Xi Shaoyuan listened to Zhou Xiu’s words, his lips tightly pressed together.
As he looked at the now darkened screen of his phone, he felt a new and strange sensation—this was the first time he had ever been so thoroughly dismissed by someone who had once pursued him so ardently.
In the past, he had heard similar words from Zhou Xiu, but he had never taken them seriously.
Xi Shaoyuan wanted to read the emotions in Zhou Xiu’s eyes, but she had already turned and quickly disappeared upstairs before he could see clearly.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked back into the villa.
Zhou Xiu returned to her room to pack her belongings. She had very few personal items. Apart from daily necessities like toiletries and a few changes of clothes, she hadn’t accumulated much else.
As she packed, she could vaguely hear the lively sounds from downstairs—a sound that made her feel a sense of comfort.
While packing, Zhou Xiu’s mind was already occupied with thoughts about her future and how she would support herself.
She had become quite accustomed to these worries.
When she was young, she worried about providing food and clothing for her family. Now that she was in the big city, her concerns had grown. Her parents had come from a rural area to the city, and without connections or education, their earning potential was severely limited.
Yude Middle School was an expensive private school, and Zhou Xiu began to consider the possibility of transferring to a more affordable one.
Zhou Xiu had so few belongings that she finished packing before she even completed her train of thought.
Before leaving, Zhou Xiu took one last look at the room, her eyes lingering on the clothes that Mrs. Xi had bought for her, lying neatly in the wardrobe, almost as good as new.
She turned her gaze away and chose not to take them with her.
The living allowance that the Xi family had provided—Zhou Xiu hadn’t spent a single cent of it. She had saved it all in a small money box, which now lay quietly on the bookshelf. She didn’t take that with her either.
Seeing Zhou Xiu so worried, the system couldn’t help but speak up, [Young one, you can study wherever you wish. Good students have the right to choose!]
Now that the Xi family was no longer responsible for Zhou Xiu’s expenses, the system was ready to fully take on the responsibility of sponsoring her.
It was confident, [I have plenty of money.]
Zhou Xiu smiled, [Okay.]
Zhou Xiu finished packing and headed downstairs. She saw Zhou Cheng stuttering as he tried to explain to Mrs. Xi which herbs were best to use and what to watch out for in the winter.
Mrs. Xi, clearly not used to dealing with people like Zhou Cheng, maintained a polite but icy smile, without saying much.
But Zhou Cheng didn’t understand that this was just a formality.
Zhou Xiu gently tugged on her father’s sleeve, “Auntie Xi, we’ll be leaving now.”
She gave Mrs. Xi a deep bow, “Thank you.”
Mrs. Xi finally smiled, “Let the driver take you home.”
Zhou Xiu shook her head, but the Xi family driver still ended up driving the three of them to their new home.
The small house the Zhou family had rented was a one-bedroom apartment in a very run-down neighbourhood, which explained the low rent.
The roads were in bad condition—full of potholes and covered in dust. When they reached the narrow alleyway, the car couldn’t go any further.
In the urban village, neighbours chatted energetically, drank tea, played mahjong, and gambled.
When a luxury car suddenly pulled up in front of the building, the hands holding the mahjong tiles paused mid-air, and even the arguments quieted down.
Zhou Xiu and her parents entered their new home. She saw the makeshift bed in the living room, carefully sectioned off by a curtain, with their clothes neatly folded on top.
The only bedroom, with its bed covered in a brand-new pink comforter that had a bit of a girlish touch, had been set aside for Zhou Xiu. There was even a small desk placed thoughtfully in the corner next to the wardrobe.
The room was clean and bright, a stark contrast to the lavish space she had occupied at the Xi family’s home, but it had been meticulously tidied up over the past couple of days.
Zhou Xiu said, “I won’t be coming home for lunch, and I’ll be back late in the evening. There’s no need to give up the bedroom for me.”
Zhou Cheng, rubbing his hands together to warm them, smiled sheepishly, “Xiu’er, you’re a big girl now. You need your own room.”
With that, he chuckled and headed downstairs to the nearby market. He bought a pound of pork belly and a free-range chicken, ready to cook a meal.
Zhou Cheng used spices he had dried back in their rural home, simmering them into a thick, honeyed glaze. He added a few pieces of brown sugar to braise the pork belly.
The chicken was boiled whole until tender, with one half shredded into fine slices for a cold dish mixed with red oil, sesame, and cucumber. The other half was served as plain white-cut chicken, with a rich, fatty dipping sauce. Zhou Cheng didn’t waste the chicken bones or broth, using them to make a hearty winter melon soup.
The fragrant aroma of the dishes filled the small apartment, bringing warmth to the cold winter day.
Zhou Xiu, after finishing her homework, couldn’t help but be tempted by the mouth-watering smell.
Liu Mei said, “Your dad has been cooking for the workers at the construction site as well. He makes an extra fifty yuan a day now!”
Fifty yuan—Zhou Xiu calculated in her head—that was equivalent to doing just a few more math problems.
Zhou Xiu felt a pang of sympathy for her father, knowing that cooking large meals for the entire construction crew was no small task. On top of his regular labour, taking on the role of cook must be exhausting.
After dinner, Zhou Xiu didn’t need any prompting from the system to dive into absorbing new knowledge and start working on the new set of test papers from Mr. Wang.
Time ticked by as Zhou Xiu carefully wrote the final answer.
[Ding—Correct answers on Mr. Wang’s Olympiad test reached 40%. 300 RMB awarded.]
The 300 RMB was immediately credited to Zhou Xiu’s account. She reached into her pocket and smiled, her brow relaxing.
But when she thought about her overall accuracy, she realized she was still far from her goal, and the smile faded from her face.
