Do you know what it feels like to make a complete slacker who never studies look at a math book?
It's like holding a book written in a completely incomprehensible language—in short, an impenetrable text.
Bai Hongyi glared at the math book as if trying to burn a hole through it with his eyes, or as if he were glaring at those detestable members of the Cheng family!
Though his eyes were fixed on the math book, his mind was spewing curses, mentally insulting Cheng Shuo and his ancestors eighteen generations back.
He hurled the vilest insults at Cheng Shuo and the others.
After a moment, Cheng Shuo said, "Xue Jiao doesn’t just stare blankly at math books. Didn’t your mother tell you to learn from her? So pick up a pen now—underline what needs to be marked and rework what needs to be redone!"
"Shut the hell up!" Bai Hongyi snapped again.
He wasn’t exactly known for his patience, and right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill Cheng Shuo.
"Pick up the pen," Cheng Shuo said coldly.
Bai Hongyi locked eyes with him, then angrily grabbed a pen and started scribbling haphazardly across the book.
Not because he was scared! He only complied partly because the old man at home still held some authority over him, and partly because… Cheng Shuo’s beatings… really hurt.
"Done! I’m tired!" Bai Hongyi couldn’t take it anymore after a while.
Cheng Shuo checked his watch. "Keep going a little longer."
"Why the hell should I?!" Bai Hongyi nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Jiao Jiao usually studies until 10:50 before going to bed," Li Sitong added.
"Fuck!" Bai Hongyi cursed inwardly. His mom wanted him to learn from Gu Xue Jiao? Learn what? Going to bed at 10:50?!
Cheng Shuo ignored his swearing and kept him pinned at the desk until exactly 10:50.
"I’m hungry!" The moment he was free, Bai Hongyi immediately shouted.
"You skipped dinner, so no food now. Besides, it’s time for bed," Cheng Shuo said sternly.
Bai Hongyi bit his lower lip hard, fingers clenching until his nails dug into his palms.
A second later, he grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it straight at Cheng Shuo.
"Ah—!" Li Sitong screamed.
But Cheng Shuo remained calm. Instead of blocking the chair, he yanked Bai Hongyi forward. The sudden pull sent both the boy and the chair crashing to the ground, with Bai Hongyi landing painfully on one of the chair legs.
"Ow! Damn it, that hurts! Take me to the hospital right now!" Bai Hongyi howled.
At home, the slightest bump or scrape would send his mother rushing him to the hospital in a panic.
"This is Xue Jiao’s bedtime. Since you’re supposed to learn from her, you’re going to bed now," Cheng Shuo said.
"I’m hurt! Can’t you see I’m hurt?! Where’s my mom? Call her here right now!" Bai Hongyi’s voice was loud and full of energy—hardly the sound of someone seriously injured.
"You’re not hurt, just bruised. No hospital. Bed. Now." Cheng Shuo gave him no room to argue, dragging him to the bed.
Then he walked out and locked the door.
Bai Hongyi suddenly leapt up from the bed, sneering. "You think a bunch of idiots can keep me locked up? Don’t you know how I usually play?!"
With that, he bolted straight for the window.
This was only the second floor of the Cheng house—an easy jump.
"Just wait till I find my mom. I’ll make you regret this!" He yanked open the curtains.
Instantly, Bai Hongyi froze in place.
Security bars…
Who the hell installs these on a second floor?!Bai Hongyi never expected that Gu Xue Jiao used to be just as reckless as him. This house had protective windows installed specifically to prevent her from sneaking out and getting into danger, blocking her escape routes.
Staring at the security bars before him, his face crumpled in dismay.
They were absolutely doing this on purpose!
Just then, the door opened and Cheng Shuo walked in calmly. "How is it? Sufficient?"
"You're doing this deliberately?!" Bai Hongyi exclaimed in shock.
Cheng Shuo glanced at him and said, "Your parents intentionally sent you here to study with Xue Jiao."
Bai Hongyi felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.
What?! His parents were in on this too?!
No wonder Cheng Shuo was so confident—his parents had condoned this!
At this moment, Bai Hongyi felt utterly trapped, furious yet helpless.
"I suggest you start sleeping now," Cheng Shuo offered kindly before leaving.
How could Bai Hongyi possibly sleep? He was still reeling from the shock. Besides, he usually stayed up until dawn—sleep was the last thing on his mind.
