Chapter 31

The marathon race was over. Lin ChuSui had given up halfway and failed to get a ranking.

But Xiao Yan drove her to complete the remaining half of the course, crossing the finish line in heavy rain.

The meaning of running isn't about the finish line or the act of running itself, but about the scenery along the way and the person who accompanies you to see the scenery.

Last time, that person was Dad. But now...

Looking at the boy's sturdy back like a mountain, sitting in the back seat of the car, Lin ChuSui suddenly felt a ray of light spill down. Her surroundings were gloomy, but her body was finally illuminated, illuminated by a ray of light she wanted to grasp.

For a long time, the P.E. teacher lamented Lin ChuSui's failure in the marathon. But there was no way around it - when a girl gets her period, it's perfectly normal.

"But are you really going to quit the athletic program?"

Lin ChuSui didn't actually like sports to begin with. The past two years, she had only used it as an excuse to avoid studying hard.

As an athletic student, at least the teachers wouldn't demand too much academically.

Quitting the school team and devoting all her energy to studying wasn't a bad idea.

"Teacher, if there are any competitions in the future, call me anytime. I will give it my all."

"Alright, alright. I can't mess with you senior three students. Go back and study hard, aim to get into a good university."

Get into a good university, huh.

In class, Lin ChuSui rested her chin in hand, twirling a pen rapidly as she looked at the boy beside her.

Xiao Yan wore a clean blue and white school uniform, revealing a section of his flawless neck.

He was listening to the lesson, occasionally jotting down notes in his notebook.

His handwriting was neat and elegant. Each stroke was vigorous and graceful, just like him.

She moved closer to him and asked in a low voice, "Study god, what university and major do you want to apply for?"

Xiao Yan: "North City University of Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence."

Lin ChuSui nodded.

North City University of Science and Technology wasn't one of the top comprehensive national universities, but it was the holy land that science students across the country aspired towards, because of its strong specialized focus. Its strength was in no way inferior to the No. 1 ranked schools.

"Artificial Intelligence sounds very complicated. Why do you want to study this?"

"Because I'm smart."

Lin ChuSui looked at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan's clear eyes also looked straight at her, very calm.

Lin ChuSui's mouth curled up. She gave him a big thumbs up.

You go.

Just then, Xu Jia Ning behind Xiao Yan secretly passed him a small note.

Xiao Yan took the note, glanced at it, then looked back at Xu Jia Ning.

Xu Jia Ning had his arms crossed, chin raised arrogantly.

Xiao Yan twisted open his pen and responded to him for the first time, without even turning his head. He tossed the note back onto Xu's desk.

Seeing the note, Xu Jia Ning's arrogance instantly deflated. Furious, he wrote another sentence and crumpled the paper into a ball to throw at Xiao Yan.

Lin ChuSui watched with her own eyes as the note flew in an arc under the teacher's nose.

Could this be the arrogance that comes from being the first and second in the grade?

Lin ChuSui moved closer to see the passionate exchange between them -

"Xiao Yan, I'm officially declaring war on you. Let's decide who's better once and for all in the midterm exam."

"100 yuan per point."

"What 100 per point?"

"100 yuan per point. I'll let you take first place."

"..."

Xu Jia Ning: "How can you use grades for business deals?!"

Xiao Yan: "Everything can be a business deal."

Xu Jia Ning: "I don't need you to let me win. I will defeat you with my ability."

Xiao Yan: "Heh."

Lin ChuSui: ...

Over this trivial matter, they had passed notes back and forth for half the class. How boring!

Finally, even the usually laidback English teacher couldn't stand watching anymore.

Sure enough, it was foolish of two top students to think she wouldn't notice them passing notes right under her nose for half the class!

"Xu Jia Ning, Xiao Yan, what are you two passing? Let me see."

Just as Xiao Yan was about to open the paper ball, he paused upon hearing this. This was the first time he had been called out by name in class for something other than praise. He was about to hand over the note.

In a flash, Lin ChuSui snatched the paper ball from his hand like an eagle swooping down on prey. She stuffed it straight into her mouth, chewed it messily for a bit, then swallowed it down with the jujube and Chinese wolfberry water on her desk.

Behind her, Xu Jia Ning muttered: "Holy crap."

