I'm A Math Idiot, So What? - Chapter 38

The first day after the holiday began with a class on “The Beauty of Mathematics.” It had been a while since I heard Professor Fang recite his usual incantation, and I surprisingly missed it.

As I entered the classroom holding a cup of instant coffee, a girl in a pink T-shirt printed with Mickey Mouse bounced over to me and waved energetically, “Hello, senior!”

I was taken aback for a moment. She pointed to herself, “I’m Ge Chunchun from the College of Chemistry. Before the holiday, I asked you about a certain guy and added you to the Inseparable Group.”

I suddenly realized, “Oh, the most beautiful girl in our class is named Ge Chunchun.”

Ge Chunchun blinked at me, “Is that a sweetener in your cup? Your words are so sweet.”

As she spoke, she pulled me over to the “leisure area,” where some classmates greeted me.

“Hi, I’m Pi.”
“I’m Swallow.”
“I’m Claire.”

A group of comrades had gathered. I introduced myself, “Hi, everyone, I’m the so-called widow Lin Meng, who blindly chose this class without looking at the second page, leading to this irreversible path.”

“Pleased to meet you.”
“I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Your name is well-known.”

I waved my hand and raised my cup, “Since we’re all on the same path to the underworld, I have nothing much to say. Let’s accompany our youth and live freely, toasting and singing as we share the splendor of life.”

Ge Chunchun remarked, “You’re amazing, senior! I can’t believe you actually quoted those lyrics. I started humming along as soon as you began.”

I set my cup down and took my book out of the eco-bag, “That’s because you haven’t heard me sing. We should go karaoke together someday.”

I was quite fond of this lively group of girls.

The petite girl named Swallow asked, “Chunchun, where did you leave off just now?”

Ge Chunchun clapped her hands, “Right, I just got started.”

She sat on the table, facing away from the blackboard, and asked me, “Senior, do you know who that guy I asked you about before is?”

Oh, I remembered. Ge Chunchun had asked me about Fang Congxin, and after I mentioned “helping her inquire,” I never followed up.

But before I could say anything, Ge Chunchun eagerly continued, “None of you will guess who he is! He is—drumroll, please—”

She clapped her hands to create a rhythm, building up the suspense, “He is the son of Professor Fang, who is said to kill anyone he sees, and ghosts too!”

Well, alright, girl. If you’re not cut out for the College of Chemistry, you might as well start a detective agency with those sleuthing skills.

The others gasped, “Is that true?”
“Are you kidding?”
“Do you have any proof?”

Ge Chunchun crossed her arms, “Proof? The proof is, don’t you all think he looks seven points like Professor Fang?”

Sorry I didn’t let you be a detective—truly a shame.

The crowd rolled their eyes, and Ge Chunchun hushed them, “Actually, of course, there is proof! How could I make baseless claims?”

Saying this, she took out her phone and pulled up a picture, flaunting it in front of us, “Here’s a fresh graduation photo from this summer of him at Peking University.”

It was a photo that looked like it had been accidentally taken by pressing the camera button on the phone. The image showed a lawn with graduates in caps and gowns clustering together in groups, posing in various ways. Some faces were clear, some were backs, and some were just shadows, making it hard to discern the main subject.

We huddled over the phone, studying it for a while, then looked up at each other, confused, “Which one is he?”

Ge Chunchun clicked her tongue and used three fingers to push the screen. The view near the bushes was slightly zoomed in, and she pointed at a dark figure above, “There! That’s him.”

“What the heck!” Claire exclaimed.

To be honest, the imprint left by Fang Congxin soaking in ink and rolling on rice paper would be more recognizable than this.

“You really have an eye for discovering beauty,” I genuinely complimented.

“It’s just average, really. Next, I’ll give you all a detailed report on my work achievements.”

