Chapter 12
Outside, a fountain pen lay quietly amid the bushes.
The system asked Cheng Xuyuan, "Did you use some sort of magic spell just now to make the protagonist's little brother kneel?"
"He kneeled due to the majesty of a deity like me," Cheng Xuyuan solemnly responded.
"You just increased the atmospheric pressure around him by a dozen times, forcing him to kneel," the System cracked his ruse.
Cheng Xuyuan chuckled lightly, "There's no hiding anything from you."
At that moment, Gu Juncheng, who had been searching for a while at the door, finally found the fountain pen. He carefully wiped it clean, revealing an exasperated smile, softly uttered, "You're too impulsive."
Although he said so, his eyes were filled with deep appreciation.
Ever since the Pen God personally taught Gu Minghao a lesson, the latter had stopped his sarcastic remarks towards Gu Juncheng at home.
Gradually, the house became much quieter.
________________________
A few days after the midterm exams, the parent-teacher conference was held on schedule.
Gu Minghao still refused to believe that those study notes were written by Gu Juncheng. He was convinced that Gu Shuo would embarrass himself at the parent-teacher conference. And he, along with his mother, would undoubtedly be the focus of attention.
Upon arriving at the school, Gu Juncheng and Gu Shuo remained silent throughout. Watching Gu Shuo enter the classroom, Gu Juncheng nonchalantly left the school and went out to play with the Pen God.
As the parent-teacher conference began, Teacher Zhu got straight to the point: "In recent times, our Class 8's overall performance has been improving, with some students making significant progress..."
Generally speaking, such praises had nothing to do with Gu Juncheng. Gu Shuo sat in his seat, staring blankly at his son's textbooks until the teacher called out his name, but he didn't react right away.
"Is Gu Juncheng's parent here today?"
After Teacher Zhu confirmed several times, Gu Shuo finally realized his name had been called. He hurriedly nodded, signaling his presence: "Yes, I'm here..."
Gu Shuo wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling a creeping sense of nervousness. Based on his previous experiences attending parent-teacher conferences, having his name mentioned was never a good sign; either it would be about Gu Juncheng's deteriorating grades or Gu Juncheng not taking his studies seriously...
In summary, there is absolutely no good word to say.
However, Teacher Zhu said with great emotion: "Our Nancheng No.1 High School has always been a place full of hidden talents, and there are no few students who make remarkable achievements in the third year of high school. But it's truly rare in our school's history to see someone like Gu Juncheng who has made such enormous progress!"
Gu Shuo was stunned, thinking there must be something wrong with his ears.
"Mr. Gu, could you please stand up and share how your child has been studying lately?"
As Teacher Zhu warmly invited him to share his experience, Gu Shuo hesitated for a moment before standing up and saying, "Indeed, the child has been locking himself in the room studying recently. I heard he ranked within the top 100 in the recent exams..."
"The top 100?" Teacher Zhu looked at him in surprise, "Gu Juncheng's mid-term score is the first in his class and 20th in the whole year!"
Gu Shuo was dumbfounded. Rank 20th in the year – that's a score Gu Minghao couldn't even achieve!
He hurried to say: "It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent guidance. My son's great progress couldn't have been made without Teacher Zhu..."
Teacher Zhu continued praising, "Gu Juncheng also loves to help his classmates. The scores of the three students around him have all made significant improvements..."
After she finished speaking, the other subject teachers took turns to speak.
The math teacher said, "Gu Juncheng's math score is 148, which is really surprising! His mathematics has ranked first in the grade for three consecutive times!"
The English teacher said: "We have a student in our class who got full marks for essay writing — that is Gu Juncheng. His English score ranks 5th among the science students!"
The physics teacher said: "The average score for physics isn't ideal this time, we were at the bottom in the whole grade. But we have one student who ranked 3rd in physics — that's Gu Juncheng!"
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By the end, Gu Shuo had nearly become numb to the praises. After the parent-teacher meeting, he looked blankly at Gu Juncheng's desk and murmured to himself, "Did I walk into the wrong class?"
After repeatedly confirming that this indeed is Gu Juncheng's seat, Gu Shuo finally felt assured. He initially came to the meeting expecting criticisms, yet to his surprise, he had become the envy of other parents. This unexpected turn of events made him feel extremely gratified.
"Old Gu, we have met before, haven't you forgotten?"
A parent whom Gu Shuo didn't recognize at all approached him. This parent casually started a conversation and wondered if Gu Juncheng had recently signed up for any tutorial classes.
Hearing this, the surrounding parents all gathered around, surrounding Gu Shuo.
Feeling embarrassed, Gu Shuo said, "To tell the truth, I have never enrolled him in any tutorial classes..." He had enrolled Gu Minghao in one, but it didn't yield much improvement.
