Chapter 79 I still think you're better than Gu Ci...
"Squad leader, what does Hao want to see you about?"
As soon as Yu Xiaocheng came out of Su Hao's office, she was surrounded by people.
"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
"Sweet at first, then bitter, the flavor is doubled." Jiang Deyu answered quickly, "Squad leader, tell me the good news first."
"The good news is that the school is finally being generous; from now on, we can have the air conditioning on all day."
"Really?"
Yu Xiaocheng nodded, "It's absolutely true, Brother Hao told me himself."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the air conditioner was turned on by someone.
"And the bad news?"
"The bad news is that starting tomorrow, only our senior year will be left in the whole school. The freshmen and sophomores will officially start their winter break tomorrow, and we will still have to attend classes for another week."
This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge uproar in the classroom.
"No wonder the school was being so kind; they were just giving us a slap and then a treat, waiting for us to get what they wanted."
"Let whoever wants these rotten dates take them, I don't want them anyway."
"Whether it's a holiday or turning on the air conditioner, even a fool knows which to choose!"
"If the holiday is delayed, won't school start earlier?"
"Listen to me, shut your mouth. It's almost Chinese New Year, and Daddy won't allow you to say such unlucky things."
"Get out! What kind of time is this to be trying to take advantage of me? You unfilial son!"
"It's not without its advantages; at least the freshmen and sophomores won't be fighting us for the cafeteria anymore."
"That's all you've got."
...
Just then, the back door of the classroom was slammed twice. "What's all the noise about!"
The once noisy classroom instantly became completely silent.
Qin Lin walked into the classroom with a stern face, holding their weekly test papers from yesterday. "Come on, those who want to have winter break tomorrow, stand up. I'll give you leave slips right now, and you can take as many days off as you want."
The entire class fell silent, terrified.
Especially those few who were shouting the loudest before, they were practically hiding their heads in their desks.
"At such a crucial time, you're still thinking about slacking off and seeking comfort, thinking you've all studied very well and can get into a top university, right?" Qin Lin took off his cotton-padded coat and casually threw it on the podium. "I don't know how many times I've said these same old things. You're not tired of hearing them, but I'm tired of saying them."
If there isn't a happy ending, how can we justify all the hardships they've endured along the way?
"The books are for you to read yourselves, not for me." He softened his tone. "Tong Xia, hand out the test papers. We'll go over the test papers in this class."
—
Jiang Sui was woken up by Ji Jingyu.
She fell asleep on her desk as soon as class ended last period, and neither the protests against the delayed holiday nor Qin Lin's scolding could wake her up.
Ji Jingyu knew she was tired.
After all, she was still asking herself questions at midnight last night, and Ji Jingyu had no idea how long she studied after the video call ended.
Judging from her condition, it's probably not long from now.
Thinking of this, Ji Jingyu frowned slightly, her thin lips pressed into a straight line.
Studying is important, but you can't sacrifice the necessary sleep time.
He remembered when Jiang Sui first came to Xunning, her face still had baby fat, and she was beautiful and delicate yet still had a childlike innocence.
Unlike now, she's lost all her weight, her face is much smaller, and her facial features have become more defined and three-dimensional.
It felt as if Jiang Sui had grown up right under his nose...
It's as if they had never been separated...
A sudden, indescribable bitterness welled up in Ji Jingyu's heart.
"Hmm."
Jiang Sui's eyes were tinged with red, and her long eyelashes were damp with sleepiness.
Her vision seemed shrouded in a thin mist; she blinked hard a few times before her eyes gradually cleared.
There was no time to wash her face in the bathroom, so Jiang Sui had to settle for taking two wet wipes and wiping her face haphazardly.
But the wet wipes weren't as effective as washing her face with cold water, and her drowsiness didn't subside much. She covered her mouth and couldn't help but yawn again.
"Still sleepy."
Jiang Sui muttered something and slapped her cheeks a few times, trying to wake herself up.
"Lower your head and open your mouth."
The deliberately lowered voice had a strange magnetism, and the heat slowly crept up along the earlobe, soon turning Jiang Sui's entire left ear a bright red.
