Zhou Xiu slept soundly and arrived at school feeling refreshed.
As she was climbing the stairs with her backpack, she ran into Mr. Wang, who was just coming out of the office.
He called out to Zhou Xiu.
Zhou Xiu initially thought Mr. Wang was going to scold her harshly for the mistakes she made on her recent test.
To her surprise, Mr. Wang called her into his office just to review the test with her.
Seeing Zhou Xiu’s relieved expression, Mr. Wang sternly said, “Why are you so tense? I’m not here to scold you.”
“Learn from your mistakes. Don’t make these low-level errors again on the final exam, or you’ll miss out on the math subject scholarship.”
If the top students in the Rocket Class could hear Mr. Wang’s gentle and comforting tone, they’d probably be shocked. Mr. Wang showing this much patience was a rare occurrence.
Taking off his glasses, Mr. Wang looked at Zhou Xiu and said, “If you’re facing any difficulties, you can talk to me. I’ll do my best to help.”
Zhou Xiu had been feeling some pressure lately, especially with cramming for physics and chemistry. Seeing Mr. Wang’s rare kind expression, she felt a bit moved.
She softly said, “Thank you, teacher.”
Zhou Xiu didn’t have any difficulties. She would handle them on her own.
Before she left, Mr. Wang handed her a stack of Rocket Class assignments. “Please give these to Qi Yaguang and ask her to distribute them.”
Zhou Xiu nodded.
She carried the heavy stack of practice books to the Rocket Class and asked one of the students to pass them on to Qi Yaguang.
It was still early—Zhou Xiu had always been in the habit of arriving at school early. After listening to Mr. Wang’s review in the office, it was still not even seven o’clock.
None of the top students like Xu Haobo or Xie Cheng had arrived yet, but Lu Lingshan was already there.
The Rocket Class students, seeing how diligent Lu Lingshan was, couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. They praised her, saying, “Lingshan always gets here so early.”
“She’s already working on exercises this early in the morning.”
With a good family background and such hard work, she made others feel ashamed of themselves.
There really aren’t many girls nowadays who are both beautiful and academically gifted.
Just then, they noticed Zhou Xiu walking past the room with her backpack. But while Zhou Xiu from Class 24 had just arrived, Lu Lingshan had been at school for at least half an hour.
Zhou Xiu from Class 24 was famous for achieving her grades through hard work. Compared to her, Lu Lingshan’s level of effort might even surpass Zhou Xiu’s.
Lu Lingshan looked up, paused her writing, and under the watchful eyes of the students, walked out of the classroom.
She called out to Zhou Xiu.
Zhou Xiu had no intention of interacting with Lu Lingshan, but the latter chased after her up the stairs.
Zhou Xiu pursed her lips and asked, “What do you want?”
Lu Lingshan spoke directly, “If my math score surpasses yours this time, can you stop bothering Xi Shaoyuan?”
Zhou Xiu’s face slowly filled with confusion. After a moment, she replied, “I’m not bothering him.”
It was true that Xi Shaoyuan was popular with girls, but he wasn’t so extraordinary that every girl would fall for him at first sight.
Lu Lingshan coldly reminded her, “I saw you bothering him over the weekend.”
Zhou Xiu quickly recalled the incident where Xi Shaoyuan had taken her father to the hospital.
She replied lightly, “You should be saying this to him.”
Lu Lingshan, full of confidence, looked at Zhou Xiu and said calmly, “Zhou Xiu, my math score will be better than yours.”
It was common knowledge among Yude students that Xi Shaoyuan had once publicly stated that he liked girls who were good at math.
Zhou Xiu responded with a simple “Mm,” then, without turning back, walked into the Class 24 classroom with her backpack.
…
On Wednesday, during the math competition class, Mr. Wang gave his last lecture before the final exam.
During the break, he handed out a reference book and a matching workbook to each student. The workbook contained ten practice tests as holiday homework.
Mr. Wang smiled and said, “Hand these in when you return from the break.”
The students groaned in despair, even the top students couldn’t bear the overwhelming load of homework.
Winter break was only about a month long, and with all the tests from various subjects, the total number of practice papers was already close to a hundred.
They were already facing the miserable reality of having to complete an average of three practice papers a day, and now the math competition added even more.
Meanwhile, the biology competition class didn’t even assign any winter break homework.
Zhou Xiu, however, didn’t feel burdened at all by the heavy workload. She had already completed most of her holiday homework in advance.
