Chapter 54

The woman lunged at the table like a maniac. Her arms, constrained by her clothes, couldn't extend, so her body writhed and twisted violently, like a panicked python. Her eyes were so bloodshot they looked as if they might bleed, and her expression was vicious, as if she wanted to devour someone.

Everyone outside the visiting room, except Li Zhuiyuan, was startled and moved. Even Tan Yunlong couldn't help but be affected, as anyone seeing such a scene would feel a strong sense of unease. After all, the person was human, one of their own. Having lived in a long period of peace, most people found it universally difficult to accept such an outwardly bestial hysteria.

Li Zhuiyuan, however, had a different feeling. Through the glass, he could see a release in the woman's screams and frantic movements. What appeared terrifying to ordinary people was, to him, a sign that a beneficial phase in a cyclical process was about to begin. This kind of empathy defied logic; crudely speaking, it was like an addict knowing where to buy drugs just by walking through city alleys, or a seasoned patron instantly recognizing if a brothel had "big business" from a glance at the entrance. People with certain traits seemed to have a radar in their heads, sensing each other's presence – a kind of "birds of a feather" connection.

But Aunt Xu clearly didn't understand, as she began to gather the photos on the table, believing the interrogation was over and that nothing more could be gained. Li Zhuiyuan felt that Li Lan kept her as a secretary not because of her strong abilities, but because she was from the same hometown, spoke Nantong dialect, and could be used for future phone calls with his parents. Even if that call was made years later, it was indeed something Li Lan would do.

"Brother Binbin, I know the auntie inside. I don't want her to know I'm here." This statement wasn't directed solely at Tan Wenbin. With that, Li Zhuiyuan turned and ran into the restroom on one side of the corridor.

The man next to Xu Wen helped her open the door. She stepped out and saw the three people standing at the entrance. Xu Wen asked, "Who are you?"

Tan Yunlong replied, "I'm the police officer from the registered domicile of the person inside. I brought them to have a look." As he spoke, Tan Yunlong reached out and patted Tan Wenbin's shoulder. Tan Wenbin, after all, had eaten at a table with the deceased. At that moment, he first lowered his head to prevent her from noticing the similarity between his eyebrows and those of the "police officer" behind him, then gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Xu Wen's eyes showed a hint of guilt; after all, the woman's frenzy inside was caused by her. So she simply nodded and turned to walk out, with the accompanying man following her. When they reached the restroom door, Xu Wen stopped and washed her hands.

The man said in a lowered voice, "We didn't get any results."

Xu Wen, however, seemed unaware of this, speaking at a normal volume, "She probably hasn't been down there. She's just been severely traumatized by her husband's situation. Where's the next sailor resettlement location?"

"Lianyungang."

"Then let's hurry and leave."

"Do we need to visit all of them?"

"Otherwise? For him, if he's alive, I want to see him; if he's dead, I want to see his body."

"This is your hometown, aren't you going back to see it?"

"My mother has already been brought to Beijing by me. I don't have any relatives worth visiting in my hometown."

"I heard..."

"I wouldn't dare contact the Director's relatives; otherwise, when the Director returns..."

They left the restroom and walked away, so the rest of their conversation became inaudible.

Li Zhuiyuan came out of the restroom and turned on the faucet to wash his hands. Thanks to being blind for nearly a month previously, his hearing had become further developed, and he had overheard their earlier conversation. Aunt Xu was looking for someone, but it wasn't Li Lan, because Xu Wen wouldn't describe Li Lan with "if she's alive, I want to see her; if she's dead, I want to see her body." Therefore, the mission Li Lan was on wasn't in the area where Zheng Haiyang's parents had an accident, but Li Lan genuinely hadn't returned yet. What kind of mission could take so long? It had already been two months.

Li Zhuiyuan walked back, shaking his hands dry. In the past, he would have actively greeted Xu Wen, affectionately calling her "Aunt Xu," but now, he was very resistant to contact with Li Lan and those around her. If he had a choice, he would prefer to have no further interaction with Li Lan for the rest of his life, and he believed Li Lan felt the same way. Because whenever they, mother and son, met, no matter what they did or said, they were essentially flaying each other.

The doctor came out and was talking with Tan Yunlong. "The patient's emotional state is very unstable right now. Further visits are not advisable."

Tan Yunlong pointed to the returning Li Zhuiyuan and said, "Just let the child go in alone and see her. The child is very pitiful."

