Study Monster Cultivation System
Chapter 259 - 258 The meaning of today, the result of tomorrow

Just as Li Zheng watched the panda’s tail flicking eagerly, almost itching to grab it, Lin Yujing suddenly turned serious, lifted her hand to her mouth, and signaled for Li Zheng to silence.

At the same time, muffled sobs, intermittent, came from the room.

Lin Yujing pointed towards the room and said, "Since I returned, she has been crying... Thinking about it, she seemed off yesterday too."

It was then that Li Zheng realized the reason Lin Yujing had called him; it was his roommate’s emotional distress.

But what does the emotional issue between you unfamiliar women have to do with me, a man with low EQ?

However, according to Lin Yujing’s thoughts…

Li Zheng realized the matter wasn’t simple, "You mean... I have high emotional intelligence, so I should persuade her?"

"Not exactly that…" Lin Yujing hesitated for a moment before stretching out the panda’s white belly and saying, "Just now, their teacher knocked on the door, I didn’t open, it was a male teacher. He was gentle at times, yet aggressive at others... Now it seems he has gone to ask the hotel staff for a key card... We are both scared…"

"!?!?" Li Zheng’s eyes immediately widened, anger surging to his head as if ready to burst from his eyes, "I’m not leaving tonight; I’ll stay right here. If he comes again, I’ll kill him."

"That’s… not necessary…"

"Don’t argue. This matter is no longer your concern," Li Zheng said, and immediately sat cross-legged at the doorway, leaving no room for Lin Yujing to refuse. "I’ll sit right here and won’t peek inside."

Lin Yujing was stunned for a moment. Having been roommates, she might have thought too much, but seeing Li Zheng so forthrightly guarding the door, she couldn’t say a word, only felt a warmth in her heart.

"Wait a moment... I’ll get you a blanket and pillow…"

Lin Yujing then turned and walked back into the room, grabbed a blanket, and while holding the blanket, she reassured the girl who was sobbing on the other bed, "Don’t worry, my classmate is here to protect us. He can run five thousand meters without getting out of breath."

"Mm…" The girl responded dully, then grabbed her spare pillow, "Thank you…"

"It’s okay, he can use mine," Lin Yujing said without grabbing her pillow, clutching her bedding and walking over to Li Zheng, where she then knelt and spread it out.

Watching her seriously make the bed…

Li Zheng, who had been as stern as an old monk, suddenly felt a softening…

Then he swallowed, took out his phone, and sent a message to Qi Yingnan.

[Li Zheng: Go to sleep, I won’t be coming back tonight.]

[Qi Yingnan: .........]

[Qi Yingnan: Then all I can do is wish you good luck in your endeavors…]

[Qi Yingnan: Anyway, you have to tell me everything tomorrow…]

[Qi Yingnan: You… take care, won’t disturb you anymore… (wiping tears)]

"Hmm." Lin Yujing patted the neatly laid blanket and pillow, "Lie down here."

"Wait before lying down, I’m not sleepy yet." Li Zheng didn’t dare look, just waved his hand, "You go to sleep."

"Well… you should rest early too. That teacher might not come back…"

"Understood."

Lin Yujing also felt embarrassed to look at Li Zheng too much, so she got up again and returned to sit at her own bed.

She wasn’t usually one to meddle, watching the other girl still hugging her knees and wiping tears, she sighed and climbed into bed, reaching out and asking, "Shall I turn off the lights and rest now?"

"I’m sorry…" the girl sobbed, "Can we… not turn off the lights on my side… I’m scared…"

"Then let’s leave them all on…" Lin Yujing then withdrew her hand, rolled herself into her blanket, "Go to sleep early, he’s guarding the door, it’ll be fine."

"That one…" the girl asked timidly, "Isn’t that Li Zheng?"

"It’s me," Li Zheng responded from a distance, "if you feel uneasy, I can move outside the door."

"No, it’s alright… thank you very much…" the girl hurriedly said, "You two are really considerate."

Li Zheng and Lin Yujing both blushed, unsure of how to respond.

The girl said no more, her sobbing finally subsiding a bit.

Time passed by the second, and Li Zheng just sat there, finding each second unbearably long.

He wasn’t sleepy at all, and there wasn’t much else to do.

His phone was nearly out of battery too; why hadn’t he thought to bring a charger when he left...

Maybe call Lin Yujing over for a chat?

Forget it, that would be too weird.

He endured for several minutes, which felt like an hour.

He didn’t know that Lin Yujing was also having a tough time.

Maybe chat with the poor thing?

Forget it, that would be too weird.

As the girl’s crying gradually stopped, Li Zheng finally yawned, feeling slightly sleepy.

Just as he was about to lie down and sleep, voices came from the hallway.

"Sir, we really have no authority to open a guest’s room..."

"It’s a student, my student, she’s here for a competition."

