Lin Zhixia claimed she would catch the thief and uphold justice for Duan Qiyan, which suddenly filled Duan Qiyan with an overwhelming sense of security.
Although Lin Zhixia was the youngest student in Class 17 of Grade 7, her intelligence surpassed the average level of her peers. She stood like an unshakable mountain—majestic, lofty, and utterly reliable.
Lin Zhixia examined the padlock on the drawer and asked aloud, "Duan Qiyan, was the lock intact when you came to copy the files?"
"Yes!" Duan Qiyan said firmly. "At 12:37 p.m., I crouched in front of this computer looking for the USB port. It took me two minutes to find it."
Jin Baihui interjected, "You remember the time that precisely?"
Jin Baihui made no attempt to hide her mockery. Several students from other schools were pointing and whispering about Duan Qiyan. His temper flared, and he nearly bolted out of the classroom again, but fortunately, Shen Fuxuan pressed a hand on his shoulder.
Duan Qiyan suppressed the impulse and hurriedly defended himself, "I was wearing an electronic watch! I thought I’d find the USB port in two seconds—I never expected it would take two minutes…"
Lin Zhixia turned to face Jin Baihui. "When did you discover the lock was broken, and who found it?"
"I did!" the Class 18 monitor said. "I went to the restroom and came back to find the drawer open."
Duan Qiyan reiterated, "It definitely wasn’t me. At 1:10 p.m., I went to the cafeteria to buy a chicken burger and brought it back to the classroom to eat. It’s not like I could eat a burger and pick a lock at the same time."
A boy from another school said suspiciously, "We were all sleeping at the back of the classroom. Who knows if Duan Qiyan is lying or not?"
Lin Zhixia looked at the boy and asked, "Were you sleeping at the back of the classroom the whole time?"
The boy replied, "Yeah."
Lin Zhixia raised her head, her gaze sharp and penetrating as she fixed it on him. She deduced, "Assuming Duan Qiyan isn’t lying, then this lock was intact before 1:10 p.m. today. Since Duan Qiyan’s seat is in the row against the wall, the most convenient path for him to leave would be past the teacher’s desk. I suspect that after he left, someone tampered with it."
Upon hearing Lin Zhixia’s words, the Class 18 monitor suddenly froze, then called out loudly, "Hello, Teacher Wang!"
Everyone turned to look at the doorway, where Teacher Wang, the homeroom teacher of Class 18, had already entered.
Teacher Wang stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unusually stern. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his voice was low as he said, "Are you students rebelling? Who opened the drawer?"
Jiang Yubai responded, "We don’t know yet."
Teacher Wang stepped onto the platform.
Jin Baihui reported to him, "Teacher Wang, at noon, I saw Duan Qiyan crouching near the teacher’s desk for several minutes."
Teacher Wang’s gaze swept over Duan Qiyan, who sensed that Teacher Wang now regarded him as a suspect. He was at a loss for words, his mind going blank. His eyes grew dull and fearful, making him look even more like a student who had done something wrong.
Teacher Wang asked him, "Was it you, Duan Qiyan?"
Duan Qiyan’s lips trembled, and he let out a shaky "Ah."
Teacher Wang said bluntly, "Duan Qiyan, when Teacher Zhang arrives, you should go and confess your mistake to him. If you admit your fault and correct it, you can still be a good student of Class 17."Teacher Wang was a kind and gentle educator. Had it been another teacher with a quick temper, seeing Duan Qiyan's "protesting too much" demeanor would likely have provoked an immediate outburst.
A sophomore remarked, "Stealing exam papers is such a serious offense, yet Teacher Wang isn't even angry." I almost wish I could transfer to her class."
Another upperclassman added, "How could a boy from Class 17, Grade 7 pick the lock? Isn't that asking for trouble?"
Many students from Class 17 felt deeply embarrassed.
Jiang Yubai pushed Duan Qiyan aside and stepped forward. "Teacher Wang, Duan Qiyan brought a USB drive. He copied the files using the USB port—he didn't pick the lock."
