Chapter 26
The final exams, like a silent battle, unfolded in the frigid winter of the north. The only sounds in the classroom were the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional soft sigh of someone deep in thought. Thick frost flowers clung to the windows, obscuring the outside world into a blurry white expanse.
Lu Baiyan answered the questions quickly, his thoughts clear and fluent. But part of his attention remained fixed on the overly quiet figure beside him. Xu Nianlei wrote slowly; when she encountered the difficult math and physics questions, her brows would furrow tightly, and her fingers gripping the pen would turn white from the pressure. Lu Baiyan could see the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, even in the cold exam room.
He knew she had done her best. The anonymous porridge and stomach medicine seemed to have worked; her complexion was no longer as frightening as it had been a few days ago. However, long-term malnutrition and mental stress still left her body in a tense and vulnerable state.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the exam, Xu Nianlei seemed to have all her strength drained away, slumping into her chair with a somewhat vacant look in her eyes. Lu Baiyan silently packed up his stationery, his gaze sweeping over the formulas on her draft paper that had been crossed out halfway through calculations, and he sighed softly in his heart.
On the last day before winter break, the grades were released. Lu Baiyan's name was at the top of the grade list, his total score far ahead of the second-place student. Xu Nianlei's name, however, found an inconspicuous spot in the upper middle of the long list. Her total score had improved slightly from the midterm, but math and physics remained her obvious weaknesses. However, she maintained her strengths in Chinese and English, especially Chinese, where she ranked thirty-fifth in the grade.
This score might be unremarkable for many students, but for Xu Nianlei, who was struggling in the mire, it was the result of her all-out effort. Lu Baiyan saw that when the homeroom teacher read out her Chinese score and expressed his approval, she slightly raised her head, which had been hanging down, and something flashed quickly in her eyes, like a spark that had not yet been completely extinguished in the ashes.
As school let out, the students excitedly discussed their winter break plans: travel, tutoring, staying home and watching dramas… A joyful sense of liberation filled the air. Xu Nianlei silently packed her schoolbag, her movements slow and deliberate, a stark contrast to the surrounding clamor. For her, the holiday might mean even longer periods of confinement and more direct conflicts with her mother.
Lu Baiyan watched her slender figure from behind, and a thought struck him. He quickly walked to the podium and picked up a stack of supplementary workbooks that the school had ordered during the winter break—materials for previewing the next semester's content. As the class monitor, he was responsible for distributing them.
He carried the stack of exercise books to Xu Nianlei's desk and said in a casual tone, "Xu Nianlei, these are pre-study materials for the winter break. You can buy them voluntarily. I think you need to work on your math and physics. This set of questions is well-made. Would you like to take it home and take a look?"
Xu Nianlei paused, looked up at the stack of brand-new workbooks, still smelling of fresh ink, a flicker of longing in her eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by the harsh reality of her situation. She opened her mouth, her voice weak: "I..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Baiyan pulled out a set of math, physics, and chemistry practice books and placed them directly on her desk. He lowered his voice, but with an undeniable certainty: "Take these. Consider them... a reward for your progress at the end of the semester. Study hard so you can catch up next semester."
His movements were too quick, his tone too natural, as if this were simply a normal distribution of materials based on learning. He didn't even give her a chance to refuse; after finishing speaking, he picked up the remaining workbooks and moved on to the next student.
Xu Nianlei looked at the thick set of exercise books on the table, her fingers gently tracing the smooth cover, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew it would cost money, and she wasn't sure if her mother would give her this "extra" expense. But Lu Baiyan's words, "a reward for improvement at the end of the semester" and his expectation of "studying hard," were like an invisible hand, pushing her forward, making it impossible for her to easily say "no."
She silently stuffed the exercise book into her already somewhat worn schoolbag, the sound of the zipper closing as soft as a sigh.
The students left one after another, and the classroom became empty. Lu Baiyan was the last to leave; he needed to check the doors and windows. As he locked the door and turned to leave, he stopped in his tracks.
Xu Nianlei hadn't gone far. She stood in the snow and ice outside the teaching building, her slender figure swaying slightly in the cold wind. Wang Xiuqin stood in front of her.
Wang Xiuqin's face was colder than the weather. She pointed at Xu Nianlei's schoolbag, her voice rising with anger: "...You're wasting money on these useless things again! Huh? Is this how you squander the allowance I give you? You got such low scores and you still have the nerve to ask for this and that? I think you're asking for trouble!"
