Gu Qiu raised his eyebrows slightly, not taking Jiang Yunchen and Xu Youtian’s successive refusals to heart.
He set the breakfast aside for the moment and instead took two test papers out of the drawer on his left.
Last semester, after this pair of rivals began their academic competition, Jiang Yunchen privately put together a set of test papers. After finishing them, he asked Gu Qiu to grade them and explain the answers. When Xu Youtian found out, she followed his example and joined in.
At the time, as a new teacher, Gu Qiu faced their constant pestering without a single complaint. On the contrary, he felt a real sense of achievement and happily helped them solve the difficult problems they encountered in their studies.
Over time, the three of them developed a tacit understanding and made some adjustments, such as using the same set of test papers and setting fixed times for writing, correcting, and explaining them…
Perhaps fate had been on their side. After being reassigned to a different class, the three of them ended up in the same group again, and unless something unusual happened, there would probably be no more changes in the future. Naturally, they continued this tradition.
Gu Qiu flipped back and forth through the two test papers they had just finished during the previous night’s evening study session.
However, Jiang Yunchen and Xu Youtian both focused on the breakfast at the same time and started communicating with their eyes.
『Say, if we hadn’t come, Teacher Qin and Old Gu would have been alone together. Wouldn’t they have had a chance to talk things through and confess their feelings?』
『Probably!』
『Teacher Qin prepared breakfast for two days in a row, and Old Gu still didn’t eat it either time. She must be really hurt!』
『I’m afraid she’ll take it out on us!』
『Why don’t we slip away?』
『I think that’s a great idea!』
Immediately, Jiang Yunchen raised a hand to hold his stomach, but before he could even say he felt unwell, Gu Qiu spoke first.
“Jiang Yunchen, come here. Look at these two test papers and tell me the most obvious difference between them.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yunchen froze and silently took half a step forward.
After glancing back and forth between his and Xu Youtian’s test papers a few times, he quickly realized something.
Gu Qiu noticed his expression and immediately gave the answer:
“Your handwriting is practically wild cursive script. It’s exhausting to read!”
“When you have time, practice it properly!”
Jiang Yunchen scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.
“Definitely next time.”
After the reminder, Gu Qiu did not dawdle. He took out a red pen and graded the paper against one he had finished the week before.
Within five minutes, he wrote scores on both papers.
『Xu Youtian: 92』
『Jiang Yunchen: 97』
Gu Qiu handed the two papers back to them separately.
“No problems with the basic questions. Youtian, your way of thinking on question forty-two wasn’t quite right. When we talk about Roosevelt’s New Deal, it… (blah blah blah!)”
His expression was calm, his tone warm, and he patiently analyzed the problem.
Aside from Jiang Yunchen and Xu Youtian listening carefully, Qin Zhiyi, sitting opposite them, also rested her chin in one hand and stared at Gu Qiu dreamily.
Without meaning to, a gentle smile appeared on her face as she thought to herself:
“He still looks so handsome when he’s serious.”
After they moved in together in her previous life, she had discovered this. She would often stare blankly at Gu Qiu whenever he was focused on something, even thinking that it would be so wonderful to be able to keep looking at him like that forever!
Unfortunately, one event after another, along with the changes in herself, filled her life with anxiety, making it hard for her to calm down again.
But she promised herself that it would not happen this time!
No matter who it was or what it was, nothing would ever again break her fascination with this beautiful feeling!
A moment later, Gu Qiu finished explaining.
He licked his somewhat dry lips and glanced at his water cup, only to find it empty.
This was caught by the observant Xu Youtian.
She quickly picked up the cup, filled it with warm water from the water dispenser, and handed it to Gu Qiu.
“Old Gu, you’ve worked hard. Have some water!”
Gu Qiu did not stand on ceremony. He took it and had a small sip, then asked with concern:
“This question actually isn’t that hard. It’s just a bit roundabout. Did you understand it?”
Standing nearby, Jiang Yunchen shook his head smugly and said:
“There are similar ones in the workbook, and you explained it so carefully. If she still doesn’t understand, she might as well restart!”
“Dead Fatty!”
Xu Youtian stomped on the top of his foot without the slightest hesitation.
Jiang Yunchen immediately grimaced in pain.
Gu Qiu was already used to their roughhousing and continued:
“The last question was a bit beyond the syllabus. You both already got the six basic points, which is good. Come by at noon if you’re free, and I’ll explain it to you properly.”
“Okay!”
The two answered in unison.
Gu Qiu nodded slightly, turned, and took two new test paper booklets from the cabinet inside the desk, handing them to the two of them.
“This set includes quite a few real college entrance exam questions or adapted questions. I originally planned to have you do them after the midterm exams, but since you’ve basically mastered the basic questions, let’s just raise the difficulty a bit!”
Jiang Yunchen accepted them without hesitation.
“The harder the questions are, the more excited I get!”
Xu Youtian shot him a disgusted look and took the other booklet.
“From now on, alternate between the two sets of papers. If you can’t solve this one, look up some references. If you really can’t work it out, leave it blank and wait for me to explain it.”
Gu Qiu reminded them casually, then raised both arms to stretch. By accident, he noticed Qin Zhiyi staring at him without blinking.
He quickly withdrew his arms, cleared his throat twice, and continued speaking to the pair of rivals beside him:
“All right, morning reading is almost over. If you two don’t have anything else, head back first!”
Xu Youtian did not want to be a third wheel. After a brief goodbye to Gu Qiu, she prepared to leave the office.
But Jiang Yunchen seemed to have tossed the breakfast matter into the clouds long ago. With a cheeky grin, he asked:
“Old Gu, I’m taking the initiative to add to my study load. Don’t I deserve some points as a reward?”
Gu Qiu spread his hands and gave him an expression that said, “No points. Do whatever you want.”
Seeing that, Jiang Yunchen pouted.
“Cheapskate!”
But the moment he finished speaking, Xu Youtian pinched his ear.
“You wrote one paper and still didn’t even get a perfect score, and you still have the nerve to stand here asking for points.”
“Hey, don’t you know boys and girls aren’t supposed to get too close? If the director misunderstands, we’re both done for.”
“Heh, I must have been blind to ever fall for a Dead Fatty like you!”
“Please, as if I’d ever look at a Shorty like you!”
“…”
After the two of them left while bickering, the office immediately fell quiet.
Gu Qiu’s gaze once again landed on the breakfast.
After some thought, he decided to leave it here for now and see if he could find a chance to give it to another teacher later. Otherwise, he would just have to eat it himself. After all, food shouldn’t be wasted.
“Come to think of it, I came fairly early today, but I still didn’t manage to catch the person who brought the breakfast.”
“Hmm… wait a second. When I came in, Qin Zhiyi was already sitting here. I wonder if she saw anything!”
After muttering to himself for a while, Gu Qiu raised his eyes toward the opposite side, only to find Qin Zhiyi still staring at him.
He instinctively wanted to avoid her gaze, but in the next second, she raised her phone and pointed at it twice, as if signaling him to look at the phone.
Gu Qiu paused, then picked up the phone that had been lying face-down on the desk.
Only then did he notice the message Qin Zhiyi had sent more than ten minutes earlier.
『Do you want me to help you deal with it?』