Chapter 99: The Hedgehog Who Caught the Apple

On the pedestrian bridge, Lu Siwen wiped the corners of her eyes and the sides of her nose, her onion-white fingertips carrying a bit of moisture.

She said in a panic: "Classmate Zhai... I didn't cry... really."

Zhai Da:...

I didn't ask either.

And if there wasn't a mist of water on your eyelashes, maybe I would believe it more.

Zhai Da felt his pocket. This time he didn't use any magic tricks, but simply handed a tissue to Lu Siwen.

Lu Siwen finally stopped being stubborn and used the tissue to wipe away the not-too-many tears.

Youth is truly great; one dares to wipe their face with paper when crying, not worrying about makeup smudging.

It could be seen that this girl had been immersed in her own emotions for a while, but Zhai Da didn't ask why, just waiting for her to calm down on her own first.

Lu Siwen took a deep breath, her voice a bit dry:

"I originally wanted to go to Class 8 to find you during the day, but I went twice and it was either already class time or not yet class time, so I thought I'd wait here and see."

Zhai Da asked in confusion: "Why didn't you send a message? Calling would also work."

Lu Siwen helplessly showed Zhai Da her phone.

It was a rare full-keyboard design, looking very complicated. Zhai Da remembered this brand was called "BlackBerry," taking the business route, seemingly positioned even more expensively than Nokia.

"Changed to a new phone? Very high-end. And then?"

Lu Siwen lowered her head and said: "The original one was taken away by my mother. This is my mother's spare phone. I don't remember your phone number completely... I guessed more than ten times and they were all wrong, and I sent it to many strangers... I didn't intentionally not reply to your message yesterday, I'm sorry..."

"Oh, your mother's... I'll just report the number to you again."

Zhai Da didn't care. The number of times he didn't reply to Lu Siwen's messages was close to the number of times Lu Siwen sent him messages; these were all small matters. This shouldn't be the reason why Lu Siwen was crying.

Zhai Da reported a string of numbers, and Lu Siwen hurriedly entered them, but hesitated when saving it, saving the contact as "Yujia."

She was afraid her mother would check her phone.

Anyway, the two of them were in a startup partnership, so Zhai Da felt he still had to ask.

Although it sounded like family business, at this age, how many things weren't "family business"?

Lu Siwen had no defensive heart against Zhai Da and said quite a bit intermittently.

She actually hadn't accurately judged where the problem lay. In her little head, she still thought that the unsatisfactory third mock exam grade was the fuse for everything. Yesterday after dinner, she was just about to reply to Zhai Da's message when her mother knocked on the door and entered her room.

Using "the college entrance exam is starting soon, don't be distracted" as an excuse, she took away her phone and also forbade her from using the computer.

Qian Yarong didn't understand computers and was too lazy to move it away, but she took away the power cord.

Before leaving, she also had a long talk with Lu Siwen, not mentioning Zhai Da or the grades, just repeatedly emphasizing the "unshakable nature" of the plan to go abroad, and described the beautiful life after going abroad.

Sweet air, food without additives, harmonious and enthusiastic people, a fair and just environment...

Zhai Da felt a bit constipated listening to it.

Whether to go or not is one's own freedom, but this idea is too naive, isn't it? This isn't America; this is Utopia...

But he wouldn't mock Qian Yarong. How many people left holding such ideas?

Don't think that rich people are smart people; the proportion of people who think they are smart among the rich is higher.

An apple falling and getting skewered on a hedgehog's back doesn't mean this hedgehog is smarter than other hedgehogs; it just happened to pass by a forest that kept bearing fruit.

Perhaps, it would also keep describing its achievements as its own specialness and excellence to prevent others from going under that tree...

"So you suddenly don't want to go abroad, which made your mother unhappy. Did I summarize it correctly?"

Lu Siwen first nodded, then shook her head: "Actually, I haven't fully thought it through... I just expressed a little hesitation, and Mom reacted so intensely..."

For a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl to think clearly about the pros and cons of going abroad, the difficulty is no less than letting a new recruit jump with a parachute directly.

The viewpoints she came into contact with were basically bestowed by others, and it was very normal for "reversals" to appear as age increased.

What Lu Zetao said wasn't entirely wrong either. Not adapting and nervousness are inevitable situations when facing a new environment; one cannot adjust the plan for such a big matter just because the child is nervous.