The doctor looked down at Li Zhuiyuan, hesitated, then nodded: "Alright, let him go in alone. All of you wait outside and aren't allowed to enter."

Tan Yunlong bent down, seemingly whispering a reminder into Li Zhuiyuan's ear: "That man was a soldier, he's seen combat."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "Thank you, Uncle Tan."

Tan Yunlong smiled and sat back on the corridor bench. Li Zhuiyuan was then allowed into the visiting room.

He sat down opposite the woman. By now, she was no longer as agitated and frantic as before, but she was still breathing heavily, and the redness in her eyes remained alarming. Li Zhuiyuan just sat there, saying nothing. He had come out of "interest," not out of classmate camaraderie, so he didn't want to bring up Zheng Haiyang or use him as a conversation starter. He didn't even want to exert himself to guide the conversation, though he was very good at it. Xu Wen's prior actions made him feel that doing so was pointless; he didn't want to derive pleasure from destroying or manipulating innocent people. Interestingly, once he decided to treat Li Lan as a collection of mistakes and do the opposite of her style, he truly felt like he was upholding humanity.

Outside, Tan Wenbin, observing through the glass, asked Run Sheng somewhat confusedly, "Why isn't Brother Xiaoyuan saying anything?"

Run Sheng shook his head, "If Xiaoyuan isn't talking, it means there's no need to talk."

After pondering this, Tan Wenbin said, "What kind of nonsense is that?"

But soon, a turning point arrived. The woman calmed down. She began to speak voluntarily, without screaming or frenzy, simply sitting there and talking normally. Unfortunately, her voice was too normal to be heard from outside. This made Tan Wenbin agitated, scratching his ears and cheeks, wishing he could rush in and listen too.

Run Sheng asked, puzzled, "Why are you so anxious?"

"How can I not be anxious? If I go in now, I can hear it firsthand. When Brother Xiaoyuan comes out to tell us, it will be his condensed summary."

"Isn't that good?"

"My mistake, why am I discussing this with you?"

Inside the visiting room, the woman's expression returned to normal. Li Zhuiyuan knew his "empathy" was not mistaken; he had picked the fruit. Xu Wen had successfully provoked the woman, causing her to lose control, then left, creating a better situation for him. If Li Lan were here, she would never make such a basic mistake.

"I tried to persuade him not to go down with them, but he wouldn't listen. In fact, he convinced me to go down with him."

"You went down?"

"Yes, I did. I shouldn't have."

"I'm curious, what's down there?"

"A very, very big place. Inside, there's a sun, a moon, and stars."

"You mean, at the bottom of the sea?"

"Don't you believe me?"

"I do."

"Outside that place, there are many shipwrecks."

"There must be a lot of treasure."

"There is, but it's hard to find because these ships are all broken, except for a few special ones."

"How are they special?"

"Most are wooden, some are not. They are all buried under the sea sand, with only a small part exposed. That area is a turbulent zone, making excavation impossible. After so many years, even if there were things on them originally, they've been swept away or deeply buried."

"That's a shame. So, you went inside?"

"Yes, we went inside. Once we were in, we could take off our oxygen masks. There was dry land that rose above the water, where we could see the sun and stars."

The sun and stars... Li Zhuiyuan knew the woman was very lucid now, so the counter-intuitive pairing of the sun and stars likely carried a special meaning. Limited by his lack of relevant professional knowledge, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't scientifically determine if such a place could truly exist at the bottom of the sea, but he felt the woman wasn't lying. He still needed to go to college.

"This wasn't your first time entering, was it?"

"It was my first time, but not my husband's. It was his second time entering."

"Does a sailor's job include these things?"

"It depends on how you look at it. It's just a job, and a job isn't everything in life. Actually, our wages were quite high, but we didn't get much of the smuggling profits. My husband got greedy and wanted to earn a large sum quickly so he'd never have to go to sea again, and I felt the same way."

"I see. How many of you went down in total?"

"I can't recall clearly, perhaps over a dozen."

"That many?"

"Because we were just guides."

"Who hired you as guides?"

"It must have been two groups, both operating under the guise of marine ecological protection organizations. The leader of one group was named Honda, and the leader of the other was Ashley, who was British."

"Must have been?"

"There was also a new sailor named Zhu Changyong, who was very close to my husband. But my husband said that Zhu Changyong was probably also there for this place."

