Chapter 82

With less than a week remaining before the national competition, Yan Mu barely had any time of his own.

The workload in the competition class was intense. Even after returning home, he had to solve problems day and night, review past exam papers and his previous mistakes, and stretch his thinking to stay sharp. He was nearly using competition questions as his pillow.

Jiang Zhihuo’s days were no easier. Life was hard for every senior student. Each day consisted of nothing but studying and solving problems.

Diving into a sea of questions had always been the most effective method of learning.

The final exams and the competition were scheduled for the same time. During the city’s quality inspection, results from all top-tier schools would be compared side by side.

“Classmates, let’s stick to our usual rules.”

Ding Jianhui took out a form and started passing it down from the first row.

“Everyone, set a goal for yourselves. Compare it with your midterm performance; whether it’s one point or two, it’s fine. Set it according to your learning situation. Be honest and realistic, don’t just write anything at random.”

“Fill it in and submit it for consolidation. Those who achieve their goals in the final exam will receive a small reward from me.”

Students in the front row filled in their scores, and the form was passed from desk to desk. While waiting for their turn, those who hadn’t received the form yet chatted with Ding Jianhui.

“What is the teacher preparing this year?”

“Last semester it was comics, and the semester before that, a big snack package. What about this time?”

“Old Ding, give us a hint, give us some motivation!”

“Don’t guess, don’t guess.” Ding Jianhui took a sip of goji berry tea, covered the cup, and smiled mysteriously. “Keep your expectations up.”

As he spoke, the form reached Jiang Zhihuo. He glanced at the scores filled in by those before him.

The top students had written their goals rather conservatively—three points, five points—all with enough room for improvement and relatively easy to achieve.

One student had written ten points, displaying unshakable confidence. Everyone who saw that entry couldn’t help but offer a word of praise.

Jiang Zhihuo stared at the blank space behind his name, hesitating for a long time, unable to put down his pen.

“Huo-ge.” The form had stalled in his hands. Seeing that he had no intention of writing, Chang Luo stood up, leaned forward toward the front seat, and asked, “Why aren’t you writing? What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Zhihuo leaned back in his chair, one leg of the chair tilted off the ground, and looked up. “I’m a bit conflicted. Should I write a seventy-point improvement or a hundred?”

Chang Luo: “?”

What the hell?

Chang Luo: “Are you showing off or something?”

“No, my base is low, so there’s a lot of room for improvement… forget it.” Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t be bothered to think anymore. He casually wrote down a hundred. Those two zeros together looked especially carefree.

Seven o’clock in the evening.

Before the evening self-study bell rang, Jiang Zhihuo came running down from the competition class upstairs. He returned to his seat and began working on problems.

Over the past few days, he continued to buy meals and bring them to the classroom to find Yan Mu.

God of Learning Yan had always been diligent, never once touching his phone during study sessions. But today, when Jiang Zhihuo went upstairs, he caught sight of Yan Mu typing, not knowing whom he was replying to.

When Jiang Zhihuo entered the classroom, Yan Mu didn’t try to hide anything. He put down his phone, the screen still unlocked, with the chat interface openly displayed.

Jiang Zhihuo had no intention of prying, but with the phone lying there, his gaze naturally dropped for a glance. At the top of the conversation, he saw the name ‘Qin Nian.’

Qin Nian.

That name had always felt familiar to Jiang Zhihuo.

It wasn’t because he had seen this person call Yan Mu before; he had appeared somewhere else as well.

However, at that moment, he couldn’t recall.

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t ask. Yan Mu had already promised to tell him. Whenever he had time, he continued refining the mind map. Jiang Zhihuo only needed to wait for Yan-ge to speak.

That night, Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t focus while doing problems.

Every time he lifted his head, he would catch several pairs of eyes staring straight at him.

“………” Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t take it anymore. Being stared at for no reason was truly uncomfortable. He asked, “What exactly are you all looking at? I’m not acting strange today, am I?”

During evening self-study, no teacher was supervising, yet the top students always kept to their discipline.

Occasionally, they would exchange a few words about problems, or chat briefly when too tired. Everyone kept their voices low, trying not to disturb others.

“Of course not.” A few class representatives gathered around Jiang Zhihuo, squatting by his desk. “We just think you’re especially impressive today, Huo-ge.”