"I understand that, but we still cannot open it."

"Didn’t I tell you before, she performed poorly in the finals. She’s very depressed and might do something rash."

"We still recommend you try contacting her by phone first."

"Her phone has been off for a while now, her parents can’t reach her either, and the phone in the room has been unplugged. What do you expect me to do?"

"At least please have her guardian come and give authorization, then we might be able to help."

"I said her parents aren’t local."

"But we really can’t let you in..."

"Then who’s responsible if something happens? Who’s responsible if she hangs herself or cuts her wrists? You?"

"..."

"Look, friend, I don’t mean to be difficult. I’m her teacher, I’ve taught her for two years. Both my ID and teacher’s license are right here, please believe me. I’m genuinely afraid that my student might harm herself. If you let me in, there won’t be any trouble at all; it would rather prevent it."

"I understand... You try to communicate first, I’ll check on the situation."

"Okay."

Then, the doorbell rang.

The girl who had already stopped crying screamed instinctively and pulled the sheets over herself to hide.

Li Zheng jumped up on the spot.

"Xiaoqian? Yao Xiaoqian?" The teacher cautiously spoke in a moderate tone, "Are you okay? It’s alright if the test didn’t go well, we can try again next year. Why don’t you come out first and I’ll treat you to something to eat, okay?"

Li Zheng had been listening for a while.

The girl named Yao Xiaoqian seemed to have fumbled in the finals and was excessively despondent, prompting her teacher’s fear that she might try to harm herself.

It appeared that one shouldn’t judge someone solely based on one side of the story.

However, Li Zheng still remained cautious, neither opening the door nor speaking, but passed a questioning look to Lin Yujing, who had gotten up from the bed and approached him.

Lin Yujing immediately went forward and said, "She’s fine, just sleeping. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow during the day."

"Oh dear..." the teacher anxiously said, "You don’t understand. Yao Xiaoqian always takes things to heart and doubts herself easily, sort of hinting at depression. Could we, the teachers, handle it instead?"

The words seemed innocent enough, but Li Zheng couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with the tone.

Especially the phrases "sort of" hinting at depression and leaving it to the teacher "to handle" sounded jarring, hardly resembling the concern a teacher should express for their student.

Then, the person outside continued, "Ma’am, please feel assured, I am the hotel’s lobby manager. With me present, I will ensure your safety."

The teacher quickly followed up, "See, even the hotel staff are here now. They’ve checked my teacher’s license and ID, there’s absolutely no issue. I’m only here this late because I’m worried something might happen to Yao Xiaoqian, could you please help us out?"

A barrage of experienced arguments came their way, leaving Lin Yujing at a loss for words, prompting her to tug Li Zheng’s sleeve urgently.

Li Zheng thought hard but still did not speak.

For the sake of both the girls’ feelings, it was best he not show himself.

He then showed his phone to Lin Yujing, having typed out a message for her to read.

Lin Yujing read from the phone, "Then first tell me the name of your school and your name, so I can confirm with her."

"Huihu Middle School, Qin Kaixuan."

Li Zheng and Lin Yujing both gasped.

Huihu???

Li Zheng hurriedly remote directed Lin Yujing, "Then... please wait a moment."

The teacher sighed, "It’s okay, I can wait as long as necessary, but I’m not sure how Yao Xiaoqian will respond, given her current emotional instability."

Li Zheng, on his part, wasn’t really listening to his explanation but was whispering into Lin Yujing’s ear.

Lin Yujing nodded, hurried back to the room, leaned over the bed, and pulling back a corner of Yao Xiaoqian’s sheet said,

"Are you afraid to see the teacher because you didn’t do well on the test?"

The person under the sheet shook her head tearfully.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

"I... I..." the girl began crying again, "I’m waiting for my mom to come get me... Please don’t open the door... I’m scared... scared of the teacher, scared of the classmates... Please don’t open the door... I beg you... he will take me away..."

"Hmmm..." Lin Yujing shivered herself, "Don’t worry, I won’t open it..."

After calming Yao Xiaoqian down, Lin Yujing hurried back to the door and informed Li Zheng of Yao Xiaoqian’s condition.

Li Zheng hesitated for a long time, then shook his head, sending another message to Lin Yujing.

"She says her parents are coming to pick her up, please don’t worry about her."

"Fellow student, her parents are abroad and can’t possibly come," said the teacher frantically, "Haven’t I told you? She is very unstable psychologically, and under the stress of the exam results, your own safety is in jeopardy."

This time, Lin Yujing didn’t look for instructions from Li Zheng, but spoke for herself,"She also said you are here to take her away."

"How can that be? Isn’t this the very manifestation of her mental delusion?" the teacher said, turning to the lobby manager, "You see, this is the situation."

After weighing the options for a moment, the lobby manager finally said, "I’m sorry, sir, under these circumstances, we can’t open the door; at least a guardian’s authorization is required."

