Chapter 285

Evening self-study.

After Yan Zhusheng finished her homework attentively in the first session, the second session became Li Luo's teaching time.

If you have any questions, ask Li Luo.

Li Luo also plans study programs for Yan Zhusheng across all subjects.

Especially after being influenced by Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu, two top students, and with the Memory Palace's powerful ability to memorize and organize knowledge, Li Luo has now developed a complete knowledge framework for every subject.

With this foundation, teaching other students allows him to adopt a high-level perspective, helping them build a thorough learning path from top to bottom.

Often, when Yan Zhusheng asks him a question, Li Luo doesn't just help her clarify the solution process—he also identifies her weak points within the overall knowledge framework.

Then he can extend targeted explanations to help her fill those gaps.

It's like building with blocks: not being able to solve one problem seems like a missing block on top, but the real issue might be an unstable foundation below.

You fix the problem temporarily by adding back the missing block, but it falls again later because the base is still unstable.

Many hardworking students constantly practice problems but see slow progress—or even regression—likely due to this exact issue.

As the saying goes, economic base determines superstructure; the same principle applies to studying.

Without a solid foundation, only practicing problems is like viewing flowers through mist or fishing in water.

The more you practice, the more you learn that fish are often caught at this spot in this river, so you rely on experience and keep returning here.

But if the river's current changes, seasons shift, or a dam upstream blocks the fish's path, the fishing results at this spot will suffer.

Someone with a solid foundation can naturally adapt to these changes and find the new fishing spot.

Someone who only relies on practice will just wait dumbly at the old spot, trying again and again to catch fish there.

They work hard, but achieve little.

So clever, skilled fishermen can predict seasons, observe weather, and judge currents in advance.

True top students can also adapt effortlessly, adjusting to changes in question types and prompts.

Under this system, Yan Zhusheng's grades naturally improve gradually.

But after studying for most of the class, as the time for their nightly run drew near, Yan Zhusheng set aside her questions and started writing a note.

【Yan Zhusheng】: Tomorrow I'm competing with Xi Xi.

Li Luo glanced at the scrap paper she handed him, checked the time, stopped watching her work, picked up his pen, and replied on the paper.

【Li Luo】: Are you nervous?

【Yan Zhusheng】: Very nervous. So who are you supporting?

【Li Luo】: Didn't I answer this question before?

【Yan Zhusheng】: You said you support whoever scores lower, right?

Li Luo looked at her reply, then gave her a suspicious glance.

【Li Luo】: Don't hold back your score and deliberately stay one point below Xi Xi.

Yan Zhusheng read his note, blinked, and turned her head away.

Hey hey hey! You're guilty, aren't you?

Seeing her expression, Li Luo was speechless, snatched the paper back, and wrote on it:

【Li Luo】: Take this seriously. Don't think of nonsense—if Xi Xi finds out you're letting her win, she'll be furious.

【Yan Zhusheng】: Okay, I understand.

After her secret thoughts were easily spotted by Li Luo, Yan Zhusheng obediently complied.

【Li Luo】: Focus your attention on studying. Treat the competition as fun—don't take it too seriously. Besides, you've both already advanced.

【Yan Zhusheng】: Yes, I'll listen to Teacher Li.

【Li Luo】: Student Yan is very well-behaved—deserves praise.

【Yan Zhusheng】: How will Teacher Li praise me? Pat my head?

Li Luo glanced at the note and saw Yan Zhusheng had obediently lowered her head toward him. He glanced ahead.

Everyone was focused on studying; no one was looking their way.

So Li Luo raised his hand and gently patted Yan Zhusheng's head.

The two continued writing notes and chatting until just over ten minutes remained before class ended, then stood up together and walked out to the playground for their daily night run.

Yan Zhusheng plugged Bluetooth earbuds into Li Luo's ears and began jogging slowly beside him.

The playground still had badminton nets set up. After running five laps, Yan Zhusheng pointed toward Court No. 5: "Tomorrow, I'll play Xi Xi right here."

"Which match is it?"

"The final one," Yan Zhusheng said. "It'll probably start around 5:40."

"There'll probably be a lot of people watching," Li Luo chuckled, gesturing to the modest spectator area beside them. "I wonder if it'll fit everyone."

"You should still support Xi Xi," Yan Zhusheng said suddenly, staring at Court No. 5.

Li Luo looked at her in surprise: "So generous?"

Yan Zhusheng shook her head and added softly: "But I want compensation."

"So that's where you're headed," Li Luo laughed. "What compensation do you want?"

"Support me now," Yan Zhusheng said. "Then tomorrow you can support Xi Xi."

"How do I support you now? Shout 'Go!'?"