“Huo-ge, did you really write down a hundred points?” The math class representative’s eyes sparkled. “Can you actually do it?!”

“Didn’t you all see it?” Jiang Zhihuo chuckled softly. “If your Huo-ge dared to write it, then I must be confident!”

“Really!” The math class representative put down his pen and leaned over. “If you score five hundred and thirty, our average will definitely surpass Class 4’s! Oh my god, an increase of a hundred points, that’s a terrifying figure!”

“Impressive, right?” Jiang Zhihuo lowered his voice. “If I ever get too full of myself, I’ll write two hundred points next time. Seven hundred and thirty isn’t hard for me.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Huo-ge.” The math class representative pouted. “Five hundred is already great. Based on previous years’ minimum requirements, that’s enough for a top-tier university.”

“Only a top-tier university?” Jiang Zhihuo carelessly circled an answer on his paper. “My goal is to be the provincial top scorer, alright?”

The math class representative looked up, seemingly about to say something, then held back. In the end, he shook his head, his face full of disbelief. “Confidence is good! Huo-ge! You can do it! I believe in you!”

Jiang Zhihuo laughed and gave the math class representative a light push. “Can you please fix your expression before speaking?!”

It was just casual talk. Soon after, the class representatives returned to their seats and resumed working on problems.

That evening, after returning home, Jiang Zhihuo brought up the matter while talking with Yan Mu.

The two were doing exercises at the coffee table, with a phone propped up nearby playing the last two missed episodes of Pick U 101.

The first stage was rather long, spanning two and a half episodes. After the class rankings concluded, the trainees began selecting dorms and started the theme song assessment to choose the core center.

They treated the show as background noise, their full attention focused on the problems in front of them.

“Yan-ge,” Jiang Zhihuo said while writing, “I got questioned today.”

“What happened?” Yan Mu replied, his pen never pausing.

They would sometimes exchange a few words, saying whatever came to mind. The conversations were brief and effortless, never affecting their efficiency.

Jiang Zhihuo was working through a long-form problem, solving it step by step, as he said, “I told them my goal is to be the provincial top scorer, but no one believed me.”

Yan Mu pointed out the core issue. “Your current score is too low.”

“I’m working hard to improve, okay?” Jiang Zhihuo said.

“Mhm, I’ve seen it.”

Jiang Zhihuo lifted his head just as Yan Mu put down his pen. Their eyes met unexpectedly.

Jiang Zhihuo smiled.

The volume of the video was low. At that moment, Yun Xiaoxu appeared on screen.

After the first stage evaluation, Yun Xiaxu had been placed in Class B. The theme song assessment set different standards for each class, with corresponding levels of training intensity. Upon hearing the standards for Class A, Yun Xiaoxu immediately raised his hand. “Teacher, I want to go to Class A.”

The scene cuts to a behind-the-scenes interview with Yun Xiaoxu. “I think I can do it. Since I’ve already come this far, why not give it a try? Otherwise, I’d regret it.”

The trainees in Class A were either already popular or had a solid foundation. Each of them quickly picked up the choreography, hitting the beats with precision. By late night, Yun Xiaxu was the only one left practicing in the Class A studio.

In the third episode of Pick U, the production team managed the camera work skillfully. Most of the trainees had their screen time, and those with higher popularity had their storylines edited together. Throughout the episode, narratives of other contestants were interspersed, and the scene eventually switched back to the dorm.

A trainee from Class C was crying in the dorm, while several of his roommates gathered around to comfort him.

“Yan-ge, isn’t this the guy we saw at the library?”

Jiang Zhihuo paused the screen and pointed him out to Yan Mu.

During the library filming, this trainee had been teamed up with Yun Xiaoxu. The three academically struggling students had drawn a math hint card together. Their expressions were utterly defeated, each looking more miserable than the last.

“Mhm, it’s him,” Yan Mu said.

That trainee had a weak foundation in dance and couldn’t keep up with the pace. After a full day of classes, his mind was in a fog. Watching his classmates grow increasingly skilled while he still struggled to hit the beats steadily, he grew anxious.

Yun Xiaoxu returned to the dorm from the practice room. He went to the bathroom to wash his face. When he came out, the boy was still crying, repeating over and over, “I can’t do it, it’s too hard.”