When she heard Mr. Wang’s instructions, her eyes lit up.
The system timely issued a task: [Ding—Complete the winter break test papers with a 60% accuracy rate to earn 300 RMB.]
Zhou Xiu felt that the system was truly the source of her joyful learning. She wouldn’t mind if she had to do a dozen more of these tests.
When Qi Yaguang handed Zhou Xiu her test papers, she could almost feel the simple joy radiating from Zhou Xiu’s eyes.
As Zhou Xiu listened to the system’s accuracy requirements, she noticed that the difficulty level of the test papers Mr. Wang handed out didn’t seem as high as the workbook he had given her earlier.
Mr. Wang announced that the students could now freely study and work on their test papers. Zhou Xiu eagerly started her test.
Qi Yaguang shook her head inwardly as she watched Zhou Xiu. She thought Zhou Xiu was nothing but a test-taking machine.
Her grades were purely the result of doing endless practice papers. While this approach might yield impressive short-term results, it lacked any real brilliance. She feared Zhou Xiu would struggle when faced with the real provincial exams.
When the test papers were handed out to Xie Cheng and Xi Shaoyuan, they didn’t complain. Instead, they picked up their pens and began working on the papers as if in a race. Xi Shaoyuan didn’t like taking homework home, while Xie Cheng was simply passing the time.
When they reached the same problem, both paused.
Xie Cheng closed his eyes in thought, while Xi Shaoyuan started jotting down his ideas on scrap paper.
Zhang Qi noticed and asked, “Huh? Is this problem that difficult? I saw that Zhou Xiu already finished it.”
Zhang Qi wasn’t as diligent. When he received a test paper, he usually let it sit until the last minute before rushing to complete it.
Xie Cheng slowly opened his eyes.
At that moment, Lu Lingshan glanced at the problem and softly said to them, “I finished it too. Here’s how you solve it—”
But Xie Cheng didn’t pay any attention to Lu Lingshan. Instead, he walked straight to Zhou Xiu’s desk and glanced at her test paper.
It was the first time Zhou Xiu had seen Xie Cheng struggle with a problem and come to her for help. Surprised, she raised her eyebrows slightly and moved her test paper aside.
“Take your time; I’m going to the bathroom.”
As Zhou Xiu walked away, Lu Lingshan, who was holding her own test paper, clenched her hand inside her sleeve.
She then turned to explain the solution to Xi Shaoyuan.
Xi Shaoyuan, growing impatient, was about to interrupt her chatter when Xie Cheng returned after reviewing Zhou Xiu’s test paper. Hearing Lu Lingshan’s explanation, he set the test paper down and calmly said, “Alright, Lu, you can stop now. Please return to your seat.”
His tone was as gentle as ever, but the meaning behind it made Lu Lingshan’s face turn pale.
Even the top students in the math class felt that Xie Cheng was being too ungentlemanly.
Especially the boys from other classes, whose eyes seemed to flare with anger. How could Xie Cheng talk to a girl like that?
“What’s up with Xie Cheng lately? Why is he always picking on Lu Lingshan?”
“It’s not like Lu Lingshan is chasing after him. She was clearly explaining the problem to Xi Shaoyuan. Why did Xie Cheng have to interrupt her? That’s so rude.”
Qi Yaguang tried to comfort Lu Lingshan, “Zhou Xiu is nothing more than a test-taking machine—”
Xie Cheng overheard and calmly said, “Who said Zhou Xiu is just a test-taking machine? She simply enjoys doing test papers.”
Xi Shaoyuan, who had been trying to avoid thinking about Zhou Xiu, couldn’t help but glance at Xie Cheng when he heard him praise Zhou Xiu so highly.
His pen paused.
Xie Cheng looked back at Xi Shaoyuan and said, “What’s the matter? Why aren’t you writing?”
The school’s rumours weren’t entirely accurate. For instance, the story that Xi Shaoyuan liked girls who were good at math and was especially patient with them wasn’t entirely true.
In Xi Shaoyuan’s eyes, it was actually Xie Cheng who was like that.
Tightly gripping his pen, Xi Shaoyuan didn’t write a single word.
When Zhou Xiu returned from the bathroom, she noticed the boys in the class glaring at her in frustration. Confused, she went back to her seat.
Zhou Xiu’s desk mate, Zhong Simiao, relayed what Xie Cheng had said earlier.
