are you trying to scam me?” came Lu Ran’s familiar voice.
Jiang Nuan quickly took a step back, “How is that a scam?”
“If you don’t do well on your Chinese exam, you could claim I damaged your brain.” Lu Ran said with a slight smile.
“You’re the one with a damaged brain!” Jiang Nuan playfully elbowed him.
As Jiang Nuan exited the elevator and walked out of the complex, her mind was still focused on the ancient text she had been reciting.
As she walked, she suddenly felt someone tugging at the back of her collar. Only Lu Ran could grab her like that.
Jiang Nuan looked up and saw a utility pole right in front of her, with a missing dog poster attached to it.
Lu Ran had already walked ahead.
Jiang Nuan jogged to catch up, “Hey, why aren’t you riding your bike?”
“It’s broken.”
As soon as Lu Ran finished speaking, the bus arrived. It was packed with people heading to work and school.
Jiang Nuan sighed and pushed her way onto the bus. Someone behind her pushed her further inside, and just as she stepped on, the doors closed behind her.
“Lu Ran! Lu Ran!” Jiang Nuan thought he hadn’t made it onto the bus, but when she turned around, she saw him standing right behind her.
“What is it?” Lu Ran asked.
“Nothing, I thought you didn’t get on!”
“If I missed it, I could always catch the next one.” Lu Ran said, holding onto a pole with one hand.
Jiang Nuan turned around to find something to hold onto, but as soon as she started to turn, the bus jerked, causing everyone to lean backward. Before she could fall, someone wrapped their arm around her, and when she regained her balance, she realized she had ended up right back in Lu Ran’s arms.
“Just keep reciting your book.” Lu Ran said calmly.
The bus was noisy, but the feeling of Lu Ran’s arm around Jiang Nuan was unmistakable. She even felt like if she moved, Lu Ran would pull her even closer.
“I can’t… recite anything in this situation.” Jiang Nuan mumbled.
But Lu Ran heard her anyway.
“Then I’ll say the first part, and you finish it.”
“Okay.”
“With a feather fan and silk scarf, in a light-hearted chat….” Lu Ran lowered his head, looking into Jiang Nuan’s eyes.
“Ships and stakes turn to ashes.” Jiang Nuan replied.
“Mm. ‘Don’t listen to the sound of the leaves hitting the forest,’ what’s the next line?” Lu Ran’s voice was clear and had a rich texture, like a radio host’s.
“Why not hum a tune and walk leisurely?” Jiang Nuan looked at Lu Ran.
Maybe it was because of the noise around them, but Lu Ran’s eyes seemed especially bright and calm.
“Looking back at the desolate place, as I return…”
“Neither rain nor shine matters.”
“Mm.” Lu Ran nodded slightly.
In that moment, Jiang Nuan felt really happy.
It was as if the tension of the upcoming exams had melted away, and she felt like she could tackle anything.
The bus swayed as it reached the school gate. Lu Ran held onto Jiang Nuan’s hand as they squeezed through the crowd to the exit. He got off first, and when Jiang Nuan was about to step down, he was still holding her.
“Don’t jump. With the exams coming up, do you want to trip and fall on your face?”
In the past, Jiang Nuan would have been angry and thought of a comeback, but now, watching him walk ahead, she suddenly thought he was quite endearing.
Jiang Nuan jogged a few steps to catch up to Lu Ran.
“What rank do you think you’ll get this time?”
“I always perform at my usual level. Worry about yourself.”
Lu Ran glanced back at Jiang Nuan before heading into his exam room.
Jiang Nuan shrugged and went to her own.
She sat near the back of the third exam room, meaning she had to outperform thirty or so other students to move up in rank.
Sitting just in front of her was Zhou Yan.
When Zhou Yan turned to look at Jiang Nuan, Jiang Nuan smiled at her, but Zhou Yan coldly turned away.
Huh? What did I do to offend you this time?
The teacher entered the room, emphasized the exam rules, and began handing out the test papers.
When Jiang Nuan saw the first few fill-in-the-blank questions, she realized they were almost all the ones Lu Ran had quizzed her on during the bus ride. She couldn’t help but marvel at how spot-on he was.
