Chapter 141: What Defines the Final Year of High School?

If you were to ask students which year of their decade-long schooling was the most grueling, many would surely say, without hesitation, their senior year of high school. Indeed, entering the senior year means resigning yourself to a sea of practice problems and the company of the dark night. The mountains of textbooks piled high on desks, the sight of students diligently studying by the window in the dead of winter, and the repetitive, monotonous routine of the daily grind—this is the kind of soul-crushing experience that leaves an indelible mark on every senior student.

During the second semester of the senior year, everyone races against time to study. At this stage, even the time it takes to go to the restroom is considered a luxury. Amidst such intense days, although the explosive news of the breakup between Xiao Lin and Wang Yuqing kept the students and faculty of Chuangxin High School buzzing for a few days, it was only for a few days. Soon, everyone was entirely consumed by the pressure of their studies.

In a corner of the Class One classroom, Xiao Lin sat with headphones on, pen in hand, buried in a difficult physics problem. From time to time, he would mutter to himself; had anyone been nearby, they would have realized he was reciting English. Xiao Lin was multitasking, solving physics problems while listening to an English audio lesson. This was Xiao Lin’s unique talent—a feat that would leave many other students struggling to exhaustion even if they focused on just one of those tasks. Xiao Lin, however, handled both with ease.

Wang Yuqing, meanwhile, was scribbling in her math textbook, circling specific formulas and jotting down notes beside important examples. Only after this preparation did she take out her math test paper. Wang Yuqing approached exams differently from others; she was in the habit of working from the back of the paper to the front. She tackled the hardest problems first, then the easy ones. In her own words, starting with the difficult questions helped save time. Since tackling hard problems required her brain to work through complex logic, she could capitalize on that high-speed mental state to breeze through the simpler questions afterward. It was a strategy that yielded twice the result with half the effort—though it was a method unique to her. Every top student has their own study habits, but none are universally effective.

"Oh my god, how can there be so many more?" Yuan Weiye sighed, stretching his back after finishing one math paper. But upon seeing the mountain of papers still waiting, he let out a groan toward the ceiling before diving back into his work. The entire classroom was deathly quiet, every student writing furiously. In fact, it wasn’t just this class; students across the entire senior grade were studying hard, and even the teachers in the offices were busy preparing their lessons.

It had been three weeks since Xiao Lin and Wang Yuqing broke up. In those three weeks, they hadn't spoken a single word to each other. Xiao Lin no longer participated in any group activities, and he went out to eat alone every day. He had returned to the way he was in his freshman year—aloof and going his own way.

"Bang!" The classroom door swung open. "Linlin, I’ve brought you something good to eat!" A booming, masculine voice instantly shattered the classroom’s silence. Many students glared at the person who had interrupted their studies.

"Uncle, this is a school. Please keep your voice down. We’re all studying," the class monitor, Liu Xiaoming, stood up and complained to the middle-aged man standing at the door.

No sooner had Liu Xiaoming finished speaking than he felt a sharp rap on his head. "Daring to talk to my father like that? Looking for a beating?" Furious, Liu Xiaoming turned to see who was challenging the authority of the class monitor, but the moment he saw his assailant, his anger vanished, replaced by a sheepish grin. "Oh, so the uncle at the door is your father, hehe." The person who could make even Liu Xiaoming fearful was, naturally, the tough girl, Tan Linlin.

After rapping Liu Xiaoming on the head, Tan Linlin ran out of the classroom, beaming.

"Linlin, I’ve brought you the meat burgers you wanted." Tan’s father handed her a large plastic bag filled with burgers.

Tan Linlin took them happily and gave her father a warm hug.

"Thanks, Dad, but please don't tell Mom you came to school, or she’ll start nagging again." Tan Linlin rolled her eyes and whispered to her father.

"Alright, alright, don't worry. You've been working hard lately, haven't you? If you want anything to eat in the future, just give your old man a call, and I'll bring it right over." Her father looked at his daughter with affection.

"Got it, thanks, Dad!" Tan Linlin was already rummaging through the bag.

"Linlin, study hard then. I'm heading off." Her father waved and left the school.

Tan Linlin walked back into the classroom, clutching the bag with a grin.

Ten minutes later, a soft melody began to play. The students set down their pens; the long lunch break had arrived. Every time the long break began, Chuangxin High School would play light music over the broadcast system to help the exhausted students relax. Wang Yuqing no longer worked at the broadcasting station; in fact, it was run by sophomores now.