"Okay, okay, I’m calling her father right now."

"No... I’m not sure if the person you’ll contact is really her father..."

"Can’t it suffice if I send you pictures of the documents and authorization letter?"

"Hmm... that should work... Now we can proceed with the official protocol, please accompany me to the concierge desk."

"Let’s go," the teacher insisted to the room, "Xiaoqian, it’s okay, there’s always next year, don’t overthink things. Student, could you really not open the door just for a moment?"

Li Zheng immediately shook his head, and Lin Yujing also refused the request once again.

The teacher outside sighed and then left with the lobby manager.

It could have been a bluff, or maybe he really could obtain Yao Xiaoqian’s father’s authorization.

If that were the case, the physical deadbolt on the room might not hold up much longer.

With time running out, Li Zheng and Lin Yujing made sure Yao Xiaoqian was presentable before quickly entering the room and approaching the bed.

"Fellow student, if there’s anything secretive going on, you can totally trust me, I’m here to advocate for you. But if it’s as the teacher said, I don’t think I have a reason to stop this any longer, I’ll have to step aside with Lin Yujing and allow the hotel to handle this matter following their procedures."

The girl just cried in her blanket, without saying a word, perhaps crying too hard to speak.

Li Zheng sighed and shook his head at Lin Yujing, "If her parents approve… then I really can’t do anything…"

"…I’ll try." Lin Yujing climbed onto the bed and, through the blanket, patted the girl’s body, saying, "On the first day… I saw you were quite alright, not like what that teacher said about mental illness or depression… Compared to that person outside, I really would rather believe you."

The girl, crying, nodded her head, "Thank you… I’m really not ill… just scared… Dad is not on my side either, insisting I go with the teacher… I’m so scared… I only want my mom to come pick me up…"

It must be said, gentle communication between girls, unlike the straightforward, logical dialogue from Li Zheng, proved much more effective.

"So… what exactly is the matter…" Lin Yujing gently massaged her and asked, "If you feel your safety is at risk, you should tell us the reason to protect you, right?"

The girl fell into crying again, not saying a word.

Lin Yujing tried a few more times, but eventually sighed and said to Li Zheng, "Why don’t we go for a night run? It’ll be all right when we return…"

"Don’t…" the girl cried, "Don’t let them come in…"

"Then at least tell us the reason… I only just learned your name, and under these circumstances can only trust your father and teacher’s judgment…"

"Mmm mmm mmm…" She started crying again.

It must be said, judging from her current reaction, the chances of her having psychological issues seemed even larger.

But at that moment, Li Zheng suddenly widened his eyes.

Indeed, her incoherent responses, bizarre fears, and silence alone appeared more similar to symptoms of depression, compounded by the stress of poor performance in the comprehensive exam, indeed suggesting the possibility of seeking a drastic escape.

But all these deductions were based on the assumption that the entire exam had proceeded normally, with no foul play.

If seen from the opposite angle.

Assuming there indeed was cheating at Huihu.

Then how could she have possibly performed poorly?

A contestant reaching the finals couldn’t possibly fail even the questions they had copied, right?

Then considering the teachers’ desperation outside and her inexplicable fear.

There indeed existed another possibility.

Li Zheng suddenly paused, thinking back to the conversation he had earlier in the room with Qi Yingnan.

He felt as if he were back in front of the bathroom mirror, watching Qi Yingnan nod solemnly at his own reflection.

"To achieve grades by such means is an insult to my whole life."

Li Zheng was suddenly moved.

Silly boy.

So you were serious.

Li Zheng wiped his eyes and shook his head, asking, "Yao Xiaoqian, right? I think I understand you now—are you unable to tell us what exactly you are afraid of for some reason?"

The person in the blanket finally nodded her head.

"It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me," Li Zheng said softly, "I understand the problems and theorems now—this problem, I can solve."

Li Zheng said, sitting on the opposite bed, quietly beginning to explain.

"During the competition training at Huihu Middle School, a lot of example problems were discussed, which is very normal."

"But when you began the finals theory exam, you discovered that some of those were actually questions from the finals."

"Right?"

The person in the blanket trembled silently.

Lin Yujing was startled and wanted to ask something but was stopped by Li Zheng.

Li Zheng continued.

"And you, you’re a good kid, who has always worked hard preparing for the physics competition, and I guess you love physics, just like me, just like Lin Yujing."

"When you found out your school was leaking the actual exam questions for the finals, you felt fear, you trembled."

"You were angry."

"Years of effort and a love for physics."

"Crushed to dust by a bunch of scoundrels."

"You almost crushed your pen too."

"As for your other 14 classmates, they of course also realized this."

"But for them, it was more a surprise, an excitement."

"But you, you made a different choice."

"To protect the purity in your heart, you gave up on those discussed questions."