Teacher Wang glanced at him. "Alright, return to your seats now. Class is about to start. This isn't a minor matter; we'll wait for Teacher Zhai and Teacher Zhang to arrive."
Every word from Teacher Wang felt like a knife, straight through Duan Qiyan's heart. This was the first time in his life he had been suspected by a teacher. Around him, numerous students were gossiping, saying he had gone crazy in the morning and picked the lock at noon—what a shameless boy.
Duan Qiyan's eyes turned red, faint bloodshot veins appearing.
Jin Baihui exchanged a few more words with Teacher Wang.
Filled with rage and with no outlet, Duan Qiyan couldn't help but curse, "Jin Baihui, you're an idiot! Even if you solve a hundred problems, you'll never surpass Lin Zhixia. What right do you have to spout nonsense? If I really had picked the lock, I'd smash the test papers right on your head so you could finally rank first in the grade for once!"
Truth be told, Duan Qiyan was a clever kid. He had accurately hit Jin Baihui's sore spot. Without another word, she rolled up her sleeves and charged at him.
Jin Baihui didn't care that she was a girl and he was a boy. She was decisive and ready to fight if she wanted to! She threw a punch at Duan Qiyan's lower back, but he sidestepped and roared, "You're the only lunatic in Class 18, one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel!"
The podium descended into chaos.
Teacher Wang was also angry. She slammed the lectern and scolded sternly, "Duan Qiyan, how can you use such language? You're a student in the Provincial No. 1 High School's Olympiad class! Aren't you ashamed enough already?"
"Teacher Wang, I've found the real thief," Lin Zhixia's voice suddenly rang out.
The lecture hall was nearly full, and Teacher Zhai and Teacher Zhang had arrived at the classroom door.
Lin Zhixia pointed at a boy from another school and analyzed, "There are twenty rows of seats in this lecture hall. This morning, this student sat in the third seat of the first row. This afternoon, he moved to the second seat of the seventeenth row. Why? Because the left side of the podium is near the classroom door, and the first row is on the far left. When the thief was picking the lock, he had to watch for anyone outside the door. If someone appeared, he'd instinctively avoid them and flee to the right—where most of our Grade 7 Classes 17 and 18 are seated. At noon today, most Grade 7 students went home for lunch, making the right side much safer. So, he simply moved to the seventeenth row... His classmates weren't nearby. Something unusual is always suspicious."
The boy from the other school stood up abruptly, his face pale and eyes fierce. "You're talking nonsense!"
His expression was terrifying, as if he wanted to devour Lin Zhixia.Jiang Yubai immediately stepped in front of Lin Zhixia and stood still. Lin Zhixia hid behind Jiang Yubai, calmly stating, "I still have several arguments."
The boy's left hand brushed past his pants pocket, and his classmate called out, "Kuang Geng!"
Lin Zhixia quickly interjected, "Your name is Kuang Geng? Well then, classmate Kuang Geng, you just told me you slept at the back of the classroom all noon, and everyone at the lectern heard it—they can all testify for me!"
Shen Fuxuan took the lead in responding, "I heard it! I'll testify!"
Lin Zhixia continued, "Kuang Geng claimed he slept at the back of the classroom all noon, but his seat is in the front row, his desk is covered with reference books and notebooks, and even the cap of his fountain pen isn't closed. This will cause the pen tip to dry out easily..."
Kuang Geng lifted his thigh and bumped it against the edge of the desk. "So I forgot to cap my pen? Is that not allowed? Is it illegal? You accuse Jin Baihui of wronging Duan Qiyan, and now you have the nerve to wrong me?"
A classmate from Class 18 commented, "Lin Zhixia is... using a diversionary tactic here!"
No matter what others said, Lin Zhixia remained unfazed. She spoke unhurriedly, "Most importantly, the lock was pried open with a paper clip, and you, classmate Kuang Geng, brought a box of paper clips. I remember clearly—this morning, you placed a box of paper clips on your desk. My memory can't be wrong. You're the only one in the whole class who brought paper clips."
At this point, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai exchanged glances.
