After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 19
“Take a look at the difficulty level of these problems first. They’re all from the Olympiad class, so they can serve as a reference for you.”
“Shu Tianxin has already passed the National Level 1 exam. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me. If you can’t find me, asking him is just as good.”
Jiang Ya flipped through the pages casually. “An introductory level?”
Indeed, it was.
Old Chen wasn’t sure if Jiang Ya had any prior exposure, so he picked the most basic set.
But Jiang Ya was more pragmatic. “Give me an actual test paper. I’ll try it out. If I can’t even solve half of it, there’s no point in wasting effort to study for it.”
That made sense.
Old Chen thought for a moment, then pulled out a foundational test paper from the bottom of a stack of materials and handed it to Jiang Ya.
He couldn’t help but add, “The key is to focus on the thought process.”
“There are many advanced formulas here. Once you learn them, they can be applied to many problems.”
“I know. I’ve had some exposure to Olympiad math before.”
“Thank you, teacher.”
Jiang Ya walked off, flipping through the problems.
The moment she left, Old Chen swiftly dug out the guardian’s contact number and dialed.
Naturally, it was Yu Shuang’s number.
Hearing the other party’s identity, Yu Shuang was taken aback. “It’s only her second day at school. Has she already caused trouble?”
“…”
“No, no, it’s like this…”
Old Chen explained the situation about the Olympiad competition. He thought he had made the stakes clear enough, but to his surprise, after a moment’s thought, Yu Shuang replied very naturally, “Walking the dog is also important. The puppy she’s raising only listens to her, so she has to take responsibility.”
Old Chen suddenly felt suffocated.
“But the Olympiad…”
“Let her decide. If she wants to study it, then fine. If not, it’s not like she’ll need it to buy groceries in the future.”
“……”
Old Chen felt exhausted.
“Ha, haha, so you prioritize holistic development for your child, is that it?”
Though such parents were rare at the affiliated school, as a veteran homeroom teacher with years of experience, Old Chen had seen his fair share.
Yu Shuang thought for a moment. “Not exactly. Her grades are already good enough—that’s sufficient. Grades are temporary, but character is for life. Her path is hers to walk.”
“Take the dog, for example. Xiao Huang only lives for about a dozen years. Missing even one year is a big deal for a dog. Even if she gets another dog later, it won’t be Xiao Huang.”
“But the college entrance exam is still very important for a child,” Old Chen repeated weakly.
Yu Shuang: “Yeah, and her grades are pretty good, aren’t they?”
“…”
Old Chen had the urge to hang up.
But he resisted.
With painstaking effort, he said, “That’s true, but she could do even better.”
Yu Shuang: “Talking to you is exhausting.”
“.” The pot calling the kettle black!
“Let me put it this way—I fully respect her personal choices. Since she’s still considering it, she’ll let me know once she’s made a decision. Can you understand that, teacher?”
“…”
“Thank you for calling. If she has any issues at school, please feel free to contact me anytime.”
Yu Shuang hung up.
Old Chen, for the first time in his life, had been asked by a parent if he “could understand.” He stood there, dumbfounded.
He stepped outside for a smoke, his expression so melancholic he hardly looked like a middle-aged, overweight man in his forties.
–
By the time Jiang Ya had skimmed through the test paper, the forum’s perception of her had shifted yet again.
First, high-definition photos of her were uploaded to the forum.
Then, several threads fawning over her looks were pushed to the top with heated discussions.
Finally, her problem-solving approach was posted on the forum. The title of the thread was deliberately provocative: #Old Chen’s New Favorite#
No way, no way, no way, this can’t be real?
“I flipped through the Olympiad math book—the derivation formula is still the simplest one in there.”
“Will God Shu soon fall from grace? Bet a dollar, all in!”
“Bet on the affirmative!”
“Bet on the negative!”
“Bet on the beauty!”
“Bet on the wife!”
“Bet on the husband!”
“Anonymous, please—you posted so fast your underwear fell off.”
