Chapter 96 Pseudo-Siblings (Part Two)
Yuan Chuyu did not go to school the next day, and his father asked him to take three days off.
This move was actually completely unnecessary, because Yuan Chuyu had already achieved good results in the Olympiad League during his second year of high school, earning him a place on the national team through a special admission program. He continued his studies purely to find clients and future partners.
As soon as Lin Langyi got home, she went straight to his room. The moment she pushed the door open, it felt like she had crossed the line between dawn and dusk. The windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were so thick that it was impossible to see anything in the bedroom. She suddenly slowed down and took a few seconds to adjust her vision before groping her way toward the bed.
The lighting was so poor that she couldn't see the person on the bed until she sat on the edge of the bed.
Yuan Chuyu lay quietly with his eyes closed. The dark gray blanket was not fully covering him, but was loosely spread out and softly draped over his chest. When he breathed steadily, the connection between his neck and collarbone rose and fell slightly.
Now that he was no longer as sharp as he was when he was lucid, Lin Langyi observed him with even more unbridled arrogance.
I heard that he was punished at the ancestral hall until this morning before being allowed to return. After that, he went into his room and didn't come out or eat all day.
Lin Langyi leaned down, her head almost touching his collarbone with her nose. She squinted and without hesitation caressed the skin that his pajamas didn't completely cover. There was a severely red and raised mark there, like a cat's tail in a relief painting, only a little bit of the mark was visible.
The person beneath him twitched slightly, seemingly restless.
Ha, she knew it. This person is incredibly perceptive; how could she not have known someone had come in?
Lin Langyi was about to pull down the collar of his pajamas to check the injuries when a pair of hands suddenly came up from under the covers and firmly pressed her arms down through the soft bedding.
Yuan Chuyu half-opened his eyelids, his fine eyelashes covering them, and looked at her with a calm expression.
"Brother." Lin Langyi gave him a sweet smile, but the smile only lasted a second before it faded, and she sadly continued, "Are you sick?"
His breathing was regular and even, and the room was completely silent. It turned out that his breathing when he was awake was not much more noticeable than when he was asleep.
"I asked Aunt Qiu to make you some food. Why don't you get up and eat something?"
He remained silent.
"Also, I made a detour to the pharmacy on my way home from school," she said, taking out two tubes of ointment from her pocket. "I heard from home that you didn't do anything to treat it today, so I'll put some medicine on it for you. It looks so painful."
When she said it hurt, her fingers, which were confined under the blanket, stubbornly stroked his chest back and forth.
He removed the hand restraining her, pulled the blanket over her to let her out, turned his back to her, and said calmly, "Get out."
Lin Langyi was unsure whether her father had let slip anything when he stormed into the ancestral hall to punish Yuan Chuyu in a fit of rage yesterday. She tried her best to prepare him beforehand, saying, "Dad, please don't tell my brother that I said it. I'm afraid he'll be angry with me." But Yuan Chuyu was exceptionally intelligent, and if he realized her involvement, he would inevitably give her a hard time.
But she didn't regret it at all. This morning at breakfast, her mother suggested leaving her a generous trust plan early on. This was clearly a rehearsal of a possible shareholders' meeting resolution for Yingyuan in front of her father.
The father did not raise any objection.
What a great start.
Lin Lang thought to himself, "I'm sorry, brother, but you only got a scolding."
She not only hinted at her words to her parents, but also intended to maintain her existing good relationship with Yuan Chuyu.
It's far from the point of breaking ties. Why not do some small favors that show goodwill?
Lin Langyi was quick-witted, and her voice still lingered with a drawn-out tone. She could easily force a sob into her voice: "Brother, let me put some medicine on for you. Can you go to sleep after you've applied the medicine?"
Yuan Chuyu lay on his side, his slightly arched back revealing a distinct mark on the spine extending to the back of his neck, like a beautifully curved whip hidden beneath his perfect skin.
His pajamas were very thin, and when they clung to his skin, you could occasionally see glimpses of his straight, broad bones and muscles.
Lin Langyi watched him for a while and felt that although he had grown taller quickly, he still had the slender and handsome look that was between a boy and a man when he was eighteen or nineteen. It was only because he was too mature in his dealings with people that he remembered that he was only three years older than him when he was injured.
She didn't care at all about the fact that he didn't want to talk to her. Like a sunflower that kept circling around, she went around to the other side of the bed and kept lingering in front of him.
Yuan Chuyu is truly a ruthless person who is quite steady and composed.
Even at this point, he still didn't reveal a trace of his ruthless temper, but instead calmly and directly informed her of some news:
“You don’t need to do your homework here anymore, and your mother agrees.”
Lin Langyi didn't care about this obvious rejection and neglect. Her expression remained unchanged. She kicked off one of her slippers and got into bed. She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed and unscrewed the cap of the ointment.
