Maggie329
patreon
WFILIYCATU - Chapter 30
🕑 Added 2025-02-10 19:12:58 +0000 UTCSometimes, it feels like every second passes slowly and clearly, but I still miss all the time and can't recall it later.
As the exam approaches, time seems to fly by, moving fast-forward.
One day, Xuejiao was working on a math problem.
A few days ago, Lin Zhihua had given her a lot of new materials, and Xuejiao was flying through them with focus and determination.
"Gu Xuejiao, come out," Yin Fang called from the door.
What happened now?
Xuejiao was taken aback for a moment. She quickly finished the remaining part of the question she was working on, set down her pen, and hurried out.
"Teacher Yin, what's the matter?" Xuejiao asked as she approached, slightly breathless from walking so fast.
To be honest, as a student who was often called upon by the teacher, she had gotten used to it. Her main question was always the same—"What happened this time?"
This time, however, it was something different.
Without beating around the bush, Yin Fang got straight to the point. "Did you sign up for the math contest?"
"Yes," Xuejiao nodded.
Yin Fang sighed, looking both helpless and frustrated. "Why did you sign up for this? If you want to get into one of the top two universities, you’d need to place first in the contest. Do you know how hard that is? Instead of wasting your time on this, you’d be better off focusing on your regular studies to secure your college entrance exam scores. Isn't this contest just a waste of time for you?"
At forty-something, Yin Fang was experienced and logical. From her perspective, the contest was a long shot and not worth the effort.
"Teacher, I really want to participate," Xuejiao replied firmly.
Yin Fang waved her hand dismissively. "I know you, Gu Xuejiao. You’re quiet and polite, but stubborn. You don’t listen to advice from anyone. When have you ever followed a teacher’s suggestions?"
Without waiting for Xuejiao’s response, Yin Fang continued, "Our class has a long way to go. Chu Sheng, Gu Shiyun, Li Lei, and others from next door have also signed up. These are top-tier students in mathematics. Even though your grades have improved significantly, and you got first place in the last exam, there’s still a gap between you and Chu Sheng. Let alone the other powerhouses, even surpassing Chu Sheng would be an uphill battle. They’ve been participating in contests and attending advanced math classes for years. I’ve said my piece. If you still want to participate, I can’t stop you."
Xuejiao bowed her head in thought for a moment before replying with determination. "I want to try."
Yin Fang let out a long sigh. "Fine, fine. You really won’t listen. If you want to waste your time, I can’t stop you. But remember, you cannot slack off in your regular studies. If you don’t make it into the top ten, I’ll still have to talk to you!"
"Understood."
Yin Fang sighed again and walked away. Xuejiao stood there for a moment, watching her leave.
Maybe it would be a waste of time, but how can anyone live without taking risks?
She wasn’t just participating because it might be “useless work.” Xuejiao felt that she owed it to herself to try.
She had missed out on so much in her previous life—things she regretted and even envied. Now, with such an opportunity, she wanted to make up for it all.
It wasn’t the fear of “useless work” that was scary. What was truly frightening was drawing boundaries around yourself, being too afraid to take a step forward.
That wasn’t living; that was merely existing.
And besides, this effort wouldn’t necessarily be wasted.
Xuejiao’s eyes gleamed with determination as she turned and walked back to the classroom.
Coincidentally, the math contest was scheduled one day after the monthly exam.
Compared to the well-prepared knowledge test coming up, Xuejiao still felt underprepared for the competition.
Before the exam began, she was still working on practice problems for the contest.
"Xuejiao..." Xi Junyang ran over to her desk, calling her name.
"Shut up!" Yi Tianyu growled in a low voice, glaring at him.
Xi Junyang froze, then looked at Yi Tianyu and silently mouthed: "What’s going on?"
Yi Tianyu gestured to Xuejiao’s back, whispering, "She’s been focused for days. If you interrupt her now, I won’t spare you!"
Xi Junyang raised his hands in mock surrender and silently cheered for Xuejiao, raising his fist in encouragement before walking away.
Meanwhile, two boys at the back of the room were arguing loudly after lunch.
"Ha ha ha! You’re such an idiot!"
"No, you’re the idiot!"
Yi Tianyu turned around and shot them a deadly glare.
The two boys instantly quieted down, their mouths shutting tight.
Thanks to Yi Tianyu’s efforts, Xuejiao was able to study in peace. She focused intently, using every spare minute to work on problems.
Yin Fang passed by the classroom several times during breaks. Each time, she saw Xuejiao working on contest problems instead of reviewing for the monthly exam. Though she was displeased, she didn’t say anything. However, her face grew darker with each visit.
The next day was the monthly exam.
As the first-ranked student, Xuejiao finally didn’t have to leave the classroom to find a seat elsewhere.
When she returned from the restroom, the classroom was nearly full. Behind her seat sat a pale boy wearing black-rimmed glasses. He looked weak but smiled warmly when he saw her.
Xuejiao nodded politely and returned the smile.
"Gu Xuejiao..." Chu Sheng called out softly.
"Hmm?"
"I’ll surpass you this time," Chu Sheng said, his eyes full of determination.
