Chapter 23 Part 1

The setting sun marked the hurried end of another day.

During the last self-study period, the bright classroom lights did little to dispel the drowsiness.

Yu Mo and Wei Lai, one on the left, one on the right, were sprawled on their desks, deeply asleep, utterly comfortable.

Just then, the Math Class Representative tapped on Yu Mo’s desk. “Yu Mo, the math teacher is looking for you.”

Yu Mo jolted awake instantly.

She knew it had to be Zhang Wenmin looking for her to discuss the competition. She quickly muttered a “thanks” to the Math Class Representative and hurried toward the Math Department Office.

She strode briskly to the Math Department Office.

Without waiting for her breath to steady, she knocked on the door. “Reporting.”

Zhang Wenmin was bent over, filling a cup at the water dispenser. Seeing Yu Mo at the door, he beckoned with his hand. “Come here.”

Yu Mo gave an affirmative “aye” and followed behind Zhang Wenmin.

Her hands hung at the sides of her dress, fingers subtly clutching the fabric of her skirt.

Unusually restrained.

“I called you here because I don’t know what your current level is… wanted to get a feel for your foundation…” Zhang Wenmin rummaged through the messy workbooks on his desk, finally selecting a test paper from one.

“Let’s go with this paper. For now, do the first four problems on the front. You have twenty…” Zhang Wenmin looked up at the clock and amended, “thirty minutes.”

Yu Mo respectfully took the paper, scanning it briefly.

Unlike other papers that had a bold title in the upper left corner of the front page, this paper had nothing. It started directly with big problems, eight in total on both sides. None of it was what Yu Mo was currently learning in class, but rather material related to competition problems.

Zhang Wenmin watched Yu Mo sit to the side, studying the problems. He lifted his mug and took a sip of tea. “Don’t think about searching for answers online. I’ll be watching.”

Yu Mo scanned the first four main problems and gained a rough understanding of them. She looked up at Zhang Wenmin, her tone relaxing and even a bit cheeky. “Don’t worry, teacher, I’m not that kind of person.”

Truthfully, Yu Mo didn’t feel much distance from Zhang Wenmin in this life, even felt a sense of familiarity. Of all the teachers from her previous life, she and Zhang Wenmin had a love-hate relationship. Though she always said she disliked him, deep down she was grateful.

In a way, Zhang Wenmin was a hidden talent scout to her.

“What kind of person aren’t you?” Although Zhang Wenmin had only known Yu Mo for a short time in this life, looking at this bright, smiling girl before him, an inexplicable fondness arose in his heart. He scolded affectionately, “In my class, besides sleeping on your desk with your deskmate, you’re always on your phone. If I didn’t see you were good raw material, I wouldn’t even bother with you!”

“Alright, alright, I get it, teacher. Don’t say it so loud.” Seeing the other teachers still in the office, Yu Mo didn’t argue back, quickly yielding. “I promise, this time I definitely won’t let you down!” Yu Mo raised four fingers beside her head in a vow.

This oath wasn’t just for Zhang Wenmin; it was what Yu Mo told herself in her heart.

Zhang Wenmin looked at Yu Mo, feigning distaste as he pursed his lips. “You, girl, had better not disappoint me.”

Out of the corner of his eye, the old wall clock showed three minutes had already passed. Zhang Wenmin didn’t chat further, waving his hand. “Alright, get to work. It’s already been five minutes.”

“Mm.” Yu Mo looked down at the paper on the desk, lowering her head, no longer joking around with Zhang Wenmin.

The second hand ticked away. The Math Department office buzzed with quiet activity, people coming and going.

Zhang Wenmin initially worried Yu Mo might be distracted, but when he glanced over, he saw: Yu Mo had her head down, a piece of scratch paper, one pen.

Scribbling and drawing, her gaze focused, completely undisturbed.

A surge of gratification welled up in Zhang Wenmin. He picked up his retro-style mug and took another drink of water.