The English teacher wasn't actually that angry at first. She was just very curious what the two top students had written in their note. But Lin ChuSui's sudden action made her furious -

"Lin ChuSui, spit it out!"

"Can't... spit it out anymore." Lin ChuSui drank a few more gulps of the jujube water, completely swallowing the paper ball.

"You... After class, go to your class advisor's office, all three of you!"

...

The English teacher turned and tapped her shoes on the blackboard. Xiao Yan said to Lin ChuSui in a low voice, "There was no need to go that far. The teacher won't do anything to me."

Of course Lin ChuSui knew that with the halo of being the top student in the grade, unless he committed murder or arson, anything else could easily be minimized or written off.

"You're a good student, so don't leave a bad impression on the teacher. What will you do about the end-of-term recommendation for outstanding students if you talk about exchanging grades for money in class?"

"There's no monetary award for outstanding student recommendations. I couldn't care less."

"But that's still an honor."

"Can honor be eaten?"

"You've really fallen into the trap of money."

Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. Yes, he had fallen into the money trap.

Only carefree students from well-off families would care about honor. He had always been practical, extremely realistic, almost despicable.

Seeing her water cup nearly empty, Xiao Yan poured some water from his own thermos into her cup. "You actually managed to swallow such a big paper ball."

His tone carried a hint of reproach.

"I can swallow anything." Suddenly in a good mood, Lin ChuSui smiled, her gaze falling on the hand he used to pour water.

Truly fair as snow, slender and cool. It made people instinctively want to defile him.

She drank all the water Xiao Yan had poured for her in one gulp. "Study god, I want more."

Xiao Yan simply gave her all the water left in his own cup.

"Study god, I still want more." "Study god has no more."

"Don't care, I still want more."

"Then wait a bit."

Lu Tian glanced back at them meaningfully, a hint of horror in her eyes, not knowing what kind of filthy thoughts were in her mind again.

...

After class, the three of them stood in a row against the office wall and repeated the contents of the note in front of the class advisor.

Xu Jia Ning: "Xiao Yan, I'm officially declaring war on you. Let's decide who's better once and for all in the midterm exam."

Xiao Yan: "I accept your challenge."

Xu Jia Ning: "Come on then, let's go over test papers from Huanggang after school!"

Xiao Yan: "I accept your challenge."

Xu Jia Ning: "Whoever loses is a dog!"

Xiao Yan: "I accept your challenge."

Xu Jia Ning: "Don't you have any other lines?!"

Xiao Yan: "I..."

...

"Shut up," class advisor Old Qin cut them off. "That's it?"

Lin ChuSui nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes! I witnessed the whole thing. That was it! How boring, right? You'll never know what top students are thinking. All that just to pass some notes for half a class."

Old Qin rolled up his teaching plan book and whacked her on the head. "You're the dead last in the grade. Why are you poking your nose into the showdown between the first and second place?"

Lin ChuSui: "I just... wanted to poke my nose in for fun."

Old Qin: "While they can casually score high on exams even when passing notes in class, how high can you score when poking your nose into things? Go back and write a self-reflection to turn in!"

Lin ChuSui: ?

"Why me? They were the ones passing notes!"

"When you can score even a fraction of what they get, then you can be exempt from writing self-reflections. Until then..."

"I..."

Ridiculous.

In the end, the two good students who had passed notes in class got off scot-free.

The only one who got chewed out by Old Qin and left the office crestfallen was Lin ChuSui.

Lin ChuSui learned her lesson this time. She finally understood that it was best not to meddle randomly in battles between gods.

While they emerged unscathed, she was the bystander who got seriously hurt.

After school, Lin ChuSui sprawled on her desk scratching her head over the self-reflection.

Xiao Yan casually said, "When you're done, check it for typos." "There are no typos!"

"Let me check. If I find any, I'll treat you to eat it."

"..."

At this time, An Xian, the class monitor of Class 3, came to find Xiao Yan: “Xiao Yan, I heard you offer tutoring services here. I feel like I’ve hit a bottleneck with my grades recently and want to break through. Could you please tutor me?”

Lin ChuSui sized up An Xian. The girl had straight bangs across her forehead. Her eyes were big and round, bright and clear, very well-behaved and charming.

Before Xiao Yan could respond, Lin ChuSui lazily said, “You can get tutored by the study god, but it’ll cost you.”