Jiang Yubai tugged at Shen Fuxuan and Duan Qiyan's sleeves, and the three of them rushed straight toward Kuang Geng.
Kuang Geng wanted to escape, but it was too late. Jiang Yubai and Duan Qiyan firmly grasped his wrists from left and right, while Shen Fuxuan reached into Kuang Geng's left pants pocket and indeed pulled out two paper clips bent into straight lines.
Only then did one of Kuang Geng's classmates speak up, "Teacher Wang, this noon... Kuang Geng didn't take a nap. He kept getting up, walking outside for a round, and then coming back to the classroom."
With both witnesses and physical evidence present, Kuang Geng had nothing to say for the moment. He clenched his knuckles until they made a "cracking" sound, which silenced the surrounding discussions—all the nearby classmates felt the terrifying low pressure emanating from Kuang Geng.
The homeroom teacher of Class 17, Teacher Zhang, was furious and about to speak when the head coach, Teacher Zhai, raised a hand and forcefully stopped him.
Teacher Zhai said calmly, "Classmates, please return to your seats first."
All the students gradually returned to their places. Teacher Zhai walked up to Kuang Geng and told him, "Kuang Geng, look up. Do you see the black circle on the ceiling? That's a security camera our school installed this year. Ah, the teacher already knew what happened in the classroom..."
A few meters away, Lin Zhixia tilted her head back, looked up at the ceiling, and stared at the black circle. She whispered very softly, "Is that a security camera?"
Shen Fuxuan sat to her right, and Jiang Yubai sat to her left. After Lin Zhixia spoke, Jiang Yubai and Shen Fuxuan also looked up and observed for a moment.
Shen Fuxuan said decisively, "My mom said that the lecture hall in the junior high department won't have security cameras installed until this summer vacation."
Shen Fuxuan thought to himself: Why is Teacher Zhai lying?Although Kuang Geng was a student, he didn't belong to Provincial First High School and was unfamiliar with the lecture hall's facilities. Foolishly believing Teacher Zhai's words, he could only plead for leniency through honesty: "I... didn't want to take the exam. I only picked the lock once, and it opened right away."
Teacher Zhai gestured for him to sit, speaking kindly: "That's normal, not wanting to take exams is completely normal! Don't think just because I'm older there's a generation gap - when I was a student, I didn't want to take exams either. Who actually likes exams? Is there anyone in our class who enjoys taking tests?"
Lin Zhixia didn't dare make a sound.
Teacher Zhai walked back to the podium, calmly taking control of the situation: "I understand how you all feel, I truly do. I'm a teacher, but I was once a student too. I want to tell you that exams are just small challenges in life. They help you assess your academic level and allow teachers to evaluate their teaching quality. A single exam can bring win-win results."
The lecture hall fell completely silent. Teacher Zhai coughed lightly before continuing: "Today's exam is canceled, but don't let this happen again. Everyone must stay focused - the training camp assignments must be completed, otherwise we'd all be wasting our time. Understood?"
A chorus of voices responded from below: "Understood!"
Teacher Zhai yielded the podium to Teacher Zhang, who picked up the teaching plan with an unchanged expression and proceeded to explain junior high competition knowledge points.
The afternoon passed swiftly, and before they knew it, evening arrived at five o'clock. Winter days were particularly short, and now the sky was enveloped in twilight as the sunset withdrew its final rays. All students shouldered their backpacks and filed out of the classroom.
Teacher Zhai stood at the doorway, stopping Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai, Shen Fuxuan, Duan Qiyan, and Jin Baihui, instructing all five of them to come to the office.
Lin Zhixia asked in surprise: "Teacher Zhai, do I need to go to the office too?"
"Yes, all of you," Teacher Zhai replied.
Lin Zhixia tugged at Jiang Yubai's backpack strap. Jiang Yubai whispered to her: "It's fine, don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid at all," Lin Zhixia said to herself. "I just don't quite understand why we're being called to the office while Kuang Geng gets to go straight home."
Teacher Zhai opened the office door wide and invited the five students to sit. His office was neatly organized, with a half-warm cup of tea in an enamel mug on the desk.