“Bet on the wife! (Anonymous) (Betting on God Shu)”
“Bet on the husband! (Anonymous) (Betting on Goddess Ya)”
Shu Tianxin closed the forum with a complicated expression and glanced up. Jiang Ya was lowering her head, fully absorbed in solving problems.
Most of the students in their class were in this state—either solving problems or on their way to solving them.
Jiang Ya had gone to find Old Chen four or five times that day. Three times when he was there, and twice when he wasn’t, she immediately turned to Shu Tianxin instead.
Her approach was straightforward and concise.
“Class monitor, can I ask you a question?”
Once Shu Tianxin said yes, an Olympiad test paper would slap onto the desk, and she’d start asking.
Her gaze remained fixed on the problem the entire time. Occasionally, Shu Tianxin would look up and instinctively feel they were sitting a bit too close, but Jiang Ya seemed completely unaware, never once looking at him—her mind was entirely on the problem.
Shu Tianxin suspected that if someone else had taken his place mid-explanation, as long as they could follow her train of thought, Jiang Ya wouldn’t even notice.
She had been working on this set of problems for five days.
Or rather, not in the conventional sense.
Normally, she’d write until she could solve it, confirm it was roughly correct, mentally check the answer, and move on.
But this week, aside from math, Class 1 discovered that the transfer student was exceptional in every subject.
Every. Single. One.
Her chemical formulas were rigorous, she could solve physics problems, her analysis of Chinese literature—whether it was homesickness or setting the scene—rolled off her tongue effortlessly, biology memorization was a breeze, and English seemed slightly weaker, but based on her entrance exam, it was only less dazzling compared to her other subjects.
“Goddess Ya, I suspect you didn’t even perform at your normal level in the entrance exam.”
Her deskmate, after a week of being mentally crushed, slumped on the desk before the weekend and muttered dazedly.
Jiang Ya—the test paper demon—answered without looking up, her pen flying across the page. “No need to suspect. I hadn’t touched a textbook for two months before that. I only crammed for ten days.”
“Ah, you people aren’t human!!” Her deskmate collapsed, rolling her face on the desk. “I demand Old Chen transfer you away. If I sit with you any longer, my mental state will collapse!”
“You should sit next to God Shu—you two are just heartless problem-solving machines!”
“Who’s God Shu?”
Here we go again, again, again!
Deskmate: “The class monitor, the class monitor! This is the third time you’ve asked! You don’t even remember his name, do you?!”
“…”
“Pop quiz—what’s the class monitor’s full name? Quick, no thinking!” A pencil case was thrust in front of Jiang Ya like a microphone.
“…God Shu?”
“…”
Using your own spear to strike your own shield!
“Damn, hahahaha!”
“Xiao Hua, stop asking. Look at what she’s writing—an essay, for crying out loud. Goddess Ya’s attention isn’t on you at all.”
“Let me see—vivid and emotionally moving. I can confirm, Xiao Hua lost hard!”
“Ya, do you even remember what God Shu from Daming Lake looks like?”
Classmates crowded around, chattering.
Jiang Ya’s hand never stopped moving. “I remember. Male.”
“Pfft—hahahaha!”
“Help, help, help—is this how masters spar? I can’t take it, hahahaha!”
“Divine Beauty Jiang Ya Dethroned as ‘Just Some Guy,’ Even Her Handsome Looks Have Vanished!”
“I’m posting this on the forum—right now, immediately!”
Her deskmate dropped a bombshell: “Look who’s talking! She’s almost done with her essay and clearly doesn’t care about any of you!”
The moment those words were spoken, the sound of shattered hearts echoed through the room.
Jiang Ya remained oblivious, her eyes fixed solely on her homework.
Even when someone came to ask her a question, she replied, “Can you wait until I finish my homework? I don’t want to take it home over the weekend.”
As soon as she said this, another wave of students collapsed around her—crushed by Jiang Ya’s inhuman efficiency.
Her deskmate lamented, “Next week, I’m definitely switching seats. I can’t take this anymore. Mortals and immortals don’t belong together—humans were never meant to coexist with gods!”
