By the end of the painting session, Xiang Yu was completely confused. Seeing Gu Chen go to the restroom, she habitually got up and followed him. Only when she reached the restroom door did she realize something was wrong. Not wanting to be a fool and walk to the door only to turn back to the classroom, she gritted her teeth and followed him in, choosing a stall. She waited a while before flushing her hands and coming out.
When he came out, Erque was still waiting for him at the door.
Gu Chen laughed and said, "Let's go, deskmate."
The two of them were always together, and the girls in Class 2 of the Literature Department were practically spitting fire in their eyes. The number of posts on the Baidu Tieba forum about them as a couple was growing exponentially.
Xiang Yu himself knew nothing about any of this.
On Friday, during the last period, the whole school held a unified class meeting. The dean walked onto the podium with a teacup in hand amidst the noise of Class 2.
The room fell silent instantly, in perfect unison.
The dean took a sip of tea to clear his throat and said, "I have some news to announce. The monthly exam, originally scheduled for after the National Day holiday, has been moved up to next Friday or Saturday. We'll have National Day holiday right after the exam, so don't go out and play this weekend. Study hard. This is the first major battle after the class reshuffle, so everyone needs to take it seriously!"
Less than three seconds after the message was posted, Class 2 of Literature was in an uproar.
"Damn it, I was planning to travel with my parents during the National Day holiday, but now that's ruined." Wang Zehao slumped on the table, pouting. "How can I be in the mood for travel after all this exams?"
"Can't you just focus on your studies and try to improve?" Yang Shuhuan sighed. "It's just a trip. I was planning to use studying during the National Day holiday as an excuse to refuse my aunt's offer to send her two unruly kids over, but now that's all over."
Wang Zehao continued to slump over: "They're just naughty kids, nothing is more terrifying than exams."
Yang Shuhuan glanced at him and said indifferently, "If you're not in the mood for traveling after your exams, come to my house and help take care of the kids?"
"Damn, I'm instantly motivated to study!" Wang Zehao suddenly sat up and shouted to the person in front of him, "Brother Chen, help me study this weekend!"
Gu Chen was making a weekend schedule when he heard this and turned around, saying, "I'm not studying this weekend, I'm going to the orphanage."
"Sigh, top students really have a strong foundation," Wang Zehao said. "By the way, Brother Chen, didn't you just visit the orphanage during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday?"
“Luo and his sister didn’t go that trip, right? Last night, Luo’s sister contacted me and said she ordered a truckload of winter clothes and wanted to deliver them this weekend, and asked me to go with her.”
"Wow, so generous! My kind-hearted Sister Xu!" Wang Zehao slumped down again, as if deflated. "Then who am I supposed to study with?" he said, his eyes drifting to Xiang Yu in front of him.
Whenever he has free time, he starts working on practice problems, though I don’t know which subject he’s working on right now.
Wang Zehao felt that there was little hope of finding Xiang Yu. During this time, he had figured out the school bully thoroughly. Among the entire class, only his brother Chen could have a few words with the school bully.
"Sigh." Wang Zehao had no hope, but he still gave it a try.
While doing his homework, Xiang Yu mentally discussed his self-criticism with the system.
He has a disciplinary record, and he has to read a self-criticism under the national flag next Monday to have it removed. As a socially anxious person, he is completely unable to do this. Fortunately, there is a system in place.
This wasn't the first time he'd written a self-criticism; he had to submit a certain amount of moral points, and the system would set a screen for him.
The system screen setting means putting him into a simulated scene. The effect is realistic, highly deceptive, and very reassuring. No matter where he reads, the information he receives in his mind is that he is in a bedroom with no one around. He just needs to read the script.
In these extraordinary times, it's thanks to the system's help that he's been able to avoid his social anxiety being exposed long ago.
System: You currently have 65 morality points remaining. I need to deduct 5 more morality points before I can pass, otherwise you'll face a lot of trouble.
I inexplicably gained 5 points in morality index by helping Gu Chen apply medicine these past two days, and even this idiot seems more pleasing to the eye now.
-Xiangyu: Okay.
-System: Aren't you supposed to go to the orphanage with 80 points? If you go with him, you can gain a lot of morality points in one trip.
