[Lin Zhihua: Hmm, good that you regret it.]
After sending it, Lin Zhihua felt something was off about the message and quickly added another line—
[March is almost here. Have you started preparing for the competition?]
At the mention of this, Xue Jiao immediately snapped out of her regretful mood. After all, nothing was more important than studies.
She replied with a conflicted expression—
[I feel like I’ve practiced all the competition material, but I have no idea what the format of the third round will be like. It’s all a blur…]
Lin Zhihua quickly responded—
[The first round tests basics, the second round assesses learning and logical abilities. For mathematics, the third round is all about challenging your problem-solving skills with complex problems.]
Problem-solving skills?
Xue Jiao was momentarily stunned.
[Problem-solving skills?]
[Lin Zhihua: Yes. In my year, the third round only had two questions. The first was a celestial mechanics problem integrating extensive physics knowledge, and the second was solving an equation.]
Solving an equation?
Wasn’t that basic knowledge?
So she asked—
[Isn’t solving an equation the most fundamental thing?]
[Lin Zhihua: Yes, it’s fundamental. But the standard method didn’t work. Our second round didn’t include induction problems, so the third round required mathematical induction first to identify the pattern, followed by reverse reasoning. The calculations were massive, and the final result had nine decimal places.]
Xue Jiao was taken aback—
[That hard?!]
Past third-round competition questions were rarely compiled into problem sets, as the format changed every year with no repetition. Thus, there were no published collections of such problems. The one Lin Zhihua mentioned was entirely new to Xue Jiao.
But just hearing about it made it sound incredibly difficult.
Lin Zhihua replied—
[It was quite challenging. That year, only one person got it right.]
Xue Jiao instinctively asked—
[Who?]
The corners of Lin Zhihua’s lips curled slightly. His previously furrowed brows had long relaxed without him noticing, making his expression much more at ease.
He tugged at his tie, feeling a bit warm, and finally took off the suit jacket he usually removed the moment he got home.
The loneliness in the air had vanished without a trace.
Picking up his phone again, Lin Zhihua swiftly typed a single word—
[Me.]
Xue Jiao: “!!!”
Oh right, Lin Zhihua had won a math competition award!
[Was there only one first prize in your year???]
Lin Zhihua’s fingers moved even faster now, a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, his eagerness to showcase himself resembled a peacock flaunting its feathers to attract a mate.
His reply was calm, as if his heart were equally composed—
[No, there were several first prizes.]
[I also won the special prize.]
That’s insane!!!
Xue Jiao was stunned.
Special prize!! There was even a special prize!!!
[You’re amazing!!!]
Lin Zhihua’s lips twitched upward before he forced them back down, replying modestly—
[It was alright.]
Xue Jiao: “…” Is this how all the big shots stay so humble?
A moment later, Lin Zhihua added—
[Though the third-round questions are never repeated and are always innovative, I think it wouldn’t hurt for you to try past third-round problems. More exposure to different questions is always good.]
After witnessing Lin Zhihua’s status in the business world tonight, Xue Jiao had initially felt a sudden distance between them.
But all barriers vanished under his thoughtful concern.
No matter who he was or what his status might be.He treated her just as before, still being her... mentor and friend.
Xue Jiao replied with a smile—
[Okay!!]
[Lin Zhihua: The third-round questions are hard to find on the market. I'll get some for you tomorrow. Just try them out—no need to obsess over them, but you can look into other mathematical knowledge and comprehensive math problems. The current third round doesn't purely test mathematical solutions anymore.]
Finding questions for her?
Xue Jiao paused again, then replied sheepishly—
[Ah? That's not necessary, you should focus on your own work. I can gather them myself! Don't trouble yourself with this!]
Lin Zhihua seemed to reply without hesitation—
[I have a more complete collection here. It'll be hard for you to find one as thorough. It won't take long—I'll send them to you tomorrow.]
Xue Jiao still felt a little embarrassed. He was the head of Lin Corporation...
Did he really have time to organize these things for her?
As if reading her thoughts—
[Lin Zhihua: Stop overthinking it. Get some rest. I have time.]
Xue Jiao firmly disagreed, but Lin Zhihua wouldn’t listen. Left with no choice, she could only say—
[Alright then... Thank you!!!]
A moment later, Lin Zhihua replied—
[With so many questions to work on, focus on them. Don’t go out playing with anyone—it’s a waste of time.]
