Chapter 143 Winter Goes and Spring Comes Again
Lu Yanhe, having been ridiculed for his drinking capacity, gave up on his stubbornness and resigned himself to the mockery.
Yan Liang rambled on for a long time before finally deciding to leave.
"I'm getting ready to leave," he said.
He changed into a formal suit, carried a large backpack, and prepared to leave.
Lu Yanhe: "Keep it up!"
"Um."
On the first day of winter vacation, Lu Yanhe did nothing but start a live-streamed study session.
In the class group chat, Li Cui said: Lu Yanhe has started reading again. I really admire him now. I used to wonder why he could improve so quickly. Now I realize that he just works hard and studies for more than ten hours a day.
Someone immediately asked: How do you know he's started reading again? Are you at school?
Li Cui said with disdain: "He's been live streaming for so long, how come you still don't know?"
That person: Live stream?
Li Cui: Yes, Lu Yanhe opened a live streaming room before, and he would live stream his studies every day. Every day after we finished our evening self-study, he would go back and continue studying.
That person: Are you working this hard?
Li Cui immediately sent him the link to Lu Yanhe's live stream: "See for yourself. I'm still lying in bed, and he's already started doing his problems."
Mei Ping: So they've improved to over 100th in the grade, I'm impressed.
Li Cui: Maybe in the end Lu Yanhe will actually be able to get into one of the top 30 universities in the country.
Mei Ping: Terrifying.
Jiang Haitian: Boss.
...
Lu Yanhe spent his last winter break uneventfully each day.
Aside from eating, drinking, and relieving oneself, all that's done is study and sleep.
He streams for more than 15 hours almost every day, which amazes everyone in the live stream room.
Before the winter break, Lu Yanhe would only stream for such a long time on a weekend at most. Usually, he would end the stream when Yan Liang or Li Zhibai returned.
However, during this winter break, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang were almost never around, busy with work and given a lot of tasks by Zhou Ping'an.
Lu Yanhe stayed in the house alone, without worrying about disturbing anyone, so he kept himself cooped up in his room studying.
His fans in the live stream were shocked, but as the days went by, they accepted and got used to it.
The platform was shocked when they looked at the backend data. They noticed that several hundred users were staying in the live stream room the whole time and didn't leave.
Is the fan effect really that strong?
Upon closer inspection, oh, it's that live-streaming room for studying. Well, that's not surprising.
Many people use this live stream as a backdrop for studying.
However, this streamer is quite skilled; he can really sit at his desk all day reading and doing exercises without doing anything else.
Regardless of whether he's creating a persona or not, his perseverance is genuine.
Just like those who criticize public figures for creating a persona by doing charity, regardless of whether they are creating a persona or not, as long as they donate real money and it's not a fake donation or fraud, then it is charity.
The platform has been quietly giving Lu Yanhe some recommendations, gradually attracting traffic.
At its peak, Lu Yanhe's live stream could attract over 10,000 simultaneous viewers, and under normal circumstances, the number of viewers was close to 3,000.
In fact, for Lu Yanhe, having such a long winter vacation gave him a feeling of wanting to make a big splash from the very beginning.
A semester has passed, and the knowledge structure for the three humanities subjects has been established. This is a good time to review and organize the knowledge structure. For Chinese, Mathematics, and English, the focus should be on tackling difficult problems and addressing weaknesses. For Chinese, it's the classical Chinese section; for Mathematics, it's the last major problem; and for English, Lu Yanhe is working on improving his ability to write the final essay.
Before transmigrating, Lu Yanhe's scores in Chinese, Math, and English were already at 120, 140, and 135 respectively. After half a semester of study, he felt that his actual level had reached 120, 145, and 140. His Chinese score remained unchanged because, in Chinese, once you reach 120, trying to improve further is simply a matter of luck.
And scores happen to be the least important thing in the college entrance examination—what matters is how high your score ranks.
The gap between them and Zhenhua and Yuming is still in the humanities section.
Lu Yanhe's current score in the humanities section is around 230 out of 300. However, like Chinese and foreign languages, the humanities section is easy to improve in the early stages, but later it becomes a matter of accumulated knowledge and experience.
