Studying Is Such A Damn Thing - Chapter 12

A week had flown by since the sports meet ended, and now it was time for the one thing every student loathes and wishes to avoid at all costs. You guessed it: the monthly exams.

You Cheche rested his chin on his desk, blowing at his bangs with an air of pure desolation. “Qi Yuan, you’re going to take the bottom spot to keep me from being last, right?”

“If I said I was planning a comeback, would you believe me?”

“Not a chance.”

“Well, there you go.”

“Ugh… I don’t want to take these exams…”

“You think I do?” Qi Yuan gave a mocking smirk, then buried his head back into the sea of practice problems with a heavy sigh.

For a struggling student, monthly exams are basically a death sentence. If you don’t believe that, just look at the two of them: You Cheche, ranked second to last in No. 2 High School, and Qi Yuan, the undisputed king of the bottom spot.

It was evening self-study, and the sky outside was pitch black. The branches swayed gently, startling the birds perched in the trees.

“Do you know how to do this one?”

“Are you seriously asking me? The answer is zero, but that’s just a guess.”

“Uh… never mind.” You Cheche glanced at the podium. The teacher was looking down, busy writing lesson plans. He tore off a piece of paper, scribbled the question down, and launched it like a perfect slam dunk onto Shen Yiyi’s desk. Taken by surprise, Shen Yiyi jumped slightly before picking up the note and opening it.

He glanced at the contents and offered a gentle smile. He patiently wrote out the steps on the paper, adding notes to explain the reasoning, before asking Li Yuyu in the back row to pass it back to You Cheche.

You Cheche took the note back as if it were a sacred text, reading it with intense focus. Qi Yuan watched from the side, marveling at the sight. “Are you actually planning a comeback?”

“Nah. This is just a ‘clinging to Buddha’s feet at the last minute’ situation to make it look like I actually love learning.”

“Wow, quite the performer. Should I call you Best Actor You?”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

On the day of the exam, Qi Yuan and You Cheche headed to the very last examination hall to take the final two seats. “Ah, that familiar feeling!” Qi Yuan strode toward the very last desk, throwing his arms wide as if embracing a whole new life.

“Are you sick?” You Cheche rolled his eyes and walked to his own seat.

“Hey, Che, what time do we finish?”

“Five, I think, I can’t really remember. Not like it matters, aren’t you just going to wing it anyway?”

“True. But wait, why isn’t ‘Best Actor Qi’ winging it?”

“That remains to be seen. After receiving ‘divine guidance’ these past few days, I feel enlightened. I’ve ascended!”

Qi Yuan: …Is this guy for real?

The proctor walked up to the podium and clapped, signaling everyone to sit down. Following the radio announcements, the answer sheets and exam papers were handed out. You Cheche picked up his pen with sudden confidence, signed his name in grand style, and began the test.

Qi Yuan watched You Cheche work, absolutely stunned. Wait, man, do you actually know how to do this?

When the bell rang at five, Qi Yuan stood up. “Let’s go, Che. Let’s head to the first exam hall to find the other four and grab dinner.”

“Sure, let’s go!” You Cheche stretched his limbs and led the way with big strides. Qi Yuan followed, one hand in his pocket and the other pulling out his phone to text Song Chaolian.

yuan: Dad Song, want to grab BBQ tonight?

Lian: I’ll ask them.

yuan: [OK.jpg]

Lian: They said yes.

yuan: Great, I’ll book a table.

Lian: Okay.

Qi Yuan tucked his phone away and watched You Cheche walking ahead of him. The boy wasn’t short, but he had a bit of a bounce in his step, and the hair on top of his head bobbed along with him. It was actually pretty cute.

The two of them fought their way against the crowd until they reached the first examination hall. You Cheche waved to Shen Yiyi in the distance. “Yiyi! Over here!”

“Okay!” Shen Yiyi turned to point You Cheche out to the other three and started walking over.

Seeing Song Chaolian approach, Qi Yuan threw an arm around his shoulders. “So, what did you think of the test?”

“It was fine, a bit easy.” Song Chaolian tried to pull away twice but failed. He frowned, but didn’t say anything else, simply glancing over toward Shen Yiyi.

As soon as Shen Yiyi arrived, he was ambushed by You Cheche. He smiled helplessly, saying, “Cheche, take it easy.”

“Oh…” You Cheche sheepishly pulled his hand back. He turned toward Li Yuyu and Tang Yuwei, but seeing them stuck together like glue, he decided not to disturb them. Left with nothing else to do, he silently pulled out his phone and opened a novel.

Support