The other parents assumed he didn't want to disclose this in public. Every one of them hastily handed him their contact information and business cards.
Gu Shuo had never seen such a spectacle before. He quickly accepted all the name cards, immediately feeling a surge of invigorating energy.
After the parent-teacher meeting, Zhang Yu returned home with a delighted smile on her face. She cheerfully said to Gu Shuo, "Oh, going to Hao Hao's parent-teacher meetings is always such a joy. He ranked 30th in the entire grade this year. His English teacher even complimented him on his excellent essay writing."
Gu Shuo gave her a glance, devoid of any expression.
Zhang Yu didn't get a response, so she was a little upset, and asked again: "How did your son do in the exam? Did he embarrass you again this time? Let me tell you, don't go to his parent meeting..."
Gu Shuo threw Gu Jun Cheng's report card in front of her, speaking in a cold voice, "See for yourself."
Zhang Yu took it with disdain, thinking that this kid might be in the top 100 again. It's not a big deal, it's just luck...
"Is... is it really 20th in the entire year?!" Zhang Yu exclaimed in shock, "This can't be possible?!"
At this moment, Gu Minghao also came back. Zhang Yu directly stuffed the report card into his hand, yelling: "Damn it, did that kid Gu Juncheng cheat?! His score is 12 points higher than yours!"
Gu Minghao's color drained from his face. He quickly grabbed the report card to look at it. What he saw was that he ranked first in class 8 and was in the top 20 in the entire grade level. The most impressive part was his math score, which, at 148 points, placed him first in the entire grade.
"He must be cheating!" Zhang Yu bitterly said, "That kid is just a dog who can't change and eats sh*t..."
Gu Shuo frowned, and his voice was a little annoyed: "Cheating? Juncheng's mathematic score is the first in the whole year, who can he copy?!"
He snatched the report card back and waved it in front of Zhang Yu, saying loudly, "He ranked 5th in the entire class for English, and his essay scored full marks! Full marks, do you understand what that means?!"
Zhang Yu and Gu Minghao were both dumbfounded.
Zhang Yu suddenly remembered that she had just shown off the English teacher's praise of Gu Minghao's essay, and suddenly felt her face was burning hot. A sense of humiliation welled up in her heart.
Just when they were talking, Gu Juncheng returned.
"Why are you only coming back now, young man!" Gu Shuo, beaming with joy, hurriedly pulled him to sit on the sofa, "What have you been up to? I've been waiting for you for ages…"
"I went out to buy some food…"
In fact, Gu Juncheng had taken the Pen God to the dessert store for some ice cream. Initially, Gu Juncheng didn't want to go due to the cool weather, but the Pen God claimed that he had an iron stomach. Unable to dissuade him, Gu Juncheng had no choice but to accompany him.
"Today, during the parents' meeting, the teacher praised you a lot," Gu Shuo said seriously, looking at him. "I apologize for my previous comments and actions. You've shown me what it's like to astonish everyone with your achievements…"
Gu Minghao wasn't so calm. He objected, "Dad, I did well in the exams too, why don't you praise me?!"
"You scored 12 points lower than your brother," Gu Shuo rolled his eyes. "Learn from your brother! Look at your math score…"
This was the first time in Gu Juncheng's life that Gu Shuo praised him while simultaneously belittling Gu Minghao. Gu Juncheng felt a little overwhelmed. He hurriedly said, "I didn't perform well in the science and technology section, so I'm not worth learning from."
Zhang Yu was so angry that she almost fainted.
Speaking softly to Gu Juncheng, Gu Shuo said, "I'll cook today, you can tell me anything you want to eat…"
"Anything is fine." Gu Juncheng, slinging his backpack, prepared to go upstairs. After a pause, he added, "We're out of flour and sugar, and we're running low on eggs. Could you ask Zhang Yu to get some more? I'll need them to make dessert tonight."
With that, he left without looking back.
Zhang Yu shouted back in a crude manner, "Well, well, aren’t we being daring today, expecting me, this old lady, to run errands for you. Gu Juncheng, you really have guts..."
Meanwhile, Gu Minghao stood where he was, stunned.
He began to believe that the notes had indeed been written by Gu Juncheng himself.
Suddenly, as he reached the stairs, Gu Juncheng turned back to look at Gu Shuo and said plainly, "Oh, and remember to pay me back grandma's money, dad."
Gu Shuo slapped his thigh and said without hesitation, "What money? It's inappropriate to discuss money matters within the family. I've been saving your grandma's money for you. I will give it to you shortly."
"Dad?!" Gu Minghao looked at him in surprise.
Gu Shuo glared at him and said, "We are not short on money. Why do you have to use your brother's? Your mom just got a bonus recently...
