Let's Do Some Questions - Chapter 95

After the summer break, Song Man and Chu Fengqiu returned to class, but the classroom wasn’t filled with entirely familiar faces.

Qingcheng No. 1 High adjusted classes every semester, moving students with declining grades down and pulling up those with good grades. The goal of survival of the fittest was undisguised.

Song Man’s final exam results shouldn’t have kept her in Class One, but she remained there, and no one said anything.

What made Song Man feel more comfortable this semester was that the girl sitting in the back row, whose name she no longer remembered but who held some hostility towards Chu Fengqiu, had been moved to Class Two. It was simply delightful not to have someone whispering behind them.

A baseline test was scheduled for the start of the semester. They had to take the exam before they even received their new textbooks.

When the results came out, everyone stared at the score sheet, completely bewildered.

Chu Fengqiu was still first in the grade, but the person sharing the top spot with her was both unfamiliar and familiar to everyone.

“How could it be Song Man? She must have cheated.”

“Maybe. She has connections. Getting the test questions in advance isn’t a big deal, is it?”

“Could Chu Fengqiu have let her copy? They seem to be pretty good friends.”

“How is that possible? They weren’t even in the same exam room. Besides, I was in the same room as Chu Fengqiu, and she didn’t even leave to go to the bathroom. Did she transmit the answers telepathically?”

In short, there were all sorts of theories, but no one believed that score was Song Man’s own. Even Deng Wei was a bit dizzy.

He knew Man Jie was capable; after all, she had tutored him and Shen Conglin before the final exams. But he never thought Man Jie and Chu Jie were on the same level. The leap was too big.

Even the grading teachers were somewhat disbelieving, especially the homeroom teacher of Class One, who had a massive headache. During the class meeting, she sternly told everyone not to spread baseless rumors.

“Teacher, if they don’t believe it, I can take another set of exams. You can make up the questions.” Song Man raised her hand, leaning back in her chair with a nonchalant, arrogant air.

Gasps of surprise rippled through the class. The homeroom teacher hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright, Song student, come with me.”

Song Man stood up from her seat, winked at Chu Fengqiu, and walked out.

In the teachers’ office, teachers from various subjects sat, watching Song Man take the test with expectant yet nervous eyes.

The least surprised by the results were the math teacher and the English teacher. The English teacher knew Song Man had a good foundation, having lived abroad, so her English should be good, though she didn’t know why her test scores were usually poor. The math teacher had always felt Song Man had quite a talent but was just missing something; now it seemed she had been hiding her abilities.

The questions Song Man was answering were representative ones the teachers had quickly put together, some testing basics, some testing skill. None were particularly tricky, so Song Man finished them quite easily, showing no signs of panic and working at a smooth pace.

After grading, the teachers’ expressions all changed.

The homeroom teacher’s first thought was, if this child was so capable, why did she waste two buildings’ worth of effort to get into Class One? With this score, she would have welcomed her in!

The homeroom teacher, beaming, led Song Man back into the classroom and, in a particularly warm tone, told Song Man to return to her seat. Then, she looked at the students below with a serious expression.

“Just now, Song Man demonstrated her abilities to all of us subject teachers. Therefore, any talk of cheating is baseless. I hope everyone will stop discussing such matters from now on. Focus on yourselves, and time will prove your strength.”

“Now, a few boys, come with me to move the books. The rest of you, please remain quiet in the classroom.”

After the homeroom teacher left, quiet whispers still spread through the class, with glances directed towards Song Man. Although the teacher had said so, many still didn’t quite believe it.

Song Man didn’t care at all; she just looked at her girlfriend with a slightly troubled expression.

“Lao Chu, does this mean I can’t sleep in until I naturally wake up and come to class anymore?”

“Whatever makes you happy. Besides, the desks in class aren’t comfortable to sleep on.” Chu Fengqiu ruffled Song Man’s hair. A year had passed, and Song Man’s hair had grown quite a bit, falling softly onto her shoulders.

“That’s true too.” Song Man nodded, took Chu Fengqiu’s hand to warm it, and leaned on the desk, looking at Chu Fengqiu’s face.

After school, Deng Wei came to find Song Man, fully expressing his shock.

“Is this what they call ‘marry a chicken, follow a chicken; marry a dog, follow a dog; marry a top student, follow a top student’?” Deng Wei posed a soul-searching question, earning a slap on the back of the head from Song Man.

“Can you shut up if your literary skills are that low?”

“Then did you get tutored?! First in the grade! On the same level as Chu Jie!” Deng Wei knew Song Man’s personality, so he didn’t think she was the type to cheat. His Man Jie wouldn’t stoop to such behavior.

“No, she’s always been very capable.” Chu Fengqiu spoke up for Song Man. Deng Wei’s mouth dropped open as he began to process the fact that his boss was a fake slacker.

“Still don’t believe it? Your Man Jie has always been amazing.” Song Man lifted her chin. This cheerful mood lasted until she received a call from her dad, after which she wilted a bit.

“My dad wants me to go home tonight.”

“Then… I’ll wait for you at home?”

“You come with me. If my dad lectures me, you can distract him. He’ll give me face if you’re there.”

However, contrary to Song Man’s expectation, her dad mentioned the matter with a mix of happiness and complaint.

“You clearly had good grades before. I thought you just didn’t like studying anymore.”

“Being a slacker is easier than being a top student. I was also giving some face to those who study hard. Wouldn’t it be too stimulating if I played around all day and still got high scores?” Song Man said with a grin, looking as if she had genuinely just had enough fun and decided to study.

“You,” Xu Qinglang looked at Song Man helplessly, his smile not diminishing at all.

“Manman, have you thought about which university you want to go to in the future?” Song Zici asked, like casual small talk.

“Study math. I like math more. My goal is to become a mathematician.” Song Man’s expression was serious, without a hint of her usual flippancy. It was clear she was saying this very earnestly, her eyes sparkling.

“That’s great. Our family hasn’t produced anyone who does serious academic work yet. Do what you love. Mom and Dad will always support you.” Song Zici smiled, and Song Man quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know if this was her mother’s subtle test, but her ambition wasn’t in business, and her answer had been the same many times.

During dinner, Song Man even had a little wine. Song Zici said Song Man was an adult now and could drink with her parents like an adult. Song Man was too relaxed and couldn’t help but have a couple more glasses, her face flushed when they left.

The March spring still held a chill. Getting out of the car, Song Man shivered from the wind hitting her face.

Chu Fengqiu stood in front of her, raising a hand to pull up the hood on the back of Song Man’s collar, covering Song Man’s red ears.

“Chu Fengqiu, look.” Song Man pointed at the night sky. Chu Fengqiu looked up curiously, but her lips suddenly met something sweet and soft.

“Just kidding, there’s nothing in the sky.” Song Man looked like she had successfully played a prank, a triumphant smile on her face.

“But I clearly saw stars.”

“Huh? Where?” Song Man looked up groggily. Tonight, clouds covered the night sky; there were no stars or moon in sight. “Did I see things? I don’t see any.” Song Man rubbed her eyes, continuing to look up for stars.

Until a pair of cool hands cupped her face, and she heard Chu Fengqiu’s low whisper.

“In your eyes.”

The myriad stars in your eyes, incomparably brilliant.

Warm breaths drew closer, a sweet kiss tasting of red wine, dispelling the cold wind.