I Might Have Fallen in Love With My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 93 - 89: Venting Frustration

Chapter 93: Chapter 89: Venting Frustration

Mathematics prodigy?

There was a moment of silence in the classroom. The new student had simply solved a problem with a streamlined approach, yet the physics teacher gave her such high praise.

At this age, the boys and girls only harbored a hot-blooded spirit that bowed to no one. Naturally, they wouldn’t accept Qingran, who had suddenly transferred here.

Conversely, they believed that if Qingran had maintained her second-place ranking steadily up until now, the need to replace another student wouldn’t have arisen.

Following Qingran’s problem-solving approach, the physics teacher roughly explained to the class, leaning her arms on the lectern as she spoke during the last few minutes of class.

"Of course, with the top three students in our ranks, our team will be stronger. Everyone must always remember that at times like these, we are a team."

"The kind of thinking used by student Li Qingran requires a solid foundation, which needs to be built from a young age. For those who lack this foundation, I still suggest using the approach of student Wen Shiyi. It’s standard but systematic. Following it step by step will ensure, at least, that we don’t lose points..."

Unusually, the physics teacher’s class ran overtime. She was someone who hadn’t preached any life lessons in the month since she began teaching here. Yet today, after seeing Qingran’s approach to solving problems, she suddenly went on a tangent, talking non-stop about the philosophy of life for nearly half an hour.

Her point was essentially that some people are naturally talented, learning to walk before they can run; while others lack such natural gifts and must take every step with their feet firmly on the ground. Rushing may result in a fall and is ultimately less graceful.

In the midst of the physics teacher’s philosophical lecture, a girl with a ponytail sitting in the second row suddenly raised her hand.

"Xia Lin," the physics teacher motioned for her to speak. "What’s your question?"

Xia Lin stood up, her voice still clear and youthful at sixteen or seventeen: "Teacher, I don’t agree with what you just said. You can’t just acknowledge someone’s performance because she solved a problem and dismiss everyone else, right?"

There were low murmurs of agreement in the class.

The physics teacher wasn’t angry; she gestured for Xia Lin to sit and continued: "Talent is intangible and invisible. No matter what I say, you’ll always find it mysterious, but it does exist indeed, and it’s something people cannot envy into existence."

"Not to speak of distant examples, let me mention something closer to us—your school’s God Ji and our class’s Xie Ying’an."

When the teacher mentioned Xie Ying’an’s name, the students turned to look at him.

Xie Ying’an, who had been carefully analyzing Qingran’s problem-solving approach word by word, remained expressionless even as everyone looked his way.

Upon closer inspection, there was a hint of displeasure in his demeanor.

The physics teacher went on: "You should all be familiar with God Ji. I’ve also seen his problem-solving approach in videos..."

At this point, the teacher paused, turning her head to look back at the solution Qingran wrote on the blackboard. After a moment, she said, "In fact, the way Li Qingran solved this problem is somewhat similar to God Ji’s approach..."

Qingran heard Xie Ying’an scoff coldly beside her.

When it came to F High’s prominent figures God Ji and Xie Ying’an, no one had much more to say.

Everyone had seen God Ji’s capabilities.

As for Xie Ying’an’s, even less needed to be said. Everyone attended the same classes and left school together. While everyone else was crushed under the weight of exams and homework, Xie Ying’an never seemed to work on problems; yet, he always ranked first in the exams.

It was infuriating.

"Today, I don’t mean to bring up the topic of talent necessarily. Perhaps it’s because in the month or so that I’ve been teaching here, only today have I seen a brand-new thought process from Li Qingran, one brave enough to break conventional problem-solving methods, with an ability that surpasses the rote memorization of formulas."

The physics teacher scanned the classroom with her eyes, and this time, no student raised objections.

"This is something worth learning for everyone, yet also very hard to achieve because it’s the very type of talent I just mentioned to you..."

The atmosphere in the classroom remained heavy until the physics teacher announced the end of class.

Several girls didn’t hurry to leave; they gathered around Wen Shiyi’s desk, whispering to each other.

Occasional snippets such as "Talent? What a joke" and "If she’s so capable, why doesn’t she rank first in the grade" drifted over.

It wasn’t hard to guess that their conversation was related to Qingran’s answering the question in class today.

