Chapter 47: That Year's Apricot Blossom Rain, I Lowered My Head to Look at the Quest Panel

Walking home after evening self-study, Jiang Nian made a deliberate mental note of the date.
October 6th, the second day after making up with Xu Qianqian.
Xu Qianqian: "Must you be so girly about it!"
High school students possess a certain vibrant beauty—slender figures, untainted and un-dyed hair, brimming with vitality. Except for those who have just finished evening self-study, since the bell doesn't ring until nine-forty.
In Zhennan County, even textile factories wouldn't dare demand overtime this late.
In reality, the brutal daily schedule has left some high school students physically battered and shattered. They look listless all day, their faces plagued by acne and excess oil, their hair greasy.
Only a handful maintain a glamorous appearance—mostly day students with good grades and wealthy families, or boarders who are equally well-off... Oh, for crying out loud.
The wealthy truly have no need for excessive anxiety; their main focus is leveling up with effortless joy.
The reason Xu Qianqian has good skin is simply because she genuinely goes to sleep early. Old Xu isn't necessarily home every day, randomly spawning between the hospital and the house, a routine she has long since grown accustomed to.
Anyway, meals are handled at school, and holidays are dealt with as they come.
It's not that Old Xu doesn't care, but rather that he tends to drown his sorrows in work. However, since there is no woman in the house, it naturally remains cold and desolate, meaning no cooking is required.
Coupled with the helping hands of the Jiang Nian couple next door, he doesn't have to worry too much either.
The two of them walked side by side on the way home beneath the dim, yellowish streetlights.
Jiang Nian yawned. "I am profoundly exhausted today."
"Is there a day you're *not* exhausted?" Xu Qianqian pouted, unable to resist pulling a stern little face to admonish him. "You just moved up a class, you still need to put in some effort. There are exams at the end of the month."
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've completely forgotten such a tragedy existed," Jiang Nian laughed heartily.
Looking at Xu Qianqian, who stood a whole head shorter than him beneath the orange glow of the streetlamp, a rather dark thought crossed his mind: with that height, how could she possibly kick off the quilt at night and let any draft in?
"Hmph, I can't be bothered with you anymore!" Xu Qianqian gritted her teeth, turned on her heel, and marched off.
"Hey, why are you getting all flustered over a couple of words? Such a drama queen," Jiang Nian called out as he chased after her, seamlessly pivoting back to the topic. "Actually, there's a math problem I wanted to ask you about..."

October 7th, 6:30 AM, no rain.
He still wanted to ask for sick leave.
Weren't they already at school yesterday? Why on earth did they have to go to school again today?
He had heard of a study god in his class, someone whose grades rivaled Xu Qianqian's. They went to sleep at ten-twenty every night, woke up at five-thirty, and practiced for an extra hour every single morning before heading out.
Unfailing like clockwork, and they had kept it up for two months. While Jiang Nian was sleeping, that person was working hard; while Jiang Nian was working hard... that person had already ascended to godhood.
Brushing his teeth and staring into the mirror, Jiang Nian put on an earnest expression.
"I cannot keep degenerating like this! Youth is meant for striving, not for wasting! Tired? Who isn't tired? As long as it doesn't kill you, study yourself to death!"
...
"Nian-ge, stop sleeping. Wake up, class is about to start." Li Hua nudged Jiang Nian, who was slumped across his desk.