The light green ointment was squeezed onto her fingers, and the air immediately filled with the scent of mint and grass.
She held her fingers up to his face, her tone earnest but her answer irrelevant: "I've washed my hands."
He stared at her without moving, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was angry that she hadn't listened at all.
"Brother, do you remember when I used to use Mom's lipstick as crayons when I was little?" Having done her homework under the same roof for so long, she was used to seeing him with such a slightly annoyed expression, and even felt that he was more human when he did this.
Her ability to say sweet things seems to be an innate talent; both distant relatives and shareholders, big and small, adore her.
“I drew a watch on your wrist back then, and you told me that watches aren’t drawn like that, that it’s the sun. I said yes, but a shining brother should wear a watch that’s as golden and shiny as the sun.”
Yuan Chuyu's deep, thick eyelashes trembled slightly.
Lin Langyi didn't try to pull down his pajama collar. Instead, she reluctantly and laboriously applied the ointment to the small patch of red mark that was showing, using offense as defense: "You used to let me draw and scribble all over you, but now you won't even let me touch you when I apply medicine?"
The mint was refreshing, but his body temperature was burning; every cell seemed to be on fire.
He let out a deep breath, raised his hand and pressed the back of his hand to his eyes. In the end, he couldn't resist her persistent charm and gave up, letting her do whatever she wanted.
Lin Langyi smiled slightly. In this world, a sweet tongue and a hard heart always prevail. She may have betrayed him, but maintaining appearances was still necessary.
"Could you roll up your clothes?"
"Turn on the light, I can't see clearly."
"Sit up first."
Yuan Chuyu pressed his knuckles to his brow, sat up helplessly, grabbed the back of his collar with one hand, bent down, and took off his shirt from the collar.
Is that enough?
He held out his hands to her: "I can do it myself."
Lin Langyi didn't move. Her gaze was fixed on his naked upper body. Even sitting listlessly and tiredly on the bed, he was still upright and reserved. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with sharp bones and veins. His smooth V-line gradually tightened downwards. Every muscle was long and firm, full of power and beauty. Any more or less would not have the same feel.
I thought he looked thin just now, but it turns out he looks so good after taking off his restrained and formal suit.
More importantly, he had a severe allergic reaction this time, and his body was covered with crisscrossing red marks. These shimmering marks were now crisscrossing his once well-defined abdominal muscles, intertwining with the bluish-green veins bulging on his lower abdomen, creating a kind of restrained yet violent beauty.
He truly resembled a bleeding mermaid whose scales had been stripped away, the scars giving him a unique allure, as if he too could be placed above others, proving that the legendary invincible myth was not indestructible.
Lin Langyi once again objectively realized the absolute attraction that Yuan Chuyu brought to people.
The ointment was snatched from his palm. He lowered his head, casually squeezed it onto his chest, and then spread it out carelessly.
Lin Langyi held up one finger in front of him, indicating that she should squeeze some out for herself too.
But Chu Yu completely ignored her, clearly intending to take matters into his own hands and finish the job quickly.
She waited a while, and seeing his reaction, she spread her five fingers and applied the ointment firmly to his abdomen, which he had already roughly spread.
He trembled violently for a moment, his hands stopped moving, and it took him several seconds to slowly raise his face to look at her.
Lin Langyi acted as if nothing had happened, expressionlessly spreading her hands covered in white, sticky ointment as she moved behind him, applying the medicine to the red marks on his back as if patching up a hole by robbing Peter to pay Paul.
He didn't make any more moves. After Lin Langyi finished rubbing, he poked half his head out from behind him and used the same trick to apply ointment to his chest.
Yuan Chuyu raised his arm to try and block her, but she slipped through the gap like a fish and managed to scrape the putty, then withdrew to apply the medicine to him again.
The room was so quiet. Before Lin Langyi could stretch out her hand again after using the ointment in her palm for the second time, Yuan Chuyu turned halfway to the side, twisted the ointment, and squeezed out a long strip from her fingertip in perfect cooperation.
"Why didn't you do this earlier?" Lin Langyi glanced at him and suddenly noticed that his ears were a little red, but his face was gloomy and his lips were tightly pressed into a white line, as if he was trying to stop a can of soda from overflowing. He was annoyed and angry because he couldn't stop the rising and churning bubbles.
After she finished applying the medicine for him, Aunt Qiu knocked on the door and said that dinner was ready. Lin Langyi responded and got out of bed without even putting on slippers. She ran to the bathroom and quickly washed her hands.
Aunt Qiu brought in the food tray and placed it on Yuan Chuyu's bedside table.
"Finish your food as soon as possible." Lin Langyi dried her hands before going around to the other side of the bed to put on her shoes. "Aunt Qiu will come in and take it away in forty minutes."
