Chapter 27

Song Cheng said matter-of-factly, “She’s the class monitor. She supervises self-study, so we have to listen to her.”

Qin Li replied, “……”

True, she couldn’t argue with that.

Song Cheng walked up to the podium, contemplating how to address Wen Xiangyi.

Suddenly calling someone to the podium like this—wasn’t it affecting the students’ study time? In the future, she should be notified in advance.

Song Cheng stood beside Wen Xiangyi, adjusted her expression, and opened her mouth to speak.

Wen Xiangyi looked up at her and said, “Song Cheng, the boys in the back row aren’t listening to me. Can you help me out?”

?

What?

Who would dare not listen to Wen Xiangyi?

Song Cheng’s gaze turned sharp instantly as she cast a keen look towards the back of the classroom. She caught sight of Yao Feiang throwing the basketball to someone else, missing the target, yet looking pleased as he glanced towards the podium.

Song Cheng placed her hands on the podium, shielding Wen Xiangyi behind her, and met Yao Feiang’s triumphant gaze with her own.

Yao Feiang’s expression quickly twisted. For some reason, Song Cheng looked even more intimidating than usual, and he shrank back into his seat, deciding to behave for the time being.

The other boys, however, continued to act like monkeys on a mountain, passing the ball back and forth in just a few seconds.

Song Cheng, being the tallest girl in the class, attracted many gazes as she walked to the podium. Even those who didn’t see it immediately heard the sound of the desk being knocked and Song Cheng’s clear voice:

“Ji Xi, Yao Feiang, Chen Zihao, Sang Yuan.”

Song Cheng’s eyelids drooped, and her tone was calm:

“Is basketball fun? Tossing it back and forth, missing every time over such a short distance—you don’t think you’re impressive, do you? Hmm? Speak up.”

All eyes turned to the back row.

In the back row, Chen Zihao and the others had mixed expressions of red and white, while Sang Yuan silently shoved the basketball under the desk.

If it were anyone else, Chen Zihao and the others would have protested loudly and said they were going to the basketball court right away. But Song Cheng was truly formidable, and her seriousness only made them look like clowns.

Chen Zihao said, “I won’t do it again, I swear, Sister Cheng.”

The back row quieted down, and the front row became slightly noisy. Without the troublemakers in the back row, Wen Xiangyi quickly managed to restore order, and the environment became a quiet place for studying once again.

Wen Xiangyi relaxed a bit and looked at Song Cheng with a natural smile, bright and lively:

“Thank you, Song Cheng.”

Song Cheng, who had been surveying the surroundings and maintaining order, heard the “thank you” and her ears perked up. She responded with an extra bit of formality:

“You’re welcome. Maintaining a good study environment is beneficial for my own studying.”

Hmm, Wen Xiangyi must have been troubled by unruly boys before. It’s good that she has someone like me tonight—

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Wen Xiangyi rested her chin on her hand, the bright light overhead illuminating her smile. She wrinkled her nose slightly and added, “They’re more afraid of you.”

“……”

Song Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.

But I’m quite scared of you.

Wen Xiangyi should still be strict with her; don’t use this tactic on me. All this is just sugar-coated bullets!

Song Cheng tried to steady herself, “If there’s a next time, call me again.”

Is it because the podium is too high?

Why does she feel a bit dizzy standing here? No, she couldn’t stay at the podium any longer. Song Cheng picked up her homework and turned to leave.

“Hey, don’t go just yet.” Wen Xiangyi stopped her, pressing down on her math workbook. She quickly scanned it, marking a few places with her pen. “Why are these questions left blank?”

Song Cheng whispered in embarrassment, “I don’t know how to do them.”

Wen Xiangyi glanced at her, “Are you still going to ask the monkeys?”

Song Cheng replied, “Should I?” She always completed her homework every day, leaving no question unanswered.

“This last question is beyond the scope, and the monkeys might not know it.” Wen Xiangyi said nonchalantly, “Go get a chair. I’ll teach you.”

Song Cheng reflexively followed the instruction and brought a chair from the front row. Once seated, she found it a bit hard to focus.

