As long as they don't diverge too much, he and Qin Zigui shouldn't be too far apart in the future.
That's what Sheng Yan was thinking.
This unthinking and undisguised expression of emotion gave Qin Zigui the illusion that Sheng Yan's possessiveness and dependence on him seemed to have exceeded some ordinary boundaries.
But he dared not think that way; he only felt a dull, aching pain in his heart.
He had never seen Sheng Yan look so aggrieved.
Sheng Yan shouldn't feel so wronged; he was the best to begin with.
"Who said you're so far behind me?"
Qin Zigui looked down at Sheng Yan and asked gently.
Sheng Yan, still calculating, didn't even look up: "I got 327 points, you got 723 points, do we even need to say that?"
Sheng Yan wasn't someone who cared about grades before.
Qin Zigui had a rough idea in his mind: "Is it because of your grades that Aunt Xu wants you to go abroad?"
"Hmm." Sheng Yan's voice was a little muffled. "She called yesterday morning to say that. She said that with my grades, I wouldn't even be able to get into university in China. If I go abroad and spend some money, at least I can get a degree."
No wonder Sheng Yan, who had been whining and refusing to study math, suddenly became so diligent and motivated when I went out to buy medicine yesterday morning.
It seems she really suffered a grievance this time, and her self-esteem was somewhat hurt.
Thinking of Sheng Yan's spirited appearance on the shooting range, and then seeing Sheng Yan's dejected and pitiful state now, Qin Zigui felt a little sorry for him. He looked at Sheng Yan and whispered, "You're no worse than me."
"Don't try to fool me."
Sheng Yan didn't appreciate it at all.
Qin Zigui leaned against the edge of the table and asked, "So, do you think you're more handsome or I am?"
Sheng Yan replied without hesitation: "I'm handsome."
Qin Zigui: "..."
Although the answer was expected, Qin Zigui remained silent for a moment in response to this unwavering answer before asking, "So, do you think you're more popular or I am?"
"I."
"..."
Once again, without hesitation.
Another brief silence.
Qin Zigui then asked, "So do you think you're better at sports or I'm better at sports?"
Sheng Yan, without even thinking, blew his nose and said, "Nonsense, my athletic ability is inherited from my dad, it's the best in the world. You're only a little taller and stronger than me, but what else can you compare to me?"
Even though someone is so sick, so aggrieved, so sad, and so pitiful, it doesn't stop him from praising himself without hesitation, his voice thick with nasal congestion.
Perhaps this is the confidence and strength ingrained in our DNA.
So they're easy to coax.
Qin Zigui suppressed a laugh and looked down at him: "So you see, apart from grades, where are you worse than me?"
There was no deliberate attempt to coax him in a gentle tone, but Sheng Yan, who had been feeling worthless and extremely depressed and irritable, paused slightly.
Then it suddenly occurred to me, "Yeah, he's handsome, good at sports, popular, good at video games, and amazing at shooting. How is he inferior to Qin Zigui, that ice-cold guy?"
Besides grades.
However, the evaluation system for senior high school students only includes grades.
Thinking of this, Sheng Yan slumped down again: "What's the use of being handsome, athletic, and popular? College entrance exams don't look at those things. If I fail math this time, I'll just have to go to England."
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have wasted his wish on Chen Yubai. Otherwise, he could at least have gotten through this exam, instead of being so uncertain now.
Just then, Sheng Yan heard a gentle and reassuring voice from above him: "You will pass."
"?" Sheng Yan, who hadn't passed math for a whole year, looked up. "Are you going to help me cheat?"
"..."
This student seems to have some issues with his thinking.
Qin Zigui couldn't bother studying Sheng Yan's brain for the time being. He picked up a stack of test papers on the table and placed them in front of him: "Look, after I went through all the basic knowledge points and examples with you on Thursday and Friday, you passed three out of the five test papers you did on Friday night. After correcting your mistakes, you passed all five test papers last night. Based on this probability, you will definitely pass tonight as well."
That's the logic.
"But I lack confidence."
Sheng Yan lay on the table, his chin resting on the back of his hand, looking somewhat dejected.
Qin Zigui stroked his soft hair: "But I'm confident that I've never failed to do what I said I would do."
That seems to be true. From childhood to adulthood, anything Qin Zigui has made a judgment about has been almost always a sure thing.
Driven by a near-superstitious belief in metaphysics, Sheng Yan seemed to have gained some confidence. He picked up his pen and poked a period at the end of the exam paper.