6:00 AM.
Bai Hongyi, deep in slumber, was suddenly yanked out of bed, tumbling onto the floor.
"What the f—"
Cheng Shuo looked at him impassively. "This is Xue Jiao's usual wake-up time. Since there's no class today, you'll start with morning reading."
"???" Morning reading?!
Bai Hongyi, who had never attended early self-study sessions, felt like he was trapped in a nightmare.
Deprived of his phone last night, he was already on edge. Having just fallen asleep, he was now rudely awakened by Cheng Shuo.
Gnashing his teeth in anger, Bai Hongyi mentally cursed Cheng Shuo's ancestors eighteen generations back.
"Here, time for English reading," Cheng Shuo handed him a first-year high school English textbook.
Bai Hongyi refused to take it, ready to throw another tantrum.
Cheng Shuo said coolly, "No breakfast if you skip morning reading."
"..." Bai Hongyi's eyes widened. What kind of bastard was this man?!
His stomach growled—he was starving.
With a loud "smack," he grabbed the book and slammed it onto the table, glaring.
"English is meant to be read aloud."
"You son of a—" Bai Hongyi erupted again.
Cheng Shuo smacked him hard on the head, stunning him into silence. "Read. Out. Loud."
Clenching his jaw, Bai Hongyi suppressed his murderous rage and reluctantly complied.
"#@￥…%*&"
He spat out gibberish, as if hurling insults at Cheng Shuo, putting excessive force into each sound.
But exhaustion weighed heavily on him, leaving him too drained to put up much resistance.
After breakfast, Bai Hongyi headed back to his room to sleep.
Cheng Shuo added ominously, "This is when Xue Jiao studies Chinese. Go upstairs and review your first-year Chinese textbook."
"You—"
"No lunch if you don't."
"..."
At noon, Cheng Shuo returned from work and went upstairs to supervise the drowsy Bai Hongyi.
Li Sitong intercepted him halfway—
"How long are you planning to babysit him like this? Your company needs you!"
Cheng Shuo shook his head. "At most another day or two. He'll run away by then."
With that, he went upstairs.
Shortly after, Li Shu and her husband arrived with armfuls of gifts.
Li Sitong greeted them warmly. "You didn’t have to bring anything!"
Boss Bai tried to demur, but Li Shu cut in urgently, "Where's my son?"Li Sitong's expression remained almost unchanged as she relayed Cheng Shuo's words: "This child is quite mischievous. Cheng Shuo has no choice but to stay home to keep an eye on him. He's only just started being able to focus a little on his studies, so when I take you upstairs, let's be careful not to disturb him."
"Of course, of course!" Li Shu replied, her smile so wide her eyes nearly disappeared.
Li Sitong led the Bai couple upstairs quietly. Through the wide-open study door, they saw the back of their "diligent" son, seemingly engrossed in his book.
Boss Bai's eyes widened in surprise, and even Li Shu's jaw dropped slightly.
Li Sitong smiled and gestured downward, signaling for them to leave quietly. The group tiptoed away without a sound.
Bai Hongyi remained completely unaware that his supposed reinforcements had arrived. He stared blankly at his Chinese textbook, utterly exasperated.
Damn Cheng family!
"I can't understand this!" he yelled at Cheng Shuo.
Cheng Shuo calmly replied, "Xue Jiao would be studying math at this time. You should switch to math now."
"..."
Damn it, damn it, damn it! Xue Jiao, Xue Jiao—just hearing the name sounded like some boring bookworm. What kind of joyless life must that be?
Not only had they ruined his own life, but now they were using some rigid schedule to torment him too?!
Bai Hongyi gritted his teeth in frustration, swearing he never wanted to hear Gu Xue Jiao's name again in his life!
Downstairs.
"My, my, your family truly knows how to raise children!" Li Shu gushed with a smile.
She had initially suspected the Chengs might be making excuses, especially since both Cheng Mingze and Gu Xue Jiao were indeed absent from home regardless of the reason.
But now it was clear—this wasn't evasion at all, but absolute sincerity!
Li Sitong noticed Li Shu deliberately avoiding any mention of Cheng Shuo staying home to supervise Bai Hongyi and felt a surge of irritation. Suppressing it, she said—
"Hongyi is wonderful in every way except his aversion to studying. He refuses tutors, and with Jiao Jiao and Mingze away, Sister Li, do you think we should ask Mingjiao to come over? Strike while the iron is hot—let Hongyi make the most of this holiday to study more!"