It's difficult to improve scores linearly, because later on, it really comes down to testing one's overall qualities.
Unfortunately, the concept of "cultivation" is rather elusive and lacks a clear, written standard.
Lu Yanhe basically spent his winter vacation like this every day.
Reading, live streaming, eating, sleeping, occasionally Li Zhibai or Yan Liang come back, have a meal together, and sometimes play a game or two...
The company didn't contact him again.
Oh, but then another producer approached him to buy the rights to "Commemoration," wanting to give a performance to a singer at one of their productions.
Lu Yanhe used the authorization agreement he had previously signed with Song Linxin as a template, signed one with them, and authorized it out.
Thanks to this era where copyright protection has gradually become more in place, if we traveled back ten or twenty years, it was also an era of rampant piracy where no one cared if you bought copyrights.
Because his song "Remembrance" continues to bring him a small income on music platforms, along with two licensing agreements and remuneration for the previous two program recordings, Lu Yanhe's pockets are gradually filling up. With the subsidies from the company in the past few months, his savings have finally exceeded 30,000 yuan.
That way, they won't really be kicked out of their homes one day and have to beg for rice on the streets.
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Yan Liang and Li Zhibai both returned to their own homes.
Lu Yanhe didn't go anywhere.
An orphan, his grandmother, the only person who was kind to him before he turned fourteen, passed away. He was taken in by his uncle and became truly alone.
His uncle didn't call him once, and he didn't call back once either.
It was as if they had both forgotten that the other was a relative.
On this night when every household is brightly lit and travelers from both the north and south are returning home, Lu Yanhe sits alone in his room studying, without going live.
Cheers and jubilant sounds occasionally drifted in from outside the window. Although there was a smoking ban in the city, it still couldn't stop some people from secretly setting off a few cigarettes, which would appear briefly in the night sky.
Lu Yanhe heard the sound of fireworks exploding and occasionally looked up.
I can't help but miss my parents, but I dare not think about it, dare not think about it too much.
He could only shake his head, clear his mind of distractions, and continue to concentrate on reading and doing exercises.
It was Lunar New Year's Eve, an evening no different from any other ordinary night in the past.
Lu Yanhe knew that Li Zhibai and Yan Liang would both stay at home for a few days during this period.
They are usually very busy and have no time to go back, especially Yan Liang, whose home is not Yu Ming's.
Because he had run out of eggs, Lu Yanhe went to the supermarket outside his neighborhood to buy more on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
He gets his nutrition from a boiled egg every day.
At this time, there were hardly any people in the supermarket.
Couplets and red lanterns are everywhere, making it look very festive.
Lu Yanhe walked out carrying two boxes of eggs and a carton of milk, his breath turning to frost in the cold wind.
There were hardly any people on the road.
Many of the people living here are not originally from Yuming. At this time of year, they have long since returned to their hometowns with their families, leaving the area feeling mostly empty.
Suddenly, two "beep" sounds came from the side.
Lu Yanhe didn't react at first, until the "beep beep" sounded again.
He turned his head in surprise and saw Qiu Ling's car on the otherwise empty main road.
It's somewhat amazing.
Lu Yanhe walked over, utterly astonished, to the woman who had already pulled over and rolled down the window.
"Sister Qiuling, what are you doing here? Didn't you go home?"
Qiu Ling: "Stop talking, it's work. I was summoned back last night and worked all night to catch someone. I just got off work and was about to go home to catch up on sleep. What about you? Why didn't you go home?"
Lu Yanhe paused for a moment and said, "Preparing for the exam, the college entrance exam is coming soon."
"Tsk, high school seniors are really something else, working so hard." Qiu Ling's dark circles were big and sparkling. "Have you eaten breakfast? If not, how about we grab some noodles? I need to eat before I go to sleep."
Lu Yanhe, carrying the eggs and milk, nodded and said, "Okay."
"Come up."
Qiu Ling drove Lu Yanhe for two hundred meters before the car stopped on the side of the road.
Finally, I found a noodle shop that was still open today.
"Sister Qiuling, are you all usually this busy with work?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Qiu Ling: "Being busy is secondary. The key is that sometimes things come up very suddenly, and you have to overcome a lot of difficulties. I am actually considered to be doing well. Those police officers who are really on the front line of the police station are even busier and more tired. They are as busy as spinning tops, and many of them have occupational diseases."
