Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Qiao Shao: “?”

He had no idea why Lou Xiao cussed out He Shen.

But it didn’t matter, ribbing between friends was perfectly normal.

Lou Xiao didn’t know how to feel, and he couldn’t bear to look at Qiao Shao anymore.

This child’s going to be eaten for sure.

Lao He had said that he wasn’t a beast, but this…

This was worse than a beast.

There was no one left in the examination room. Qiao Shao gave He Shen another push. “You’re not going to eat lunch either?”

He Shen didn’t care either way but he was concerned about his little seatmate’s growth. He turned slightly. “Eat.”

Qiao Shao flicked his forehead. “Then hurry up.”

“En.” He Shen took his hand and put it on his arm.

In fact, Qiao Shao’s foot was already pretty much healed up, and walking on his own was not a problem. But He Shen has been lending his arm for support for half a month already and both of them had grown accustomed to it.

Lou Xiao, beside them, felt like a third wheel and left with a cigarette in hand.

There was no longer any need to remind or warn them of anything. Looking at their lovey-dovey manner, they were definitely mutually consenting parties.

During noon break He Shen went to 516 to catch up on a sleep.

Chen Su whispered to Qiao Shao, “How did you do in the morning exams?”

When he asked, Qiao Shao stiffened.

Chen Su noticed and said, “It’s okay, that’s done now. Don’t let it affect your performance on the English exam in the afternoon.”

“En,” Qiao Shao said vaguely, “It’s very good, they were all very common questions.”

At noon, Qiao Shao lay in bed for half an hour.

The familiar music kept coming into his ears, but he couldn’t completely relax.

When everyone was asleep, Qiao Shao touched his earphones…He hesitated for a full minute, and in the end, he still couldn’t bring himself to take them off.Qiao Shao breathed a sigh and closed his eyes.

The English exam was that afternoon. This was Qiao Shao’s best subject. Even if he was behind by half a year, it wouldn’t affect his performance on this subject.

When the listening portion came, he filled in the answer easily, and was confident that he wouldn’t go wrong.

Because he had energy to spare, while the audio was still being played, he hurriedly did the next few questions.

Once the listening portion was over and everything was calm and quiet. Qiao Shao could only do his best to hold his pen tightly so that his hands wouldn’t shake.

General Science was scheduled during the evening.

After all the exams, the students were free to leave. They could go home and spend Saturday and Sunday playing to their heart’s content.

The test-takers in the sixteenth examination room were very relaxed. In any case, they were just going to get nine and a half questions out of ten wrong. Better to just think about what they’d do during the weekend.

The teacher who had been supervising the whole day was also a bit tired and it took a bit of effort to silence the whisperings in the room.

The teacher was furious and stood up and admonished them sharply.

The students stopped for a while, but soon made the whispers started up again.

The teacher looked helplessly at this group of students. Their minds were all on the weekend already and she couldn’t control the class anymore. She decided to step down from the podium and walk around the classroom.

“Behave yourselves!” From time to time, she would knock on a student’s desk.

The students all quieted down. Only the clacking of the teacher’s heels could be heard in the entire room.

The proctor didn’t wear high heels, but the heels of her leather shoes were a bit pointed and the sound it made as it hit against the hard floor was very clear.

This is a huge deterrent to the students and they didn’t dare act rashly.

To Qiao Shao, though, it was a life-saver.

He had blanked out before but now he could finally remember some things.

He decided to make the best use of his time. He gave up on the physics questions, and quickly filled out more familiar questions in biology and chemistry…

When the bell rang, the proctor’s legs were nearly cramped from patrolling around, “Okay, Okay, time’s up. Hurry and hand in your papers. You’ve already answered everything that you could. Don’t force it anymore. Just make sure to listen in class next time and do your best at the end of term exams.”

The papers were handed in and Qiao Shao’s heart was completely empty.

He Shen turned to look at him. “The exam’s finished. Don’t think about it anymore.”

Qiao Shao looked back and glared at him. “Sorry, I’m not as unshakable as you are.”

He Shen noticed that he was a little down, and deliberately teased him. “This is what’s called self-confidence.”

Qiao Shao had a smile in his eyes, and said to him, “I think you mean arrogance.”

“En, ‘to-may-to’ ‘to-mah-to’,” He Shen saw that he had regained his spirit, and asked, “You’re going home this weekend?”

Qiao Shao didn’t want to go home, but he if he didn’t go home again, he was afraid his dad would kill his way through just to drag him home.

Things would turn ugly by then.

