After recording their fingerprints, Li Wu washed both their bowls and tidied up the kitchen before returning to the living room.
Cen Jin was sitting on the sofa reading, curled up in the corner with a blanket completely wrapped around her lower body, as if this position gave her enough sense of security.
Li Wu observed her for a while, not immediately going to the study, but instead sitting down on a nearby rattan chair.
He crossed his hands on his lap, motionless and silent.
Cen Jin turned a page, noticing the figure to her right in her peripheral vision, and lowered her book, her tone indifferent: "What are you sitting there for?"
Li Wu's fingers curled slightly, as if it took great effort to speak: "You seem to be in a bad mood."
Cen Jin marked the page with her finger and casually placed the book on her knees: "Not just in a bad mood, but I also have a terrible headache."
He hesitated for a moment: "Do we have any painkillers at home?"
Cen Jin continued looking at him: "Finished your homework?"
Li Wu nodded: "Yes."
Cen Jin asked: "Why are you suddenly asking about me?"
"..."
She suddenly became alert, her expression slightly perceptive: "Did Wu Fu say something to you?"
Li Wu shook his head: "No." "Focus on your studies," Cen Jin reopened her book, using the action to declare the conversation over: "Don't worry about adult matters."
Li Wu was momentarily speechless, feeling the woman's complete rejection. He immediately stood up and returned to the study.
The joy brought by recording fingerprints didn't last long before being quickly swallowed by a deeper, more helpless frustration.
He picked up the backpack beside his feet, pulled out all the midterm exam papers, and began redoing them one subject after another.
Studying was the only way for him to return to his true self, investigating things to extend knowledge.
Only when facing the sea of exercises, vocabulary, poetry, cells, elements, and substances could he obtain absolute fairness, equivalence, peace of mind, and belonging - unrelated to love or age.
His concentration and hard work yielded due rewards.
During Monday morning's physics class, after distributing the exam papers, the homeroom teacher didn't immediately begin reviewing but specifically mentioned his name: "Li Wu's physics score is the highest in our class, and it would rank well even in the honors class."
The entire class gasped and murmured in surprise.
The homeroom teacher couldn't hide her pride, then vented at the class: "How have you all been studying? He's a transfer student who's been here less than a month. Shouldn't you be ashamed?"
Some boy interjected: "His name reversed is 'physics'! Clearly he's naturally gifted!"
Everyone laughed.
Li Wu also smiled slightly.
After class, the homeroom teacher called him to the office.
The round-faced woman appeared composed, treating him more amiably than during their first meeting: "Li Wu, you did very well in physics this time. I've also looked into your other scores in advance."
Li Wu stood by the desk and acknowledged with a sound.
"Aside from English being slightly weak, the rest are quite good," the homeroom teacher shook her head as if sighing: "Unexpected, truly unexpected.""
Li Wu asked: "What was my English score?"
"121," the homeroom teacher wasn't entirely sure, turning to call the nearby English teacher: "Wang Chen! Li Wu scored 121, right?"
Teacher Wang checked the grade sheet: "Yes."
Hearing this, Li Wu's expression darkened slightly, apparently unsatisfied.
The homeroom teacher looked up at him again, noticing his expression: "The class and grade rankings haven't been calculated yet, but you should definitely be in the top ten of the class."She spoke with deep concern: "You've just arrived at Yi High School, and I was worried you wouldn't adjust well. But achieving such results in such a short time is truly impressive. Having high standards for yourself is good, but don't push yourself too hard, understand? Besides studying every day, you should also make more friends and balance work with rest."
Li Wu responded: "Okay."
The homeroom teacher added: "Later I'll adjust your seat and pair you with someone who excels in English so you can help each other."
Li Wu nodded: "Thank you, teacher."
"Alright, you can go back to class now."
Returning to the classroom, Li Wu found a group of boys gathered around his desk, with Cheng Rui's voice leading the charge: "148 – how did you even get that score?"
As Li Wu approached, he discovered they were crowded around his physics answer sheet, examining it as if admiring a miniature marvel.