Lu Yanhe nodded thoughtfully: "Sister Qiuling, haven't you thought about changing jobs? It's so busy and tiring."
"Why change?" Qiu Ling said. "Although it's busy and tiring, if I didn't want this job in the first place, I wouldn't have chosen to come here. I'll only consider switching to a less demanding position if I really can't keep up. Not all police positions are as busy as what I'm doing now."
Lu Yanhe still doesn't know exactly what Qiu Ling does, only that she often has to deal with some very serious cases.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on your matter as well,” Qiu Ling suddenly said.
Lu Yanhe didn't immediately realize what Qiu Ling was referring to.
Qiu Ling said, "Regarding the incident where you were pushed into the river, since there were no surveillance cameras at the scene and no suspicious persons were captured on camera, there was only an anonymous letter you received, but it was also impossible to trace and there were no useful clues. Are you sure you were pushed in? Or did you just lose your footing, or could it be your imagination?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head: "Sister Qiuling, I am very sure that I was pushed down. A lot of force pushed me down. Although I did not see the person, that person has never appeared since."
“The main reason is that we can’t find any suspicious people around you, and no one has any motive to persecute you.” Qiu Ling sighed. “The person who is most hostile to you is your agent, who is thinking of terminating your contract.”
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Yes, that's what I'm also very confused about. However, Sister Qiuling, as I told you before, the person in the company who wants to get rid of me isn't Zhou Ping'an. He's just following orders. He hinted to me before that the person who really wants to get rid of me is someone outside. The person who instructed him is also acting on someone else's behalf. They don't want to kick me out of the company, but rather out of the entertainment industry, so I can't be a star. I have a suspicion that the person who wants to kick me out of the entertainment industry and the person who attacked me might be the same person. My past is really simple, and I don't have any connections, but these two things happened to me inexplicably. I don't think it's a coincidence, although I still don't know what secrets I have."
Qiu Ling nodded.
“I will continue to investigate, but in your case, since there are no clues or evidence, apart from me keeping an eye on it for you, no one else will continue to follow up,” Qiu Ling said. “You should also understand that the whole matter is only based on what you reported to the police. There are no witnesses or evidence, and everyone has many other cases to deal with. They don’t have that much energy to deal with your case.”
Lu Yanhe actually understood Qiu Ling's implied meaning.
The police might even suspect that the claim that someone pushed him into the river is untrue, and that the anonymous letter might not even be real, but rather a forgery.
This feeling of not being believed was somewhat uncomfortable, but perhaps it was because he was also a parasite. When he came to this world, the original body had already been pushed into the river, and all his memories were inherited. He had fear and apprehension, but they were not as vivid as if he had experienced them firsthand. So, when he looked at these things, he felt somewhat like he was looking at someone else.
Lu Yanhe did not fully immerse himself in this angry emotion, and there was no more of that Ma Jingtao-style angry shouting like "How could you not believe me?"
"Okay." Lu Yanhe nodded. "Thank you, Sister Qiuling. I'm already very grateful that you took the time to keep an eye on this for me."
Of course, danger existed, but after that incident, it never appeared again. Lu Yanhe also adhered to the principle of "a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall" and never went to remote places alone. Every day, he went to school, took the bus, and went to school again, or he went with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang. Apart from that one time when he encountered Zhou Pingzhi committing murder and kidnapping, which made him feel a little panicked, there was no other danger.
“However, were my parents’ deaths really an accident?” Lu Yanhe asked. “The meaning revealed in that anonymous letter suggests that there was more to my parents’ deaths than meets the eye.”
“I’ve also investigated this matter, and it was indeed an accident,” Qiu Ling said. “Your father died of lung cancer, and your mother died from the NIU virus infection from back then. Both are documented. If there were any hidden circumstances, it should be a human-caused cause of death, such as a car accident. Lung cancer or NIU virus are both pathological causes of death, and these cannot be falsified.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
What Qiu Ling said was consistent with the original owner's memories, without any difference. It seems that it was indeed not what he originally thought.
He originally thought that there must be another reason for his parents' deaths, that they might have been persecuted and their cause of death was simply disguised.
