Ji Zhouye found himself rooted to the spot outside a gaming store.
"My dearest great-grandma, considering how diligently I’ve been taking care of you, could you buy me this brand-new gaming console?"
A cutting-edge gaming device had just hit the market—massive screen, ultra-smooth performance, stunning ray-tracing effects… and a price tag that wasn’t too steep, just over thirty thousand.
But with his pockets currently empty, he had no choice but to turn to his great-grandma for help.
Rong Yu smiled. "One condition: improve your monthly exam ranking by ten places."
Ji Zhouye stammered, "Uh… that’s a pretty big leap. Can we negotiate?"
Rong Yu’s smile widened. "Or we can play a round. If you beat me, that works too."
Ji Zhouye: "…"
Who in their right mind used mathematical formulas to predict player movements? There was no way he could win against that.
"Then what should we do?" Rong Yu spread her hands. "Poor grades, terrible at games—how am I supposed to go easy on you?"
Ji Zhouye: "…"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up with an idea.
He grabbed Rong Yu’s arm, shaking it playfully, his voice dripping with sweetness. "My eighteenth birthday is coming up soon. Doesn’t that deserve a proper coming-of-age gift? Think of it as an early present, okay? Please?"
Just then, a voice chimed in from the side. "Sis, you’re here too?"
It was Rong Ruoyao.
She’d been curious about what Rong Yu and Ji Zhouye were always doing together, glued at the hip.
And now, she’d overheard something utterly shocking.
Wasn’t Ji Zhouye the school’s notorious bad boy? The guy who strutted around like he owned the place? Yet here he was, whining like a little kid begging his mom for candy.
Seriously, was this what a normal boyfriend-girlfriend relationship looked like?
Song Huai was also taken aback.
But he never showed his emotions, speaking calmly instead. "Ji Zhouye, my uncle actually bought this console for me yesterday. I’m not into gaming, so consider it your coming-of-age gift."
Ji Zhouye’s expression darkened instantly. "Wait, where did you two even come from?"
Just moments ago, he’d been all soft and pleading, like a kid begging for sweets.
Now, his face twisted with irritation. "What I buy is none of your business. Who asked you to butt in?"
Rong Ruoyao’s face fell. "We’re all classmates here. Song Huai was just trying to be nice. Was that really necessary?"
"Did I ask for his ‘kindness’?" Ji Zhouye snapped back, fully reverting to his usual arrogant self. "And who even wants this trashy game? I don’t care about it."
Rong Ruoyao bit her lip.
The way Ji Zhouye treated her versus Rong Yu was like night and day.
Hadn’t he confessed to her before? How could his feelings vanish so quickly?
She didn’t actually like Ji Zhouye.
She just liked the feeling of being adored and pursued.
At that moment, a crowd suddenly swarmed around them.
"Hey, isn’t that Yaoyao?"
"Rong Ruoyao, the winner of the first season of Star Dream!"
"She’s even prettier in person, like a doll!"
"…"
The first episode of Star Dream had aired just yesterday. Backed by the Ji family’s promotional power, the show’s popularity skyrocketed, frequently trending on social media.
Rong Ruoyao already had a fanbase before the show aired, and after delivering an outstanding performance in the first episode—plus taking first place—her followers had surged by over a hundred thousand overnight.
Now, she was surrounded by fans, flashing sweet smiles as she posed for photos and signed autographs…
Ji Zhouye and Rong Yu got shoved aside in the commotion.
He shielded Rong Yu with his arm, guiding her out of the crowd.
As soon as they stepped out of the store, a girl with blunt bangs gasped, staring at Rong Yu. "You—you’re Rong Yu from Star Dream, right?"
Before Rong Yu could respond, the girl rushed over, her voice trembling with excitement. "Rong Yu, I’m your fan! Could you… could you sign this for me?"
Rong Yu blinked in surprise.
She had fans now?
She’d only joined the show to fulfill her childhood dream of singing. She never expected anyone to actually like her because of it.
The girl wilted slightly. "I-If it’s not convenient, that’s okay…"
Rong Yu unzipped her backpack and pulled out a pen. "Where should I sign?"
The girl’s eyes sparkled as she hastily produced a notebook. "Here! Right here!"
Rong Yu noticed the page was covered in simple math formulas—probably middle school level. "Are you in junior high?"
"Ninth grade," the girl admitted, scratching her head sheepishly. "Is it bad to be a fan at this age?"
Rong Yu scribbled a message: "Study hard, aim high. Hope to see you as my junior at Hai Cheng No. 1 High! —Rong Yu."
She looked up with a smile. "That’s where I go."
The girl clutched her notebook to her chest, cheeks flushing.
Hai Cheng No. 1 High was one of the top schools in the city, with insanely high admission scores. Her mediocre grades made it seem like an impossible dream.
But—
Rong Yu had called her "junior."
Ji Zhouye was putting in the work to earn some extra cash.
He’d been reciting poetry late into the night, and the next morning, he was the loudest voice in the classroom during reading time.
The moment he started studying, his slacker friends felt too guilty to keep sleeping or playing on their phones, so they joined in. With the class’s worst students suddenly putting in effort, the average students panicked, afraid of being overtaken, and quietly pulled out their books too.
The top students, feeling the pressure, doubled down on their studies.
During breaks, Rong Yu’s desk was always surrounded—by the class president, the study committee member, or the league secretary.
These three were the top performers in Class 20, but across the whole grade, they barely cracked the top hundred. The reason? Their science scores were abysmal. Out of a possible 300 points, they barely scraped past 100, dragging their overall rankings down.
Rong Yu tilted her head. "Have you considered that your science scores are low because your math foundation is weak?"
The class president frowned. "I always score around 130 in math. That’s not bad, is it?"
The study committee member opened her mouth to say she usually got 120-plus.
Then Rong Yu said, "130 isn’t bad? Out of 150, you should be aiming for at least 148."
Class president: "…"
League secretary: "…"
Study committee member: "…"
Outside the elite classes, barely anyone scored above 140 in math.
Rong Yu pulled out a math workbook. "Math is the foundation of all sciences. Master mathematical thinking, and science becomes easy."
She circled a problem. "This is a college-level question, but it can be solved with high school methods…"
The three exchanged glances.
They hadn’t even fully grasped high school material, and now she was throwing university problems at them?
Wasn’t this a bit too ambitious?
But Rong Yu looked dead serious, more invested in their grades than their homeroom teacher. Swallowing their doubts, they returned to their seats and started working on the problem.