Qin Zigui added, "Besides, you're not stupid at all. You just weren't focused on your studies before. With your foundation, the fact that you could improve your average score from 50 or 60 points to a stable score of over 100 in just four days shows that you actually learn very quickly. It's just that your foundation is too weak and you need to catch up on a lot of things. Also, you have a great memory. Although you haven't fully digested many concepts because you haven't done enough practice problems, you can still use the steps from the examples you've done to mechanically apply the formulas and get a few points for each step. That's quite impressive."
"..."
For a moment, Sheng Yan couldn't tell whether these were kind words or malicious ones.
But Qin Zigui is probably just trying to coax him now, so it must be nice words.
Sheng Yan instantly felt more confident and muttered, "I'm not stupid. I was the fastest mental calculator in my class when I was in elementary school."
That's the truth.
"So you'll definitely pass this exam, and as long as you're willing to study, I can guarantee you'll get at least 500 points on the first exam next semester. But the premise is that you don't mess up your brain."
After Qin Zigui finished speaking, Sheng Yan raised his head fiercely: "Who are you calling brain-dead?"
Qin Zigui looked down at him: "A prolonged high fever can indeed damage the brain."
Sheng Yan: "..."
Realizing that Qin Zigui's words made a lot of sense, Sheng Yan guiltily looked away and said, "What's the use of telling me this? My mom can't possibly wait until I start the next semester."
"I'll talk to Aunt Xu. Anyway, if you don't want to go abroad, then we won't go abroad." Qin Zigui's voice was deep and gentle, making people feel inexplicably at ease and reliable.
Sheng Yan was still worried: "What if I fail the exam and have to go abroad?"
He felt he had become so entangled that he was being unreasonable. If he were Qin Zigui, he probably would have lost patience long ago.
However, Qin Zigui simply replied in a gentle and firm voice, "Then I will go out with you."
"ah?"
Sheng Yan looked up.
Qin Zigui lowered her eyes to meet his gaze: "Didn't you say you wanted to go to the same university as me? Then I'll go with you."
Qin Zigui looked at him with a calm expression, as if it were a matter of course, as if whatever Sheng Yan said in this world was the natural thing to do.
grass.
The fairy has bewitched people again.
Sheng Yan's heart skipped a beat. After he came to his senses, he hurriedly looked away and said, "Even if I go out, it will only be a diploma mill that I can get into. What are you doing here? With your grades, if you don't get the top score and bring glory to your ancestors, your family's graves will be fuming with anger."
"It doesn't have to be the same school, but at least not too far apart." Qin Zigui seemed to be seriously considering this matter.
Sheng Yan didn't give him the chance at all: "Dream on. If you go to England, only Oxford and Cambridge are good enough for you. But you're only preparing now. What's the point? You just want to go to England to find a blond, blue-eyed handsome guy."
He knows that Britain has many gay men.
That's why he wouldn't let Qin Zigui go to that kind of decadent world and degenerate.
Suddenly, Sheng Yan felt a sense of responsibility, and his previously listless and sullen appearance began to show signs of renewed energy.
It's quite strange that I was coaxed into being happy.
He's not exactly stupid, but there's something strange about how he's smart; it's hard to believe his little head is so clever.
Qin Zigui thought for a moment, then patted Sheng Yan's head again: "If you don't want to go abroad, we need to go to the hospital now, lest your little brain get really damaged."
"Don't touch my head, you'll make me stupid." Sheng Yan disdainfully swatted away Qin Zigui's bird-like claws.
Qin Zigui chuckled lightly: "Okay, let's stop touching it. Let's go to the hospital for a checkup. We'll also buy some Brain Gold and walnut paste while we're at it."
Sheng Yan, supporting his groggy head, asked innocently, "Are you going to buy health supplements for your grandparents?"
Qin Zigui chuckled and didn't deny it: "Anyway, it's for people who need it."
Perhaps because he had finally spoken out about the things and emotions he had been holding back, Sheng Yan was taken to the hospital by Qin Zigui. After receiving an IV drip and taking a nap, his fever quickly subsided, and he felt more energetic. He only had some cold symptoms, such as a stuffy nose and dizziness, which still needed to be treated slowly.
However, I arrived at school a little late, just barely crossing the line of being late.
"I already told you I wasn't going to get an IV drip, and look what happened, we're late! If Weasel is on duty tonight, I'm not finished with you!" Sheng Yan dragged his sick body, pulling the slowly moving Qin Zigui along, and hurriedly rushed towards the classroom.
Now, whenever he sees Huang Shuliang, hears his loud voice, or thinks about his exploitation and coercion, he gets a headache.
So I prayed frantically in my heart, please don't encounter a weasel, please don't encounter a weasel, please don't encounter a weasel.
However, the moment he stepped into the first-floor corridor, he heard a familiar, powerful roar: "Fu Yun! What are you guys strapping to your butts?! You're high school seniors, are you still playing with dolls?!"
