Chapter 17
For my dreams, for the stars, I sing with freedom.
—The new blackboard bulletin of Class 5, Grade 11.
I stared at those eleven large characters for a long time. Footsteps were bustling around me, and I didn't know how many people had left, but I was the only one who was mesmerized by them.
Until I noticed the notice below: There's a monthly exam in a week.
Wu Qi and Yu Yuan mentioned "a showdown" that day, but in reality, only Yu Yuan was on his mind, working tirelessly for ten years. As for Wu Qi...
"Idiot, wake up!" I kicked his chair when I got back with the water. "Are you that sleepy?"
Wu Qi, buried in his arms, peeked out half his face when he heard this, his eyelids drooping as he said, "Life is too tiring, don't make a sound..."
"If you're sleepy, do some practice problems. Didn't I give you a book, Taro Ball?"
"ah……"
Wu Qi spent a long time dealing with the situation before remembering where the workbook was used, and pointed to the ground.
I looked down at his exposed ankle.
"I used it to prop up the table, but it's warped a bit."
"..."
It's really not surprising.
I was so angry at this lazybones that I grabbed his ear and forced him to look up: "Is this how you treat someone's kindness?"
"Ouch, that hurts." Wu Qi grabbed my hand. "I know, let go..."
Before he could finish speaking, we heard someone shouting from ahead.
"Wu Qi! The teacher is looking for you!"
We remained in that awkward position for quite some time.
I don't know how much time passed before I realized that my hands were intertwined with his in an unnatural way, reluctant to part.
My heart skipped a beat.
Wu Qi's hands were slightly cool, his palms were rough, his knuckles were distinct, and his nails were neatly trimmed.
He slipped out from between my fingers, not forgetting to tease my red string, and finally grabbed one of my index fingers, shaking it in a ridiculous, awkward way, as if mimicking a "friends shaking hands".
"Don't be angry, I'll do it when I get back."
"..."
This person is very good at acting cute.
He only used one move, and the next moment he revealed his true colors, "I think your Chinese textbook is more suitable for..."
Me: "Can you get out of here right now?"
Wu Qidian left, leaving me alone beside his seat, my fingertips numb.
This feels so annoying.
We've been together for so many years, and we've fought countless times while hugging, not to mention this kind of fingertip brush... Why do I become so concerned about this once I come to the human world?
Summer is so long.
This idea suddenly popped into my head.
There were little girls talking nearby.
"Do you know why Wu Qi was called away?"
"I heard the math competition results are out."
"real?"
"Yes, and Yu Yuan is still in first place! I guess Wu Qi got talked to by the teacher!"
"Holy crap, this is amazing!"
A question mark slowly appeared above my head.
?
What, aren't we participating in a math competition?
The rumor quickly spread throughout the class, and everyone was waiting to see what would happen. Only Li Guangheng and Xu Feng tried their best to deny it and told them not to talk nonsense.
Finally, the school bell rang, and Wu Qi and the homeroom teacher entered the classroom together.
Someone seemed to have a good relationship with the homeroom teacher. As soon as I entered the classroom, I heard someone ask the homeroom teacher, "Have the math competition results come out?"
The homeroom teacher's expression was serious: "Hmm."
The man asked again, "Is the first place still... Yu Yuan?"
The homeroom teacher didn't say anything.
The class gradually quieted down. Wu Qi stood to one side of the podium, his head slightly raised, looking completely normal, as if he could give an impromptu speech if given a microphone.
The homeroom teacher coughed and announced, "This time, Yu Yuan is not actually the first place winner."
There was a collective sigh from the crowd below.
"What? Not Yu Yuan?"
Who is that?
"Could it be Wu Qi?"
"Quiet down!"
The homeroom teacher slammed his hand on the table and said, "Based on feedback from the overall examination room, the surveillance footage... and all the examinees, I've also asked Wu Qi..."
At this point, everyone who has realized what's going on understands—
The first one is Wu Qi's.
However, but...
The homeroom teacher, exasperated and disappointed, slapped Wu Qi on the head: "But this person didn't write down the process! Not a single one!"
The whole class: "..."
Wu Qi ruffled his hair back, seemingly indifferent.
I was stunned; my jaw dropped.
Some things sound outrageous, but they happened to Wu Qi.
That's perfectly normal.
Then, from the teacher's few words, I understood the whole picture.
Wu Qi didn't write out the process, but he solved the most difficult problem. He ruled out all possibilities of cheating. He even asked Wu Qi to explain it to him, and his thinking was completely correct.
Time has passed, and things have changed since then.
The office exploded again because of Wu Qi.
The organizers were very appreciative of talent. The question didn't say that you had to write out the process, so they took advantage of the loophole and asked Wu Qi, "If you can explain this paper to the whole school, you can give it as a presentation for a math activity, and you'll get first place."
