CH 41.1

Mid-September was when the mathematics league competitions began. Yao Yi became a little flustered by the nervous Qin Li, so to calm down, she went to the bookstore to purchase a book containing sample questions. She did it the day before the competition.

At eleven o’clock in the evening, Yao Yi sent a text message to Qin Li: [I think I bought a pirated competition questions book.]

After a long while, there was finally a message back: [What’s wrong?]

Looking at the competition questions that have been turned to the end, Yao Yi sighed, bowed her head, and turned back: [It’s too simple, how could the competition questions be so easy? The bookstore must be selling fake books.]

Fu Chuan sitting at his desk, opened the text message, and couldn’t help laughing.

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[It’s just sample questions from the league, of course it’s not difficult for you. May I help you find some questions from previous national training teams?]

Yao Yi frowned and pondered: [Where do you go to find it?] She couldn’t find much on the Internet, and when she did there were only bits and pieces. Where did Qin Li go to find the questions?

[My former tutor is a graduate student of K University, he can find some.]

Ebld eke Ckd Nk byhl y vwvsa? Zys Zk oyp rwggzle, bla lulp pwcnsdpnkswpzu zydele sd vbl dyxl kd vbl wrrla zlqv nsadla.

Mbl osae “Ww Ubwyd” nyxl kdvs hklo kxralppkhlzu.

“…” Zys Zk qasgl yv vbl vyczl, ewxcqswdele.

Fbl pnaszzle wr vs vbl nsdhlapyvksd clvolld vbl vos yde qswde vbyv pbl byed’v xldvksdle bkp dyxl qasx vbl cltkddkdt vs vbl lde, ps kv xyel pldpl vbyv Ww Ubwyd xkpwdelapvsse yde vbswtbv vbyv pbl oyp ynvwyzzu vyzjkdt vs bkx, cwv kv oyp fwpv Zys Zk obs nzknjle sd vbl oasdt rlapsd.

[Yu vwvsa xyfsale kd xyvblxyvknp, ps kv osd’v cl vss xwnb vaswczl vs tlv vbspl iwlpvksdp.]

Fllkdt vbyv Zys Zk eked’v alrzu qsa y zsdt vkxl, Ww Ubwyd vbswtbv ycswv bkp osaep yde pldv ydsvbla sdl.

Ebyv oyp esdl nswze dsv cl wdesdl, Zys Zk nswze sdzu ytall: [Xjyu, vbydj usw:-)]

Gv volzhl s’nzsnj yv xkedktbv, Ww Ubwyd pldv y vlmv xlppytl vs bkp vwvsa obs oyp qya yoyu kd vbl nyrkvyz. Tl ypjle bkx vs ralryal psxl iwlpvksdp qasx vbl dyvksdyz xyvblxyvknp vaykdkdt vlyx yde plde vblx vs bkp rbsdl vsxsaaso.

The tutor sent several messages in succession:

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[?]

[!]

[Oh, you’re still in high school, I will look for it later.]

Fu Chuan glanced at his phone before going to rest.

At six o’clock the next morning, Yao Yi received the document from Fu Chuan. She was busy washing up, then she ate a pastry for breakfast and quickly pedaled her bicycle to school.

After sitting down, she was busy reading again. When Fu Chuan came to class, Yao Yi didn’t even take out her phone.

“Have you received the document?” Fu Chuan finally took the initiative to ask.

Yao Yi looked up at Fu Chuan in confusion.

“…You.” Fu Chuan pointed to Yao Yi’s right cheek, hesitant to speak.

It wasn’t until Fu Chuan pointed it out for the third time that Yao Yi realized it, and raised her hand to wipe her face.

She had recently become obsessed with writing with a fountain pen. Though of course not for the sake of making the words look good. Yao Yi learned it from Qin Li; buying a pen was more expensive, and they couldn’t afford it. A five-dollar bottle of ink could be used for a long time, the only setback was that there was a smell.

Yao Yi took a fountain pen from home and just changed the ink in the morning, and at some point, a drop of ink splashed onto her face.