"80 points" is the system's affectionate nickname for Gu Chen, because Gu Chen's morality index is as high as 80.
-Xiangyu: Not good at dealing with too many children.
System: So, what about entrapment?
-Xiangyu: ...Can I help someone else with their studies?
System: Sure, but that's not in line with your style, War God White Tiger.
Xiang Yu didn't know what he was thinking, but he figured it was probably because of the constant nagging about love and peace from that idiot in his ear these past few days.
That's outrageous.
Xiang Yu was internally complaining when he heard Wang Zehao behind him say, "Brother Yu, would you be willing to take some of your precious time to help your poor classmate behind you with his studies?" He wasn't really paying attention when he said this, because he didn't expect the other person to agree.
"Um."
Xiang Yu responded with a soft "yes".
[Author's Note: Xiang Yu: I've changed; I've been assimilated.]
Chapter Fifteen: Xiang Yu didn't check the almanac before going out today.
Chapter Fifteen: A Mistake: I Didn't Check the Almanac Before Going Out Today
This wasn't the first time Xiang Yu had tutored someone. In City B, the elderly folks in the neighborhood knew he was a good student, and they took turns sending their grandchildren to his house.
Most of them are elementary or middle school students. They're stuck at this age; they're both incredibly mischievous, and while they're certainly naughty, they're all sweet-talking and always manage to make Grandma Hou happy.
At first, seeing that the old lady was happy, he gritted his teeth and taught her for a few days, but later he really didn't dare to teach anymore.
The reason was a junior high school girl. That day, she came to him for math tutoring without a backpack, carrying several books instead. She tripped as she entered the room, but didn't fall, though the books in her arms fell to the ground.
Xiang Yu helped her pick up the book closest to her, and accidentally saw seven large gilded characters on the pink cover.
My Tutor Fell in Love with Me
Grass.
Xiang Yu was so frightened that his hand trembled and he almost tore the book apart. He didn't recover for several days. When Grandma Hou saw that he was listless, she thought that tutoring others was too much trouble, so she told her old friends to cancel the tutoring sessions.
They all agreed.
Long live understanding! What grandparent doesn't love their grandchild?
The early morning bus was less crowded, and it was the weekend. In the spacious and bright carriage, the first few rows, apart from the driver, were occupied by a few elderly women heading to the early market. My sisters and I would meet on this bus every morning, chatting and laughing familiarly with each other. Xiang Yu, wearing a mask, sat alone in the back row, feeling the bumps of the bus, completely out of place in this scene.
Last night, he contacted Wang Zehao via WeChat to discuss studying. He intended to suggest online voice tutoring, but he was a step too slow in typing and the other party sent his home location first.
So, Xiangyu couldn't be so tactless as to suggest online tutoring again, and the two of them set the time for 9 a.m. on a weekend.
Despite the agreed-upon time, Xiang Yu left home on the first bus of the morning. The bus ride was a 20-minute drive, and although the two houses were far apart, it wasn't necessary to leave so early. Xiang Yu mainly wanted to leave when there were fewer people around.
There were few cars on the road at this time, so the bus didn't speed up and continued to travel at its usual speed. Looking out the window at the street, most shops were not yet open. People doing their morning exercise were jogging slowly on the sidewalk, and sanitation workers had just finished their work and were sitting on chairs by the roadside chatting. The scene was warm and cozy, and it felt like time inside the bus had slowed down.
The scenery changed along the way, and the greenery along the border became better and better. Opening the window in the corner for ventilation, the air here was completely fresher than where we had just been.
Completely different?
Xiang Yu suddenly stood up and looked over to find that the old ladies who went to the early market had all gotten off the bus, leaving only the driver in the front seat.
He missed his stop.
Wang Zehao's residential community is a decent mid-to-high-end community in X city. Each resident has an access card, and the security is good.
That's a good way to keep the disappointment out.
Xiang Yu, carrying his bag, stood in contemplation facing the closed electronic door. His moral compass should be more than adequate, so why was everything going wrong this morning?
First, he sat in a corner of the bus, which made the driver mistakenly think that there was no one on the bus. So he drove smoothly without having to press the electronic announcement button, and successfully missed his stop.