After the exam, Jiang Nuan met up with Rao Can and Dou Dou, and the three of them headed downstairs together. At the stairwell, they saw Lu Ran standing there with a single-shoulder bag.
Despite the constant flow of students passing by, he didn’t move an inch.
“I suddenly have a very plausible theory.” Rao Can said.
“About Goldbach’s conjecture?” Jiang Nuan asked.
Her mind was occupied with thoughts of what to eat. Should she have tomato and egg rice? Or eggplant in garlic sauce? She couldn’t resist spicy food, so maybe green pepper and pork?
“I think Lu Ran is waiting for you.” Rao Can said.
“Impossible.”
At that moment, they saw a boy from the first exam room approach Lu Ran to discuss something.
Jiang Nuan quickly pulled Rao Can along with the crowd down the stairs.
As they passed by Lu Ran, he reached out and hooked his finger onto the back of Jiang Nuan’s collar. When she turned around, she saw him.
Lu Ran released his grip and gently smoothed down her collar, “Don’t eat anything spicy for lunch. You don’t want to have a stomachache during the afternoon exam.”
Huh? How did he know I was craving something spicy?
“Don’t worry, I’ll have tomato and egg!”
Even though it was just a short exchange, it attracted a lot of attention from the other students around them.
Jiang Nuan quickly lowered her head and pulled Cheng Dou Dou away.
As soon as they left the teaching building, Rao Can playfully smacked the back of Jiang Nuan’s head, “I told you he was waiting for you!”
“Why would he wait for me? Just to say that?”
“No, remember last semester’s monthly exam? You insisted on having spicy hot pot for lunch, and then spent the entire afternoon running to the bathroom. The proctor even thought you were cheating and followed you to the restroom.”
Jiang Nuan’s face turned dark… Seriously? I actually did that?
The three of them headed to the school cafeteria. After Jiang Nuan got her meal, she noticed Cheng Dou Dou holding a piece of paper, carefully unfolding it.
Jiang Nuan set her bowl down and peeked over, “What’s that?”
“A classmate gave it to me.” Cheng Dou Dou said, her face blushing slightly.
“Oh, someone gave you a cheat sheet!” Jiang Nuan teased.
“Shh, keep your voice down! Don’t let anyone else hear. That classmate said this is the last big question for our afternoon’s literature exam.”
Rao Can laughed, “Come on. If it really is the final question for the monthly exam, how did that classmate get it?”
“Let’s not worry about that. You two are good at math; help me figure out how to solve it.”
Rao Can shook her head, “Forget it. My math is terrible.”
“Terrible?”
“Plastic flowers are fake flowers, plastic dogs are fake dogs, plastic friendships are fake friendships. So, what do you think ‘plastic math’ means?” Jiang Nuan said as she took a big bite of her tomato and egg rice.
Cheng Dou Dou sighed, “Plastic friendships are great. Even though they’re fake, they last forever.”
Rao Can laughed and handed the cheat sheet to Jiang Nuan, “Xiao Nuan, your math is better than mine. Help Dou Dou out.”
Jiang Nuan glanced at it, picked up a pen, and solved it in about ten minutes before handing it back to Dou Dou.
Dou Dou looked at her in surprise, “Xiao Nuan, you’re amazing! Your math definitely isn’t plastic!”
“I wouldn’t take it too seriously, though. If someone could really get the final question for the monthly exam, our school’s confidentiality would be a joke.”
Dou Dou still carefully folded the paper and put it in her pocket.
After lunch, Jiang Nuan and the others went to the school store to buy coffee. Each of them grabbed a can of Nestlé coffee, but when they got to the counter, they heard Lu Ran’s voice behind them.
“These canned coffees don’t really help with alertness, and they make you want to go to the bathroom.”
Jiang Nuan turned around and saw him.
Geez, you’re everywhere!
The other students in the store all turned to look.
Lu Ran was usually quiet, but here he was, saying a whole sentence to Jiang Nuan. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention like this and quickly lowered her head, wanting to leave as soon as possible.
But Rao Can mischievously put her arm around Jiang Nuan’s shoulders and said to Lu Ran, “Lu Ran, if you’re so smart, why don’t you buy us some coffee that really wakes us up?”
Jiang Nuan nudged Rao Can, thinking they were about to get a scolding.
