Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 13 - Fortune Whiteboard
Chapter 13: Fortune Whiteboard
After the announcement was issued, the school had another task to keep the teaching staff busy. A group of officials was coming for an evaluation, and a large open class would be held in the auditorium, allowing for live observation and assessment of the school's teaching level.
Such open classes were common in middle school, but rarely organized in high school. This year, however, high schools were on edge about next year’s ratings, so every school was on high alert.
Not only top-performing students were selected—each class had to send a mix of students to the auditorium, as per the officials’ requirements, to prevent schools from cherry-picking only their best students to put on display.
Of course, good students were still included. Zhou Yao was there, Ying Nian was there, Chen Xuze was there, and Jiang Jiashu, as one of the top-ranked students, was naturally there as well.
Along with them, Liang Li, one of the representatives from the art class, was also present.
The multimedia auditorium was large, designed similarly to a university lecture hall. Seating was unassigned, allowing students to sit wherever they wanted. Zhou Yao and Ying Nian sat together, while Chen Xuze and Jiang Jiashu took the seats behind them.
Liang Li had wanted to sit with them too, but since she was known as the ‘most sociable’ in the art class, the moment she entered, her classmates pulled her over, unable to refuse despite the smile on her face.
Before long, the class began.
The lecturer was highly experienced, engaging not just the students but also catching the interest of the officials. Many teachers who were observing took notes, jotting down their thoughts on the lesson.
For the school staff accompanying the officials, however, it was a nerve-wracking experience.
When it came time to invite students to the front to solve a problem, the lecturer pulled over a mobile blackboard and asked if anyone could solve the problem displayed on the projector.
No one volunteered. So, the lecturer called on Chen Xuze. He didn’t refuse. He stood up with his usual composed expression, walked to the front, and, without a word, began solving the problem.
His cooperation was a relief to the school staff.
Naturally, Chen Xuze’s solution was flawless. But perhaps because he had been specifically called upon, one of the officials suddenly asked, “Are there any other students who can solve this problem?”
The atmosphere tensed.
In the silence, Liang Li suddenly raised her hand. She had decent grades for an art student, so the lecturer instinctively prepared to call on her.
But before he could, another hand went up in the row in front of Chen Xuze.
The entire hall turned to look—it was Zhou Yao.
Zhou Yao was always low-key. Though everyone knew she had excellent grades, she rarely spoke up voluntarily. Even in class, she only answered questions when called on.
The lecturer was briefly stunned, but a hint of joy flickered across his face as he immediately motioned for her to come forward.
Chen Xuze stood on the right side of the board. Zhou Yao walked to the left, picked up a piece of chalk, and began solving the problem with neat, elegant handwriting. Step by step, she broke down the solution. The projector cast their work onto the large screen, displaying both of their answers side by side.
The lecturer was full of praise. “Both students did an excellent job! Very well done!”
The school’s teachers were pleased, and even the officials seemed satisfied. Some educators in the audience nodded approvingly.
But the two students didn’t leave the stage.
Chen Xuze picked up the chalk again and solved the problem a second time, using a different method.
Zhou Yao, as if responding to his challenge—or perhaps simply playing along—also picked up the chalk and wrote out a second solution of her own.
One problem. Two students. Four different solutions. Someone in the audience started clapping, and soon the entire hall followed.
Their flexibility and clear thinking proved they weren’t just blindly memorizing formulas but truly understood their studies. These were students with real potential—worthy of admiration.
The applause hadn’t even died down when Chen Xuze picked up the chalk again and wrote out a third solution. Almost simultaneously, Zhou Yao began her third method as well.
—Six solutions.
The blackboard was filled with dense, precise writing. Each method was valid. Around them, the audience was full of admiration and mild astonishment.
Just how brilliant were these two?
While the crowd marveled, Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze simply nodded slightly at the teacher before returning to their seats, as if they had just finished a casual game.
The highest-ranking official, seated in the center of the back row, suddenly said, “Excellent,” and started clapping. Once again, the auditorium erupted into applause.
The school’s teachers, the academic director, and even the vice principal struggled to suppress their smiles. They wished they could hand these two students an award on the spot.
What an honor! These two had brought immense prestige to No. 7 High School.
As Zhou Yao returned to her seat, Ying Nian patted her shoulder and gave her a serious thumbs-up. Jiang Jiashu, on the other hand, had a rougher time. Ying Nian received a smile from Zhou Yao, but when Jiang Jiashu patted Chen Xuze’s shoulder, the latter didn’t react at all.
Jiang Jiashu sighed internally. Tsk, this guy… so dull! So boring!
For the next problem, encouraged by the momentum, the lecturer once again invited volunteers. This time, Ying Nian eagerly stepped up and solved it using two different methods.