Wu Qi refused outright; he's really something.
He said at the time that he would leave the first prize to Yu Yuan, as he didn't really need it.
He also said, "If I can talk about everything, what's the point of having a teacher?"
then.
The teachers in the office all fell silent.
And then this is what happened.
The teacher gritted his teeth, praising Wu Qineng for his great potential, but what he really wanted to say was, "Damn it, I can't discipline him in class anymore."
Wu Qi returned to his seat, took out Yu Yuan's workbook from under his desk, and added several more layers of discarded test papers. When he looked up, he found that the whole class was staring at him.
He stopped what he was doing and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
"No, no."
"Maybe he's kind of handsome..."
Everyone withdrew their gaze from the "new species" and turned back to the papers in their hands.
As I pressed the pen tip out, amidst the rustling of pages turning and whispers, I heard Wu Qi chuckle behind me.
...
Damn it, he tricked me again.
-
The monthly exam was scheduled, and people stumbled and ran to the classroom, creating a tense atmosphere.
More and more people stood at the back of the classroom during class, holding up their books to keep themselves awake, forming a long line.
I've been somewhat influenced by them, and thinking about it, I realize I haven't slept for several days.
Even Wu Qi wasn't sleeping as soundly anymore. Occasionally, he would take out his phone to play videos, and when I looked, they were explanations of chemical electrolytes.
The most unlucky one was Meng Xiaoqiong...
Without Wu Qi's protection, he was constantly being dragged out by the teacher to stand as punishment.
One lunch, she finally couldn't take it anymore and angrily threw her plate down, yelling, "If I sleep again, I'm a dog!"
Yu Yuan sat opposite her: "So sleepy?"
"Actually, I wasn't that sleepy," Meng Xiaoqiong said. "It's just that I get sleepy as soon as the teacher starts talking, and I just can't stay awake."
When Wu Qi returned with his food, he sat down next to Yu Yuan. After overhearing what was happening, he said, "You'll have to stand sooner or later anyway, so why don't you be more considerate and I'll save you a VIP seat in the last row."
Meng Xiaoqiong: "Should I thank you?"
Wu Qi usually doesn't eat lunch with us. When we come out of the teaching building together, he always turns around to play basketball, and then grabs a bite to eat while everyone else is taking a nap.
But since the monthly exams started, everyone who usually plays ball with us has been busy studying, so Wu Qi has no one to play with, and naturally he comes over to eat with us.
The four of us sat at one table, and surprisingly, it was a harmonious scene.
"Isn't there still a few days until the monthly exam?" I said. "How about the three of us give you some extra help?"
Meng Xiaoqiong was so startled that she dropped her chopsticks: "Really?"
After she finished speaking, she looked at Wu Qi and Yu Yuan's expressions. The two of them nodded in agreement.
Meng Xiaoqiong thought for a moment: "Never mind... My foundation is too weak, I'll just try to catch up on my own. Hey, what are your plans after the monthly exam?"
Yu Yuan and I spoke at the same time.
"I have something to take care of," I said.
“There’s an English speech contest,” Yu Yuan said.
"ah?"
Meng Xiaoqiong was a little disappointed. "I was hoping we could go out and have fun together. What about Qi-ge?"
Wu Qi lowered his eyes, glanced at my face, and then looked away without making a sound.
"I...maybe."
Meng Xiaoqiong's grand plan failed, and she was so disappointed that she hung her head in dejection. That afternoon, she crammed English for three hours, successfully transforming her mood into one of utter despair.
After school, Wu Qi and I walked home, both of us wearing earphones. Wu Qi insisted that listening to music while walking created a more atmospheric feeling.
I didn't really feel the artistic conception, but the headphone cord was too short, and it made me bump into him several times.
Wu Qi didn't take it seriously and suddenly asked me a completely unrelated question: "What are you going to do after the exam?"
I said, "I've taken on a job at our school. I'll go check it out after the exams."
Wu Qi nodded; he never interfered with my work.
"It shouldn't take too long, right?" he asked again.
"Half an hour?" I estimated.
"Okay."
Wu Qi rarely discusses things with me, and his tone unconsciously softens, as if his voice is being transmitted through headphones.
"I'll come pick you up," Wu Qi said again, "and take you out to play."
I glanced at him sideways.
He said that a lot. Back in the Heavenly Realm, he often took me wandering around. He called it "taking me out to play," but in reality, it was just us fighting in different places.
Wu Qi didn't meet my gaze; his dark eyes were fixed on the path, his eyelashes always drooping, as if he were forever indifferent to everything in the world.
The alley was quiet, and the music from my headphones was jarringly loud.
Immediately afterwards.
I overheard an interview line tucked into the lyrics—untimely, yet perfectly timed.
"Can we change our plan to go out together tomorrow, Saturday, and instead go on a date?"
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