Yi High School was also located on Qingping Road, not far from Cen Jin's marital home.
Initially, when she and Wu Fu had chosen to settle here, it was with their future child’s schooling in mind. Little did they expect that, just as they were laying the groundwork for their plans, they would find themselves on the verge of parting ways.
Passing by the south gate of the residential complex and driving another five hundred meters west, they arrived at Yi High School.
It was a century-old institution that integrated both junior and senior high school education, boasting the finest faculty and student resources in the entire province.
As the saying goes, "A good tree bears no rotten fruit." Parents fought tooth and nail to secure a spot for their children here. One could say that becoming a student at Yi High was equivalent to having one foot already inside the gates of a prestigious university.
Along the way, Cen Jin had given Li Wu plenty of advice and reminders, all of which the young man acknowledged one by one.
She felt relatively at ease with Li Wu—he was a steady, reserved boy, not the type of slick talker who loved to show off and often ended up saying too much and making mistakes.
Yi High stood tall with its stone pillars and strict access control.
Having previously coordinated with Teacher Qi, as soon as they encountered the security guard, he asked, "Are you here to see Director Qi?"
Cen Jin nodded.
The guard immediately opened the sliding gate to let them through and pointed out an underground parking spot.
Cen Jin thanked him and drove slowly inside.
As the car descended, the surroundings gradually darkened. Cen Jin glanced at Li Wu to gauge his expression. "Nervous?"
Li Wu nodded. "A little."
"Don’t be afraid," she reassured him while steering around a curve. "We're just meeting a teacher. Answer whatever he asks, and that’ll be enough."
Cen Jin asked, "How are your math grades?"
Li Wu replied, "Average."
"You can’t answer the teacher like that later," Cen Jin encouraged him. "Be a bit more confident."
"...What should I say?"
"'Not bad, it’s my best subject,'" she suggested, raising an eyebrow. "I’ve looked through your test papers—your math scores seem pretty good. It should be your strongest subject, right?"
"No," Li Wu denied. "It’s physics."
Cen Jin calmly reversed the car. "See? You’re already sounding more confident."
Li Wu fell silent, offering no reply.
Cen Jin stepped on the brake. "But the teacher we’re meeting today teaches math. He’s mentored quite a few international math Olympiad champions."
Li Wu pressed his lips together. "Mm."
Cen Jin unbuckled her seatbelt and looked at him again. "Li Wu, have you ever told a lie?"
The young man shook his head.
Cen Jin bit her lip. "Then say, 'Math is my favorite subject.' Surely you can manage something like that, a little tactful?"
Li Wu hesitated, his voice low. "My favorite is still physics."
Cen Jin couldn’t help but laugh. "Suit yourself." After all, it wouldn’t be her who suffered—only this stubborn, inflexible kid.
The two got out of the car and walked out of the underground garage, one after the other.
Cen Jin felt somewhat nervous, taking shallow breaths to calm herself.
She rarely faced important people or situations alone. Even at work, she had her own team to discuss and decide on plans and deliverables together. The decks she prepared were mostly presented by Wu Fu.
It was class time, and the campus pathways were quiet, with only the rustle of camphor leaves and the chirping of birds.
In the distance, the lush green playground echoed with the students’ synchronized shouts.
Though faint and indistinct, the sound stirred something in Li Wu’s heart, as if he had already become one of them, running freely and tirelessly along the track.
But for Cen Jin, that kind of heartfelt resonance felt very distant. In just a brief moment, she withdrew her gaze and stepped onto the stone stairs of Wenzhi Building.
Director Qi’s office was on the second floor.Stopping in the lobby, Cen Jin made another call to him and followed the directions he provided to locate his exact position.
The office door was wide open, filled with lively conversation and laughter from both men and women. The local Yishi dialect mingled with Mandarin, creating a warmly familiar atmosphere.
Cen Jin knocked on the doorframe, and the chatter ceased abruptly.
She adjusted her smile, ensuring it was appropriately warm, then leaned in and introduced herself: "Excuse me, I'm here to find..."