Zhou Xiu looked around, meeting Qi Yaguang’s slightly angry gaze, Zhang Qi’s raised eyebrows of surprise, and Xi Shaoyuan’s indifferent look.
Zhong Simiao from the liberal arts class suddenly asked Zhou Xiu, “Are you and Xie Cheng close? He seems to speak up for you a lot.”
Zhou Xiu shook her head and replied honestly, “To be honest, I’ve barely spoken a word to him.”
Although they were in the same classroom every week, Xie Cheng had never initiated a conversation with Zhou Xiu. Their few interactions were one-sided—one was when Zhou Xiu had simply told him, “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Xie Cheng hadn’t even responded.
Another time, when Zhou Xiu had calculated a series of numbers in her head while watching Xie Cheng solve a problem, Xie Cheng hadn’t even turned his head.
So how could Xie Cheng be close to her, let alone defend her?
Zhou Xiu focused on finishing her test paper, ignoring the curious looks and comments from the other students.
Whatever people said or thought was none of her concern.
When the class ended, Zhou Xiu had completed another test paper.
[Ding—Winter break math test paper completed with a 70% accuracy rate, earning 300 RMB.]
Zhou Xiu reached into her pocket, felt the crisp banknotes, and smiled happily. She packed up her bag and prepared to go home.
After school, Zhang Qi turned the earlier incident into a joke and told Hua Xu about it.
Hua Xu rolled up her sleeves, itching to pull Zhou Xiu out of the competition class.
She frowned and said, “That’s just too much. Your class really looks down on Xiu’er.”
“Other than not being as pretty as Lu Lingshan, what does Xiu’er lack?”
In Hua Xu’s eyes, Zhou Xiu was the most beautiful. Her facial features were more proportionate than Lu Lingshan’s. She just hadn’t had the same advantages growing up.
And unlike Lu Lingshan, Zhou Xiu didn’t care about fashion or putting together outfits.
Zhang Qi honestly replied, “It’s not like that.”
Though there were indeed some boys who cared about looks—cough, cough—Zhang Qi refused to admit that there were so many face-obsessed students in their class.
“Maybe it’s because she’s the only one in our class who hasn’t ranked in the top 100.”
One of the slackers in Class 24, Du Feiyang, looked up from his textbook and couldn’t help but say:
“Your class might look down on people like us, but Xiu’er isn’t a bad student. She can definitely make it into the top 100.”
Zhang Qi suggested, “Let Zhou Xiu’s performance in the finals speak for itself.”
“And by the way, your class doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Everyone’s got a bit of a chip on their shoulder. A bunch of rich kids goofing off all the time—of course, the top students don’t want to hang out with you.”
Du Feiyang slowly raised his head and said, “Hey, hey, hey, we’re all in the same boat here.”
It was as if Zhang Qi was claiming he didn’t like to have fun or that his family wasn’t wealthy.
Zhang Qi smiled and shook his head, “No, my grades are clearly better than yours.”
Du Feiyang, Tan Ming, Hua Xu, and Yu Qingyan: “…”
They were all struck down by this truth.
…
As the finals approached, even the slackers in Class 24 started to buckle down.
Remembering the shame of being humiliated by Old Huang, everyone started to take their studies seriously.
Not to mention the bet they had made with the Rocket Class.
Tan Ming even cut down on his daily basketball sessions and began diligently “reviewing” his coursework. However, most of his textbooks were so clean they looked brand new, as if they had just been unwrapped.
The day before the finals, Yu Qingyan asked Xu Qing, “Do you think you can make it into the top ten?”
Xu Qing had never dropped out of the top twenty in the grade. Compared to Zhou Xiu, his performance was more stable.
Xu Qing, with a calm demeanour, nodded lightly.
“I think so. Don’t worry.”
Yu Qingyan laughed, “I’m not worried. Seeing you so calm, I’m relieved. I wouldn’t even dare ask Xiu’er something like that.”
In Yu Qingyan’s eyes, Zhou Xiu was always racing against time to study, so she must care deeply about her grades. Yu Qingyan was afraid that asking about it before the exam might mess with Zhou Xiu’s mindset.
Xu Qing couldn’t help but smile, “She’s not that fragile.”
“If anyone’s likely to be nervous, it’s certainly not her.”
The night before the exams, Zhou Xiu was still able to spend her nights at the hospital, taking care of her father. She wasn’t doing that because she lacked confidence in herself.