"You heartless thing!" Zhang Yu was immediately up in arms and started arguing.
Gu Juncheng glanced at his chaotic home, which had been the same for over a decade, and calmly went to his room to study.
________________________
The weather grew colder in Nancheng in November.
Now, when Gu Juncheng got up in the morning, he would sometimes linger in bed for an extra five minutes instead of being as prompt as usual. When the Pen God noticed this, he would yank off Gu's quilt and Gu Juncheng, feeling the cold, wouldn't protest further.
Gu Shuo returned the money to Gu Juncheng, even adding an extra thousand yuan to it. Gu Juncheng didn't refuse and accepted the full amount, treating the extra part as interest.
Cheng Xuyuan sincerely felt happy for him and said, "See, hard work in learning always pays off."
Gu Juncheng looked at him with a smile and said softly, "So, can I sleep for another five minutes?"
"No way!"
As the weather became colder, the long sleeves on the Pen God were replaced by black sweaters. The gold patterns, matching the pen, still ornamented the garment. Against pale skin, he seemed languid and luxurious, often leaving Gu Juncheng unable to take his eyes off him.
One weekend, as the Pen God was explaining techniques on solving the comprehensive questions, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Seeing that no one answered, Gu Shuo pushed the door open and entered.
Gu Juncheng sat at his desk holding a pen, without a change in his expression, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"…I think I heard someone else's voice just now?" Gu Shuo asked with doubt, "Is there anyone else here?"
"You heard wrong." Gu Juncheng continued to write.
"Really…" Gu Shuo looked around the room in confusion, "Oh right, there's a girl downstairs looking for you. She said she's your classmate and has something to give you."
Gu Juncheng lifted his head and said, "Alright, I'll go down now."
Gu Shuo suddenly hesitated before saying, "Juncheng, although you've improved a lot, you shouldn't start dating too early."
Gu Juncheng subconsciously glanced at the pen in his hand and frowned, "What nonsense are you talking about, Dad?" Saying this, he surreptitiously slipped the pen into his trouser pocket and walked out of the room.
Gu Shuo remained stunned in place. He seemed to see a hint of shyness in Gu Juncheng's countenance...
His normally straightforward and carefree son was acting shy?!
After Gu Juncheng went downstairs and got to the front door, he saw Tang Xiaorong with her head down. Seeing him come out, she flashed a shy smile and said, "Gu Juncheng, I have something I want to give you."
"Come in and sit for a while." Given they were classmates, Gu Juncheng felt embarrassed to keep her waiting outside.
"No need, I have something to do later." Tang Xiaorong refused, her cheeks turning a rosy red, "A relative of mine gave me these reference books. I found them quite good, so I got a set for you too."
She handed Gu Juncheng several reference books.
Cheng Xuyuan asked the system: "Wow, are we finally starting to develop the romantic storyline?"
The system responded, "I remember in the original storyline, the female lead confesses her feelings at this point. The male lead then makes a promise: If he can be the top scorer in the grade, he'll be with her."
Cheng Xuyuan said enviously, "That's so romantic."
Gu Juncheng took a glance at the reference books. After hesitating for a moment, he accepted them, considering this as acknowledging her gratitude.
The red on Tang Xiaorong's face deepened. She hesitated before venturing, "There's... there's something else I want to tell you."
"Go ahead." Gu Juncheng looked at her.
"I... I..."
Tang Xiaorong lowered her head to look at her toes, her voice trembling slightly.
Gu Juncheng continued to observe her patiently.
"I..." Tang Xiaorong finally seemed to make up her mind. She bravely uttered the four words, "I like you!"
Upon saying this, she couldn't dare to lift her head to look at the male lead.
A gust of wind blew, and the surroundings became extraordinarily quiet.
The awkward atmosphere probably persisted for about three minutes. Then, Gu Juncheng finally spoke, "I'm sorry, let's just be friends."
This answer seemed to be within Tang Xiaorong's expectation. She had tears swirling in her eyes but forcefully held them back from falling. She just murmured, "I knew you didn't like me... I just wanted an answer..."
"Thank you for your feelings," Gu Juncheng said to her after a long silence. "If I can become the top scorer in the grade on future tests..."
At this, both Cheng Xuyuan and the system were stunned. Was there a twist in the storyline?
She also lifted her head and stared blankly at him.
Gu Juncheng continued, "I will lend you one of my math notebooks."
Cheng Xuyuan: "..."
The system: "..."
Tang Xiaorong: "...Thank you."
Gu Juncheng nodded, about to turn to leave when he heard Tang Xiaorong ask, "Gu Juncheng, do you already have someone you like?"
Gu Juncheng's steps halted.
Cheng Xuyuan did not expect Tang Xiaorong to ask this question.
