Chapter 59: 120 Points

After getting their meals, the group chose to eat inside the rock garden.

This was the second gathering spot besides the cafeteria, and they often came here.

Soon after, Mai Sui, Chen Lijun, and Sun Manning arrived as well.

They brought good news.

Seeing Li Heng, Sun Manning circled him twice, clucking in admiration:

“Tsk tsk… Not bad, Li Heng. Geography scored 94—higher than the Big Four Scholars.”

Li Heng asked: “Did you go check the exam papers at the academic office?”

Sun Manning said: “I didn’t go—Lijun did. So far, only Geography scores are out.”

Li Heng glanced at Song Yu and Mai Sui: “What did they get?”

Sun Manning blurted out: “Song Yu got 92, Mai Sui got 91.”

“The class next door’s Xiao Feng also got 94, same as you. Luo Zhijie got 91.”

Li Heng nodded, then started eating.

After waiting a long time without him saying anything else, Sun Manning grew annoyed: “Hey, Li Heng, aren’t you being way too biased?”

“You asked about Song Yu and Mai Sui—why not ask me? Do you think I’m not as pretty as them?”

Li Heng didn’t look up: “It has nothing to do with looks. I’m aiming for the top scholarship this time.”

At the mention of the top scholarship, the table fell silent.

The group exchanged glances, then finally Zhang Zhiyong, who had no exam pressure, hooked his arm around Li Heng’s neck and asked:

“Master Li! Great Lord Heng! Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

Li Heng asked: “What? Don’t you trust your brother?”

Zhang Zhiyong looked left, then right, and smirked: “I trust you! How could I not? If I didn’t, you’d kill me. But there are only three slots—who are you planning to knock down?”

Li Heng said bluntly: “As long as it’s not Song Yu, anyone else can be eliminated.”

“Oh my!”

“Pfft…”

“Song Yu, look at this! Look at this…”

The whole group burst into mocking laughter.

Chen Lijun teased him: “Li Heng, you’re being way too blatant. If the homeroom teacher finds out you’re this fond of Song Yu, you’re in big trouble.”

Hearing this, everyone turned curious eyes toward Song Yu. Since Li Heng was so unguarded, they wanted to know what she thought.

Unfortunately, Song Yu ate quietly, her calm, detached expression leaving them utterly disappointed.

Coming to their senses, Sun Manning tugged Mai Sui’s sleeve: “Li Heng, do you even have a conscience? Mai Sui’s so beautiful—can you really crush such a flower?”

Li Heng looked up and smiled at Mai Sui: “If I knock you down, don’t blame me—I’ll treat you to soda afterward.”

He added emphatically: “Bottled!”

Mai Sui smiled, holding her chopsticks delicately: “And add a pack of sour powder.”

Li Heng agreed readily: “Sure, no problem.”

Since Li Heng had revealed his ambitions, the meal became wildly lively.

Everyone eagerly analyzed the threat levels of his rivals—the atmosphere was electric!

Midway, Li Heng learned that Liu Li scored 89 in Geography, Chen Lijun 86.

Liu Li didn’t forget the petty Liu Yejiang: “What did Liu Yejiang get?”

Chen Lijun said: “90.”

Zhang Zhiyong immediately swore: “Damn! That idiot scored that high? I’m pissed!”

Sun Manning disliked his cursing and shot back: “Whether you’re pissed or not doesn’t matter—he’s naturally strong in humanities, only slightly weak in math.”

After dinner, Liu Li and Zhang Zhiyong, followed by Zou Aiming, went straight to the grading office to wait for scores.

Sun Manning asked Li Heng: “Why aren’t you going?”

Li Heng handed her the cleaned lunchbox: “Could you take it back to the classroom for me? I have something to do.”

Sun Manning joked: “What’s more important than accompanying Song Yu?”

Hearing this, Li Heng immediately stopped mid-step: “How can you say that? Of course accompanying Song Yu is the most important.”

Facing him, Song Yu stared silently for several seconds, then gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with her slender fingers, said nothing, and walked past him toward the classroom.

Mai Sui covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes brimming with charm: “You used to be so timid around her—didn’t even know where to put your hands. Why are you so bold now?”

Li Heng looked up at the sky, solemnly: “We’re almost graduating.”

Mai Sui looked up too: “You could apply to the same school.”

Li Heng knew his limits: “Hard. Unless the math exam is as hard as this one.”

Mai Sui agreed: “Actually, I think if you kept pursuing her persistently, you might have a chance.”

Li Heng didn’t reply.

Because self-deception was useless—Song Yu’s nature, plus Chen Zijin in the middle, made any hope slim for now.

Seeing his silence, Mai Sui said: “She’s outwardly gentle but inwardly firm—slow to warm up. If you truly like her, persistence is the most effective strategy.”

Li Heng nodded in agreement: “Thank you.”

Hearing “thank you,” Mai Sui knew it was time to leave. She didn’t linger, walking into the stairwell.

Watching Mai Sui ascend to the third-floor classroom, Li Heng stood still, thinking for a moment, then didn’t go up—he turned and left campus.

Passing through the gatehouse, Li Heng scanned the school entrance, then, knowing Xiao Han loved “Sanhe Soup,” headed straight to Lao Liu Restaurant across the street.

He hoped for luck.

“Hello, how many?”

“No need to be formal—I’m here to see a friend.”

After dealing with the owner, Li Heng scanned the dining hall, saw no one, then checked several private rooms—still no sign of her.

Had she already left after eating?

Or hadn’t she come here at all?

With doubts, he inquired with the staff—only to learn she had eaten and returned to school.

The owner said: “That girl wore a blue-and-white plaid jacket—very beautiful. I won’t forget her.”

“Alright, thank you, madam.”

Coming up empty, Li Heng wasn’t discouraged—he sprinted straight to Classroom 206 in the adjacent building.

Hey! Good luck this time.

Xiao Han was indeed there, chatting with Yang Yingwen and two other girls.

Yang Yingwen, facing the door, spotted him first and exclaimed: “Wow! Did the sun rise in the west? Li Heng, what are you doing here?”

Hearing “math genius Li Heng,” the other two girls immediately stopped talking to Xiao Han and turned to look.

Silently cursing her two friends for abandoning her, Xiao Han feigned normalcy—glanced at him briefly, then pretended they weren’t close, picking up her pen to solve a physics problem.

The cunning, showy girl maintained her usual aloof, composed, coldly elegant facade in public.

Li Heng showed his clean, white teeth and smiled: “What? Can’t I come visit you?”

Yang Yingwen didn’t believe him: “Come on—who are you fooling? We’re almost graduating, and you’ve never come by before.”

Back then, with Chen Zijin around, how could he come? If she found out he met Xiao Han privately, chaos would erupt.

Li Heng said: “That was then, this is now. I came to see you—stop clinging to the past, okay?”

“Fine, I guess you’ve got a point.”

Once Li Heng sat down, Yang Yingwen asked: “You scored 120 in math—how’d you manage a perfect score?”

Li Heng asked: “I got a perfect score?”

Yang Yingwen said: “How can you not know? It’s huge news! Your homeroom teacher just bragged about you to ours.”

Li Heng glanced at the person eavesdropping nearby and shook his head: “I just went to Lao Liu Restaurant—I haven’t returned to class yet.”

“Why did you go to Lao Liu Restaurant?”

“Forget that for now—tell me how our homeroom teacher bragged. I love hearing it.”

Hearing this, Xiao Han secretly glanced at him twice, a faint smile curling at her lips.

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(End of chapter)