Chapter 76
Cheng Xuyuan was caught off guard, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. Instinctively, he tried to push the person off him, but his hands met a solid chest, and his face flushed instantly.
Thankfully, the room was already dark, and Gu Juncheng couldn’t see his expression; otherwise, Cheng Xuyuan would surely die of embarrassment.
Gu Juncheng leaned in closer to Cheng Xuyuan’s ear, like a hunter closing in on captured prey. His voice was unusually clear in the darkness: “Are you feeling shy?”
Gu Juncheng asked this because he could clearly sense the tension and unease in the person beneath him.
Cheng Xuyuan remained silent for a moment, then whispered, “…You’re too heavy. I can’t breathe.”
Using his arms, Gu Juncheng propped himself up slightly. In the next second, just as Cheng Xuyuan was about to exhale, two soft, warm lips landed on his cheek.
The kiss was incredibly gentle, so light that Cheng Xuyuan wondered if he was imagining it. Heat spread from the kissed spot, quickly engulfing his entire body.
Suppressing the urge to kiss his lips, Gu Juncheng moved away and gently ruffled Cheng Xuyuan’s hair. “Go to sleep; it’s late.”
“Um…” Cheng Xuyuan’s heart continued to race wildly, like a startled deer darting in all directions, threatening to burst out of his chest.
Suddenly, he called out Gu Juncheng’s name: “Gu Juncheng…”
In the darkness, Gu Juncheng watched him, able to discern his faint silhouette. The scent of shower gel lingered in the air, and Gu Juncheng’s voice remained as clear as ever.
“If my GPA surpasses yours this semester, then we’ll be together.”
Cheng Xuyuan’s sudden statement left Gu Juncheng momentarily stunned. Then he chuckled, a low sound tinged with indulgence. “Do you even know my GPA?”
Curious, Cheng Xuyuan looked at him and replied, “I know you perform exceptionally well. I’d guess it’s above 4.5?”
“4.5?” Gu Juncheng’s laughter grew more pronounced. He playfully pinched Cheng Xuyuan’s cheek. “Are you underestimating your future boyfriend?”
“What is it, then?”
“4.82.” Gu Juncheng’s tone held a touch of pride. He wasn’t one to flaunt his grades publicly, even though he had been the top scorer in the college entrance exam. But in front of Cheng Xuyuan, he couldn’t help but become a bit smug.
“…That high?!” Cheng Xuyuan stared at him in astonishment.
At their university, GPA was calculated as follows: If a course received a perfect score of 100, the GPA would be 5.0. For each point below 100, 0.1 was deducted. Thus, a GPA of 4.82 meant that Gu Juncheng scored nearly 98 or above in every subject. In other words, for Cheng Xuyuan to surpass him, he’d need to ensure every course’s total score exceeded 98.
For students at their university, this was an almost unattainable legend.
“You can change the condition now,” Gu Juncheng kindly suggested.
Cheng Xuyuan scoffed, refusing to back down. “It’s just 4.82. I can achieve that — score above 98 in every subject.”
Gu Juncheng playfully pinched his nose. “If you’re talking about exam scores, I’m close to perfect in every subject. But the overall grade also depends on teachers’ evaluations. So, are you really that confident?”
Cheng Xuyuan fell silent.
He wasn’t adept at building relationships with teachers. Back in school, he was merely a diligent student; no teacher had ever favored him. Considering the overall grade, Cheng Xuyuan might not surpass Gu Juncheng.
However, Cheng Xuyuan never showed weakness in such matters.
“I said I’d surpass you, and I will.” Cheng Xuyuan confidently set his goal. “Don’t underestimate me.”
“Alright.” Gu Juncheng’s tone turned serious. “Since you’re so determined, I’ll hold myself accountable for your grades. University exams are different from high school, and consistent performance matters. I’ll keep an eye on you.”
Cheng Xuyuan felt an odd sensation. He was naturally competitive, and Gu Juncheng’s “supervision” didn’t bother him at all.
“My target isn’t high — 4.83 will do,” Cheng Xuyuan grinned. “Can I achieve it, Professor Gu?”