Pathological deaths such as lung cancer and NIU virus infection do not sound so easily caused by human intervention.
There's nothing else to say.
Lu Yanhe and Qiu Ling ate a bowl of noodles together and then parted ways.
Qiu Ling went back to catch up on her sleep, while Lu Yanhe went back to continue his studies.
-
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Zhibai ran back.
Lu Yanhe was quite surprised and asked him what happened and why he came back.
Li Zhibai looked annoyed and said, "Anyway, staying at home just means being nagged, so I might as well come back sooner. It's much more comfortable here."
"..."
Li Zhibai then asked, "Old Lu, what have you been doing these past few days?"
"Read a book."
"You've been reading all this time?"
"Yes, I've been reading."
Li Zhi looked at Lu Yanhe with disbelief, feeling both incredulous and somewhat moved.
"I noticed you haven't been doing live streams, so I thought you were taking a break and resting for a few days."
“Anyway, there’s nothing else to do,” Lu Yanhe said.
Li Zhibai: "How about we play some games together today?"
"Sure."
The two of them took turns using the controllers and played the game for an hour.
Lu Yanhe played games quietly, but Li Zhibai could shout "Ah, oh, damn it!" from beginning to end all by himself.
"I'm telling you, I'm really impressed." Li Zhibai suddenly remembered something and said, "Zhou Ping'an asked me to go to film a movie in March."
"Filming?"
“Hmm.” Li Zhibai nodded. “They said there was a film crew with a role, but someone stood them up at the last minute, so they were going to shove me in. When I saw the role, I thought, ‘Ha, the character is a cocky rich kid, obviously a big idiot.’ But Zhou Ping’an insisted that it was suitable for me, saying that the character was good and that I would become famous if I played the role. I really wanted to curse him.”
"Why don't you try acting first? You were pretty cool and edgy during your last audition," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "Maybe it'll be a good fit."
"Damn, you actually said that too?" Li Zhibai frowned instantly upon hearing this.
Lu Yanhe said, "Oh, actually, it's good to be able to play a character that's somewhat similar to yourself when you first start acting. Otherwise, how can someone like us who hasn't received any acting training act?"
Li Zhibai: "Then wouldn't that make me look like I'm just playing myself? Damn, am I really that kind of person?"
Upon listening, I realized that this was the crux of the problem.
Li Zhibai felt that the character was not very sophisticated, rude, ostentatious, exaggerated in his behavior, and spoke without thinking. However, he was also a rich second-generation, which made it easy for Li Zhibai to feel that the character was being "subtly criticized".
"Don't think like that. It's not about playing yourself. It's just acting." Lu Yanhe said, "Although Zhou Ping'an is a scoundrel, he certainly won't let his most popular artist play a role that would ruin his image. If the role is really controversial, he won't let you take it."
This statement convinced Li Zhibai.
"..." Li Zhibai was silent for a moment, "Then I'll take another look at the script."
Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "Moreover, if Zhou Ping'an has already decided to have you act, even if you are unwilling, Zhou Ping'an will find various ways to make you willing."
-
Lu Yanhe's words to Li Zhibai were sincere.
He felt that Li Zhibai should also try his hand at acting.
The entertainment industry in this world is quite similar to the one he came from, both at roughly the same stage. Film and television dramas reign supreme, the music market is sluggish due to the shrinking physical market, and there is no mature stage for artists to perform in the domestic environment. On the contrary, music festivals are thriving, providing fertile ground for some singers who are not very famous but have a unique style.
He, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang all have similar vocal qualities; they're not particularly outstanding, just passable singers. Frankly, relying on these qualities to become a singer requires a lot of luck. Even though Lu Yanhe has an incredible repertoire, capable of singing a hit song every year for over a decade, "Remembrance" gave him a significant realization—his rendition of it became somewhat popular, but it was Song Linxin's cover that truly propelled it to widespread fame on social media.
Not every hit song is selective about the singer.
Before Angela Chang sang "A Diao", it was only well-known in the folk music circle.
Even differences in the singer, the stage, and the level of promotion can determine how popular a song becomes.
