Chapter 8 - First place

Chapter 8-First placeTranslator-zyzy Editor-Aru

Unlike Lu Yue, Meng Ting didn’t have the money to stay in a hotel.

She only could choose to wake up early, the Mathematics Olympiad starts at 9, Meng Ting needed one hour and forty minutes to get to the venue, she woke up at 6.

Because it was the weekend, Shu Zhi Tong didn’t have to head to work, the whole house was quiet.

The sky wasn’t completely bright yet, Meng Ting got dressed and headed out, she saw a blurred silhouette, she froze in her steps, only realising that the person was her stepbrother, Shu Yang.

Shu Yang put down his cup, and looked towards Meng Ting, he then went back in his room, he didn’t care about where she was heading.

Shu Yang always treated her with this attitude, this made Meng Ting think that he really didn’t want to see her at all in her past life.

She smiled friendly at him, carried her backpack and headed out.

Meng Ting was going to travel by bus to get there, she reached around 8:20, only a few participants arrived. The staff that worked at the art centre, was surprised as they saw her: “Young lady, you’re here for the competition?” their gaze couldn’t help but fixate on her glasses.

Meng Ting replied with a yes.

They smiled: “It’s still quite early, the others are not here yet, you have to wait.” praising her secretly, came by so early, proves that she’s really taking this competition seriously.

Meng Ting waited at a corner and took her book out to read.

8:40, people started to arrive. They were all students because they were in the sophomore category, so the majority of them were 17 or 18 years old girls.

Everyone sat down in a spot to chat, suddenly the crowd bustled.

Meng Ting looked up and saw Jiang Ren.

It was November then, the sun behind the small fountain in the art centre slowly raised, under the sun a beautiful rainbow was formed.

Jiang Ren and his gang were riding on mountain bikes, he was wearing a tight black suit, his silver hair stood out from the crowd, the black diamond earring on his ear shined, a sports band on his wrist, he became the most dazzling person there. 

The people inside who participated in the competition were mostly students that had good grades, they’ve probably never seen gangsters like them.

They look like they were here to wreck the place, even the security guards didn’t let them in.

Jiang Ren hung his helmet on his bike and got down. He looked slightly arrogant: “What’s the matter, you won’t let us in?”

The guard could only reply: “There’s a competition going on in there.”

Inside the centre, people started to discuss. 

“They’re gangsters, right? What are they doing here?”

“Haha not here to compete that’s for sure.”

A guy with glasses softly said: “If he wants to act cool then drive a car, not a motorbike.”

That year motorbikes were already quite common, but for teenagers like them that were only a little over 10 years old, there were really not many people that could afford cars.

Another guy slightly speechless: “I guess you studied for too long, if you don’t know anything then don’t speak, his mountain bike is as expensive as a supercar.”

The guy in the glasses obviously didn’t believe him, but a few people who overheard the conversation looked over.

He Jun Ming didn’t expect a place like this to belittle them, he tusked and was going to scold the security guard, but Fang Tan pulled him back: “Stay low, don’t cause any trouble today, don’t provoke Boss Ren.” He Jun Ming backed off.

Jiang Ren lit a cigarette and said: “I’m here to look for a friend, she’s one of the participants.”

The security guard said: “Who’s your friend?”

Jiang Ren’s gaze looked through the glass window and landed on Meng Ting

She sat in a corner and was the nearest to him.

It was his first time seeing Meng Ting, not in Seven High’s school uniform.

The weather that day was a bit chilly, so she wore a light yellow sweater, there was a baby rose on her collar, slightly bent, with leaves enveloping its branches. It looked delicate and mild.

She noticed that he was looking at her, froze for a while, she looked like she was terrified to get involved with him, and hurriedly turned her head the other way.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

God damn it.

The security guard saw as Jiang Ren didn’t speak, the chances of letting them in was even slimmer.

Family members and close friends can actually enter, but Jiang Ren and his gang, smoking, coloured hair, one look and you’ll know they’re bad kids.

Lu Yue pushed through the crowd and ran out, she told the guard: “Uncle, they’re my friends, can you let them in?”

He Jun Ming smiled brightly: “Lu Yue, we’ve come to cheer you on.”

Lu Yue couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Ren, her heart overflowing with happiness.

Jiang Ren frowned, he didn’t speak.

The guard hesitated, Lu Yue said: “I’ve been the past few years’ champion, my friends can’t come in to cheer me on?” 

Her tone sounded slightly proud,

The guards discussed amongst themselves, and at the end nodded in agreement, they turned back to Jiang Ren and his friends and said: “You guys can go in, but switch off your phones, no smoking, and be quiet.” 

He Jun Ming slightly speechless, are they going to jail?

The competition would run for a few hours, and they wouldn’t understand a thing.

He wanted to suggest, to not go in, that they’ll wait outside for Boss Ren.

But Jiang Ren stubbed his cigarette in the fountain, threw it in the bin, and walked in with his hands in his pockets.

He had a strong aura, one look and you’ll know he wasn’t a good person, the good students there made way for him to pass.

He Jun Ming: “Ah, we’re really going in.”

Fang Tan: “Jiang Ren is already inside.”

He Han couldn’t react to what was happening: “What’s so nice to watch?”

Although they said what they said, the few smoked, and followed him in.

He Jun Ming smirked: “The girls here all look pretty average.”

He Han laughed out loud: “Maybe it’s because their brains are too useful, so other aspects aren’t as useful.”

He Jun Ming couldn’t stop laughing.