"So three groups hired you as guides? How were the profits distributed?"

"The guiding fee was very high, and there were also shares of the profits afterward."

"Please continue to tell me what happened after you went inside. I want to hear what's actually in there."

"Inside, there's a wall with a very, very large door on it. However, this door couldn't be opened. Honda said it was decorative, solid and sealed, and that it was never intended to be opened for outsiders once constructed."

"Then how did you get in?"

"There was a gap between the top of the wall and the cave, which might have been seamless initially, but over time it separated from the wall. We climbed up and squeezed through. After going in, I saw..."

Pain and struggle showed on the woman's face. Li Zhuiyuan stopped pressing and waited patiently.

A moment later, the woman calmed down, her voice trembling as she continued, "After we went in, we found ourselves at the place where we had first entered."

Li Zhuiyuan frowned slightly and asked, "How long did that squeezing process take?"

"Ten minutes, because it was very narrow, and we could only crawl with our equipment."

"That's a long time. So what were you afraid of, even if you squeezed in and then squeezed back out?"

"It was the place where we had entered."

"Yes, you mentioned that."

The woman looked at Li Zhuiyuan and said, word by word, "At the place where we entered, there were also *us* from when we entered."

Li Zhuiyuan instinctively sat up straight. He understood why she was afraid.

"And then...?"

"They started fighting."

"They?"

"I was the last one to squeeze out. According to Honda and Ashley's instructions, my husband and I had to be one in front and one behind. When I squeezed out, they had already gone down, using a rope ladder."

"You said rope ladder?" Li Zhuiyuan began to try and picture the scene in his mind from the woman's simple description, trying not to miss any details.

"It was Zhu Changyong who set up the ladder."

"Was there a Zhu Changyong on the other side too?" Li Zhuiyuan suspected that the person Xu Wen was looking for was definitely not Honda or Ashley's groups. Most likely, it was Zhu Changyong.

"Yes, when I squeezed out, they had already gone down the rope ladder. They were talking, and my husband was in there too—two husbands. When the two of them stood together, even I, his wife, couldn't tell which one was real."

"What about you? Did you see another you?"

A smile appeared on the woman's lips, gradually widening, and her eyes revealed a deeply meaningful expression. She didn't answer the boy's question directly, instead using a rhetorical question: "What do you think?"

Li Zhuiyuan turned slightly and continued to ask, "You said they started fighting later?"

"Yes, they fought. Many people died, lying on the ground, mangled and bloody."

"Who all died?"

"I can't remember clearly. Anyway, those who were still standing alive at the end were all the only ones."

"Were you also among those lying on the ground?"

"What do you think?"

Li Zhuiyuan sat up straight again, looked down at his fingers, and asked, "Was only one Zhu Changyong left?"

"Yes."

"What happened next?"

"Next, we went in again."

"Still through that hole?"

"No, this time we went through the door. Because the remaining Honda discovered that this large door could now be opened—not fully, but enough to pry open a gap for one person to squeeze through sideways."

"You... continued to team up?"

"Yes."

Li Zhuiyuan really wanted to ask, how did they distinguish who among the survivors belonged to their original group and who belonged to the group they encountered? And the door that couldn't be entered from the outside could now be entered. So, did you go in, or did you come out? But the boy dared not ask too many details. He had already noticed that the woman's state was fluctuating again. This brief calm, gained only after a release of emotion, was essentially like drinking poison to quench thirst. It was also because the incident had only recently occurred; if nothing unexpected happened, her mental problems would only worsen. Eventually, this period of calm and lucidity, which would still appear occasionally, would be completely overwhelmed and submerged. This meant he might very well be the last person to learn about the events from her. Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but inwardly criticize Xu Wen again. If he hadn't happened to come today, this information chain would have been buried forever. No wonder Li Lan didn't take her, the secretary, when she went to work on that project.

"After going back in through the door, did the environment change?"

"Yes, it was very spacious and bright inside. The sun, moon, and stars were all overhead."

"What specifically was there? I mean, underfoot."

"Underfoot were a series of pits, and next to each pit stood a stone sculpture. The pits contained water, and bronze chains were tied to the sculptures, extending into the adjacent pits."

"How many were there?"

"Countless. All the way forward, to that... house."

"A house? Was there a house there? How big was it?"

"Very big, extremely big."

"Shouldn't that be a palace?"

