Old Zhou took over the last study hall period.
Old Zhou had his teaching methods. He knew everyone was still fired up after gym class, so he'd give them a few math problems to cool down.
It was bone-chillingly effective.
Especially for Shen Yuan.
On one side was Zhou Shaojie, a god when it came to math. On the other was Li Zhi, an all-around ace.
The two of them might not have had the clearest thought process for Old Zhou's math problems, but at least they solved them without a hitch.
Which left Shen Yuan, squeezed between them, scratching his head in frustration.
What was worse, after those two finished, they just sat there, tilted their heads, and started watching Shen Yuan work on the problems.
They looked like they were at the zoo, watching a monkey perform math tricks.
Utterly fascinated.
"Dammit, can you two stop staring?!"
Shen Yuan muttered under his breath.
He didn't dare say it any louder.
For one, he was afraid Old Zhou would call on him. For another, he was afraid the two aces would hit him with a sarcastic comment.
Heh, he's mad.
It was painful just thinking about it.
'I, the great Emperor Shen Yuan, have never lost to anyone in my life!'
Li Zhi: "Your approach is wrong."
Zhou Shaojie: "Draw the auxiliary line somewhere else. You dumbass kid, you can't even do this."
"Oh, okay."
Shen Yuan obediently erased the auxiliary line, bottling up his frustration.
'It's all Zhou Shaojie's damn fault. Staring and staring!'
'Just wait till English class. I'll humiliate you good!'
As for Li Zhi?
Ha! She was his sworn brother, his dearest friend, his beloved child...
'Alright, the truth is I just can't beat her.'
So he could only take his frustrations out on Zhou Shaojie.
But Old Zhou was actually a great teacher, much better than the ones in the parallel classes, at least.
For two years of high school, Shen Yuan had taught himself math. The fact he could even pass was a testament to his sliver of natural talent.
With Old Zhou, Shen Yuan felt he was on the cusp of a breakthrough in math.
Getting a 620 on the exam wouldn't be a problem then.
He would no longer be barely considered human.
After a full period of math problems, school let out for the afternoon.
Time to grab dinner, then brace for evening study hall.
Evening study hall was the same as ever.
Just grinding away, furiously doing homework.
Shen Yuan had come back from dinner and taken a nap, replenishing some energy. Now he was bursting with vitality.
The first period ended.
Shen Yuan stretched lazily, turned his head, and chuckled.
"Ah Jie? Why are you lying down?"
Zhou Shaojie was slumped over his desk, speaking listlessly, "Yuan, I think I'm... drained."
Shen Yuan craned his neck, glanced at the homework in front of Zhou Shaojie, and burst out laughing.
Heh, English!
Wasn't this the perfect time for revenge?
Immediately, Shen Yuan started in a mock-surprised, sarcastic tone, "No way, no way? Don't tell me someone's actually getting depressed over English homework?"
Yang Ze in the front row turned around and chimed in, "Ah Jie is just lame! Can't even do his English homework, he's the lamest!"
Zhou Shaojie lifted his head. "And you guys are any better? You suck at math!"
Yang Ze pointed at him like a dramatic husky. "Missing your boyfriend, are we?"
Zhou Shaojie froze. "What boyfriend?"
"The back door. You've given it an Aruba so many times, you haven't developed feelings yet?"
Zhou Shaojie exploded. "Get lost! He's your boyfriend!"
"Your boyfriend!"
"Your boyfriend!"
The two began their childish broken-record routine.
As they went back and forth, Zhou Shaojie suddenly blurted out, "If you insult me again, I'm your dad!"
"Your boyfriend!"
Yang Ze didn't stop in time and fell right into the trap.
Zhou Shaojie grinned, reaching out to pat Yang Ze. "Good son! Daddy loves you!"
Yang Ze's face flushed instantly, and he lunged into Zhou Shaojie's arms. "Aruba him!"
Everyone was bored, so at Yang Ze's call, they immediately grabbed hold of Zhou Shaojie.
"The front door! To the front door!"
Yang Ze announced, "Let's find him a new boyfriend!"
"YEAH!!"
The crowd swarmed Zhou Shaojie, carrying him toward the front door of the classroom.
