Chapter 66: Just Cause
"You’re hoping to dawdle over lunch, so you can miss the two o’clock movie. That way, by the time the movie ends, it’ll be after six, and you’ll have missed the last bus back to Dongfeng Town. Then you could try to coax her into staying at a hotel with you—ideally, there’s only one room left. Even if there isn’t, you’d have a thousand reasons to get her inside, just as naturally as you’d take her hand without her noticing. Once you’re in the room, your eyes would meet, lingering in a gaze. You’d conjure up the most atmospheric words to make her heart waver, and then seize the moment to kiss her. Of course, your hands wouldn’t behave themselves. You’ve been dying to see what’s beneath her white long dress today. You’d tumble onto the bed together, locked in an embrace, and you’d press her beneath you, using a domineering tone and some lewd excuse to force her to comply. What happens next deserves a censor’s blur. If it weren’t for the strict regulations, I’d describe it to you in vivid detail. Oh my God! You already have the scene playing in your mind. Let me see—wow! Very assertive! It’s her first time, you know. Is this really alright…”
In his heart, Xiaocheng silently wept: Wen Xiaodao, damn you!
“Honestly, all you’ve said amounts to nothing. No matter how you put it, it all translates to ‘I want to trick you into bed.’ You really have a talent for this. Look, she’s already wavering. If you just outright suggest getting a room, there’s at least a thirty percent chance she’d agree.”
In the realm of imagination, Wen Xiaocheng turned around, hefted a giant cannon, and fired at Wen Xiaodao without hesitation. The shell carried Wen Xiaodao through the wall, soaring far into the sky, vanishing without a trace.
Yang Liusan couldn’t read minds, so she had no idea of the thrilling drama unfolding in Xiaocheng’s inner world. The words just spoken left her at a loss. It was practically a confession, every emotion laid bare, yet it also felt like a one-sided pouring out, leaving her no room to refuse. This was what she had asked for: the other’s most genuine thoughts. She just hadn’t realized that voicing them so directly would have such an impact.
“This is what you’re thinking, right? If you never said it, count it as me guessing, okay?”
Xiaocheng nodded, smiling stiffly. Yang Liusan thought he was nervous, but in truth, Xiaocheng was guarding against that scoundrel Wen Xiaodao in his mind.
“Let’s eat. It’s getting cold,” the girl said, trying to sound calm.
“Alright.”
Sitting face to face, picking at their food, they needed some conversation to fill the silence. The shock of the earlier exchange was too much. Yang Liusan had to tread carefully: “You said earlier you sold the competition questions and answers to an education training company, and they posted them on their official website. Do you remember the site address? I want to check and see how I did.”
Before she finished, Xiaocheng had already pulled out his phone. At her words, he handed it over: “The questions and answers are here. My condolences.”
That last line made her laugh. “When did you get a phone? You never told me your number!”
“Just over an hour ago. Haven’t had a chance yet.”
An hour ago, the test hadn’t even ended! He must have taken his earnings and immediately bought a phone and SIM card, not even bothering to choose carefully. “Why so rushed?”
“Oh, because of a rather shady plan. What you see now—the questions on the Stars Training’s website—I reported them to a journalist.”
Yang Liusan puzzled over this for a while, staring with wide eyes: “Reported? Didn’t you memorize the questions and sell them to Stars Training?”
“Yes. It wasn’t really a report—I just texted that TV Turkey journalist who interviewed me, asking her to check out the Stars website. As for what she thinks, that’s her business!”
“She’ll definitely think it was a leak! Why did you do that?”
“I need her misunderstanding so I have a chance to clear things up. A bit of back-and-forth, and the attention goes up. I forgot to tell you: besides selling the test to Stars, I actually signed a deal with them to be their enrollment ambassador. I get a cut based on performance, so the more buzz, the better for me.” Xiaocheng gnawed on a chicken wing, not caring about appearances.
Yang Liusan blinked, thinking for a while, then pressed on: “Don’t tell me this huge online debate about the math competition these days was your doing too!”
“You figured it out?”
The girl sorted out the timeline and finally understood. After learning about the math contest, Xiaocheng approached Stars Training, signed a champion endorsement deal, convinced them to heavily promote the contest—even offering a cash reward of 100,000 yuan. Then he stirred up the internet, posting reflections and doubts about the contest, inciting a storm that grew into a massive debate, even landing on the front pages of major portals! On the day of the exam, he finished the paper in fifteen minutes—maybe less—handed it in, gave a reporter interview, then rushed to Stars to sell the questions, pocketed ten thousand yuan, bought a phone, and reported a leak to the journalist!
The math contest committee, provincial and city education bureaus, training institutions, even the media and netizens—all became his pawns…
He’d planned so much, done so much, and still had time to woo me…
Is this what a 300+ IQ brain is like? She checked her score: 51 points. Not bad—though not passing, it was enough to reach the next round. But compared to him…
“Aren’t you going to praise me?”
Still acting cute!
Yang Liusan suddenly felt a sense of absurd hopelessness: with someone as monstrous as Xiaocheng pursuing her, any resistance would be in vain.
“So? Will you make it to the next round?”
“Fifty-one,” Yang Liusan replied, dejected.
“Not bad! That’ll definitely get you through!” Xiaocheng said excitedly.
Normally, this would be cause for celebration—making the cut meant extra credit. But in the face of Xiaocheng’s perfect score, it hardly mattered.
“In front of you, I feel so dumb.”
“In front of you, I feel so ugly.”
She laughed, knowing Xiaocheng was just being clever. “Guess I was lucky to qualify. There were so many questions I didn’t understand, no idea where to start.” She shook her head, smiling wryly. People really can’t compare.
“I can teach you,” Xiaocheng offered. “I’ll explain anything you find difficult!”
Tutoring each other—at this age, it’s the most legitimate reason for boys and girls to spend time together.
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Sorry this chapter is late. It wasn’t a system issue—it was my mistake. I thought I’d scheduled it, but actually hadn’t. Only realized it while lying in bed reading comments, so I got up to post it.