"No, not a palace, just a house. It had two horns, long whiskers, and a terrifying large mouth."

"An animal? A giant animal?"

"No, not an animal, it was just a house."

Li Zhuiyuan sighed inwardly. The woman's condition was worsening; her narration was becoming increasingly disjointed, and he could no longer clearly visualize the environment in his mind.

"Did you go into this house?"

"I didn't. I was left behind. My husband and the others went in, into that house."

"Who specifically do you mean by your husband and the others?"

"Honda, Ashley, Zhu Changyong."

"And who stayed behind with you?"

"About four or five people."

"Why did you separate?"

"Because we had to be responsible for holding the ropes."

Her description no longer had a progressive logic.

"Holding ropes? What happened to the path ahead? I mean the path leading to that house."

"It flooded."

"Wasn't it dry? Where did the water come from?"

"The water in the pits gradually overflowed. They walked forward with ropes tied to them."

As the woman spoke, she stood up, her body beginning to tremble.

"And then what?" Li Zhuiyuan felt he couldn't wait any longer and had to clarify the outcome.

"Then black, black, everything turned black. The thing inside that house woke up, and the sun, moon, and stars overhead disappeared. I only saw a ring of red, like eyes, very large eyes. It woke up, it was enraged, and they all crawled out of the pits—so many, countless..."

"What were they?"

"So many, all of them... The ropes broke, the rope tied to my husband broke, and they were swallowed by the house. Ahhh!"

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, "What about you? What about the group of you who stayed behind?"

The woman clutched her head: "I was running, we were all running. We squeezed out through the door. That gap was only big enough for one person to get through. They were still pushing. One person used a pickaxe to kill two others. He squeezed through first, and I went in after him. I abandoned my husband. I abandoned him."

"You couldn't save him. It's not your fault."

"Is that so...?" The woman's emotions stabilized slightly after hearing that. Li Zhuiyuan genuinely wasn't trying to comfort her. In such an eerie environment, beyond the scope of traditional dangerous situations, it was difficult for a person to remain rational.

"How many of you ultimately got out?"

"Two. Him and me."

"Did he get out too? I mean, back to the ship."

"No. At the entry point, I saw the diving equipment we had left behind. His equipment was still there."

"What about everyone else's equipment?"

"They were all there. I was the only one who came back with equipment at the end."

"You... killed him."

The woman's gaze narrowed, her expression solemn, but then, a smile quickly appeared on the left corner of her mouth. This seemed to be an acknowledgment.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Because I suspected he wasn't from our group."

"So, in the end, you were the only one who came back."

"Yes."

"After you returned, what was the ship like?"

"On the way back, everyone started acting very strange."

"How strange?"

"Like they were insane."

"Like you are now?"

"Yes."

Li Zhuiyuan sighed, having finished his questions. And the woman also seemed to have finally held on and finished speaking. Although fragmented, with many missing details and several inconsistencies, the overall narrative finally had a beginning and an end. The deepest and most difficult part to elaborate on was how the remaining survivors, after two identical teams of people had slaughtered each other, then schemed and guarded against each other within their newly formed group.

At this point, the woman was no longer agitated, and her eyes showed a bewildered emptiness. This meant her condition was even more severe than Li Zhuiyuan had previously anticipated; sometimes, intense emotional reactions actually proved a strong sense of self-awareness to some extent. The woman began shaking her head and humming a tune. She chose to escape, to destroy that memory, to destroy her own life. From beginning to end, she never once asked about her child.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Thank you for your story. Please take care of yourself."

The woman ignored him, continuing to hum. Soon, she might no longer be physically restrained and could change into loose patient clothing. Li Zhuiyuan walked a few steps towards the exit, then suddenly stopped, turned around, looked at her, and asked: "The 'you' who came out, is that the 'you' who originally went in?"

The woman visibly paused, then continued humming and shaking her head.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a talisman he had drawn from his pocket, quickly walked around the table to the woman's side, and placed the paper talisman on her forehead. "Pop!" The bright yellow talisman instantly detached as soon as it was placed, floating down to the floor. The woman continued humming, showing no reaction. Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up the talisman. The talisman had turned completely black.

After Li Zhuiyuan left the visiting room, the doctor from behind another door entered and escorted the woman out.

Tan Yunlong uncrossed his legs and asked, "Are you done asking questions?"

"Yes."