Qingran ignored them and walked out of the classroom unfazed along with Xie Ying’an.

On their way back to the classroom together, Xie Ying’an suddenly asked her: "Did Ji Yanchen ever teach you how to solve problems?"

Qingran was momentarily taken aback and had not yet managed to respond.

Then she heard Xie Ying’an talking to himself: "Indeed, if you can all study together in the library, solving a few problems should be no big deal."

Having said that, he didn’t return to the classroom, instead turning head in another direction and walking away.

Qingran hurriedly asked him, "There’s still evening self-study, where are you going?"

The youth’s figure was stretched long by the streetlamp light. He wasn’t far away yet, and replied indifferently, "Going to run a couple of laps on the sports field."

Oh.

Qingran turned and continued her way to the class, this time not even bothering about Xie Ying’an.

Whatever.

Not long after Qingran arrived in the classroom, Wen Shiyi came back. She glanced at Xie Ying’an’s seat and could hardly hide her surprise.

Because today was the first evening self-study session of the year, Old Wu had been stationed in the class the whole time.

Actually, most of the students were very self-disciplined, the countdown to the college entrance examination was shrinking day by day, and they didn’t have much time left to study.

Xie Ying’an returned half an hour later than Qingran, and was stopped by Old Wu at the classroom door.

Old Wu asked with a frown, "Why are you so late coming back?"

On Xie Ying’an’s forehead were fine beads of sweat. He stood there, demeanor indifferent, tone indifferent, an air of lackluster energy about him. He answered Old Wu, "I ran two laps on the sports field."

Old Wu’s frown deepened. "Running around late at night? Go back to your seat!"

Xie Ying’an didn’t move, his eyes lifted, his gaze landing on Ye Zheng’s seat.

"Old Wu," Xie Ying’an called out to him.

The classroom fell completely silent.

To call ’Old Wu’ this nickname to his face, in these past two years Xie Ying’an was the first.

Old Wu probably never expected to be called this by a student in all his years of teaching, and he looked at Xie Ying’an with a deathly stare.

At this moment, Xie Ying’an seemed to not care, his facial skin as thick as city walls, he tilted his chin towards the classroom interior: "Whatever you do, you always like to not clean up after yourself."

Old Wu became furious, the veins on his forehead near bursting, his hand slapped the desk with a thunderous noise: "What do you mean not cleaning up after yourself? Xie Ying’an, you must explain yourself clearly today."

"Heh!" Xie Ying’an scoffed, his attitude arrogant and unreasonable: "You let Li Qingran take Ye’s place..."

Perhaps he really couldn’t remember the name, so he simply skipped it: "When Ye what’s-her-name came looking for Li Qingran, what was that all about?"

The classroom was even quieter.

Even Qingran was dumbfounded, wasn’t Xie Ying’an not around when Ye Zheng came looking? It hasn’t been long since then, who else has been talking too much?

Old Wu was taken aback, turning his head to look at Ye Zheng, obviously he didn’t catch on either.

Ye Zheng was even more stunned, her mouth agape, it took her a long time to make a whimpering sound before burying her head in her arms on the table, whether she was crying or just too ashamed to show her face was unclear.

Xie Ying’an had no intention of letting the matter go. The youth’s face was stern, his voice cold as frost: "You make replacements as you please, Li Qingran is easy to talk to, but did you ever consider if Ye what’s-her-name is as easygoing? Even if Ye what’s-her-name isn’t easy to talk to, it’s her own fault for poor grades, picking on Li Qingran, how is that justified?"

Before Old Wu could react, the youth’s dark eyes sneered coldly once more: "Or are you saying Li Qingran has no one to stand up for her? Old Wu, this matter started because of you. It’s all the same if you can’t handle it today."

He paused a moment, then went on slowly: "In any case, Li Qingran has me and Li Qingmo backing her up, and we might not be as merciful in dealing with it."

The classroom was so silent you could hear breathing, and the entire class thought of a phrase in unison: Avenging!

Xie Ying’an was openly avenging Li Qingran!

School bully Li Qingmo, daring to threaten the whole school under the principal’s watch and then recite a self-critical essay with gusto, what good could come from being targeted by such a person?

Not to mention Xie Ying’an. Although he usually acted cool and indifferent, when he fought, his fists were never lighter than the school bully’s.