This wasn't Cheng Shuo's idea. No matter how angry he was, he wouldn't harm his beloved niece. Li Sitong had suggested it deliberately out of spite.
Li Shu's eyes crinkled with delight as she immediately called Liu Yazhen on the spot.
Liu Yazhen, who had schemed so much, never expected to end up ensnared in her own trap!
How could she possibly send Mingjiao into such hands?
She had done thorough research—Bai Hongyi had a notorious weakness for pretty girls. Even someone like Mingjiao would likely catch his unwanted attention!
"Well... Sister Li, Mingjiao isn't really available..."
Li Shu frowned. "What do you mean she's not available?"
"Mingjiao and Xue Jiao have some conflicts between them. The two children..."
Li Shu laughed. "Oh, is that all? Xue Jiao isn't home—she won't be back all winter break. That's why I suggested Mingjiao come tutor him."
"But..." Liu Yazhen was momentarily speechless, stammering, "Mingjiao has other plans too. She's about to visit her grandmother..."
"Then just have her come today for a quick session!"
"Today... today she also..."
"Liu Yazhen, I see now. You're the one who isn't sincere. And here I thought you genuinely cared about Hongyi's well-being—turns out you just wanted to push him onto Gu Xue Jiao's family! Let me tell you, I won't let this scheming slide!" Li Shu abruptly hung up.
Her maiden family, the Lis, held considerable influence, making Li Shu a prominent figure in C City's socialite circles. Crossing her meant risking exclusion from nearly the entire elite circle!"Hello? Sister Li! No, that's not it! Sister Li? Sister Li?!" The other end had already hung up, leaving Liu Yazhen so angry she was on the verge of tears.
She threw her phone onto the floor, filled with both hatred and fear—
"Li Sitong! I underestimated you!"
On the other side, Li Shu took a deep breath after hanging up: "So this Liu Yazhen is that kind of person. What's she afraid of? Worried my son will ruin her daughter?"
Though her words were disdainful, Li Sitong inwardly curled her lips. Of course, of course everyone's afraid your son will ruin their daughters.
But she was genuinely pleased that Li Shu now despised Liu Yazhen and cheerfully continued, "Just leave the kids here with us, don’t worry."
"Ah! Thank you so much!"
"Yes, yes, we won’t disturb you further. We’ll take our leave now!" They had no intention of bothering their son, afraid their presence might unsettle him.
With that, the couple hurriedly left.
Li Sitong glanced at the gifts and remarked, "They really went all out!"
——
Li Sitong carried a glass of milk upstairs and casually mentioned, "Sister Li and the others have left. They brought quite a few gifts."
Bai Hongyi, who had been half-asleep with drooping eyelids, suddenly widened his eyes and jumped up: "My mom was here?!"
Li Sitong looked at Cheng Shuo, who nodded, and then smiled. "Yes, they didn’t stay long."
She didn’t mention that Li Shu had come upstairs, so Bai Hongyi instinctively assumed they hadn’t—otherwise, why would they leave without even saying hello?
Had his parents really abandoned him completely with these trashy Cheng family people?!
Bai Hongyi was so furious he gasped for breath. He kicked a chair hard and roared, "I’m outta here! Get the hell out of my way!"
Cheng Shuo didn’t move an inch, calmly stating, "Time to review science subjects."
"……"
Bai Hongyi was so angry he could barely breathe. Combined with having barely slept the night before, his body was exhausted. With Cheng Shuo pressing down firmly, he immediately collapsed.
"Study."
——
Bai Hongyi was dragged out of bed at six again the next day. Before he could even muster his usual morning rage, the familiar words came—
"Xue Jiao gets up at this time to memorize English and Chinese. You should start studying too!"
"Xue Jiao, Xue Jiao! Can you stop shoving that bookworm’s name down my throat? I’m about to lose it!" Bai Hongyi’s small eyes widened, dark circles prominent beneath them. Though he’d been staying up late here, he’d always had dark circles, so he didn’t feel particularly wronged.
Cheng Shuo remained unruffled. "Study. Eat after you’re done."
"……"
By the third day of this ordeal, Bai Hongyi felt utterly broken.
He barely had the energy to resist anymore. At just eighteen, without any backing, life had thoroughly "beaten" him down.