Lu Siwen turned her head and looked at the slowly setting orange sun again.

"Classmate Zhai, if it were you, would you go abroad?"

"Me? I wouldn't..."

"Why?"

"No reason, and the scope of 'abroad' is too large."

"America?"

"Even less. I'm afraid of having children, I'm afraid of American-style 'Judo' (gunfights), I'm afraid of flying leaves hurting the body, and I'm even more afraid of Open Door..."

Lu Siwen's little face was filled with confusion... why couldn't she understand a single word?

Zhai Da also took a step forward and leaned on the railing with Lu Siwen:

"I'm not the one crying. Why ask me? I won't persuade you to go or not to go. This is your internal family problem... it's not something an ordinary friend should interfere with."

Ordinary friends, huh...

Lu Siwen felt a kind of "taken for granted" little disappointment in her heart.

Sad at first thought, relieved upon careful thought...

But immediately after, she heard Zhai Da say:

"But as a friend and partner, I can support your choice. Think clearly about what you want to do, and then work hard to do it. It's that simple."

He hadn't persuaded Lu Siwen, nor had he spread his own ideology. There are good things about going abroad and good things about not going abroad; they are all one's own choices.

But...

If Lu Siwen had her own ideas, he was willing to support her.

Friend, isn't that what it means?

Lu Siwen felt the blowing evening breeze warm up a little; perhaps it was because it carried a bit of youthful spirit.

Looking at Zhai Da's side profile, she felt she had found a kind of strength... At least Classmate Zhai supports me!

Subconsciously, she moved a point closer to Zhai Da and gathered the courage to say: "Then... I want to persuade Mom..."

"Can't be done."

"Eh...?"

Zhai Da spread his hands: "Your mother's brain has already achieved logical self-consistency; it's definitely not something that can be changed in a short time. At most, you can strive for your father, but of course, you still have to start from yourself."

"I just wanted to say... why does it feel like Classmate Zhai is scolding people..."

"Illusion. So, have you thought it through?"

Sometimes, teasing is far more effective than big principles in helping people walk out of entanglement. Lu Siwen's face involuntarily had a bit more smile and a bit less melancholy.

Her moist apricot eyes, like a little deer, finally reflected the magnificent colors of the sunset.

"Then! I want to stay in the country to go to college!"

"Do you want to sever ties with your parents?"

Lu Siwen hurriedly said: "That won't do! That's not what I meant!"

Zhai Da nodded: "Just confirming. Different situations require different handling methods."

As an adult, he naturally wouldn't give a little girl a "plan to cut off all ties"; he just said it intentionally to let Lu Siwen understand that "having problems with the family" and "abandoning the family" are two different things.

Bloodline is a bond that cannot be washed away, and family is a foundation that cannot be changed. Patching things up is the norm in the human world, and those who abandon their family at the slightest disagreement... that's called abnormal.

Lu Benqing excluded; that's human scum.

No matter how you put it, the Lu family hadn't reached this point. Lu Siwen didn't not love her parents, and Lu Zetao and Qian Yarong didn't not love her.

Persuading her to break with her own family or adopt unconventional, intense means of confrontation belongs to the immoral behavior of not acting like a human.

"Then you need to have a better grade, amaze everyone in the college entrance exam, and then firmly and preparedly advance your own plan. You aren't persuading your mother to make a choice, but you need to make a choice yourself and then execute it."

Lu Siwen first nodded, but immediately after, she said guiltily: "Actually... my grades are a bit stuck. I've been hovering around 390 points for the third year of high school..."

Zhai Da smiled: "This is the part where I can help you."

At the beginning, Lu Siwen's grades were far better than his, so he didn't feel anything, holding the pen Lu Siwen lent him, but he had never cared about Lu Siwen's studies.

In his own 400 points, the 【Literary Girl's Pen】 contributed at least half the score, and in Lu Wei's 460 points, nearly one hundred points benefited from Lu Siwen's equipment. Both of them actually benefited a lot from this little girl.

Now that she was busy for his affairs, and urgently needed to boost her grades.

If he pretended not to know again, his character would drop a bit.

On the pedestrian bridge, Zhai Da waved his hand, and a blue enamel fountain pen appeared in his palm.

Whether it was him or Lu Wei, the problems that "copying" could solve had already been solved. Allocating a portion of time every day for Lu Siwen to use it wouldn't affect their own study plans at all.

However, a reasonable explanation was needed.

