Chapter 92

The world Shushu lives in is truly wonderful.
With clear skies, plants and animals growing freely, and humans coexisting peacefully.
No zombies, no scheming artificial intelligences.
Nan Yuan chuckled softly.
He had once thought that reaching Shushu's world was nothing but a fantasy, how could humans possibly possess the ability to transcend the laws of the universe?
It turned out he had already left traces in Shushu's life.
Lu Nan Yuan's project won an award, and as soon as he received it, he was taken away by bodyguards and doctors.
At the same moment, Tao Shushu, bouncing cheerfully, attended an event as Father Tao's family member and passed him by.
A long time later, Lu Nan Yuan was injured and sent to the hospital, lying on a stretcher. Tao Shushu grabbed the slow-moving Li Anyu and rushed forward: "Hurry, hurry! Teacher Wang is about to give birth."
As she passed by him, she was about to witness a new life entering the world.
At that moment, all of Nan Yuan's consciousness and energy returned to the C1 Star System.
The gears of both worlds began turning simultaneously.
In the C1 Star System, an apocalyptic crisis erupted; Tao Shushu encountered Su Momo, who carried the Academic Genius System.
She downloaded the game and connected to the C1 Star System.
Energy frequencies synchronized, dimensions intertwined.
She and he became the only intersection between the two worlds.
"Was the me on Aqua Blue Star... created for Shushu?" Nan Yuan asked.
He had always wondered, Shushu seemed to understand everyone in the C1 Star System, she had mentioned she could also use the techniques he employed, and she seemed to empathize deeply with the apocalypse.
Nan Yuan's question was subtle.
System 001 did not answer directly. "Please defeat Chu as soon as possible and complete the mission that brought you to the C1 Star System to unlock your initial memories."
Nan Yuan pondered. According to 001, he was not originally from the C1 Star System.
Combining the previous behaviors of Dr. Xie and Chu, he could roughly guess his mission, it must be the opposite of Chu's goals.
"I will," Nan Yuan said.
He was already eager to show Shushu a peaceful and beautiful C1 Star System and then make his way to her world.
Nan Yuan spent the entire night busy. System 001 provided a lot of intelligence, and he needed to integrate it to devise the most advantageous strategy.
Now, Nan Yuan could also initiate communication with Shushu, but he did not disturb her rest. Instead, during moments of contemplation, he unconsciously wrote Shushu's name.
When Tao Shushu woke up, she noticed that Nan Yuan was in exceptionally high spirits, full of drive.
"Good morning, Nan Yuan. I'm heading to the training camp today," Tao Shushu greeted him. She carefully observed, everything on Nan Yuan's side seemed normal, with no signs of danger.
"Mm, do your best, Shushu," Nan Yuan said with a smile. On the screen before him, a grand display of fireworks erupted, as if in celebration.
"I'll definitely strive to come back with first place," Tao Shushu declared confidently.
The girl before him was radiant and dazzling.
Nan Yuan blinked. "I know Shushu can definitely do it."
He calculated in his heart, Shushu's competition would be half a month after the training camp. If he worked quickly, he could complete his mission in the C1 Star System, go to Aqua Blue Star, and personally witness Shushu stepping onto the podium.
Tao Shushu prepared many energy spheres and Health Potions for Nan Yuan, fearing he might encounter danger. "Nan Yuan, don't shoulder everything alone. If there's a major operation, you can discuss it with me at night. I've asked, we can't use our phones during the day at the training camp, but we can at night."
"I'll contact the teacher to get my phone and reach out to you if there's an emergency."
"Let's work together to defeat Chu. Don't take risks alone."
Tao Shushu gave each instruction earnestly.
Nan Yuan smiled and agreed, "Shushu, would you consider me an emergency worth putting aside your studies to check on?"
"Of course." Tao Shushu answered without hesitation.
If she hadn't known Nan Yuan was a real person, she would have prioritized her studies and never worried about dangers facing an NPC in a game during study time.
But now she knew Nan Yuan and the C1 Star System were real. Even if no one else on Earth believed in other universes, she would still help Nan Yuan and the surviving humans of the C1 Star System fight against the artificial intelligence.
"Thank you, Shushu." Nan Yuan said with a smile. "But I want you to study well and see you get top scores. So I'll be careful with my decisions and avoid emergencies. I'll only consider attacking when I'm sure of my safety, alright?"
Tao Shushu froze, suddenly feeling something strange. She was worried about Nan Yuan, but his attitude was like that of a family member going to battle, making promises to their loved ones.