"Husband, are we still keeping him?" Li Sitong handed over a cup of tea.
Cheng Shuo took it, sipped, and softly replied, "Almost done. We’ll send him back tonight."
2 a.m.
The Cheng household was dead silent, the outside world equally quiet, everything swallowed by darkness.
"Click—" The guest room door made a sound, then fell still again.
After a moment, the door slowly moved—first a crack, then widening bit by bit.
Finally, a slightly chubby figure squeezed out through the opening, tiptoeing cautiously like a thief.
One step… another step…
"Thud!" Something fell to the ground, startling Bai Hongyi so badly he collapsed with a thump.After a long while with no sound, Bai Hongyi finally let out a sigh of relief.
Damn it! What the hell was that? Scared me half to death!
He got up and cautiously continued downstairs until he finally reached the door.
He pushed gently.
"Click—"
It opened?!
It actually opened?! Did they forget to lock it today?!
Bai Hongyi couldn't be bothered to wonder why the door was left unlocked. Like a prisoner finally escaping, he yanked it open and bolted out.
Ahhhhhh!!! I'm free! Never again will I stay at the Cheng house!
Screw the Cheng family!
Screw studying!
Screw Gu Xue Jiao!!!
As Bai Hongyi dashed out, the door to the master bedroom opened. Li Sitong yawned, "That kid really held out. I'm exhausted."
Cheng Shuo nodded and also yawned.
"Why did you knock that book over earlier?" Li Sitong turned to him curiously.
While they were observing Bai Hongyi's "escape," Cheng Shuo had suddenly dropped a book on the floor.
Cheng Shuo grinned. "Just to scare him. I don't like the kid."
Li Sitong shot him a playful glare. "Since when did you become so mean?"
Cheng Shuo chuckled and shook his head. "Let's go to bed. We have work tomorrow."
Meanwhile, at the Bai residence.
By the time Bai Hongyi made it home, he was utterly disheveled. The journey had been full of security guards, and he'd used every trick in the book to look as pitiful as possible before reaching his doorstep.
"Ahhhhhh—" Bai Hongyi kicked at his own door while shouting, "Mom! Open up!!"
Upstairs, the Bai couple, half-asleep, were startled awake—
"What was that?!"
"Sounded like... our son?"
"Impossible! He's at the Cheng house!"
Li Shu was still uncertain and worried. "We should check."
The two got out of bed and headed downstairs.
The closer they got to the door, the clearer the voice became. Li Shu gasped and rushed to open it. "It really is our son!"
When the door opened, Bai Hongyi's appearance shocked his parents.
His hair was a mess, his eyes dazed, and leaves clung to his clothes—he looked utterly wretched and terrifying.
"Son! What happened?!" Li Shu immediately pulled Bai Hongyi into a hug, cooing over him.
Bai Hongyi exhaled in relief. His mom was still his mom, caring for him. He never wanted to leave the Bai house again, nor ever return to the Cheng house. Just a few days there had nearly driven him mad.
"Mom, I can't take it. Life at the Cheng house was awful. I never want to go back!" Bai Hongyi burst into tears.
The kid always knew how to manipulate his parents. His tears flowed freely, making him look pitiful and wronged.
While his tears might have been fake in the past, this time they were genuine, fueled by memories of his time at the Cheng house. He cried as if the world had ended.
His tears only made Li Shu's heart ache more. Boss Bai was also distressed but managed to ask seriously, "What happened? How did they treat you badly?"
"They forced me to study!" Bai Hongyi suddenly grew furious, spewing curses and wishing his father would storm over to defend him.
Damn those Cheng family members to hell!
But there was a generational gap in understanding. Boss Bai and Li Shu exchanged a glance.
Studying?
Recalling the "harmonious" scene they'd witnessed during their visit...
That wasn't harm!
That was absolute sincerity!Boss Bai began scolding Bai Hongyi: "Would anyone telling you to study be harming you?! Your Uncle Cheng hasn't even been going to his company much these past few days, spending all his time trying to educate you, and you actually ran away! He's been so good to you—how can you treat your Uncle Cheng like this?!"
Bai Hongyi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Good to me?
Bai Hongyi was so angry he started questioning his life choices.
Boss Bai was furious too, but eventually softened his tone. "Go upstairs and sleep. Tomorrow I'm taking you back to Uncle Cheng's place!"