"You absolutely have to eat." Reaching the door, she turned and glanced at him, then told him, "I'm going to my room to do my homework. Call Aunt Qiu yourself later."
Yuan Chuyu's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something to her, but Lin Langyi pulled the door shut, completely blocking their view and preventing him from saying anything more.
...
In the evening, Aunt Qiu told me that Yuan Chuyu ate his meal obediently. When she went in to clear the dishes, she saw him reviewing and correcting the questions she had done a few days ago, and he had even put together a test paper.
Lin Langyi: ?
What does that mean? Didn't he himself say that he would no longer tutor students?
Lin Langyi gave a dry "oh" and didn't react.
Having finally regained her own private space, she was determined never to return to that unlocked room!
To demonstrate her resolve, Lin Langyi even made a special trip to Yuan Chuyu's room and retrieved all her belongings that she had previously left behind in his room.
Sure enough, a test paper he had prepared was placed on the table. The handwriting was neat and fresh. Lin Langyi smoothly looked away, pretending not to have seen it at all.
Yuan Chuyu was covered in red marks; why was she giving her a test instead of going to bed early?!
Lin Langyi packed all her things and threw them into a large canvas bag.
When it was almost full, she was surprised to find that she had indeed left too many personal items with him over the past semester. Not to mention seven or eight hair ties, two graffiti ceramic mugs, a jade pendant that she couldn't find anywhere before, even half a pack of sanitary napkins was stuffed into his bathroom cabinet.
She made a ruckus for a while, like a housewarming party, while Yuan Chuyu sat up against the headboard, watching her silently as she cleaned up all her traces as if she were clearing a crime scene, his eyes gradually dimming.
"Then you should get some rest." Lin Langyi picked up her bulging canvas bag and said goodnight to him without a care in the world.
He opened his mouth slightly again, as if he wanted to say something to persuade her to stay.
But she didn't give him a chance.
The door closed.
In her subsequent student life, Lin Langyi never did homework one-on-one with Yuan Chuyu again, but she focused on her studies and skipped a grade, just as her mother had hoped.
After learning about Yuan Chuyu's background, she became extremely aware of the crisis. She used to think that the two of them could manage Yingyuan well by splitting the business in half, but later she realized that with such opposing positions, if she left him even a little bit of Yingyuan cake, it would be like poisoning the pot of porridge.
When she was in her first year of high school, Yuan Chuyu had already gone to university. Her family originally planned for him to go abroad directly, but later changed their minds and wanted him to finish his university studies in China before going abroad to study.
Lin Langyi attended the same high school as Yuan Chuyu, but fortunately, she never saw him at school because he went to university early for training and hadn't been home for a long time.
She heard that he had apparently bought a house outside with his own money. This was entirely predictable, since he had wanted to get away from home by living at school for a long time, and now he finally had the ability and a legitimate reason. Even if he came back during the holidays, he probably wouldn't come home often.
Lin Langyi didn't pay much attention to Yuan Chuyu because she planned to take the guaranteed admission route through the Strong Foundation Program, so she focused on studying hard and making progress every day.
But she didn't worry about her brother who was thousands of miles away; it was this good brother who was always thinking about her.
Yuan Chuyu would contact her almost every two or three days, forwarding her mostly competition information and notes he had compiled. He pursued the five major academic competitions, while she pursued the Strong Foundation Program. Although their paths were quite different, he had done a lot of research, compiling a complete set of materials for her as if he had experienced them all himself.
The questions and explanation videos for the Strong Foundation Program can be sold for money, and the prices are not low. For example, a half-day offline course in Computer Science can earn eight to ten thousand yuan. Yuan Chuyu might as well spend his time teaching others, since his successful admission to university is the best brand he can rely on.
Lin Langyi looked at the string of "Please check" and "Received" messages in their chat box and began to reflect on whether she was being too capitalist, doing such a serious calculation at a time like this.
At school, Xiao Pucheng would go abroad to study after completing his senior year of high school. In his final year, at Yuan Chuyu's request, he would wander around to her classroom door every day to catch a glimpse of her, and he would also keep bringing her all kinds of fruits and snacks.
Seeing that all the varieties and flavors were Lin Langyi's favorites, Hang Qian thought that Lin Langyi had been taken a liking to a senior in high school, and at first she didn't give Xiao Pucheng a good look.
Lin Langyi didn't know why Xiao Pucheng was so patient in giving her extra food and checking on her, but she knew that the food must have been Yuan Chuyu's doing, because he knew her too well.
They grew up together, slept in the same bed, ate countless meals together, and spent so many hours a day under the same roof. In this world, he was the person who understood her best.
Until one evening before self-study, Lin Langyi was stopped by a boy in the same grade. He stammered a string of repetitive words and finally blushed as he handed her a love letter.
Xiao Pucheng was wandering around the campus after dinner, digesting his food, when he stumbled upon the confession scene. He immediately yelled, "He's getting bald!" and the boy ran away in a panic.