Though it wasn’t as spectacular as the earlier display, it was still a satisfying performance.
No. 7 High School’s strength was undeniable—this class had made that abundantly clear.
Zhou Yao and Ying Nian. Chen Xuze and Jiang Jiashu. Sitting together, they had become the undisputed focal point of the entire room.
The original art class student, Liang Li, had been quite eye-catching. After all, being a beautiful girl studying art naturally attracted the attention of many boys. Moreover, her grades weren’t bad, and when she initially raised her hand, she garnered quite a few approving glances.
However, after Zhou Yao and the others' performance, no one paid attention to her anymore.
At No. 7 High School, no one was unaware of the relationship between Chen Xuze and his group. They were often seen together and were well-known figures whose names nearly everyone could recognize.
These individuals either came from prestigious families or were exceptionally intelligent. Just seeing the four of them sitting together felt like they were surrounded by an invisible barrier, forming their own exclusive world—one that others could never truly fit into.
……
That evening, they gathered at a restaurant outside the school for dinner. Having learned from last time’s ordering experience, Liang Li gave up the responsibility of ordering food this time. She knew when to ‘restrain’ herself, but Ying Nian, on the other hand, was unreserved. She leaned in close to Zhou Yao and muttered, “Hmph, she really has the nerve to come. Last time, I paid. Did I ever say I was treating her? Shameless!”
Ying Nian’s sharp tongue could make even the thickest-skinned person want to crawl into a hole. Zhou Yao could only pat her shoulder, signaling her to calm down at the dinner table.
Jiang Jiashu took charge of ordering the dishes. Once he finished, the plates were soon brought to the table one by one.
Everything was going fine until Liang Li suddenly spoke up, “Doesn't Chen Xuze not eat zucchini? Turn that dish toward me, I'll take it.”
The table had a rotating tray in the center for easy sharing of dishes.
It wasn’t that Ying Nian deliberately disliked her, but she simply never seemed to stop stirring things up. The moment Liang Li spoke, Ying Nian rolled her eyes without the slightest attempt to conceal it.
Liang Li, having suffered from Ying Nian’s sharp remarks before, pretended not to see and continued, “And that asparagus over there, Chen Xuze doesn’t like that either, right? I remember he doesn’t.”
Others gave her the benefit of the doubt, thinking she was simply being considerate of everyone’s preferences. Someone was just about to explain, “Actually, Xuze—”
Before the sentence could be finished, Zhou Yao’s chopsticks moved. She picked up a piece of untouched asparagus from her bowl and placed it directly into Chen Xuze’s.
“I don’t want it. You eat it,” she said.
The table instantly fell silent.
Liang Li glanced at her, then at Chen Xuze, pursing her lips. “Chen Xuze doesn’t eat that, right? Could it be because he’s allergic? Some people avoid certain foods due to allergies, and if something happens, it wouldn’t be good…”
Chen Xuze didn’t respond. Under Liang Li’s so-called ‘concern,’ he calmly picked up the piece of asparagus Zhou Yao had given him and ate it—one bite, two bites—chewing slowly and swallowing it all.
If they weren’t sitting at the dinner table, Ying Nian would have slammed her hand down and burst into laughter.
Liang Li’s face darkened considerably, but Zhou Yao didn’t even spare her a glance. Instead, she picked up a piece of zucchini and placed it into Chen Xuze’s bowl. “Eat this too, no picky eating.”
“Okay,” Chen Xuze replied indifferently, picked up the zucchini, and ate it just the same.
A third of the dishes on the table contained ingredients that Chen Xuze supposedly didn’t like. Somehow, Liang Li had found out, but it wasn’t exactly a secret. No one really questioned it.
Yet, Zhou Yao made sure to pick a bit of every dish and put it in Chen Xuze’s bowl. He never said a word in protest and quietly ate everything she gave him.
Liang Li’s eye twitched several times before she finally couldn’t hold back. “Isn’t it kind of bad to force someone to eat things they don’t like? For example, I hate cilantro. If someone made me eat it, I’d be miserable.”
“I didn’t make you eat cilantro,” Zhou Yao replied calmly, her expression completely composed.
“But you’re making Chen Xuze—”
“He’s willing to eat it.”
Four simple words shut Liang Li up.
She turned to Chen Xuze, as if hoping he would say something. Unfortunately, he showed no intention of refuting anything. It was as if whatever Zhou Yao said was simply the truth.