Xu Nianlei clutched her schoolbag tightly, head bowed, her body shivering in the cold wind like a withered leaf about to be blown away. She didn't argue, but bit her lip hard, as if that was her last line of defense.
Lu Baiyan's heart clenched instantly. He almost rushed over, but reason held him back. He couldn't afford to clash with Wang Xiuqin again; that would only make Xu Nianlei's situation more difficult.
He took a deep breath of the cold air, forcing himself to calm down and quickly thinking of a solution. His gaze swept around and he saw the dean of students walking towards the school gate not far away.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Baiyan strode forward, his face displaying just the right amount of politeness befitting a top student, along with a hint of eagerness.
"Director! That's great, you haven't left yet!"
The head of student affairs stopped and recognized Lu Baiyan. His expression softened slightly: "Lu Baiyan, what's the matter?"
“Director, it’s about the winter break study materials,” Lu Bai said quickly, sounding very serious. “When we were distributing them just now, I noticed that Xu Nianlei seemed really interested in that set of math, physics, and chemistry workbooks, but her family… might be having some financial difficulties. She ranked 35th in her grade in the final Chinese exam this semester, which is a big improvement, and her attitude towards learning is also very serious. Do you think the school could… perhaps do something, like as a reward for students who have made progress, or…”
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. He cleverly linked "family difficulties" with "significant progress" and "serious attitude towards learning," packaging a request that might evoke sympathy into a legitimate proposal to encourage outstanding students and show care for them.
Following Lu Baiyan's direction, the head of the teaching department also saw Xu Nianlei being scolded by her mother not far away. Her thin figure looked particularly pitiful in the snow. He frowned, somewhat displeased with Wang Xiuqin's behavior of scolding a student in public. At the same time, he was also somewhat impressed by Xu Nianlei, whom Lu Baiyan had mentioned as having "great progress" and "a serious attitude towards learning."
"Hmm..." The head of the teaching department pondered for a moment, "I understand. The school has always encouraged students who are proactive and motivated. How about this, we'll take that set of materials as a reward for her progress this time, and the cost will be covered by the school's student aid fund. I'll talk to her mother about it."
After saying that, the head of the teaching department walked towards Wang Xiuqin and Xu Nianlei.
Lu Baiyan stood there, watching the head of student affairs intervene, watching Wang Xiuqin have to restrain her arrogance in front of the leaders, listening with a grim face as the head of student affairs said things like "we should encourage the child" and "the school attaches great importance to this," and watching Xu Nianlei clutching her schoolbag tightly, her expression a mixture of shock and bewildered relief...
He slowly loosened his clenched fist, leaving deep nail marks on his palm from the force he had exerted.
The cold wind whipped up snowflakes, lashing his face, biting him to the bone. But a surge of warmth welled up within him. This time, he didn't step in himself; he used the power of rules and authority to successfully defuse a crisis and secure a tangible "reward" for Xu Nianlei.
He watched as Xu Nianlei, persuaded by the dean of students, slowly left with a displeased Wang Xiuqin. In the instant she turned, she seemed to glance back quickly in the direction of the teaching building.
Lu Baiyan stood in the shadows of the corridor, separated from her by a flurry of snowflakes, their gazes meeting for a fleeting moment in the air.
That glance was brief and fleeting.
But Lu Baiyan could see clearly that in those eyes, which were always filled with melancholy and fear, besides the lingering panic, there was something else clearly reflected—an unbelievable glimmer of light mixed with gratitude and a deeper confusion.
She saw him. She knew it must be him.
Lu Baiyan didn't move, but just watched her figure disappear behind the white snow curtain.
Leilei, you see, even if I don't go to your side, I can still protect you. This winter break, I hope this set of workbooks can be a small lamp in your darkness, even if the light is faint, it will be enough to support you through this most difficult time.
He turned and walked into the empty teaching building, beginning to pack his schoolbag. Winter break had begun, but for him, this didn't mean rest; rather, it meant another battlefield—a battlefield where he needed to quickly accumulate strength and make thorough preparations for the next semester, and even further into the future.
The snow is still falling. It covers the footprints, but also nurtures the hope of breaking through the soil next spring.
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