A blurry, close-up shot caught a slight twitch at the corner of Yun Xiaoxu’s lips. Then the scene pulled back to a wide angle. Yun Xiaoxu curled his finger and tapped on the table. “Come out. I’ll teach you.”

[Wow, Yun Xiaoxu can be this powerful?!]

[He seems a little angry! After a whole day of practice, coming back to hear his roommate spread negativity. I’d be mad too.]

[Are they going to practice in the hallway? Won’t that disturb the room next door? LOL.]

[Are boys this fragile now? Just because he can’t dance? He should push through it. Already signed up for a talent show and still saying he can’t do it?]

[Yun Xiaoxu is actually teaching! He dances so well! I’m looking forward to how the theme song will turn out!]

[Speaking of which, Yun Xiaoxu is working way too hard. Even Class A isn’t as driven as he is. I’m voting for him this week!]

The two continued practicing until the latter half of the night. During a break, they sat on the staircase under the dim hallway light.

The boy asked Yun Xiaoxu, “Why are you working so hard? You already know the routine, don’t you? Do you still need more practice?”

Yun Xiaoxu tilted his head back and took a sip of water. Neither of them had makeup on, and under the lighting, their complexions appeared darker. Yun Xiaxu wore a cap to shade his face.

“I have an older brother,” Yun Xiaxu said. “I’m not sure if he truly counts as my brother, but there’s someone like that. Let’s call him that for now.”

“After I was brought back home, my older brother left. I’ve never seen him, but everyone knows him. When I got to school, no one asked who I was. Instead, they asked: Where’s your brother? Where did your brother go? Why didn’t your brother come today? When is your brother coming back?”

Jiang Zhihuo paused, caught off guard. The tip of his pen unconsciously drew a crooked line across the practice paper.

“My grades aren’t great, but my brother is a top student and well-liked by everyone. Whenever the exam results are released, people always say: ‘Your brother can score this much, why are your scores so low? If your brother can do it, why can’t you? He’s so much better than you.'”

“I’m stubborn, I admit that. I can’t compare to him when it comes to studying, and I’m not as sensible as he is. But I’m not completely worthless, okay? There has to be something in which I can at least match him, right?”

Jiang Zhihuo didn’t pick up his pen for a long while, and a faint ink blot spread from the tip.

Yan Mu glanced at him, got up, poured a glass of water, and set it down on the table. Then he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his ear.

“This question is wrong,” Yan Mu said, pointing at a large problem on the page. “You’re not focused, Xiao Zhou.”

Jiang Zhihuo followed the question with his eyes and, sure enough, spotted a fundamental mistake. The data had been calculated correctly, but he had missed a zero, leading to errors in all the subsequent steps.

“I was wrong, Yan-ge.” Jiang Zhihuo drew a line through the entire problem and began rewriting it.

By the time the two episodes finished airing, both Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu had nearly completed their papers.

After Yan Mu finished washing up, Jiang Zhihuo had already climbed into bed, preparing the masking spray.

Sensing something unusual about himself, Jiang Zhihuo contacted the doctor the next day. After listening to his symptoms, the doctor assured him that it was a common occurrence. The exact situation would need to be confirmed after further examination. For now, he should schedule an appointment and remember to apply the masking spray on alpha in the meantime.

A goodnight kiss before sleep, then the lights were turned off.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Zhihuo woke up once, naturally stirred from sleep, but soon drifted off again.

However, he heard a faint rustling sound beside him.

Yan Mu gently lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and walked out of the room. The sliding door in the living room opened, then closed again.

He was gone for five or six minutes before returning. During that time, Jiang Zhihuo remained awake.

Yan Mu had been quietly thinking about how to explain something. In truth, Jiang Zhihuo had already picked up on a few clues.

—The mind map had a note marked for February 4th, the anniversary of Qin Shi’s death. Yan Mu had also reminded Du Zhe before he left: during this period, don’t make any contact with Yan Buwei.

Therefore, this matter must be connected to Yan Buwei and Qin Shi.

And moments ago, Jiang Zhihuo finally remembered where he had seen the name ‘Qin Nian.’

—It was in a news report he had come across by chance.

A particular financial fraud suspect had also been named Qin Nian.