"Never Left" had been around for many years before it appeared on "I Am a Singer," but it only became a nationwide hit thanks to this timely and well-timed variety show.
Lu Yanhe's cheat ability only applies to some basics—he knows many good works that were hugely popular in their original timelines, but that doesn't mean that simply copying them will replicate the miracle.
He had thought so before, but the results of "Commemoration" made him realize that things were not as simple as he thought.
Therefore, people should ultimately do what they want to do by combining their own strengths.
In this new era, he has many songs he can "create," and with the right timing and conditions, he can also "create" many film and television works. But to truly establish himself, he ultimately needs to find something that truly belongs to him.
They all have some talent for performing, so they can give this a try. Whether it works or how far they can go is all in the future. They should take it one step at a time. This is why Lu Yanhe was determined to seize the opportunity to perform in "The Golden Age".
An opportunity is like a key; no one knows if it will be the key to your eventual success, so you can't give up on any of them.
-
High school students' winter break ended quickly, and soon the new semester began, and a group of them began a new round of torment.
Upon arriving at school, on the first day, I took the answer sheet for the last monthly exam of the previous semester, which was also the final exam, and checked my grades.
The school was quite lenient and didn't release the grades while they were at home.
Lu Yanhe ranked 148th in the grade, moving up a little again.
Li Pengfei ranked 274th in his grade, showing significant improvement as well.
What made them even happier than this was that Su Su had returned.
His injury needed more time to heal, since a knife had been plunged directly into his chest.
But he insisted on coming back to teach his students.
He sits down to give lectures, because he can't speak loudly, so he specially got a little bee (phone) and wears a headset to give lectures to everyone every day.
Seeing him like this, Yin Xiangyu privately teased him, saying that Su Su's performance was good enough to represent the school in the selection of model workers and touching figures.
When the news spread, many people thought it was indeed appropriate. If Teacher Su's spirit is not commended, then who should be commended?
Should we commend that gossipy person?
As a result, Yin Xiangyu, who was originally supposed to be nominated for the evaluation this year based on seniority, was ousted by her own words.
That's a story for another time.
...
As the college entrance examination approaches, time seems to fly by. There doesn't seem to be enough time, and there are still many areas that need to be filled.
Lu Yanhe's sleep time was further reduced.
I used to make sure I slept at least six hours a day, but now I only sleep five hours.
In March, Li Zhibai reported to the film crew and began filming his first movie. Yan Liang achieved excellent results in the joint entrance examination and began taking the college entrance examination.
Time flies by with every breath.
Lu Yanhe no longer carefully concealed his strength. His study livestreams, which lasted for more than ten hours every day during the winter break, allowed him to unleash even more of his abilities in the monthly exam at the end of February.
He scored 115 in Chinese, 125 in Math by skipping the last sub-question of the last three big questions, 122 in English (he slightly improved his score), and finally 241 in the Humanities Comprehensive Test thanks to his hard work, including 87 in Politics, 88 in Geography, and 66 in History.
Lu Yanhe's ranking jumped straight into the top 100 of the grade, shocking the entire school.
His biggest weakness is history.
However, their class's history ranking improved dramatically, ranking third in the entire grade in the exam.
These past few days, whenever Yin Xiangyu saw students from Class 3, their faces would turn dark.
He used to be last in his grade, but after getting a new history teacher, he has risen to third in his grade.
"..."
This is a slap in the face for her.
-
Lu Yanhe's entry into the top 100 of his grade for the first time shocked the entire grade.
But this time, everyone was only surprised, not confused.
During the winter break, Lu Yanhe spent more than ten hours a day live-streaming his studies, which became known to many teachers and students at the school.
Many of his viewers are actually viewers of his live stream.
Liu Qin said, "Lu Yanhe's remarkable progress is due to two factors: first, his teachers' excellent teaching skills, and second, his own hard work."
He's really working incredibly hard.
The students in Class 3 all knew how much effort Lu Yanhe had devoted to his studies.
Is it possible for a person to make such great progress in just five or six months?
This was the result of Lu Yanhe controlling his performance.