With just one glance, the middle-aged man behind the desk recognized her: "You're Old Cen's daughter, right?"
Cen Jin's eyes curved into crescents as she nodded. "Hello, Teacher Qi."
"Come in, come in, hurry inside. Did you bring the kid along?" The man in a gray-blue shirt quickly waved her in, while the staff chatting idly around his desk scattered back to their seats.
"Yes, I brought him." Cen Jin glanced back, signaling Li Wu to follow her.
Noticing the teenager, Qi Sixian paused briefly, then raised his brows in a smile. "This must be him, right? Your dad mentioned his name is Li Wu, isn't it?"
Li Wu nodded, then immediately remembered how Cen Jin had repeatedly reminded him to speak more instead of just nodding or shaking his head. He promptly said, "Hello, Teacher Qi."
His enunciation was clear, his tone clean, without any muddled quality.
"Ah, good," Qi Sixian laughed, looking up to assess him. "Quite tall."
Cen Jin chimed in, "Just two years ago, he wasn't even as tall as me."
Qi Sixian remarked, "He looks neat and tidy too—much better than those boys in my class who fuss over their hairstyles all the time." He snorted in sudden irritation. "They don't focus enough on studying; maybe they want to be celebrities instead."
"I heard from my dad that your class has always been ranked first in the school," Cen Jin shared some of the information her father had given her. "Maybe they've already secured their academics and are now thinking about how to raise the class's average attractiveness."
Qi Sixian's eyes crinkled into slits as he laughed. "As long as their grades are outstanding, I don't care if they look like angels or monsters."
He didn't digress further, steering the conversation back on track. He asked Li Wu, "You used to study in Nongxi, right?"
Li Wu replied, "Yes."
Qi Sixian nodded. Considering the crowded and potentially distracting office, he suggested, "Let me take you both for a walk around, so you can get familiar with the campus."
Surprised by how smoothly things were going, Cen Jin's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed.
The three of them headed downstairs, passing the school motto monument in the center of the flowerbed as Qi Sixian began introducing the teaching buildings.
Cen Jin responded occasionally, while Li Wu listened quietly throughout.
As they passed by a first-floor classroom, the students inside craned their necks curiously like a flock of geese.
The next moment, the teacher at the lectern scolded them sharply, and they all retracted their heads in unison.
Noticing their uniform attire, Cen Jin asked quietly, "Teacher Qi, do students here need to have their uniforms custom-made?"
Qi Sixian said, "Yes. After you get him settled in the dorm tomorrow, take Li Wu to the general affairs office to get measured. You should be able to pick them up this time next week."
Cen Jin thanked him.
Qi Sixian asked, "Xiao Cen, which high school did you attend before?"
"Fuzhong."
"Your dad lacked foresight," Qi Sixian snorted. "Why didn't he arrange for you to come here back then? Uncle could've taken better care of you."
Cen Jin smiled faintly. "Mainly because the school was too good—he was worried I'd be under too much pressure."
"Is the competition at Fuzhong any less intense? You people..." Qi Sixian sighed, hesitating before finally saying, "You and your dad are truly good people. Ordinary folks couldn't do this, couldn't go to such lengths."Cen Jin responded adeptly, "That's only possible with your help. Otherwise, we'd be powerless despite our intentions."
Qi Sixian glanced at the boy beside her. "Li Wu is focusing on sciences. I think we could place him in Class 10—it's a decent class... Are you planning for him to be a day student or a boarder?"
Cen Jin replied, "We plan for him to board."
"That's good," Qi Sixian approved. "The campus atmosphere is better, and it helps with focus on studies."
After speaking, the man pointed to a location. "That's the student dormitory over there. The conditions are quite good."
Cen Jin followed his direction and saw several tall buildings standing like solemn guards in cool gray tones.
Cen Jin asked, "Is it convenient to go in and take a look?"
Qi Sixian nodded. "Certainly."
