When Teacher Liu arrived to tutor Ye Qianying, she was nearly startled to see that the single student she had agreed to teach had multiplied into seven or eight.
However, years of experience handling unexpected situations in the classroom quickly steadied her nerves. Just a few extra students—no big deal, really.
After all, herding one sheep wasn’t much different from herding a flock. At most, she’d just need to print a few more test papers.
Among the group, some had come with a sense of amusement, curious to see how Ye Qianying was starting her studies from middle school material.
But the moment Teacher Liu began the lesson, everyone was stunned.
—Wait, the tutoring session was for math? Qianying, why didn’t you make that clear from the start?!
Ye Qianying shrugged. "You all started laughing the moment you heard I was studying from middle school level. None of you even asked which subject I was catching up on."
These kids all came from families well-off enough to send them abroad, and they’d grown up immersed in English. Two of them had even been raised by foreign nannies. Since most of them were destined for overseas education, their English grades were decent.
But beyond English…
Take Chinese, for example. While someone like Zhan Lulu managed fine, a few of the boys couldn’t even be bothered to write an 800-word essay, let alone memorize classical poetry.
And math? If you didn’t pay attention in class, it might as well be hieroglyphics.
Ye Qianying had spent all three years of middle school gaming—did they really think they were any better than her?
If seeing the math teacher counted as the first blow, then the moment she pulled out test papers at the start of class was nothing short of a critical hit.
—What? The first thing in tutoring is a math test? Could life get any worse?
Ye Qianying smirked. "To be honest, Teacher Liu developed this habit because I love taking tests. It’s the best way to gauge my progress."
After all, in a month, she’d have to pass the system’s assessment to complete her mission, right?
Teacher Liu cheerfully handed out the test papers, watching as the students slumped over their desks, twirling their pens in despair. Forty minutes later, she collected the papers, and the group of underachievers looked as though they’d narrowly escaped death.
"I think I attended a fake middle school," Mu Pan declared first.
Zhan Lulu craned her neck toward Teacher Liu. "Teacher, you should still give partial credit for solutions beyond the scope, right? I forgot the middle school methods and just used high school trig for the geometry problems."
The rest of the underachievers, well aware of their own academic limits, wisely avoided further humiliation.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Teacher Liu returned the graded tests. The students exchanged glances, comparing scores, and realized they were all equally hopeless—no room for mockery here.
Only Ye Qianying stood out, her paper marked with a glaring red 109, a number that stabbed at the others’ pride.
Both sides stared at each other in disbelief.
"Even if it’s a middle school test, Qianying, you’re too good."
"I’ve never scored this high on a high school math test, and those are out of 150," Lian Deng muttered, fixated on the number.
"Qianying, you weren’t just steering forum discussions—you were telling the truth! Admit it, you’ve been secretly studying this whole time after leaving school!"
Ye Qianying looked just as stunned as they were.
Sure, she’d spent a week reviewing these concepts, giving her an advantage. But before that, she hadn’t touched math in ten years.
Her underachiever friends had only been in high school for one semester—how had they managed to score a jaw-dropping 41?
Even writing a single "Solution" under each problem would’ve bumped their scores.
…What had they been learning all this time?
Baffled, Ye Qianying lifted the test paper, scrutinizing it. Was it really that hard? It didn’t seem so—the tested concepts were straightforward.
Her system chimed in encouragingly. "Well done, Host. Keep this mindset."
Ye Qianying: "Huh?"
"The daily mentality of a top student is: ‘This is so simple—how could anyone not get it?’ You’re already at the threshold. Maintain this."
Ye Qianying: "…And what about underachievers?"
"Screw this, what kind of nonsense question is this? I’m out!"
Ye Qianying: "…"
She relayed the system’s summary to her friends, who immediately cheered in delight.
"Qianying hasn’t abandoned us! She’s still one of us!"
Ye Qianying gave them a cold, merciless smile. "You’re wrong. I love studying. Studying brings me joy."
She couldn’t remember if math had given her this much trouble back in school.
But now, the middle school curriculum seemed logically structured, with concepts building upon one another. Algebra and geometry were mostly separate, only occasionally intersecting in problems.
In other words, middle school math was simple—it didn’t dig too deep.
She’d already covered most of the material. Routine proofs and short answers were no challenge; only the final two problems required extra effort.
Lately, she’d been focusing on mastering those.
Teacher Liu adored Ye Qianying as a student. As a long-time homeroom teacher, dedication to her students was second nature.