Lin Langyi was left standing there in silence, unable to return the love letter in time.
Xiao Pucheng rushed over and sighed for a long time like an old father. Finally, he earnestly told her, "Studying comes first, don't fall in love too early," and then he increased his vigilance afterward.
Hang Qian, as an insider, knew that Xiao Pucheng wasn't pursuing Lin Langyi, but others at school didn't think so, and their restless thoughts gradually faded away.
Lin Langyi then understood why Yuan Chuyu had Xiao Pucheng keep an eye on her... It seemed that he really cared about her studies and tried to eliminate every possible factor that might affect her grades.
She tacitly approved of Xiao Pucheng's underhanded tactics and Yuan Chuyu's intentions, because these actions could indeed save her time and energy on such time-wasting matters. Moreover, the initiative to decide whether or not to pursue a relationship had always been in her hands.
Lin Langyi met a somewhat special boy during her intense studies to prepare for the Strong Foundation Program. The boy came from a poor family, but he was able to repeatedly surpass his peers, whom he had been grooming since childhood, in mock exams. This could only mean that he was indeed talented and intelligent.
In today's increasingly stratified society, the opportunities for students from underprivileged backgrounds to rise above their circumstances have actually been squeezed considerably compared to the past. This is because the accumulation of money and resources can provide access to higher-quality educational resources and clear away some minor obstacles along the way. Sometimes, it can also provide access to first-hand information through various channels, giving students an advantage. Therefore, only geniuses can leap over the dragon gate.
Bian Shu is a genius in the eyes of his teachers.
However, he was too taciturn. He spoke to everyone in a rigid and inflexible manner. His dull and inflexible personality made him seem like an oddball. His teacher, who liked him, even romanticized it as "a genius with a quirky temper," which made him even more envied.
Lin Langyi witnessed him being tricked several times, whether it was deliberately luring him to the equipment room, locking him in, and then framing him for skipping class because of his "arrogance as a genius," or assigning him to the dirty and messy assigned area every time, or soaking his textbooks in water and throwing them in the trash can...
He escaped through the small window when the door was locked. He also cleaned his assigned area very well. Later, I found out that he had helped his family with farm work since he was a child, so his physical strength was excellent and he was very good at doing chores.
As for the time she soaked the textbook in water, Lin Langyi caught her red-handed. She quickly rescued the book, but the wet pages were all stuck together and dripping water. She stretched out her arm, held the book by one corner with two fingers, and turned her head, just in time to see Bian Shu standing at the door.
Afraid he would misunderstand, she quickly explained, "Your book got wet, I just picked it up for you."
Bian Shu stared at her for a few seconds, then walked up to her and took the book from her without even saying thank you.
There were still half-eaten spicy snacks in the trash can, and the pungent red oil had stained the waterlogged book. Even if it dried, the book would be incomplete and unreadable.
Lin Langyi took out a tissue to wipe her fingers. She was initially annoyed by the boy's lack of manners, but as soon as she threw the tissue into the trash can, she turned her head and saw him take off his old, faded coat and wrap the book, which was already finished, inside. Then, he carefully pressed the coat with his palms to absorb the moisture, keeping his arm straight.
Lin Langyi frowned... There was absolutely no need for any salvage measures; they would only soil his already meager few pieces of clothing.
But she could fully understand his intention. Bian Shu didn't have that much money, and he didn't have a family that could fully support and support his children's education. These basic textbooks were all he had. Without these books, he had no spare money or way to obtain other tutoring materials.
"Stop doing that, just make a copy," she said. "You can borrow mine."
Bian Shu's hand was still on the book when he heard this and glanced at her.
No one would lend their notes. Well-organized notes are each student's private treasure, especially in a top-tier competition class where only the best of the best are selected. What's the difference between handing out your study notes like flyers and hanging your boyfriend out for public use?
Perhaps sharing a boyfriend is more acceptable.
Lin Langyi pressed down on her left shoulder, causing a bag strap to slip off and swing her backpack in front of her. She rummaged through the bag as she walked forward, pulled out the book, and handed it to Bian Shu without hesitation.
He remained as taciturn and honest as ever, lacking any cleverness or eloquence, and stared at her motionless for a long time.
It wasn't until Lin Langyi got tired of holding her arm up, clicked her tongue impatiently, and shoved the book in front of him that he snapped out of his daze and lowered his head to avoid eye contact with her.
He raised his hand to take it, but a second before it touched him, he suddenly pulled it back and carefully wiped his fingers clean with the water-stained clothes before taking it.
"Just make a copy and return it to me. I'm not in a hurry." Lin Langyi zipped up her backpack, slung it back over her shoulder, and put it back on.
