Chapter 36 Love Day
In the end, he still couldn't escape Lin Yan's "clutches".
While I was scratching my head, nearly pulling my hair out over the seemingly incomprehensible terms like "top-tier" and "professional and academic master's," that jerk Lin Yan made the final decision. He comprehensively analyzed my major, the difficulty of getting into my own university, and several "relatively friendly" target institutions, ultimately choosing a school not too far from home, with a decent ranking for the program, and reportedly less competitive.
I knew it all. With Lin Yan's incredible GPA and impressive resume, he could easily get into a top-two university or apply directly to a prestigious overseas school. Choosing this school? It was purely to accommodate me, a burden! This realization weighed heavily on my heart, making even my favorite game dull.
No! You can't really be a burden!
An inexplicable feeling, a mixture of reluctance and a desire to not let Lin Yan down, suddenly washed over me. I slammed my hand on the table (almost sending my mouse flying): "Damn it! Just take the test! Who's afraid of who?"
I immediately transformed into a "graduate school exam warrior," my keyboard clacking away, my mouse clicking at a rate comparable to an esports finals match. My browser tabs were densely populated with forums, experience posts, and recommendations from renowned teachers. My computer fan hummed, and the room was filled with an eerie, tense atmosphere reminiscent of an overtime session at an internet company.
"This Zhang Yu's advanced math class seems to have good reviews?"
"I heard Li Yongle teaches linear algebra in detail?"
"Are these the four reference books for the professional courses? Damn! They're so thick?"
"English... it's over... I barely passed the CET-4..."
"When do I start memorizing politics? Is it too early now?"
Information flooded in like a tide, and I felt like a drowning man, floundering among all the "famous teachers," "secrets," and "plans." My mind grew increasingly confused, and words flew before my eyes. One moment I thought this teacher was great, and the next I saw a post saying that teacher was even better... Someone with a late-stage decision-making disorder would explode on the spot!
"Ah—!" I wailed, slumped in the chair with my head in my hands, my eyes vacant. "Kill me! This is more tiring than playing a hundred high-difficulty dungeons!"
Lin Yan came over with a cup of warm water. He looked at the densely packed tabs on my computer screen and the scattered scraps of paper on the floor, crumpled up in frustration, and couldn't help but chuckle. He pressed the cup into my hand and ruffled my messy hair. "Alright, stop messing around. Seeing you like this, I feel so exhausted for you." His tone was a mixture of resignation and indulgence. "Leave the data collection and teacher selection to me. You just take care of the execution."
I felt like I'd been granted amnesty, instantly lying flat on my face, throwing this "hot potato" to him without any psychological burden. Professional matters really should be left to professionals (and those with excess energy)!
A few days later, Lin Yan drove back. The moment he opened the trunk, I was stunned.
Not just one box...several large boxes!
Brand new, ink-scented postgraduate entrance exam materials piled like a small mountain, filling half the trunk! Textbooks, exercise books, compilations of past exam questions, mock exams... neatly organized and categorized. Like an industrious ant, Lin Yan, one load after another, carried this "weight of knowledge" into my playroom.
As the last box of materials was placed next to my beloved gaming chair, I surveyed this once pure battle fortress—now, half of it was occupied by a variety of blue, green, and red books and test papers. Next to my monitor lay the "Advanced Mathematics Tutorial"; next to my figurine cabinet lay the "Graduate Entrance Exam English Vocabulary Red Book." The air was no longer filled with the leather of the gaming chair and the aroma of potato chips, but instead... the scent of ink from new books and a heavy atmosphere called "struggle."
"My dear game room..." I stroked my mechanical keyboard with great sorrow, as if saying goodbye to a comrade who was about to go on an expedition, "You...you have been defiled! You are no longer pure! From now on...this place will be filled with sinful calculus and damn English words! The days when we fought side by side...I am afraid...are gone forever..." I was possessed by the spirit of drama, and my performance was so tragic.
Lin Yan leaned against the door frame, his arms folded as he watched me perform, a smile on his lips, his eyes as if he were looking at his own silly son. When I had finished performing, he came over and handed me a tablet computer with an extremely detailed Excel spreadsheet open on it.
"Here, study plan." He swiped the screen. "Considering your... uh... foundation and study habits, the intensity isn't too high. Ensure 6-8 hours of effective study time per day, divided into time periods, with a balance of work and rest."
I leaned over to take a look.
The spreadsheet is incredibly detailed! It lists math from what time to what time, English from what time to what time, how many pages of specialized courses to cover each day, and even "rest and relaxation time" and... "exercise time"?!
My eyes widened suddenly, and my finger trembled as I pointed to a box in the spreadsheet that was marked with a special color (pink!). In that box were three big words written:
There is also a note in small print below: The duration and intensity can be flexibly adjusted depending on the learning status of the day and the wishes of both parties, but in principle the quality must be guaranteed, beneficial to the body and mind, and relieve stress.
I:"!!!"
"Lin! Yan!" My face instantly flushed red, and I jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on. My fingers were shaking as I pointed at the tablet. "You... you bastard! You can even write... this kind of thing into a study plan?! And even mark it?! And it's pink?! Do you think this is... this is... this is the company's KPI clocking in?!"
Lin Yan said matter-of-factly, pushing up his glasses. The lenses reflected a calm (or, in my opinion, shameless) light: "Physical and mental health are the foundation of effective learning. Regular intimate relationships help relieve stress and increase dopamine levels, which are good for memory and concentration. This is all part of a scientific plan."
"I'm not good at science!" I was so angry that I wanted to grab the tablet and smash it on his face. "This... From now on, I will look at this crappy schedule every day and see these two words... I... I will never learn a shit!" When I think about being tired of studying in the future, and looking up to see the three big words "Love Day" waving at me on the schedule, I feel dark and my future is bleak!
Seeing me looking like the sky was falling, Lin Yan finally couldn't help laughing. He reached out and pulled me into his arms, ignoring my struggles, rubbing his chin against the top of my head, his voice filled with laughter and comfort:
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Just bear with it, it'll only be for this year." He paused, his tone becoming low and seductive, like the Big Bad Wolf coaxing Little Red Riding Hood. "Think about it, after you finish your exams next year... you'll be completely liberated. Then, I'll give the game room back to you, and you can play as much as you want. And..." He leaned close to my ear, lowered his voice, and carried a burning breath, "...the 'Love Days' you owe, I'll pay you double, with interest."
That last sentence was like a tiny hook, instantly drawing away most of my grief and anger. While the thought of having to grapple with this "weight of knowledge" for the next year still made my vision darken, the "post-liberation" blueprint Lin Yan outlined... seemed... seemed... not unbearable?
I collapsed in his arms, looking at the mountain of information that almost overwhelmed my game room, then looking at the glaring pink "Love Day" grid on the tablet, and sighed tragically.
For the ultimate return of the game room, for a bright future of "both capital and profit"...
Goblin Warrior Chen Rui officially embarks on the journey of postgraduate entrance examination!
(Although it was forced, and the starting point of the journey was full of strange pink signs...)
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