Qin Nian had been detained on suspicion of financial fraud. However, after an investigation, the charges were cleared, and he had since been released.

Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t be certain whether the Qin Nian from the news report had any actual connection to the matter at hand.

However, one thing was clear. Even explaining the situation required a mind map, which meant it was either something significant or something Yan Mu was unwilling to bring up.

A hand wrapped around Jiang Zhihuo’s waist.

Yan Mu had stood on the balcony for five or six minutes, taking a phone call while exposed to the cold wind. His body was chilled when he returned, pressing against Jiang Zhihuo from behind, holding him in his arms.

Jiang Zhihuo closed his eyes.

This year’s national competition was held in H City. As usual, Yan Mu departed early to head to the examination site.

Before leaving, he called Jiang Zhihuo to an empty classroom. They kissed in front of the blackboard, entangled for quite a while. Yan Mu’s fingers slipped into his hair, gently pressing forward, their lips warm and lingering.

Afterwards, Yan Mu kissed Jiang Zhihuo’s earlobe, then moved to his shoulder.

When he finally lifted his face, the corners of Jiang Zhihuo’s eyes were stained with red.

“Yan-ge, stop teasing me.”

Jiang Zhihuo forced down his physical reaction, pulled out the masking spray, and sprayed it onto Yan Mu. His breathing still hadn’t calmed.

“Are you really okay?” Yan Mu gently stroked the gland on Jiang Zhihuo’s neck. It felt warm to the touch.

“I’m fine.” It tickled slightly, and Jiang Zhihuo turned his head away. “Didn’t I ask the doctor right in front of you?”

In truth, when Jiang Zhihuo had described his symptoms that day, the doctor had let out a bizarre laugh. But since the examination would clarify everything, Jiang Zhihuo didn’t bother to dwell on the meaning of that laugh.

Footsteps and voices gradually approached from outside the door.

“Hey, did you figure out how to do that question today?”

“No, it’s too difficult. I’ll ask the God of Learning when I get back.”

“Did you forget? The God of Learning is leaving. You won’t be able to find him now!”

Jiang Zhihuo and Yan Mu had skipped the long break and were hiding in an empty classroom.

The footsteps outside grew louder as students finished their running exercises and hurried back to class. Inside the room, Yan Mu embraced Jiang Zhihuo from behind, his hands slipping around his waist.

Yan Mu had always preferred hugging him this way. It allowed him to see his neck, his shoulders. Every inch radiated heat. When he leaned in, Jiang Zhihuo would instinctively arch his back, a reflex that Yan Mu found irresistibly cute.

They were pressed closely together. When Yan-ge got clingy, he was nothing short of a sweetheart.

“Xiao Zhou,” he suddenly said, “do you know how important you are?”

The words came out of nowhere, catching Jiang Zhihuo off guard. His ears instantly grew warm.

“Mhm?” Jiang Zhihuo shifted his attention by playing with Yan Mu’s fingers, tracing down each knuckle and gently squeezing the fingertips. He tried to stay calm. “How important?”

Yan Mu remained silent.

Just when Jiang Zhihuo thought it was merely a sweet line with no follow-up, Yan Mu spoke again.

“You saved me.”

His voice was deep, yet it landed in Jiang Zhihuo’s ear with a light, tender softness.

Jiang Zhihuo turned his head. “Really? When was that?”

This time, Yan Mu truly said nothing more. He lowered his head, rested it on Jiang Zhihuo’s shoulder, and gave a slight shake.

They couldn’t stay much longer. Not long after, the teacher in charge of the competition sent Yan Mu a message via WeChat, reminding him to get ready.

Jiang Zhihuo walked him to the school gate.

Before getting into the bus, he hugged Yan Mu. “Yan-ge, good luck. I’ll be waiting for you to come back.”

After Yan Mu boarded the bus, Jiang Zhihuo stood outside the window, waving at him.

The bus started up and slowly drove off into the distance.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Yan Mu received two messages at the same time.

One was from Jiang Zhihuo.

—Let me know when you arrive!

Yan Mu replied with a simple, “Okay.”

Then, he opened the other message.

It was from Qin Nian.

It was a bouquet of foxtail lilies.

—I remember your mom’s favorite flower is the foxtail lily?

---

The author has something to say:

Thank you all for the support! I’m super happy!!!