The weight of her backpack pressed her shoulders back, making her look imposing even in her school uniform. She stood tall and proud in front of him, saying in an unquestionable tone, "Now, the most important thing for you is to pack your things, take this dirty book, and come with me to the school committee office."
Lin Langyi tugged at the slightly pilling sleeve of Bian Shu's arm and brought him before the school committee to act as a witness, explaining the whole story and demanding that the surveillance footage be retrieved. She decided to go all the way and catch those few boys with despicable methods.
Bian Shu usually seems extremely patient and never gets into conflicts with others easily. He has been secretly and openly humiliated so many times before without making a fuss. But I never expected that he would be the kind of guy who would take advantage of someone's weakness to kill him at the crucial moment.
He opened a notebook, which contained detailed records of the time, place, and people involved in each instance of bullying, as well as what each participant said and did throughout the process. The record was so complete, detailed, and logically rigorous that it resembled a written record.
Not only that, he also had a voice recorder. Unlike his cheap clothes, this recorder probably represented several months' worth of his living expenses.
He explained, "I recorded every segment of the audio file that matched the text. Because I didn't have enough memory, I copied them all to a USB drive. I also have a backup at home. Would you like to listen to them now, or would you like me to make a copy so you can review them later?"
"I hope that all leaders will take this kind of incident seriously. Today it is just me, but who knows how many others are like me behind the scenes. If something really happens one day, it will be a blow to our school, the students, and the school administration."
Lin Langyi was truly shocked.
He was so well-prepared, and with Miss Lin Langyi of Yingyuan endorsing him, the incident started to develop in a one-sided manner from the very beginning.
The school-wide notice and disciplinary action against those boys were issued quickly, and because of Lin Langyi's involvement, the parents of those students did not cause any further trouble.
That's how Bian Shu met Lin Langyi.
It wasn't easy; we spent an entire semester together in the class, and it was because of this incident that we finally had a real conversation.
Lin Langyi later asked him, "You were so well prepared, why didn't you fight back before?"
He answered questions directly, speaking as frankly as he did, saying sharply, "Back then, I was all alone. Even if I had kept all the evidence, it would have just gone to the shredder if I had handed it over to the principal's office. They would most likely have told me to let it go. It was better to wait for an opportunity to strike decisively and not alert them."
He's such a ruthless person who can endure so much.
Perhaps it was because her gaze was too direct and undisguised, he immediately explained, "So I really appreciate your generosity. Without you, I probably would have only announced it when I was accepted early."
When Bian Shu left the school committee office, he offered to treat her to a meal. Even when he made such a polite gesture, his expression remained honest and unpretentious.
Lin Langyi felt there was a dark humor in the scene, and waved her hand, saying no need.
But he was incredibly stubborn and kept up with her, saying, "Then I'll go make copies right now and return the book to you later. You need to study tonight too, so I can't let you fall behind."
"One night is fine."
“It’s related. You always take time out of your evening study sessions to practice problems. You’ve already done me a huge favor by helping me today. I don’t want to disrupt your studies any further. Making a copy will be quick.”
Lin Langyi glanced at him rather deliberately.
How did he know what books she read and what exercises she did during evening self-study?
Bian Shu clearly noticed her gaze, paused, and suddenly became listless. He didn't speak again for the rest of the way, reverting to his previous taciturn mode.
The copy shop wasn't doing much business. Bian Shu took the loose-leaf pages from Lin Langyi's book and handed them over, whispering, "Could you please shrink the pages for me, like a PowerPoint presentation with two pages per sheet?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a voice rang out from the copy shop: "Alipay payment received: xx yuan." Lin Langyi waved her phone behind her back, showing the payment page: "One-to-one scan and copy, please. Thank you. I've already paid. Is this the price posted on the wall?"
"Yes, that's right."
Bian Shu was taken aback, turned around, and saw that she had withdrawn her hand and was leaning against the table replying to a text message on her phone.
The smell of ink, like invisible wisps of tobacco, lingered in the air and filled my nostrils, as if I could see the still-wet calligraphy in the elegant study.
Bian Shu really liked the smell of ink on books. He felt that the smell was heavy and bittersweet, like the smoke from burning dried pine wood, or like a spicy and potent liquor brewed from bland rice grains.
He stared intently at Lin Langyi, watching her cross her legs and lean against the table, her fingers tapping incessantly as she communicated with the person on the other end of her phone screen. Occasionally, a sly smile would appear on her lips. She was in a radiant mood, her posture elegant, like a female knight-errant who had traveled far and wide, or like the indescribable scent of ink that had completely overwhelmed him at that moment.
He noticed her because of her strong aggressiveness in the competition class. The teachers said that she and her brother were cut from the same cloth when it came to studying. They were serious, hardworking, focused and calm, but their personalities were completely different.
