I'm A Math Idiot, So What? - Chapter 40

The System Group was right next to our floor, but it exuded a much more imposing presence. Just their open space occupied almost an entire level of the office building. Due to years of overtime and Chief Li promoting the idea that women should be treated as men and men as workhorses, the entire area carried a unique odor reminiscent of a boys’ dormitory.

So, I completely understood why Tong Xiao chose to sit temporarily at a small desk near the office entrance; the air was definitely better there. I still had a packet of oatmeal in my pocket and wondered if using that as a gift for building connections was a bit too shabby. Suddenly, I could hear some chatter coming from behind. One of the voices sounded extremely familiar; just by hearing it, I could imagine him as the type who would fold blankets, take showers, and do laundry in a boys’ dormitory—someone who surely had what it takes to play the leading role.

Driven by a sharp sense of curiosity, I quickly leaped into an empty workstation, casually picked up a magazine to shield myself, and sneakily peeked through the gap between the magazine and the partition to catch sight of a familiar face. My whole series of movements flowed smoothly, revealing that the person was clearly Zhuo Wei’s successor. Oh my, it really was Fang Congxin!

However, Fang Congxin did not disappoint my effort to come prepared to see handsome guys. He looked different today than in the past. Previously, when we met, he was dressed very casually with fluffy hair, and there were a few unruly strands sticking up from his crown, very youthful—which led me to mistakenly think he was a freshman at our first encounter. But today, he appeared in a completely different light while at work. He wore a fitted white shirt and a narrow black tie, and his hair was simply tousled, exuding a vibe of an elite.

How is it possible for someone to embody both a youthful exuberance one moment and then instantly transform into the mature and steady aura of a boss? Alright, Mr. Fang, weren’t you busy with a project? I’ve felt like I’ve been sent to the Cold Palace these past few days, with no opportunities for “favor” or tutoring, so how come you have time to come here? I silently lowered the magazine by an inch and saw Tong Xiao walking toward him, seemingly holding a printed document.

What was this? Discussing work? I squinted, trying to access my mental database for information.Ge Chunchun said that Fang Congxin’s company is called “Mumu Tech.” The last time I looked for Brother Sun in the System Group, it seemed like I saw him drawing a tree diagram on paper for a system upgrade benchmarking unit, and one of the winning companies might be called “Linlin”? I repeated “Mumu Tech” and “Linlin” in my mind and finally figured it out. I also mentioned how Brother Sun’s handwriting is like those wide bowls of noodles—really big and broad. So it wasn’t Linlin, but Mumu Tech. Therefore, the Changning project that Fang Congxin mentioned is actually our school’s system upgrade! Speaking of which, has his startup now reached the level to take on such significant business?! I looked at Fang Congxin, then at Tong Xiao, and couldn’t help but marvel that while they all had two eyes and one nose and were of similar age, some had already become the leading figures in the industry, like Fang Congxin.

Then there was Tong Xiao, a top student with a quality scholarship who still had to intern everywhere. Meanwhile, here I was, adrift at the edge of my career with a failing grade, at ease but still gossiping like a low achiever. One can see all kinds of people in this world. I also finally understood why everyone was murmuring during the “Beauty of Mathematics” class a few days ago.

Tong Xiao and Fang Congxin stood together—like a golden boy and a jade girl, a pair of perfect matches. If this were a TV drama, the audience would immediately recognize that these were the main characters making their entrance. I had also put in my two cents. A couple of days ago, I told my mom to wait for half an episode because the female lead was about to appear, only to realize later that the female lead had already been developing the plot elsewhere without my knowledge. However, I had grasped a much bigger gossip than those girls in the “Beauty of Mathematics” class.

I remembered the secret that Fang Congxin shared with me, so I quickly sent a QQ message to Ge Chunchun: “Does Tong Xiao have a boyfriend?”

Ge Chunchun replied: “How could that be!”

She continued: “No.”

I asked: “Is it ‘how could that be without one’ or ‘how could that be? No.’?”

Ge Chunchun replied: “It could be either.”

I said: “Do you believe I will pour a bottle of Essential Balm into your bag next week during class?”

Ge Chunchun responded: “Alright, alright. Apparently, there’s a handsome rich second generation who has been chasing her for many years, but it’s unclear whether they are boyfriend and girlfriend or just good friends.”

I remarked: “Then why are you so gossipy?”

Ge Chunchun replied: “If I don’t have a CP, are you saying I can’t even gossip about one?”

I said, “Sure, your CP is real. I’ll play you a song called ‘The Truth is the Truth.'” I silently closed the chat window. This matched up perfectly. Fang Congxin had mentioned before that the person he likes has a boyfriend. I had thought that Fang Congxin could sweep the world with his looks, but now that I see someone like Tong Xiao, it’s clear that winning her over isn’t a simple task. Their appearances and intelligence are evenly matched, and it seems Tong Xiao’s heart is not easy to pry open. No wonder he’s been feeling so troubled. I was quite interested in watching the two of them and secretly decided to keep following this eye-catching drama!

If only this were a TV show, I could hit the remote and turn up the volume a bit. The on-site audio was just terrible; I wished I could take my ears off and move them two or three meters closer. Being this close, I still couldn’t hear a word clearly, but I saw Fang Congxin smile at her. Fang Congxin’s eyes are deep and bright, and when he smiles, the corners of his eyes lift slightly, making him very charming.