After finally getting off at the correct stop, I arrived at my residential compound but wasn't informed beforehand that there was a gate access control system that required me to swipe my card to enter.
In normal circumstances, the security guard could help, but he probably felt the access control was too secure, and at that moment, the security guard was taking a nap in the security room.
Wang Zehao didn't reply to messages or answer calls. He kept his promise but couldn't wake the security guard, so he could only stand at the door and wait.
Waiting for a kind person.
Whether you go in or come out, as long as the door can be opened, that's fine.
"Classmate?" Gu Chen had arranged to go to the orphanage with the Xu siblings this morning, but realized he had forgotten something and had to come back. The driver was waiting for him by the roadside at the entrance of the residential area. Gu Chen apologized, got out of the car, and jogged. He recognized the back of the person in front of the electronic gate from afar, and took a closer look.
"It really is." Gu Chen smiled at Xiang Yu, who had turned around, and said, "What are you doing standing here? Didn't you agree to study with Haozi?"
Gu Chen was wearing a sky-blue T-shirt, which looked particularly bright in the morning sunlight.
Xiang Yu found him particularly pleasing to the eye at that moment. Remembering that Gu Chen had mentioned he lived across the hall from Wang Zehao, she made a request:
"Please swipe your card, I can't get in."
“No problem.” Gu Chen was happy to help his deskmate. He took out his access card and taped it on the sensor, and the electronic door slowly opened.
The two entered the residential area together, saving Xiang Yu the trouble of looking through the chat history. She followed Gu Chen all the way to Building 8 in Zone C and took the elevator to the twelfth floor.
There were only two households on each floor. After getting off the elevator, Gu Chen led his classmate toward the western household, ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door.
There was no response from inside the door.
"Wait a moment." Gu Chen patted Xiang Yu on the shoulder to comfort him, then took out his phone and made a call.
"No response, probably asleep."
"Yes, my deskmate and I are waiting at the door."
"Okay, as soon as possible."
Xiang Yu didn't know who he was calling. After hanging up, Gu Chen grinned and said, "Don't worry, Huanhuan will be here soon."
Gu Chen, Wang Zehao, and Yang Shuhuan grew up together, forming an inseparable trio. Gu Chen and Wang Zehao lived on the twelfth floor, while Yang Shuhuan lived downstairs from Wang Zehao. Their apartments were roughly the same size. Yang Shuhuan could even tell what time Wang Zehao got up at night just by listening to the noises on the floor upstairs if he slept late. Both families were business people, and the two kids often visited each other for meals. They were so close that they even exchanged spare keys.
"Good morning, Brother Chen, Brother Yu." Yang Shuhuan looked at him as he climbed upstairs, wearing a T-shirt and pajama pants, his hair a mess.
He pulled his keys out of his pajama pocket, opened the door, and said, "This guy knew he had a study session with someone this morning but stayed up all night playing games. He's probably still asleep." Yang Shuhuan yawned as he said this.
Gu Chen laughed and said, "You know it quite well. You two must have cooked it together."
"Uh." Yang Shuhuan rubbed his messy hair, a little embarrassed.
The door opened, but Gu Chen didn't go in. He said he had something to do and went to the apartment across the hall.
Yang Shuhuan walked through Wang Zehao's living room toward the bedroom, and the two followed her, but Xiang Yu stopped at the bedroom door and did not go in.
Immediately afterwards, a scream like a pig being slaughtered came from the bedroom.
"Holy crap! Huanhuan, how dare you trespass into my bedchamber!"
"Don't you even know what time it is? Do you even remember what you were studying for?"
"Let me see... 9:30, damn it, it's already this late?!" Wang Zehao sat up abruptly. "Where's my alarm for 8 o'clock?"
"How would I know?" Yang Shuhuan released his grip on his ear in an annoyed tone. He had also stayed up late last night and was woken up by a phone call from Brother Chen this morning, so he was still sleepy. "You can tell Brother Yu yourself. I'm going back to catch up on my sleep."
After saying that, he left the bedroom, leaving Wang Zehao alone, awkwardly smiling at Xiang Yu standing at the bedroom door.
"Excuse me, Brother Yu, please go sit in the living room first, I'll get ready right away!"