"That's enough," Yan Zhusheng blinked, turned, walked up to Li Luo, took his hands, spread them open, and let him hug her.

She rested her head lightly against his chest, wrapped her arms around his back, felt his heartbeat quicken, and whispered: "This is a hug of encouragement between good friends."

"... Mm." Li Luo held her for a while, felt it was enough, and was about to let go.

But Yan Zhusheng hugged tighter, and before he could speak, countered: "You haven't said 'Go!' yet—why are you letting go?"

Li Luo: "... So I have to say 'Go!' too?"

"How else would you call it encouragement?" Yan Zhusheng said seriously.

Li Luo smiled helplessly, thinking: You held me that long and didn't even remind me.

But in the end, Li Luo still hugged the girl's soft body tightly again and whispered softly by her ear: "Good luck in tomorrow's match."

……

After the bell rang signaling the end of the second evening self-study session, Ying Chanxi put down her pen and closed the lid of the pen box on the front-left of her desk.

Although she rarely used it out of reluctance to part with it, because it was a gift from Li Luo, she loved taking it out and placing it there just to look at it.

When she struggled with her problems, a glance at the pen, a quick spin in her hand, and her mood would improve enough for her to continue happily solving problems.

Of course, now there was also a bracelet.

Ying Chanxi packed her things, slung her backpack over her shoulder, touched the jade tablet on the bracelet, and walked briskly down the stairs to the back door of Class Eight.

Inside the classroom, Li Luo had also packed his bag; seeing Ying Chanxi, he stepped out and walked down the stairs with her.

After meeting Xu Youyu on Houde Road, the three of them headed toward Bihai Lanting.

"Xixi and Zhusheng have been really hot lately," Xu Youyu teased. "Even guys in our class are talking about you two, saying they're going to watch your match tomorrow."

"It's just a school idol showdown, after all. Totally normal," Li Luo nodded.

"What school idol? Don't say nonsense," Ying Chanxi shot him a look. "Our school doesn't have such things."

"You just don't understand," Li Luo shook his index finger. "School idols may rarely be officially chosen, but among boys, there's a subtle consensus."

"If a girl rarely shows herself in public, no matter how beautiful she is, most boys have never seen her—so naturally, they can't possibly consider her a school idol."

"But you two are different."

"Xixi speaks at the flag-raising ceremony every week, and Zhusheng performs whenever the rock club has an event. Almost everyone at Fu Yi High knows you both."

"Including the senior students."

"Even if no one says it aloud, if someone asks who the school idol is, the image that pops into most boys' minds is obvious."

Next to him, Xu Youyu burst out laughing: "Thanks for remembering to include me halfway through."

"You're welcome," Li Luo grinned, then, as they passed the playground, pointed at Court No. 5 and reminded Xu Youyu.

"Sis, tomorrow there'll be a lot of people watching their match. I suggest you have the Student Union move the courts apart a bit ahead of time—otherwise I'm afraid there won't be enough room for everyone."

"You're so thoughtful," Xu Youyu chuckled. "Afraid you won't be able to squeeze in?"

"I'm just saying it."

"Got it. I'll give the order tomorrow."

After leaving the school gate, as usual, the three went to the stall by the dormitory gate, bought three servings of fried noodles from Lin Xiufeng, and had them for a late-night snack.

After eating their fill, Xu Youyu went first to the bathroom to shower; Ying Chanxi followed Li Luo into the bedroom, chatting while watching him type.

Originally, Ying Chanxi had felt awkward interrupting his work.

But once Li Luo's Memory Palace was active, even while chatting with Ying Chanxi, he didn't slow his typing—it was quite convenient.

"Tomorrow's match, remember to remind Zhusheng," Ying Chanxi said with a serious face. "Don't let her go easy on me—just play normally."

"Got it," Li Luo nodded, then smiled. "But don't take it too seriously either. Don't be too competitive—after all, you've both advanced already. Tomorrow's win or loss doesn't matter much. If you really want to settle it properly, wait until the finals."

Ying Chanxi nodded to show she understood, though no one knew what she truly thought inside.

After Xu Youyu finished showering, it was Ying Chanxi's turn.

Watching Ying Chanxi walk into the bathroom, Xu Youyu slipped into Li Luo's bedroom, patted his shoulder with a grin: "Help me dry my hair."

"Don't you usually dry it yourself?"

"Sometimes I just want a boy to touch my hair," Xu Youyu plopped down on Li Luo's lap. "Will you or won't you?"

"Fine, fine, fine! Get up first!" Li Luo surrendered immediately. After she stood, he moved aside, let her sit on the chair, took out the hairdryer, and dried her hair.