Xue Jiao quickly responded—
[Okay! I definitely won’t!!]
The corners of Lin Zhihua’s lips lifted slightly.
High school students should focus more on studying and less on early romance.
The more problems she had to solve, the less time she’d have to go out with youngsters.
——
Lin Zhihua sent the problem set as a document. Xue Jiao saw it when she woke up at six in the morning.
Her eyes lit up, but she stuck to her study schedule—first half an hour of English memorization, then half an hour of Chinese.
It wasn’t until 7:30 that she officially started on the math problems.
Difficult!
The first problem alone felt incredibly challenging!
She pulled out her notebook and began working through the calculations.
By 9:30, she had only finished the second problem.
"Jiao Jiao?" Li Sitong’s voice came from behind, laced with confusion.
Xue Jiao turned her head: "Hmm?"
Despite the winter cold, solving just two math problems had made her break a sweat—proof of their difficulty.
"You're... studying?" Li Sitong sounded astonished, her face filled with disbelief.
"Yeah, what’s wrong?" Xue Jiao blinked blankly.
Li Sitong: "..."
She knew Jiao Jiao had been studying diligently lately, but she never imagined it could be to this extent!
Today was New Year’s Eve!
"It’s New Year’s Eve... take a break..." Li Sitong swallowed hard.
Jiao Jiao really seemed... completely different from before.
In just half a year, she could barely remember Xue Jiao with her bright red hair anymore...
Xue Jiao shook her head firmly. "The workload is heavy. I can’t slack off even for a day."
Li Sitong: "...Alright."
After a pause, she remembered the main issue: "Oh, Gu Jingxu wants you to go over there for New Year’s Eve dinner tonight."
Xue Jiao blinked—and then?
"I told him you’d be going to the Cheng family’s ancestral home with us tonight, but he wouldn’t accept that."
Xue Jiao: "..." Can I just not go to either?
She really didn’t want to go to either place—neither would be simple.
Li Sitong continued, "After some back-and-forth, we agreed you can go to the Cheng family tonight, but you have to go to his place for lunch."
Xue Jiao twirled her pen between her fingers, then asked, "Can I not go?"Li Sitong was momentarily stunned and instinctively replied, "I've already agreed..."
She paused, swallowing the rest of her words: "Then give him a call and let him know. We’ll just end up arguing..."
Xue Jiao understood.
It must be that Gu Jingxu insisted she go over for the New Year's Eve dinner, and after much back-and-forth, they reached a compromise—lunch at the Gu family and dinner at the Cheng family.
"Fine, I’ll go," Xue Jiao said helplessly.
Since you’ve already agreed, if I cause any trouble, it’ll just start another argument.
"Then remember to come back right after lunch. You must have dinner at the Cheng family tonight! Even though your surname is Gu, you’re part of the Cheng family now that I’ve married into it," Li Sitong rambled on.
Li Sitong was a bit old-fashioned and stubborn, so Xue Jiao didn’t want to listen anymore and quickly agreed—
"Alright, alright, you go ahead. I’ll finish this problem and then go."
"Hurry up, then," Li Sitong added after a pause. "And dress nicely!"
Better than Gu Shiyun!
"Alright, alright, just go now," Xue Jiao said, nodding repeatedly.
Once Li Sitong left, Xue Jiao slumped over the desk for a moment in frustration before quickly pulling herself together and returning to her problems.
These people who wouldn’t let her study in peace—she really wanted to yell at them!!!
11 a.m.
"Jiao Jiao! Gu Jingxu is calling to hurry you up!" Li Sitong shouted from downstairs.
Xue Jiao stopped writing, put away her pen, grabbed a small vocabulary notebook, and casually threw on a down jacket before heading downstairs.
Li Sitong looked up at her and froze. "Oh my, why are you dressed so plainly? You—"
Cheng Shuo cut her off. "It’s fine. It’s not a big deal. Xue Jiao can wear whatever she likes."
Xue Jiao glanced down at herself—a long down jacket covering most of her legs, paired with leggings.
What’s wrong with that?
Li Sitong fell silent, though she still looked a bit exasperated.
Strangely, she used to get annoyed when Xue Jiao dressed messily, but now that Xue Jiao didn’t bother dressing up, she found it equally frustrating.