The minute hand followed the second hand’s rotations, one tick at a time, and soon twenty clicks passed.

Yu Mo’s pen also landed decisively next to the final step of the last problem, marking a concluding black dot.

These problems indeed required some time for her, a twenty-three-year-old who had been away from school for eight years.

But her current body was that of a fifteen-year-old girl, still possessing an acute sensitivity to numbers beyond others’ reach.

The solution path for each problem in Yu Mo’s mind was like a blocked stream.

Once an opening was pried free, the ideas surged forth turbulently.

Her pen moved fluidly, leaving neat and perfect solution steps on the paper.

“I’m done.” Yu Mo capped her pen, glanced at the clock, and proudly told Zhang Wenmin.

Zhang Wenmin, in the middle of grading homework, looked at the time with some surprise—only twenty minutes. “So fast?”

“Impressive, right?” Holding the paper, Yu Mo stood triumphantly before Zhang Wenmin.

“You better not have just guessed on all of them.” Zhang Wenmin lowered his reading glasses slightly, reaching out to take Yu Mo’s paper.

At a single glance, Zhang Wenmin knew her solutions were brilliant. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh!”

Then, Zhang Wenmin fell silent, focusing intently on grading Yu Mo’s paper.

Aside from a few calculation errors resulting from carelessness, the rest of her solution approaches, steps—they were all very good.

Watching the smile gradually spread across Zhang Wenmin’s face, Yu Mo’s heart couldn’t help but leap with excitement.

She peeked at Zhang Wenmin and asked expectantly, “What does teacher think of me?”

Yu Mo was waiting,

waiting for affirmation.

“Not bad.” Zhang Wenmin intentionally didn’t lavish excessive praise. He pointed at a few places he had circled, “Just careless.”

“From now on, I will be stricter with you than with the average student in class. You need to be prepared for that,” Zhang Wenmin continued. “Although it’s a bit early to talk about preparing for the competition now, everything requires accumulation, understand?”

“I understand.” Yu Mo immediately suppressed her earlier playfulness and became serious.

Zhang Wenmin: “From now on, for any optional homework problems I assign, you must do them. During self-study, bring them here to me.”

“Mm, I’ll remember,” Yu Mo nodded.

“Nothing else. Go back now. It’s almost time for class to end.” Zhang Wenmin glanced at Yu Mo, waving dismissively.

“Thank you, teacher.” Yu Mo bowed respectfully to Zhang Wenmin, then turned and left.

The forsythia bushes in the teaching building’s flowerbed were already in full bloom, layer upon layer piled together.

Petals weighed down the branches, which drooped towards the earth thinly covered with grass.

The fragrance rode the wind upward, drifting through the open hallway windows, filling the entire teaching building.

Smelling it brought a sense of physical and mental ease to Yu Mo, and unconsciously, her steps felt lighter.

She knew this was an opportunity to change her fate.

She would seize it tightly, hold on fast.

Yu Mo’s foot had barely stepped into the classroom when she saw someone sitting in her seat.

That person was chatting animatedly with Wei Lai, laughing so hard her body shook.

Yu Mo didn’t even need to guess who it was—Li Qingqing.

Li Qingqing also spotted Yu Mo. She stood up, yielding the seat to Yu Mo. “I’m here to pick up the notes for Shuyu.”

“Notes?” Yu Mo paused, only then remembering this matter.

She had been so focused on the math competition today that she’d completely forgotten about this arrangement with Shen Shuyu from the morning.

Thinking about it was interesting. In the past, she always treated Shen Shuyu’s words as imperial decrees.

Not daring to forget, always cautious and anxious.

This time, she had cleanly forgotten the whole thing.

Was this what it felt like to not be controlled by someone else?

Living for no one else, free and unrestrained, solely for herself.

Yu Mo’s mood lifted even more.

As she searched for her notes, she said to Li Qingqing, “Wait a moment.”

