Chapter 61 (Extra 2)
On the first day of senior year, students moved into their new classrooms. The previous year’s banner for the final exam hadn’t been taken down yet, and the countdown calendar had been replaced with a new one. There were 279 days left until the college entrance exam.
“Looking at this thing, I feel like I’m getting nervous all of a sudden. What’s up with that?”
“Maybe it’s the so-called atmosphere.”
“279? Last time I calculated it was over 300 days!”
“Did you calculate a few months ago? So what did you do after that?”
“Played games, sob sob.”
“I heard there are some new transfer students, including a few from as far as Wucheng.”
“Transferring in senior year?”
“Who cares which year they’re transferring?”
“I wonder if we’ll get one in our class. If we do, I hope it’s a pretty girl, heh heh.”
…
Shen Yu was calculating with his fingers, “I scored 478 in the last exam before the end of last semester. With 279 days left until the college entrance exam, let’s be conservative and assume I improve one point every two days. 279 divided by 2 is around 140. Adding that to 478 means… over 600 points! Wow, can I get into a 211 university? Brother Lu! I’m so excited!”
Lu Yao had just come in from outside, put the books he received at the door on the desk, and was pulling out something from the drawer, “Too conservative. Improve one point per day, and the extra 7 points will be added as bonus marks by the graders. They’ll send you straight to Tsinghua.”
Shen Yu: “Really? Can that be done?!”
Lu Yao: “If you don’t dare to dream big, what can you not do?”
Shen Yu grinned and, seeing Lu Yao heading out again, asked, “Brother Lu, where are you going?”
Lu Yao turned around and said, “Office.”
They had changed classrooms, but the teachers hadn’t had time to move their offices yet. They needed to go downstairs, walk to another building, and then climb up to the third floor.
Lu Yao took the math competition registration form, knocked on the slightly open office door, and walked in. When the people inside heard the noise, they looked over. When Lu Yao saw who it was, he paused.
Yu Le, who had been filling out a personal information form, brightened up and smiled with two beautifully curved crescent moons as soon as he saw Lu Yao. “Hi, Brother Lu!”
Old Liu’s seat was empty, and only one female teacher was in the office. Lu Yao greeted Teacher Chen and walked over to Yu Le. “What are you doing here?”
Yu Le waved the information form in his hand. “I transferred here. We’re schoolmates now. Surprised?”
Lu Yao didn’t comment, placing the registration form on the empty space on the desk: “Which class?”
Yu Le: “Class 3, and you?”
Lu Yao’s eyes flickered, then he lazily said, “Same as you.”
“No way, what a coincidence?” Yu Le was surprised and then happy, “Not only are we schoolmates, but we’re also in the same class.”
Lu Yao responded with a “hmm,” and glanced at his information form:
Name: Yu Le
Age: 16
“16?” His gaze returned to Yu Le’s face.
He thought Yu Le just looked young.
Yu Le nodded, “Yeah, I started school early, but don’t worry, I’m all grown up now.”
Lu Yao smiled slightly. He was about to say something when Old Liu came back holding a thermos, saw them talking, and grinned, “Oh, what’s this? You know each other?”
Yu Le respectfully called out, “Teacher Liu, I met him last year during the English speech competition.”
Old Liu chuckled and walked over. “Finished filling out the form?”
Yu Le: “Yes.”
Old Liu put the thermos on the edge of the desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down. After checking that Lu Yao’s registration form and Yu Le’s information form were correct, he said, “I was just thinking about where Yu Le should sit. Since you two know each other, how about sitting together?”
Lu Yao didn’t mind, and Yu Le was quite pleased. After all, it was definitely more comfortable to sit with someone familiar rather than with a complete stranger.
“Okay,” Old Liu said to Lu Yao, “Take the new student to collect the books and get familiar with the classroom. I have a meeting soon, so I won’t make a special trip.”
He patted Lu Yao on the shoulder as he stood up. “The new student just arrived, so take good care of him.”
After they left, Teacher Chen voiced her disapproval. “With Lu Yao’s temper, and him missing class frequently, it might not be suitable for the new student to sit with him.”
“Well, having someone familiar around is better for a newcomer. Besides, Lu Yao’s behavior is why he needs a reason to be tied down in the classroom,” Old Liu said with a smile, twisting open the lid of his thermos. “I think it’s quite suitable.”
…
As they went downstairs, Yu Le asked Lu Yao, “Are we going to the classroom now?”