Seeing that Li Sitong had nothing more to say, Xue Jiao ignored the issue of her outfit, slung a bag over her shoulder, and prepared to leave.
"It’s New Year’s Eve—taxis will be hard to find. I’ll drive you there, Jiao Jiao," Cheng Shuo said, putting down the remote and standing up.
"No need, I can—"
Cheng Shuo smiled. "Hurry up, Jiao Jiao, or you’ll miss lunch. Eat quickly and come back soon."
Xue Jiao didn’t argue further and followed Cheng Shuo out.
This Uncle Cheng... was more like a father than her own dad...
——
The Gu household.
"Why does she have to come?" Gu Shiyun frowned.
Wu Wanjun patted her daughter soothingly. "Your father insisted. She lives with the Cheng family now, but who knows what he’s thinking all day! Truly, absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Gu Shiyun’s frown deepened. Why did Gu Xue Jiao have to be everywhere?
Then resentment welled up inside her. Was her father’s heart still with Gu Xue Jiao? Why did he insist on calling her over on New Year’s Eve?
"Fine, let her come. In the end, he’ll just be the one upset!" Gu Shiyun said.
Wu Wanjun’s eyes lit up. "Exactly. If your father ends up in a huge fight with her on New Year’s Eve, he’ll stop thinking about her after this."
A faint smile touched Gu Shiyun’s lips. "And I have something to say to her too!"
At noon, Gu Xue Jiao arrived at Gu Jingxu’s house.
She looked up at the front door, and memories belonging to the original Gu Xue Jiao flooded her mind.Before the age of ten, she was a beloved little princess doted on by her parents, and this house was filled with her laughter and joy.
After ten, her grandfather passed away, and Gu Jingxu and Li Sitong divorced.
At that time, she cried and refused to leave the Gu household. Gu Jingxu held her hand and said—
"This will always be your home. If you don’t want to leave, you can stay here forever. Dad will always be good to you."
Then Li Sitong took Gu Xue Jiao away from the Gu family. Standing right at this doorway, Li Sitong said—
"Jiao Jiao, from now on, you only have Mom. Don’t worry, even without Dad, Mom will always be good to you!"
This is probably how most divorced parents are.
They think it’s just a matter of parents separating—the child still has both a father and a mother, so what’s the difference?
But in the end, when they each start new families and find happiness elsewhere, all sorts of complications arise.
Gu Jingxu would say: "Your little sister is so well-behaved. You should get along with her. Dad loves you both."
Li Sitong would say: "You have to understand Mom. It’s not easy for me in the Cheng family. Don’t cause trouble."
And later—
Gu Jingxu would say: "Why do you always bully your sister?! Why can’t you be more sensible?"
Li Sitong would say: "Can’t you stop making trouble for me? You’re so unreasonable."
Xue Jiao never opposed divorced couples—if a marriage couldn’t work, forcing it was pointless. She only hoped that after divorce, parents could still try to provide their child with a stable environment.
Gu Xue Jiao might have been unreasonable, but she was a product of both families.
Xue Jiao exhaled softly and stepped through the gates of the Gu household.
"Jiao Jiao is here!" The first to notice her was Wu Wanjun, her voice sounding cheerful.
"Jiao Jiao, come sit down! You must be tired. Auntie Wanjun will pour you some water!"
Wu Wanjun’s voice was bright and delighted, but it carried a polite distance, constantly reminding Xue Jiao that she didn’t belong here.
Xue Jiao almost laughed. The old Gu Xue Jiao might have been upset, but she truly felt nothing now. So, she accepted Wu Wanjun’s "attentions" without a second thought.
"You finally decided to come. Do you even remember you have a father?!"
Xue Jiao replied immediately, "No."
"You—" Gu Jingxu glared at her.
But perhaps he had been angered by her so often that he wasn’t even surprised anymore?
"Fine, it’s the New Year—I won’t scold you." Gu Jingxu set his cup down on the coffee table. "Let’s get ready to eat."
"I’ll go bring out the dishes. Xue Jiao, you rest!" Wu Wanjun quickly offered.
In the past, if Wu Wanjun had said this, Xue Jiao would have immediately helped carry the dishes.
"Oh, okay." Xue Jiao complied effortlessly, not moving an inch from her seat.
Wu Wanjun froze for a moment, glancing at Gu Jingxu. Seeing no reaction from him, she walked off toward the kitchen, slightly annoyed.