Clearing her throat, Tao Shushu nodded. "That's good."
She casually asked about weapon inventory and other matters, which Nan Yuan answered one by one.
He had precise knowledge of all the survivors' situations, the most qualified leader.
Tao Shushu had nothing more to ask. She nodded, "Then I'll get ready to go. Nan Yuan, take good care of yourself."
But Nan Yuan suddenly asked, "Shushu, when I miss you, can I look at you?"
"Huh? Sure, but..." Tao Shushu didn't know how that would work. "Would you draw a picture of me to look at?" She found the idea rather odd.
Nan Yuan chuckled. "Shushu, I suddenly acquired a system belonging to the protagonist of the C1 Star System. Now I can also initiate communication with you."
Tao Shushu's first thought was whether she had done anything strange in private.
Rubbing her face, she asked, "When did this happen? Any special features?"
"It came to me last night. I haven't activated the communication function yet. The system gave me more information about the C1 Star System and can locate Chu and Dr. Xie." Nan Yuan answered truthfully, though he omitted one detail, he hadn't actively opened communication, but Shushu had accidentally activated it once.
"Dr. Xie isn't dead?" Tao Shushu frowned.
Previously, without communication in the C1 Star System, they weren't sure if Dr. Xie had escaped.
"Don't worry, he can't cause much trouble." Nan Yuan said. "So, Shushu, can I activate communication to see you?"
"Sure. Once I get my schedule, I'll send you a copy." After speaking, Tao Shushu suddenly realized something. Nan Yuan's question seemed to be asking if he could contact her whenever he missed her. Coming from an NPC, that sounded suspiciously like flirting to get players to spend money.
Nan Yuan seemed particularly different today.
Tao Shushu looked up at Nan Yuan again.
On the screen, Nan Yuan was still smiling, appearing especially happy today.
Nan Yuan blinked, relaxed in his chair, slightly adjusted his sleeves, and let Tao Shushu study him.
Tao Shushu coughed. "Hey, Nan Yuan, why is there an old-model smart device next to you?"
After frequently watching Nan Yuan write code, Tao Shushu had gained some understanding of C1 Star System's computer equipment. The device beside Nan Yuan belonged to an outdated model that had been phased out after initial deployment, its coding environment was no longer compatible.
Nan Yuan smiled faintly. "Just writing some small programs."
Tao Shushu didn’t press for details, automatically assuming that Nan Yuan had come up with a new idea and planned to use the outdated equipment he had initially disregarded to launch an attack.
"Oh, okay." After topping up a few more energy balls for Nan Yuan, it was time for Tao Shushu to head out.
Grabbing her things, she said, "Nan Yuan, I’m leaving."
Once he confirmed Tao Shushu had logged off, Nan Yuan began reviewing the logs transmitted by "Xun." This was one of the reasons he had insisted on maintaining communication. He couldn’t rest easy letting Shushu face the Academic Genius System alone.
Tao’s parents had prepared several pots of nourishing soups.
After finishing the tonic soup, Tao Shushu received messages of blessings from Li Anyu and others.
Even Jia Xu sent a congratulatory message, wishing Tao Shushu success in representing the provincial team at the National High School Physics Competition.
Tao Shushu replied to everyone equally.
Jia Xu was highly capable in physics. Through the Gu family’s connections and his own efforts, he had successfully passed the selection process and was exceptionally accepted as the last disciple of a renowned professor.
Jia Xu quickly replied again, "I’m truly sorry about what happened during the preliminary rounds. I sincerely apologize now. Later, I remembered that I had seen you at Professor Angus’s lecture. Perhaps subconsciously, I remembered how outstanding you were back then and envied that you had gained the appreciation of such an impressive professor. That’s why I spoke harshly when we met again."
Tao Shushu was somewhat surprised by Jia Xu’s introspection.
But after a moment’s thought, she let it go. After all, Jia Xu hadn’t harmed her and had even lost a crucial competition opportunity that mattered greatly to him.
Jealousy is a common human emotion. The true culprit behind amplifying negative emotions and distorting the world was the Academic Genius System.
Just as she was thinking this, Tao Shushu heard the system’s voice, [Dear user, the Academic Genius System has sent you a message.]
Tao Shushu took out her phone and saw that the message had appeared abruptly, with no traceable sender. She opened it:
"Dear Tao Shushu, I sincerely invite you to become the protagonist of this world. I know that winning the physics competition is effortless for you, but don’t you wish to step into a deeper, broader realm of physics?