Lu Yao: “Where else would you like to go?”
Yu Le: “My stuff is still with the dormitory manager and hasn’t been moved up yet.”
Lu Yao stopped and looked at Yu Le: “You’re staying in the dorm?”
Yu Le: “Yes, my home is in Wucheng, and I don’t have any relatives or friends here.”
Lu Yao changed direction.
Yu Le followed him, “Where are we going now?”
Lu Yao: “To the dormitory.”
Yu Le’s belongings weren’t too many—just a carry-on bag and a large suitcase. Since his dorm was on the fourth floor, moving them alone was quite a task.
Lu Yao took the heavier suitcase and followed Yu Le, who carried the lighter carry-on bag.
Yu Le had never lived in a dorm before and was a bit unfamiliar with the environment of eight people sharing a small room. After a quick look around, he started unpacking his suitcase.
Lu Yao, seeing that Yu Le wasn’t sure where to place things, clicked his tongue in mild frustration: “Let me do it. You go make the bed.”
He paused, uncertain: “Do you know how?”
Yu Le confidently replied that he did.
Lu Yao took Yu Le’s suitcase and organized everything, putting items in the cabinets or bathroom as needed. When he finished and returned to the dorm, Yu Le had just finished putting on the bed covers.
Lu Yao leaned casually against the nearby bed frame and waited patiently.
Shen Yu messaged him, asking what he was doing in the office and why he hadn’t returned yet. Lu Yao replied: 【Not in the office.】
Shen Yu: 【What? Are you skipping class on the first day?】
Lu Yao: 【No, in the dorm.】
Shen Yu: 【But you don’t live in the dorm. What are you doing there?】
Lu Yao: 【Does knowing these things help you get into Tsinghua or Peking University?】
Shen Yu: 【……】
Yu Le was putting on a pillowcase and noticed Lu Yao playing with his phone on the opposite bed. He recalled asking Lu Yao to buy ice powder for him last year and thought how wonderful life was.
“What are you looking at?” Lu Yao caught him in the act as he looked up.
“Nothing,” Yu Le sighed: “I was just thinking, Wucheng and Xuan City are so far apart. I thought we’d never see each other again. But now, not only are we seeing each other again, we’re in the same class and sitting together. It’s such a strange feeling.”
“It is strange,” Lu Yao said, crossing his arms: “So why did you transfer here? Isn’t it fun to fly back to Wucheng every weekend?”
“I’m not going back to Wucheng,” Yu Le replied while stuffing the pillow into the case: “My dad accepted a job transfer, and my family moved to Jiacheng. But my mom felt Jiacheng’s school resources weren’t great, so I came to Xuan City.”
Jiacheng is right next to Xuan City, about a three-hour drive away.
“Oh, right, Brother Lu,” Yu Le said, as he was about to spread the bedsheet, “I don’t know your name yet.”
“Lu Yao,” Lu Yao said, taking the pillow from him.
Yu Le responded, “Actually, I was going to ask on the forum, but I saw many posts related to you were deleted. I thought it might be prohibited to ask, so I didn’t…”
“Ask directly if you want to know something,” Lu Yao interrupted him: “Stop looking at irrelevant things.”
After finishing setting up the dorm, Lu Yao took Yu Le to the library to collect the books. When they returned to the classroom, the new students surrounded them like they had discovered a new continent.
“I remember you. You came to our school for the speech competition last year.”
“Bro, why are you here?”
“Oh, you’re collecting books??”
When it was learned that Yu Le had transferred and was in their class, the enthusiasm of the students increased even more.
“Our class actually got a transfer student?”
“Welcome, welcome!”
“The kids in the next class are so envious, haha.”
“A miracle has occurred. I can already imagine how the group chat will go crazy when they hear this.”
“Are you staying here until the college entrance exam or will you transfer back in the second semester?”
Yu Le was genuinely grateful for the warm welcome, but the new students were so enthusiastic that it was a bit overwhelming.
“Alright.” Lu Yao tapped the desk like a leader giving a speech: “Stop crowding around and let him put his things away.”
Everyone listened to him and naturally made way.
Lu Yao took Yu Le to a seat in the back row by the window: “Do you want to sit on the inside or the outside?”
Yu Le saw that there were books on the outside desk, probably Lu Yao’s spot: “I’ll sit on the inside.”
Lu Yao: “For moving two books, just tell me which side you want to sit on.”