"So, are you satisfied now that your curiosity has been met?"

"No, I'm even more curious now."

If he had the chance, he really wanted to go there now and see what kind of bizarre place it truly was. Perhaps he might even see another identical version of himself. Would he then fight with "himself"? Li Zhuiyuan could understand that in such an environment, choosing to "kill the other party" was the most normal reaction. But for him, if that "self" was truly identical to him, then why not join hands and explore the secrets within together? He often felt troubled by mental exhaustion; how wonderful it would be to have an extra brain as a backup. Unfortunately, for now, it was just a thought. He currently lacked both the external and internal conditions to make such a trip. The external conditions would only be met when he was in college or even after graduation, and the internal conditions required him to at least grow up.

On the way back in the market seafood van, Li Zhuiyuan recounted the woman's story, not hiding it from Tan Yunlong. After all, this storytelling session had been facilitated with his help, so it was only right that he should hear it. Besides, like father, like son... Looking at Tan Wenbin, Tan Yunlong probably had similar hidden preferences deep down.

After listening, Tan Yunlong said while driving, "This world indeed holds many mysteries. It's good; it means you won't feel bored once you grow up and start exploring them."

Tan Wenbin quipped, "Dad, why are you suddenly getting philosophical?"

"It's just a spontaneous thought. At my age, sometimes I feel that no matter how much money you earn or how high a position you reach, what you see and how you live are still the same. Those researchers, with one glance under a microscope, see new worlds that most ordinary people will never touch in a lifetime."

"Dad, where's your money? Where's your position?"

"You little rascal!"

Li Zhuiyuan, however, resonated with Tan Yunlong's words. Wasn't what he was currently learning and exploring an entirely new field? To some extent, Li Lan also seemed to have chosen this path. Since Xu Wen was investigating this matter, it proved that Li Lan was not the traditional archaeologist he had imagined. Only in unknown, mysterious realms could mother and son feel truly alive.

"Xiaoyuan, who was that woman to you?"

"Uncle Tan, I'm not intentionally trying to hide it from you. I just don't want to say."

"Hmm, it's alright. I understand, nephew. So, are you going home now, or to school?"

"Let's go back to school. We still have class this afternoon."

"Binbin, look at Xiaoyuan, and then look at yourself. His grades are so good, and he's still thinking about class."

"Dad, I'm going to *attend* class, he's going to *teach* class."

Tan Yunlong understood: "Who does Xiaoyuan teach?"

"The school's organized Olympiad math class," Tan Wenbin replied.

"Can you get into that? I heard winning awards in it is very helpful for the college entrance exam."

"Dad."

"Yes?"

"My genes aren't good enough."

"Vroom!" The pickup truck suddenly accelerated.

After being dropped off at the school gate, Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Wenbin: "Brother Binbin, aren't you afraid Uncle will hit you when you get home for talking like that?"

"If he hits Binbin, what does it have to do with me, Zhuangzhuang?"

"I'm hungry, let's go eat at the cafeteria."

"You know, Xiaoyuan, ever since my grades improved, I've felt exceptionally strong. Before, I knew that if I didn't do well on the college entrance exam, I'd have to rely on my parents to get by, including marriage and having children. I'd have to live my whole life in their shadow. Eating their food, using their things, taking advantage of them, meant enduring their constant meddling in your life. Now, I feel my wings are starting to harden."

"Brother Binbin, that's not exactly a shadow."

"It's just an exaggeration. What parents would genuinely try to cast a huge shadow over their child?"

"Hmm, you're right."

The fourth period hadn't ended yet, so the cafeteria was empty. Tan Wenbin went to get food, while Li Zhuiyuan went for the free soup. The soup was unlimited, and many students ate their own dry rations with it. After they finished eating, the dismissal bell finally rang. Tan Wenbin ambled off to his classroom, while Li Zhuiyuan walked into the small classroom alone.

To his surprise, many people were already seated inside. Some students were eating steamed buns, while others had rushed in with their books right after class, not having eaten at all. They all cherished the opportunity to compete; it was their chance to change their lives. Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit dazed. This was probably the definition of: what came easily to him was what others yearned for. The reverse was also true: he envied their health.