An Xian nodded obediently: “I know the rates. Study God, let me add you on WeChat and I’ll transfer you the money.”

Lin ChuSui: “...”

There really are suckers around here!

She added, “If your total score is below 400, the study god will charge extra for basic tutoring.”

An Xian: “It’s not that bad. My total score is 645.”

Lin ChuSui: “...”

Girl, with your scores, you’re coming to him for tutoring?

An Xian looked at Xiao Yan hopefully: “I heard Xiao Yan’s English score improved a lot in a short time. I hope Xiao Yan can teach me the methods. I don’t care about the hourly rate. Knowledge and learning methods...cannot be measured in money!”

Lin ChuSui quickly said, “If you want to study English, let me recommend Xu Jia Ning to you! Xu Jia Ning grew up in the UK, so he has...authentic London accent.”

An Xian: “No need, Xu Jia Ning’s English is great, but...probably not suitable for exams.”

Lin ChuSui: “An Xian, you need to think long-term!”

Xiao Yan lazily glanced at Lin ChuSui, interrupting her: “So how much kickback is Xu Jia Ning giving you to poach his business?”

Lin ChuSui deflated and shut up. She didn't know what had gotten into her either.

Xiao Yan had been offering these tutoring services all along. The vast majority of students seeking his lessons were girls, nothing unusual about that.

She sulked for a while, chewing her gum angrily as if trying to grind it into powder. Then she irritably gathered her books and stomped to the track field with an arrogant aura.

After playing basketball with Lu Chi and the others for a while, Lin ChuSui had burned off a lot of energy. From time to time, she glanced up at the pavilion where An Xian and Xiao Yan were tutoring English.

An Xian had an obedient gaze, looking at him with undisguised admiration.

Xiao Yan tutored her earnestly. The two of them chatted away in English. She couldn't understand any of it.

Lu Chi walked over dribbling a basketball, following Lin ChuSui’s gaze: “Yo, Study God has another client?”

Lin ChuSui chewed her gum, grinding her teeth: “Yeah, I secured this deal for him!”

“So why do you keep watching them instead of playing?”

Lin ChuSui said, “Don’t you think it’s unprincipled for Xiao Yan to tutor anyone who pays him?”

Lu Chi smiled: “You’re the only one who gets free one-on-one tutoring from the Study God. Think about how much you’ve saved in lesson fees since the start of school. Still not satisfied?”

“That’s because I’m his deskmate.”

“I’m of the same sex as him and we’ve peed together, but I don't see him tutoring me for free.”

“That's different. I'm his goddess.”

Lu Chi glanced at Lin ChuSui and sighed admiringly: “Xiao's choice of goddess is unique and bizarre. If it were me, I would definitely choose An Xian. She's pretty, nice, decent grades, busty, tutoring her would be amazing!”

Lin ChuSui kicked him onto the court: “Pervert, go play your ball and stop yapping.”

...

An hour later, An Xian left hugging her books, a disappointed look on her face.

Xiao Yan casually shouldered his bag and headed to the bike shed, then walked to the edge of the field with his bike.

Lin ChuSui threw the basketball at his feet: “Ball.”

Xiao Yan stopped his bike, picked up the ball, and made a smooth three-step layup that swished in beautifully.

The girl's gaze followed his elegant movements as she blew a bubble that stuck to her lips.

Xiao Yan did not intend to play ball with them. He turned to leave.

As he walked past Lin ChuSui, he glanced at her.

The girl leaned casually against the hoop stand. Her slender figure had a few strands of hair stuck to her temples. Her cheeks were flushed from the exercise.

He looked away and reminded: “Remember to do your homework. Call me if you need help.”

Lin ChuSui called after him: “Hey, were you guys tutoring English earlier?”

“Yeah.”

“Anything besides going over questions?”

Xiao Yan recalled: “Oh, she casually confessed to me.”

Lin ChuSui: “...”

I knew it, these girls have ulterior motives coming for tutoring...

How many are here with pure intentions?

Lin ChuSui spun the ball on her finger, feigning nonchalance: “She confessed. What did you do?”

Xiao Yan: “I translated her confession into English, then had her recite and copy it down.”

Lin ChuSui: ?

What did you just say you did?