He was currently in the form of a pen, placed in a trouser pocket. He didn't know whether Gu Juncheng nodded or shook his head.
"Alright, I understand..." A moment later, Tang Xiaorong's voice was tinged with a hint of disappointment.
Desperate to know, Cheng Xuyuan asked the system, "Did the male lead nod or shake his head?!"
The system answered, "...I don't know."
When Gu Juncheng returned to the room, Cheng Xuyuan immediately asked, "What did you answer Tang Xiaorong?"
"Don't gods know everything?" Gu Juncheng looked at him blandly, "Go guess it yourself."
Rolling his eyes, Cheng Xuyuan replied, "I'm not interested. Take out the exam paper, let's continue the problem!"
Watching him, the corners of Gu Juncheng's mouth unexpectedly curled up.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing."
________________________
Since Tang Xiaorong's visit to the Gu residence, Gu Shuo would subtly inquire about her during mealtime, hoping to learn more about the girl from Gu Juncheng.
Gu Shuo had assumed that Gu Juncheng would be secretive, but he surprisingly shared everything he knew. In no time, Gu Shuo had a clear understanding of where Tang Xiaorong lived.
"Do you really like her, seeing as you know so much about her?" Gu Shuo asked, still feeling uneasy.
Gu Juncheng calmly replied, "I don't like her."
"Now your studies are your main priority, don't let it fall short..."
In the past, Gu Shuo only gave this advice to Gu Minghao, but after the parent-teacher conference, he barely inquired about Gu Minghao's grades. Instead, he showed great concern for Gu Juncheng every day. This left Zhang Yu and her son rather unhappy, but they had nothing to say.
After all, Gu Juncheng's scores genuinely surpassed Gu Minghao's.
However, Zhang Yu still harbored hope. She would occasionally say to Gu Minghao, "Your brother must have had a stroke of luck. It's just that he happened to have practiced those questions, you'll see, he'll definitely regress in the third monthly exam..."
But reality proved her wrong, and it happened incredibly fast.
The third monthly exam took place in early December. By this time, the first round of review for senior high school students had basically ended, and their understanding of various subjects had improved considerably. Gu Juncheng had also completed his foundation knowledge.
After the third monthly exam, almost everyone was concerned about Gu Juncheng's grades—could this legendary figure from the ordinary class maintain his upward trend?
Gu Juncheng himself remained calm and collected. For him, the most important task was to continue strengthening his problem-solving skills—his goal went beyond school rankings.
On the day the results were announced, a crowd rushed to Mr. Zhu's office to check their scores while Gu Juncheng sat at his desk.
Before long, Chen Tianqi returned with a shocked expression on his face.
"Holy crap!" Chen Tianqi exclaimed, gripping Gu Juncheng's arm excitedly. "Awesome! Seriously awesome!"
Gu Juncheng glanced at him calmly, asking, "What's the matter? Did you make it into the top 10 in our class?"
"How did you know I made it into the top 10..." Chen Tianqi paused, hastily correcting himself, "No, no, my grades aren't important at all! Compared to you, I'm just a speck of dust!"
Seeing no reaction from Gu Juncheng, Chen Tianqi grabbed his collar excitedly and yelled, "Dude, you ranked second! Second place!
Gu Jun Cheng's eyes dimmed—second in the class, a step back from his previous performance...
Just then, Tang Xiao Rong returned, clearly just as surprised. She approached Gu Jun Cheng and admiringly said, "Gu Juncheng, you're amazing. You're only 8 points behind Feng Linjie..."
Gu Juncheng abruptly looked up.
________________________
Meanwhile, in the classroom of the top students.
Feng Linjie glanced at the score rankings. Gu Juncheng's name closely followed his, the gap a mere 8 points.
If Gu Juncheng's entrance into the top 20 in the midterm exam was a startling surprise, then his third monthly exam was nothing short of a meteoric rise, setting everyone abuzz.
Suddenly, everyone started speculating the secret to Gu Juncheng's academic success.
Some people discussed behind Feng Linjie's back, "I heard that Gu Juncheng has been working really hard lately. He even rejected a confession from his class' most attractive girl..."
"The most attractive girl? Are you talking about Tang Xiaorong?" another person asked in surprise, "She is very beautiful!"
"I guess all he sees now is studying..."
Hearing this conversation, Feng Linjie somehow remembered the young man he had seen at the sports meet.
Compared to that young man... Tang Xiaorong really seems ordinary.
A smile suddenly appeared on Feng Linjie's face.
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Author's note:
Hello everyone, I am the author, fondly known as Ice Cream Eater. To all my readers, I hope you all make progress in your exams!
There will be a kissing scene in the next chapter, be ready for the plot to speed up.
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