Human scientists may spend a century without advancing physics even a small step. Yet, in the vast expanse of other civilizations, physics has already been applied to theories like black holes and spacetime dimensional resurrection.
Master just one of these, and you could propel Aqua Blue Star’s physics into an era of groundbreaking progress. You would become the greatest physicist of this century, and people across the world would honor your name. Come, the Academic Genius System will help you claim the crown of physics."
After reading it, Tao Shushu chuckled. [How heart-stirring. Too bad I don't believe a single word of it.]
On Aqua Blue Star, there were indeed many unanswered questions in physics and unobserved phenomena. The field seemed to have hit a developmental bottleneck, stagnating, yet this represented the current pinnacle of knowledge most suited to Aqua Blue Star.
Physicists on Aqua Blue Star could preliminarily establish gravitational field models.
But only in star systems like C1, which gathered numerous planets, could gravitational field models be practically applied.
Tao Shushu shook her head. [Try tracking the Academic Genius System and resolve it in advance.]
[Already tried, no results yet. It even attempted to bind directly to the host, but I didn’t let it succeed.] The system boasted.
Tao Shushu imagined the nauseating scenario of suddenly hearing the Academic Genius System’s voice in her ear when she was in a good mood and praised, [Well done, keep it up. By the way, find some articles encouraging losers to muster courage and persevere to reply to the Academic Genius System. We should be polite, after all.]
Whether the Academic Genius System’s approach was sincere or not, its request for cooperation signaled its defeat. Strike while the enemy is weak, that was Tao Shushu’s principle. She wouldn’t show any mercy to the Academic Genius System.
Then, Tao Shushu opened the message sent back by Xun.
Xun looked obedient. “All the information has been organized. Please check it, Master Shushu.”
Tao Shushu patted Xun and opened the information. To her surprise, Xun had categorized and sorted all the data, traced the flow of funds, and even provided basic conjectures.
Tens of thousands of pieces of scraped information, once organized, appeared exceptionally concise.
Xun was a bit too intelligent, wasn’t it?
Tao Shushu praised Xun and began carefully studying the analysis document.
This time, Xun had actually uncovered some clues. Through continuous tracking across various academic forums and school forums, Xun discovered a hidden IP address recruiting people with the goal of “achieving something that will change the world.”
Tao Shushu’s heart skipped a beat, wasn’t this exactly the same rhetoric as the Academic Genius System?
Moreover, this anonymous IP was quite formidable. It could accurately discern whether each person sending self-recommendation messages truly had real talent and learning.
This precise judgment convinced many that there was indeed a grand plan behind it, possibly orchestrated by a powerful figure within the school with access to all student records.
It even piqued the curiosity of some experts, who submitted resumes to probe the depths of this “world-changing achievement.”
Tao Shushu nodded. It seemed the Academic Genius System was smarter than Qin Rui; it had even learned the art of mysterious marketing.
After carefully reading the report, Xun tended to believe that the Academic Genius System’s goal was to create a communication and positioning technology on Aqua Blue Star capable of bidirectional broadcasting with the universe.
Tao Shushu didn’t quite understand. “Xun, how did you arrive at this conclusion?”
Xun fell silent.
On the other end, detecting a sudden surge of intense energy fluctuations from Shushu’s side, Nan Yuan quickly opened the communication channel. Fortunately, Shushu wasn’t in danger, the system by her side had thwarted the Academic Genius System’s attack.
Immediately after, he noticed Shushu opening the report he had prepared.
Just as Nan Yuan was about to answer on Xun’s behalf, Shushu’s car arrived at the gathering point of Yancheng No.1 Highschool.
Tao Shushu temporarily set aside her phone and joined several classmates from Yancheng No.1 Highschool.
She lifted her suitcase with one hand, placed it into the cargo compartment of the bus, and helped her classmates store their belongings before finally boarding and taking her seat.
Now wasn’t the time to talk, and since Shushu wasn’t in any danger, Nan Yuan was about to cut off the communication when she overheard the girl next to Shushu say, "Shushu, I heard that the students from Yancheng No.1 Highschool are coming too, and they’re all wearing their uniforms. Oh my gosh, they look so handsome."
Tao Shushu leaned in, eagerly eyeing the uniforms.
Nan Yuan paused for a moment, not immediately ending the call.
Huiwen had four students selected for the provincial team training, and the class monitor was one of them. Tao Shushu was sitting with the class monitor.