"Here, Xiaotong, for you." Tan Linlin picked a large burger from the bag and handed it to Xu Tong. She then stood up and gave one to Wang Yuqing, Kang Yan, Wang Tao, and the others in their social circle.

"Tan Linlin, you’re so good to me, you even gave me two!" Yuan Weiye’s eyes went wide with joy when he saw the two burgers in his hand. However, Tan Linlin raised her right foot and kicked him in the backside, sending him stumbling.

Tan Linlin took a bite of her own burger and gestured with her chin toward Xiao Lin’s direction, signaling that one of the burgers was for him. Yuan Weiye understood. "Damn it, Xiao Lin is acting so cold lately, and I’m the one who has to go poke the bear," he grumbled, walking toward Xiao Lin.

Xiao Lin was squinting, gently rubbing his temples; the continuous high-intensity study had left him weary.

"Boss Xiao, I’ve brought you something tasty," Yuan Weiye said with a grin.

"I’m not eating," Xiao Lin said coldly, his eyelids barely moving.

"Oh, come on, it’s really good. Have some mercy and take it, or the others won't let me off the hook," Yuan Weiye said, playing the victim. He knew Xiao Lin was susceptible to being soft-hearted even if he didn't respond to force.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xiao Lin pointed at his desk. "Leave it there."

"You got it!" Yuan Weiye quickly placed the burger on the desk and walked back, looking pleased with himself.

The aroma of the burger made Xiao Lin open his eyes; truthfully, he was quite hungry. He glanced forward and saw Wang Tao and the others huddled together, chatting and eating, everyone looking happy. *Sigh.* Xiao Lin sighed softly. Once upon a time, he had been able to laugh and joke within that little group, but now...

Wang Yuqing took a small bite of her burger, chewing slowly. She snuck a glance at Xiao Lin and saw him staring blankly at his burger with a look of profound loneliness. Her heart gave a painful tug. It felt as if Xiao Lin were from a different world, always lingering in solitude. Wang Yuqing longed for him to be part of their group again, joking and playing, but that seemed like a luxury now.

"Hey, Yuqing, what are you spacing out for? We’re asking you a question!" Tan Linlin’s voice snapped Wang Yuqing back to reality.

"Ah... what question?" Wang Yuqing brushed her bangs aside to hide her momentary distraction.

"We were discussing going ice skating this weekend to blow off some steam," Kang Yan said.

Ice skating—would Xiao Lin go? Wang Yuqing couldn't help but look at him again. Tan Linlin noticed the movement, coughed, and shifted her body to block Wang Yuqing’s view. Tan Linlin was naturally carefree, so she wasn't angry at Xiao Lin anymore—otherwise, she wouldn't have let Yuan Weiye bring him a burger. But that didn't mean she wanted to play matchmaker again. She knew Wang Yuqing still had feelings for Xiao Lin, but she believed it was better for them to stay apart for now.

"I think I’ll pass," Wang Yuqing said, feeling dejected as Tan Linlin blocked her view.

"No way. You’re not just skipping out because you want to. You’re coming with us," Tan Linlin said dictatorially.

"Linlin..." Wang Yuqing pouted.

"It’s decided," Tan Linlin said with a wave of her hand.

"Um, Tan Linlin, should we also call..." Wang Tao gestured toward Xiao Lin.

"That..." Tan Linlin hesitated. Suddenly, she saw Xu Tong nearby, and an idea struck her.

"Change of plans. We girls will go ice skating by ourselves. You boys can go fishing instead."

"Huh?" Wang Tao looked bewildered. What was this?

Tan Linlin pulled Wang Tao’s neck toward her and whispered, "Xiao Lin and Wang Yuqing shouldn't be hanging out together right now, so we need to keep them apart. Since Xiao Lin and Xu Tong have a bit of friction, you guys going fishing is the perfect way to smooth things over."

"I see. I never thought someone as carefree as you could be so thoughtful. Alright, it’s settled. Don't worry, without us girls around, we’ll make sure Xiao Lin and Xu Tong’s relationship gets back to the way it was. But Xu Tong is easy; I’m not sure if Xiao Lin will be willing to go. You know his personality has changed," Wang Tao said with a frown.

"Dummy, get Yuan Weiye to do it. He’ll definitely find a way," Tan Linlin said, nudging her chin toward Yuan Weiye.

Wang Tao turned to look at Yuan Weiye and gave Tan Linlin a thumbs-up.

Meanwhile, Yuan Weiye, currently lost in the joy of his food, had no idea that another daunting task had just fallen onto his shoulders.