**Yu Le said,** “I used to sit by the window too, so I’m used to it. Can I open the window?”
“Do as you like.” Lu Yao stepped aside and said, “Go in first.”
Shen Yu was hanging around the small shop downstairs. As soon as he saw the buzzing messages in the class group chat, he quickly ran upstairs. Upon entering the classroom, his eyes swept around like a detection device and finally locked onto Yu Le.
“Wow, you really transferred here?”
Shen Yu sat down in the seat in front of them, resting his elbows on Yu Le’s desk, and grinned, “Did you come to check out Brother Lu’s 365 girlfriends?”
Yu Le was both amused and helpless, “How do you still remember that?”
Shen Yu was smug, “Such memorable scenes, they won’t be forgotten in the next ten years, okay?”
Yu Le said, “Wasn’t that just something you guys were spreading around on the forum?”
Shen Yu replied, “Yes, everyone knew it was just rumors, but you asked directly, which is quite rare, haha.”
Yu Le felt a bit awkward, “Actually, I also found it absurd, I was just asking casually.”
Shen Yu said, “Casually asking is impressive. You don’t know, when we heard about it, the other guys were overjoyed—”
“Hey hey, what are you waiting for in the classroom?” Old Liu knocked on the door, “Kids, put on your school uniforms. We’re going downstairs for the opening ceremony. Our new student hasn’t received his uniform yet. Is there anyone who can lend him a spare jacket for the time being?”
“No, that jacket was just washed yesterday.”
“I didn’t bring a jacket.”
“I do, I do, I have one in my dorm!”
“The dorm supervisor won’t let you in at this time, right?”
“It’s fine.” Old Liu raised his hand, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t have one. If any of the checking teachers see it later, just explain it.”
Students started to head downstairs one after another. Lu Yao took off his own jacket and handed it to Yu Le.
Yu Le quickly declined, “No need, I’m a transfer student. It’s understandable if I don’t have a uniform, I won’t be marked down.”
Lu Yao threw the jacket into his arms, “It’s too conspicuous if you don’t wear it.”
Yu Le didn’t initially understand the meaning of this statement, but he quickly got it when he arrived at the playground.
The playground was filled with students, all wearing blue and white school uniforms. At that moment, two or three students not in uniform stood out like sore thumbs, attracting a lot of attention as if they were aliens.
A bit socially awkward.
Yu Le silently pulled his jacket tighter.
The opening ceremony lasted half an hour. After it ended, students swarmed back, and finally, some sharp-eyed individuals spotted the new face next to Lu Yao.
Not entirely new, just 90% new.
Familiar, seen before, but not certain, needed to look again.
Yu Le was surrounded by many classmates, who were discussing the school’s schedule, mentioning that Xuan Middle’s schedule was from 8 AM to 5 PM, and that there were no evening self-study classes for non-boarders. Yu Le listened, stunned, almost thinking he had regressed from high school to elementary school.
Lu Yao walked behind him, noticing a few people quickly running ahead and frequently looking back. With a glance from him, they awkwardly smiled and quickly slipped away.
However, news of Yu Le’s arrival spread quickly.
The handsome boy from last year’s English speech competition transferred here and joined Class 3!
Their class became the hottest topic. Many students were either finding acquaintances in Class 3 to ask about him or making excuses to pass by the door of Class 3 repeatedly, stretching their necks.
They were soon chased back to their own classes by the grade leader holding a stack of test papers, running so slowly that they even got their heads tapped by the grumpy leader.
But Yu Le was unaware of all this. He was shocked, wondering why there was an exam on the first day of school???
Lu Yao said, “It’s just a small test.”
Yu Le replied, “Even a small test doesn’t seem reasonable?”
Lu Yao: “Xuan Middle does this every semester.”
Yu Le felt frustrated and wrote his name on the first page of each new book, “Wu Middle never does this.”
He really hated these endless exams.
Looking downcast, like a frostbitten eggplant or a wronged puppy, his chin resting on his paws, ears drooping, not wanting to engage.
Lu Yao watched him for a while and said淡淡地: “The small test papers don’t need to be handed in. After the exam, you swap papers with your deskmate to correct them. There will be no ranking.”
The puppy blinked, “Don’t need to hand them to the teacher for grading?”
Lu Yao nodded, “Yes.”
Yu Le’s mood brightened again, as his emotions shifted quickly: “Wu Middle doesn’t do this, Xuan Middle is great.”
