Chapter 37

Xuejiao meant it when she said she would help Yi Tianyu study. She always had a focused attitude, and now, with her deskmate's future in mind, she gave 120% of her effort every minute.

Xuejiao hadn't forgotten her past clashes with Cheng Mingjiao. She wasn't the type to give thanks through mere words or gestures. Instead, she remembered when others helped her and would repay them with her actions when needed.

So, when Yi Tianyu needed her help, she spared no effort.

Yi Tianyu, for his part, was no slacker. The thought of leaving Class One and sitting apart from Xuejiao weighed on him. He poured his frustration into studying alongside her—previewing lessons, solving problems, taking notes, reviewing mistakes, and repeatedly practicing. Gradually, his progress began to show, and his skills improved compared to the midterm exam.

"Son, take a break. It's so late," Yi Dafa and Yi's mother urged, looking at him with concern.

It was Friday night. Yi Tianyu had always spent his Friday nights gaming at home, much to their worry. Now that he was studying hard instead, their worry had shifted to whether he was overworking himself.

"Just a little longer," Yi Tianyu replied, not looking up from his work.

Yi Dafa sighed and patted his shoulder. "Son, if you want to stay in Class One, Dad will figure something out for you. No. 7 Middle School has never failed to accommodate someone in the top 100. I'll find a way to make it happen."

Although Yi Dafa was a businessman with plenty of connections, breaking this particular rule was beyond him. Still, he wanted to try for his son.

Yi Tianyu finally stopped writing and glanced at him. "What can you possibly do? I'll handle this myself. Don't bother trying to pull strings."

After a brief pause, he added, "If you really want to help, find me a tutor. I need them here by tomorrow afternoon."

"..."

Yi's mother opened her mouth to speak, but Yi Dafa waved her off. "Alright, alright. I won't hold you back. You plan to study by yourself, and I'll arrange for a tutor tomorrow. Happy?"

With that, he pulled Yi's mother out of the room, leaving Yi Tianyu to continue writing.

At the same time, Xuejiao was still working at her desk, adhering to her usual bedtime schedule.

Her phone vibrated slightly. Initially, she didn't plan to check it, but then she remembered that she needed to say goodnight to Lin Zhihua. She grabbed her phone and opened the message.

"Resting yet?"

She quickly typed back: "Not yet. I'm going to work overtime for another half hour to prepare some notes."

"Notes?" Lin Zhihua replied, puzzled.

Xuejiao explained: "It's for my deskmate. I'm helping him review. His grades aren't great, and he needs to make it into the top 100 to stay in Class One."

The chat went silent for a moment.

Deskmate? Lin Zhihua thought. That boy named Yu?

For a brief moment, Lin Zhihua's expression darkened, but he composed himself and replied: "Do you think you can get him into the top 100?"

"Yes. He helped me before, so I need to help him now," Xuejiao replied earnestly.

There was no response for a while, and she wondered if Lin Zhihua had gotten busy. After waiting for two more minutes, a new message arrived.

"It's hard to cover a year and a half's worth of material in less than a month. Chinese requires a long-term foundation, so focus on high-yield topics. Practice essays and review classical Chinese passages separately to maximize points. Similarly, if his English isn't too weak, prioritize mathematics and science. Identify likely exam topics and connect related concepts. For subjects like math and science, understanding key ideas can lead to rapid improvement. Breaking into the top 100 this time isn't impossible with focused review."

Xuejiao was stunned as she read the message. After a long pause, she typed back: "You're really a genius!"

Lin Zhihua quickly responded: "I'm not busy recently. I'll help you outline the exam topics. You focus on resting and reviewing—don't waste your sophomore year. It's too important to squander."

Panicking slightly, Xuejiao replied: "No, no! I can do it myself!"

Lin Zhihua didn't argue further: "Go to bed. Don't stay up late. I'll finish it quickly."

Xuejiao sent a few more messages saying it wasn't necessary. She didn't want to trouble him, and besides, Lin Zhihua had graduated a long time ago. How could he know what their current exams were like? Only students understood their lessons thoroughly.

She decided to get some sleep and planned to draft her own outline in the morning.

The next morning at 6:30, Xuejiao woke up. As soon as she got up, her phone buzzed.

It was a Word document from Lin Zhihua. She blinked in surprise and opened it. Her jaw dropped.

The outline was unbelievably detailed!

The test points for mathematics and science were laid out clearly, with examples provided for each. It even included probability ratings for potential exam questions. At the end of the document, there was a set of mock questions, with an "outline" format indicating what types of questions might appear and their likely difficulty levels.

Xuejiao stared at the screen in disbelief. She had thought Chu Sheng was the most talented person she'd ever met, but now she realized there were geniuses beyond even him.

After a long moment, she typed back: "Ahhh! You're amazing! Thank you!"

Lin Zhihua, who received the message, smiled faintly and didn't reply.

That morning, Xuejiao treated the outline like a treasure. She used it as a guide to tutor Yi Tianyu, explaining concepts step by step.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Liu Yazhen was busy setting her plans in motion. She had promised Cheng Mingjiao to make life difficult for Gu Xuejiao, and she wasn't one to back down.

That day, she called a neighbor and made plans to meet.

Li Sitong, on the other hand, was arranging flowers at home when she received the call. With her children at school and her husband at work, she had little to do, so she agreed to join the gathering.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see that Liu Yazhen was also there, along with Ms. Chang, another acquaintance.

As the group settled down to play mahjong, Liu Yazhen put her plan into motion. Smiling, she brought up the topic of education. "Sister Li, didn't you say your son Hongyi is having trouble focusing on his studies?"

Li Shu sighed heavily. "That boy only knows how to play. At this rate, he won't even get into college, let alone take over the family business."

"Maybe he just needs the right environment," Ms. Chang suggested.

That was when Liu Yazhen struck. "Sister Li, why not let Hongyi learn from Xuejiao? You know, Gu Xuejiao went from being at the bottom of her class to the top in just one semester. She even helped Yi Tianyu improve his grades! If Hongyi stays close to her, I'm sure he'll pick up good habits."

Li Sitong's eyes widened in alarm. She knew about Hongyi's reputation—drag racing, partying, and getting into trouble. There was no way she'd let him near Xuejiao.

"No!" she blurted out.