He didn't know what kind of personality Yuan Chuyu had, but he felt it would be hard for anyone not to be attracted to Lin Langyi's personality. She had always been very popular in class, so it was only natural that he would subconsciously pay attention to her, who was beautiful, smart, and poised.
Actually, he had spoken to her briefly before that, when he was collecting and distributing test papers and cleaning the classroom, but she was surrounded by other classmates at the time, so she probably doesn't remember.
However, Bian Shu revealed a relaxed smile. This time, it was just him and her, with no one else around.
Even after Bian Shu received a "new book" that was still fresh in everyone's mind and returned Lin Langyi's book to her, she was still arguing with Yuan Chuyu.
Bian Shu glanced at it, then immediately looked away and stared straight ahead when he saw Lin Langyi's name in the contact: "Your brother?"
Lin Langyi didn't even look up: "You know him?"
"I've heard it. The teacher always praises him, saying that he is talented, smart, and never arrogant or complacent, and that we should all learn from him."
"I heard the teacher praise you like that too." Lin Langyi abruptly ended her "daily study report" with Yuan Chuyu, without replying to his question, "Are you in the classroom now?"
She knew that Xiao Pucheng, the "private investigator," probably hadn't found any trace of her and couldn't explain it to Yuan Chuyu, which was why he asked that question.
“We’re sure we’ll both pass the exam. Let’s keep in touch.” Bian Shu had tried to invite her to dinner several times but was refused. On the way back, he slowed his pace, and Lin Langyi was forced to slow her pace as well.
“Okay.” Lin Langyi was confident in herself, not to mention a genius like Bian Shu. More communication would naturally be beneficial.
She just didn't expect that Bian Shu, who was always a loner, would have such a high frequency of "more communication".
Every day, whenever he had time, he would take time during lunch or evening self-study to discuss and summarize with her. In return, he also organized a lot of example problems and solutions. Lin Langyi had Yuan Chuyu supervising her online and Bian Shu studying hard every day offline, and she was almost overwhelmed.
Because of the previous "bullying" incident, and because Bian Shu could always ignore Xiao Pucheng's menacing gaze, Yuan Chuyu quickly learned of his existence.
However, Lin Langyi was not in a relationship, and Yuan Chuyu was very tactful and never made a fuss about it with her. He continued to send her study-related messages in a normal way.
The only difference was that he suddenly started going home more often.
This is strange. Yuan Chuyu used to be the kind of person who would casually use "something at school" as an excuse not to go home during the seven-day National Day holiday. Suddenly, he started going home every holiday, and even came back on weekends a few times.
Every time Yuan Chuyu came back, he would bring Lin Langyi a lot of gifts and take her out to enjoy delicious food, letting her relax and de-stress temporarily in so-called "health-preserving meals".
After a satisfying meal, he returned home in the evening, as if he had lost his memory, treating his previous boastful words as nothing, and calmly said that he would help her catch up on her progress.
Lin Langyi is an absolute results-oriented personality. Hang Qian once used a joke from the internet, "My ex-boyfriend contacted me and ignored me, but when he asked if I was doing business, I immediately became a hundred times more attentive," to laugh at her, saying that Lin Langyi was pretty much like that.
For example, in situations like this, Lin Langyi would accept any help that could help her get into her desired school, determined to serve her goal in everything she did.
She gladly went to Yuan Chuyu's room, and as soon as she stepped inside, she was suddenly dazzled by the dazzling array of trophies and certificates spread out on the table and bookshelves.
In the past, when Yuan Chuyu won awards, he would just put them in a box in the storage room and never put them out. His family never made a big fuss about his achievements. So she only had a general idea of his past glorious achievements, which was not as intuitive and concrete as it is today.
"You..." Lin Langyi pointed around with her finger, hesitating, "This is...?"
Yuan Chuyu kindly cleared a circle of space in the middle of the table for her, and explained humbly and politely: "Aunt Qiu cleaned the room today and wiped all my trophies and certificates. Because the weather was bad, I couldn't dry them in the yard, so I left them here temporarily for one night and will take them back tomorrow."
"Oh, oh..." Lin Langyi walked over slowly, craning her neck to see the magnificent scene that resembled a museum.
In a flash, she saw the gold medal in the BMO competition that Bian Shu had been preparing for, and was greatly surprised: "Brother, so you also participated in the BMO competition? Bian Shu wants to participate too."
Before she could finish speaking, a glance out of the corner of her eye revealed that Yuan Chuyu not only had the BMO1 Gold Award, but also the BMO2 Excellence Award. She paused, suddenly understanding why Bian Shu had said that the teacher had praised Yuan Chuyu in front of him.
Her brother is indeed quite accomplished.
"Bian Shu?" Yuan Chuyu tilted his head slightly, the desk lamp casting his shadow obliquely on the cabinet, each trophy covered with a small patch of shadow. "Is he the good student you mentioned before?"
"right."
