I'm A Math Idiot, So What? - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Don’t Let Your Heart Stir (1)

But karma always catches up; what goes around comes around.

Fang Congxin had always held the upper hand, exploiting my weaknesses and keeping me on the defensive. Little did I know that reinforcements would arrive so quickly.

After the latest “The Beauty of Mathematics” lecture, Ge Chunchun and I were walking out when someone called out, “Xiaomeng!”

I looked up and saw Teacher Feng. She was wearing a dark crimson linen Tangzhuang suit, her face glowing with vitality and her spirit remarkably vigorous.

“Grandma, what brings you here?” I exclaimed, overjoyed. “Professor Fang is still surrounded by students asking questions.”

Teacher Feng shook her head. “I came to see you.”

“Me?”

“Won’t you treat me to lunch in the cafeteria?”

“Of course! Of course!” I hurriedly led her toward the cafeteria.

The sun was still blazing, and she stood to my left, the side where my arm was weak. I struggled to hold the umbrella with my right hand, managing to shield most of her from the harsh light.

As we turned a corner, Teacher Feng subtly shifted to my right side. “Though Fang Rui teaches here, this is my first time visiting Changning University,” she remarked.

“Really? Then after lunch, I’ll give you a tour.”

To make conversation easier, I took Teacher Feng to a private room in the cafeteria’s stir-fry section.

Teacher Feng settled in, fanning herself with a folding paper fan she carried. “Next time I come, I’ll definitely have you show me around properly,” she said. “But today, I actually came to ask you a favor.”

Seeing her so solemn, I figured she had some serious business for me. I didn’t even bother looking at the menu, instead leaning forward with my ears perked up to hear what Teacher Feng had to say.

“Xiaomeng, could you accompany Congxin to the dentist?”

“Huh?!”

Did I hear that right?

Teacher Feng, whose hearing wasn’t great, asked, “What did you say?”

“Just go to the oral surgery department at Changning Hospital. There’s a doctor there I know well, Dr. Zhang. Mention my name, and he’ll know what to do.”

I licked my lips and said, “Grandma, of course I can accompany him, but—” I scratched my nose. “Fang Congxin is a grown man. Seeing a dentist isn’t exactly a big deal. Would it be a bit embarrassing for me to tag along?”

Teacher Feng dabbed her face with a handkerchief and smiled kindly. “For most people, seeing a dentist is just a trivial matter, but for Congxin, it’s a monumental ordeal. I don’t know why, but he’s been terrified of dentists since he was a child. His wisdom teeth have been tormenting him these past few days. He’s in so much pain he can’t sleep, and half his face is swollen. Yet he still refuses to go. He’s a grown man, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to accompany him. That’s why I’m asking for your help.”

I imagined Fang Congxin, the arrogant and invincible Fang Congxin, howling in tears at the hospital, and I couldn’t help but want to burst out laughing.

I never imagined you had such a hidden side to you!

I scratched my head. “Grandma, I doubt Fang Congxin would even want me to go.”

Teacher Feng shook her head. “Nonsense.”

“Why me, specifically?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Teacher Feng neatly folded her handkerchief and placed it in her reusable shopping bag. “Oh, darling, don’t overthink it. I simply don’t know many young people in Changning who also know Congxin.”

Aiya, Grandma, you just don’t get it.

After all this probing, did she think I was asking because I wanted to hear that she had no other choice but to come to me?

Of course, I wanted her to say, “Because you’re different from other girls in his eyes,” and then reveal how he’s been treating me specially behind my back, in ways I never knew.

It’s obvious Grandma hasn’t read enough romance novels.

Seeing my silence, Teacher Feng frowned. “If you don’t want to go, then—then how about I introduce you to a business opportunity? I heard you’re renting an apartment. Expenses must be quite high, right?”

That perked me right up.

Forget romance novels—I’m all about business war novels!

I asked eagerly, “What kind of business?”

Teacher Feng replied, “I have a friend, about my age. He’s a major pig farmer who’s been selling pork his whole life.”

“They’re updating the family genealogy and want to delve into the history of pig farming, to package it for their corporate culture. They asked if I knew anyone who could handle it.”

“I heard you studied history. Do you think you’d be up to the task?”

“I’m flattered by your confidence in me, but my focus is primarily on human history. As for the history of pigs…”

“If it’s well-written, they’re willing to pay at least ten thousand yuan.”

“The history of pigs is clearly a future blue-ocean research direction. And you know what? I have a real soft spot for pigs. I’ve watched Peppa Pig three times! You’ve come to the right person.”