Gu Xue Jiao really had changed!
Just then, Gu Shiyun peeked out from upstairs and said with a smile—
"Big sister, do you want to come to my room and play for a bit? I have some new dolls—want to see them?"
In the past, whenever Xue Jiao visited, Gu Shiyun would enthusiastically invite her to her room.
That room had been Xue Jiao’s for several years, so seeing Gu Shiyun living there naturally made her unhappy. With a few more provoking words from Gu Shiyun, it always ended with Xue Jiao being scolded by Gu Jingxu for causing trouble.
How many years had it been? And she was still using the same old tricks?
"No, thanks. I lived there for years—nothing new to see."
As soon as Xue Jiao finished speaking, Gu Shiyun’s smile stiffened for a moment.Gu Jingxu also frowned tightly. "Xue Jiao, watch your tone!"
"I'm just telling the truth!"
"..."
Gu Jingxu didn't know how to respond. Gu Shiyun took a deep breath to steady her emotions before going downstairs to help Wu Wanjun bring out the dishes.
On New Year's Eve, the Gu family had prepared an extravagant feast—a table full of dishes.
Having solved two difficult problems that morning, Xue Jiao was quite hungry and focused on eating properly.
"Jiao Jiao, Auntie Wanjun specially made this to welcome you!" Wu Wanjun said with a smile.
Xue Jiao paused briefly. Why wouldn't people just let her eat in peace?
"No wonder."
"Hmm?" Gu Jingxu and the other two looked up in confusion.
"No wonder none of my favorite dishes are here."
"..."
Gu Jingxu glared. "Gu Xue Jiao, just eat properly!"
"Oh, fine." She took a bite, then suddenly remembered what Lin Zhihua had once told her—that one shouldn't force themselves to endure discomfort.
She had been solving problems, yet Gu Jingxu insisted on dragging her here to listen to all this hypocrisy!
So she added, "Auntie Wanjun."
"Huh?" Wu Wanjun tensed, sensing something unpleasant was coming.
"It's a bit too salty. Use less salt next time."
"..." Wu Wanjun choked.
The Gu family had a housekeeper, but today was New Year's Eve, and she had cooked personally to show her hospitality. Why did Gu Xue Jiao make it sound like she'd be cooking regularly from now on? She took great care of her hands—there was no way she'd cook often!
"Eat properly!" Gu Jingxu glared at Xue Jiao again.
Xue Jiao looked up, chewing as she spoke. "Not to criticize, but didn't you used to say Auntie Wanjun was more virtuous and considerate than my mom? You complained that my mom couldn't cook well, so you married a woman willing to 'wash her hands and prepare soup' for you. But now, my mom cooks for Uncle Cheng every day—why isn't Auntie Wanjun cooking for you anymore?"
Gu Jingxu: "..."
"No way!" Xue Jiao feigned exaggerated shock. "Auntie Wanjun really doesn't cook for you anymore?!"
Wu Wanjun felt like she was about to cough up blood.
"I prefer the housekeeper's cooking, so my mom doesn't cook much anymore," Gu Shiyun interjected to help her mother.
It was a decent excuse, and Wu Wanjun quickly added, "If your father likes my cooking, I'd gladly make it for him every day!"
Xue Jiao nodded seriously. "Then you should practice. My mom's cooking has improved—she cooks daily now. You should work on yours too."
Wu Wanjun: "..."
She was fuming. Seeing Gu Jingxu's dark expression only made her more anxious.
Gu Jingxu and Li Sitong had a terrible relationship. Now that Li Sitong was "cooking for Cheng Shuo every day," if she didn't do the same for him, Gu Jingxu would surely resent her!
Why was Gu Xue Jiao so good at stirring up trouble?!
Wu Wanjun was too angry to speak, while Xue Jiao lowered her head and continued eating earnestly.
Truthfully... the food here... was much better than Li Sitong's...
Xue Jiao really admired her stepfather—no matter how bad Li Sitong's cooking was, he always ate it without complaint.
Li Sitong knew her limits too. She rarely cooked, mostly just helping the housekeeper with prep work or making simple breakfasts like porridge or toast.
After eating for a while longer, Gu Jingxu suddenly asked—
"Jiao Jiao, I heard you ranked first in your grade again last semester?"
Xue Jiao nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"
Gu Jingxu looked skeptical. "How did your grades improve so much?"
