Chapter 16 I Want You to Continue Tutoring Me
The results of the placement test were announced on Wednesday morning, accompanied by the shrill ring of the school bell.
A huge red list was posted in front of the bulletin board on the first floor of the teaching building, a prominent spot. The densely packed names and scores, arranged like an ant colony, silently announced the cruel hierarchy. Although class hadn't ended yet, there were already signs of a commotion in front of the bulletin board. A few courageous students, taking advantage of a break between the teacher's writing on the blackboard or patrolling, would sneak out, peek in front of the list, and then quickly run back.
In the classroom, the second class of the morning was a dull biology lesson. The teacher, at the podium, analyzed key exam points, her voice flat and lullaby-like. An invisible anxiety hung in the air—everyone knew the results were in, and their minds were already focused on the red list downstairs.
Gu Ye sat by the window, his eyes fixed on his open textbook, as if he wanted to bore through the pages. His ears, however, couldn't help but pick up on the subtle chatter coming from downstairs outside the window. Those sounds were like tiny needles, pricking his tense nerves.
No, I can’t wait until the get out of class is over.
At the podium, the biology teacher was writing on the blackboard. The classroom was silent, with only the rustling sound of chalk scratching across the blackboard.
Gu Ye inhaled sharply, his body tensing. He tried to move as quietly as possible, taking advantage of the few seconds when the teacher's back was to the students, and slipped out of his seat silently. He crouched down, using the backs of the students in the front row as cover, and slipped out the back door swiftly and lightly. The whole process was so quick that it barely attracted anyone's attention—except Chu Yan, who was sitting next to him.
Chu Yan lifted his gaze from his textbook, glancing at Gu Ye's empty seat and then toward the half-open back door. A faint understanding flashed across his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, looking out the window at the bulletin board downstairs. The corners of his lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly, then he lowered his head nonchalantly and continued reading.
The empty corridor was completely silent, with only Gu Ye's own rapid heartbeat roaring in his ears. He quickly crossed the corridor, rushed down the stairs and headed straight for the bulletin board on the first floor.
It was class time, and the bulletin board was deserted. A huge red list sat alone on the wall, its glaring red background and densely packed black names emanating a silent, oppressive air in the silence.
Gu Ye's heart beat faster, almost bursting out of his chest. He forced himself to calm down, his eyes scanning the list like a radar.
Starting from the top? No, that was too far off. He remembered Chu Yan saying "the top 80%"... He estimated the total number of sophomores (about 600) and the top 80% would be those ranked before 480th. His eyes locked onto the bottom of the list.
The air seemed to freeze. He could clearly hear his own heavy breathing. His eyes, as if glued, quickly passed over those unfamiliar names.
Not... not... not yet...
A familiar, cold feeling of despair began to creep up from the soles of his feet. Is it really impossible? The rankings were rapidly falling, and he was about to approach the bottom...
At the moment when despair was about to cover his heart, his eyes suddenly fixed on a name.
[Gu Ye] - Class: Grade 12 (A); Total score: 402; Ranking: 443 (top 75% of grade)
Top 75% of the grade.
Gu Ye froze in place, his pupils dilated slightly from the immense shock. He stared at the name, once, twice, three times...checking it wasn't an illusion. His blood seemed to burst free, surging like a torrent. An overwhelming wave of disbelief, ecstasy, and a sense of immense accomplishment suddenly seized him.
He turned abruptly, dashing into the adjacent bathroom like a gust of wind, turned on the tap, and splashed ice-cold water on his face. The water washed over his cheeks, taking away some of the heat, but it couldn't extinguish the blazing fire in his chest.
He looked up at the boy in the mirror, his face wet and his cheeks flushed, his eyes surprisingly bright. The man in the mirror grinned and laughed silently, the smile growing wider and wider, with an almost foolish ecstasy and a sense of relief. He even shook his fist vigorously at the mirror.
The bell finally rang, and the classroom was instantly filled with noise and people rushing to the bulletin board.
Gu Ye had slipped back to his seat without anyone noticing, his usual tsundere expression restored, as if he hadn't been the one laughing silently in front of the bathroom mirror. He even crossed his legs, twirling a pen in his hand, and said to the younger brothers who gathered around to inquire in an extremely annoying, lazy tone, "Oh, that's it, so-so, it's good enough anyway." Only he knew that the fingers holding the pen were trembling slightly from the exertion, and the cold water still lingered on their fingertips.
Chu Yan walked in from outside the classroom. He had just been called in by the teacher to discuss something. Returning to his seat, his eyes casually swept across Gu Ye's feigned composure, then landed on the corners of his mouth, tightened with nervousness, and the slightly red, watery temples. A hint of a smile crossed Chu Yan's eyes, a faint, yet genuine one.