Wen Xiangyi patiently waited for her to settle down and casually said, “You helped me maintain discipline, so I’ll explain the problem to you.”

After speaking, she suddenly felt this logic was familiar. Wen Xiangyi recalled something Song Cheng had said in the cafeteria a long time ago, which now seemed quite interesting.

“According to your way of thinking, this would be called… a ‘reward’?”

Song Cheng’s body twitched slightly, and her gaze made Wen Xiangyi somewhat puzzled.

Wen Xiangyi asked, “Is that not right?”

Song Cheng shook her head twice, as if wanting to say something but then swallowed her words. She looked down at the problems:

“Yes, that’s right. Please start teaching me.”

Wen Xiangyi didn’t press further and began explaining the problems. The advanced questions were challenging for Song Cheng, but Wen Xiangyi’s explanations were very effective, breaking things down step-by-step. After some time, Wen Xiangyi managed to guide Song Cheng out of the maze.

Song Cheng returned to her seat with her workbook but didn’t feel the joy of acquiring knowledge. Instead, she felt a complex and indescribable emotion—

In the past, Wen Xiangyi’s rewards were limitless. Whatever Song Cheng wanted, she could get it, with the worst being Wen Xiangyi’s home-cooked meals. She had never imagined that one day it would turn into receiving torturous math problems.

It was quite disheartening.

Well, it was also quite practical.

After all, they were both high school students.

Song Cheng glanced at the problems and resolutely began solving them.

She always got into study mode quickly and could stay focused for a long time. After several intense self-study sessions, the final exam scores were released at an unscientific speed. The class representatives brought thick stacks of test papers from the office and distributed them.

Although only half a month had passed since the last joint exam, Song Cheng had a fresh anticipation for the final exam papers.

Mainly because, before the exams, she had heard Qin Li and others discussing guessing techniques and had humbly sought advice.

If Song Cheng was the representative of hard study, Wen Xiangyi was the type who mastered everything by herself. Qin Li, on the other hand, explored new paths, researching these “tricks and shortcuts” extensively.

As a result, Qin Li had a good relationship with the class underachievers and often exchanged tips on cheating.

Before the finals, Qin Li was enthusiastically discussing with the underachievers, and Song Cheng, sitting in her seat, decided to join in.

Qin Li and the enthusiastic crowd provided her with knowledge and exam tips:

“Physics papers are all written by Teacher Wu. Almost every multiple-choice question has a B. If you see a single B, you can be sure it’s correct.”

“For guessing, the correct rate between B and C is high.”

“From my observations, math multiple-choice questions are likely to be distributed as 1212. The last joint exam was the same. Also! The first and last questions in the real test papers are unlikely to be A.”

“Do you know the special value method? Huh? You don’t?”

It was easy to imagine how impactful this was for Song Cheng, who only knew how to roll pens and throw erasers, and who only knew “three shorts and one long” and “three longs and one short.”

The wisdom of the crowd is indeed formidable!

Song Cheng couldn’t recover for a long time, taking down every piece of advice with a seriousness comparable to taking notes from the teacher’s board.

Seeing this, Wen Xiangyi couldn’t help but laugh and tapped Qin Li on the head, “You’ve led Song Cheng astray.”

Qin Li, initially a bit guilty, became displeased, “How can you say I led her astray? Wen Xiangyi, are you biased?”

Wen Xiangyi replied, “Of course not.”

She frowned slightly, not feeling that she was biased. What she said was the truth—Song Cheng didn’t know how to guess before, and now she had learned it from Qin Li.

Qin Li remained skeptical. As a childhood friend, she thoroughly doubted Wen Xiangyi’s true motives.

She even recalled a similar event from long ago:

Song Cheng spoke in a strict manner, “She’s the class monitor. She’s supervising the self-study period, so we all have to listen to her.”

Qin Li: “……”

Indeed, she couldn’t argue with that.

Song Cheng thought for a moment and walked up to the podium. She decided to address Wen Xiangyi.

Suddenly calling someone to the podium during the self-study period, isn’t this disrupting everyone’s study? In the future, she should be given a heads-up.

Song Cheng stood next to Wen Xiangyi, adjusted her expression, and opened her mouth to speak.