Picking up his cup, Teacher Zhai sighed: "I'm not punishing that Kuang Geng for two reasons. First, he's not our school's student, so I have no authority over him. Second, when I discovered he picked the lock, I gave up on him. I have no expectations of him, do you understand? Starting next week, we'll begin small-class teaching. The classes will be divided into advanced and basic classes. Kuang Geng will be placed in the most fundamental basic class, taught by newly graduated teachers. It wouldn't matter if he never showed up."
Jin Baihui said without emotion: "Just as well. He didn't want to take the exam, so he doesn't deserve to study in the advanced class."
Teacher Zhai waved a hand at her: "Jin Baihui, I heard from Teacher Wang that you wronged Duan Qiyan. That's not good, really not good. You're one of our most promising students, you understand? Jin Baihui, you need to maintain a balanced and steady mindset..."
Jin Baihui tilted her head and glanced at Lin Zhixia: "Lin Zhixia isn't maintaining a balanced mindset either. She gathered a group of people to identify Kuang Geng.""Right," Teacher Zhai tapped his fingers on the table, "this is the point I want to emphasize most. Lin Zhixia, listen carefully..."
Teacher Zhai's tone became exceptionally gentle and kind: "Lin Zhixia, your primary tasks are studying and competitions. Don't concern yourself with others. If you encounter any issues at school, come directly to me or your homeroom teacher, Teacher Zhang. You're all so young. Look at that Kuang Geng today - how bold was he? Daring to pick a lock openly at school. With so many students coming and going in the classroom, he could have been discovered at any moment, yet he still dared to pick the lock. What kind of mental fortitude is that?"
Lin Zhixia listened in confusion: "So?"
Teacher Zhai held his teacup with both hands, patiently explaining: "Lin Zhixia, your logical thinking is meticulous, and I'm pleased you were able to uncover him. But we should avoid getting involved in such troublesome matters whenever possible. Competitions are your main focus."
After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhixia responded: "I understand. You're worried he might hold a grudge against me and cause trouble for me. I could tell his mental state isn't very healthy. He kept cracking his knuckles for a long, long time. Doesn't that hurt a bit? But he didn't seem to feel the pain."
Teacher Zhai sighed: "Yes, just as Teacher Zhang and others have said, Lin Zhixia is truly clever. But don't worry - I've calmed him down, and you'll be separated into different classes soon. You won't see him anymore."
Duan Qiyan's eyebrows furrowed suddenly as he declared: "I'll protect Lin Zhixia."
Jiang Yubai was immediately stunned.
Teacher Zhai also seemed somewhat taken aback: "Huh?"
Jiang Yubai stepped forward half a step. He turned sideways, his gaze directly meeting Duan Qiyan's. He understood that since Lin Zhixia had stood up for Duan Qiyan and cleared his name, Duan Qiyan's attitude toward her might have done a complete one-eighty.
Jiang Yubai's reasoning was absolutely correct. In fact, Duan Qiyan said openly in front of Teacher Zhai without any reservation: "Teacher Zhai, I'm a student from Class 17. Lin Zhixia only helped me because I was wrongly accused. She's the class monitor of Class 17. Teacher Zhai, don't scold her - she was just fulfilling her duties as monitor. If you need to blame someone, blame me."
Teacher Zhai countered: "Did I criticize her? Aren't I just presenting the facts and reasoning with you?"
Lin Zhixia understood Teacher Zhai's good intentions. To be frank, the teachers in the Olympiad class treated Lin Zhixia with spring-like warmth. She received special care at school, with teachers viewing her as a rising star, hoping she would bring glory to the junior high division of Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
Lin Zhixia smoothed things over: "Thank you, Teacher Zhai. I'll be more careful in the future."
Seeing how intelligent and sensible she was, Teacher Zhai couldn't help but nod: "Good. What I want to tell you all is that you five are all promising talents in our Olympiad class. If you encounter any problems, come to your teachers - don't try to handle everything yourselves. Your teachers are your strong support. Alright, you may go home now. Be careful on your way."