Although she didn't understand why, Jiang Sui obediently did as she was told.
The next second, a mint was carefully placed in her mouth.
The refreshing taste of mint exploded on Jiang Sui's tongue, then spread all the way to the back of her tongue and throat, directly hitting her originally tired brain.
It felt like someone had planted a huge field of mint in her mouth.
"Are you feeling any better?" Ji Jingyu asked her.
Jiang Sui, with a candy in her mouth, couldn't speak, so she nodded at him.
"There will be more after you finish eating."
If Qin Lin hadn't been standing right in front of the podium, Jiang Sui would have almost thought it was still break time.
Such "outrageous" words were spoken by Ji Jingyu in a nonchalant manner, as if Jiang Sui could do whatever she wanted as long as she was willing.
A sly glint flashed in Jiang Sui's eyes as she held up the test paper she had just received and slowly asked, "So, will you still feed me?"
Her intention was to tease Ji Jingyu, but because she had candy in her mouth, her voice sounded sticky and sweet, more like she was being coquettish.
Ji Jingyu seemed to have long been used to Jiang Sui's occasional teasing behavior, and his face showed no emotion. He placed the small tin box containing candy on Jiang Sui's desk and said, "Be a good student and listen to the lesson."
Jiang Sui pouted, "You old-fashioned girl, this is boring."
But the very next second after she looked away, Ji Jingyu lowered her eyes and gently stroked the fingers of her right hand.
It's like touching a soft, warm cloud; you dare not go deeper, but you don't want to leave either.
Even now, the feeling is still clear; it's as if the soft, warm touch still lingers on my fingertips.
—
Qin Lin's gaze swept over the corner where Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu were more than once.
One of them didn't hold a pen the entire time and kept staring blankly at his right hand.
These questions were indeed too easy for Ji Jingyu, and it's only natural that he found them boring.
As for the other one, Qin Lin hadn't seen her face since class started.
Hiding behind the exam paper, I have no idea what they're doing.
When Jiang Sui first transferred to No. 2 Middle School, Qin Lin genuinely thought that another rich and troublesome kid had arrived, so he took it very seriously and dared not let his guard down in the slightest.
But it wasn't long before he discovered that Jiang Sui was actually quite well-behaved. She was never late, never left early, and never dated... In any case, he never caught her. She never violated classroom rules and always completed all the assignments given by the teacher.
Although her foundation in all subjects except English was weak at the beginning, she was intelligent and ambitious. Among all the students Qin Lin had taught, her speed of progress was definitely among the top three.
Based on this trend, Qin Lin felt that Jiang Sui was fully capable of getting into a very good university.
So, what's going on today?
"Jiang Sui".
"Um?"
A small face peeked out from behind the upright exam paper, its eyes bright and clear; it didn't seem like the child was daydreaming.
Qin Lin felt a little relieved, but still reminded her, "Put the test paper down and listen to the lesson carefully."
Why wasn't she paying attention in class?
Jiang Sui moved her tongue, pushed the candy in her mouth to the inside of her cheek, and was about to defend herself when she heard the person sitting next to her lean back and say in a very ordinary voice, "Jiang Sui has been listening attentively in class the whole time."
Qin Lin was stunned for a moment before he realized that Ji Jingyu was refuting his statement that Jiang Sui should listen to the lesson properly.
Yu Xiaocheng, sitting in the front row, mouthed "Wow!" No wonder it's her favorite CP, Brother Ji is so doting and protective!
“In that case,” Qin Lin’s gaze fell on Jiang Sui, “Jiang Sui, why don’t you go up and solve this problem on the blackboard?”
Whether someone has been paying attention in class or not can be found out with a test.
"Okay." Jiang Sui walked to the podium without hesitation.
"Jiang Deyu, you go up too."
Jiang Deyu, who had been grinning broadly as he watched the spectacle, immediately stopped laughing.
"I was very attentive in class, and I didn't daydream at all."
He was so aggrieved; what did this have to do with him?
Qin Lin raised an eyebrow and pointed to the problem on the blackboard. "That's right. If you listened carefully, you're not afraid of not being able to solve it. Go on, be generous and show everyone how it works."