"Ultimately getting a disastrously low score."

"To 99.999% of the world, that would seem an extremely foolish act, thoughtless, senseless."

"But please believe me."

"You are not alone."

"In this room, and even many outside it."

"Would make the same choice as you."

The girl’s trembling intensified, but her sobs became quieter and she did not deny it.

Li Zheng’s expression became utterly solemn, and even he trembled a little.

Because this damn thing was actually true!

Lin Yujing also trembled as she supported herself on Li Zheng’s shoulder.

Li Zheng, trying to restrain his anger, said,

"Although you chose integrity, you lack the courage to face it."

"You can’t face your classmates, you can’t face your teachers, and you dare not speak out about this matter."

"You only dare to tell your parents, only dare to cry alone."

"The terrible thing happened tonight."

"After today’s grades were announced."

"Your classmates and that teacher, Qin Kaixuan, all cast unusual glances at you."

"Even heretical glances."

"They were questioning you."

"Why didn’t you score high?"

"Why didn’t you do those problems?"

"Do you want to keep your conscience clean?"

"What are you really thinking?"

"This made you breathless with fear, scared to death."

"You had no choice but to lock yourself away."

"Dare not see anyone, dare not say anything."

"And Qin Kaixuan, seeing your condition, became even more panicked, fearing you would speak out."

"So he tried everything to take you away early."

"And your father, seeing that things had already happened, to protect you, might agree to let the school temporarily take custody of you until he returned."

"After all, with the situation now, speaking out would only lead to more dire consequences."

"What I want to say is…"

"You’re scared, those outside are even more scared."

"But it’s okay."

"I am not scared."

"What I just said still holds."

"No matter how frightening."

"I will stand up for you."

At that moment, the person under the covers suddenly cried out loud.

It was no longer the suppressed sobs from before, but loud, wailing cries.

Amidst the crying, Li Zheng coldly stood up, "It’s okay, just go with the teacher; he won’t hurt you. Leave the rest to us."

After speaking, he turned to Lin Yujing, "Let’s go for a night run."

"Um…" Lin Yujing sighed.

She knew that for a girl to stand up now required immense courage, almost impossibly so.

Going out with Li Zheng now was just a kind gesture to avoid the issue, to clear the relationship so that she wouldn’t be troubled by others in the school later on.

The two walked silently to the door, Lin Yujing casually picked up a jacket and draped it over herself, "Let’s not run, just walk."

Just as they were about to open the door, suddenly a rumbling noise came from the room.

In an instant, the girl, barefooted and with swollen eyes, ran out and threw herself into Lin Yujing’s arms.

"Thank you… thank you all… I’m sorry… I… I’m scared…"

"Um…" Lin Yujing smiled helplessly, gently stroking the girl’s hair, "It’s okay, it’s okay, betrayal among classmates is scary just to think about, if it’s me, I’d be scared too~"

"No, you would dare…" Li Zheng swallowed, "You’re not just brave, you simply don’t care… you’re just that strong…"

"You fool! Your emotional intelligence suddenly dropped, there goes your only good trait."

"I’m just trying to lighten the mood."

"Thank you… and thank you too, Li Zheng…" The girl struggled to stand straight, wiped away her tears, and extended her right hand to Li Zheng, "Only you guys winning the champions proves to be truly convincing."

Li Zheng shook her hand and smiled, "Don’t give up too soon, there might be a replay, and by then, you are welcome to come back and get a fair result to prove your alma mater right."

"Thanks for your encouragement…but this…it’s impossible..." the girl said hesitantly, "You two…are just…too strong…I’m nothing…but still, I’ll speak my true thoughts… just… let it be… it’s meaningless… it might even be pointless… for me to come forward and reveal everything…"

"What you’re saying has no results, not that it’s meaningless." Li Zheng shook his head and turned to open the door, "I was like you once, unwilling to strive for something without a clear outcome, until I met a guy full of crap, who created meaning for today and delivered results for tomorrow."

"You don’t understand crappy talk, let me translate for you," Lin Yujing held the girl’s hands, "Our efforts might not change this year’s results, but next year, things will at least get better. We are all prepared to spend a lifetime with physics in this country, and that outcome is enough for us."

At these words, the girl’s eyes reddened anew, and tears gushed forth, making her sink down to the ground, crying.

"You guys…are too strong…I really…I’m sorry…I’m still scared…"

"Alright, we really should go now," Li Zheng said softly as he opened the door, "Being caught with someone like me by your teacher would only cause you more trouble."

However, he had just stepped forward.

Lin Yujing suddenly pushed, slamming the door shut again.

Li Zheng turned around only to see Lin Yujing’s eyes brilliantly lit up.

"I’ve got it!" Lin Yujing grabbed Li Zheng’s shoulders and jumped, "A way to protect her and reveal the truth simultaneously, I’ve thought of it!"

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