-- Friday, at school
"Everyone take out the test papers I handed out this morning! We'll be going over them this class."
"Take a good look! For such an easy test, those who failed should reflect on yourselves! And those who passed, don't celebrate too soon. In Class 1, someone got a perfect score on this test! As for you? Your average score is 1.5 points lower than Class 1!"
Hearing the math teacher say their average was 1.5 points lower than Class 1, the students below began to whisper among themselves.
"Only 1.5? The way Old Hu put it, I thought we were 15 points behind."
"Teachers always exaggerate..."
Of course, the math teacher standing at the podium heard the students' discussions.
"Still talking! You think 1.5 points is insignificant? 1.5 points per person, with 40 people, that's 60 points!"
The math teacher was speaking passionately at the podium, but the students below seemed unimpressed. For their first midterm exam in sophomore year, most students hadn't yet adjusted their mindset towards studying and didn't take their grades too seriously.
"Not bad, Zhijing. You got 135 in math!" Qu Zizhou looked at Gu Zhijing, then at his own score of 100.
He consoled himself that at least he passed, and what a lucky number too. Thinking about it made him feel better.
Gu Zhijing's math had never been particularly good or bad, so even he was shocked to get 135 this time. He guessed the math test must have been relatively easy, plus he had done a similar geometry problem while practicing a couple days ago, which happened to come up on the test.
Gu Zhijing happily thought that even the heavens wanted him to be a third wheel this time.
At noon, the midterm exam scores and rankings were published.
For the first time, Gu Zhijing felt nervous before the results were released.
Their school apparently hadn't considered whether certain scores should or shouldn't be made public. Once the scores and rankings were out, they were directly posted on the bulletin board at the back of the classroom.
"Quick, quick, let's go take a look too." Though Qu Zizhou's grades were average, it didn't dampen his enthusiasm for checking the rankings.
On the small A4 paper, one could easily spot their own name at a glance.
Gu Zhijing
...
...
Class Rank: 9
Grade Rank: 249
Phew, that was close. He almost became number 250.
The grade rankings for students in Class 3 varied quite a bit.
Hao Leyun, first in the class, was also first in the grade.
Qi Anlu, second in the class, was eighth in the grade.
Xu Yuan, third in the class, was twenty-second in the grade.
The fourth in the class ranked eighty-eighth in the grade.
After fourth place, the rankings dropped out of the top hundred.
Knowing his rank, Gu Zhijing couldn't be bothered to check his individual subject scores. The test papers would be handed back one by one anyway.
Back at his seat, he immediately took out his phone and created a group chat with three people.
(Gu Zhijing changed the group name to "Hot Springs, Here I Come!")
[Gu Zhijing: Ninth in the class!]
[Gu Zhijing: Applause!!]
[Nian Suian: Fantastic! γClap clap clapγ]
[Nian Suian: Transferred Β₯2000]
[Gu Zhijing: Thanks, boss!]
[Gu Zhijing: @Gu Junxing Where are you where are you where are you Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad!]
[Gu Junxing: ...]
[Gu Junxing: Keep up the good work]
[Gu Junxing: Transferred Β₯5000]
[Gu Zhijing: Thank you, Boss Gu!]
"Gu Zhijing..."
"What's up?" Gu Zhijing had just happily pocketed the money and was admiring the beautiful numbers in his WeChat balance when he looked up to see Qu Zizhou staring at him with a resentful expression.
"You little...! How dare you make progress behind my back!"
"Tsk! What do you mean 'behind your back'? I made progress fair and square, okay?"
"I don't care, I'm a bit hurt." He only ranked twentieth in the class! Even Chu Mingyan scored higher than him. It hurt! It hurt so much.
"There, there. I'll treat you to jianbing tonight. Your brother's loaded now."
"..."
"But it has to have two eggs and three sausages!"
"No problem. As long as it can be rolled up, forget two eggs, we can stuff the whole chicken in there if you want."
-- At Qi Anlu's home
"You're back? The results are out, right?"
"Yes. Second in the class... In the grade..."
"Smash!"
Qi Wenhan threw the cup in his hand to the ground, interrupting Qi Anlu's words.
Qi's mother was startled and rushed over to hug her son.
"Old Qi, what are you doing! Can't we talk things over? Second place... second place is very good."
"Shut up! It's all because of your overly indulgent parenting! I'm away for a year, and he turns out like this." Qi Wenhan's words left Qi's mother too afraid to speak again.
"Second in the class, eighth in the grade, 88 in physics. Qi Anlu, you really do surprise me!" The words "surprise me" in this context were dripping with sarcasm.
Qi Anlu pressed his lips together without speaking. He hadn't expected his father to already know his scores.
Then again, it would be easy for someone like him to find out.
"I'm sorry, Dad."
"I put so much effort into raising you, and this is how you repay me! Second in the class, is this how you repay me?! If I were you, I wouldn't even have the face to come home tonight."
Qi Anlu clenched his fists but still said nothing. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. In the past, when he couldn't take it anymore, he had run away, thinking he'd rather be homeless than come back.
But in the end, he had always slunk back home, only to face more ridicule and sarcasm.
So he'd wisened up. He'd just stand there and let his father berate him. Once he got tired of yelling, he'd naturally shut up.
The standoff between father and son lasted until eleven at night when Qi Wenhan went into his room and slammed the door.
Qi Anlu thought to himself: See, I "won" again this time.
"Cong-cong, are you hungry? Mom can make you a late-night snack," Qi's mother cautiously asked her son.
"I'm not hungry. Mom, you should go to bed early. And don't call me Cong-cong anymore, I have a name."
"Alright, Cong... son, you should go to sleep too."
Qi Anlu's name was given by his grandfather, without any special meaning, just hoping he would be stable and down-to-earth.
Out of filial piety, his father couldn't change it, so he gave him a nickname according to his own wishes, calling him Cong-cong. Qi Anlu guessed that if it weren't for saving face, his father would probably have named him "Top Scholar" directly.
It sounded awful. He didn't want to be called Cong-cong.
After Qi's mother went into the bedroom, his father's roars could be heard again.
This time Qi Anlu didn't care. He went straight to his own room.
While showering, he felt a stinging pain on his wrist. It was probably cut by a flying piece of glass when his father smashed the cup earlier.
Qi Anlu lowered his head and rubbed the wound hard twice, his face expressionless.