Yuan Chuyu nodded in sudden understanding. He smiled gently, his arm casually resting on the table behind him, his drooping fingers lightly tapping the edge:
"So he also wants to participate in the competition. If you don't mind, we can exchange contact information. If there's anything I can do to help in the future, I'd be happy to lend a hand."
Lin Langyi recalled the clearly formatted and easy-to-understand notes that Yuan Chuyu sent her every day, and her thoughts stirred slightly... Yuan Chuyu's notes would be snapped up in the secondhand market, and if Bian Shu had the opportunity to get to know him, she would definitely not refuse.
She didn't notice that the man beside her was staring intently at her thoughtful face. His fingers, which had been rhythmically tapping the edge of the table, slowly slowed down and finally stopped moving.
His index finger slowly gripped the edge of the table, the fine blue veins at the knuckles bulging slightly, like a twisted, gnarled snake.
After a moment of silence, Yuan Chuyu spoke again: "But I heard he's very withdrawn and introverted? It all depends on his wishes. If he doesn't like it, there's no need to force him. I'm just grateful for his care of my sister."
He emphasized the words "my sister," and Lin Langyi snapped out of her reverie, assuring him, "Oh no, he'll definitely be willing, even though he wants to pursue chemistry or biology in the future, and participating in math competitions is just a foundation. But the way he talks about you... I feel like he sees you as a role model."
"Is that so?" Yuan Chuyu smiled nonchalantly. Although he appeared humble and modest, he subtly raised his chin, revealing a hint of arrogance. "He is also very talented. A BMO competition is not worth making him a target."
Lin Langyi had already walked to the table, and just as she turned around to face him and opened her mouth to speak, her left hand accidentally touched another medal next to him, which was the AMC competition medal.
Lin Langyi: ...
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her. She gave up on communicating and plopped down at the table. When she looked up again, she saw the IMO gold medal with perfect scores for two consecutive years.
Lin Langyi: ...
I don't know why, but after discovering that some people around me had already achieved these accomplishments, the illusion surrounding Bian Shu as a genius suddenly faded a bit.
Yuan Chuyu calmly sat down next to her, opened the printed test paper and notes, and, as usual, gently checked on her progress.
Lin Langyi was also admitted early in her second year of high school.
When Yuan Chuyu was admitted early, his family simply held a banquet at a hotel. This time, when it was Lin Langyi's turn, her mother not only hosted a continuous banquet but also covered all the expenses so that Lin Langyi could take her classmates who had also been admitted through early admission on a trip abroad for a whole month.
Yuan Chuyu was preparing for his studies abroad and leading a team in a competition. He was already extremely busy. Lin Langyi thought that the country she was going to visit wasn't where he was going to study, so she didn't invite him.
It was at this time that Bian Shu confessed his feelings to her.
He suddenly messaged her at night, giving her his location and asking her to go to the rooftop.
Lin Langyi went up to the roof of the building with a wide view. There was a tripod on it, and besides binoculars, Bian Shu was adjusting the position of the camera lens.
He beckoned to her, making room for her in front of the binoculars: "Come here."
"What are you looking at?" Lin Langyi asked as she walked, pulling out her phone to search. "A shooting star tonight?"
“It’s a comet.” Bian Shu’s teeth chattered slightly as he spoke, as if he were feeling a bit cold from the night wind, or perhaps a little nervous.
After having this thought, Lin Langyi quickly shook her head and smiled. Bian Shu usually had a calm and composed face, and didn't seem like someone who would get nervous.
A coat was hanging on the back of the folding chair, and Lin Langyi handed it over as a gesture of goodwill: "Here, aren't you cold?"
He paused for a moment, then suddenly lowered his head and shook it, looking somewhat embarrassed: "I'm not cold. This is for you. It might take more than two hours to get the shot, and I was worried you'd catch a chill."
There was indeed a fruit platter and snacks prepared on the folding wooden table, as well as a whole kettle of hot water, filled in a household stainless steel thermos – it was fully equipped.
Bian Shu sat next to her. This usually serious man never stopped talking, trying his best to start all sorts of topics: from the latest strange and interesting things that happened at his alma mater to his aspirations and expectations for university life, from rigorous and objective academic topics to the romantic and wonderful things about this graduation trip. Lin Langyi never knew that Bian Shu was such a talkative person.
But he looked really cold. His lips were moving and pale, and he kept wiping cold sweat from his knees with his hands. His speech was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, which was completely unlike his usual experienced demeanor.
"Let's talk about the comet we're going to see." Lin Langyi yawned, a few tired tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Bian Shu paused for two seconds, then lowered his head even further to apologize first.
"I'm sorry, I was afraid you'd be asleep if I talked too late, so I asked you to come over early. We should be able to observe it in about half an hour."
It was rare to see him look so dejected and frustrated, as if he had stumbled in the most important exam of his life.