At Li Zhuiyuan's arrival, everyone offered grateful smiles. They had heard rumors that the prodigy had taken the morning off and hadn't come to class. Some ran over with buns in their mouths, helping to lift stools, while others stood by, ready to offer support. Li Zhuiyuan stepped onto the platform, picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing down the solutions for the un-checked problems on the blackboard. Below, people watched and discussed rapidly, all appearing urgent. The city competition was on the weekend, and theoretically, a few more people would be eliminated. After he finished writing the solutions, the taller students helped erase the blackboard, and Li Zhuiyuan continued to set problems. After setting the problems, he clapped his hands, and a student handed him a damp cloth.

Teacher Yan and a few other math teachers were also seated below. As Li Zhuiyuan walked down, Teacher Yan stood up and handed out the test papers he held: "After you've copied the problems from the blackboard, start on this test. You have two hours. You can submit early, and don't worry about afternoon classes." This was to determine the final competition team based on rankings. Seeing that he hadn't been given a test paper, Li Zhuiyuan said goodbye to the teachers, got up, left the small classroom, and walked to the principal's office.

Zheng Haiyang was eating in the principal's office. Wu Xinhan sat opposite him at the desk, eating with him. The dishes were stir-fries from the cafeteria. As soon as the funeral was over, he returned to school. After all, the body hadn't been brought back, so there were no complicated affairs.

"Xiaoyuan, have you eaten?" Wu Xinhan asked with a smile.

"Principal Grandpa, I have."

Zheng Haiyang stood up awkwardly, unsure what to say. He was grateful that the principal had specifically sought him out that morning and invited him to lunch and a chat, but he still couldn't adapt to such an atmosphere. Most students would probably feel uncomfortable. But from another perspective, for a principal to go to such lengths was quite remarkable.

"Brother Binbin is back too," Li Zhuiyuan said with a smile to Zheng Haiyang, then walked behind the curtain, lay down on the spring bed, closed his eyes, and began his nap. He quickly fell asleep and had a dream. In his dream, he was standing on a ship's deck, seemingly taller, as tall as Brother Binbin was now. He was holding Ah Li's hand, and Cui Cui stood beside him. Further away were Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin, and behind them, many other figures whose faces weren't clear. The ship dropped anchor and stopped in an area. In his dream, he stood at the ship's rail, pointing downwards: "This is the spot. Get ready, we're going down!" Behind him, a chorus of affirmative replies came, and then everyone began putting on their diving gear. Li Zhuiyuan also put on a set himself. After donning the mask, his vision became slightly blurry. Some went down the ship ladder, while others simply leaped into the water. Li Zhuiyuan chose the latter and plunged in. "Splash!" The moment he hit the water, he sat up and woke.

The curtain was pulled back, and Wu Xinhan, with a benevolent expression, asked, "Did you have a dream?"

"Yes."

"If you're tired, rest more. It's tough on you; the school has given you too much responsibility."

"It's not that..." Li Zhuiyuan was truly embarrassed to say he was tired, given that he either slept or read extracurricular books during class.

"Xiaoyuan, here are the scholarship and subsidies from the school. The detailed list is inside, and the money is also inside. Take it home and give it to your parents."

"Thank you, Principal Grandpa."

"Also, this is..." Wu Xinhan pulled a bill from his pocket. "This is my personal pocket money for you, from me as your grandpa."

"I can't accept this."

"Take it. Good luck with the competition this weekend. I've already had celebratory banners custom-made. And, don't blame Grandpa for putting pressure on you."

"Thank you, Grandpa." Li Zhuiyuan took the money. He felt no pressure; even if other schools had gifted students participating, he wasn't worried, since his entire class used to be full of geniuses.

"No, Grandpa thanks you." Wu Xinhan let out a long breath. This money was his own willing gift, and all he sought in return was the freedom to make sarcastic remarks during meetings.

"Principal Grandpa, I'm going to class now."

"Oh, I don't think you need to. The bell for the fourth period is about to ring."

Li Zhuiyuan was surprised. Had he really slept the entire afternoon? The consequence of sleeping through the entire afternoon was that he couldn't sleep that night after returning home, so he drew with Ah Li until late. Ah Li sat there, serving as his model, and he drew her. But as he drew, he remained unsatisfied, tearing up many sheets of paper. This made Ah Li, sitting there, feel a bit guilty and uneasy, her gaze towards Li Zhuiyuan filled with a question: Had she done something wrong?

"Ah Li, it's your fault. You're too beautiful and too graceful. My skill is too poor; I really can't capture it."