In He Jun Ming’s knowledge, it’s pretty rare to find a smart and pretty student, this proves that Lu Yue is rather outstanding. 

The smell of cigarettes came from beside her, Meng Ting went blank for a second, and turned her head over to that direction.

Jiang Ren was sitting one leg over the other beside her.

The zipper on his jacket wasn’t pulled up, his hands in his pocket, it made him seem annoyingly arrogant.

Meng Ting was so close to him, that she felt uncomfortable.

Jiang Ren’s presence was so strong that a lot of people looked towards them. She could only pretend that she didn’t know him, and lowered her head once again.

She sat in front of the glass window, both knees slammed together, and her book sprawled over her legs, The sunlight that seeped in radiated a slight golden colour.

“Hey, good student, you’re not going to say hi to an old friend, so cold of you.”

He leaned very close to her, Meng Ting closed her book, and softly said after a while: “We’re not close.”

He couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Ren smirked: “Do you know my name?” Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Meng Ting bit down on her lips: “Jiang Ren.”

Her voice silky smooth, it was as smooth as fingertips going through spring water.

He zoned out for a moment, and smiled brightly: “En.”

Weirdly saying, it was like all his depressing emotions, suddenly disappeared effortlessly.

When He Jun Ming and the others came in and saw Meng Ting, they were surprised: “Blind girl…… Meng Ting, you’re taking part in the competition too.”

Meng Ting nodded.

Lu Yue followed in pursuit, her gaze also falling on Meng Ting. She didn’t know Meng Ting, as she looked at her eyes, her gaze brightened: “You’re the student from Seven High grade 7 right?”

Meng Ting saw as Lu Yue came to greet her, she replied: “Hello senior.”

Lu Yue said: “You can’t wear watches and sunglasses during the competition. Junior, it’s best if you take them off.”

Meng Ting shook her head: “Thank you, but my eyes aren’t doing well, these aren’t sunglasses. It’s……” Lu Yue’s eyes started to look more and more excited, Meng Ting calmly said, “They’re glasses for the blind to protect their sensitivity to light.”

Lu Yue saw as she wasn’t embarrassed, Jiang Ren beside her also didn’t feel that it was weird, he softly frowned.

At 9 sharp, the competition officially started.

The contestant all changed their seatings and shifted towards the tables in front of the centre. Family members gathered at the resting area to spectate.

Because it was the first open race ever held, a sketching easel was placed in front of every contestant.

The host said: “Everyone keeps quiet, cheating of any form is not allowed, once caught will be punished severely, the competition officially begins, you guys have a total of 150 minutes to answer, you may start now.”

~

Everything was still bearable at the start of the race, family members all focused on their own child.

But halfway through the race, He Jun Ming almost went crazy, he mocked: “Shit, this is even more tortuous than sitting in jail, I can’t stand this anymore.” He looked for his phone and was ready to use it.

Jiang Ren distractedly snatched his phone over: “ Stay still.”

“……”

He Jun Ming turned around: “Tan, He Han, let’s play finger-guessing games.”

Fang Tan said: “Crazy dude.”

He Han added on: “Not going to play.”

He Jun Ming felt as if his life was as dull as snow, he reluctantly turned his focus back to the competition.

Both were their friends, Lu Yue and Meng Ting sat far away from each other, you could only see their upright figures from behind. He suddenly got excited: “Who do you guys think will win?”

Fang Tan glanced at Jiang Ren, without saying a word.

“Let’s make a bet, the one who loses……” his eyeballs rolling, “Isn’t today thanksgiving? There are some foreigners outside selling some sort of vanilla ice cream, the one who loses the bet buys that for the girl who wins the competition.”

The bet was quite interesting.

Fang Tan said: “I think Lu Yue will win.”

He Han gave it some thought: “It’s not that I look down on Meng Ting, but I heard that this competition is pretty hard, Lu Yue said that she learned this for nearly 8 years, and she’s the champion for quite a few years, I also think that she’ll win this time.”

He Jun Ming twitched his lips: “Are you kidding me, everyone thinks Lu Yue will win, then what is there to bet? Tan, you bet on Meng Ting then.”

“Why don’t you bet on her yourself?”

He Jun Ming lastly looked over to Jiang Ren: “Boss Ren……who do you think will win?”

Jiang Ren’s gaze shifted to the pink ice cream outside the window, and lazily replied: “Anything.”

He Jun Ming could do nothing about it and was forced to bet on Meng Ting. He thought haih forget about it if I lose so be it, It’s just for fun anyways.

At half-past eleven, they submitted their papers.

There weren’t many people who successfully entered into finals, for the sophomore group only 55 students managed to get in, after 10 minutes, the results of the competition came out.

The host smiled: “Students, you all worked hard, after more than 2 hours of hard work, now the first to third place’s list are in my hands, are you all excited?”

The resting zone started to make noise, even if the participants were nervous within, they looked calm on the outside.

The host was done keeping everyone hanging, he opened the envelope in his hand, his gaze swept across everybody: “I now announce that this year’s Mathematical Olympiads’s second runner up is, Student Fang Di! 132 marks.”

One boy stood up, his eyes beamed with joy, he bowed and sat back down.

The host smiled and said: “How about the runner up.”

Meng Ting looked up.

“You guys should be familiar with her name, she has won a prize without fail every year, congratulations to student Lu Yue, 136 marks.”

Lu Yue looked towards him, surprised.

She got champion every year, but this time……why did she get second place. Her expression instantly changed, she stood up and hastily bowed, if she was second place, who’s first?