Teacher Feng smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Excellent. I’ll contact him as soon as I get back. Now, about Fang Congxin’s tooth…”

I thumped my chest confidently. “Leave it to me.”

“Even after all that talking, he might still refuse to go to the hospital.”

“I’ll carry him there myself. I’ll be his legs.”

“Oh, then I can rest easy.”

After a vegetarian meal with Teacher Feng, I wiped my mouth and dashed toward the Information Management Center.

I’d finally figured it out: birds of a feather flock together. Teacher Feng and Fang Congxin were both master negotiators.

If I hadn’t gotten Fang Congxin to the hospital to have his tooth extracted first, Teacher Feng would never have given me that phone number.

In other words, the obstacle standing between me and my path to riches was Fang Congxin’s wisdom tooth. I absolutely had to get rid of this roadblock.

The moment I entered his office, I stealthily locked the door, drew the blinds in front of Tong Xiao, who was visible through the glass window, and then sat down opposite Fang Congxin with a fawning smile.

“Hello, Scaredy Fang.”

So that’s why he hasn’t been swaggering around me for days. His face was indeed too swollen to bear looking at.

Fang Congxin shot me a cold glance as I entered. “Oh, that face—are you raising pork belly meat?”

I quipped back with shameless absurdity, “Why hasn’t our country’s AI technology advanced to the point of remote, painless tooth extraction yet?”

Fang Congxin propped up his hand to cover half his face, still refusing to engage.

This was the first time I’d ever seen him so docile—look at those Bambi eyes.

Seeing his continued indifference, I kicked his leg. “What’s a grown man afraid of a tooth extraction for? They give you anesthesia; it doesn’t even hurt.”

“You’ve never had one.”

“I—I haven’t. But I may not have eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run. Besides, I’ve had surgery on my hand before—that can’t be easier than a tooth extraction, right? I have a right to speak on this.”

“The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you’ll be out of pain.”

“No, it’s better to get it out early. Less pain that way.”

“Just listen to me.”

Fang Congxin glanced at my hand again. “It really doesn’t hurt that much. How else could I have gone back to school so soon after my surgery?”

“It’s not the pain I’m worried about,” I retorted. “I just hate feeling out of control, completely dependent on someone else.”

“So what if you’re afraid of pain? Why come up with some ‘high-tier’ excuse? Do you think you’re some domineering CEO?”

Fang Congxin’s face was already swollen and lopsided, but my sharp retort only made it look even more distorted. Seeing his pained expression, I softened my tone. “Your birthday’s coming up soon. What do you want for a gift?”

He tilted his unswollen cheek toward me. “Tell me what kind of gifts you can afford first.”

“Didn’t your elementary school teacher ever teach you that ‘expensive’ and ‘precious’ aren’t the same thing?” I countered. “Air is free, but it’s incredibly precious, you know? Even if I can’t buy you a gift, I can make you something.”

“Like what?”

“A paper airplane?”

Fang Congxin turned away irritably again.

I grabbed his face and forced him to look at me, my voice brimming with excitement. “I got you a puppy!”

His eyelids flickered. “I don’t want one.”

“We can raise it together! When you’re in Beijing, it stays at my place, and when you’re in Changning, it stays at yours.”

“Look, I get summer and winter breaks, while you’re busy being a globe-trotting jet-setter. Isn’t raising a dog together a perfect example of the sharing economy?”

With a raised hand, I vowed, “I promise I won’t let the puppy end up as miserable as Nemo.”

Fang Congxin seemed somewhat intrigued, sniffing thoughtfully before asking, “Where did you get the dog?”

“Sister Xu’s dog hasn’t even given birth yet,” I explained. “This one came from her friend’s place—a three-year-old Papillon. Her friend’s immigrating and looking for someone to adopt her dog.”

“You didn’t spend a dime,” Fang Congxin remarked. “What a bargain gift.”

I immediately rolled up my sleeve to show him. “What are you talking about? Look what Sister Xu did to me just to get you the dog!”

He leaned in for a closer look. “Those are just mosquito bites, aren’t they?”

“They may look like mosquito bites, but they’re not,” I insisted. “Analyze them carefully—don’t they look more like… bite marks from Sister Xu?”

Fang Congxin immediately sat down, clearly tired of my nonsense. “So, do you want it or not?”

He glanced down at the documents, grunting, “If you’re so insistent, I’ll try keeping it.”

