Chapter 1: Be a Bit More Mindful
Work a little harder each day, and you’ll be one step closer to excellence. —Lin Yuejiu
I want to be excellent too. Take me with you.—Xu Nianshen
“Jiujiu’s back?”
“Mom, I’m back.”
The moment Lin’s mother saw Lin Yuejiu, she immediately put down what she was holding, opened her arms, and hugged her tightly. After a moment, she cupped her daughter’s face and said, “Ah, our Jiujiu looks even prettier today.”
Lin Yuejiu beamed. “And Mom looks even prettier today too.”
Lin Zhe watched the mother and daughter exchange compliments and couldn’t help but laugh. “You two say this every day when she comes home.”
Lin’s mother and Lin Yuejiu replied in unison, “This is a girl’s romance—you wouldn’t understand.”
Lin Zhe raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling. “Alright, alright, I don’t understand.”
Lin Yimo had just come back from finishing some work when he saw his father with his hands raised, while Lin’s mother and his younger sister were huddled together.
One look and he knew—it must be that Dad had said something and earned himself a “reprimand” from the two of them.
He strolled over and patted Lin Yuejiu on the head.
Lin Yuejiu turned and saw her older brother, immediately flashing him a sweet smile. “Brother.”
Taking a sip of water, Lin Yimo asked, “How was your day?”
Lin Yuejiu clasped her hands together in mock formality. “Reporting to the Sect Leader—today went perfectly smoothly!”
Her serious expression made Lin Yimo chuckle, so he played along. “Understood, Protector. You may go.”
Lin Yuejiu bowed slightly. “Yes, Protector takes his leave.”
She said it while walking backward out of the room.
The whole family burst out laughing.
“Jiujiu, take this over to Nianshen’s house.”
“Got it.”
Lin Yuejiu obediently took the tray and ran to the Xu household.
“Auntie Xu, are you home?”
Auntie Xu hurried to open the door, and when she saw her, her face lit up. “Jiujiu’s here—come in.”
“No need, no need. My mom just asked me to bring this over to you.”
Auntie Xu accepted it with a smile. “Thank you, Jiujiu.”
Lin Yuejiu waved it off. “It’s nothing. Is Xu Nianshen here?”
“He’s upstairs doing homework.”
“Oh, then Auntie, I’ll head back first.”
“Alright, Jiujiu, walk slowly.”
“Lin Yuejiu.”
A clear, pleasant boy’s voice rang out.
She turned her head.
A young man was coming down the stairs, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. His expression was cool and detached, his features strikingly handsome, the strands of hair on his forehead swaying as he descended.
“That problem from before school ended—did you figure it out?”
Lin Yuejiu let out an “Ah”—“Yes, I did.”
“What’s the answer?”
“Three-fifths times root three.”
His brows furrowed slightly. “You got it wrong.”
Lin Yuejiu blinked. “Then what is it?”
“Four-fifths times root three.”
“…” Did I miss a step somewhere?
He took a sip from his glass, glanced at her bewildered face, and said, “You’d better go back and calculate it again. If you don’t understand, ask me.”
Lin Yuejiu quickly said goodbye to Auntie Xu and ran home to rework the math problem.
Auntie Xu shot her son a look.
“What?”
“Jiujiu doesn’t come over often—why’d you send her away so quickly?”
“…She comes every one or two days. How is that ‘not often’?”
“Go back to your room and do your homework!”
“…”
Lin Yuejiu returned to the Lin house. Lin’s mother was slicing fruit, and just from the sound of the door, she knew her daughter was back.
“Jiujiu, did you give it to Auntie Xu?”
“Yep, I gave it to her!”
“Good. Mom’s cutting fruit—wait a bit.”
“No need, Mom. I got a question wrong. I’m going back to my room first.”
By the time Lin’s mother brought out the sliced fruit, the living room was already empty of Lin Yuejiu’s figure.
“This child—just over one problem?”
Lin’s father glanced up from his newspaper, smiling as he reached for a piece of fruit. “You don’t know your own daughter? She’s not picky about anything else, but she loves studying. Once she starts, she forgets the world.”
Lin’s mother swatted his hand and glared. “And you don’t think you should manage her a bit?”
Lin’s father rubbed his hand with a wronged look. “Can I really ‘manage’ Jiujiu?”
Off to the side, Lin Yimo chuckled. “Jiujiu just loves studying—let her be.”
In her pink, princess-like room, Lin Yuejiu sat at her desk working on the problem again. After redoing the calculations, she got the correct answer and pulled out her phone to message Xu Nianshen.
Lin Yuejiu: [I recalculated it and got the answer.]
Xu Nianshen: [Mm. Which step did you mess up?]
Lin Yuejiu: [Third step from the end—I made a small mistake.]
Xu Nianshen: [Did you skip checking your work again?]
Lin Yuejiu: […Forgot.]
In the room across from hers, Xu Nianshen stared at his screen and sighed before typing: [Be more mindful, will you?]
Lin Yuejiu: [Got it.]
Between me and a top student, the only difference is that one step of checking the work.
After a moment of quiet reflection, she glanced at the days-counting card on her desk, calmed herself, and resolved to cherish these hard-earned days.
That evening, Lin’s mother called her for dinner.
“Jiujiu, dinner’s ready.”
“Got it—coming right away.”
The dinner table was peaceful, with occasional bits of conversation. After all, the Lin family had a rule: Don’t talk while eating, don’t speak in bed. It was something her brother Lin Yimo had told her.
“Jiujiu, did you solve that question you went to work on?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Jiujiu, you don’t need to be so fixated on studying. I know you like it, but studying isn’t everything—you have to rest sometimes.”
Lin Yuejiu smiled. “I know, Mom. From now on I’ll spend more time with you—shopping, chatting.”
Lin’s mother snorted. “I never said that.”
But there was a smile on her face.
Lin’s father and Lin Yimo exchanged a glance, each seeing the same helpless smile in the other’s eyes.
—
The next morning, Lin Yuejiu got up on time, brushed her teeth, washed up, and went downstairs for breakfast.
“Jiujiu, you got up a bit late today. Hurry so you’re not late for school.”
“I know.” Lin Yuejiu quickly finished her milk, grabbed her schoolbag, and headed out to the car.
At school, she got out of the car and saw the busy flow of students at the gate. Those who knew her greeted her, and she smiled back at each of them.
Reaching the classroom door, she looked up—Class 1, Grade 11.
She stepped inside, walked to the first row, saw her deskmate Xu Nianshen, nodded in greeting, and set down her bag.
As soon as she placed her books, someone hugged her from behind. “Jiujiu, finally! I’ve been waiting forever.”
Lin Yuejiu, used to this, silently handed over her homework. The girl grinned, said thanks, and rushed off to copy it.
Xu Nianshen, still reading, said, “You just indulge her.”
Lin Yuejiu looked at him. “Have I not told her before? Has she ever listened?”
Xu Nianshen thought about it, realized she had a point, and said nothing more.
“Jiujiu, here’s your homework.”
“So fast?” Lin Yuejiu took it back.
“Do you even know who I am? Lan Qingqing—the fastest hand in Class 1, Grade 11!”
“That’s only because I get here early and give it to you first thing. Otherwise, you think you’d beat me?”