"Hard work, obviously.""Why didn't you work hard before?" Gu Jingxu blurted out without thinking.
Xue Jiao raised her head, and Wu Wanjun's heart skipped a beat, sensing that this girl was about to say something unpleasant again.
Sure enough, Xue Jiao replied, "Because I was too close to your house."
There was a brief silence before Gu Jingxu's suppressed anger flared up again—
"How dare you speak like that?! Gu Xue Jiao, what's wrong with you now?"
Xue Jiao tilted her head, feigning confusion. "What's wrong with me now? Is my outfit too gaudy or my grades too poor?"
Gu Jingxu: "..."
Well, she had indeed improved...
"You don’t actually think you’ve been good to me, do you?" Xue Jiao blinked.
She hadn’t intended to be so confrontational, but she had only solved two problems today, with over twenty more difficult ones left. Yet, Gu Jingxu had dragged her here for dinner, and Wu Wanjun kept making snide remarks. If she couldn’t enjoy the meal in peace, then no one would.
"I haven’t been good to you?!"
Gu Jingxu slammed his chopsticks on the table, furious.
Xue Jiao nodded. "I used to come here often. Wu Wanjun and Gu Shiyun would encourage me to play on my phone, praise my red hair, and tell me studying didn’t matter. After I stopped coming, look at me now—haven’t I improved?"
Gu Jingxu froze, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Wu Wanjun.
"That’s nonsense!" Wu Wanjun quickly denied.
Gu Shiyun also put down her chopsticks. "Sister, how can you say that? We did urge you to study hard before. You were the one who loved playing around. My mom was afraid of upsetting you, so she didn’t dare to scold you too much..."
Wu Wanjun wiped the corner of her eye. "Being a stepmother is hard, Jingxu. How could I dare to discipline the child too strictly?"
"And being a stepfather is easy?" Xue Jiao countered. "Uncle Cheng used to be strict with me, and I resented him for it. But now I finally understand his sincerity. True care means wanting what’s best for the child. Hypocrisy means wishing the child would get worse—after all, she’s not your own."
Wu Wanjun’s fingers, wiping away tears, paused briefly before she continued crying. "I didn’t..."
Gu Jingxu slammed his chopsticks again. "Enough! It’s the New Year—why all the tears?"
Wu Wanjun stiffened, quickly drying her tears and falling silent.
Gu Jingxu... might be starting to doubt her...
Not only was Wu Wanjun furious, but Gu Shiyun was too. If only Xue Jiao hadn’t changed for the better!
She used to be so easy to manipulate, but now she only caused trouble!
As Xue Jiao ate, she glanced curiously at Wu Wanjun.
Then, she silently admitted defeat.
She was actually crying!
That was some skill.
Xue Jiao had never wanted to engage with these people before, but they insisted on provoking her during the New Year. Even a clay figurine has its limits.
But clearly, Gu Shiyun wasn’t about to let Xue Jiao off the hook after being slighted.
"Dad, didn’t you mention wanting to discuss some business with the Yi family?" Gu Shiyun asked Gu Jingxu.
Gu Jingxu only had this one daughter by his side, so he often shared business matters with her.
"Yes, why?"
Gu Shiyun bit her lower lip hesitantly, then glanced at Xue Jiao.
Gu Jingxu followed her gaze. "Why are you looking at your sister?"
"Yi Tianyu, the son of Yi Dafa from the Yi family... is Sister’s boyfriend..."
"Pfft—" Xue Jiao nearly spat out the soup she had just sipped."What?!" Gu Jingxu looked shocked.
Xue Jiao patted her chest, finally calming down, and glanced at them.
Gu Shiyun nodded. "That's what everyone says, and... during the annual gathering... Sister and Yi Tianyu sneaked out together..."
Gu Jingxu frowned and immediately turned to Xue Jiao. "What's going on?"
"What's going on? Someone's falsely accusing people. Yi Tianyu is my deskmate, nothing more."
"But everyone says..."
Xue Jiao retorted, "Everyone says? Then who exactly says it? Name them. I need to confront them. Making false accusations is called slander and defamation."
Gu Shiyun was about to give examples—she had come prepared and knew Gu Jingxu well.
But Xue Jiao didn't give her a chance to speak—
"You're the one dating my brother, so why are you falsely accusing me?"
Author's note: Lin Zhihua: Do problems! More problems!
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