The girl frowned, pouted slightly, as if glaring at the boy. "Heh heh heh..." Li Zhuiyuan chuckled. Ah Li could now understand sarcasm.

Actually, it was true. Beautiful things were relatively easy to draw; it was the temperament that was difficult. Ah Li's temperament was partly innate and partly cultivated by Liu Yumei. In the current era, people blindly adopted Western aesthetics, from lifestyle habits to clothing styles, regardless of whether they suited them. Those who wore traditional ancient attire were a tiny minority, mostly seen only on stage. Li Zhuiyuan sighed helplessly. Drawing Ah Li was indeed too difficult now, but even if his artistic skills improved, Ah Li would grow up, developing a different temperament and style, which would likely make her even harder to draw. Perhaps he should try drawing something else first to practice?

He brought Ah Li back to the East Room downstairs. Liu Yumei, wearing white pajamas, opened the door and asked, "Where's the drawing?"

"I didn't manage to draw it."

"It's because our Ah Li is too beautiful."

"She is."

After returning to his room, Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to bed. Instead, he spread out a new sheet of paper, mixed his paints, picked up his brush, and began to draw. This time, he drew a small oriole. After drawing halfway, Li Zhuiyuan finally felt sleepy. He then put down his brush and went to bed. The evening breeze blew through the screen door, rustling the drawing paper and gently curling one corner. It was as if someone was standing by the drawing table, appreciating the artwork carefully.

The day of the City Olympiad Math Competition arrived. Unlike their usual hurried and low-key approach, this time Shigang Middle School arranged for a large bus, with banners hanging on both sides and red flowers adorning the front. In short, it was very rustic and ostentatious. Besides the teachers accompanying the students, Principal Wu personally led the team this time. After boarding the bus, he first gave a pep talk, then distributed fruits, bread, and drinks. The test center was Pingchao Middle School, a large and impressive school.

After taking his seat in the classroom, Li Zhuiyuan looked out the window, where a row of ginkgo trees stood, very beautiful. After the test papers were distributed, Li Zhuiyuan still hadn't snapped out of his daze. The invigilator walked over and gently tapped on the desk as a reminder. Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, picked up his pen, wrote his name, quickly answered the questions, and then submitted his paper. After leaving the classroom, he stood under the ginkgo trees for a long time. But when he exited the examination hall, he was still the first, remarkably fast as ever.

The escort vehicles from various schools were parked on the playground, and teachers from different schools gathered, smoking and chatting. They appeared polite to each other but were, in fact, engaged in a battle of wits. The examination hall was a battlefield for students, but even more so for teachers. To some extent, students were often naive in their youth, while teachers felt a greater sense of involvement in this battle. When Li Zhuiyuan emerged, Teacher Yan quickly scurried over with water and snacks. Principal Wu Xinhan wasn't here; he was in this school's principal's office, enduring the host's passive aggression while accumulating his own eccentric energy.

The escorting teachers from other surrounding schools all showed expressions of astonishment upon seeing such a young child emerge, and an ominous premonition arose in their hearts. Either you'd think the teachers at Shigang Middle School had completely given up and brought the principal's grandson to experience the exam atmosphere. Or, this child was of significant background and truly extraordinary. Clearly, no one would be foolish enough to believe the former. They were all in the education circles; even if they hadn't eaten pork, they'd at least seen a pig run. How could they not have heard stories of child prodigies, even if they hadn't taught one themselves? At the same time, everyone was deeply puzzled: how could such a child end up in a rural middle school? Immediately, everyone began actively approaching Teacher Yan to socialize and inquire about the little boy's background. Their tone and manner were genuinely polite and respectful, not feigned. It was laughable; they had already revealed their secret weapon. If they acted arrogant now, wouldn't they be offering their faces up for a slap once the exam results were out?

Teacher Yan was very happy, feeling incredibly jubilant inside, and also relieved that Principal Wu wasn't there, allowing him to bask alone in the limelight. As a formerly transparent presence, primarily there for participation and moral support, Principal Wu had already prepared his speech, so how could old Yan not prepare a little essay? Math teachers could be eloquent too, you know. "Oh, oh, you're overstating it, truly. This is nothing, just a city competition. It's not worth celebrating. There are provincial and national ones later; those are what's worth a little celebration."

Li Zhuiyuan lay on the bus for quite some time before the exam-ending bell finally rang. There were indeed some who submitted early, but very few