“If not,” Qiao Shao said, “should I still freeload off you for food and a place to sleep?”

“You won’t just be getting a place to sleep,” He Shen corrected him. “You’d also be getting the coax to sleep service.”

Qiao Shao remembered his lullaby and goosebumps rose on his skin. “No thanks, I might just get nightmares.”

He Shen thought of the child who pulled his clothes that night and refused to let go. He asked again, “Are you sure?”

Qiao Shao said firmly, “I’m sure. No, thank you!”

He Shen blinked. “This is a coax to sleep full range service, you know. You won’t reconsider?”

Qiao Shao didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh, but he now felt more relaxed. He said, “If you were a girl, I might reconsider.”

He Shen pretended to be scandalized. “My, Qiao Shao tongxue, just what are you thinking?”

Qiao Shao, who had the tables turned on him, blushed a little: “…”

He hadn’t managed to say anything back when He Shen suddenly approached him. His deep voice whispered to his ear. “Won’t I do?”

Qiao Shao’s heart missed half a beat.

He pushed him away and didn’t dare face him. “Okay, I’m go back to the dormitory to pack. I’ll see you on Monday.”

He Shen didn’t force him. “En, see you on Monday.”

Qiao Shao came out of the examination room and calmed down after feeling the cold wind blowing.

What the hell!

Qiao Shao pressed down against his chest. It kind of felt like this heart was jumping about.

Bzzzt……

His phone vibrated.

Qiao Shao took it out, it was a WeChat message.

Without Friday: “Let me know when you get home, muah! (╯3╰).”

Qiao Shao: “…”

What ‘muah’!?

Qiao Shao walked a long way away before taking a taxi home.

When he got home and saw the brightly-lit house, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help rising.

Aunt Wu came out to greet him and took his hand, saying, “Oh, Xiao Shao, you’ve worked so hard for this half month! Have you gotten thinner? Are you tired? What are they feeding you at that school …”

Qiao Shao felt warm in his heart. He said, “I’m alright, I think I even got a bit fatter.”

“How is that possible!” Aunt Wu knew his situation too well. “Come now, let’s get in the house. I have soup that’s been boiling away for the whole day. Let’s get you a bowl of that first…”

Qiao Shao laughed and said, “I alredy had dinner …”

Entering the room, he saw that Yang Xiaolong, Qiao Ruan and Qiao Zongming were all there.

Qiao Shao said hilariously: “Grandpa, granddad, dad …”

There were all here. It was like they thought he’d been gone twenty years and finally came back after a bitter struggle, so the whole family was waiting to welcome him.

Yang Xiaolong took his hand and said, “You’re finally home. How’s school? They’re not mistreating you, are they?”

Grandpa kept firing question after question and Qiao Shao could barely get a word in.

Qiao Ruan didn’t say a word, but beside him, there was already a pile of gift boxes. This fashion industry godfather liked to show his love through concrete actions.

It took half an hour for Qiao Shao to reassure his grandpa and granddad.

Qiao Zongmin said, “I told you, you didn’t have to come. He’s all grown up now and he was just gone for two weeks. What did you think might happen to him?”

The moment he spoke, he was bombarded within an inch of his life.

Of course, Qiao Shao was very grateful to his dad. Comrade Da Qiao trying to redirect some of their firepower on to himself.

Later, Qiao Shao weighed himself and it turns out he gained a whole pound. This good news completely placated the two elderly people.

Grandpa and granddad were sent away and the father and son sat down and talked for a while.

Qiao Zongmin tried to sound him out. “Dr. Zhang will be free tomorrow. Would you like to go see him?”

Qiao Shao said, “No need, I’ve been fine recently.”

Qiao Zongmin gauged his manner and appearance and said, “If you don’t think it’s necessary, then that’s fine.”

Qiao Shao was relieved, “En.”

Qiao Zongmin asked again, “I heard that today was the monthly exam?”

Qiao Shao looked up at him and said miserably, “If I fail the exam, will you make me stop studying in East High?”

Qiao Zongmin froze.

Qiao Shao looked at him anxiously. “Dad, give me a second chance. I just got there. I haven’t had time to adjust yet. It only makes sense that I don’t get a good score …”

Qiao Zongmin smiled. He patted his son’s head and said, “As long as you want to do it, Dad will do everything to support you.”

Qiao Shao reminded him, “Even if my scores are really bad?”

Qiao Zongmin said, “It doesn’t matter even if you came in last.”

Qiao Shao drooped. “I feel like you’re jinxing me …”

It’s highly likely though that this jinx will come true.