Ge Chunchun stood up and introduced Fang Congxin like a product manager at a new product launch:

“This young man is a student from the Department of Information Science at Peking University, and he is graduating a year early. During his freshman year, he and another senior participated in a college entrepreneurship competition, won a prize, and made their first bucket of gold, after which he established an internet company called Mumu Tech. It’s said that the senior is also quite handsome, but he got married young, so that Sweeping Reaper removed his information. Otherwise, you could have appreciated him as well.”

“What chicken?” I interrupted her.

Ge Chunchun giggled, covering her mouth, “Oh, that’s a group I joined.”

She opened QQ and showed me the group name, which turned out to be called “Brother Sweeping Machine.”

Ge Chunchun continued, “Back to our young man. This genius finished college in three years and started a partnership in his freshman year, so naturally, he wouldn’t behave like an ordinary student just hanging around the campus as a mascot for others to admire. Other than the essential professional courses where he had to show up, he seemed to be a dragon that was seen rarely on campus.

Besides, he doesn’t use Weibo, has no friends on social media, and doesn’t participate in any other social media; he doesn’t accept interviews, so as a worker in the internet industry, he has left almost no traces of his life on the internet. It’s said that he acts low-key and has an introverted personality, so really, getting this photo wasn’t easy for me either. Fortunately, I took quite a few pictures in that previous class, so there’s no need to feel regret.”

I thought about the way he cosplayed as a guest in my home and really couldn’t imagine what an “introverted” Fang Congxin would look like.

Ge Chunchun’s words could easily be spun dry in a washing machine.

Swallow asked, “Since this young man is so low-key, how do you know he is Professor Fang’s son?”

“You’re hitting the nail on the head.”

Ge Chunchun jumped off the table: “Actually, the information I just mentioned came from a friend of mine whose roommate’s cousin is a good buddy at Peking University.”

Everyone unimpressively huffed.

“Oh come on, where would a poor family’s child find rich relatives? Where am I supposed to find friends from Peking University?”

She said this without irritation, “But I didn’t ask out of nowhere; someone gave me a name, and then I was able to search for clues. Can you guess who it is?”

“Stop teasing us; if you keep dragging it, we’ll be late for class.” Swallow lost patience and urged her on.

“Tong Xiao.”

Everyone collectively gasped: “Her!”

I was like a country bumpkin from a remote village who had never seen the world, asking ignorantly, “Who? Who?”

“Senior, you don’t know Tong Xiao?”

I shook my head, showing a desperate thirst for knowledge.

“Every ascetic who chose The Beauty of Mathematics keeps a deity of exams in their heart, and that deity’s name is Tong Xiao.”

I asked, “May I inquire how this young brother became a legend?”

Swallow shook her head: “No, no, no, Tong Xiao is a girl.”

After saying that, Swallow gazed into the distance, stroked nonexistent long whiskers, and gravely stated, “Last year’s exam for The Beauty of Mathematics had a scene of widespread casualties and devastation; I’m sure, senior, you’ve heard about it.

One could say that those who survived that battle are all heroes worthy of respect.”

However, standing atop those countless white bones was a celestial being untouched by a drop of blood.

At that time, she was just an unknown freshman, but after this battle, she became famous because—”

Swallow paused and looked at me, “She secured the only perfect score in the entire class.”

I gasped in astonishment.

“Which department is she from?”

“School of Computer Science. Senior, you know that their scholarships are considered the most prestigious in the entire school, right? At the end of last academic year, she received the special scholarship from their school.

Generally, such geniuses tend to be quite aloof, but Tong Xiao herself is warm and generous. Her family does business overseas, never worrying about food or clothing, but she usually works as a teacher at the Litop Training Center, which is very cosmopolitan.”

At this point, Ge Chunchun continued to educate me:

“Senior, I’m a local from Changning, so let me give you some insights. Changning High School is a well-known international school here, you know that, right?

The Litop Training Center is next to the international school; I heard it was founded by several teachers from Changning High School years ago. They primarily train for the SAT/ACT/AP courses, which are the SAT and American college preparatory courses; those scores are hard requirements for studying abroad in the U.S., and the competition in the mainland has been fierce in recent years.