Hearing this, Bai Hongyi was stunned. He plopped onto the floor and began wailing: "If you send me there again, I'll kill myself! I don't want to live anymore!"
His cries were heart-wrenching, as if he had already reached his breaking point.
"You—" Boss Bai pointed at him, too furious to speak.
Li Shu's heart ached seeing her son like this. After a moment's thought, she held Boss Bai back. "Don't be angry, don't be angry. Our son is still immature—we'll teach him slowly. If he doesn't want to go, then don't force him. No matter how good it is, we can't make our son suffer like this. He came back alone safely today, but what if next time he runs away again and something dangerous happens..."
"Ugh! Why did I end up with a son like this?!" Boss Bai collapsed onto the sofa, both enraged and utterly helpless.
Li Shu was also distressed, but her maternal instincts prevailed. She helped Bai Hongyi up. "If my son doesn't want to go, then he won't. When Xue Jiao comes back, we'll ask her to tutor you here."
Xue Jiao?!
The moment those two familiar words were uttered, Bai Hongyi instantly relived the nightmare of being forced to wake up at six in the morning, cramming books all day under relentless pressure!
—"NO!! I don't want to see that bookworm!!"
—"I never want to see her again in my life!!"
—
Bai Hongyi's resistance to Gu Xue Jiao was overwhelming, and his aversion to going to the Cheng household was even stronger. Left with no choice, Boss Bai and Li Shu brought a pile of gifts to express their gratitude to the Chengs, along with sincere thanks and apologies to Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong.
While Li Sitong felt relieved that the matter was finally resolved, Liu Yazhen was practically fuming with rage.
Li Shu was a woman of her word. She didn't immediately retaliate against Liu Yazhen.
However, in the days that followed, whenever someone invited Liu Yazhen to mahjong or mentioned her in conversation—
Li Shu would always sneer and say, "I don't like that woman. She's dishonest, a compulsive liar who loves scheming behind people's backs."
Just like that, Liu Yazhen's social standing among the elite ladies of W City plummeted overnight, leaving her cursing in frustration.
—
Beijing.
"Everything at home has been settled," Cheng Shuo said as he approached Xue Jiao.
Since they were all high school students, the competition training wasn't divided by groups—they studied together.
Many from their province had passed the first round: Chu Sheng, Gu Xue Jiao, Cheng Mingze, Li Lei, Pang Ming, the student who had been taken away by the police for investigation, and a few others from different schools. Li Lei had scored full marks in previous competitions.
Yin Fang had mentioned that this student had been preparing for competitions all along—this was his chosen path.
The pressure to achieve decent results was immense.
"That's good," Xue Jiao exhaled in relief.
Cheng Mingze nodded and gently ruffled her hair. "Do your best in tomorrow's training!"
"Okay, you too."
The math competition they were participating in was different from the previous Olympiad format. The current winter camp was more like an intensive training session, where professors would teach them segments of mathematical history while assessing them through various mini-tests.
The training would last until the 24th day of the lunar twelfth month. The exam would be held on the 25th, followed by the closing ceremony on the 26th.The pressure during this period of intensive training was immense, leaving no time to think about anything else.
As the exam drew closer, more and more issues began to surface.
The greater the pressure on Xue Jiao, the less she looked at her phone at night. Still, she would occasionally check for messages from Lin Zhihua.
He was also in Beijing, but they hadn't had a chance to meet yet...
Lin Zhihua knew she was in training and didn't want to disturb her. He only talked to her when she was under tremendous stress, chatting about the math competition.
On the 25th day...
Xue Jiao bundled herself up like a dumpling. Lin Zhihua had reminded her that the second-round exam room had no heating, only air conditioning.
And because the door couldn’t be closed, the indoor temperature wouldn’t rise much, so she had to dress warmly.
Xue Jiao had reminded others as well, and most of those who knew her had dressed much thicker than usual.
The usual training classrooms could be closed, making them significantly warmer, but the exam room with its open door was a completely different temperature.
Sure enough, even though Xue Jiao had a decent seat, she had no urge to take off her down jacket.
A student near the back door, from another province, sneezed several times—proof of how cold it was.
In the entire exam hall, only she and Chu Sheng were from the same school.
Chu Sheng was seated near the front door. He was dressed much thicker than usual today, but with Beijing’s heavy snowfall, southerners who weren’t used to it might not endure it well…
Soon, once the test papers were handed out, Xue Jiao had no time to worry about others.