The five students responded in unison.
The sky had darkened, with pale moonlight shining down. Lin Zhixia and her classmates walked out of the school together before going their separate ways at the school gate.Jin Baihui only said "goodbye" to Lin Zhixia before walking straight toward the bus stop without looking back, needing neither friends nor company. It seemed that even one extra word with others would waste her precious time.
Shen Fuxuan watched Jin Baihui's retreating figure from afar and shrugged. Standing by the roadside, he opened the door of an S-class Mercedes sedan, took the passenger seat, and called out, "Lin Zhixia! My dad's here to pick me up. Want us to give you a ride home?"
Lin Zhixia quickly replied, "No need, I'll go home by myself. See you tomorrow!"
Shen Fuxuan waved as the Mercedes started its engine and gradually disappeared into the dim evening.
A light snow began to fall from the sky, the flakes drifting like willow catkins, barely visible as they touched the ground.
The road was slippery from the snow. Duan Qiyan pushed his bicycle, slowly passing by Lin Zhixia. He seemed to want to say something to her, but Jiang Yubai kept staring at him. Jiang Yubai's gaze was like countless bright lamps, making Duan Qiyan feel exposed and unable to express the gratitude in his heart. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't say in front of Jiang Yubai: "Lin Zhixia, thank you, you're such a great person."
If Duan Qiyan spoke his mind, Jiang Yubai would sneer and mock him. So Duan Qiyan could only abandon his original plan and vaguely said, "Lin Zhixia, you're a good class monitor."
Lin Zhixia nodded. "Please call me Monitor Lin."
Duan Qiyan swung his long leg over the bicycle seat. "Alright, Monitor Lin!" With that, he pushed hard on the pedals with his shoes, shooting off like an arrow from a bow onto the bicycle lane, completely unafraid of slipping on the road.
These classmates had all left one after another. Jiang Yubai also walked toward his family's car. After some consideration, he said, "Lin Zhixia, let me take you home. It's dark now, and we can discuss geometry and algebra problems in the car."
The streetlights cast a warm orange glow, making the snowy nightscape faintly luminous. Jiang Yubai found himself standing alone with only his own shadow for company. When he turned around, he realized Lin Zhixia had already crossed the street by herself. She stood at the bus stop on the opposite side, waving at Jiang Yubai.
"See you tomorrow!" she said cheerfully.
Her smile was exceptionally sweet—much brighter than when she had bid farewell to the other three classmates. Compared to Duan Qiyan, Jin Baihui, and Shen Fuxuan... she looked forward more to seeing Jiang Yubai tomorrow.
Jiang Yubai returned her smile. "See you tomorrow."
For Lin Zhixia, the winter break training camp was an extremely joyful period. From Monday to Friday, she could see her classmates, and on Saturdays and Sundays, she could enrich herself at the university library. Sister Zhu Chan treated her particularly well—or, more accurately, all the doctoral students she knew treated her exceptionally well, though their kindness felt more like treating her as a young child rather than the fully equal intellectual exchange she most desired.
Whenever Lin Zhixia was present, the adults would carefully watch their words, and the office atmosphere became solemn and quiet. Some doctoral students from various departments mistakenly believed Lin Zhixia was Professor Shen's granddaughter, making their interactions even more polite. Lin Zhixia understood this was primarily because of her young age.She confided in Jiang Yubai, "The world is complex and ever-changing. Do adults use a fixed set of standards to evaluate others? Jiang Yubai, have you ever thought about this?"
She quietly asked Jiang Yubai during the small class session.
Jiang Yubai looked at the blackboard and replied in a low voice, "We'll talk after class."
Lin Zhixia nodded repeatedly and obediently fell silent.
After the first week of winter break intensive training concluded with an exam, Teacher Zhai divided the students into advanced and basic classes based on their scores. Lin Zhixia maintained her top-ranking performance, with a total score even surpassing that of the second-year junior high school seniors. She, Jiang Yubai, Shen Fuxuan, Jin Baihui, and Duan Qiyan were all key students in the first-year Olympiad class, receiving special attention. Teacher Zhai personally took charge, serving as their head coach.