At 70% accuracy, she could earn 5,000 RMB in one go. Zhou Xiu felt a deep regret for having wasted this set of test papers.
Recently, Zhou Xiu had often tried solving problems with multiple methods, which had built up her confidence. But as soon as she tackled the math Olympiad papers, her shortcomings were laid bare.
Zhou Xiu asked the system why it only issued a reward task for 70% accuracy—was it because it didn’t believe she could achieve higher?
The system paused, […]
[Learning is a gradual process. Building a solid foundation is essential.]
[With a strong foundation, why worry about just 5,000 yuan? Even 50,000 or 500,000 yuan will be within reach.]
The system slowly issued a new task, [Achieve 80% accuracy on Mr. Wang’s Olympiad test and earn 30,000 RMB.]
[Achieve 90% accuracy and earn 100,000 RMB.]
[Achieve 100% accuracy and earn 500,000 RMB.]
[But telling you this now doesn’t really help. Just keep it in mind.]
Zhou Xiu stared at the string of zeroes, her lips curling into a smile as she meticulously compared her answers against the key and corrected her mistakes.
[How could it be useless?]
It was useful. Even though Zhou Xiu couldn’t achieve it right now, having a goal in mind gave her hope. By constantly striving toward it, even if she couldn’t reach the target, she could get infinitely close.
…
The next morning.
Zhou Xiu went to inquire with her homeroom teacher about Yude’s scholarship system and financial aid for low-income students.
Miss Li was slightly taken aback when Zhou Xiu asked such a question. She knew that Zhou Xiu had gotten into Yude through connections, and those connections were with none other than Xi Shaoyuan’s mother. Money shouldn’t have been an issue.
After all, a whole experimental building at the school had been donated by Mrs. Xi.
Miss Li, who didn’t particularly like Zhou Xiu because of her rebellious nature, had noticed that Zhou Xiu had calmed down considerably in recent weeks. She had also managed to motivate the class to study harder, and her grades weren’t bad either.
Miss Li searched through her desk, her expression stern as she handed Zhou Xiu a flyer—information about the scholarships and financial aid available.
Flyers like these were almost never handed out to the students in Class 24, so Miss Li had stacks of them piled up on her desk, collecting dust. Today, they finally served a purpose.
Miss Li said, “If you’re really in financial difficulty, apply for the aid. The school’s grants are quite generous. Just make sure you submit the paperwork on time.”
Zhou Xiu took the flyer and carefully read it for a few seconds before folding it and slipping it into her pocket.
Yude High School’s annual tuition was 90,000 yuan, and the scholarships were very enticing. Depending on the final exam ranking, the top ten students in the grade could receive 10,000 to 20,000 yuan in scholarships, and the top five could get 30,000 to 80,000 yuan. Zhou Xiu’s eyes lit up at the prospect.
If she could do well on the final exams, Zhou Xiu might not have to transfer schools after all.
To be honest, she really liked Yude’s library, which had an extensive collection of books. The school’s labs were equipped with the best instruments and facilities, and there were weekly classes for developing interests and skills.
No other school could offer all this.
Zhou Xiu thanked her homeroom teacher and returned to her classroom.
Hua Xue was sitting at her desk, holding her phone and smiling to herself. On her desk was a delicious-looking breakfast—soft, translucent “water buns.”
She handed one to Zhou Xiu and asked earnestly, “How does it taste? Is it good?”
The water bun had a faint blueberry flavour, sweet and tangy, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. Hua Xue had a fondness for pretty, delicate foods like this.
Zhou Xiu said, “It’s delicious. Where did you get it?”
Hua Xue hesitated, covering up her response instead of eagerly recommending the store like she usually would. Zhou Xiu found this suspicious and gave her a curious look.
Only then did Hua Xue raise her hand and confess, “A friend made it. If you like it, I can bring you more. But—honestly, I still think your desserts are the best.”
Zhou Xiu opened her bag and took out the Christmas gift she had received some time ago.
She had found it while packing up at the Xi family’s house yesterday. She had been so busy studying that she hadn’t had time to deal with it.
She opened the gift box and handed it to Hua Xue.
Hua Xue glanced at it, slightly surprised, “Xiu’er, are you getting into fashion now?”
In her experience, Zhou Xiu was more interested in a stack of test papers than in pretty things like this.
Zhou Xiu shook her head, “This was a Christmas gift I received. I looked it up, and it’s quite expensive, but I don’t know how to return it. I don’t even know which classmate gave it to me.”
Hua Xue looked at the necklace and roughly estimated its price.
She took the necklace, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. If you don’t want it, I’ll help you return it.”
“There’s nothing that Hua Xue can’t handle.”
She playfully pinched Zhou Xiu’s cheek, “Xiu’er has a secret admirer. Let’s see who has such good taste.”
Hua Xue had been pursued many times, and her drawer was often stuffed with gifts. She didn’t like the anonymous gift-giving style.
Christmas gifts were supposed to be fun, but the necklace Zhou Xiu had received far exceeded the norm for such occasions.
Yu Qingyan peeked over and exclaimed, “Wow, a Cartier necklace.”
“Did you just buy this, Hua Xue? This style is so cute—I’ve had my eye on it for a while…”
Hua Xue nodded absentmindedly, not wanting to spread the word about Zhou Xiu’s situation.
She eyed every boy in the class suspiciously, thinking any one of them could be the admirer. But when she tried to narrow it down, none of them seemed likely.
Could it have been someone from the Winner class?
Maybe it was easier for top students to develop crushes on each other. After handing over the necklace, Zhou Xiu put the incident out of her mind and fully immersed herself in her studies.
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