Sensing the approach of the high-scoring owner, several boys simultaneously turned and instinctively cleared a path for him.
Cheng Rui remained immersed in the impeccably neat and flawless handwriting, flipping the answer sheet back and forth several times like frying a pancake, muttering in amazement.
Li Wu stood beside him for a moment before reaching out to retrieve it.
Only then did Cheng Rui snap back to reality, turning to look at him.
Li Wu remained expressionless and asked: "Seen enough?"
Cheng Rui awkwardly stood up, forcing an ingratiating smile: "Was that one wrong fill-in-the-blank intentional to hide your true abilities?"
"I genuinely miscalculated," Li Wu exhaled softly and returned to his seat.
The boys scattered like birds and beasts.
Cheng Rui still lingered by his chair: "I don't believe it, you're such a sly one."
Li Wu raised his eyes: "What did you score in physics?"
"Farewell!" Cheng Rui immediately slipped away as if greased.
The next day, the class ranking list for the midterm exams was posted behind each classroom door. Most students rushed to see it, while the remainder either didn't care or sat at their desks sighing with their chins propped in their hands.
Li Wu kept glancing in that direction, his heart racing as he debated whether to go check.
Fortunately, Cheng Rui was even more concerned than he was. On Li Wu's seventh upward glance, the boy emerged smoothly from the crowd, waving excitedly with a voice that nearly drowned out the break-time noise: "Li Wu! You're sixth! You're absolutely incredible!"
Instantly, the entire class looked in his direction.
Li Wu lowered his head, wishing he could disappear behind his book stand.
Cheng Rui stopped by his desk and said something that would make their Chinese teacher despair: "I'm so proud of you, I'm so happy – is this what it feels like when one person achieves success and their friends benefit too?"
Li Wu couldn't help but laugh, then asked seriously: "Can you see the grade ranking on there?"
Cheng Rui paused, "Hold on."
He dashed back, hopping while searching for Li Wu's name, before finally turning back with a brilliant smile to gesture:
An eight;
A nine.
Eighty-ninth place.
Li Wu's face immediately fell. He leaned back in his chair, remaining completely still for a long time, feeling dejected and at a loss.
Cheng Rui ran back: "What's wrong with you? Eighty-ninth is amazing, okay? Why do you look so utterly defeated?"
Li Wu looked up at him, the light in his eyes dimming abruptly: "Not in the top thirty."
"Dude – the top thirty are all those honors class monsters, okay? You're being really annoying and fake right now, you know? If I were Lin Honglang, I'd have already punched you seeing you like this."
Li Wu looked puzzled: "Why?"
"...Good heavens..." Cheng Rui groaned, looking up at the sky.
Because he hadn't made the top thirty in the grade, Li Wu didn't want to voluntarily tell Cen Jin about his midterm exam results.He feared her disappointment in him, so he could only delay day after day, praying she wouldn’t bring it up herself.
―
On Thursday evening, Cen Jin treated all her familiar colleagues to a farewell dinner. Wu Fu wasn’t among them—he had declined her invitation.
After the meal, the group headed to a KTV to sing. Cen Jin booked them a large private room but sat in a corner herself, holding a glass and tapping to the beat as she watched them laugh, shout, and dance wildly. Under the shimmering lights, she felt like an audience member at a solo film screening—detached, quietly observing the characters in the story: glamorous yet crazed, transforming from people into beasts in a demonic cave.
When the secondhand smoke made her head spin, Cen Jin slipped out to the restroom for some fresh air.
She shut the door tightly, cutting off the singing inside, and leaned against the wall alone, pulling out her phone.
It was already past one in the morning, yet she felt no trace of fatigue or drowsiness.
Returning home, Cen Jin collapsed into a deep sleep.
It was the first time since her marriage fell apart that she slept so soundly and peacefully, as if released from shackles, lost in a dream she never wanted to wake from.
The following afternoon, she went back to the office to clear away all traces of her years there.
