Chapter 60 – Witnessing a Miracle Together
Lin Yuejiu let out a yelp, instantly wide awake. Rubbing her forehead, she looked at him with a pitiful expression, “Why did you hit me again?”
“You deserved it. I was kindly explaining the problem to you, and you dared to doze off—right in front of me?”
Seeing how genuinely annoyed he looked, Lin Yuejiu shrank her neck back, “I didn’t mean to…”
“So, did you actually listen to that problem I just explained or not?”
“…No.” Her voice was guilty and weak.
Xu Nianshen pressed his fingers against his temple and rubbed it, his tone helpless.
“I’ll explain it again. Listen carefully this time. If you fall asleep again, I won’t explain anymore.”
“Okay.” Lin Yuejiu raised four fingers with a solemn face, “I swear, never again! If it happens again, then may I faint at the sight of math and never, ever learn it for life!”
“…”
Xu Nianshen shot her a sidelong glance, his face unreadable.
“…I was just joking. Trying to lighten the mood.”
He still didn’t lift his gaze to meet hers.
Lin Yuejiu quickly withdrew her raised hand and obediently admitted, “I was wrong.”
Only then did Xu Nianshen move his gaze back to the book, “Watch closely. I’ll explain again.”
“Okay.”
Though she answered earnestly, Lin Yuejiu’s mind still wandered.
It was as if Xu Nianshen could sense it—whenever her attention drifted, his fingertip would immediately tap the desk, snapping her out of it.
The process was bumpy, but at least he managed to finish the explanation, and Lin Yuejiu actually understood it.
“Got it?”
She nodded like a pecking chick.
“Good. Then let’s move on to the next one.”
That was when he caught sight of her completely devastated expression, and he couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Lin Yuejiu heard the soft chuckle above her. Though quiet, she still caught it. She looked up, “What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing. Look at the question.”
She pursed her lips, unwilling. Then, as if bargaining, she said, “We’ve already studied for so long. How about taking a break?”
Xu Nianshen’s gaze lowered to her, “If I’m not mistaken, this is only the fourth problem I’ve explained.”
“Four problems is a lot, isn’t it?” she asked with innocent eyes.
His expression screamed: Are you kidding me right now?
She earnestly explained, “Four problems really is a lot. Look, it’s nearly half of ten, right? That’s one-fifth of twenty! Out of the whole set, it already makes up a whole fraction! And these aren’t just any problems—they’re math problems. Math is hard, and each problem takes such a long time to go through.”
Watching her spout nonsense with such a serious face, Xu Nianshen let out a quiet laugh, “You’re just making excuses for not wanting to study math, aren’t you?”
“I am not! I didn’t! You can’t just accuse me.”
…Of course he knew. Did he really have to say it out loud?
Xu Nianshen took a deep breath and pointed at the math book, “These four problems were basic ones. The total explanation time? Barely ten minutes.”
Lin Yuejiu blinked innocently, “Ten minutes is already a lot.”
“…”
Seeing him so exasperated that he didn’t want to speak, Lin Yuejiu quickly surrendered, “Alright, alright, I was wrong. Go on.”
“I’ve been picking the simplest, most fundamental problems for you. And you still won’t listen seriously?”
He curled his finger and flicked her smooth forehead.
Lin Yuejiu silently rubbed the spot with her hand.
Xu Nianshen sighed. “Math is really simple.”
Lin Yuejiu instantly widened her eyes in disbelief.
“That’s only simple for geniuses like you. For me it’s different. Last time I only got 80 on the math test. I’ve got no talent for math, I don’t like math—in fact, I downright hate it.”
“Why do you hate math?”
“No reason. I just hate it. Maybe in my past life I stole math’s wife, so in this life it’s out for revenge.”
Her eyes drifted off into the distance, as if reminiscing about some tragic fate.
Xu Nianshen chuckled. “You just failed at it once and got scared.”
“No.” Lin Yuejiu corrected him seriously. “I didn’t fail once—I fail every single time. And it’s always the kind of failure where you just climb out of the pit, and the next second, you fall right back in.”
He found that funny. “Is it really that exaggerated?”
Lin Yuejiu sipped her tea with a deliberately profound look.
“Haah. Young people like you wouldn’t understand this kind of suffering. Only those who’ve lived through it would know such pain.”
In short: top students will never understand the misery and hatred a struggling student feels toward math.
Xu Nianshen reached out and took away her teacup.
“Alright, stop complaining. Let’s get back to it. I’m seriously starting to suspect you’re just stalling for time.”
Lin Yuejiu guiltily touched her nose.
Then he suddenly smiled. “Do you believe me if I say I can make you fall in love with math?”
Lin Yuejiu’s head snapped up, frowning hard. Her expression screamed: What nonsense are you spouting? Did this kid hit his head? Is he running a fever? It’s still broad daylight and he’s already daydreaming?
Xu Nianshen pressed his hand against the crown of her head, turning her face back to the desk. “Don’t believe me? Then let’s witness a miracle together.”
—
Half an hour later, Lin Yuejiu shouted in excitement. “Xu Nianshen, I solved it!”
“Mhm. Very good.” He even clapped along with her.
Lin Yuejiu grinned so widely her face nearly split. “This is already the third time I’ve managed to solve a math problem on my own in the past half hour!”
“How does it feel now?”
“What do you mean how does it feel?” She was still basking in her triumph.
“You just witnessed a miracle. So tell me—don’t you feel like you’re starting to love math now? Don’t you feel excited to do a few more problems?”
Lin Yuejiu stroked her chin, pretending to think. “…Now that you mention it, I really do feel that impulse.”
“Then shall we go again?” He lifted the exercise book.
She looked at it, then nodded.
Another half hour later, Lin Yuejiu’s joy was practically written all over her face.
Xu Nianshen leaned slightly on the desk, right hand propping him up, watching her with a smile tugging at his lips. “So? Didn’t we just witness a miracle together?”
Lin Yuejiu’s eyes curved into crescents. “We really did witness a miracle.”
She gave him a thumbs up. “Teacher Xu, you’re the best!”
Xu Nianshen smiled back. “So… do you still want to attend Teacher Xu’s classes next time? Will you still fall asleep during them?”
Lin Yuejiu raised four fingers toward the ceiling, swearing solemnly. “I swear I will never sleep in Teacher Xu’s class again!”
Xu Nianshen arched a brow at her raised hand. She followed his gaze to her fingers. The two looked at each other—then both burst out laughing.
—
Walking side by side on the road to the Xu family’s home, Xu Nianshen suddenly chuckled.
Lin Yuejiu glanced at him. “??? Are you okay in the head?”
“Nothing. I just remembered something.”
“What?”
“I was thinking about when I used to teach you math problems before.”
The mention made her remember too, and she laughed. “So, Teacher Xu, are you planning to let me witness another miracle this time?”
