In the first-floor living room, after answering another one of Cao Xia's questions, Tan You narrowed her eyes. "It's getting late. We should head upstairs and go to bed."
Cao Xia looked a little embarrassed. "Did I ask too many questions and keep you from your studies?"
"Of course not," Tan You replied without hesitation. "We're studying together. Besides, didn't you help me with that physics problem I couldn't solve yesterday?"
Zhou Wen laughed. "But then you turned around and explained a very difficult, multi-step physics problem to her. So who's really teaching whom?"
"Either way, we're learning from each other," Tan You said with a smile. "By the way, I hear chemistry is pretty tough. Could you two bring your chemistry books back tomorrow evening? Let me borrow them for a look? And I'd like to copy your notes, too."
She knew she was bad at chemistry, but since that was the case, she just had to get a head start.
Cao Xia said, "No problem. Our notes are very thorough. I'll remember to bring them back tomorrow."
Zhou Wen added, "I'm bad at chemistry, too. Tingting, you'll have to explain it to me as well, okay?"
Tan You looked a bit sheepish. "I haven't even started learning chemistry yet. You two will definitely be the ones teaching me."
Cao Xia and Zhou Wen put their arms around her shoulders. "That's not a given. You're only in the second year, but your grasp of the material is already more solid than ours. Studying with you these past few days, I feel like I've improved a lot."
Tan You scratched her cheek. "You think so? My grades are pretty average."
Cao Xia laughed. "I heard you ranked second in the grade on this week's quiz."
Tan You said, "I thought it was pretty easy. My math is just terrible, so I have to rely on Chinese and English to pull up my score. My math teacher specially prepared a few workbooks and practice tests for me, and that's what I've been working on recently."
Zhou Wen asked, "With so many classes during the day, do you even have time to get all that done?"
Tan You shrugged. "You can always make time if you try. I actually have two problems I still don't understand, so I'm going to ask Teacher Shi about them tomorrow."
Cao Xia said, "Then explain them to me when you get back tomorrow. I want to know how to solve those two problems, too."
The three girls chatted in low voices, and after packing their schoolbags, they went upstairs together to rest. Of course, they didn't forget to turn off all the lights on the first floor, so as not to attract any idle gossip.
After meeting on the first floor in the morning, Tan You, Zhou Wen, and Cao Xia parted ways at the road, each heading to their respective grade's building. The middle school had an interesting layout; the first and second-year students had their classes in the older buildings out front.
The third-year and high school students, however, had classes in the five-story building across the road. Though separated by only a street, their facilities and treatment were vastly different.
Tan You was the very picture of a diligent student. When she got to her classroom, only a few others had arrived. She didn't take a break, but immediately pulled out the practice tests and workbooks from Teacher Shi and got back to racking her brain.
Today was the morning reading session for Chinese class, and Wang Lanfeng also arrived rather early. As she walked past the classroom window, she saw Tan You hunched over her desk, working on a practice test.
Her expression wavered for a moment at the sight. In the end, she didn't push the door open and go in. Instead, she watched Han Tingting for a few seconds before walking away to the faculty office.
Everyone in their grade knew that Wang Lanfeng favored high-achieving students. She would frequently call the top-ranked students in for a chat, but Han Tingting was the one exception who never received this treatment.
The students gossiped among themselves. 'So what if Han Tingting's grades are good? The homeroom teacher still doesn't like her, does she?'
Tan You, however, had no particular feelings about this. 'Honestly, I couldn't care less whether the teacher likes me or not. I'm here to study, to help Han Tingting fulfill her wish, and to earn energy and Intelligence Value. Why would I waste my time worrying about what other people think?'
During the Chinese morning self-study period, Wang Lanfeng patrolled the classroom. Tan You put her math test away and took out her textbook to begin reading the lesson.
After walking one lap around the room, Wang Lanfeng noticed something was amiss. She picked up the textbook on Tan You's desk for a look. Well, what do you know. It was for the third year.
She gave Tan You a look, gesturing for her to come outside. Confused, Tan You followed her out of the classroom.
Once they were standing by the back door, Wang Lanfeng asked bluntly, "Who did you borrow this book from?"
Tan You thought for a moment. "A third-year girl in my dorm brought it for me. Her older cousin went to high school, so he doesn't need these books anymore."
It was, of course, a book Zhou Wen had lent her. Apparently, Zhou Wen's cousin wasn't a great student; he had barely scraped his way into high school. The last time Zhou Wen had gone home, she'd brought back his old Chinese, math, and English textbooks. Opening them up, Tan You felt like she was looking at Han Tingting's old books—they were practically blank.
Wang Lanfeng had the mind to ask her what business a second-year student had reading third-year books. But then she remembered that Tan You's Chinese score was number one in the grade, and she couldn't bring herself to say the words. In the end, she just waved a dismissive hand at Tan You. "Go on back."
"Yes, ma'am," Tan You acknowledged, then slowly returned to Han Tingting's seat.
For the rest of the morning reading period, Wang Lanfeng stayed in the faculty office. The girl sitting in front of Tan You turned around. "Tingting, what did the boss lady want to talk to you about? Did she give you one of her heart-to-hearts?"
Tan You squinted. "No, she just asked where I got this book."
"The third-year book?" The girl's eyes widened, and she almost shouted the question. She quickly shrank back into her seat. "I'll... get back to my memorization."
'Is this the difference between a top student and a slacker? We all used to be at the same level, but then one day she just took off, and now I can't even dream of catching up.'
'While I'm still stuck memorizing the second-year lessons, she's already reading books from the third year. How am I supposed to compete with that?'
Tan You had no idea she'd made the girl in front of her feel so discouraged. She just continued to memorize her texts earnestly. Truth be told, Chinese wasn't difficult for Tan You, because her memory was excellent. While others had to agonize over a text, reading it again and again, she could typically memorize the entire thing after just two or three readings.
Perhaps that excellent memory was the true source of Tan You's confidence.
When the morning reading period ended, Tan You saw Teacher Shi heading toward the faculty office through the window. She pursed her lips and decided not to follow. There would be a fifteen-minute break during the long recess later; she could just find her then.
The long recess was for morning exercises. After returning from the schoolyard, Tan You grabbed her notes and workbook and headed for the faculty office. The moment Teacher Shi saw her, she smiled. "You're here. What's the question for today?"
She casually pulled a small stool out from under her desk, one she kept specially for Tan You. Tan You sat down beside her and took out the two problems that had been stumping her since yesterday.
"I managed to solve them in the end, but I feel like my method was clumsy and took way too long. I was wondering if there's a simpler approach."
Teacher Shi looked over Tan You's work. "If you're solving this purely with second-year math concepts, then your method is correct. It's just a bit tedious."
"Why don't you try applying some third-year concepts and see if you can solve it then?"