After finishing, Xu Youyu didn't linger—he had her own writing to do. She thanked him and slipped back to her bedroom.

When Ying Chanxi returned to Li Luo's bedroom after her shower and saw the hairdryer on the table, she smiled: "You're being very considerate today—already got the hairdryer ready."

Hearing her, Li Luo coughed slightly, feeling guilty, then told her to sit on his chair and quietly turned on the hairdryer.

"Why does it smell like shampoo?"

"Does it? That's just your own scent."

"Is that so…"

……

April 17, Friday.

After a day of buzz, the news that two top-tier girls from Grade One would face off on the badminton court spread throughout the entire school.

Ying Chanxi, who had long held the top spot in Grade One, was widely known because she regularly spoke at the flag-raising ceremony on behalf of Grade One.

Especially those who had seen Ying Chanxi up close found it hard not to be drawn to her sweet, adorable face.

As for Yan Zhusheng, she was relatively unknown at the start of the school year, but stunned everyone during the opening ceremony of the sports meet.

Her waist-length hair flowed gracefully, her clear voice echoed long after she finished singing, her tall, slender figure and exquisitely beautiful face left a deep impression on everyone in the school.

The reason the two drew each other was simple.

Because that's how the Swiss-system rules work.

Only players with the same win points face each other.

Of the 64 competitors, after four rounds, only four remained undefeated.

For the two of them to meet in the fifth round wasn't surprising at all.

"Isn't it about time? We should go watch Yan Zhusheng's match."

After evening classes ended, classmates first ate dinner in the cafeteria; when time neared, they headed to the playground in groups.

The match on Court No. 5 hadn't ended yet, but many from Class Eight had already taken their positions, quietly waiting under the lead of Zhu Yufei.

Similarly, Class One had also arrived early—Liu Shaowen led a dozen students who had already taken their spots.

Both sides brought a group of people to stand at the sidelines; the two girls playing on the court immediately grew tense, glancing left and right at the scene, utterly baffled, wondering why they had suddenly become so popular.

Only after the match ended did Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng appear at the sidelines, and only then did the two girls realize—the crowd hadn't come to watch them.

But once they understood, a wave of gloom settled in their hearts; yet when they saw Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng, they swallowed that gloom down.

"Zhusheng, go for it!" Xu Yinghuan shouted from the sideline toward Yan Zhusheng on the court.

On the opposite side, Qiao Xinyan didn't back down, smiling as she called out to Ying Chanxi: "Xixi, go for it!"

Because the previous match ended quickly, the time was only half past five.

The PE teacher, seeing the lively crowd around, happily delayed the start, letting the two girls warm up first.

At this moment, Li Luo stood on one side of the net, his feet perfectly split—one planted on the left court, the other on the right, perfectly centered.

When Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng reached the sideline, Li Luo pulled out drinks, twisted open the caps, and handed them over.

After taking a sip, Yan Zhusheng returned the drink to Li Luo, then squatted down, seriously rolling up her pant legs.

On the other side, Ying Chanxi did the same.

It had to be said—girls rolling up their pant legs looked truly beautiful, exuding a unique athletic charm.

The school pants at Fu Yi Middle School were always loose-fitting; normally, one couldn't tell the girls' leg shapes at all.

Now, as both rolled up their pant legs simultaneously, they instantly drew countless glances from the crowd.

Yan Zhusheng's figure was tall and slender, her long legs perfectly proportioned; after rolling up her pants, her calves appeared slender and elegant, as if one hand could encircle them.

Ying Chanxi's calves were slightly shorter by comparison, but her calf muscles were adorable, her skin milky white, making one want to pinch them.

Today, Ying Chanxi had not let her hair hang loose, nor simply tied it up—she'd made a bun for convenience, exposing her Bai Xi neck.

Yan Zhusheng wore her usual high ponytail; as she picked up her badminton racket and stepped onto the court, her ponytail bounced rhythmically against her back, equally alluring.

"So, class monitor, who are you rooting for today?" Zhu Yufei grinned, sidling up to Li Luo and throwing an arm around his neck.

Li Luo gave him a deadpan look, then shoved him away: "You talk too much. Can't you just wait quietly for the match to start?"

"I'm just asking!" Zhu Yufei chuckled.

Beside him, Zhang Guohuang also snickered: "We've got to understand—on one side is your beloved cousin, on the other your beloved desk mate. Both are flesh and blood—you've got to support both!"

"Exactly, that's the logic," Zhu Yufei slapped Li Luo's shoulder hard. "Support both!"

As he said this, Lin Yuan and Fang Chen couldn't help laughing; the rest of Class Eight cast strange glances.

