Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
âGo take a shower. I have to go to the supermarket tomorrow to buy some food.â Lin Wan let go of him and pushed him toward the bathroom.
Li Yanchen was a little tired. He thought a bath would really relieve his fatigue.
Lin Wan filled the tub with hot water and added a few drops of essential oil.
âThe bath is ready. I will wait for you outside.â
Lin Wan opened the âWe Are Also Very Ordinaryâ forum on her phone.
The fans had already voted for the flying guest in the fourth episode. The post was pinned to the very top.
The flying guest for this episode was selected to be Ning Xiaoxiao and her family. She was the female lead in the most popular drama of the season, âThe Sky of Seventeen Years Oldâ.
The name shocked Lin Wan. She had almost forgotten about this person.
Li Zexuan and Ning Xiaoxiao didnât meet in the original novel until much later. Again, Lin Wan was stunned by the pace at which the plot was progressing.
Lin Wan decided to wait until the variety show to figure out what to do with the whole situation. She wondered how her early appearance would change the plot of the original novel. It might be something unexpected. Just like the change in her eldest stepson after he met Xie Wanyu.
At Yun Xi High School, Xie Wanyu and Li Zexuan sat together under the
Xingzhi Tower. Wanyu had a book open on her lap. It was filled with scribbles.
Xie Wanyu could recite âPreface to Prince Tengâs Pavilionâ flawlessly. She could even recite it backward if she had to.
However, Classical Chinese wasnât Li Zexuanâs forte. It gave him a headache. Xie Wanyu passed the notebook to him.
âHere. You can take this. I have jotted down the learning method on the first page. You wonât be in school for the next week, so I have noted down some key points that will help you with Classical Chinese. Take a look before you go. If you have doubts, I can explain to you every day after classes before you leave.â Xie Wanyu fumbled in a folder and produced an ancient page from a book.
âTake this with you. Read one chapter every day and try to translate it. Arrange your study timetable around this. I will help you. You can tick each chapter as you finish,â said Xie Wanyu.
Li Zexuan was in a daze. He stared at her.
âWhat is it?â She gave his shoulder a playful nudge.
âYou are like a schoolteacher trying to discipline a naughty child,â said Li Zexuan. âPreparing all this so that I wonât slack off.â
Xie Wanyu closed the book. âWell⦠I did promise Sister Lin that I would help you in your studies. You might not have listened well. Anyway, I have noted down everything in that notebook. Take it and study diligently.â
âIs it only because of Ms. Lin that you prepared everything for me?â Li Zexuanâs heart suddenly felt heavy.
âYeah. Sister Lin and I are friends now. Other than Luan Rongrong, she is the closest friend I have. After that, itâs you and that class monitor.â
Li Zexuan was dejected. âI am beginning to think I made a mistake,â he mumbled.
âWhat?â she asked.
âNothing!â said Li Zexuan. He laughed. âAt least I am third on your list of friends. Thatâs good.â
âSo, you wonât come to school tomorrow?â Xie Wanyu asked. She realized that the time was already 9:30 p.m. She needed to head back to her dorm soon. âI will be here. I am only going back home tomorrow afternoon.â
Lu Wenqian was walking back to her dormitory when she saw Li Zexuan and
Xie Wanyu together.
âXie Wanyu, have you no shame?! Itâs so late, and you are here on a date with Li Zexuan. At this time of night, no less!â Lu Wenqian blurted out.
Li Zexuan stood up to retort, but Xie Wanyu pulled him back.
âLu Wenqian, I am only going through some notes with Li Zexuan. This is hardly a date. I am not the one being shameless here. Watch what you say, â said Xie Wanyu.
Li Zexuan was surprised. Xie Wanyu did not remain silent. He could see a change in her already. She was bolder than before.
âYou dare talk back to me?! Xie Wanyu, did you forget your identity? Are you worthy of someone like Li Zexuan? Maybe you have the Li familyâs protection in this school. But what about outside? Do you think Li Zexuanâs fans would tolerate you hanging out with him? Wouldnât it affect his reputation?â
âLu Wenqian, since when do you care about what others think about me?â said Li Zexuan. âXie Wanyu has done nothing wrong. Why does it matter what the fans think?â
âDonât you care about online criticisms?â asked Lu Wenqian as she turned to Li Zexuan. âEven if your dad is powerful, do you think he will keep erasing the online comments and articles for the mess you make?â
âI donât have to explain myself to strangers that I havenât even met,â said Li Zexuan. âWhy should I care about strangers talking sh*t about me when they donât even know me? Wanyu, do you care what complete strangers think about you?â Li Zexuan looked at Xie Wanyu.
âNo. I realized that I donât have to care about unnecessary criticisms as long as my own conscience is clear.â Xie Wanyu had talked a lot with Lin Wan in the past few months.
Lin Wan had told her about the online hate she had received in the first episode when she had done nothing wrong. The comments had been hurtful. She then decided not to care about what a few strangers thought about her when they didnât even know her.
Xie Wanyu realized that there was no end to peopleâs hateful opinions. At the end of the day, she understood that how she saw herself mattered more than what other people thought about her. She decided to do what she liked without being afraid of what others thought of her.
Sometimes when people hated someone for no reason, they would see everything as wrong and would have a lot of negative opinions no matter how good one was. Lin Wan had taught her to stay calm in the face of negative opinions and strike back only when a suitable opportunity offered itself for a counterattack.
âLetâs just continue with our discussion. This is more important,â said Xie Wanyu as they sat back down on the bench.
âLu Wenqian, I am warning you for the last time,â said Li Zexuan. âIf you see me and Xie Wanyu together, pretend we donât exist and walk right by us. Otherwise, you will have no choice but to leave this school. If we hadnât told the principal to let you stay after what you did last time, you wouldnât be here right now yelling at us.â
Lu Wenqian stomped her feet in frustration and ran away in tears.
With only ten minutes remaining for the dormitory to close, Xie Wanyu packed her bags and rushed back.
Luan Rongrong had already taken a shower and was reading a book when she saw Xie Wanyu hurry into the room. She was panting. âDid you run all the way? You have been meeting your star every day these few days.â
Xie Wanyu drank some water. âHe is worse than you at Classical Chinese.â âDonât ruin my reputation,â said Luan Rongrong.
âHe doesnât have a bad memory. He is pretty good at Political History,â said Xie Wanyu. âHow does he not sentence segmentation in Classical Chinese? He doesnât remember how to do it o matter how many times I explain.â Xie Wanyu dabbed at her sweaty forehead.
âI donât understand,â said Luan Rongrong. âYou mean to say you talk about nothing but studies, even when you have been meeting every day?â
âHe will need to find some way to comprehend the sentence structure. He just canât memorize everytnmg. It aoesnât worK tnat way. He neeas to learn to recognize the pattern in Classical Chinese,â said Xie Wanyu.
âWait. Stop talking about Classical Chinese for a moment. I really want to know. You and Li Zexuan⦠have you only talked about studies these past two months?â
âYes. What else will we talk about?â asked Xie Wanyu. âOh⦠I met Lu Wenqian today. She was yelling at us as we were discussing some notes. I talked back at her. â
Luan Rongrongâs mouth fell open in shock. âReally? You did that?â
âYes. You and Sister Lin were right. I donât care if she talks behind my back. But she was yelling at me, you know. I shouldnât cower in fear when I have done nothing wrong.â Xie Wanyu felt relief and a sense of satisfaction after what she had done.
âWanyu⦠you have changed. Thatâs a good thing. I am proud of you,â said Luan