Teacher Zhai had extensive teaching experience. Not only was he skilled at tailoring his instruction to individual students, but he also excelled at addressing their psychological states. A brief chat with Jin Baihui after class could ease her intense focus on problem-solving, and her expression while studying gradually became more relaxed day by day.
Teacher Zhai’s lessons were concise, high-quality, and well-organized. Jiang Yubai never lost focus in his class, not even chatting with Lin Zhixia. Only when the bell rang would Jiang Yubai step out of the world of mathematics and discuss topics that interested Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia, cupping her face in her hands, said cheerfully, "Jiang Yubai, you listen so attentively—maybe we’ll be able to skip a grade again soon!"
Jiang Yubai had no immediate plans to skip a grade. His daily schedule was packed. Every night at 8:30, he would lie in bed and fall asleep in under a minute. If he skipped another grade, he might have to stay up past 8:30. Lack of sleep during his growth period could prevent him from reaching his target adult height of 1.88 meters.
That was absolutely unacceptable.
Jiang Yubai took his height very seriously.
So he said, "I listen attentively because... I don’t understand."
Admitting he didn’t understand was already a significant challenge for Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia patiently reassured him, "It’s okay. Everyone has knowledge they don’t understand. We exist in this world to gather information—your eyes, nose, ears, and all your senses are your sources of input."
Jiang Yubai asked her, "Can you still take in information during class?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia replied. "From the perspective of junior high math competitions, Teacher Zhai’s problems are on the difficult side. I can further transform them—like thinking of a circle, then a ring, and then Riemannian space."
The term "Riemannian space" sounded like advanced mathematics. Jiang Yubai had no understanding of that field; his notebook only contained geometry problems from junior high competitions. He quietly closed his notebook. After a moment, he asked, "What do the Ph.D. students you know do every day?"
"They all have their own lines of thought," Lin Zhixia described. "They read papers, conduct experiments, and search for innovative points... Since the ones I know are in pure mathematics, physics, and computer science, their daily work tends to be quite solitary—probably not as lively as you imagine."
Jiang Yubai paused, spinning his pen. Indeed, in his imagination, Ph.D. students spent their days in lively academic discussions, as if a hundred Lin Zhixias were gathered together from morning till night.
But Lin Zhixia told him, "When scholars choose a direction, they must have their own reflections. And reflection itself often implies quiet and solitude. Only when you have results from your reflections can you communicate with others."Jiang Yubai turned to look at her: "Is that the path you want to take?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia replied, "Professor Shen and I made a pinky promise."
Jiang Yubai had been present on the day Lin Zhixia made that pinky promise with Professor Shen. He was deeply impressed by Professor Shen and felt a flicker of yearning toward scientific research himself.
Lin Zhixia seemed to read his thoughts, asking him again: "Jiang Yubai, do you also want to do scientific research?"
"Doing scientific research" probably required innate talent like Lin Zhixia's—thinking this, Jiang Yubai decided to give up early. He wasn't feeling intimidated by the difficulty, he simply understood the principle of "you can't have your cake and eat it too." Dad said even mature men can't manage everything at once.
After careful consideration, Jiang Yubai briefly told Lin Zhixia: "Not really."
He expected Lin Zhixia to urge him to think twice, to encourage him to love science and devote himself to research. However, Lin Zhixia's reaction surprised him. She whispered: "Everyone has their own choices and directions, that's what makes the world wonderful..."
Jiang Yubai interrupted: "I won't be able to research science with you in the future..."
"You and I are different, that's why you're Jiang Yubai and I'm Lin Zhixia," Lin Zhixia met his gaze, speaking more seriously, "You are the one and only Jiang Yubai."
Exactly.
He was the one and only Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia was merely stating a fact.
The tips of Jiang Yubai's ears grew slightly warm, possibly turning a bit red. He didn't want his classmates to notice.