“He truly absorbed every single minute of learning, constantly thinking and supplementing his knowledge.” Old Chen told the teachers in his office, “Every night he leads his fans in memorizing words in his live stream, ten words in ten minutes. But I see that he actually memorizes ten words in three to five minutes each time, and then starts memorizing other words. If you really focus 100% on memorizing a word, you don’t actually need ten minutes. The reason he can improve so quickly is because he is genuinely and actively trying to learn well.”
Lin Jue said to the class, "What should everyone learn from Lu Yanhe? He thoroughly studies every point of knowledge. He understands why each warm and cold current appears, why it appears in this place, and what impact it has on the surrounding area. By thoroughly studying the geographical logic behind it, you can apply what you've learned to other situations. You no longer need to memorize things by rote. If you are asked about a certain latitude and longitude marking a sea area, you can even deduce whether it is a warm or cold current by combining it with the landform features of the nearby coastal area."
Every piece of knowledge is actually human experience, and behind every experience lies a pattern.
Lu Yanhe figured out these patterns, and as a result, he learned everything very quickly.
He devoted almost all of his energy to studying.
Even eating is a race against time. Li Pengfei said that every time he eats with him, it feels like someone is fighting for his food, and he has to finish eating within ten minutes.
Lu Yanhe said, "I really see Zhenhua and Yuming as my targets. There are only two or three months left. I'll give it my all. After that, there won't be another chance to fight."
Halfway through March, Yan Liang's art exam results came out, and he successfully entered the Beijing Academy of Arts. He was just waiting for his college entrance exam scores.
Because of this result, Yan Liang once again became a trending topic on social media, something he hadn't done in a long time.
After all, it's the Beijing Art Theatre.
Then, Yan Liang, who was originally scheduled to return to No. 13 Middle School to prepare for the college entrance examination after the art exam, was also given a whole set of private tutors by Zhou Ping'an to help him prepare for the college entrance examination and tailor a preparation plan to ensure that he would be admitted to Beijing Art Academy.
In the group chat of the three people, only Li Zhibai occasionally popped up to complain.
One minute it's that an actor is mentally ill, the next it's that the director is inhuman, making him wait on set for eight hours for nothing, and then it's that the scene they're about to film is idiotic, and so on.
The snow melts, revealing a clear sky; old trees sprout new buds.
From thick down jackets and cotton-padded coats, we changed to jackets and windbreakers, and then, gradually, our clothes became thinner and thinner.
Li Pengfei cupped his face in his hands and asked Lu Yanhe in the crowded cafeteria, "Have I lost weight? I feel like my bones are digging into my face when I touch it."
Lu Yanhe looked at him speechlessly.
"Go ask Xu Zijun."
Upon hearing this name, Li Pengfei immediately felt a sense of impending doom and turned around to look around, fearing that someone else might have overheard Lu Yanhe's words.
"Keep your voice down! Don't let anyone hear us. I told you, we're keeping this a secret!"
Lu Yanhe: "...No one suspects either of you now."
Li Pengfei suddenly felt a little melancholy.
"Old Lu, I'm having some troubles right now."
"What's up?"
"What if we both get into different universities?" Li Pengfei said. "Does that mean we'll have to have a four-year long-distance relationship?"
“Why are you thinking about these things now? Maybe you two will end up going to the same university in the future,” Lu Yanhe said. “Thinking about these things now is useless. You should try to get more points so that you will have more choices later and be able to stay in the same place as her.”
Li Pengfei sighed: "I'm very worried now. What if I do too badly on the exam and my dad wants to send me abroad?"
Lu Yanhe: "I don't think your dad has that kind of idea. If he wanted to send you abroad, he would have sent you away long ago. He's always urging you to study hard."
“My grades are so bad that even if I tried my hardest, I wouldn’t be able to get into a top-tier university. I’d be content if I could get into a decent second-tier university.” Li Pengfei is very self-aware. “I feel like my ancestors’ graves are emitting smoke as I get into the top 200.”
"There are still more than two months left. Give it your all. Until the very last moment, no one knows what will happen," Lu Yanhe said. "Besides, maybe you'll perform exceptionally well in the college entrance examination. Anyway, don't overthink it. Do what you can do now, and don't think about things that are useless now."
Li Pengfei pursed his lips, looked at Lu Yanhe, and said, "You're talking just like my brother now."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
(End of this chapter)
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