Chapter 16: Did the Genes Mutate?

“This Xu Qingzhou is you?” Xu Shouyun still felt it was dreamlike; he had lived for decades and thought he’d seen everything, but this was truly something he’d never seen.

Xu Qingzhou bit into a bun and nodded, knowing they needed time to accept this reality.

“Up by over seventy points since last time—is that normal?” Wang Xiaping looked up from the score sheet and fixed her gaze on Xu Qingzhou.

“Not normal,” Xu Qingzhou shook his head and sighed. “Unless I’m a genius.”

“Typical,” Wang Xiaping rolled her eyes, set down the score sheet, and studied him intently. “Spill it—what happened? Don’t tell me it’s because this exam was easy.”

Xu Shouyun watched his son just as seriously, waiting for a reasonable explanation.

Seeing the two of them adopt that interrogative air, like a joint tribunal, Xu Qingzhou quickly finished his bun, thought for a moment, then said:

“Actually, learning has a bottleneck—or rather, it’s a process of quantitative change leading to qualitative change. The three years of accumulation finally triggered a breakthrough, so my scores jumped to a new level.”

Wang Xiaping accepted this explanation and looked again at the score sheet.

Read!{

Xu Qingzhou ignored it entirely, played Plants vs. Zombies for a while, then put down his phone and reviewed the math notes he’d organized at the library recently.

Wang Xiaping stared at the score sheet again and again, then asked: “Can you keep this score?”

Looking at Guo Zi’s plate of rice, Ding Jiahui said: “Aren’t you crushed? How come you still have such a good appetite?”

“What do you think?” Wang Xiaping asked.

Xu Shouyun stared at the score sheet for a long time, then concluded: “The genes must’ve glitched.”

“Math?” Xu Shouyun frowned. “Aren’t you more into physics? Why suddenly decide to study math?”

“No way, Zhouzi—you’ve been secretly studying!”

“I want to major in math in college. If nothing unexpected happens, I’m aiming for Jingda.” Xu Qingzhou said.

Xu Qingzhou sat down quietly on one side of the sofa.

“It might be hard,” Xu Qingzhou looked troubled.

“Really works?!”

“I’m turning frustration into appetite,” Guo Zi said, pouting.

“That’s so mystical?” Wang Xiaping found it unbelievable, but as she thought back, Xu Qingzhou really had changed a lot lately—he’d become more responsible, spent weekends with a notebook, and went to the library every day.

He stayed with the dazed parents to watch TV, reminded them to sleep early, then got up and went back to his room to read.

“Xu Qingzhou, just a quick interview—how do you find time to study college-level material with such a packed high school schedule?” Ding Jiahui held her chopsticks like a microphone.

Living room.

After spending time together, he and Ding Jiahui had grown familiar, no longer as stiff as before.

“This is qualitative change, not degradation—can you really drop back to your old score?” Wang Xiaping stared at him.

“Is this really our son?” Wang Xiaping whispered to Xu Shouyun. His transformation over this period had been too drastic—he’d become too mature, as if he’d grown up overnight. “Just say it plainly: if you want to master physics, you must master math first,” Wang Xiaping said.

Xu Qingzhou gave a thumbs-up. “Classic mom—perfect summary.”

“With your scores improved, your college target should change too,” Xu Shouyun added. “Before, Shu University was your safe bet, and Zhe University a stretch. Now, with these scores, you can pick Tsinghua or Jingda at will.”

“Math is about logic; physics is about causality. In simple terms, math is the foundation of physics, because physics is an experimental science—any science involves formal logical deduction, which is math.” Xu Qingzhou explained.

“Sit down, let’s have a quick family meeting,” he walked out of the kitchen to see his mother had turned off the TV and waved him over.

“That’s the magic of scholars,” Xu Qingzhou chuckled.

Xu Qingzhou sat down and opened his phone.

After the exam, the first two days were spent reviewing papers. The entire senior year remained focused, maintaining the pressure of the college entrance exam—the relaxation seen after tests in first and second year had vanished under the weight of Gaokao stress.

“Cut the flattery,” Wang Xiaping scolded, but inside she was truly happy—every bit of effort over the years felt worth it. The family meeting was over. Xu Shouyun and Wang Xiaping had little advice to give Xu Qingzhou; long ago, they’d agreed that their past experience didn’t apply to his current life. They likely knew less than he did about many things. As long as his overall direction was right, everything was fine.

A friend request came in on QQ—it was Zhang Yuxin.

For Xu Qingzhou, it was as if the Gaokao didn’t exist—he could now fully enjoy his final days of high school.

“Multitasking,” Xu Qingzhou spoke with solemn conviction. “For example, memorizing vocabulary while watching a drama, splitting half your attention to math problems while gaming. Don’t stay up late—if you absolutely must, pull an all-nighter. That doesn’t count as staying up late.”

Wang Xiaping froze, then snapped back and slapped the score sheet against Xu Qingzhou’s head. “You little brat—do you want a beating?!”

!.

While his parents admired the score sheet, Xu Qingzhou got up, washed the dishes, dried them, and put them back in the cabinet.

Guo Zi wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity. Though stunned, he was genuinely happy his best friend’s scores had improved.

Xu Qingzhou’s life continued as usual, except he now drew more attention. Many said that without the Gaokao, high school would be the most memorable time of all.

The only change: after school in the afternoon, two more people joined him for meals—Song Yao and Ding Jiahui.

Xu Shouyun frowned, thought it over, and nodded. “That kid from the Liu family? Last year’s Gaokao, his score jumped over forty points from his usual.”

Guo Zi gritted his teeth; Ding Jiahui was utterly stunned.

Xu Qingzhou spread his hands. “Honestly, I think I can raise my score even more next time. Maintaining this level will be tough.”

Song Yao shook her head helplessly, thinking these two were beyond saving—how could they believe this?

After dinner, Guo Zi went to the school store to buy a notebook. Xu Qingzhou waited by the door, as waves of students in blue-and-white uniforms passed by.

The school broadcast played the melody of “Hometown.”

The setting sun glows again on my face, again reflecting my restless heart—what place is this? Still so desolate.

This endless journey is so long.

(End of Chapter)