I immediately seized the opportunity, saying, “If you want to ‘take care of it,’ then go get that tooth pulled.”

Fang Congxin looked up, annoyed. “Why do you care so much whether I get my tooth pulled or not?”

“Hey, is it wrong for me to care about you?” I retorted.

Fang Congxin froze, speechless for a long moment.

I pulled him to his feet. “They say a toothache isn’t a serious illness, but when it hits, it feels like the end of the world. I can’t bear the thought of losing you. Come on, let’s go.”

Fang Congxin chuckled, “It’s not like I’m going to die that easily,” letting me pull him up anyway.

“True,” I replied, “the wicked live a thousand years.”

Fang Congxin gave my head a shove. “I’ll go tell my colleagues I’m leaving. Wait for me in the office.”

Mission accomplished! I spun in my swivel chair, enjoying the air conditioning, and texted Teacher Feng to report my flawless execution of the task. As I heard footsteps approaching the door, I turned around, calling out, “Let’s go, Scaredy Fang!”

To my surprise, it was Tong Xiao, her face dark with displeasure.

She must have seen Fang Congxin and me playfully tugging at each other earlier.

Before, when I’d deliberately tried to get closer to Fang Congxin, she’d shown no reaction at all.

This time, my casual actions unexpectedly propelled the plot straight into a heated confrontation.

I shot up from my chair, warily eyeing her.

I wonder if this intellectual powerhouse, capable of knocking me out of the first round in a “match-three” game, is equally formidable in verbal sparring. To minimize the perceived gap in our intelligence and soften the blow of my inevitable defeat, I had to focus entirely on her next words.

Her crimson lips parted slightly, and in a voice unusually loud for her, she declared, “Senior Lin Meng, you’ve missed three classes!”

This feint was cleverly unconventional, but I wouldn’t be so easily diverted. With brazen audacity, I retorted, “I skipped those three classes to hang out with Fang Congxin.”

Come on, spit it out! If you dare slap me, I’ll declare Fang Congxin yours—and even make you take him to the dentist for a tooth extraction!

But Tong Xiao retorted arrogantly, “I don’t care what you and Senior are doing together—that’s your business. But I won’t tolerate students failing in my class and tarnishing my reputation.”

“Lin Meng, if you skip the next class—” She narrowed her eyes, glaring at me menacingly.

“I’ll tell Senior about your secret rendezvous at the cram school!”…

Haiyan, oh Haiyan!

You need to get a grip!

You stormed in here just to tell me this?!

Is my math your concern?!

I clasped my hands together and pleaded humbly, “I’ll definitely be there next time.”

“If you don’t finish your homework beforehand, I won’t reveal the predicted exam questions to you.”

“Sigh, I have to get it done.”

“Learning requires unwavering persistence.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“Anyway, Lin Meng, remember this: I won’t tolerate any of my students failing.”

“Same world, same dream. I feel the same way.”

“Good then.”

With that, Tong Xiao clicked her heels and strode out.

Tong Xiao had barely left when Fang Congxin arrived. Seeing me standing there in a daze, he asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head, watching Tong Xiao’s retreating figure. “Fang Congxin, when you’re in love, do you like it when your partner teases you, mocks you, scolds you, or even threatens you?”

Fang Congxin, clutching his swollen cheek, glanced at me. After a long pause, he said, “I guess I find it kind of… amusing sometimes.”

I stared at him in astonishment.

So he had known all along that beneath Tong Xiao’s docile exterior lay a prickly heart.

It was highly likely he actually enjoyed her contrasting charm.

“I have a song I want to sing for you,” I declared.

Seeing Fang Congxin frown, I quickly added, “Even if you can’t stand it, I’m singing it.

This song was specially composed for people with your M-type personality and has become a classic.

Listen up!”

I cleared my throat and began to hum in a bel canto style:

“I wish to be a little lamb, to follow her side by side. I wish she’d take a slender whip, and gently strike me with pride.

In that faraway land, there dwells a fair maiden so dear~”

Before I could finish, Fang Congxin, unable to bear the humiliation, abandoned me and fled to the parking lot.

Throughout my live rendition of “In That Faraway Land,” Fang Congxin drove silently to Changning Hospital.

However, as we circled for a parking spot, Fang Congxin finally broke his silence, saying, “Look, there’s nowhere to park. Should we just go back?”

I realized that after all my singing, he’d rather drive around longer with me than face the hospital. He was truly terrified of getting his tooth pulled.

Would he be so scared he’d cry?

Only time would tell.

I grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the oral surgery clinic.