Zhou Shaojie looked back toward the classroom's back door and shrieked dramatically, "No! My beloved consort! My dearest consort! Don't separate me from my beloved consort!"
Shen Yuan watched this scene, his mouth twitching.
'Ah Jie seems to be enjoying this a little too much.'
"You look a little envious."
Shen Yuan turned to Li Zhi. "You're slandering me. I'm going to get depressed."
Li Zhi rolled her eyes and went back to her homework.
...
"I have to ask, do you really like eating tofu that much?"
Li Zhi looked at the few slices of tofu stuffed in Shen Yuan's cup, not quite understanding.
"Tofu soaks up the broth. That feeling when you bite into it and the juice just bursts out is the best."
Shen Yuan picked up a slice of tofu and took a bite.
Instantly, broth gushed from the tofu, and a sense of satisfaction spread across his taste buds.
Of course, the key was the broth. A good oden soup base was crucial for enhancing the tofu slices.
Adjusting the saltiness and spiciness of the broth just a little, one bite was pure comfort.
"Want to try some?"
Looking at the cup Shen Yuan offered, Li Zhi shook her head and chose to eat her own fish balls instead.
"If I eat it, you'll just say I'm 'eating your tofu'."
"Hey!"
Shen Yuan pointed at her like a dramatic husky, but his expression suddenly changed again.
"You read people so well."
"Pervert!"
By the time they finished their late-night snack, the two had arrived downstairs at their apartment building.
"Are you still going to see Naonao today?"
Li Zhi shook her head and warned, "The weekly test is in the next day or two. You should hurry up and study."
Shen Yuan nodded. "Got it."
After getting home, Shen Yuan walked into his room and was hit by the smell of cat poop.
"You little brat! You pooped outside the litter box again, didn't you!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a white figure shot out of the room with a WHOOSH.
San Geng glanced at Shen Yuan from the doorway. Man and cat locked eyes for a moment before San Geng turned and bolted for the living room without a second look.
Shen Yuan felt insulted.
'Forget it. I chose this life. I chose this cat.'
While Shen Yuan was scooping poop, Li Zhi was in the bathroom taking a shower.
"WHIRRR—"
The sound of a hairdryer came from the bathroom.
After drying her hair, the girl walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
Li Zhi didn't get dressed right away. Instead, she habitually picked up her phone to check for messages.
Unsurprisingly, Shen Yuan had sent another message.
This time, however, it wasn't about the cat, but about the weekly test.
Shen Yuan: "Hey, do you think I can get a total score of 620 on the weekly test?"
Li Zhi quickly replied.
"DING!"
When Shen Yuan heard the notification, for a second he thought the System was giving him a mission.
He glanced at his phone and saw Li Zhi's message.
Li Zhi: "We'll see on the monthly exam."
Clearly, Li Zhi didn't think the weekly test was worth anything.
Shen Yuan: "Fine, then the monthly exam. Guess if I can get 620."
Li Zhi: "You can't."
Seeing Li Zhi's message, all Shen Yuan could think was, 'That's so you.'
Such a heart-stabbing childhood friend.
Quickly, Shen Yuan typed out a reply.
Shen Yuan: "Wanna bet? Let's bet on whether I can get 620 on the monthly exam."
The message had just been sent when Shen Yuan saw a video call request from Li Zhi pop up.
Shen Yuan answered the call and was greeted by a screen full of Li Zhi's face.
"Why's your face so big?"
Li Zhi's delicate eyebrows knitted together. "I just got out of the shower. Dammit, never mind that. What's the bet!"
Shen Yuan was about to speak when Li Zhi pointed at him like a dramatic husky. "Let me tell you something. Nothing that goes against public order and good morals, and nothing that goes against a woman's will."
Shen Yuan immediately swallowed the words he was about to say. "Then I have nothing to bet."
"Pervert!"
Suddenly, inspiration struck Shen Yuan. "How about this: if I score 620, you have to grant me one request."
Before Li Zhi could speak, Shen Yuan quickly added, "Nothing that goes against public order and good morals, and nothing that goes against a woman's will."
"Deal!"
Li Zhi agreed in a heartbeat. "But if your score drops on any monthly exam after that, you're dead."