Wen Xiangyi looked up at her and said, “Song Cheng, the boys in the back row are not listening to me. Can you help me out?”

?

What?

Who dares to ignore Wen Xiangyi?

Song Cheng’s gaze instantly turned sharp, and she scanned the students below the podium. She saw Yao Feiang throwing a basketball to someone else, and though he clearly threw it off-target, he was looking at the podium with a smug expression.

Song Cheng placed her hands on the podium, blocking Wen Xiangyi behind her, and stared steadily at Yao Feiang, making eye contact with him.

Yao Feiang’s expression quickly twisted. For some reason, Song Cheng looked even more intimidating than usual. He shrank back into his seat, deciding to behave for the time being.

The other boys in the back row, like monkeys on a mountain, kept passing the ball, three or four times in just a few seconds.

Song Cheng, being the tallest girl in the class, walked towards the podium, attracting the attention of many. Even those who hadn’t seen her soon heard the sound of the desk being slammed and Song Cheng’s clear voice:

“Ji Xi, Yao Feiang, Chen Zihao, Sang Yuan.”

Song Cheng’s eyelids drooped, and her tone was calm:

“Do you think playing basketball is fun? Tossing it around, missing so many times with such a short distance, don’t you think you’re very cool? Hmm? Speak.”

Everyone’s gaze turned silently towards the back row.

In the back row, Chen Zihao and the others were flushed and pale, while Sang Yuan quietly stuffed the basketball under the desk.

If it were anyone else, Chen Zihao and his group would definitely shout out and say they were going to the basketball court immediately. But Song Cheng was really impressive. Since she was so focused on studying, it only made their actions look even more foolish.

Chen Zihao: “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, Sister Cheng.”

The back row quieted down, and the front row became slightly noisy. Without needing Song Cheng to say more, Wen Xiangyi quickly restored order. The small actions of reading novels and playing on phones were ignored; at least the study environment was back to being quiet.

Wen Xiangyi relaxed a little, looked at Song Cheng beside her, and smiled naturally, her eyes bright and lively:

“Thank you, Song Cheng.”

Song Cheng had been scanning the surroundings to secure the situation. When she heard the “thank you,” her ears perked up, and she responded with reserved modesty:

“You’re welcome. Maintaining the self-study environment benefits my own studying.”

Well, Wen Xiangyi must have been bothered by some unruly kids before, but tonight she was fortunate to have her—

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Wen Xiangyi propped her chin on her hand, her smile illuminated by the white light above, and she lightly wrinkled her nose, “They’re even more afraid of you.”

“……”

Song Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.

But I’m quite scared of you.

Wen Xiangyi should just be fierce to her; don’t use this tactic on her. It’s all sugar-coated bullets!

Song Cheng steadied herself: “If there’s a next time, call me again.”

Maybe the podium is too high.

Standing there makes her feel a bit dizzy. She shouldn’t stay at the podium any longer. Song Cheng picked up her homework and turned to go down.

“Hey, don’t leave yet.” Wen Xiangyi pressed down on her math workbook, quickly looked it over, and pointed to a few places with her pen, “Why are these problems left blank?”

Song Cheng, feeling embarrassed, said quietly, “I can’t do them.”

Wen Xiangyi glanced at her: “Do you still want to ask the monkeys?”

Song Cheng: “Should I?” She always finished all her homework, not leaving a single problem undone.

“This last problem is beyond the syllabus, the monkeys might not know it,” Wen Xiangyi said lightly, “Go get a chair. I’ll teach you.”

Song Cheng reflexively followed the instruction, pulling a chair from the front row. Once she sat down, her attention was still a bit unfocused.

Wen Xiangyi patiently waited for her to come around, casually saying, “You helped me maintain discipline, so I’ll teach you the problems.”

After speaking, Wen Xiangyi suddenly realized that this logic seemed familiar. She recalled something Song Cheng had said in the cafeteria, which was still quite amusing.

“Using your words, this is called… ‘reward’?”

Song Cheng’s body suddenly moved, and her gaze made Wen Xiangyi somewhat puzzled.

Wen Xiangyi asked, “Isn’t that right?”