What Qiao Zongmin was more concerned about was: “The tests took the entire day?”

Qiao Shao nodded weakly.

Qiao Zongmin: “You were able to hold out for the entire day?”

“Well …” Qiao Shao said, “the last subject was scheduled this evening.”

Qiao Zongmin was radiant with joy. “That’s pretty good, this is great!”

Qiao Shao couldn’t laugh. He lay on the sofa and felt that his father’s requirements were really too low.

The weekend passed by.

Boarding students were required to return to school in advance.

Qiao Shao packed up his things Sunday night and was going back to school.

Qiao Zongmin still tried to let him take his son to school. Qiao Shao said that right now he was the child of a poor man. The only way this could work was if he drove an electric vehicle.

Qiao Zongmin immediately said, “I have electric cars too.”

Qiao Shao rolled his eyes. “A Tesla?” As soon as the Eagle-wing doors open, the students would all turn and cast curious looks.

Qiao Zongmin complained, “The model S is very inconspicuous.”

Oh, the nearly one million yuan worth electric sports car that grandpa wanted to give to He Shen as a first-time meeting gift.

Qiao Shao said in earnest, “The electric vehicle I meant has two wheels, and the market price …” Young master Xiao didn’t know either, but he gave it a really low figure, “is around ten or twenty thousand. That kind of electric vehicle.”

This was something Qiao Zongmin really didn’t have.

And even if they bought it, he wouldn’t be able to drive it. It would be way more comfortable to just take a taxi.

Qiao Shao felt a different atmosphere when he returned to school.

Two days have passed, and the monthly test results have definitely come out. Most people probably already knew their scores.

Qiao Shao calmly went up to the fifth floor, and called out a greeting when he saw Chen Su.

Chen Su looked at him worriedly. “Qiao Shao …”

Qiao Shao was well aware of the situation. Chen Su was a member of the academic committee, and he had probably reviewed the test papers.

“Are the results out?” Qiao Shao asked, pretending to be relaxed.

Chen Su nodded.

Qiao Shao didn’t ask about himself, he first asked about Chen Su. “What, are you the first in our year level?”

There should be no suspense, Chen Su was smart and hardworking!

Chen Su shook his head and said, “As long as He Shen’s taking the exam, there’s no way I can be first.”

Qiao Shao froze.

“I think your grade is …” Chen Su was more worried about Qiao Shao, and said tactfully, “There may be a problem, but don’t worry, let’s wait and see the test paper …”

Qiao Shao interrupted him, “What does your getting first place and He Shen have anything to do with each other? It’s impossible for him to take your first place, right?”

How can his seatmate who even sleeps in the exam room ever affect whether Chen Su gets first place or not?

It was Chen Su’s turn to be dumbfounded. “You haven’t seen the score list?”

Qiao Shao was bewildered. “Where can I see it?”

Chen Su took out his mobile phone and said, “Hasn’t your dad been added to the class group yet?”

Qiao Shao: “…”

He was added there, but the number Qiao Shao used was just some random mobile number he’d bought for his dad…

He didn’t even know where he’d tossed that mobile phone. Qiao Shao didn’t ever expect to look at it.

Chen Su opened a picture, enlarged it and handed it to Qiao Shao.

Qiao Sha stared at it and thought he was going blind.

Chen Su said, “He Shen got full marks on mathematics and general sciences. It seems that he didn’t answer one of the questions for Chinese Language, so five points were deducted. I don’t know what the problem was for English. He only got 130 points, but even so, his score is still 23 points higher than mine.”

First place, He Shen, total score: 725.

Second place, Chen Xu, total score: 702.

Qiao Shao pointed at the familiar and yet incomparably unfamiliar name, and stuttered, “He, He, He Shen? That He Shen? The one from our class, He Shen?

Chen Su realized that he might have misunderstood something. “Well, his grades have always been very good, and he entered East High with the highest high school entrance exam scores in the city.”

Young Master Qiao was petrified with shock.

Meanwhile, He Shen, was with their teacher. He frowned as he looked at Qiao Shao’s test papers.

Old Tang sighed. “I know he studies very seriously but I don’t know why he tested so badly …”

He Shen looked at the papers one by one, from language to mathematics to English and general sciences.

This roundish and slightly child-like handwriting was definitely Qiao Shao’s.

His test paper was neat and he’s written his answers conscientiously.

But these scores…

The author has something to say:

cough…

The god of learning is online.

———————>>>>

Translator’s notes: In case it wasn’t very clear, it was the silence that got to Qiao Shao while he was taking the exams.