As expected, it was still that one...

Believe and it will be spiritual; don't believe and it's traditional culture. This girl is also quite dull... excuse me, she's quite cute.

Don't think it's outrageous; I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of college students are "hanging Gua Gua Ke Nan."

Zhai Da thought of one thing: "Let's make a deal... no, let's make an agreement. I'll help you quickly improve your grades. As a reward, how about you completely give me this pen after the college entrance exam?"

He wasn't taking advantage of her distress; he just happened to bring it up. Without this opportunity, he had many ways to obtain the lifetime ownership of the 【Literary Girl's Pen】.

Lu Siwen hesitated but still nodded. For such a long time, Zhai Da hadn't mentioned returning the pen even once, and she already had the intention of accepting reality in her heart.

More importantly, this pen left by her grandfather being used by the "future writer" Zhai Da might be a better spiritual continuation. She didn't resist this.

Lu Siwen turned around, facing Zhai Da, close at hand.

She raised her fair neck, sending her adorable little face as close as possible, as if wanting to let Zhai Da see clearly.

Although she didn't know how Zhai Da was going to help her improve her grades, Lu Siwen still said sincerely:

"Classmate Zhai... thank you."

"No need to thank me. Just consider it an exchange; I also got the pen, didn't I?"

If he could help Lu Siwen get through the difficulty, he would feel at ease taking the 【Literary Girl's Pen】. This was actually a very powerful 【Equipment】.

Lu Siwen shook her head: "It's not those..."

It's probably... in the most confused age, being able to meet you, thank you...

The red sun reflected in Lu Siwen's eyes made her pupils look like gems. Zhai Da subconsciously turned his head away:

"Don't worry about it. The most important thing is still relying on yourself."

Lu Siwen raised her fair little hand, holding it high above her head!

Smiling like a flower, full of vitality.

"I will work hard! High five!"

Zhai Da was speechless. What the hell is a high five? So damn childish!

And Lu Siwen jumped around, persevering.

"Eh..."

Zhai Da finally stretched out his hand...

"Slap."

Together with Lu Siwen, he held the sunset in his palm.

——————

The next day, in the classroom of Class 11, Lu Siwen was setting up the "Zhai-style Learning Matrix" one by one, comparing it with the text message on her phone...

"First, surround the books into three walls, the height cannot be lower than 20CM..."

Due to her full trust in Zhai Da, there wasn't the slightest doubt in her little head, and there was no surprise either. Adults even burn incense during festivals, and firmly believe that a few dozen yuan of incense money can bring back millions in return from the Buddha.

Or believe that throwing a one-yuan coin into a certain hole... can keep the whole family safe...

Just as Classmate Zhai said, believe and it will be spiritual; don't believe and it's traditional culture.

Seeing Lu Siwen's setup, her deskmate asked curiously: "Are you going to play with your phone in class?"

In her consciousness, only poor students who don't study would set up such a formation.

Lu Siwen shook her head: "A friend taught me, saying this can strengthen memory."

The deskmate chose not to understand but to respect.

Lu Siwen took out the most important thing Zhai Da gave her during the morning self-study break from her bag.

Two stickers.

One was a basketball star she didn't recognize, and one was the very familiar death-bringing elementary school student.

One hung up, one couldn't be hung up; they couldn't be reversed.

"Hang Kobe, don't hang Gua Gua Ke Nan... this should be fine."

Lu Siwen felt a wave of confusion. Hanging a subject (guake) should be a college term, right...

Classmate Zhai has already adopted college study methods! So amazing!

No wonder his grades improved so fast.

Finally, she added ink to the fountain pen she hadn't used for a long time, and the ritual was complete.

Classmate Zhai said it was just a loan; it had to be returned to him before school ended...

Of course, there was also the most important part: every time before starting the "Zhai-style Matrix," there had to be physical contact with Zhai Da. It wasn't limited to the part; it had already been completed during the break, and the two shook hands.

Recalling the touch just now, Lu Siwen was a bit distracted. It wasn't that she hadn't shaken hands before, but it depended on who...

A girl's unnaturalness depends on the object... When the palms of the two were solidly in contact, her heartbeat did indeed speed up by three points.

Suppressing the messy thoughts, Lu Siwen took a deep breath and began to copy the knowledge points...

After a long time, she raised her head in shock...

"Classmate Zhai is truly amazing!" ===== CHAPTER 100 =====