Seeing Ye Qianying wrestle so determinedly with the toughest problems, she couldn’t help but advise her.
"You’re in high school now—you don’t need middle school exam scores for admissions. People call our education ‘test-oriented’ because exams have focal points. At this stage, your foundation is solid enough. If you’d like, we can start high school math tomorrow. If you’re still curious about these problems, you can always ask me when you’re stuck. How does that sound?"
Ye Qianying appreciated Teacher Liu’s kindness.
But her reasons for studying middle school math weren’t as simple as outsiders assumed—even without entrance exams, she still had the system’s assessment to face.
Scoring 109 on Teacher Liu’s test might only translate to 109 on the system’s evaluation. And while 109 and 110 were just one point apart, that single point meant a full 1% of her recovery progress.
If she relied on daily tasks alone, it would take her 100 days to earn that 1%.
Not to mention the 5% recovery tied to a perfect 120.
"I’m sorry, Teacher," Ye Qianying said politely, smiling. "I like things to be complete."
For example, a perfect test score, an unblemished face, a pair of healthy legs, and... a life free from regret.
However, when Teacher Liu mentioned high school-level knowledge, it gave Ye Qianying another idea.
Ye Qianying silently called out to the system in her mind: "If I use knowledge beyond middle school level to solve this test and my approach exceeds the syllabus, will I still get credit?"
The system's electronic voice rose slightly in response: "The system's exams are not limited by your problem-solving methods. As long as your answers are correct, they will be accepted."
With that reassurance, Ye Qianying felt at ease.
She pushed the test paper further toward Teacher Liu and said, "Teacher, I really want to master this type of problem, even if it means using advanced methods. I’m willing to learn new approaches—after all, knowledge is never wasted."
Teacher Liu glanced at the problem, then studied Ye Qianying thoughtfully before finally nodding.
"Then I’ll teach you a few competition-level problem-solving techniques. If you can’t keep up, just let me know anytime."
Without a word, Ye Qianying pulled out her notebook.
...
That night, the system watched as its host, armed with her newly acquired knowledge, swiftly solved nineteen complex problems in a row.
In addition, a new folder had appeared on the small bookshelf by Ye Qianying’s bedside, alongside her meticulously organized math notes.
The label on the folder read: "Competition."
"It’s already 11 PM, host. Time for bed." Following Ye Qianying’s previous request, the system reminded her promptly at 11:00 Beijing time.
Ye Qianying set down her pen, neatly arranged her scattered notes, and tucked them all into the newest folder.
But after finishing everything, she didn’t follow her usual routine of washing up and going to bed.
Instead, her fingers instinctively combed through her hair—smooth as water, allowing her hand to glide effortlessly from root to tip.
Running her fingers through her hair had become a habitual gesture whenever she was deep in thought. After all, the silky strands provided by the system felt even more satisfying than petting a cat.
Not only did Zhan Lulu often nuzzle against it, but even Ye Qianying herself adored the luxurious texture.
Once, her caregiver had tried tying her hair back with a ribbon. But the satin bow had barely been loosely tied before it slid right off—her hair was simply too smooth.
The scene was so comically dramatic that the caregiver stood frozen in shock.
Later, the caregiver switched to clips and lace to manage Ye Qianying’s hair, though she also quietly asked where Ye Qianying had bought such a realistic wig.
Ye Qianying: "..."
Though these little misunderstandings had happened, they didn’t stop her from absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, watching it cascade like water from her palm.
She was reviewing the day’s events, a habit that often helped her notice details she might have missed in the moment.
"System, is there anything else I should know—like being allowed to use advanced problem-solving methods in the system’s tests—that I haven’t discovered yet?"
The Learning System replied, "Essential functions will be announced as soon as they’re unlocked. But additional uses must be explored by the host."
That meant there were indeed undiscovered features.
Ye Qianying wrapped a strand of hair around her fingertip. "Can I take a look at the beauty enhancement prize menu?"
The system’s voice turned hesitant. "Apologies, host. You don’t have access to that feature."
She hadn’t expected much, so the answer didn’t disappoint her. Instead, she kept piecing together clues from the system’s tasks to map out her permissions.
"My main mission is the math exam in three weeks, right? Before then, can I take a practice test created by the system?"
"Certainly," the Learning System responded readily. "Would you like to activate the simulated exam mode?"
"Oh, there’s such a feature?" Without hesitation, Ye Qianying decided, "Activate it."
Another test? Bring it on.