Fortunately, Jiang Yubai's winter coats all had hoods. He immediately grabbed his hood with one hand and pulled it over his head. Sitting by the wall, his back straight and upright, his handwriting neat and forceful, Teacher Zhai passed by him and asked: "Jiang Yubai, why are you wearing a hood in the classroom? Are you cold? Should I turn up the air conditioning temperature?"
"No need, thank you," Jiang Yubai replied, "I'm focusing on taking notes."
The winter vacation lasted a full month. Except for the three-day Spring Festival holiday and weekend breaks, most students in the Olympiad class were attending intensive training during other times. Jiang Yubai held himself to even higher standards with strict requirements. After a winter of concentrated training, he successfully stood out in the competitive small-class teaching environment, earning very high praise from Teacher Zhai.
After the training camp ended, Teacher Zhai wrote evaluations for every student in the class. The comment left for Jiang Yubai read: Student Jiang Yubai, diligent and motivated, quick and eager to learn—teacher believes you will definitely achieve good results in the competition. There's just one issue: you often wear your hood after class. If you've caught a cold, please report it promptly. Learning isn't the top priority—health comes first.
Jiang Yubai could feel the teacher's concern and care. Feeling embarrassed internally but maintaining composure outwardly, he carefully put away the evaluation and report card.
That evening, Jiang Yubai returned home as usual. While organizing his backpack in his bedroom, his uncle suddenly burst into his room, asking: "Xiao Jiang, did you miss your uncle a lot during these two months I was performing in the Southern Hemisphere?"
Jiang Yubai looked at him quietly, but said: "No."
His uncle made an exaggerated heart-clutching gesture: "Really? Your uncle doesn't believe you."
Jiang Yubai explained: "I've been taking supplementary classes for a month, very busy."
Last December, his uncle had traveled to Australia and New Zealand with his orchestra.In the Southern Hemisphere, the summer sun was radiant, and Uncle seemed to have tanned a shade darker, though he didn't mind at all. He even removed his gloves, revealing a pair of flawless hands that showcased masculine strength from the bones to the tendons. He remarked, "The performances in Australia exhausted me. Playing the piano is better—you don't have to carry the instrument yourselves... Xiao Jiang, I heard from your dad that you didn't go anywhere during winter break and just crammed like crazy, right? Your diligence reminds me so much of myself. When I was ten, I practiced the piano relentlessly every day. Your dad was shocked by my hard work..."
Before Uncle could finish, Jiang Yubai's father arrived.
Jiang Yubai called out, "Dad."
Uncle immediately turned and echoed, "Big Brother."
Dad walked over to Jiang Yubai and sat in a soft armchair. He noticed the report card on the table but never reached for Jiang Yubai's things himself. With just a glance, Jiang Yubai tucked the report card into his backpack.
Dad smiled and asked quietly, "Didn't do well on the exams?"
After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Yubai handed the report card to Uncle. Uncle opened it and, like a loudspeaker, announced on the spot, "Jiang Yubai, Class 17, Grade 7. Winter intensive training math total score: A+. Overall ranking: top 5% in the grade."
"Very good," Dad said. "That reflects your ability."
Uncle chimed in, "Yes, that's the standard in our family."
Dad rested his left hand on the arm of the chair. On his wrist was a mechanical watch with a sapphire crystal, showing the time as 7:30 PM. Dad reminded him, "In another hour, you need to go to bed."
Jiang Yubai nodded. "Mm-hmm."
Leaning slightly forward, Dad asked gently, "Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
Uncle sat cross-legged on the floor. The ground was covered with a soft, clean carpet, and he straightened his back, advising, "Xiao Jiang, if you have something to say, speak up directly."
Jiang Yubai confessed frankly, "I want to compete in the provincial contest, the national league, and the international Olympiad competition."
Dad gave a nod. "Very good. Ambitious goals."
Jiang Yubai stood up from his seat. Letting go of his backpack, he declared, "I'm not joining the competitions just to secure a spot—I'm aiming for first place. In team events, my teammates are strong. In individual events, I can't hold them back."
Dad met his gaze. "You've been studying all winter break with hardly any relaxation. Your mom and I are a bit concerned, but it's alright. With your firm goals, I'm happy to see your progress."