The teachers there are like hidden dragons and crouching tigers, each one a high achiever returning from American universities; it’s not unusual to find PhD students from Ivy League Universities. The only exception is Tong Xiao, who is an undergraduate teaching there. Isn’t that amazing?”

Ge Chunchun’s speeding speech about Tong Xiao was very much like how I enthusiastically promoted my idol to others.

I nodded and snuck a handful of sunflower seeds from Pi, who had been quietly munching.

Swallow, being impatient, interrupted again: “Alright, there are only two minutes left until class. Everyone knows how impressive Tong Xiao is, so get to the main point quickly.”

“What was the main point again?” Ge Chunchun paused, “Oh, I remember!

Continuing on, the girls’ dormitory at the School of Computer Science and ours at the College of Chemistry are upstairs and downstairs from each other; they often visit one another.

A few days ago, I went upstairs to chat with my girlfriend, and while we were talking, I showed her a picture of that guy, just as Tong Xiao showed up at my girlfriend’s dormitory for hot water.

To hitch a ride on this lucky charm, I also took the opportunity to show her the photo. Who would’ve thought she looked puzzled and asked me why I was inquiring about Senior Fang.

How coincidental is that? It turns out that guy was Tong Xiao’s tutor.”

Swallow could not help but comment, “No wonder Tong Xiao has become a legend; she was trained personally by the little devil of a big devil’s family.”

My eyelids twitched. Despite being students, the gap between people is just so vast.

They get trained and become like dragons, while I get trained and remain a worm.

Ge Chunchun said, “Well, I thought the same at the time, so I immediately asked Tong Xiao to find out if she could get that guy to give us some online guidance. We weren’t asking for full marks, just to pass.

She readily agreed. I thought she was just being polite, but to my surprise, that afternoon, she came specifically to my dorm, looking apologetic, to tell me that the guy couldn’t help; he said he actually doesn’t take on students.”

My throat itched, and I couldn’t help but cough a little.

That guy had been tutoring one of his less capable students lately, classmates!

“Wait a minute, isn’t Tong Xiao her student?” Swallow said, and as she finished speaking, everyone looked at each other with ambiguous glances, making a series of “uh-uh-uh” sounds.

What are you all getting excited about?

Just because you tutor a student does it mean you’re in a romantic relationship? Tong Xiao is the main wife, and I’m still the minor concubine!

Claire said, “Seriously, are we bystanders here just to push along the main character’s storyline? Oh, come on, asking for tutoring and still helping the main character give out sweet moments, while they’re all lovey-dovey, and we’re just stuck here eating sour lemons.”

Ge Chunchun replied, “Well, don’t be too quick to get sour.

At that time, Tong Xiao was worried I’d be disappointed and said that if everyone really needed tutoring, she could help for free. She would also try to invite that guy to teach us a class.

I thought she was just comforting me, but not long after, she contacted me to ask me to estimate how many classmates would sign up, so she could prepare for the class.

Isn’t she beautiful and kind-hearted, destined to be the main character?!”

Everyone cheered and nodded in agreement.

Ge Chunchun rubbed her hands together, “Although Tong Xiao doesn’t lack money—her parents have settled abroad, and she goes to the training center to be independent like those American youths—however, we can’t really take advantage of her, right?

So, I figured that if we really want her to train us, we should split the cost based on the training center’s hourly fee standard.

You see, having the exam god personally come to tutor us won’t cost too much once shared; I think it’s a win-win solution.

Please think of any flaws in my plan, and if you think it’s feasible, I’ll post it in the group for everyone to sign up.”

Everyone agreed, praising Ge Chunchun for being considerate.

If you ask me, our struggling students have principles.

They have resources but don’t hoard them; they generously share everything with everyone first and seek opinions while drafting the sign-up list.

That’s what loyalty looks like.

I finished the last sunflower seed, dusted off my hands, and gave her a thumbs up.