Song Cheng shook her head twice, as if she wanted to say something but then silently swallowed it. She looked down at the problems:

“Yes, that’s right. Please start teaching me.”

Wen Xiangyi ignored her and began explaining the problems. The advanced problems were hard for Song Cheng to grasp, but fortunately, Wen Xiangyi was very skilled at teaching, breaking things down in a way that made it easier for Song Cheng to understand.

After finishing, Song Cheng returned to her seat with her workbook but didn’t feel the joy of acquiring new knowledge. Instead, she felt a complex, indescribable emotion—

In the past, Wen Xiangyi’s rewards had no upper limit. Song Cheng could get anything she wanted, and at worst, it was Wen Xiangyi cooking a meal for her. She had never thought that one day she would directly receive torturous math problems as a reward.

It was quite heart-wrenching.

Well, at least it’s practical.

After all, they were high school students.

Song Cheng glanced at the problems and furiously began to solve them. She was determined to thoroughly understand “Wen Xiangyi’s rewards” and never be stumped again!

She quickly entered a state of concentration and was able to maintain it for a long time. After several self-study sessions, Song Cheng’s scores in all subjects came out at an astonishingly fast pace. The class representatives brought a thick stack of test papers from the office and distributed them.

Although it had only been half a month since the last joint exam, Song Cheng had new expectations for the final exams.

This was mainly because, before the exam, she had heard Qin Li and others discussing guessing techniques, so she humbly asked for their advice.

If Song Cheng was the type who buried herself in studying, Wen Xiangyi was someone who could excel through sheer effort. Qin Li had opened up a new path, with extensive research on these “tricks.”

Thus, Qin Li had a good relationship with the class’s underachievers and they exchanged tips on scoring.

Before the finals, Qin Li happened to be passionately chatting with the underachievers. Song Cheng, sitting in her seat, perked up her ears and chose to join in.

Qin Li and the enthusiastic crowd eagerly shared their knowledge and exam experience:

“The physics test is all set by Teacher Wu. Almost every multiple-choice question has a B. If you’re unsure, a single B is usually correct.”

“For guessing, the chances of BC being correct are high.”

“From my repeated observations, math multiple-choice questions are most likely distributed as 1212. The last joint exam was the same. And! The first and last questions in the real exam paper are likely not A.”

“Do you know the special value method? What? You don’t?”

It’s easy to imagine the strong impact on Song Cheng, who only knew how to roll pens and throw erasers and was familiar only with “three shorts and one long” and “three longs and one short.”

The wisdom of the crowd is indeed not to be underestimated!

Song Cheng was deeply impressed, jotting down every tip from the seniors with the same seriousness she used to take notes from teachers.

Wen Xiangyi saw this and laughed, tapping Qin Li on the head, “You’ve spoiled Song Cheng.”

Qin Li, feeling a bit guilty, was displeased, “How can you say I spoiled her? Wen Xiangyi, are you being biased?”

Wen Xiangyi: “Of course not.”

She frowned slightly, not feeling that she was being biased. She was just stating facts. Song Cheng didn’t know how to guess answers before, and now she learned from Qin Li.

Qin Li was doubtful. As a close friend, she was thoroughly suspicious of Wen Xiangyi’s true intentions.

She even remembered a similar event from a long time ago:

“Qin Li didn’t clean it properly.”

Wen Xiangyi followed her gaze and looked over.

In the bottom right corner, there was a countdown written by Duan Jia. The white chalk numbers had been updated daily with red chalk, showing the remaining days. Each morning, a classmate would excitedly update the numbers, which had been getting smaller and smaller.

This morning, it was Chen Zihao who made the update. In Duan Jia’s neat chalk writing, the number had been written in a wobbly “0.”

[0 days until the winter break]

The birds were chirping in the tree by the window. The evening glow had already faded, and the classroom, now dimly lit, still had piles of books on some students’ desks. Chalk dust and light particles danced in the air.

In the thin twilight, Wen Xiangyi looked at the diligently maintained countdown and smiled slightly:

“It can have a break now.”

Song Cheng wiped the blackboard from right to left, leaving it clean once more.

Winter break has arrived!