The competition problems weren’t numerous, but each one was challenging, with novel question types.
Even without Lin Zhihua’s prior analysis, Xue Jiao was extra cautious about many of the traps this time.
Especially the final inductive problem—inductive questions were common in competitions, and they had practiced countless similar exercises before.
Xue Jiao thought carefully. It was a bit difficult, but not unsolvable.
She sketched it out on scratch paper, step by step, trying both traditional methods and the new approach mentioned by the training teacher. Both led to the same K-value, and thus the same answer. Only then did she start copying it onto the answer sheet.
This was the highest-scoring question. Halfway through copying, Xue Jiao suddenly remembered something Lin Zhihua had said a few days ago—
"Competition problems sometimes rely heavily on logical thinking, but other times… you have to be careful. What seems logically deduced might not be correct. The original conditions—that’s the key."
Xue Jiao froze.
No!
This shouldn’t be the case!
The derived K-value was contradictory!
Thinking this, she quickly flipped the answer sheet over, took out her scratch paper again, and worked backward.
Outside, snow fell heavily, the cold making students unconsciously shift their numb feet. Some who couldn’t bear it had already handed in their papers and were escorted out by staff.
Xue Jiao was sweating profusely, recalculating over and over.
This wasn’t right!
This wasn’t right either!
Still not right!
No!
No!
She kept checking, frantic with anxiety.
By then, Chu Sheng, seated near the front door, had also left. He walked unsteadily, his face pale.
Xue Jiao glanced around—not many were left. The weather was too cold; most left as soon as they finished.
Feeling the proctor’s gaze shift toward her, Xue Jiao lowered her eyes and took a deep breath.
Lin Zhihua’s voice echoed in her mind again—
"When you encounter a problem that feels extremely difficult, simplify it. Break it down layer by layer. Competition problems are tough, but they’re still just math problems."
Her fingers trembled slightly. The submission deadline was approaching.
By now, only four examinees remained in the entire hall.
Her hand shook badly. Xue Jiao gripped her pen tightly and slowly wrote the final answer—
Answer: This problem has no solution.
The pen nearly tore through the paper as she finished, the stroke visibly forceful.
After writing, despite the freezing weather, her back was drenched in sweat.
Throughout competition history, there had been many types of problems, many extremely novel ones—but never had the final question, the one worth the most points, been unsolvable…Xue Jiao was terrified, but she knew the K value she had calculated wasn't the real one.
The teacher came down to collect the papers one by one. Xue Jiao slumped in her seat for a while, only leaving the classroom when she started feeling cold again.
Their exam building had a rule—those who finished couldn't stay inside and had to wait outside.
When Xue Jiao stepped out, all the students from Seventh High were already there.
"Xue Jiao, over here!" Cheng Mingze waved, and she quickly walked over.
"How did you solve the last problem? What was your K value?" a senior girl asked.
Naturally, everyone cared about their performance, and it was clear they had already been comparing answers.
"No solution," Xue Jiao said. The moment those words left her mouth, several faces paled.
"I also got no solution," Cheng Mingze said softly.
"Same here," Li Lei added.
Cheng Mingze and Li Lei were widely recognized as the strongest in competitions. If their answers matched...
"That can't be right. This wasn't a problem-solving question—it was inductive reasoning. How could an inductive problem have no solution?" Another senior girl, who had poured her heart into the competition, turned pale. If she was wrong, all her efforts would be wasted.
"Let's not dwell on it. Chu Sheng, aren't you coming down with a cold? You should get some medicine first. Let's go eat—no point thinking about it now. We'll find out tomorrow at the closing ceremony." Cheng Mingze had a natural air of leadership, and everyone followed his lead.
With that, the group headed to the cafeteria.
Evening.
Xue Jiao lay in bed, pulling out her phone to message Lin Zhihua about the strange last problem.
He replied almost instantly—
[Lin Zhihua: Do you remember the question?]
Xue Jiao quickly summarized it for him.
After a long pause, his reply came—
[You're right. No solution.]
Ah!
It was only human—Xue Jiao felt a surge of excitement. But another message quickly followed—
[But it ultimately depends on the organizers' answer key. "No solution" is definitely correct, but they might require a detailed explanation.]
Before she could reply, another message popped up—
[You did great.]
[Thank you!! It's all thanks to you—your tutoring helped so much!]