"It's alright." Lin Langyi waved her hand and comforted her, "I like special forces-style tourism. When you come out to play, you have to stay up all night camping and get up early to watch the sunrise."
They waited until nearly 2 a.m., and finally saw the magnificent comet with its long tail.
Lin Langyi observed the comet for ten minutes straight through the camera lens and was amazed to discover that it was different from the meteors seen falling from above in TV dramas. This comet was disappearing diagonally upwards against its orbit.
"Because comets orbit the sun, their relative motion due to the Earth's rotation will result in different observed directions of motion," Bian Shu explained slowly during those ten silent, burning minutes.
Lin Langyi suppressed the pounding of his heart, his emotions surging at this moment: "Humans are too insignificant. We can only use the Earth as an axis to determine direction, but the universe does not belong to humanity alone."
As he spoke the next sentence, his tone couldn't hide his small joy. He even let out a long sigh and said, "I just felt you would like it. You seem to have always liked that kind of magnificent and beautiful scenery."
He was right. The fleeting comet, photographed on a night with extremely high visibility, was a highlight of her month-long travel memories.
Bian said, "This comet only appears once every 60,000 years. The last time it came, our ancestors, Homo sapiens, had not yet left Africa."
"The next time we meet will be 60,000 years from now. We will all have turned into dust and ash. Perhaps the Earth will no longer exist by then. We will all be wandering particles in the universe."
"Maybe it can become the dust tail of a comet." Lin Langyi reluctantly stared at it, joking, "I also want to be blown away by the solar wind, and when I turn to dust, I can become a blue comet tail."
Not hearing a reply, she glanced to the side and suddenly froze, her hand that had been resting on the lens slowly falling down and hovering in the air.
Bian Shu produced a large bouquet of roses from somewhere, and knelt solemnly on one knee in front of her, his lips trembling even more, and every part of his body tense.
So he wasn't cold after all... Lin Langyi finally realized.
No one taught him how to confess his feelings. He doesn't like crowds or pay attention to gossip, so he probably doesn't know that this is a proposal pose, not a confession pose.
Bian Shu's voice trembled so badly that it was almost unbearable to hear; he even stuttered a little. The words he had rehearsed countless times in his mind could not be spoken to her in a cool and fluent manner.
"Could you... give me a chance?" he stammered, his voice rising with anxiety. "Give me a chance. When you become dust in the comet's tail, I'll become the ice beside you. Even if the sun's heat evaporates me instantly into the universe, I'll seize the last chance to push you out and turn you into a beautiful blue comet's tail."
A perfectly good love confession always sounds like something a science guy would say.
Lin Langyi looked at him for a long time but didn't let him get up. He didn't move at all, his movements were stiff.
She thought that she had already accomplished the task of getting into her desired university, and perhaps it would be interesting to try different life experiences.
At least she was able to keep her appointment with him late at night, which meant she had different standards for evaluating him.
“Okay,” she said.
He could not hide his surprise as he recounted the story.
The phone vibrated for a second, and then the screen lit up.
Lin Langyi glanced at it and saw that it was a message sent by her brother.
When I clicked on it, it turned out to be a complete photo of a comet, with a beautiful composition and bright colors.
How amazing! In different corners of the world, they are observing the same star.
Following behind was a large money transfer and a handwritten photo of an excerpt.
Comets are often called "dirty snowballs," a crude metaphor for a mixture of vast amounts of frozen water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, and dust, but their composition is the same as that of life.
A comet will crawl its entire lifespan until it resembles a rotten melon.
Its existence on Earth is as brief as human lifespan; humanity uses its imagination to distort and extend language, enveloping and preserving it.
The screen's light illuminated Lin Langyi's beautiful features. As Seng Shu looked at her, it seemed as if all the stars in the universe were scattered within her pupils.
He asked, "What are you looking at?"
Lin Langyi clicked to receive payment. Yuan Chuyu would always send her money from time to time. This time, she didn't ask him to come, but he didn't express any dissatisfaction. Instead, he sent even more money and wished her a good time.
"It's nothing, it's my brother. He's watching the comet too." She sent a "thank you, boss" emoji, put away her phone, looked at her new boyfriend beside her, thought for a moment, and said, "Come to my place next time. Didn't you mention my brother before? I'll introduce you two."
Bian Shu suddenly became uneasy again; the theme of his entire evening was "nervousness."
Lin Langyi chuckled heartlessly and teased, "You confessed your love to me like you were proposing, so it's only polite to reciprocate. I'll just have to introduce you to my family using the process of meeting the parents."
Seeing that Bian Shu's face had turned red and he was almost speechless, Lin Langyi decided to stop while she was ahead and comforted him:
“It’s okay. My parents are rarely home. My brother will come back during his holidays. He has a very good temper and won’t make things difficult for you.”
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