Tong Xiao’s lips curved into a smile as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, exuding all sorts of charm. Speaking of which, did Tong Xiao bribe God or something to get beauty, intelligence, and wealth all at once? A colleague called out “Meeting,” snapping Fang Congxin out of his thoughts. He turned his head and smiled at Tong Xiao again, and she waved back at him with a smile. I was feeling a bit bored watching this silent drama, considering whether I should update CP fan Ge Chunchun with the latest gossip, when suddenly something light caught my attention, and I was illuminated.

Fang Congxin was standing in front of me, taking the magazine from my hands to check the cover, and seriously said, “Is there some hidden treasure in this ‘Changning University Information Data Research Insider’? You can only understand it by looking at it upside down?” I awkwardly scratched my neck, “Reading like this can cure neck and shoulder pain. Haha, haha.” After laughing for a while and noticing he wasn’t leaving, I felt I couldn’t just walk away. I scratched my neck for a long time and finally said, “Wow, what are you doing here?”

“You got here really early,” Fang Congxin said, eagerly reading one of the articles.”You’re not in the Operations Group today; you came here to play?” He casually flipped through the magazine. “How did you know I was in the Operations Group?” As soon as I asked, I remembered. According to our agreement, I had already shared everything I could, and at the time, he had even complimented me on my admirable spirit of self-sufficiency. Boohoo, you big boss are stealing someone else’s job! I swallowed that cheeky line and then said seriously, “You should just go do your work.”

“Since you have so much free time, why not solve some problems? I’ll send the questions to you later.” He tapped my head with the magazine, and at the call of a colleague in the distance, he finally moved his legs to where he needed to be. After taking three steps, he turned back, standing a few feet away from me and said, “Wait for me to go home together tonight. I think I can leave work on time today.” The previously noisy office suddenly fell silent. In an instant, all the clerks who had been focused on their work raised their heads like ducks responding to a caretaker’s command.

…Seriously, why was it that just a moment ago, when he was speaking to Tong Xiao, it was all soft words and intimacy, like they had soundproofing installed? Meanwhile, the audience collectively went deaf and heard nothing, but when it came to me, the pure audio quality was transmitted directly to the listeners’ ears? I was still hoping to cultivate one or two male friend candidates in the System Group, and Director Li had even told me to choose freely in this monastery, with buy-one-get-one-free offers and easy exchanges.

I’m telling you, you’re spreading false information and disrupting my normal market order. Everyone, let me explain; it’s not what you think. I and Fang Congxin are not in any kind of relationship. Please do not spread rumors—”Tong Xiao, take your laptop and join the meeting,” Fang Congxin called out to Tong Xiao at the meeting room door. He glanced back at me, “You—go downstairs and buy me a cup of coffee.” Fang Congxin strode confidently into the room, and soon, a crowd of onlookers surrounded me like zombies.

I decided to take an extreme measure, so I raised three fingers to the sky and swore, “I have a clean and innocent relationship with him. If I’m lying, may lightning strike me.”

“Crack!” A bright flash of light shone through the curtain, followed by a continuous rumble of thunder coming closer. Damn, I forgot the weather forecast said there would be thunderstorms today. Please, does Thor really need to rush over and steal the show?”So you and Little Chief Fang are a couple, huh? Tong Xiao still belongs to everyone, right?” one bystander said.

“Thank you, Lin Meng, for creating this opportunity for us,” another chimed in.

“Honestly, I see more of a couple vibe between you and Little Chief Fang,” a third one interjected.

I silently glared at the third person. They looked up at the sky for two seconds and said, “Looking complementary also counts as a couple vibe.”

Why are you all so excited about this? Can’t one of you feel even a tiny bit of jealousy or disappointment about my rumors?! Previously, when I wandered here, everyone claimed I was about to graduate with no partner, saying I could pick any guy I wanted without resistance, like generous revolutionary warriors marching to their deaths. Yet, in the blink of an eye, you all drag me out to be the center of attention!

I teared up and rushed out the door, taking the emergency staircase two steps at a time, running straight to the coffee shop downstairs to vent my frustrations.

“One Americano,” I said, panting, as I walked over to the small counter to grab some milk foam.

“You can get a croissant for just three extra bucks today. Want one?”

I shook my head. With job security shaky, I couldn’t afford to be extravagant. When my order was ready, for some reason, I suddenly remembered my dad had casually mentioned Fang Congxin had a stomach bleed. Little Tiger said Fang Congxin had been pretty busy lately; could it be that he was working himself so hard that an illness returned? If he’s not well, who will tutor me?

To be honest, Fang Congxin’s tutoring was somewhat effective. Thanks to Essential Balm last week, I managed to stay awake during Professor Fang’s class. He can’t fall ill. Right now, he’s like the thermal underwear I wear in winter—easy to put on but hard to take off.

“Actually, I’ll take one croissant,” I said.

“For an extra five bucks, you can have two!”

“No thanks, just one is fine.” Poor people can’t afford to buy two croissants.

“For an extra ten bucks, you can get a little phone charm!”

“Oh?“Let me take a look,” I said, leaning over the counter to see. Poor people can’t afford bread, but they can always afford little trinkets. The attendant brought out a few items. I immediately spotted an adorable penguin. “You have great taste! This one is paired with that one wearing a necklace, and they can’t be sold separately unless you add twenty bucks. You could buy it for your boyfriend.”

“Do you need to have a boyfriend to deserve a penguin?” I asked, hands on my hips.

“It’s a good luck charm! With a penguin, you’ll have a boyfriend. Penguins represent loyal love,” the attendant said with a smile.

“Alright, then I’ll take a pair.”

“That’ll be forty-eight in total.” My eyelids twitched. “Why is it so expensive?”

“Love is priceless.” As I paid, I said, “Miss, you’re too good at selling to be stuck in this shop. You’re just the next Konosuke Matsushita!”