Liang Li forced a smile, the corner of her lips twitching on one side, but the muscles remained stiff, finally revealing a hint of hostility. “I always thought you had a really good temper, Zhou Yao. I didn’t expect you to be so forceful. Last time, a girl in our class was forced to eat seafood even though she didn’t like it. She ended up having an allergic reaction and was rushed to the hospital. It was almost a disaster. I’m just saying, things like that are really not okay. I didn’t expect you to be like this too…”
She trailed off. Ying Nian glared, about to speak, but Zhou Yao reached under the table and held her hand to stop her.
Zhou Yao took a napkin, wiped the corner of her mouth calmly, and said, “I’ve known Chen Xuze for eighteen years.”
Liang Li was stunned.
“I know better than you what he can and can’t eat,” Zhou Yao looked up at her. “A million times better.”
There was nothing wrong with what she said. Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze’s childhood friendship was no secret by now.
Liang Li was both anxious and frustrated, revealing, for the first time, an expression that wasn’t her usual gentle facade. She looked at Chen Xuze, as if hoping to hear his stance on the matter. Unfortunately, Chen Xuze acted as if he hadn’t heard a single word of the conversation at the table. From beginning to end, he simply ate his food in silence.
Suddenly, he put down his chopsticks.
Everyone’s attention shifted to him, but he simply turned to Zhou Yao and said, “Zucchini.”
His plate of zucchini was empty.
Zhou Yao chuckled, picked up a few more slices, and placed them in his bowl. He took a bite, and she asked, “Is it good?”
Chen Xuze responded with two words: “Tastes bad.”
Zhou Yao replied with complete seriousness, “Still can’t be picky.”
“Oh.” He showed no reaction, no resistance, just continued eating, bite after bite, until everything was gone.
As he ate, he leaned slightly to the side, reached into the basket of soy milk bottles the owner had brought over, and placed one in front of Zhou Yao.
“Drink soy milk. It won’t upset your stomach.”
Zhou Yao hummed in acknowledgment and opened the bottle herself. Their interaction was natural, and seamless, as if they had done this a thousand times before.
The table fell into silence. Chen Xuze continued eating the so-called ‘bad-tasting’ food that Zhou Yao kept putting into his bowl, completely indifferent to Liang Li’s persistent glances.
Zhou Yao sipped her soy milk, then suddenly turned to Liang Li and smiled. “Oh, right. Last time, you mentioned going to a social gathering, right? The cake from that place was really delicious. Normally, it’s hard to get in line, but thanks to you guys taking a number, Xuze was able to get the cake in just half an hour and bring it to me.”
Her smile was warm and sweet. “Thank you.”
Liang Li stiffened. Only now did she realize why Chen Xuze had left so early that day, carrying a cake and saying a quick goodbye to Jiang Jiashu and the others before disappearing.
He had only gone to buy a cake!
To buy a cake for Zhou Yao!
If there weren’t so many people around, Liang Li felt like her entire face would have twisted out of shape.
She forced herself to stay composed and glanced at Zhou Yao again, her gaze now carrying an unspoken weight. But Zhou Yao didn’t look at her. She simply ate her meal, chatted with Ying Nian, and occasionally placed more food into Chen Xuze’s bowl.
Besides being pretty, Zhou Yao never seemed to have much presence.
At first, Liang Li thought that soft, delicate girls like her—who seemed as fragile as white flowers—were the easiest to deal with.
Who would have thought?
Liang Li never expected that when you tried to pluck this seemingly weak little flower, when you attempted to strip away her petals or dig out the soil she relied on to survive—
She would, in that very instant— Grow thorns so sharp you couldn’t even fight back.
……
Walking back to school under the early evening stars, Da Xiong and Jiang Jiashu strolled side by side, whispering.
“What was up with Chen Xuze just now?”
Jiang Jiashu was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, Liang Li wasn’t that out of line, was she? Why did he give her no face at all?”
Hearing that, Jiang Jiashu chuckled. He clapped a hand on Da Xiong’s shoulder and asked, “Have you ever liked a girl before?”
“Huh?”
“Clearly not.”
“What does that have to do with this?”
Jiang Jiashu shook his head with a knowing look. “One day, when you get it, you’ll really get it.”
Like a wise old man, Jiang Jiashu crossed his arms and gazed at Chen Xuze, who was walking beside Zhou Yao and Ying Nian. A knowing smile played on his lips.
Some people are just like that.
In a crowd, their eyes can only find that one person. The moment they step into a room, they instinctively search for her figure. The second she’s there, they can sense her presence.
That person is different. For her, they will compromise, tolerate, and accommodate anything. And when they look at her, the light in their eyes shines like a sky full of stars, impossible to conceal.
No matter how noisy the world is, no matter how many people come and go, the moment they see her— Their heart will melt in an instant.
For someone like that—
For someone like Chen Xuze— There is only one Zhou Yao.
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