CH 32

Don’t draw apples on the homework.

Ji Guichen’s avatar was Tencent’s default penguin head. As soon as he saw it, Bai Zhi felt happy.

“Uncle, Ji Guichen uses the same profile picture as me.”

The system took a closer look, found that it really was the case, and said jokingly: “I didn’t expect that, in this era, there would be someone who’d use the built-in system avatar aside from people like you whose tastes are a few hundred years old.”

The system’s joke flew over Bai Zhi’s head. He directly opened Ji Guichen’s user profile and clicked on “Add friend.”

Ji Guichen didn’t show any signs of activity. Even after waiting for very long, Bai Zhi didn’t get any notifications.

He felt a bit lost, so he opened Ji Guichen’s feed and flipped through his posts one by one.

But Bai Zhi’s expectations were surpassed again. Ji Guichen had never posted any stories, nor had he written any daily entries or taken any photos. His entire feed was as clean as if it were a newly made account.

Bai Zhi didn’t understand it at all, and he left the feed, defeated.

“You’re out of luck.” The system sighed: “Turns out that Ji Guichen doesn’t use social media.”

“Then what should I do about my homework?” Bai Zhi asked.

“Homework! Are you the type of person to do homework!” The system shouted: “Go to bed and remember to get his phone number tomorrow.”

“…Uncle, didn’t you say that not doing my homework would make Ji Guichen mad?”

“You really believed that nonsense I said?” The system looked at Bai Zhi as if he were an idiot.

Hearing this, Bai Zhi understood that the system was ridiculing his IQ. The little demon was instantly angered. He twisted around and with his back facing the system’s robotic body, picked up his pen and started doing homework with great difficulty.

The system called him from behind for half a day but Bai Zhi ignored him. The system clicked its tongue and swaggered over to his desk, looking at him:

“Alright alright I was wrong. In the future I will be as straightforward as possible so as not to hurt your self-esteem, okay?”

“I’m not angry.” Bai Zhi lowered his head, his face full of anger.

The system was amused: “With the way you are, I can tell you’re angry with just one glance.” After a moment, it continued to say: “Sorry nephew. On account of my old age, don’t be angry anymore and go to bed, hm?”

“Not sleeping.” Bai Zhi shook his head stubbornly: “What am I supposed to do if Ji Guichen gets mad because I didn’t finish my homework?”

The system expression became complicated: “…That really was nonsense I made up. If I had known you’d react like this, I– I wouldn’t have used Ji Guichen to scare you.”

It was as if Bai Zhi didn’t hear the system’s words. He diligently read the questions, and the system accompanied him until early morning. When it couldn’t push forward any longer and entered sleep mode, Bai Zhi stood up, helped the system plug in its charger, and sat back down on his chair again.

It took Bai Zhi until the sky brightened to finish all his homework. He packed up and showered as if he were sleepwalking and walked to school facing the morning light.

At this time of day, the school didn’t have anyone inside. Bai Zhi yawned as he walked forward in a daze. Across the hallway, Ji Guichen was standing outside the window and reading. Wearing the blue-white jacket of the school uniform and a pair of very simple jeans, he was deeply focused on the book in his hand.

Bai Zhi had only just come to a stop in front of him when Ji Guichen looked his way and immediately closed his book, raising his head and revealing a small smile to him. He gestured lightly with his hand.

Bai Zhi looked towards where he gestured. At some point in time, huge sheets of red paper had been stuck onto both sides of the hallway. The names of many people were lined up densely on them.

Bai Zhi instantly stepped forward and saw with just a glance that Ji Guichen’s name was at the top. Somewhat happily, he continued to scan downwards. It was only when he got to the last name that he rubbed his head confusedly:

“Why am I not on there?”

Ji Guichen took a few steps and walked behind him. His tone was very light: “You want to enter?”

Bai Zhi nodded repeatedly.

Ji Guichen smiled: “Which position do you want?”

“The position next to you!” Bai Zhi reached out and pointed at the words “Ji Guichen” printed on the red paper.

Ji Guichen did not reply immediately. He calmly looked at that sheet of paper for a long time and then glanced at Bai Zhi’s face full of anticipation, saying slowly and clearly: “If you want, I can help you.”

Bai Zhi instantly smiled. He grabbed Ji Guichen’s book in one swipe and lowered his head, running into the classroom while laughing and not forgetting to shout:

“I’ll help carry your books! No need for thanks!”

Ji Guichen was not annoyed even after this degree of harassment. He turned around and slid his index finger up the paper, stopping it at the place Bai Zhi had just chosen.

“Sixth place in our grade.”

The Bai Zhi who was excitedly pulling out a chair for Ji Guichen to sit on was still unaware of what he had just done. The system quietly reminded him:

“That was the Hall of Fame.”

Bai Zhi: “En?”

“The position you chose was sixth place in our grade.”

Bai Zhi: “What?”

“Ji Guichen is a serious person.”

“So.” The system coughed a few times: “Nephew, I’m afraid you’re in trouble.”

Bai Zhi: “…”

Ji Guichen came in soon after. Bai Zhi was planning to explain to him what happened just now, but that person was a step ahead and said:

“Show me your homework.”

Bai Zhi held back his desire to talk. He blinked his eyes, lowered his head, and pulled out a stack of homework from his schoolbag exceedingly slowly:

“H–Here.”

Ji Guichen had already prepared himself mentally upon seeing how unconfident Bai Zhi was, but the second he saw Bai Zhi’s homework, he suddenly felt that he was too naive.

“This is what you wrote last night?”

Bai Zhi nodded vigorously: “This is what I wrote myself, I spent the whole night writing.”

“You…wrote with your left hand?” Ji Guichen managed to say after spending half a day thinking.

“Of course not.” Bai Zhi replied.

Ji Guichen sighed: “The issue with your handwriting is something we can slowly fix. But, Xie Siliu, are you literate?”

Bai Zhi nodded.

Ji Guichen immediately put down a sheet of paper in front of him: “Since you are literate, why did you draw an apple on your English homework?” He paused and then opened his mouth again: “An apple with a bite missing.”

“I looked it up in the dictionary, and it said this question wanted me to introduce myself.”

“What does this have to do with your drawing of an apple?” Ji Guichen was puzzled.

“This is what I like, it’s a spirit fruit. It’s my second favorite thing,” Bai Zhi said with a face full of pride.

Hearing this, Ji Guichen’s gaze trembled very slightly: “Second? Then what about your first?”

Bai Zhi turned around and stopped talking.

Ji Guichen’s brows furrowed slightly and he tore off a piece of paper and wrote down a string of numbers: “Having hobbies is a good thing, as long as you don’t let early love delay your studies.”

Saying this, he handed the paper in his hand to Bai Zhi: “My phone number. Next time you don’t know what to write, find me. No scribbling or drawing allowed, otherwise there will be punishment.”

“What punishment?”

Ji Guichen smiled briefly, suddenly leaned over to Bai Zhi’s neck, and deliberately lowered his voice:

“Do you want to know?”