Chu Qianli had a great plan: stir up trouble and divert attention. As long as He Shichen and Qi Yan were busy arguing, no one would have the time to monitor her performance on the final exams.
Sure enough, the two clashed fiercely, causing chaos as if the heavens and earth had turned upside down, day and night blurred. Their argument started with education and escalated to investment capabilities, then looped back to their own academic achievements and teaching methods, eventually ending in a reluctant draw.
Neither of them had experience teaching others, and both agreed that being academically successful didn’t necessarily mean one could teach well. Finally, they decided to rely on facts rather than arguments to settle the matter.
Qi Yan retorted, “You’re not a teacher, are you? Just because you scored well doesn’t mean you’re good at teaching—those are two different things.”
He Shichen countered, “I may not have been a teacher, but neither have you. Our professional experience is about the same, and at least my résumé is more impressive than yours.”
“No, I actually have solid teaching experience. I’ve even tutored many people successfully.”
“You’re not going to tell me tutoring classmates on homework counts as teaching, are you? That’s something anyone with decent grades can do—hardly worth bragging about. I’ve read more educational theory books than the mistakes you’ve ever corrected,” He Shichen scoffed.
Qi Yan fell silent. She hadn’t studied any education-related books and couldn’t compare to He Shichen, who had delved into various fields due to his strict upbringing. Undeterred, she proposed, “Reading books is just theoretical. Why don’t we see whose methods actually work better?”
“How do we compare?”
“Let’s see whose methods help her improve faster.”
“Heh, sure. I doubt you’ve ever taught her before. You’d better brace yourself. You’re about to find out how clueless you were just now.”
“That’s because you don’t know how to teach,” Qi Yan replied with a smile, turning to Chu Qianli. “Let’s head to the library. With the right study methods, progress can be incredibly fast.”
Chu Qianli, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was stunned to realize the fire had spread to her. She quickly waved her hands in protest. “That’s not necessary. I can just study with Chizuru and Kero…”
He Shichen cut in coldly, “You call that studying together? It’s more like they’re coaxing you to study. You drag your feet completing a single set of questions, and Tan Muxing has to say a whole basketful of kind words to get you through it.”
Chu Qianli often snuck off with Qiu Qingkong to watch variety shows. Once the two of them started chatting, they left Tan Muxing out of the conversation entirely.
Exposed without mercy, Chu Qianli glanced away guiltily.
He Shichen and Qi Yan reached an agreement. Each laid out a teaching plan and herded the “Cardcaptor Sakura Squad” into the library. This was how the five of them ended up studying together.
Chu Qianli sat in the library, her mind wandering. She wanted to catch up on the latest developments in Shi Bude’s story with Qiu Qingkong. Unfortunately, she was caught red-handed just after finishing the first stage performance video and was forced to knuckle down and do practice problems.
He Shichen’s approach focused on practicing a large volume of classic questions: the more you did, the more familiar you became, ensuring a solid average performance. Qi Yan’s method, on the other hand, emphasized flexible thinking. By thoroughly understanding one question, you could apply that knowledge to solve a variety of problems, sticking to universal principles.
Both of them requested that Chu Qianli learn in their way, which instantly gave her immense psychological pressure. He Shi Chen adopted a stern teaching method, focusing on improving exam skills, while Qi Yan used a gentle approach, emphasizing joyful education.
But both exam preparation and education are hardly joyful!
Under this double pressure, Chu Qianli felt dizzy from all the studying and was finally granted a break as per the teachers’ rules. She followed Tan Muxing and others to the outside of the library to buy drinks.
“Milk tea, cola, mineral water…” Tan Muxing was in line to order, turned around and remembered He Shi Chen and Qi Yan, adding, “Coffee and oolong tea?”
A moment later, everyone had their drinks. Qiu Qingkong, excited, suggested, “Since you’re all in the group now, why don’t you change your avatars?”
He Shi Chen and Qi Yan had just joined the group, and their avatars didn’t match the existing members.
“Avatar?”
Chu Qianli wanted to talk them out of it. She quickly nodded and said casually, “Yes, yes, you have to change your avatar when you join the group. If you don’t, you have to leave the group. It’s our rule.”
He Shi Chen showed displeasure: “What kind of rule is this?”
Qi Yan responded generously: “Sure, I’ll change it. What avatar should I pick?”
He Shi Chen: “…”
The person who gets caught up in this always finds themselves stuck. He Shi Chen, the master of competition, was for the first time feeling the frustration of being held back by someone else. Why should he go along with their strange rules?
Qi Yan chose an avatar of Tong Ze Ailie, the reincarnation of Kurokori. He Shi Chen had never seen this anime, so he casually picked one of Kihiko Mizuno, the older brother of Sakura Kinomoto.
Chu Qianli looked at the new people in the group and noticed He Shi Chen’s avatar. She muttered to herself, “As expected, the two-dimensional world can’t blend into the three-dimensional world. Now when I see Mizuno, the filter is broken, and I begin to wonder if the rule I set might anger the Mizuno fan club…”
He Shi Chen: “?”