Jiang Deyu stood up hesitantly, rubbing his palms nervously against his school trousers.
He wasn't listening at all; it would be a miracle if he could answer it.
Qin Lin got annoyed looking at his sloppy writing. "Get up there now, Jiang Sui is almost done writing."
The steps are so complicated that even if he were to copy them exactly, he might not be able to understand them.
"……Depend on"
Jiang Deyu couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.
The result was naturally a good scolding and being forced to stand for an entire class period as punishment.
—
After Qin Lin left the classroom, Jiang Deyu dragged his aching legs to Yu Xiaocheng's side.
"Smack."
He slammed his hands on her desk, his action sounding like he was picking a fight, but his tone was extremely resentful, "Class monitor, we're both doing one-on-one tutoring, but Brother Ji is so protective of Jiang Sui, why don't you ever help me?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaocheng rolled her eyes at Jiang Deyu, her smile mocking, "Heh, you still have the nerve to say that? Don't you see how much face Jiang Sui has given Brother Ji? I don't even expect you to improve anymore, I'll be grateful if you don't regress."
Yu Xiaocheng grew increasingly angry, "Being your teacher gives me absolutely no sense of accomplishment. There's no time left in this class, so after the next class, you're coming with me to Brother Hao's office. I'm getting rid of you today!"
Jiang Deyu's original intention was just to talk his way out of it. He never expected that Yu Xiaocheng would actually get angry with him. He was so busy begging for forgiveness that he said a lot of nice things and made one promise after another that it would cost him nothing, before he finally managed to dissuade her from the idea.
"Class monitor, don't be angry. Winter break is coming soon. How about we discuss where to go for fun..."
Yu Xiaocheng lowered her eyelid slightly, sending a sharp glare through Jiang Deyu, who immediately changed his tune, "What are you playing around for? Winter break is such a precious time, it should be used to study hard. I'll make a study plan for you later..."
"Sui Sui." Amidst Jiang Deyu's fawning and ingratiating voice, Xia Fan asked Jiang Sui, "Where are you spending your winter vacation? Going back to Licheng?"
Jiang Sui shook her head. "I'm not going back. I'll spend the New Year in Xunning."
Xia Fan was stunned. "You really aren't going back?"
Celebrating the New Year and celebrating the New Year's Eve are not the same thing.
It's understandable that Jiang Sui doesn't go back to Licheng because she usually has to go to school, but is it really okay for her not to go back now that it's a holiday?
“I’m not going back.” Jiang Sui rested her chin on her pen. “If I go back, it’ll just be me and Dad. I might as well stay here and celebrate the New Year with you all.”
It's only when you're with your loved ones and family that you truly celebrate the New Year and feel a sense of reunion.
In the years that Su Yinian was not by their side, Jiang Yunzhao and Jiang Sui had no concept of "New Year".
Every year at this time, Jiang Yunzhao would rather take Jiang Sui abroad to play than stay in China and be reminded of painful memories.
But this year is different. Jiang Sui's eyes shone brightly, as if filled with stars. "I have a feeling that I will have a good year."
"Your uncle will definitely miss you."
Although Xia Fan didn't have much contact with Jiang Yunzhao, he could tell that Jiang Yunzhao loved Jiang Sui very much.
“If my dad misses me, he will come to Xunning to see me.”
"Class monitor, what are your plans for winter break?"
Yu Xiaocheng twirled her pen. "This winter break will probably be the most difficult one I've had in my seventeen years."
What do you mean?
“My parents said that I don’t need to visit relatives for the New Year, and I don’t need to entertain guests when they come to our house. All I need to do is study hard at home.”
"Wouldn't that mean we wouldn't even have to leave the house? What's the difference between that and being under house arrest in disguise?"
Jiang Deyu hissed. If he were to stay at home staring at his parents all day, he would have to jump out the window and run away in less than a day.
“I only know that if I don’t do well on the exam, my parents will definitely make me repeat a year.” Just mentioning the word “repeat a year” made Yu Xiaocheng frown painfully. “I would rather die from exhaustion now than go through another year of high school.”