“You haven’t gotten them ready yet?” Li Qingqing was somewhat surprised.

“Yeah,” Yu Mo deliberately kept her distance from people associated with Shen Shuyu, giving Li Qingqing’s question only a minimal reply.

She just lowered her head and quickly located the notebooks from today’s classes.

Yu Mo checked the stack of notebooks, confirmed nothing was missing nor extra, then handed them to Li Qingqing. “Here.”

Li Qingqing took the notebooks and asked, “Yu Mo, is there anything you want me to pass along to Shuyu?”

Yu Mo glanced at Li Qingqing. A thought actually did occur to her—something she wanted to convey to Shen Shuyu.

Yu Mo nodded. “Yes.”

Li Qingqing smiled.

She thought to herself, if she relayed Yu Mo’s concern to Shuyu, who knew how happy Shuyu would be.

Maybe her illness would even instantly get better.

Li Qingqing: “Go ahead, I’ll relay it word for word to Shuyu.”

Yu Mo: “Remember to return the notes to me tomorrow. I still need them.”

Yu Mo spoke each word clearly. Li Qingqing heard them perfectly.

Yet she felt utterly astonished.

Her brows knitted together. She looked at Yu Mo in disbelief. “That’s all?”

Yu Mo was momentarily puzzled, then sharply caught the disappointment in Li Qingqing’s eyes.

So, she wanted her to say some words of concern for Shen Shuyu?

Well, she had truly miscalculated.

She wasn’t Shen Shuyu’s someone. She wouldn’t conform to their expectations and say those kinds of caring, thoughtful words.

With a touch of sarcasm, Yu Mo countered, “Otherwise, what does classmate Li Qingqing think I should say?”

Li Qingqing saw the expression on Yu Mo’s face, and a chill actually crept up from the bottom of her heart.

She shook her head, patting Yu Mo’s notebooks. “Nothing. I’ve got the notes now, so I’ll be off.”

Li Qingqing stepped out of the classroom door and glanced back inside at Yu Mo.

Under the fluorescent lights, she was laughing and chatting with Wei Lai. Her eyes held none of that feeling that had just sent a shiver of fear through her heart.

This was the Yu Mo Li Qingqing usually knew.

Unrestrained and brilliant, full of youthful spirit.

This was the first time Li Qingqing felt the coldness hidden within Yu Mo, a coldness that didn’t belong to her age.

Or rather… it was the inherent indifference she held towards the three characters of “Shen Shuyu.”

.

The lingering twilight faintly outlined the contours of the slate-blue villa belonging to Shen Shuyu’s family.

The window furthest to the side on the second floor glowed with a warm yellow light. A slender, upright silhouette was painted onto the windowpane by the light and shadow.

Just like a Western oil painting.

Shen Shuyu was sitting upright at her desk, reading a thick book on finance and economics.

The lamplight fell gently on her profile. Her cheeks, having regained some color, were faintly flushed with a touch of rosiness.

Beneath her long lashes lay a pair of clear, focused eyes.

The surrounding stillness was exceptionally beautiful.

From downstairs came the sound of a car passing by.

The slam of a car door sounded crisply, sharp and clean.

After a brief moment of quiet, Shen Shuyu heard footsteps approaching from outside her door, growing closer.

Then, her door was knocked on. Li Qingqing, holding Yu Mo’s notebooks, pushed open Shen Shuyu’s door.

“Thanks for the trouble.” Shen Shuyu rose to take the notebooks from Li Qingqing’s hands, gesturing for her to sit in a chair and rest.

“What trouble? It’s just a few notebooks.” Li Qingqing waved dismissively as she accepted the white porcelain teacup Shen Shuyu handed her.

Li Qingqing lowered her head and took a light sip. The milk tea was warmed to its optimal drinking temperature, rich and silky.

A familiar and missed flavor burst forth in Li Qingqing’s mouth, surging and churning.

Delight sparkled in her eyes like stars popping out one by one.