Under the pressure of the overachievers, Chu Qianli made significant progress in her studies. Indeed, without being pushed, one wouldn’t know how much potential they have.
She got through the final exams without incident and finally had some time to relax.
The car stopped in front of the He family villa. Chu Qianli and He Shi Chen had just finished their exams and were finally able to relax as they slowly walked into the house.
As soon as they entered, they noticed something unusual. The warm yellow lights were on, decorative streamers were hanging on the walls, and the table was filled with sumptuous dishes.
Aunt Li was still busy in the kitchen, and Yu Shen hurriedly came out when she heard the sound, happily saying, “Great, the birthday people are back!”
“They’re back?” He Zhenghe put down the phone with a helpless expression. “Yuanyuan is the slowest.”
Soon, He Yuanyuan also arrived with a gift and apologized, “Sorry, there was a traffic jam on the way!”
The family gathered together to celebrate the children’s birthdays, chatting and laughing as they began the meal.
Chu Qianli’s eyes sparkled as she looked around, picking out her favorite dishes and focusing all her attention on eating.
He Shi Chen didn’t have a habit of celebrating his birthday. When he entered the house, he was startled and stood frozen for a moment. “Is it really this grand?”
Yu Shen laughed, “Qianli wants to celebrate her birthday with her friends, and you had a summer training session that day. I thought we’d just have an early gathering and celebrate today together.”
He Yuanyuan said, “These kids are really busy.”
He Zhenghe raised his glass in agreement, “We’re just free and should be retiring.”
Chu Qianli had already planned to celebrate with Tan Muxing and the others. He Shi Chen was going to a training session right after the holiday. The two couldn’t celebrate on their actual birthdays, so they decided to celebrate early.
A cake was specially ordered, with white cream sprinkled with fine coffee powder, and bright, juicy fruits decorating it. There was a beautiful star-and-moon pattern on top. The inside of the cake had a slightly bitter coffee filling, balancing the sweetness of the cream, so it was easy to eat without feeling too full.
Although it wasn’t her birthday, it was the first time Chu Qianli had seen such a celebration. She curiously watched as Yu Shen lit the candles, leaning against the back of a chair like a curious cat.
Yu Shen lit the candles and gently said, “Alright, make a wish, then blow out the candles.”
The room darkened, and the flickering candlelight swayed like twinkling stars.
“How silly, how childish,” He Shi Chen said impatiently. He was mature for his age and looked at Chu Qianli. “You go ahead and make a wish.”
Chu Qianli was stunned. “Can’t both of us make a wish?”
He Shi Chen replied indifferently, “You can make two wishes. I don’t have any.”
He Zhenghe laughed heartily, “Sure, that way Qianli’s chances of having her wishes come true are higher.”
He Yuanyuan sighed, “Wow, Shi Chen, you don’t have any wishes? I still have wishes at my age!”
“If I want something, I’ll get it myself. I don’t need to rely on birthday wishes,” He Shi Chen mocked. “But she probably wants a lot, maybe even a thousand wishes wouldn’t be enough.”
He Shi Chen knew Chu Qianli well. If he gave her a billion yuan, she’d spend it all. If she had a hundred wishes, she’d use them all up. This person didn’t even know what the word “restraint” meant.
Chu Qianli lowered her gaze and muttered quietly, “That’s because everything you want can be solved by human effort, but what I want isn’t something that can always be achieved by human means.”
Yu Shen kindly said, “Go ahead and make a wish.”
The candlelight was bright and warm, flickering in the dimness. The hot wax slowly dripped down like sand flowing through an hourglass, signaling the countdown.
Yu Shen and the others smiled as they waited. He Shi Chen crossed his arms, looking dismissively, but the candlelight tinted his face with warmth.
Looking at this scene, Chu Qianli suddenly felt a little glad that she hadn’t come back earlier.
She had never had the habit of burning incense or praying, but making a wish on a birthday should be fine, right?
He Shi Chen gave her his wish, but she didn’t know how many people’s wishes it would take to make her own come true. She wanted a lot, and even a thousand wishes wouldn’t be enough, let alone ten thousand or a hundred million.
Chu Qianli quietly made her wish.
When the candle went out, the room turned dark.
The family erupted in cheers, and He Zhenghe immediately turned the lights back on, filling the villa with brightness again.
Yu Shen brought out clean plates and began distributing the cake: “Let me cut the cake.”
Chu Qianli eagerly said, “I want the stars on top.”
He Shi Chen said, “Mom, I’ll only eat the part without cream inside.”
The family enjoyed the cake, while the three men started discussing investments and talking about various complex terms.
Chu Qianli held the piece with the stars on top and went over to Yu Shen, saying, “Mom, I want to go back to the village during the holiday.”
Yu Shen looked surprised: “Huh? Then let me go with you. I’ll arrange it for tomorrow, or your dad can go with you…”
He Zhenghe had once gone to the village to pick up Chu Qianli, and he was more familiar with the village environment than Yu Shen.
Chu Qianli shook her head, “No need, I just want to go back and take a look. It’s easy to travel back and forth by myself.”
Yu Shen was concerned, “But if you go alone…”
Chu Qianli said, “I’ll be an adult soon!”