Gu Juncheng kissed his forehead, more naturally this time, like an intimate gesture between lovers. “For the sake of my future wife, I must.” He added, “Sleep well; I’ve already given you a goodnight kiss.”
Cheng Xuyuan leaned in, carefully kissing Gu Juncheng’s cheek. “Returning the favor.”
They spent the night together on the same bed, nothing more.
________________________
The next morning, Cheng Xuyuan woke up to find Gu Juncheng gone. As he got out of bed, the clock on the wall read exactly 9:00.
Passing the table, he noticed a note.
“I’ve gone to buy breakfast. Freshen up and use my toothbrush.”
Cheng Xuyuan was a bit germophobic, but this time, he didn’t mind. In fact, brushing his teeth with Gu Juncheng’s toothbrush made him oddly happy.
When he finished, Gu Juncheng returned with a bag of breakfast. He placed pan-fried dumplings and steamed buns on the table, their aroma instantly captivating Cheng Xuyuan.
Gu Juncheng knew Cheng Xuyuan’s appetite well, so he bought plenty of food. Cheng Xuyuan ate to his heart’s content.
However, the joyful moment was short-lived. Just after finishing his meal, Gu Juncheng said, “We have a few days left during the National Day holiday. You’ll study with me in the library. I’ll help you create a study plan.”
Cheng Xuyuan protested like an elementary school student avoiding homework. “But we’ve just started the semester…”
“Do you want to end up like those people who cry about choosing the wrong major when finals arrive?” Gu Juncheng said sternly. “University studies are like boiling a frog in warm water. If you don’t work hard during regular days, it’ll be too late to cram at the end.”
Cheng Xuyuan was startled by Gu Juncheng’s serious expression. Why did he even propose this condition in the first place?
“But I don’t have suitable clothes… Can I…” Cheng Xuyuan tried to resist.
Without wasting words, Gu Juncheng handed him one of his shirts and jeans. He rolled up Cheng Xuyuan’s pant legs and tucked one side of the shirt into the pants. The oversized clothing suddenly gave Cheng Xuyuan a fashionable look.
“Alright, I’ll take you back to your dorm to get your textbooks, and then we’ll head to the library. No more excuses,” Gu Juncheng said, ruffling Cheng Xuyuan’s hair. His stern gaze held a hint of indulgence.
Cheng Xuyuan obediently followed him to retrieve his textbooks from the dorm. He also shared mooncakes with his roommates before heading to the library.
Sitting face-to-face, Gu Juncheng took out a pen and began highlighting key points in Cheng Xuyuan’s calculus book.
Cheng Xuyuan glanced around and whispered, “Why are there so few people in the library?”
“Because it’s not yet finals season,” Gu Juncheng replied, handing the calculus book back. “First, go through the key concepts in these chapters, and make sure you understand all the example problems.”
Cheng Xuyuan’s knowledge base hadn’t failed him; the calculus content was easy for him. But seeing Gu Juncheng’s earnest expression, he nodded and diligently wrote and drew in the book.
“If you have any doubts, ask me directly,” Gu Juncheng said, picking up Cheng Xuyuan’s other math textbooks without looking up.
The variety and difficulty of math courses in the Computer Science department were second only to the Math department.
But for Cheng Xuyuan, none of it posed a challenge. He could easily grasp the solution methods, thanks to his Pen God skills.
However, he couldn’t just avoid asking Gu Juncheng questions, right?
So, Cheng Xuyuan put on an act, pretending not to understand. Occasionally, he bothered Gu Juncheng with a question. Gu Juncheng patiently explained each problem, thinking Cheng Xuyuan genuinely struggled.
Gu Juncheng’s seriousness was incredibly attractive. His focused gaze, powerful fingers writing, and distinct handwriting exuded charm. His profile resembled a perfect sculpture, and the faint mole on his nose distracted Cheng Xuyuan.
Noticing Cheng Xuyuan’s distraction, Gu Juncheng raised an eyebrow. “Did you understand this problem?”