[No problem.]
After sending his reply, Lin Zhihua stared at his phone expectantly, but Xue Jiao only sent him a goodnight.
Tomorrow was the closing ceremony... and by tomorrow afternoon, she would leave the capital.
She had come, yet they hadn't met.
Lin Zhihua had waited through the entire training period, all the way until the closing ceremony was about to begin—until she was about to leave...
Did... Xue Jiao not want to see him?
Lost in thought, Lin Zhihua's gaze drifted aimlessly to the ceiling. He frowned, tilting his head back, the atmosphere heavy.
——
December 26th. Closing ceremony.
First, the organizers gave their speeches, followed by a few key representatives—all brief.
Then a teacher representative spoke, and finally, a student representative.
The student chosen was exceptional—Yang Zhan, a poised and articulate young man from one of Beijing's top schools. A senior in high school, he had already won first prize in both the Physics and Chemistry Olympiads, along with a first prize in the junior high Math Olympiad.
Since entering high school, both Tsinghua and Peking University had vied fiercely to recruit him. Earlier this semester, he had chosen the Chinese Academy of Sciences instead. His current high school had even specially approved a chemistry lab and a physics lab for him.Xue Jiao had heard these legends when she first arrived. Now, watching him speak eloquently on stage, she couldn't help but feel genuine envy.
This was the most god-like academic figure she'd seen in both her lifetimes.
Indeed, the higher one climbs in life, the more they see, and the more they realize there are always people more extraordinary than themselves.
Then you come to understand that the summit you've reached isn't the highest peak—there are countless greater mountains beyond.
And so, you find even more motivation to keep climbing upward.
This upward climb is by no means a derogatory term—it represents struggle, it represents—
The undying ambition of youth.
After Yang Zhan finished speaking came the moment students both dreaded and anticipated most—the awards ceremony.
The organizers had worked through the night to finalize results, prepared certificates in the morning, and were now presenting awards in the afternoon.
"First, we announce the third prize winners for the 11th High School Mathematics Winter Camp Competition!"
The audience held their breath. Xue Jiao clenched her fingers and looked up intently at the speaker.
The middle-aged, balding organizer spoke slowly, his Mandarin thick with local accent, yet every word held the audience in rapt attention.
Cheng Mingze sat beside Xue Jiao, with a senior student on her other side gripping her chair armrest nervously.
Cheng Mingze remained expressionless, appearing completely calm.
Xue Jiao placed a hand over her pounding heart and thought—as expected of the male lead!
"Chen Xiaoxiao, Wang Xiang, Liu..." The list of third prize winners was long. The senior student received third prize, clearly disappointing her.
Only first prize winners would qualify for the national high school mathematics competition—the final showcase for university admissions.
In other words, only first prize guaranteed recommendation eligibility.
Xue Jiao took a deep breath, closed her eyes slightly, and listened carefully.
"Don't be nervous," came a voice beside her.
"Mmm." Xue Jiao nodded slightly, steadying herself.
"Second prize winners are—"
Thump thump thump—
The entire auditorium fell silent. Xue Jiao could almost hear countless heartbeats—whether her own or others', she couldn't tell.
"Chu Sheng, Wen You, Chang..." Name after name was called.
All Qizhong High students who'd made mistakes on the final problem received second prize.
After second prizes were awarded, only Li Lei, Cheng Mingze, and Xue Jiao remained from Qizhong High. They would either receive first prize—or nothing at all.
For the first time, Xue Jiao understood how intensely nervous a person could become—facing either advancement or complete loss.
Suddenly, a warm hand covered hers.
Xue Jiao froze.
"It's alright, don't worry..." Cheng Mingze's gentle eyes met hers. This person who seemed as refined as jade regarded her with exceptional softness.
It took Xue Jiao several moments before she remembered to withdraw her hand.
Cheng Mingze said nothing, simply retracting his hand.
After second prize photos were taken, it was time for first prize announcements.
"Finally, we present first prize winners for this competition—"
Boom boom boom—
Xue Jiao's heart pounded thunderously.
"Yang Zhan, Cheng Mingze, Xu Qingsong, Li Lei... Gu Xue Jiao..."
Xue Jiao's eyes widened, her lips curling upward uncontrollably!
"Congratulations, Jiao Jiao!" Cheng Mingze turned to her, voice brimming with joy.