He didn't speak immediately, but just tidied his desk as usual, his movements calmly and leisurely.
Gu Ye glanced at Chu Yan from the corner of his eye. Seeing that he didn't seem to react in any particular way, the joy that had just risen in his heart was suppressed by an inexplicable uneasiness. He won the bet... did Chu Yan still remember? What would he say?
Just as Gu Ye was struggling with his conscience and wondering whether he should bring it up, Chu Yan finally turned sideways and faced him.
"Gu Ye." Chu Yan's voice sounded, with his usual gentleness, but it seemed that there was a hint of imperceptible warmth than usual?
Gu Ye's heart skipped a beat and he turned his head casually: "What?" There was a hint of subtle nervousness in his voice.
"Congratulations." Chu Yan uttered the two words clearly, his eyes bright as he looked straight into Gu Ye's eyes, "Top 75% of the grade, amazing." He deliberately emphasized the word "75%", as if he knew everything.
Those two simple words and a look, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirred a huge ripple in Gu Ye's heart. His expression barely managed to hold back, and his voice was a bit ethereal, with a hint of undisguised pride and a touch of casual probing: "...not so bad. That bet... ahem..." He finally couldn't help but bring it up, his tone a bit deliberately casual, but the ending tone rose slightly, betraying his inner concern.
Chu Yan's smile deepened as he watched him, clearly concerned to death yet forcing himself to remain calm. He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowered with a hint of playfulness that only the two of them could hear: "Well, you win the bet, classmate Gu." He paused, watching Gu Ye's eyes light up instantly, and deliberately drew out his words: "Have you decided on any 'conditions'?" Chu Yan's tone was persuasive; he could almost foresee what Gu Ye would ask for—that they remain in the same class next semester. It made perfect sense, given the expression on Gu Ye's face at the time.
Gu Ye took a deep breath, seemingly determined. He raised his head, his gaze no longer dodging, and met Chu Yan's inquiring eyes. The boy's eyes were unusually bright, with an unprecedented, almost stubborn determination.
"I think..." Gu Ye's voice was very clear, each word was pronounced with great force, "You continue to tutor me."
The smile on Chu Yan's face faltered slightly, and a hint of obvious surprise flashed across his eyes. This answer was beyond his expectations.
Gu Ye seemed not to notice his surprise and continued talking to himself, his speech speed quickening with an eager and unquestionable determination: "It doesn't matter even if I'm not assigned to the same class with you next semester. I want to learn and get in on my own! I want to rely on my own efforts, the next exam, the next exam... to get into that class!" His eyes were burning, like two small flames burning, pointing directly in the direction of the top of the red list downstairs, "I don't want to drag you down... I want to get up on my own." He deliberately emphasized the time point of "next semester".
After the words were spoken, the small corner fell into a brief silence.
Gu Ye's words were like a thunderclap, which without any warning split open a long-sealed corner of Chu Yan's heart.
I don't want to drag him down... I want to walk up myself...
This almost foolish pride and stubbornness, tinged with the unique courage of youth...
Chu Yan looked at the young man in front of him, seeing the pure desire in his eyes without any impurities...
In a trance, he seemed to see himself, long, long ago, with nothing to his name, similarly trampled in the mud by fate, gritting his teeth, bleeding, step by step, exhausting every ounce of his strength, climbing upward. There were no shortcuts, no support, only a solitary courage and an almost obsessive desire to reach the summit. Each step was an unbearable burden, yet he never considered dragging anyone down with him, only wanting to rely on himself and stand proudly at the top.
Those emotions, hardened by a long career, suddenly ignited as if thrown into a blazing coal. An almost unfamiliar throbbing sensation quietly spread from the depths of his heart.
He laughed silently.
This smile was no longer the usual mask of gentleness, nor was it the aloof and distant one. It was real, with warmth, like sunlight penetrating through thick clouds, pouring down on Gu Ye without reservation, enveloping him completely.
Gu Ye was a bit stunned by this sudden, dazzlingly sincere smile. He had never seen such an expression on Chu Yan's face before. Something in that smile, like a magic, instantly dispelled all the anxiety and uneasiness in his heart, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
Almost involuntarily, he also grinned, revealing a slightly silly, yet equally brilliant smile. The afternoon sun shone through the window, falling right on the two young men who smiled at each other. It felt as if tiny golden dust danced in the air.
In his heart, Chu Yan said to the system that had been silent for a long time in a relaxed tone that he himself had not noticed:
[System, I think I really want to help him.]
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