"I don't want to either, senior year of high school is just too tough." Xia Fan's voice even sounded a little like she was about to cry.
She didn't do well on the math quiz again. Although Gu Ci had coaxed her last night, Xia Fan felt like she couldn't do it again after math class.
She was exasperated: "Why do people have to learn math?"
“These are my lines, okay?” Jiang Deyu laughed. “Xia Xiaofan, why are you stealing other people’s lines?”
"There's nothing we can do about it; we just have a special connection with mathematics."
"What's the meaning?"
"Wait."
Yu Xiaocheng took the draft notebook and wrote on it.
[Biology, English, Geography, Mathematics]
[Physics, Language Arts, History]
"Is this the new timetable? But we don't study geography and history."
Jiang Deyu picked up Yu Xiaocheng's draft paper and rotated it 360 degrees, but still couldn't figure out what was going on.
Yu Xiaocheng snatched back her draft paper and rolled her eyes again, "If only you were this enthusiastic when I asked you to memorize vocabulary words."
She placed the draft paper in front of Xia Fan. "Did you figure it out?"
Xia Fan shook his head.
Jiang Sui, however, noticed the clue quickly because of the angle. She smiled and prompted Xia Fan, "Fanfan, try reading it vertically."
Xia Fan suddenly realized, "It reads the same whether it's read horizontally or vertically!"
"They are all their respective partners."
Xia Fan was impressed and gave Yu Xiaocheng a thumbs up, "As expected of the class monitor, I haven't even figured out how to ship real people yet, and you've already gotten to shipping inanimate objects."
Jiang Deyu pointed to the space below 'Mathematics' and said, "Why is this blank? Does Mathematics not have a CP? It deserves it, considering how much trouble it has caused."
Yu Xiaocheng was too lazy to pay attention to him anymore; anyone with an IQ over 50 should be able to keep her in suspense.
Xia Fan was quick to understand. She looked at Yu Xiaocheng curiously and asked, "Class monitor, what is the CP for math?"
With a flourish of his pen, Yu Xiaocheng wrote "student" on the paper.
【math】
【student】
After a long silence, Jiang Deyu uttered two words angrily: "Bad luck."
Yu Xiaocheng patted his shoulder and said, "This is what they call 'math may torture me a thousand times, but I still love math like my first love'."
Xia Fan was still in low spirits.
"It's okay, Fanfan." Jiang Sui reached out and cupped her face, rubbing it vigorously. "I'll buy you a small cake later."
"Um."
After Xia Fan turned around, Jiang Sui lay on the table, pondered for a moment, and then gently poked Ji Jingyu's arm.
"Want to talk to Gu Ci?"
Jiang Sui's eyes widened suddenly. How could Ji Jingyu know what she was thinking?
“I’m not that close to Gu Ci, why don’t you talk to him?” She whispered, afraid that Xia Fan would hear, “I now seriously doubt that Gu Ci knows how to teach at all.”
"Don't talk nonsense. Xia Fan has always been a slow learner. When she first started school, she couldn't keep up with the class's pace, so Gu Ci taught her slowly at home. No one knows better than him what kind of teaching method suits Xia Fan."
"But Fanfan looks very anxious right now."
“Gu Ci is the person who knows Xia Fan best. Even you can tell that Xia Fan is not in good condition, how could he not know?”
"Then how can we repay it..."
“Some things can’t be accomplished overnight,” Ji Jingyu put down her pen and looked intently at Jiang Sui. “But Gu Ci will definitely handle it well, don’t worry.”
“Okay, but I still think you’re better than Gu Ci.” Jiang Sui rested her chin on her hand, the corners of her mouth turned up, her long eyelashes covering half of her dark eyes, looking obedient and innocent. “Look how well you’ve taught me, I’ve improved again in this exam.”
Ji Jingyu didn't respond and continued to prepare the homework that Jiang Sui would have to do that night.
In the brief moment he lowered his head, a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
Author's note: Happy holidays, everyone! [heart emoji]
Thank you so much for the nutrient solution, my darlings! [heart emoji] [heart emoji] [heart emoji]
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