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One side of her face immediately became stained dark after she wiped her face.

“Don’t move.” Fu Chuan gently pinched Yao Yi’s chin, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her face clean little by little.

Yao Yi raised her face obediently and let Fu Chuan wipe it clean for her.

The two faced each other, even if their breathing was shallow, they could feel each other.

Yao Yi’s eyelashes trembled, leaving a feather-like feeling in Fu Chuan’s heart, and his strength became more and more gentle.

Zhao Qian in the row in front of them wanted to ask Yao Yi a few questions. However, when he turned around and saw this scene, he turned back calmly and put the question on the table.

Why can he smell the scent of dog food (TLN: seeing two people showing affection for each other) head-on?

Zhao Qian straightened his back and looked straight ahead, his eyes were empty.

It wasn’t that Zhao Qian didn’t see the ink on Yao Yi’s face just now, he just felt that the atmosphere between these two people was different.

Yao Yi was actually quite indifferent to people, if others didn’t talk to her, she would keep silent. Up till now, there were only the three of them who had frequent contact with Yao Yi, plus Qin Li who discussed mathematics every day.

They were considered to be very close to Yao Yi, but Yao Yi and Fu Chuan… There was always a different feeling between them.

“Okay.” Fu Chuan gently stroked Yao Yi’s flushed cheeks with his fingertips and put the half-dyed handkerchief into his pocket without any trace.

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“Thank you.” Half of Yao Yi’s face turned red from the wiping, her skin was thin and delicate. It would turn red easily just from a touch.

A little uncomfortable, Yao Yi let go of the pen in her hand and wanted to touch it, but Fu Chuan grabbed it.

The eyes of the two fell on the intertwined hands, Yao Yi blinked and said: “Do you want to wash your hands?”

Who knows how Yao Yi filled the ink cartridge just now, not only was a large drop of ink splashed on her face, but the pen she was holding was also stained black. She had been writing for a long time and didn’t even notice.

Seeing her black hand, Fu Chuan held it without hesitation, but now his hand was also covered in ink.

“Mhm.” Fu Chuan took out another piece of napkin and handed it to Yao Yi, motioning her to wipe the pen.

The two walked out of the classroom one after the other, Zhao Qian’s eyes fell on them, looked towards Han Jiaojiao, and whispered: “Jiaojiao, do you think Yao Yi and Fu Chuan are weird?”

Han Jiaojiao frowned and rubbed the ears Zhao Qian exhaled his breath on: “How can they not be weird?”

One was first, and the other was second, but everyone agreed that Yao Yi was stronger, only held back by the composition part of exams.

Yao Yi was not happy about being suppressed, but Fu Chuan… Han Jiaojiao felt that if she was first place, she would not be very friendly with Yao Yi.

“No, I think the two of them… are a bit weird.” Seeing Han Jiaojiao’s movements, Zhao Qian carefully moved back to make her feel less uncomfortable.

“What are you talking about, you’re the weird one.” Originally, Han Jiaojiao was so annoyed to death by the questions, but now she had to listen to Zhao Qian talk mysteriously.

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…

After washing her hands, Yao Yi casually wiped the water stains on her school uniform. Fu Chuan, who was next to her, saw it and rubbed between his brows helplessly.

He didn’t think girls had to be delicate, but Yao Yi was too casual, which made him… worried that she couldn’t take care of herself at all.

“So much?” Yao Yi wiped her hands, took out her phone from her pocket, opened the file and asked in surprise.

Fu Chuan nodded: “It’s all real questions from previous years, sorted out.”

“Can I lend it to Qin Li?” Yao Yi participated in the competition, not for extra points, but simply to experience mathematical questions. On the other hand, Qin Li was under a lot of pressure, so she wanted to show the real questions to him.

The smile on Fu Chuan’s lips faded immediately, and the emotions in his eyes almost poured out. Finally, he pretended not to care, and replied lightly: “It’s sent to you, and you can do whatever you want with it.”

Yao Yi for once, reacted quickly: “Are you unhappy?”