He had started claiming the first spot from the second year of high school and had been confident he would hold onto it. But last time, he had been knocked down to second place.
Xuejiao was momentarily surprised but then smiled. "I’ll do my best to stay in this position."
Her fingers tightened slightly. She was even more determined to work hard.
Xuejiao never underestimated anyone, especially not a genius like Chu Sheng. But the more pressure she felt, the stronger her resolve became. Her eyes glimmered with determination.
The monthly exam lasted for two days. As soon as it ended, Xuejiao left school with her bag.
"Zizania! Over here!" Li Sitong waved, standing next to Cheng Mingze.
"Mom, Uncle Cheng," Xuejiao greeted them warmly.
For some reason, she avoided calling Cheng Mingze "brother."
Cheng Mingze frowned slightly, the fingers in his pockets twitching, but he said nothing.
"Let’s go," Li Sitong said with a smile. "After dinner, we’ll head to No. 1 Middle School and stay at a hotel nearby. That way, you’ll be rested for the competition tomorrow morning."
"Oh, thank you, Mom," Xuejiao replied, genuinely appreciative.
"What’s there to thank me for, silly child?" Li Sitong laughed as they got into the car and drove away.
Back at school, Yi Tianyu stood frozen, watching Xuejiao’s car drive off.
"Son? What’s wrong? How did you do on the exam?" Yi Dafa asked, patting him on the shoulder.
"Not bad," Yi Tianyu replied absentmindedly.
In that moment, he felt the gap between himself and Xuejiao widen—one of them was ranked first, preparing for competitions, while the other was still uncertain, spending his time idly.
"Dad, you go home first. I’m going to the school team to practice basketball," Yi Tianyu said suddenly, dropping his bag and running off.
Yi Dafa stared at his retreating figure, shaking his head. "This boy..."
"Brother Yu! It's late. Come back!" Xi Junyang wiped the sweat from his face and raised his voice.
Yi Tianyu wiped his own sweat and continued practicing his shots. "You go back first. I'll practice a bit more!"
"Brother Yu, does it really matter if we don't go to college? Why are you working so hard?" Xi Junyang asked, gasping for breath. "After we graduate high school, we can just go abroad to study finance, come back, and take over the company. What's all this for?"
Yi Tianyu’s hand hesitated mid-shot, and the basketball he threw for a three-pointer bounced off the rim.
"I still want to try. You go ahead first," he replied, his tone resolute.
"Fine, I’ll go. I’ll put the key in the cabinet for you. Make sure to lock up when you’re done, so the coach doesn’t chew me out tomorrow."
"Got it."
As Xi Junyang left, Yi Tianyu stayed behind, continuing his drills under the dim court lights. The basketball court was quiet, save for the rhythmic sound of the ball hitting the ground.
Yi Tianyu leaned forward, hands on his knees, gasping for air. "It’s so hard to keep this up. How does that nerd study every single day without stopping?"
He wiped the sweat off his brow, straightened up, and resumed his shots.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The sound of the basketball echoed in the empty court.
Meanwhile, at the hotel:
"Where did your brother go this evening? I’m so worried!" Li Sitong exclaimed, pacing back and forth as she dialed repeatedly.
"I’m going out to look for him," Cheng Shuo said as he grabbed the car keys. "The competition is tomorrow, and he’s still running around instead of staying in his room!"
"I’ll go too!" Li Sitong added quickly. "Jiaojiao, stay in the hotel and get some rest. We’ll search for Mingze."
Xuejiao nodded, watching anxiously as Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong rushed out of the suite.
Left alone, she sat on the bed, picked up her phone, and opened Lin Zhihua’s messages.
Lin Zhihua’s text read:
"I’ve checked the competition details. The lead examiner this time is Mr. Jiang Kai. There’s very little public information about him, but he’s an experienced contributor to math exams. He’s participated in drafting questions for the college entrance exam several times."
"From his past work, I noticed his approach to questions is conservative at first glance but often contains subtle twists, especially in logical reasoning. Be careful not to assume all the information given in a question is relevant. Some details are deliberately misleading."
"I’ll send you a few examples of his previous questions. Take a look—they’ll give you an idea of his style."
Xuejiao quickly replied, "Thank you!" She opened the examples Lin Zhihua sent and began reviewing them.
The problems were familiar—she had solved them before. Still, she carefully reread and reworked each one, analyzing the solutions with a fresh perspective.
As expected, Jiang Kai’s questions were challenging. His problems often required sharp logical reasoning and an ability to spot traps in the wording or data. If one wasn’t careful, it was easy to fall into those traps.
Xuejiao went over the problems multiple times, cross-checking her solutions before finally putting her pen down. She stretched her stiff neck and glanced at the clock.
It was already 10:00 PM.
"They’re still not back..." she murmured, her brows furrowing as she looked at the clock again.
The family had booked a suite, so she would hear them as soon as they returned. But now, the room was silent, and there was no sign of them.
There’s a competition tomorrow. Xuejiao’s mind wandered. Cheng Mingze...
Suddenly, her eyes widened as a realization struck her.
The day before the competition!