The class monitor usually had no interest in gossip, but this time she was so excited that it made Tao Shushu look forward to seeing Yancheng Yancheng No.1 Highschool’s uniforms as well.
The training location was at a university in Yancheng.
When the Yancheng No.1 Highschool team arrived, it happened to be during the assembly for all students.
Tao Shushu immediately noticed the Yancheng No.1 Highschool uniforms, the boys wore elegant suits with ties, tailored to fit perfectly.
Coincidentally, the students from Yancheng No.1 Highschool were quite handsome. The class monitor cupped her face and sighed, "I heard Yancheng No.1 Highschool is a pilot school for uniform reform. This is just too dreamy, it’s like seeing princes and princesses. I wish Huiwen would change our uniforms too!"
Tao Shushu nodded. "They really do look nice."
If Nan Yuan were to wear a set like that, he’d look even better. With his narrow waist, long legs, and well-toned but not exaggerated muscles, he was a natural clothes hanger.
If it weren’t for the apocalypse, at his age, he’d still be a student, perhaps just joining the Second Legion, wearing uniforms all day long.
Thinking of this, Tao Shushu smiled faintly.
She carefully observed the style of the Yancheng No.1 Highschool uniforms, planning to check the system mall later to see if there was anything similar.
In the apocalypse, formal attire wasn’t practical, so she hadn’t wasted any coins buying such clothes for Nan Yuan.
"I never realized the boys from Yancheng No.1 Highschool were this handsome. It’s true what they say, clothes make the man." The class monitor glanced at Tao Shushu. "Shushu, I think you should consider modeling for a school uniform promotional shoot. You’d look absolutely stunning. Handsome guys and pretty girls, it’d be a feast for the eyes."
Tao Shushu, still thinking about Nan Yuan, nodded absentmindedly.
The students from Yancheng No.1 Highschool noticed the two girls looking and smiled back at them.
So, Tao Shushu continued to smile politely in return.
Her smiles and approval took on a different meaning in Nan Yuan’s eyes.
Shushu would be in training for fifteen days, which meant she’d be spending that time with these peacock-like students from Yancheng No.1 Highschool.
Nan Yuan frowned.
The leading boy from Yancheng No.1 Highschool walked over and stopped precisely in front of Tao Shushu.
Politely, he said, "Are you from Huiwen Highschool? You must be contestant Tao Shushu, who scored full marks in both the written and experimental rounds of the preliminary competition. You’re really impressive. I’m looking forward to spending the next fifteen days with you."
Students from the two schools engaged in a friendly exchange.
Tao Shushu smiled. It seemed her teammates this time were quite nice, a good sign, at least. A harmonious team would make it easier to coordinate during the competition.
Nan Yuan furrowed his brows slightly.
After all the students had gotten to know each other, the leading boy from Yancheng No.1 Highschool approached Tao Shushu again. "Shushu, could we talk alone for a moment?"
Tao Shushu nodded and walked a short distance away with him.
Nan Yuan knew he should cut off the communication and act like a gentleman. Shushu had the right to interact freely with anyone; he shouldn’t be secretly watching from another world.
Just as he hesitated, the boy began to speak.
Nan Yuan cut off the communication.
The boy was there to recruit Tao Shushu on behalf of Yancheng No.1 Highschool, inviting her to transfer there.
Everyone knew that Tao Shushu was highly likely to earn more honors.
Tao Shushu declined, and the boy didn’t press further.
Tao Shushu returned to the class representative’s side, and together they waited for the session to begin.
Nan Yuan went through all his pending tasks but found no issues. When he noticed the golden-haired lion showing signs of loss of appetite, his eyes lit up. Even as he scorned himself for resorting to any means just to communicate with Tao Shushu, he reopened the communication channel.
The class representative was saying, "Shushu, when you two were standing there talking just now, it felt like I was watching an idol drama. If only you were wearing the same school uniform! They say school uniforms are the original couple outfits!"
Tao Shushu chuckled. "After the competition, I’ll go to the academic affairs office and suggest changing the school uniforms, okay?"
"Shushu, I just want to see you in it, I’m sure you’d look amazing. It’s a pity Huiwen doesn’t have a school heartthrob right now, or the two of you standing together would be a feast for the eyes," the class representative said with a laugh. "Speaking of which, during the school beauty vote, I even went around with handwritten notes to campaign for you."
Finally understanding that the class representative just wanted to see her in nice clothes, Tao Shushu patted her shoulder. "After the competition, let’s go take photos together."