At that moment, the bell rang, and the topic came to an abrupt halt as everyone took their seats.

Professor Fang, whom we hadn’t seen for days, entered just as the bell sounded.

I took out my phone and messaged Fang Congxin:

“Do you mind taking on ten more students?”

Fang Congxin replied: “One student counts as a dozen; what else do you want?”

I replied: “Sorry to bother you. Sniff sniff, can’t you speak to me nicely like you do with the main wife? I don’t take students…”

Ge Chunchun, still wanting to chat, leaned over and said, “Senior, two minutes ago, I officially became the head of the organizing committee for this tutoring session.”

“Congratulations, Comrade Leader.”

“If you have any questions about this tutoring session, you can talk to me.”

“I do have one question,” I said, frowning.

“What question? Is it about the teaching method or the fees?”

“Could you add me to that QQ group for your Brother Sweeping Machine?”

“…”

After class, Ge Chunchun energetically established a new QQ group named “The Beauty of Mathematics: The Divine Light of the Exam God Descends.” Within a couple of days, almost all members from the original ‘never-leave-you’ group were recruited by her persuasive charm.

The group’s frequently played golden song “Requiem” was upgraded to “La Marseillaise” due to Tong Xiao the savior’s appearance.

Faced with this flourishing momentum like the arrival of soldiers, I felt a bit restless.

Ge Chunchun called out to me on QQ: “Senior, why haven’t you signed up yet?”

I replied: “There’s a long decision-making period before every investment.”

Ge Chunchun said: “Last time, I saw you placing an order on Taobao during class; you were quite decisive.”

I responded: “Some things are worth it.”

Ge Chunchun continued: “Senior, everyone in our group is eagerly awaiting your participation.”

I asked: “Why is that?”

Ge Chunchun replied: “We want to witness the miraculous moment when the Exam God transforms decay into the extraordinary.”

I remarked: “Does Changning University still hold on to some excellent traditions of respecting the elders and loving the young?”

Ge Chunchun added: “Senior, Tong Xiao said she would predict the exam questions. Shh, don’t tell anyone else.”

Suddenly, I felt like I had another Austin Li whispering in my ear.

Although Fang Congxin is the son of Professor Fang and knows his father well, he doesn’t attend Professor Fang’s classes as faithfully as Tong Xiao does, so he might not be as brilliant when it comes to predictions!

Otherwise, how could Tong Xiao possibly score full marks? Is anyone really capable of getting full marks in this class?

I asked, “Why are you telling me such a secret?”

Ge Chunchun replied, “Senior, I’ve finally figured out why you used to sit alone at the back.”

She continued, “The Essential Balm you used in the last class lingered on me for three days in my backpack. Seeing how tormented you looked, I genuinely couldn’t bring myself to leave you behind.”

I said, “Goodbye.”

Ge Chunchun asked, “Are you signing up or not?”

I responded, “Yes. With Fang Congxin tutoring and Tong Xiao predicting the questions, a combination of Eastern and Western remedies ensures great results!”

Ge Chunchun replied, “It’s a thousand for one.”

I exclaimed, “That’s too expensive! Didn’t you say it would be a bargain price? Is this cabbage grown on the Moon?”

Ge Chunchun said, **”Senior, that’s the early bird price; it’s going up to two thousand tomorrow. Do you know how much the hourly rate is for teachers at the Litop Training Center? Half of the top graduates from the whole city go there.

Besides, where can you find questions for a thousand? The retake fees are more than that. If you don’t spend money, you can’t get the questions!”**

I thought to myself, could you have graduated from a sales university like Fang Congxin?

But what she said resonated with me completely, and I swiftly transferred a thousand yuan on the last day of the early bird price.

After being double-skimmed by Fang Congxin and Tong Xiao, my wallet suffered a historic blow.

I was already living on dirt, and now I couldn’t even afford that; I’d have to survive on nothing but the northwesterly wind.

Time to earn some money!