After a brief tour of the boys' dormitory, Cen Jin had a general idea of what supplies to prepare for Li Wu and felt reassured as they left the building.
Next were the clock tower, cafeteria, gymnasium, science building, laboratory building... The facilities were comprehensive. Even a quick glance conveyed the vastness of the campus and the thoughtful efforts of the educators.
Cen Jin asked curiously, "Has Yi High School been expanded? I've been here before, and it didn't seem this large."
Qi Sixian said, "Yes, that was in 2015. The following year, we had to increase enrollment and brought in many new teachers."
Cen Jin expressed slight regret. "It's a pity you're teaching senior year now. It would've been great if Li Wu could be in your class."
"Not impossible," Qi Sixian patted Li Wu's shoulder. "Study hard. There's still a chance for class promotion before senior year. If you rank in the top thirty in the final exam of the second semester of sophomore year, you can enter the honors class in senior year. You might just end up in my class."
Cen Jin smiled and glanced at Li Wu. "Then he'll have to work very hard."
Li Wu didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent as a form of agreement.
Qi Sixian had seen students from disadvantaged backgrounds before, but Li Wu particularly appealed to him.
Outwardly, he couldn't detect much sparkle in the boy's eyes—the kind that shines with longing and hope for the future. Yet, he wasn't dispirited. Instead, he seemed enveloped by a deep, resilient aura from within. This kind of determination might drive a person forward even more effectively than mere desire.
Li Wu possessed a quality he quite liked. Feeling comfortable with him, Qi Sixian couldn't help but ask, "How are your math grades?"
The inevitable question had arrived. Cen Jin secretly broke into a sweat.
Li Wu paused and said, "Average."
Cen Jin choked back a sigh, her heart heavy with disappointment.
The next moment, she heard the boy's voice again: "I really like math. I'll work hard to improve."
"Good, good!" Qi Sixian beamed with joy. "I have confidence in you."
—
After bidding farewell to Teacher Qi, Cen Jin felt lighthearted, her steps noticeably more buoyant.
Lately, she had been stewing in frustration, her insides as congested as a traffic jam. Now, finally cleared, even the air seemed fresher.
"Let's head home soon and have a meal to celebrate," she suggested once they left the school gate. "We need to move you into the school tomorrow, so time is tight. Let's go to the mall first to buy some things."
"Okay." Li Wu rarely raised questions or objections.
Though he felt indebted, his current capabilities were limited. All he could do was obey and avoid causing Cen Jin any trouble.
While waiting at a red light, Cen Jin tapped the steering wheel and asked knowingly, "I thought you only liked physics?"
Li Wu: "..."
After a moment of silence, he explained earnestly, "Math is the means and tool for studying physics. They're inseparable.""Why were you arguing with me earlier?" Cen Jin shot him a sidelong glance, caught between anger and amusement as she scolded, "Stop putting on an act in front of me."
Li Wu pressed his lips together.
"Say something."
"Sorry."
"Did I ask for an apology?"
"..." The woman's temper had surged abruptly. Li Wu clenched his fists, his palms nearly sweating.
The car fell silent for a moment before Cen Jin adopted a earnest tone again: "You need to focus on your studies, understand? Opportunities to learn don't come easily."
"Okay."
"If your math scores are average, you'll have to put in more effort."
"Mhm."
"Don't let this happen again, especially when adults are giving you advice."
"Alright, I won't do it again." He responded obediently each time.
"That's more like it." Cen Jin finally seemed satisfied.
Quiet settled in the car once more. A long-lost sense of lightness lifted Li Wu's heart, making it feel weightless. He turned to look out the window where towering buildings loomed overhead, their dense windows resembling diamond facets glittering with cold, hard light—yet his resistance and discomfort were fading. In his field of vision, an unnamed gray bird wove between the structures before soaring upward into the sky. He felt it was himself.
Author's Note:
①deck: Essentially means PowerPoint, a term commonly used in foreign advertising agencies. I'll gradually clarify the female lead's job details and background moving forward.
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