On the day of the exams, Xu Qing patted Zhou Xiu on the shoulder and said:
“Do well. See you on the honour roll.”
Zhou Xiu nodded.
..
In the morning, they had the Chinese exam.
Zhou Xiu hadn’t focused much on revising for Chinese, but she paid attention to accumulating knowledge and had the habit of visiting the library daily. With a broad reading base, none of the obscure literary knowledge on the test tripped her up.
In the afternoon, it was time for the math exam. There was a slight delay before the start of the exam, and the invigilator arrived several minutes after the bell rang.
When the papers were handed out, Zhou Xiu noticed that the format of the math test was different from the Chinese one. The Chinese test paper was set by the grade group and was labelled “Yude Middle School 2018 Chinese Final Exam.”
However, the math paper was marked as part of a joint exam held by eight schools.
Zhou Xiu took note of this detail and quickly got to work on the test.
The math test was slightly more difficult, mainly because of the large number of questions. Zhou Xiu carefully completed the test and used the remaining five minutes to check her answers before the bell rang.
Lu Lingshan was in the next room, and when she emerged from the exam, her face was pale. But Zhou Xiu didn’t notice and passed her by in the crowd without a second glance.
After finishing the math test, Zhou Xiu was met with a sea of anguished looks from her slacker classmates.
Zhou Xiu comforted them, “Focus on preparing for tomorrow’s science and English exams.”
Du Feiyang felt pretty good and said cheerfully, “Think about it this way—if the math questions are tough, that’s a good thing. If everyone struggles, our rankings might actually improve, right?”
Hearing that, the slackers realized it made sense, and they instantly felt better.
But Yu Qingyan was still a bit upset, “Our exam room got the papers late, which cost us a few minutes.”
Zhou Xiu was aware of that. She pursed her lips and explained, “Originally, our school was supposed to set its own exam, but the head of the math department got their hands on the joint exam papers at the last minute, so they switched to those. All the exam rooms got their papers late.”
Yu Qingyan, hearing this, felt her frustration melt away.
Some of the slackers couldn’t help but say, “Good thing they switched!”
If the math test had been as easy as the monthly exam, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.
The slackers, now full of motivation, went on to tackle the science and English exams.
During the science exam, the slackers in Class 24 felt as if Lady Luck was smiling upon them. Especially during the chemistry portion, everything felt so familiar. It dawned on them—these were variations of the questions Zhou Xiu had compiled in her study materials!
Holy cow, they knew how to fill in this chemical formula!
This deduction question—they had seen a similar one before!
When it came to the physics problems, things weren’t as magical. But even then, the slackers used the formulas Zhou Xiu had summarized, calculated the simple numbers, and finally left some ink marks on the big questions that they usually left blank.
The biology questions were even easier to handle. Some of the multiple-choice questions triggered vague memories, and a few of the core experiment questions that Zhou Xiu had summarized actually showed up on the exam.
It was as if Zhou Xiu had read the teachers’ minds when compiling the study materials.
If Zhou Xiu hadn’t released her study materials early—long before the teachers even started writing the exams—people might have suspected that she had seen the test papers beforehand. It wasn’t until this moment that the slackers in Class 24 truly grasped the extent of Zhou Xiu’s intelligence.
After handing in their exams, the slackers were on cloud nine.
As for the last subject, English—that was the slackers’ home turf. After breezing through the science exam, they felt so relaxed, it was as if the air had become fresher.
When Tan Ming returned to the classroom after the science exam, he was puzzled by the sea of smiling faces.
“Why is everyone so happy?”
Yu Qingyan, feeling emotional, said, “I think I did fifty points better on this science exam. I’m finally going to have a peaceful New Year!”
Yuan Ruoyi raised her hand and said, “I think I can score over a hundred on the science exam. I swear, I didn’t cheat this time.”
Tan Ming’s face slowly filled with question marks.
Du Feiyang, seeing that Tan Ming was confused, pulled out Zhou Xiu’s study materials, waved them around, and said:
“Xiu’er’s study materials were a huge help. A lot of the question types were covered.”
Hua Xu couldn’t help but sigh, “Forget it. Don’t bother explaining to him. He’ll never understand our joy.”
Saying any more would just hurt Tan Ming’s feelings.
Tan Ming casually flipped through the study materials, still in disbelief. It was just a set of study materials—at best, it might coincidentally cover a few multiple-choice questions. How could it possibly lead to high scores? This was impossible.
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