Cheng Xuyuan shamelessly nodded. “Yes, Professor Gu, your explanation was excellent.”
“Then repeat it.”
Cheng Xuyuan’s audacity lay in the fact that even if he hadn’t listened, he could still correctly explain the solution. Gu Juncheng sighed, “Not bad. Keep working on the problems.”
In the first year, the courses were all general education classes, not as challenging as the specialized courses. However, at a top-tier institution like Hangda, aiming for scores above 98 in each subject still required meticulous study planning.
Gu Juncheng condensed a detailed timetable onto a single sheet of paper and instructed Cheng Xuyuan to follow it.
Cheng Xuyuan glanced at the schedule and found it manageable, so he agreed.
From then on, Cheng Xuyuan became the busiest person in the dormitory. Whenever he had free time, he headed to the library or study rooms. To improve his spoken English, he joined an English club and interacted with other students every weekend.
Although Cheng Xuyuan wasn’t the best English speaker in the club, almost everyone, including some international students, enjoyed talking to him. Two reasons contributed to this: first, Cheng Xuyuan was exceptionally good-looking, resulting in group photos with nearly every club member; second, despite not being the top English speaker, he remained humble and approachable.
This fulfilling and pleasant university life continued for over a month. During this time, Cheng Xuyuan and Gu Juncheng developed an unspoken understanding, gradually learning each other’s preferences.
For instance, Cheng Xuyuan accurately knew that Gu Juncheng favored the No. 8 cafeteria and loved the Di San Xian dish from Window No. 4. Meanwhile, Gu Juncheng had Cheng Xuyuan’s class schedule memorized. No matter which classroom Cheng Xuyuan was in or when he finished class, Gu Juncheng always waited downstairs to walk with him.
Qi Zimo described their relationship, saying, “You know, I feel like you’re the pendant Gu Juncheng wears when he tops up his phone — always attached to him.”
Cheng Xuyuan scoffed, “Isn’t he the pendant?”
Qi Zimo replied, “Well, as long as you’re happy.”
This routine continued until the day of the mid-term calculus exam.
It was the first time the freshmen faced a formal exam, and everyone had nervously prepared for days — except Cheng Xuyuan. He casually glanced through the textbook and could already guess what the teacher would ask.
As expected, during the exam, he finished all the questions in less than an hour. Since the mid-term exam contributed to the overall grade, he carefully reviewed his answers before submitting the paper.
His roommates knew he studied diligently, but they hadn’t expected him to be this exceptional. They stared at him in astonishment.
After leaving the exam area, Cheng Xuyuan spotted a familiar figure waiting for him.
However, the expression on that person’s face wasn’t good.
“Say that again?” Gu Juncheng held a phone, his brow furrowed as if he’d heard an unbelievable joke. “I’ve never submitted an application form. Who said I wanted to be an exchange student?!”
On the other end of the call, Liu Yuda sounded surprised too. “You haven’t submitted an application form? The student union allocates these spots, and Yuan Ke, the head, said you wanted to go abroad as an exchange student.”
Gu Juncheng suddenly understood the situation. He glanced at the young man beside him, took a deep breath, and said, “Let me explain in the dorm.”
Cheng Xuyuan walked up to him, puzzled. “What’s wrong? You don’t look happy.”
“Nothing.” Gu Juncheng, without his electric scooter today, held a sunshade and pulled Cheng Xuyuan closer. “Let’s go eat something delicious.”
Cheng Xuyuan hesitated, looking into his eyes. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
Gu Juncheng smiled, his eyes twinkling like stars, revealing no hint of worry. “There is something — I want to treat my little sweetheart to barbecue.”
“Why barbecue?” Cheng Xuyuan’s eyes lit up at the mention of it.
“To reward you for submitting your paper early.” Gu Juncheng pinched his cheek. “I bet you’ll get a perfect score this time.”
Cheng Xuyuan gazed at him. In those clear, gentle eyes, he felt endless care and warmth, as if he could forget all his troubles.
As long as Gu Juncheng was by his side, there would never be any worries.
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Author’s Note:
The grading rules vary between schools; don’t take it too seriously.
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