I could have gotten used to the darkness, had I not seen the light.

During class, Shen Nian hurriedly finished writing the remaining set of exam papers.

Every teacher who came in couldn't help but want to praise him when they saw how diligently he was studying.

Whether students were slacking off or focusing was crystal clear from the podium. They always thought they could get away with secretly napping, but in reality, the teachers just chose not to call them out.

Like now—looking around, everyone seemed sluggish, even the class monitor, Xia Yanchun, wasn’t fully awake.

Except for Shen Nian!

He sat upright, gripping his pen, deep in thought—sometimes frowning, sometimes pondering, and occasionally breaking into an enlightened smile.

Solving complex math problems was like dealing with constipation. When you finally pushed through and everything flowed smoothly, the grin on your face was unstoppable.

That was exactly the triumphant look on Shen Nian’s face—clearly, he’d just cracked a tough problem.

Such dedication! This kid had the makings of a genius.

The math teacher had been outsmarted by Shen Nian a few times before—catching him working on other subjects’ homework during math class. Today, the teacher made a point to walk over and check. Seeing Shen Nian actually working on a math exam, his mood instantly soared.

Who could understand the sheer satisfaction of seeing the top student in your subject finally tackling your exam in class? Pure bliss.

But since he’d already praised Shen Nian before, he held back this time—no need to inflate the kid’s ego.

The double math period, including break time, lasted ninety minutes. Shen Nian finished the exam just as the bell rang.

An unfamiliar final problem had slowed him down a bit—otherwise, he could’ve been even faster.

The legend of the speedrun math exam.

Exhausted, he took advantage of the long break. Xia Yanchun had woken up by then, so Shen Nian casually strolled over to her desk. He didn’t say anything, just quietly admired her for a moment.

What an adorable Yanchun.

“Did you just sneak in a nap?” Shen Nian grinned.

“Mhm… First day back after break, and even with enough sleep, I’m still exhausted.”

“Just kidding—you’re like this even when it’s not the first day back.”

“True… How are you so energetic?”

“Slept at 2, woke up at 5. Extreme exhaustion leads to the opposite—when you’re pushed to the limit, you just become hyper-aware.” Shen Nian tossed out a random excuse. Like he’d let her in on his secret.

What’s wrong with the king slumming it with the peasants?

Still groggy, Xia Yanchun ignored Shen Nian’s nonsense. After shaking off the sleepiness, she picked up her water bottle and stood, brushing past him to refill it.

Like they were strangers.

After getting breakfast from him, she acted like she didn’t even know him. What a heartless woman! So cruel, Yanchun!

With Xia Yanchun still half-asleep during the break, Shen Nian didn’t bother pestering her further. Instead, he wandered out to the hallway, leaning against the railing to enjoy the breeze.

His hair had gotten a bit long—the wind tousled his bangs, tickling his forehead.

The school wasn’t strict about appearances. As long as students wore at least one layer of the uniform jacket and avoided dyed or permed hair, no one really cared.

Shen Nian sported a natural, slightly messy layered cut. He’d first gotten this style back in middle school, when the barber in his hometown insisted it would suit him—claiming he’d look impossibly handsome with it.

He’d believed it. Ever since, he’d always asked for the same cut. He didn’t fuss over it much—just ran his fingers through it occasionally. High school boys weren’t exactly meticulous about hairstyles.

It wasn’t like he was a college student who needed to impress people at mixers.

Maybe he’d drag Xia Yanchun along for a haircut after school and treat her to a wash.

Tugging at his hair, he suddenly noticed someone appear beside him. Glancing sideways, he saw Chen Qiuyu.

And she wasn’t moving.

“You’re blocking my breeze,” Shen Nian muttered, bracing himself for another cringe-worthy line from her self-styled “tragic youth” repertoire.

“Since when do you own the hallway?” Chen Qiuyu rolled her eyes.

“Hah, seeing you act normal is a relief.”

My bad, Qiuyu. Misjudged you. As long as you’re not spouting nonsense, we’re good. Still friends.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Was I not normal before?”

“No, no, you’ve always been normal.”

“Shen Nian, I…” Chen Qiuyu suddenly lowered her gaze, hesitating.

“What’s up?”

“Save me again… I don’t want to keep falling like this. I could’ve endured the darkness if I’d never seen the light—”

“Stop!”

Seriously? Can’t you just talk like a normal person? This is so cringe, Qiuyu. Where do you even dig up these middle-school-level tragic lines?

Shen Nian mentally facepalmed. He’d thought Chen Qiuyu was finally acting sane, but no—she’d been saving this bombshell for when his guard was down.

Anyone overhearing would think he’d done something terrible to her. “Falling into darkness”? Sounds downright ominous.

“Just say what you mean,” Shen Nian sighed, wondering if her dad should book her a session with a psychiatrist.

“I—I failed the math monthly exam… sobs…”

A youth-stricken girl meets an unfeeling math problem—struggles desperately but scores no points.

“Pfft, that’s it?” Shen Nian scoffed.

Oh, so you could tolerate failing until you finally passed once—now you can’t go back, huh?

So you’re just here to beg for math tutoring. Thought it was something serious.

Shen Nian had already bailed Chen Qiuyu out once in their sophomore year.

Back then, she’d constantly sat with him to study—strictly academics. He’d put in serious effort to help her grasp the basics, and her math scores had climbed from 60 to 90—barely passing.

Clearly, she’d slacked off over summer break. Now, even the easier weekly quizzes were tripping her up.

Still, Chen Qiuyu’s overall grades weren’t bad. Even with math dragging her down, she scored 599 total.

If she could push math to 110 or 120, she’d hit 640-650—solidly in the “mini-genius” range.

“Why not ask the class monitor for help?”

“Because I think you explain things better,” Chen Qiuyu admitted.

Sure, Shen Nian could be harsh, but her improvement sophomore year was undeniable.

“Tch—well, if you put it that way, how can I refuse? Consider it done. We’re bros, after all.”

Wait, why is there background music?

Chen Qiuyu blinked, wondering if she’d imagined it.

“Uh… I’m a girl, you know?”

“Same difference. Bros it is.”

“Right, right. Bros, then. I’ll just pretend I’m a guy.” Chen Qiuyu gave in. If “bro” was the price for his help, so be it.

Not like Shen Nian treated girls any differently anyway. Did she really think being cute would spare her from his scolding?

Back in elementary school, when she’d calculated that a class had 23.6 boys or that a bunch of bananas cost 350,000 yuan, even the math teacher hadn’t yelled at her. But Shen Nian? He’d roasted her into oblivion just for using the wrong formula.

Plenty of girls in class had been on the receiving end of Shen Nian’s “encouragement.” But everyone took it in stride—it was more teasing than actual malice. Shen Nian was too good-natured. Without him, the class would lose half its laughter.

“I’m counting on you!” Chen Qiuyu bowed solemnly.

“No big deal.” Shen Nian waved her off, distracted.

Because a system panel had just popped up between them.

[Side Quest Triggered: Save the Disheartened Adventurer]

【Mission: Help a disheartened adventurer regain her confidence after failing to slay monsters!

Reward: 2000 gold coins】

Alright, a disheartened adventurer, huh?

Well, that’s perfect—’cause your boy here’s a top-tier adventurer.

The school bell rang, and Shen Nian went to the restroom before heading back to the classroom.

Teaching Chen Qiuyu math wasn’t actually that hard.

Then again, he wasn’t planning to teach her properly anyway.

Yanxi Reminder: Due to Tomato’s request for over 3 million daily visits overwhelming the servers, we now recommend switching to other major sources.