Dad reached out to Jiang Yubai, and they shook hands—a way his father encouraged him. Since childhood, whenever he faced difficulties and hinted at them to his father, Dad would shake his hand and bless him as he did now: "Keep it up, son."
Uncle also moved to place his hand over theirs, but Dad said, "Your hands are insured for tens of millions of dollars—better not. Don't shake hands with Jiang Yubai."
Uncle was utterly shocked. "What are tens of millions to you? Just a tiny figure."
Dad replied slowly, "It's not a small figure; it's a large one. Adults should treat money seriously in front of children. When Jiang Yubai enters the investment field in the future, he'll need to pay even more attention to risk management."Jiang Yubai replied, "Yes, I agree with Dad."
Uncle had never contradicted Dad before. He quickly conceded, "Indeed, you're right. This is our family's way of thinking, and I agree too." Then he asked, "Jiang Yubai, when does your competition... begin?"
Jiang Yubai answered truthfully, "The league starts in April. There are two other competitions—preliminaries in early March and finals in April. The team competition is an international event. If I perform well in these upcoming exams, I'll form a team with classmates to participate in the international competition."
"Which classmate?"Uncle keenly detected, 'Is it Lin Zhixia?'""
Dad immediately caught the key point: "Lin Zhixia?"
Before Jiang Yubai could respond, Uncle provided a thorough introduction: "Big brother, let me tell you, there's a classmate in Jiang Yubai's class named Lin Zhixia. She was originally in fourth grade with Jiang Yubai at the Experimental Primary School. Later, after visiting Shen Zhaohua's Laboratory together, they both decided to skip grades and jumped directly to the provincial No.1 Middle School's junior high Olympiad class. Big brother, you might wonder—Lin Zhixia is just a ten-year-old girl. How could she skip grades with our Xiao Jiang? Does her family also have a bunch of math and English tutors?"
Jiang Yubai interrupted, "There's nothing worth discussing about this."
But Dad said, "I don't often get opportunities to learn about your classmates. It's good to hear your uncle talk about them."Obligingly, Uncle added: "Lin Zhixia has no tutors." Her skills are entirely natural. In the physics department's experimental building, she amazed a group of Shen Zhaohua's doctoral students—I was amazed too. It was my first time seeing such a young girl who loves physics and mathematics so much and can understand those complex concepts. Her foreign language skills are also excellent—she can speak at least German and English. Big brother, you know my German is quite good. I personally tested Lin Zhixia's German, and she should have no problem communicating in German with native speakers. Jiang Yubai told me Lin Zhixia's IQ is about 174... 174, big brother, think about it carefully. Although our Xiao Jiang is smart, he can't compare with a 174-IQ little girl. By being friends with a 174-IQ classmate, Xiao Jiang can learn many things.Though Uncle's words carried strong guidance, Dad remained unaffected. After listening, he immediately looked at his son: "Jiang Yubai, did you want to skip grades because you wanted to follow this classmate's footsteps?"
Jiang Yubai denied, "No.Dad didn't refute. He simply looked at him, waiting for him to explain his reasons.
After careful consideration, Jiang Yubai answered, "Skipping grades was my decision first. Lin Zhixia followed me in skipping grades. We... get along quite well, as friends. We often discuss mathematical problems together."
The word "discuss" wasn't entirely accurate.
Most of the time, it was basically Lin Zhixia unilaterally tutoring Jiang Yubai. And Jiang Yubai had gradually grown accustomed to Lin Zhixia's tutoring.
Receiving Lin Zhixia's guidance at school and his teachers' instruction at home, Jiang Yubai's progress in mathematical competitions could be described as remarkably rapid."Anyway," Dad concluded, "judging by your tone, you're determined to stick with the competition path no matter what. If you encounter setbacks along the way, you can give up anytime—no need to compare yourself with classmates who have an IQ of 174."
Jiang Yubai nodded in agreement.
He suddenly began looking forward to the preliminary competition in March.
Dad wanted to teach him how to give up, but he would use the competition results to prove himself.
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