Xue Jiao hugged him briefly, equally elated: "Congratulations to you too... brother."
One "Jiao Jiao," one "brother."
The previously strained relationship between them seemed to experience its first thaw.The people nearby quickly made way as Cheng Mingze walked ahead, with Xue Jiao following behind him, heading toward the stage together.
There were nearly fifty first-prize winners in total. They each shook hands to receive their certificates before taking a group photo.
"Quickly line up properly, everyone! Look straight ahead!" The photographer at the front waved his hand.
There weren’t many girls, so Xue Jiao crouched in the first row, holding her certificate.
She was wearing Qizhong High School’s uniform—a requirement from the team leader, who insisted that on such an occasion, the school’s emblem should be proudly displayed.
Clearly, others thought the same, as nearly all the students were in their school uniforms.
"Alright! Hold still—one, two—"
Xue Jiao looked down, her eyes slightly moist.
She had been given a second chance at life, and she had made it more brilliant than before. And in the future, it would only grow even brighter.
She was just one of nearly fifty winners—among them was Cheng Mingze, who had always been first since childhood, the legendary Yang Zhan, Li Lei, who had spent years preparing for this competition, and many other terrifyingly talented individuals.
Xue Jiao was just an ordinary one among them.
But that was alright. She wasn’t discouraged in the slightest. In life—
Recognize your ordinariness,
But never settle for it.
Her moist eyes shimmered with determination as she gazed firmly ahead.
"Three!"
"Click—"
A photo was captured in the camera.
——
Almost the moment they received their awards, the Qizhong High School faculty group chat exploded with messages—sent by the team leader.
Yin Fang’s son was in his third year of middle school, about to take the high school entrance exams. At the moment, she was tutoring him.
"Mom, I need a break."
"A break? Do you even have time for breaks? Listen, son—studying is all about momentum. You have to focus entirely on your studies, with unwavering determination! Nothing should distract you!"
Her son rolled his eyes and turned back to his book with a lazy expression.
But Yin Fang suddenly found herself distracted.
It was already the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month. She wondered how Gu Xue Jiao had performed in the competition?
"Honestly, why waste time on something like that?"
"Mom, what did you say?"
Yin Fang rapped her son lightly on the head. "I wasn’t talking to you! Listen, your grades still aren’t top-tier. Study harder and push yourself higher. There’s a student in my class—she used to slack off, but once she put her mind to it and gave it her all, she shot straight to first place in the grade!"
"Mom, you’ve said this a million times!" Her son rolled his eyes again.
Yin Fang continued, "But this girl is too stubborn. Instead of using this long break to study properly, she went off to compete in a math competition. Her foundation isn’t strong—isn’t that just a waste of time?"
Just as she finished speaking, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out to find the faculty group chat flooded with people frantically @-ing her. Yin Fang frowned.
What was going on?
When she opened it, her eyes instantly widened, her mouth forming an "O" shape.
"Mom, what’s wrong?" Her son asked, concerned.
Yin Fang jumped to her feet, excited. "She actually won first prize!!!"
"Holy—!"
——
After the first-prize awards were handed out, the organizers gave a closing speech, offering encouragement before officially concluding the winter camp.
As Xue Jiao and Cheng Mingze walked out of the auditorium, she took out her phone—
[Lin Zhihua! I won first prize!!]
A reply came quickly—
[Congratulations!]
[I should thank you! Thank you!] The editor on the other side took a long time but still no message came. Xue Jiao was puzzled.
Lin Zhihua smiled bitterly. Xue Jiao had truly never considered meeting him...
The training camp was about to close for the holidays, so all the students had to leave today and return home—after all, the New Year was approaching...
He had driven to the training site several times without telling her.
Slowly raising his hand, he pressed it against his chest.
So this thing didn’t just beat wildly—it could also... hurt?
Lin Zhihua couldn’t quite describe the feeling. He only knew it was unbearable, deeply uncomfortable.
Swollen and sore.
After a moment, he replied—
[Are you going back soon?]
Xue Jiao responded quickly—
[No, I’m going back tomorrow.]
Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow. A ticket for tomorrow?
Then another message followed—
[I haven’t even seen you yet—how could I leave today!]
Author’s Note:
Cheng Mingze: I was the first to hold Xue Jiao’s hand! The first to hug her!
Yi Tianyu: Lin Zhihua! Should we fight you together or one by one?
OpenNovel