Jiang Nian sat up like a zombie, his eyelids feeling glued together. After drooping his head for a good while to recover, he uttered a classic line:
"What period is it?"
"Third period. You slept so terrifyingly through the first two English classes that I genuinely thought you were going to die right next to me."
Hearing this, Jiang Nian was dumbfounded. Two periods had passed in a daze.
"Why didn't Qian-bao wake me?"
"Who knows? Qian-bao just glanced at you once and kept right on lecturing," Li Hua said with a sigh. "Probably figured that even if you woke up and did math, it'd be no different from not waking you at all."
What kind of cuckolded commentary was that?
The truth hurt: Qian-bao simply couldn't bear to watch him better himself.
After chatting in low tones for a bit, Li Hua wore a peculiar expression.
"Are you telling me that for the sake of studying, you've been anxious all night long, poured immense energy into it, and already developed moderate agitation along with severe bipolar disorder?"
"Yes."
"Then what time did you finish your homework after getting home last night?"
Jiang Nian's expression twitched slightly. "Ten o'clock."
Li Hua froze for two full seconds before instantly forming a grand imprisonment-suppressing finger gesture with his hand.
"School lets out at nine-forty! That means you didn't write a single second of it, you little punk!"
Midway through math class, having rested through two English classes, Jiang Nian was now attending math class with the utmost sincerity. Senior year of high school was exhausting; properly rationing one's energy was completely normal.
Ding! The system interface popped up.
Oh, come on, not during class!
With no other choice, Jiang Nian had to take a peek at the virtual system task interface.
[At thirty-eight years of age, your gym workouts are beginning to show initial results. You have lost three kilograms. Maintain your mindset; appropriately rewarding yourself is also a crucial part of the counterattack.
Task: Indulgent Consumption (limited to remaining system reward currency), Reward: Triple refund.]
Having finished reading, Jiang Nian casually swiped it away.
It was blocking his math problem.
He looked up. Huh?! No way!! Where had the lecture gotten to? Just a moment ago he had been following along with rapt attention, frequently interacting with the math teacher, so how...
Ah, Math, back in that year of apricot blossom rain, the moment I glanced at the task interface, how could you change so much?!!
So unfamiliar, your tone so icy.
Such a heartless scoundrel!
He glanced at his desk mate, Li Hua. The draft paper was completely blank. Oh, for goodness' sake, did he really hope he'd been blind for the previous second? Is this what science prodigies looked like when they acted like total fools?

He made a mark next to the previous problem, planning to ask Li Hua after class.
Asking the math teacher was something he didn't dare do; that foul-tempered middle-aged uncle would merely shoot him a look, demanding to know what monkey business he had been up to in class, asking why he didn't listen during the lecture only to come asking questions afterward.
Then he would lecture him while grumbling complaints, his mood roughly comparable to Ma Su's after the fall of Jieting.
Letting one's mind wander in class was the ultimate sin of Nian.
In contrast, Li Hua was much more cost-effective, possessing ordinary yet reliable emotional intelligence. With him around, steadily climbing up in math was not a dream—at the very least, it would bump him up a small tier.
The moment class ended, Li Hua bolted for the door.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Jiang Nian grabbed him by the collar. "I've got a problem to ask you, don't move."
"Ask me this afternoon, it's urgent!"
"Is your bladder about to explode? Relax, I'll bring the trash can over for you in a second," Jiang Nian said, burning with thirst for knowledge. "At worst, I'll do a duo queue with you in the restroom, alright?"
"No, bro, it's PE class!" Li Hua was practically flying, struggling to break free. "I'm telling you, the basketball courts are about to be taken!"
From the doorway, Ma Guojun shouted.
"Hurry up, Li Hua! Are you trying to steal a camp defense or what?"
"Coming!"
Jiang Nian watched the retreating figures of the two, deep in thought.
Thud, thud, thud!!! After PE class entered free-activity time.
With a fluid crossover, Jiang Nian easily shook off Li Hua, banking the ball off the backboard into the hoop with a sharp thud. Then, stepping right in front of Li Hua, he declared loudly:
"Do you like PE class or not, huh? Baby! Say something!"
Li Hua wore a tearful expression. "Bro, what's your deal? Why have you been hunting me down this whole time?"
"Tell me the solution to the third sub-question from class, and I'll go right back to the classroom," Jiang Nian flashed a smile. "Otherwise, I'm going to guard you until the final bell rings."
"Fine, fine, fine, I submit to you." Li Hua retreated from the basketball court, picked up a white stone from nearby, and used a patch of concrete to write out the solution right then and there.
Five minutes later, Jiang Nian experienced an epiphany.
"I see. Go play your basketball."
Li Hua asked curiously, "Are you really going up to do homework? Aren't you going to play with us?"
"Nah, there are young maidens upstairs." Jiang Nian waved his hand and bid farewell.