Liu Hongyu, sitting not far away, kept glancing at him with resentment.

Zhang Lu, oblivious to the subtle glances from the No. 4 High School contestants, asked Cen Huai’an, “ Cen Huai’an, did you solve the bonus question at the end?”

Cen Huai’an nodded and, understanding Zhang Lu’s concern, started explaining his problem-solving approach before she could ask further.

The surrounding students, who had been wary of Cen Huai’an, listened intently.

Some frowned, others looked happy, and some were confused, unable to follow what he was saying.

After listening, Zhang Lu exclaimed, “Ah!” and smacked her forehead. “I thought of doing it that way, but I didn’t have enough time, so I didn’t write it down!”

“It’s okay. The bonus question is just an extra; you can still win first prize if you solve the other questions.” Cen Huai’an calmly reassured her.

Zhang Lu sighed, tugging at her hair, “I’m just not sure if I got everything else right.”

Others looked at Cen Huai’an with the same thought: it’s easy for you to say, but who can guarantee they did everything correctly?

Cen Huai’an told Zhang Lu, “I remember the answers I wrote.”

Zhang Lu reached out to cover Cen Huai’an’s mouth, but he sidestepped, “I’m not saying anything.”

The surrounding students showed expressions of anxious regret.

Why wouldn’t he say?

They wanted to know if their answers matched his.

Even Liu Hongyu shared this thought.

Zhang Lu patted her chest, putting on a cheerful smile, “Let me be happy for a while, thinking I got everything right! By the way, I heard that you handed in your paper early, which caused a lot of psychological pressure for the students in your exam room.”

Cen Huai’an frowned, “I didn’t notice.”

He was used to handing in his paper as soon as he finished. “I’ll hand it in later next time.”

Zhang Lu knew this because not only Liu Hongyu but also other students from No. 4 High School had been in the same exam room as Cen Huai’an.

After they came out, they complained endlessly and cried to Zhang Lu, “Why didn’t you tell us your brother would hand in his paper early?”

Zhang Lu, feeling innocent, replied, “I didn’t know. I haven’t taken the exam with him.”

Then she patted her classmates on the shoulder and sympathetically consoled them, “Don’t be sad. Even if my brother didn’t hand in his paper early, you still wouldn’t have beaten him.”

A classmate replied, “Zhang Lu, stop talking. I want to be alone for a while.”

This happened before Cen Huai’an joined the No. 4 High School group.

Now, the surrounding students didn’t know what expression to show: is the submission time something they can control? Why couldn’t they?

Throughout the ride, Zhang Lu and Cen Huai’an talked, and the students were so disheartened they looked pale.

The anxious teacher, who had been worried they might be carsick, asked, “Are you feeling carsick? Get off and get some fresh air!”

He wondered, Why weren’t they okay this morning?

However, the students didn’t explain, and the “culprits” Zhang Lu and Cen Huai’an, unaware, went to the bus stop at the school gate after saying goodbye to the teacher.

The other No. 4 High School students waiting at the same bus stop silently kept their distance from the two.

Zhang Lu, puzzled, asked, “Liu Hongyu, why are you standing so far away? Aren’t you on the same bus as us?”

Liu Hongyu shuffled closer, but the arrogance on his face had been replaced by a significant blow to his confidence.

On the bus to Grandpa Jiang’s house, Zhang Lu, still energetic, said, “An’an, when we get to great-grandpa’s house, let’s practice together. Jiang Weixian is so bad. Every time I ask him to practice with me, he runs away faster than a rabbit.”

Cen Huai’an smiled slightly, “You know very well that he doesn’t practice well.”

Zhang Lu said confidently, “That’s exactly why he needs more practice! How can a boy be so afraid of pain and tiredness?”

Liu Hongyu, who knew Zhang Lu studied martial arts, couldn’t help but speak, “Lu Lu, does your brother practice martial arts with you too?”

“Yes,” Zhang Lu nodded. “We have the same martial arts teacher and started learning together.”

Liu Hongyu, surprised, looked at Cen Huai’an even more disheartened: He’s a versatile talent.

If Liu Hongyu knew that Cen Huai’an also knew Go, he would be even more disheartened.

When Cen Huai’an and Zhang Lu arrived at Grandpa Jiang’s house, Luo Peng was there with Jiang Weixi.

Jiang Weixi, now three years old, was in her most adorable phase.

She was dressed in a red cotton jacket and pants, with red cotton shoes and a red tiger hat, walking with a wobbly gait like a chubby doll from a New Year painting.

As soon as Zhang Lu saw her, she ran over, picked up Jiang Weixi, and asked, “Weixi, call me ‘sister’.”

“Sister!”

“Yay!”

“Sister!” Jiang Weixi shouted even louder.

“Hey!”

The two were playing happily, one calling and the other responding.

Cen Huai’an walked over to them, patted Jiang Weixi’s hat, and she immediately turned her head, happily shouting, “Brother!”

