Chapter 7: Potential Rival

If I had borrowed Xu Qianqian's CET-4 word book back then, the effect might have been even better.

After careful thought, Jiang Nian decided it wasn't necessary.

Skills matter in precision, not quantity; the main obstacle right now is the Gaokao. Three thousand five hundred words are enough—better to allocate precious memory time to other subjects.

At this moment, Jiang Nian, with subject memory, solves problems... healthy and long-lived.

Dead end—memorized math formulas but still can't solve the problems.

English is a breeze, biology and chemistry... with subject memory, it's easier than before. Chinese? Don't bother—doing it's pointless. Physics en........

With a year left until the Gaokao, Jiang Nian figured that with some effort, he could probably get into a non-double-first-class university.

In the classroom, there are three evening self-study sessions.

Almost every break, laughter and roughhousing came from Zhou Yuting's little group—sassy and flirtatious... Jiang Nian rarely used such a word to describe a group.

But that's exactly what they were: sassy and flirtatious.

During breaks from solving problems, Jiang Nian would occasionally glance in that direction. In the past, he would've dropped his pen and rushed over to join in the laughter.

It wasn't that he wanted to be a yes-man—he just liked being part of the group.

Even without Zhou Yuting, he still wanted to join this "popular" little circle. Put plainly, Jiang Nian was good-looking and wanted to invest his looks into the group.

He couldn't study well, wasn't rich, and under his inferiority complex, he couldn't help being vain.

The popular circle still held great appeal for adolescent boys: beautiful girls, wealthy classmates, boys who were smart, fun, and good at sports.

Joining them, laughing and joking together, not only satisfied vanity but also gave him a fake, non-goblin-like sense of "elevated status."

Now, Jiang Nian no longer had such childish thoughts.

Perhaps he saw through it all—or perhaps the system's worldview had shaken him. Either way, he was tired and didn't want to mix with these sassy, flirtatious, low-class jerks.

The three evening self-study sessions passed without incident; the homeroom teacher came once, mentioned the schedule and next week's monthly exam, then left.

Until 9:40 p. m., the final evening self-study ended.

Jiang Nian walked out with the crowd; at the door, he locked eyes with Zhou Yuting. In truth, he was thinking about a math problem—his gaze was completely blank.

He passed by without the slightest pause.

The classroom door was crowded and noisy; it was late September, and Zhou Yuting wore a pink short-sleeved shirt that accentuated her figure, paired with tight jeans hugging her hips.

Zhennan County High didn't require uniforms—only specific occasions like sports day or Monday's flag-raising ceremony mandated summer or autumn school uniforms.

An eighteen-year-old girl looked youthful in anything, let alone Zhou Yuting, a budding beauty—with a chest like a soft spring ridge and long, slender legs.

She couldn't believe it—she'd been about to greet him, he clearly saw her, yet he just passed by like that?

They used to be quite close.

She didn't really care about Jiang Nian; she hung out with him only because he was good-looking and played basketball well.

Even if he inexplicably quit their circle, Zhou Yuting felt nothing—he had nothing to offer her except his physique.

Seven or eight minutes later, Zhou Yuting walked out of the classroom with two girlfriends.

Suddenly, one of them, He Cai, let out a surprised "Huh?"

"Isn't that Jiang Nian?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuting and the other girl, Luo Wanzhen, turned instinctively—they saw Jiang Nian standing by the next class's door, walking with a petite girl.

They occasionally touched, acting unusually familiar.

"Is he dating someone? Why didn't he say anything? No wonder he's been avoiding us lately," Luo Wanzhen said with a click of her tongue, half-joking—she had no ill will toward Jiang Nian.

"That girl's from the Olympiad class next door, how did he..."

"Who knows? She looks ordinary," Zhou Yuting said, like a proud swan, glancing at the girl walking with Jiang Nian—plain, neighborly attire.

Xu Qianqian was beautiful and had nice clothes at home, but she dressed plainly at school.

To girls like Zhou Yuting, she looked just average.

"Didn't Jiang Nian used to like you?" He Cai prodded, hinting at drama—though they were best friends, she and Luo Wanzhen had a secret group without Zhou Yuting.

Of course, Zhou Yuting and Luo Wanzhen also had a secret group without He Cai.

"Who he likes is none of my business," Zhou Yuting tossed her head and walked toward the school gate. "I don't like him anyway."

"You're tutoring him in math?" Xu Qianqian walked beside Jiang Nian, her knuckles white from gripping her backpack strap. "Why the sudden change?"

The long street of the county town still glowed, dim and bright, stretching toward the horizon.

She felt as if she were seeing Jiang Nian for the first time, studying him repeatedly.

"This afternoon, you threw away the word book."

"Because I memorized them all—test me?" Jiang Nian knew he couldn't hide this. "Pick any word—within the Gaokao 3,500."

Xu Qianqian thought for a moment and named a simple one.

"Connect?"

"Connect, c-o-n..." Jiang Nian answered instantly without hesitation.

Xu Qianqian was startled and named a rare one.

"Stimulate?"

"Stimulate, s-t-i..." Jiang Nian replied fluently.

This time, Xu Qianqian froze completely. She stood at the street corner, staring at Jiang Nian—her expression as if she'd seen a ghost, mouth opening several times but no sound coming out.

"You... are you Jiang Nian?"

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't believe me? Test the goods." He smirked. "I used to pretend to fit in with them—"

Don't say too much—the more you say, the less credible it sounds.

To Xu Qianqian, this explanation made sense—because she believed someone who cooked well couldn't possibly be stupid.

Besides, this idiot Jiang Nian was exactly the kind to do something like this.

"I don't even know what to say to you—how can you treat Uncle Jiang and Aunt Li like this?" Xu Qianqian could be stubborn, and when she dug in, she was truly unyielding.

Seeing her pouting little face, Jiang Nian couldn't help smiling.

"Got it, isn't I turned back in time? Don't worry, I won't let you teach for free—how about I cook you something delicious this weekend?"

Gulp, Xu Qianqian swallowed hard, the sound unusually loud.

"I… I can tutor you in math, for Li Yi's sake. But the food's out—I'm on a diet right now."

Hearing Xu Qianqian's insincere words, Jiang Nian smiled again.

Suddenly, she asked, "Do you still like Zhou Yuting?"

The night wind blew; under the dim yellow streetlamp, Jiang Nian fell silent for two seconds.

"No."

That moment of hesitation—he'd wanted to say he hated her, but he couldn't say such things in front of Xu Qianqian.

"Ding!"

【At thirty-eight, you've discovered a potential romantic rival: someone else silently watches over Xu Qianqian. Born into poverty, he never spoke to her from high school through university, but now he's achieved success.】

Task: Defeat your formidable rival, Zhou Haifei, and make him give up on Xu Qianqian.

Reward: 5000 RMB.