Sheng Yan froze on the spot.
Then I saw Fu Yun and the others standing in a neat row outside the classroom of Class 4, each with a plush dog tied to its butt, their hands behind their backs and their heads hanging down.
Right in front of them was Comrade Huang Shuliang, whose anger level was already extremely high.
At that moment, Sheng Yan didn't even think twice before turning around and preparing to leave.
Huang Shuliang, however, reacted like a weasel that had caught the scent of chicks. He instantly turned around, spotted Sheng Yan, and shouted, "Sheng Yan!!!"
"I must have been born in the Year of the Rooster in my past life, which is why I'm naturally incompatible with weasels," Sheng Yan looked to Qin Zigui for help.
Qin Zigui also wanted to help him.
But the next second, Huang Shuliang shouted, "Qin Zigui! Go to the math office and get the exam papers! Sheng Yan! You come here!!!"
After a moment of stunned silence, Sheng Yan could only walk alone to Huang Shuliang in despair after Qin Zigui patted his head in comfort.
Huang Shuliang roared again, "Speak first! Why are you late!"
Sheng Yan honestly replied, "I had a cold and fever, so I went to get an IV drip."
"Why would someone catch a cold or have a fever in the middle of summer?"
Huang Shuliang was clearly skeptical, even suspecting that Sheng Yan's nasal tone was faked.
Sheng Yan didn't have the energy to argue with him, and just replied weakly, "I did something heroic, chasing a thief in the rain, and then I got soaked and caught a cold."
"Chasing a thief in the rain?"
"Yeah, we ran through seven or eight alleys."
"You caught up with them?"
"We caught up with them and took them to the police station."
"Did the police officer praise you?"
"Yes, the policewoman also gave me a bag of potato chips."
Huang Shuliang looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Do you think I'm mentally challenged?" and said, "Do you think I believe that?"
Sheng Yan: "...???"
What's there to disbelieve?
He was telling the absolute truth!
Before he could even defend himself, Huang Shuliang roared angrily, "Don't think that just because you don't study properly all day and make up some high-sounding excuses to get sick, I'll let you off the hook for tonight's exam! Don't even think about it! Absolutely not! If you fail tonight, you'll be coming to the academic affairs office tomorrow to copy the exam paper and write a self-criticism! Ten thousand words! Not a single word less!"
Sheng Yan, who spoke the absolute truth throughout, was speechless.
No, why did he stop studying? Why did he make up excuses? Why did he fail?
He was about to retort angrily when a calm voice came from behind him: "Director Huang, Sheng Yan is not lying. He really is sick with a fever, but don't worry, he will definitely pass the exam."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Yun, who was standing next to him, scoffed: "That's right, with the top student in the grade protecting him, passing is a piece of cake."
"Shut up! Do you even have the right to speak here?! Do you think you're any better than me?! Get back to your class and prepare for the exam. After the exam, come to my office and stand there holding your so-called 'loser' until the end of evening self-study!"
Huang Shuliang treated all the poor students equally with cruelty. Fu Yun was yelled at and, gritting his teeth, returned to the classroom with a dark face.
Huang Shuliang snatched the exam paper from Qin Zigui's hand and said sternly, "You two, don't try anything funny. I'll sit next to you tonight and personally supervise your exam. Don't even think about cheating!"
After saying that, he walked into the classroom, pulled a chair behind Lin Qian's seat, and sat down with a loud "thud," startling Lin Qian so much that her small pink water cup on her desk almost fell off a cliff.
Fortunately, Lin Qian quickly covered it, then turned her head to look at Sheng Yan, who had a dark face at the door, and winked and gestured with her expression: What's going on?
Sheng Yan was taught to always respect his elders, but even with the utmost respect, he still had his temper.
So he picked up his schoolbag, sat down in his seat, and said irritably, "It's nothing, it's just that Director Huang thinks I deliberately made myself sick to avoid the exam, so he doesn't trust me and wants to personally supervise me to prevent me from cheating."
The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the whole class to hear.
Upon hearing this, the classmates exchanged disapproving glances.
After all, such distrustful words and actions are truly insulting.
If Sheng Yan could score 327 points, then he couldn't possibly be someone who would cheat!
Sensing this atmosphere, Huang Shuliang felt slightly embarrassed.
However, based on his intuition and judgment honed from years of experience in the education industry, he coughed twice to bolster his confidence: "Quiet! Quiet down! Who's your class's math representative? Come here and hand out the papers! I'm not here to proctor for any other reason than to let some students who aren't doing so well prove themselves with their abilities! To understand their own level! And then to honestly accept the education!"