She reached out her arms, wanting Cen Huai’an to hold her.

If Cen Huai’an hadn’t practiced martial arts, he might not have been able to hold Jiang Weixi at his age now.

But since he practiced, he had considerable strength, and lifting the three-year-old Jiang Weixi was no problem.

Jiang Weixi’s favorite person was Cen Huai’an.

Whenever she saw him, she would smile and want him to hold her, which had been the case since she was little.

Even Jiang Zhida was a bit envious, saying, “With An’an here, Xixi completely ignores me as her uncle.”

Others laughed and teased him, saying he just wasn’t as charming as An’an.

Zhang Lu and Cen Huai’an took off their cotton-padded jackets and practiced in the courtyard.

Jiang Weixi clapped her hands nonstop, cheering, “Brother, go for it! , Sister, go for it! “

Luo Peng smiled and asked her, “Xixi, are you cheering for your brother or your sister?”

Without hesitation, Jiang Weixi replied, “Both!”

Although Cen Huai’an had learned better than Jiang Weixi, his natural talent couldn’t match Zhang Lu’s.

Over time, his weaknesses became apparent, and Zhang Lu used them to his advantage and defeated him.

Zhang Lu, holding his hand over Cen Huai’an’s neck, twisted his neck and wrist, saying, “It’s refreshing! It’s so much more comfortable practicing with An’an; the teacher always hits me so hard.”

“The teacher is correcting your mistakes,” Cen Huai’an said.

He picked up the towel Jiang Weixi brought and said “thank you.”

Jiang Weixi, very happy, replied, “No need to thank me!”

Zhang Lu rubbed Jiang Weixi’s face and asked, “Are you only bringing towels for your brother and not for your sister?”

“Sister, over here.” Jiang Weixi ran to Luo Peng and took a towel from her hand to give to Zhang Lu.

Zhang Lu squatted down and, laughing heartily, gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Jiang Weixi grinned even more happily.

When Chuxia came back from the hospital, she saw that Cen Huai’an had already prepared dinner.

“Didn’t you say you were going to your great-grandfather’s house? Why are you back so early?”

Cen Huai’an brought the dishes to the table and looked up at Chuxia, saying, “I came back early.”

Knowing that his mother would be tired after coming back from the hospital, Cen Huai’an wanted her to have a meal ready as soon as she got home.

Chuxia patted his head, feeling touched as usual. Cen Huai’an always had a way of moving her heart.

“Mom, I’m going to take food to Dad.”

“Alright.”

Chuxia never asked Cen Huai’an how his exams went; she only asked if anything happened during the day.

“Mom, today my great-grandfather asked me when I’ll have a holiday. He wants to take me to a youth Go exchange meeting during the winter break.”

“Where is the exchange meeting held?”

“In the capital. Great-grandfather said the meeting lasts five days, and he wants me to stay at his house for those five days.”

Chuxia looked up at him, “Five days, huh? Will you miss home?”

Cen Huai’an bit his lip; he would miss home and his parents.

After thinking for a moment, Chuxia said, “You go ahead and stay. I’ll visit you at Grandpa’s house in between.”

Cen Huai’an’s eyes showed some smile: “Okay.”

When Cen Zhengnian came back in the evening, Chuxia told him about Cen Huai’an’s plans.

“You haven’t been to Grandpa’s house for a long time. When will you be able to rest?”

Cen Zhengnian rubbed his brow, “I’ll try to find time.”

At the beginning of this year, their work made breakthrough progress, breaking some foreign technological monopolies.

So their enthusiasm for work was even higher this year, wanting to achieve more.

Chuxia looked at Cen Zhengnian, who was always so busy, as if he never had a break.

Sometimes she felt tired just thinking about it for him.

But Cen Zhengnian never complained about being tired.

All the researchers in the institute were the same, including Ye Xingxiu, who didn’t seem as rigorous as a researcher but still worked hard.

Chuxia sighed, “If you can’t find the time, then never mind.”

Cen Zhengnian shook his head, “I really haven’t seen Grandpa for a long time.”

When Cen Zhengnian finally had a day off, Cen Huai’an was already on winter break, and his competition results were out.

He had won first prize, and was the top student in the city math competition.

The math teacher was thrilled: “You’re the only one from our school who won first prize. You’ve brought great honor to the school. Next spring, you can attend the national competition!”

Attending the national competition was something Cen Huai’an’s teacher only dared to think about in his heart because there was a gap between their school and schools in the capital like the affiliated high schools.

But now he could say it out loud, and Cen Huai’an was the first prize winner, a student he taught!

The teacher couldn’t calm down his joy and ended up drinking half a bottle of wine with the principal.

On the day Cen Zhengnian had off, he, Chuxia, and Cen Huai’an went to Jiang’s grandfather’s house.

Jiang Zhida had just returned from buying goods in Yangcheng and, seeing Chuxia, immediately said with joy, “Cousin, I met a nice person in Yangcheng, and he’s also from your hometown!”