Li Luo glanced at his classmates, sensing their words carried hidden meaning and their eyes felt odd—but he couldn't quite say why.

At that moment, the PE teacher blew the whistle, signaling Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng to prepare.

Li Luo set aside his thoughts for now, immediately turning his gaze to the court, focusing intently on the match.

Since this was still the preliminary Swiss round, the match remained best of one set to 15 points.

But both girls were now 4-0, with no risk of elimination, so the spectators from Class One and Class Eight felt no tension.

Yet on the court, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng both grew solemn, fixing their gazes on each other, silently gripping their rackets tighter.

First serve: the shuttlecock was in Ying Chanxi's hands.

She gently tossed the shuttlecock, then flicked her racket, striking it swiftly toward the diagonal corner.

Yan Zhusheng's experience was indeed rich; almost the instant her racket touched the shuttlecock, she instinctively judged its landing point, sprinted forward, and returned it.

Perhaps because the match had just begun, Yan Zhusheng's return wasn't forceful; they traded shots back and forth.

Just the first point saw over a dozen exchanges, until Yan Zhusheng, with superior skill, executed a swift net kill that left Ying Chanxi no time to react—the shuttlecock landed.

Class Eight erupted in cheers upon seeing Yan Zhusheng win the point.

"Zhusheng, you're amazing!" Xu Yinghuan cheered from the sideline, then grinned at Li Luo. "Class monitor, Zhusheng already won—why aren't you saying anything?"

Li Luo twitched his lips, shot Xu Yinghuan a look, silently telling her not to stir up trouble.

Meanwhile, Ying Chanxi, having lost the point, picked up the shuttlecock and instinctively glanced toward Li Luo on the sideline.

Seeing him secretly give her a thumbs-up in encouragement, she bit her lip, her mood lifting slightly; she immediately regained confidence, her gaze growing resolute.

Soon, Ying Chanxi leveled the score.

The two girls traded shots fiercely; the growing crowd watched, utterly delighted.

Especially when they sprinted across the court, their beautiful calf muscles revealed elegant lines, radiating youthful vitality.

Midway through, Ying Chanxi's forehead glistened with sweat; stray strands clung to her cheeks, adding another kind of beauty.

Yan Zhusheng, by contrast, preserved her energy well—only slightly breathless, her high ponytail dancing with every step, radiating pure energy just by watching.

It had to be said—Ying Chanxi was actually quite strong.

Though it was clear she still lagged slightly behind Yan Zhusheng, she fought hard to bring the score to 10-7.

Unfortunately, Yan Zhusheng had no intention of holding back; after the halfway mark, she accelerated, and the score quickly reached 14-9.

Ying Chanxi gritted her teeth and won one more point—14-10.

But on the final point, Yan Zhusheng first lobbed a high serve, then followed with a net shot.

Ying Chanxi rushed desperately to the net, saved the shuttlecock, and lofted it high.

But Yan Zhusheng had already waited there; with a light leap, she swung her racket hard—a powerful smash, straight toward Ying Chanxi's diagonal rear.

Seeing this, Ying Chanxi's heart pounded violently; instinctively, she twisted her feet and sprinted backward.

Desperate to win, seeing the shuttlecock just out of reach, she launched herself into a full leap, diving toward where the shuttlecock would land—her racket barely touched it, but she had no strength left to return it.

Thud—the sound of Ying Chanxi crashing onto the grass.

The shuttlecock lay limp on the ground, signaling her defeat.

15-10.

Yan Zhusheng won the match.

But the moment she saw Ying Chanxi fall, Yan Zhusheng immediately dropped her racket, ducked under the net, and sprinted toward her.

Yet this time, someone moved even faster.

"Xixi! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Li Luo ran to Ying Chanxi's side, rolled her over, and slowly helped her sit up, asking with tense concern.

"I'm… I'm fine…" Ying Chanxi rubbed her knee, "It's not very painful, it's okay."

"You should still go to the infirmary for a checkup," Li Luo frowned, seeing a scrape on her knee, his heart tightening with worry.

"I didn't fall that badly… it's much better than last time at the sports meet," Ying Chanxi whispered, "Just help me stand up."

"Listen to me, don't move," Li Luo shook his head, one hand supporting her back, the other sliding beneath her legs; with a slight effort, he lifted her into his arms.

"Please make way, thank you," Li Luo walked calmly to the front of the crowd; as people instinctively parted to form a path, he carried Ying Chanxi toward the infirmary.

Watching Li Luo's retreating figure, Yan Zhusheng hurried after them, pressing her lips together.

Although she won the match… she felt strangely unhappy.