Facing her stubbornness, Yu Shen said she would discuss it with He Zhenghe, and once they confirmed, they would book the tickets for her. Chu Qianli had no objections; she just needed to find time to go back, though the exact week wasn’t finalized yet.
Chu Qianli had an early birthday celebration at home, and not long after, she celebrated with Tan Muxing and Qiu Qingkong. She found birthdays to be a wonderful experience, not only receiving gifts from elders but also getting blessings from friends.
On her birthday, Chu Qianli and Qiu Qingkong went to Tan Muxing’s house to eat and drink. The three of them gathered to play games, watch anime, and catch up on variety shows. They partied at the start of the summer vacation and had a great time, completely immersed in the fun.
“Next semester, once we finalize the university, let’s plan a trip during the holiday,” Qiu Qingkong suggested. “Has the teacher ever been abroad?”
Chu Qianli obediently shook her head, “No.”
“Then we can travel abroad together, I’ll organize it!” Qiu Qingkong said, stroking her chin. “But the teacher needs to get a passport first.”
Tan Muxing hesitated and reminded, “I think we should focus on university first, then figure out what to do once we’re in college?”
Qiu Qingkong replied, “With He Shi Chen and Qi Yan taking turns teaching, the teacher should definitely get into a university.”
Chu Qianli felt uneasy: “…The way you say it, I’m not even looking forward to university anymore.”
After their playful banter, it was time for the gift-giving.
Chu Qianli had already received gifts from He Shi Chen and Qi Yan. Both of them were attending training sessions, busy with their own affairs and not at home.
He Shi Chen simply transferred money to her, with the note: “Buy whatever you want, this money doesn’t count toward the year-end bonus,” completely lacking the ceremonial feel of gift-giving.
Qi Yan gave her a small, exquisite Western-style telescope. Its precision wasn’t high, but it was beautiful, encrusted with gemstones, and an antique.
Qiu Qingkong placed a pink gift box on the table. She gave Chu Qianli merchandise related to Cardcaptor Sakura, including figurines and limited-edition products.
Chu Qianli was delighted and quickly thanked her, calling her an astrology apprentice.
Qiu Qingkong smiled, “When you go back, you have to put Sakura and Keroberos together!”
Tan Muxing’s gift was a set of gold jewelry, very finely crafted. There were over ten pieces, all neatly arranged in an antique wooden jewelry box.
When Chu Qianli opened each small drawer, she saw different pieces of jewelry. The design elements were quite unified, mostly related to ancient astrology.
Tan Muxing really took her suggestions to heart and, instead of focusing on variety, gave her a full set, figuring that she’d surely like at least some of it.
Chu Qianli didn’t immediately thank him. Instead, she extended her hand toward Tan Muxing and boldly asked, “Aren’t there more?”
Tan Muxing was stunned, “Huh?”
Qiu Qingkong looked puzzled, “Is there more?”
Chu Qianli said seriously, “Last time, he told me there were two options, so there’s definitely one more hidden.”
Tan Muxing didn’t expect her to remember. His gaze flickered as he nervously explained, “The other one is… I can’t really give it out…”
Chu Qianli muttered dissatisfiedly, “Didn’t you say you’d give everything?”
Qiu Qingkong chimed in, “A gift is about the thought, there’s no such thing as something you can’t give. What’s the other one?”
“That one isn’t finished yet…” Tan Muxing, faced with their repeated questioning, turned his head awkwardly and whispered, “I was thinking of making a set of clothes, but I’m not very experienced.”
Tan Muxing had also thought of Cardcaptor Sakura. He tried to imitate Chiharu in making clothes, but halfway through, he realized he didn’t know Chu Qianli’s measurements. This left him stuck, not knowing what to do.
For this reason, Tan Muxing chose to give Chu Qianli a set of gold jewelry, which was more valuable than the clothes he made himself.
Tan Muxing helplessly said, “I’m not good at it now, wait for me to get better, and I’ll give them to you next year.”
“Life can’t afford to wait,” Chu Qianli decisively stood up. She looked around and firmly said, “Give them to me, whether they’re good or bad. You’re not going to wear women’s clothes, are you?”
Tan Muxing desperately refused, “No, they’re really bad. Don’t take them…”
“If you don’t give them to me, I’ll figure it out myself. I’ll find a way,” Chu Qianli pretended to start divination. “It’s just finding something. I’m the best at this.”
Seeing that she was truly going to try, Tan Muxing hurriedly stopped her. “Otherwise, just name another gift, and I’ll give you something else to make up for this one!”
Qiu Qingkong deliberately made things difficult. She fanned the flames, saying, “The teacher likes your family’s garden.”
Tan Muxing fell into thought. “Well then, I…”
Chu Qianli continued, “Not just that, I also want the mountain behind the garden. But it’s currently owned by the state, can I get that mountain as a gift?”
Tan Muxing, who had been hesitating earlier, decisively stood up upon hearing this, and said bluntly, “Alright, I’ll go get the clothes now.”
Compared to making clothes with poor craftsmanship, her request for an entire mountain owned by the state was obviously much more absurd.