But instead, Lu Ran just looked at his watch and said, “Let’s go, as long as you can handle it.”
Lu Ran led them to a nearby coffee shop, and the three girls sat by the window.
This coffee shop was a popular spot for students, who would often come in for a cup of coffee while doing their homework or studying.
Rao Can quickly pulled Cheng Dou Dou to sit together, leaving Jiang Nuan with no choice but to sit next to Lu Ran.
Lu Ran ordered espresso, which came in a tiny cup.
Cheng Dou Dou took a sip and immediately spit it out.
“What is this? It’s so bitter, like medicine!”
Rao Can replied, “Espresso is supposed to be like that. One cup is as strong as several cups of regular coffee. And since it doesn’t have sugar or cream, it boosts your metabolism and helps with weight loss.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Xiao Nuan might lie to you, but I wouldn’t.” Rao Can said with a smile.
Cheng Dou Dou squeezed her eyes shut and bravely downed the rest of the coffee.
Jiang Nuan just took a small sip, and her face scrunched up.
“Oh my gosh—this bitterness really wakes you up! Did you do this on purpose?” she asked Lu Ran.
Lu Ran casually held the small cup, the steam rising up and almost misting his eyelashes.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it.”
Jiang Nuan immediately set the cup down, but Rao Can sipped her coffee slowly, seemingly unfazed by the bitterness.
“Don’t you think it tastes like medicine?”
“I don’t know the difference between espresso and medicine, but I can pretend I do. That’s what style is.” Rao Can said, tapping Jiang Nuan’s head with her finger.
They lingered in the coffee shop for about ten minutes before Lu Ran checked his watch and said, “It’s time to head back and get ready for the afternoon exam.”
“Xiao Nuan, you barely drank any. This espresso is pretty expensive.” Rao Can nudged Jiang Nuan, signaling her not to waste it.
Jiang Nuan swallowed nervously, “I’ll drink it all at once when it cools down…”
“If you can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. Let’s go.”
Lu Ran lightly tapped the back of Jiang Nuan’s head, then took her cup and downed the rest in one gulp.
Jiang Nuan felt a sense of relief; caramel macchiato was more her style.
The four of them left the coffee shop, with Lu Ran trailing behind them. Rao Can leaned over to Jiang Nuan and whispered, “I saw it—Lu Ran drank from the same spot you did.”
Not having thought about it before, Jiang Nuan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
“N-no way…”
Rao Can grinned.
Lu Ran headed to the first exam room on the top floor, while Jiang Nuan returned to her seat. Just as she was about to sit down, she noticed her desk was covered in ink stains.
The ink from a pen had leaked out, and it hadn’t dried yet.
If she wasn’t careful, the exam papers would get smeared, making it hard to even read the questions.
Who did this? So inconsiderate!
Jiang Nuan got up, grabbed a cloth, dampened it, and wiped the desk clean.
Luckily, she arrived early. Just as she finished cleaning, the teacher walked in with the exam papers.
Jiang Nuan let out a sigh, reminding herself not to let this affect her mood. Following Lu Ran’s advice, she tackled the exam by difficulty, using elimination methods for multiple-choice questions and marking the ones she was unsure about to revisit later if time allowed.
When the exam ended, Jiang Nuan breathed a sigh of relief, while the student next to her asked, “I saw you wrote a lot for the last question. Did you really solve it?”
“I solved it, but I can’t guarantee it’s correct.” Jiang Nuan replied, scratching her head with a smile.
“You’ll definitely get partial credit for the steps!”
Just then, Zhou Yan, who was seated in front, turned around and said, “If it weren’t for Lu Ran, how many questions could you actually solve?”
With that, Zhou Yan grabbed her bag and left.
Jiang Nuan didn’t have time to argue with Zhou Yan; Rao Can and Dou Dou were probably waiting for her.
But just as she stepped out of the classroom, she got a call from Rao Can.
“Xiao Nuan—Dou Dou’s in trouble!”
“Dou Dou’s in trouble? What happened?”
“She got caught cheating on the math exam and was taken to the grade office! Director Zhang is furious!”
“I’m on my way!”
Jiang Nuan quickly grabbed her bag and started running down the hallway.
Cheng Dou Dou? Cheating? There’s no way! Something must be wrong!
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