“Don’t say that about yourself,” Jiang Ya said, pausing mid-check to offer comfort after writing her final sentence. “Sure, you lack focus, make careless mistakes, and don’t excel in any particular subject—but your grades are balanced, and you’re optimistic!”
“…”
Classmate A parroted: “But your grades are balanced, and you’re optimistic!”
Classmate B translated: “But your grades suck, and you’re optimistic!”
Classmate C rephrased: “But your grades suck, and you’re delusionally happy!”
Xiao Hua erupted: “I’ll kill all of you!”
The last few minutes of the final study period descended into chaos.
By the time Xiao Hua and the others finished their madness, they turned around—only to find Jiang Ya long gone.
The culprit had already packed up at some point and slipped away the second the bell rang.
Xiao Hua muttered numbly, “I’m starting to think Jiang Ya only came to our school to study and nothing else!”
A classmate helpfully added, “She finished all her homework—I saw it neatly stacked in her desk.”
“Ahhh—! I’ll fight these overachievers to the death!”
Jiang Ya was among the first to reach the school gates, walking briskly.
Miss Yu had promised to pick her up, and after a week apart, she couldn’t wait to see Yu Shuang!
When Shu Tianxin spotted Jiang Ya, he barely had time to wave goodbye before she breezed past him like a gust of wind.
“…”
“Miss Yu!”
Jiang Ya broke into a sprint the moment she saw Yu Shuang.
Her straight hair streamed behind her, gleaming like silk.
Shu Tianxin froze—it was the first time he’d ever seen Jiang Ya wear such an unrestrained, joyful smile.
A second later, a dog came barreling toward her. Jiang Ya caught it mid-stride without slowing down.
“…” Impressive arm strength.
“Why the hurry?”
A week apart, yet Yu Shuang was as polished as ever. As Jiang Ya skidded to a stop in front of her, Yu Shuang fastened the dog leash to the little yellow collar and handed it over.
“I’m happy!”
Fresh from her sprint, the girl’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with vitality. Yu Shuang couldn’t help but glance at her a few extra times before reaching out, as usual, to ruffle Jiang Ya’s hair.
“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Yu Shuang said, amused. “Or is it just that you’re excited for the weekend and couldn’t stand staying in school a second longer?”
No—it’s because I’m happy to see you.
But those words stayed locked in her heart. Jiang Ya simply smiled and nodded. “Mhm!”
“Take a moment to catch your breath. So, anything fun happen this week?”
“One thing.” Jiang Ya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said earnestly, “The students with better grades than me aren’t as impressive as I thought. Once I adjust, I should be able to score even higher.”
Mu Xiao, who happened to overhear: “?”
Yu Shuang: “Wow, that’s our genius for you!”
Jiang Ya: “Hehe.”
Mu Xiao shot Jiang Ya a surprised glance, but when her eyes landed on Yu Shuang, they lingered—unable to look away.
This is just too… like a flower of earthly riches.
Yu Shuang: “So, are you going to join the Olympiad math class?”
Old Chen had already spoken to Jiang Ya about it, and the two had discussed it privately. Yu Shuang had made her stance clear—she respected Jiang Ya’s own choice.
Jiang Ya had already made up her mind that day. “No.”
Shu Tianxin, who was right behind them, overheard and felt a little regretful, but at the same time, he understood.
Preparing for the Olympiad in the third year of high school was just too rushed—there wasn’t enough time to spare.
Focusing solely on the college entrance exam was simply more cost-effective.
Yu Shuang: “Is the material too difficult?”
“No, the scholarship is too small. No motivation.”
As she spoke, Jiang Ya gave Xiao Huang a little pat and rubbed his nose. “It’s not even enough to cover a month’s worth of dog food for our Xiao Huang, right?”
“Woof~”
Shu Tianxin: “?”
Mu Xiao: “?”
Yu Shuang nodded. “I see.”
“Such a big school, yet so stingy. Who would’ve thought?”