The class representative nodded excitedly.
Tao Shushu added, "But I won’t wear matching outfits with anyone else. Because I already have someone I like."
"Ah!" The class representative’s eyes widened. "Who is it?"
Realizing the question was too personal, she quickly added, "You don’t have to say if you don’t want to."
A smile spread across Tao Shushu’s lips, her gaze softening. "His name is Lu Nan Yuan."
"I’ve shared my secret with you, so can you relax about the competition now?" Tao Shushu asked.
Nan Yuan hugged the golden-haired lion, his heart pounding wildly.
The instructor for the provincial team training was well-known, a highly respected senior teacher in the city. Several of the reference books Tao Shushu had used before were authored by this Teacher Zhang.
Teacher Zhang explained the rules of the provincial team competition and divided the students into several groups.
Due to her outstanding preliminary results, Tao Shushu was appointed as the class representative.
She took the accommodation vouchers, meal cards, and access cards for the laboratory and comprehensive building from the teacher and distributed them to her classmates.
When she handed a card to one particular student, he scoffed and slowly took it.
Tao Shushu noted his name but paid it no mind.
Teacher Li Xin gave his final pep talk: "I’ve brought you this far. How much further you go depends on your efforts. I have only one requirement, a gold medal. Can you do it?"
The four students from Huiwen Highschool shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Once everyone was settled, the fifteen-day intensive training officially began.
Teacher Zhang, with years of training experience, didn’t waste time on empty talk. Right from the start, he handed out a physics exam with a substantial number of questions.
"Two hours. Start with the theory section. Answer what you can, but don’t guess. We’ll test practical skills in the afternoon," Teacher Zhang said sternly.
The classroom immediately fell silent as everyone raced against the clock to work on the problems.
Tao Shushu skimmed through the exam and realized it was exceptionally comprehensive. Not only did it test the physics knowledge required for high school competitions, but some calculations even involved the application of calculus.
No wonder Teacher Zhang had warned them not to guess and to answer carefully.
Understanding the examiner’s intent, Tao Shushu began tackling the questions earnestly.
Thanks to Li Xin’s intensive cramming sessions, Tao Shushu had a solid grasp of all the theories and their variations. She worked through the problems one by one.
Occasionally, she encountered tricky questions that blended physics and mathematics.
A steady, step-by-step calculation could still yield the answer, but it would take too long. If she knew the integration formulas, she could solve them quickly. Tao Shushu decisively skipped those problems, quietly marking the question numbers instead.
With only two hours, her goal was to complete the entire exam and identify her weak areas, there was no need to spend excessive time on every single calculation.
After skipping three questions in a row, she quickly flipped to the next page of the exam.
The boy sitting to her right, the one who had scoffed when distributing meal cards, clicked his tongue disapprovingly at her actions.
From the podium, Teacher Zhang tapped the desk with his pointer and said, "Calm down and focus on your work."
Throughout the two hours, none of the students left their seats, all quietly working on the exam. Still, many were unable to finish the entire paper.
Although Tao Shushu managed to complete the whole exam, she only had time to go back and solve one of the calculation-heavy problems. For the other two, she tried integrating based on vague memories, but whether she misapplied the symbols or made another mistake, she couldn’t arrive at the correct answers.
Teacher Zhang tapped the desk again and projected the reference answers and solutions onto the screen. "Time to check your answers. Those who haven’t finished, put your pens down. Complete the remaining questions during the lunch break."
A few students gasped in disbelief. "During lunch?"
With such a heavy workload and only an hour for lunch, which also included eating, how could they possibly finish?
"You are the top students in the province. Of course, you can," Teacher Zhang stated firmly, leaving no room for doubt.
Next, Teacher Zhang began going over the answers.
After reading each question, she would say, "If you had no idea how to approach this problem, couldn’t solve it, or didn’t get it right, come up to the podium and take the corresponding reference materials."
The reference materials for each question consisted of several densely packed test papers, containing detailed theoretical explanations and derivations, variations of the problem, specialized questions related to the theory, and finally, reference answers. It was clear that a lot of thought had gone into them.
They continued until they reached the few problems Tao Shushu had struggled with in calculations.
Tao Shushu went up to the podium three times in a row to collect the materials.
The boy sitting to her right immediately rolled his eyes.
Tao Shushu couldn’t be bothered to roll her eyes back and even held down her deskmate, the class representative, to stop her from making a fuss.