The small tests were divided by subject and didn’t require two days set aside for unified testing. Instead, each subject teacher arranged their own time to give the test during their own class.
The first test of the morning was English. Yu Le finished quickly. After completing the essay, there were still more than twenty minutes left until the end of the exam.
He glanced at the time and then at Lu Yao, who was sitting across the aisle and had also finished. Lu Yao was idly folding paper airplanes out of scrap paper.
Yu Le knew that this was typical of school bullies—they never bothered to actually look at the test paper.
After the exam, when comparing answers, Yu Le was astonished to find that Lu Yao not only had no blank answers but also scored full marks on the multiple-choice and translation sections, with the essay using advanced grammar throughout.
“Brother Lu, you’re amazing,” Yu Le quietly remarked while the teacher turned to write on the board. “Full marks, it’s not excessive to give you a perfect score.”
Lu Yao was looking at Yu Le’s essay and responded casually, “You’re not bad yourself.”
Yu Le wrote a 150 at the top of Lu Yao’s test paper and then neatly drew two horizontal lines below it: “It’s okay, English is the only subject I can manage.”
Lu Yao thought Yu Le was just being modest or had set high standards for himself. However, in the afternoon, when comparing math test answers, Lu Yao found that Yu Le’s scores were not even close to 70 points combined from both test papers, which left him in silence.
While there were many students who were weak in certain subjects, Lu Yao had never seen someone so completely lacking in a subject before.
On the other hand, Yu Le, looking at Lu Yao’s test paper which had the entire solution process for even the final big question, was also in an indescribable silence.
Lu Yao leaned back, turned to look at him, with no emotion in his eyes.
Yu Le gave him a look of admiration, “Brother Lu, you got full marks again, it’s really impressive.”
Lu Yao didn’t respond.
Yu Le felt inexplicably guilty, “I said, I really can only manage English.”
Moreover, he was an art student, so his requirements for cultural scores were naturally not that high.
“Listen carefully later,” Lu Yao handed him back his test paper. “The math teacher won’t write out the process on the board. After the lesson, write down the process for the wrong questions on the test paper yourself. It needs to be submitted tomorrow.”
Yu Le was startled, “Didn’t you say it’s not needed?”
Lu Yao said, “Math is an exception.”
Yu Le: “……”
Lu Yao: “I know Wu Middle High doesn’t do this, but this is Xuan Middle High.”
Yu Le: “………”
Yu Le didn’t understand why, in such a relaxed teaching environment with classes from 8 AM to 5 PM, the difficulty of the test papers at Xuan Middle was higher than at Wu Middle.
He really listened carefully, but it was no use. From the sixth multiple-choice question onward, the second fill-in-the-blank question onward, and the third big question onward, he just couldn’t understand.
When pushed to the limit, people can do anything.
Except for math problems.
As the teacher continued explaining, Yu Le wrote down what he could on the front page first, then flipped back to listen to the incomprehensible parts.
Lu Yao was replying to messages under the desk. After finishing, he threw his phone back into the drawer and looked up to see his new deskmate holding his chin with a pen, staring blankly at the test paper.
“Didn’t understand?” he asked.
Yu Le nodded.
Lu Yao flipped to the page still on the first page of the test paper, “Which part.”
Yu Le hesitated for a moment, honestly replying, “All of the later parts.”
Lu Yao: “……”
During the last period of the afternoon, the senior year teachers had a meeting, and students had self-study time.
Lu Yao filled an entire sheet of scrap paper with detailed steps, not skipping any simplification steps, and asked Yu Le, “Got it?”
Yu Le nodded, his head feeling heavy with knowledge, exhausted.
Lu Yao put down his pen, “Write it down.”
There were 25 minutes left until class ended. Shen Yu finished correcting the test papers and was shocked to see Lu Yao still in his seat. He immediately took out his phone and texted.
Shen Yu: [I can actually see you in the self-study classroom? Am I getting old, or did the sun rise in the west?]
Lu Yao: [Have something.]
Shen Yu: [May I ask what it is?]
Shen Yu: [I know answers won’t get me into Tsinghua or Peking University, but it can satisfy my humble curiosity and make me happy!]
Lu Yao: [Cannot.]
Shen Yu: [……]
Lu Yao looked up, caught someone peeking at the scrap paper, raised an eyebrow, and mercilessly turned the paper over, pressing it down with his hand, “Do it yourself.”