"So you just think I can't pass."
Because Sheng Yan had a severe stuffy nose, his words sounded somewhat sarcastic.
Huang Shuliang had a fiery temper and couldn't stand being provoked. His face immediately darkened: "Don't you have any self-awareness about whether you can pass or not!"
Before Sheng Yan could say anything more, Qin Zigui spoke up coldly, "Director Huang, this is during self-study time. Don't make loud noises. It's a basic rule."
Huang Shuliang: "...???"
Who exactly is the dean of students?
"Class representative, distribute the papers, keep time, and conduct the exam. Listen to Director Huang and don't cheat." Qin Zigui didn't even glance at him. After speaking coldly, he took out the pirated Little Prince and his B612 crystal ball from his schoolbag and placed them on the corner of the table. He whispered to Sheng Yan, "Ayan, just remember what I told you. Don't be nervous."
Sheng Yan, who was initially a bit irritated by Huang Shuliang, gradually calmed down after hearing this. He grunted in response, took the test paper from the student in front of him, and began to bury himself in answering the questions.
The entire class, along with the proctor on the podium, Mr. Zhang, the math teacher, all began to bury themselves in their work, and no one paid any attention to Huang Shuliang anymore.
Huang Shuliang seemed to feel somewhat embarrassed at that moment.
The ceiling fan was spinning loudly, giving Sheng Yan a terrible headache. But on such a hot day, everyone else must be feeling unbearably hot, and it would be selfish to suggest turning off the fan.
So Sheng Yan remained silent, not uttering a single word, simply enduring the headache, gritting his teeth, and writing the exam paper.
One by one, the beginning was fine, but towards the end, I couldn't support my head anymore and had to lie on my side to barely keep my mind from thinking.
Even so, with his eyes already half-closed, Sheng Yan still firmly remembered the techniques Qin Zigui had taught him. He guessed on the last two multiple-choice questions, skipped the last fill-in-the-blank question and the last sub-question of the essay questions, and only did the most basic questions. If he had time left after finishing those, he would just write down some formulas similar to those in the examples and apply them.
To avoid falling asleep unintentionally, Sheng Yan bit his lip tightly to stay awake.
However, since he was lying on his side with his back to Huang Shuliang, from Huang Shuliang's perspective, Sheng Yan just seemed unable to solve the problem and was giving up on himself.
So when the alarm clock rang to collect the papers, Huang Shuliang stood up and called to the young math teacher on the podium: "Xiao Zhang, come here, please do me a favor and grade Sheng Yan's papers on the spot."
The intention behind this was quite obvious: to publicly intimidate Sheng Yan and curb his defiant spirit.
Teacher Zhang frowned in disapproval.
He knew Sheng Yan's grades weren't good, but that wasn't a reason to hurt a student's self-esteem. Just as he was about to refuse, Sheng Yan, who had been slumped over the table, lazily sat up and said, "Then, Mr. Zhang, I'll have to trouble you."
Seeing that Sheng Yan didn't seem to be resistant, Teacher Zhang hesitated briefly before stepping forward with a red pen.
He looked at Sheng Yan, who appeared sickly, and asked one last time, "Are you sure?"
Sheng Yan nodded.
Teacher Zhang nodded, then lowered her head and began to carefully correct the papers.
The classroom was eerily silent, making the sound of red pens scribbling across the test papers all the more noticeable.
Everyone was anxiously waiting, hoping that Sheng Yan could pass, but none of them held any hope for it.
After all, Sheng Yan's achievements are obvious to all, and besides, he is clearly sick today.
Only Huang Shuliang was determined to succeed, believing that he could finally curb Sheng Yan's arrogance.
When Teacher Zhang finished grading the papers and then frowned, saying, "Sheng Yan, your foundation is indeed much weaker than that of the students in Class One," Huang Shuliang immediately revealed a smug "I knew it" expression, and words of education and comfort instantly came to his lips: "See, I knew it, Sheng Yan, you..."
"Sheng Yan, you only got 105 points."
Teacher Zhang spoke very calmly.
"Yeah, you only got 100... wait? How much?" Huang Shuliang wondered if he was deaf.
Teacher Zhang repeated calmly, "105 points, 15 points below the passing mark."
Huang Shuliang: "???"
Sheng Yan?!
105 points?!
A perennial red-light district household actually passed the test?!
Before Huang Shuliang could recover from the shocking news, his phone rang; it was the security office calling.
I answered the call.
"Hello, is this Director Huang? Can you find Sheng Yan from Class 6 of Grade 11? Someone has brought him a banner!"
Huang Shuliang: "??????"
How many more surprises does this man hold that he doesn't know about?!
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