Tao Shushu knew her weakness was that she had started preparing for the competition midway, lacking a solid foundation in interdisciplinary subjects, and needed to brush up on some calculus knowledge.
As for the physics thinking required for the competition, she was already more than proficient.
After reviewing the answers to all thirty questions, Tao Shushu was the one who had gone up to the podium the fewest times.
Aside from those three calculation-heavy problems, she had made no other mistakes.
She flipped through the materials and noticed they were filled with calculation-heavy problems, along with introductions to relevant calculus concepts, though they weren’t comprehensive enough. Tao Shushu decided to ask Teacher Zhang for some reference books after class.
Beside her, the boy cast a suspicious glance at Tao Shushu.
Taking advantage of a question that many students had gotten wrong, the boy, after collecting his reference materials and while several others were still at the podium, asked, "You’re not afraid of losing face, are you? Are you deliberately not admitting your mistakes?"
Tao Shushu noticed the boy’s pencil case had fallen and picked it up, holding it firmly in her hand. "Not really. It’s just that I got all the ones you got wrong right."
The boy tried to snatch his pencil case back but found that no matter how hard he pulled, it didn’t budge. He couldn’t understand how Tao Shushu, who looked so slender, could be so strong.
Teacher Zhang tapped the podium. "Let’s continue. Those who have collected their materials, return to your seats quickly. Don’t waste everyone’s time."
Tao Shushu generously let go.
The boy looked displeased but couldn’t say anything in the middle of class.
For the remaining twenty questions, the other students unanimously said they hadn’t finished yet, so Teacher Zhang didn’t go over the answers. Instead, she asked those who had completed them to bring their papers up for her to check.
Tao Shushu stood up, and two students from Yancheng No.1 Highschool also rose.
Teacher Zhang first checked Tao Shushu’s paper. "Very good, all correct. For the integration part, I recommend a few reference books for you to look at on your own."
Tao Shushu nodded and noted down the titles the teacher mentioned.
The boy to her right looked utterly defeated.
The other students, however, regarded her with admiration. They had already heard that one student had achieved perfect scores in both the experimental and theoretical sections of this year’s preliminary competition.
Although they were all top students themselves and had felt a bit unconvinced, thinking that if they had been more careful during the exam, they might have also scored perfectly, given the preliminary competition’s moderate difficulty, they now had to admit that Tao Shushu was genuinely exceptional. Not only was she fast, but her accuracy was also remarkably high.
They had initially thought she had weaknesses, too. Now they realized her only shortcoming was a slight gap in math, while her physics skills were already flawless.
At that moment, most of the students felt genuinely convinced. Tao Shushu didn’t seem to have started preparing for competitions from the beginning of middle school, yet her results far surpassed those who had dedicated themselves entirely to competitions. She was a true testament to what a genius could achieve.
The class monitor said, "Shushu is super diligent, she starts working on problems as soon as class ends."
Tao Shushu smiled sheepishly.
The other two students each took some reference materials and returned to their seats.
The classmate to Tao Shushu's right covered his test paper.
Coincidentally, someone from the same school whispered, "Yang Kai, aren’t you almost done too? Take it up and show the teacher."
"No!" Yang Kai whispered back.
After class, Yang Kai didn’t bother Tao Shushu further, only saying, "Why did you hold onto my pencil case and not let go?" He stubbornly refused to admit that he had tried to snatch it back but couldn’t match Tao Shushu’s grip strength.
Tao Shushu blinked. "When a normal person drops something and someone helps pick it up, they usually say thank you. I was just hoping for that 'thank you.'"
Yang Kai flushed red, snorted, and turned away.
After all, Tao Shushu had faced off against prodigies like the Academic Genius System and Qin Rui. Dealing with someone like Yang Kai wasn’t even worth her energy, she just treated it as a bit of entertainment to spice up the fifteen-day intensive training.
Their phones had already been confiscated.
Tao Shushu was used to chatting with Nan Yuan every noon, but now, without her phone, she had to study right after meals. She still wasn’t quite used to it.
But back in the classroom, with all her classmates immersed in solving problems, the pure academic atmosphere rubbed off on her.
She cracked her knuckles and focused intently on tackling calculus problems.
Perhaps she had used up too many brain cells during the morning test, or maybe it was the initial dullness of learning a new subject, but Tao Shushu’s progress was slow.
Just as she paused again to think while writing, she heard Nan Yuan’s voice beside her ear.
A low murmur, "Shushu."