Wu Fu happened to be there and proactively helped her pack and carry things, saving her a lot of trouble.
As they walked out side by side, a wave of applause and cheers erupted behind them, as fervent as the excitement during their outdoor wedding when they exchanged diamond rings.
Cen Jin paused mid-step, smiling with relief, but her nose stung with heat.
Before getting into the car, she sniffled, looked at the man before her, and curved her lips: “Thank you.”
Wu Fu gazed at her: “Need a farewell hug?”
“No,” she refused immediately, afraid it would shatter her already fragile tears: “I’m leaving.”
“Alright,” he still watched her: “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
Settling into the car, Cen Jin watched Wu Fu grow distant until he vanished from sight. Only then did she rub her nose firmly, withdrew her gaze, pulled out her phone, and messaged Chun Chang:
I’m free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her snarky friend’s talent for pouring cold water was top-notch: Just cry if you want to. Come out for drinks tonight—I’ve saved both shoulders for you.
Cen Jin stewed for a moment, only to find herself as dry as a sponge, unable to squeeze out a single tear. She replied confidently: Really don’t feel like crying. Cried too much recently—there’s no liquid left in me.
Chun Chang: ? Is divorce that brutal? At the prime of “twenty-eight,” already heading down the path of premature ovarian failure and menopause?
Cen Jin laughed: Get lost.
Chun Chang stopped teasing: When are you going to Aoxing?
Cen Jin: Next Monday.
Chun Chang realized belatedly: You’re taking three days off?? Resigning and taking a mini-vacation right after??
Cen Jin: Yep.
Chun Chang: I’m tempted to follow suit.
Cen Jin: Don’t, don’t be impulsive.
Chun Chang sighed: True, poverty doesn’t allow me to be willful.
She then asked: What about that high school brother of yours? Any new photos? Comfort this aging corporate slave’s heart—preferably in his school uniform.
Cen Jin: ? Cen Jin: No.
Cen Jin hadn’t expected Chun Chang to remain so fixated on Li Wu.
In comparison, she, as the “semi-guardian,” was irresponsibly negligent.
Busy with her resignation, she hadn’t contacted him in nearly a week, even forgetting to ask about his midterm exam results.
Thinking of this, Cen Jin hurried to make amends.She switched to the message screen, intending to send a text asking about his grades. But the next moment, an unbidden memory surfaced from the night she picked him up last week—his unenthusiastic reaction when she brought up exam results. Besides, he hadn’t proactively shared his grades with her these past few days either…
Could it be that he hadn’t done well?
Cen Jin pondered for a moment, then exited the messaging interface.
Changing her approach, she reopened WeChat, found "Teacher Qi," and carefully composed a message: "Hello, Teacher Qi. I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’d like to know Li Wu’s midterm exam results. He hasn’t told me anything, and I’m worried he might be reluctant to share because he didn’t perform well. Rather than asking him directly, I thought I’d take a shortcut through you. If possible, could you send me his scores for each subject? That way, I can better understand his specific situation and help him identify and address any weak areas. Thank you."
After hitting send, Cen Jin rested one hand on the steering wheel and waited anxiously.
Three minutes later, a reply came.
It was a horizontal screenshot—the small preview vaguely showed a grade slip.
Accompanied by a text message.
Teacher Qi: "Li Wu actually did very well, especially in physics—he ranked first in the class, which is outstanding. His math scores are also good, and his total score placed sixth in the class. Both Teacher Zhang and I were quite surprised. You should praise and encourage him more. This child studies very diligently—he’s resilient and driven, with limitless potential."
Cen Jin let out a long sigh of relief, quickly replied with "Thank you, I’ll make sure to cheer him on more," and then opened the image to examine it carefully.
Scanning through each subject in turn, Cen Jin couldn’t help but smile with relief.
However, her smile soon faded into slight irritation and suspicion. She narrowed her eyes slightly:
So, it wasn’t that she had been too busy with her own affairs to pay attention to him…
But rather, he had already been thriving at school and couldn’t be bothered to report his achievements to her?
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