"Your butt is hot... that's your own problem, isn't it?"

"No, you wouldn't be thinking about whose butt might have been sitting here before, would you?"

"Besides, maybe Zhou Fu is just naturally warm. She even saved the seat for you before she left. Although Chen Yuan had his earphones on and didn't hear her thoughts, maybe she just left early to avoid an awkward encounter. Can't you be so hostile?"

"No, who said Xia Xinyu is hostile? Why are you so anxious?"

"Where did this narration come from? Scram."

"I had a good talk with my aunt today." Even though she might have guessed that someone else had sat there before, Xia Xinyu didn't dwell on it too much and proactively told Chen Yuan, "My parents' remains have been cremated. Logically, they should have been buried long ago, but I've been unwilling to go back... so the funeral is scheduled for Sunday. I have to go back then."

Sunday...

That's also when his math competition is.

"Yes, I should have gone back sooner." Chen Yuan knew that Xia Xinyu had been hiding because she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to accept it after returning and would completely break down.

But a person can't live only for themselves.

She was a little different now.

She wanted to tell others that she could move on.

She had to move on.

"Yeah, always being willful has caused a lot of trouble for people. It's time to go back and apologize properly." Xia Xinyu said with a bitter smile, "Especially to Grandpa. He's at home alone, suffering even more than I am."

Since ancient times, the greatest tragedy in life has been white-haired people sending off black-haired people.

Xia Xinyu could escape because she was afraid.

But the old man was like a tree growing in the ground, with roots in the soil, with nowhere to escape.

The word "shackles" was perfectly fitting.

"But after I go back this time, as soon as the funeral is over, I'll come back to school to resume classes." Xia Xinyu looked at Chen Yuan and said, "Even though that matter is very important... I don't want to delay my studies."

[Is he worried that after I go back, I'll never return...?]

[My nonchalant explanation seems a bit presumptuous...]

It's not presumptuous.

I am indeed worried that because of such a big change, under the pressure of society, you will be forced to transfer back to your old home in Jingnan to study.

After your explanation, I feel more at ease.

"Yeah, you have to come back quickly." Chen Yuan nodded in agreement and said, "Although your grades are very good now, if you slack off, it's only a matter of time before I surpass you."

"Yeah, I believe you."

Completely not taking Chen Yuan's boasting as a joke, Xia Xinyu still smiled and said such outrageous words that no one else would believe.

Honestly, the last person who had such firm belief in him was Uncle Nick.

"I happen to have something quite important on Sunday too," Chen Yuan said.

"Oh? What is it?" Xia Xinyu asked curiously.

"Didn't I compete with you in an exam last night? I was preparing for today's pop quiz."

"You had a math test today?"

"Yeah, we had it, and we decided on two spots for the high school mathematics competition."

Saying this, Chen Yuan slowly extended two fingers and pushed up his invisible black-framed glasses, his expression relaxed and calm.

"You..." After hearing this, Xia Xinyu was finally a little surprised, but she didn't show it too much. Instead, she said happily, "That's great! Being able to participate in this competition is a good opportunity."

Chen Yuan wanted to show off, but the other party was too sincere, which made him a little embarrassed: "It's okay, many people from our school participate in this..."

[If he wins a provincial award, the score Chen Yuan needs to catch up to will be 111...]

[His pressure is slightly less, right?]

You really do remember the equation 504 + 121 = 625 at all times.

"Do many people from your school participate?" After all, it was one of the Four Sects, full of geniuses. For them, such a competition should be just a small test to give away treasures.

"This?" Xia Xinyu made a circle the size of a sesame cake with both hands and said jokingly, "To make an inappropriate analogy, there might be this many."

"What about our Eleventh High School?"

Chen Yuan didn't know the distribution of places in the competition, so he asked the top student, Xia Xinyu.

In response to Chen Yuan's question, Xia Xinyu made a single-eye telescope gesture.

Everything was implied.

Damn, as expected of a top sect, it was completely crushing.

But that was also true. The top battles in the Dome Battle were all disciples of the top sects from various states.

These geniuses from the Four Sects probably didn't have their goals set on provincial awards.

Unlike the Eleventh Sect, except for a few monsters in Class One, the remaining candidates defaulted to only registering for the first trial.

And only participating in the first trial could only get a provincial second prize at most, which didn't qualify them for the national competition.

"Did you participate?"

"How could it be my turn..."

Xia Xinyu's understated sentence constructed a solemn and magnificent worldview.

The saying that there is always someone better was not just a joke.

"In short, just treat it as an ordinary question. It's just the preliminary round, it shouldn't be difficult for you." By grading Chen Yuan's test paper yesterday, Xia Xinyu also vaguely felt that he had good strength.

Although he might be a little worse than her at the moment, he could pass the preliminary round as long as he performed 20% better than last night.

Xia Xinyu was seriously considering some things, and Chen Yuan was also seriously considering some things.

But neither of them were thinking about themselves.

Looking at her sideways, Chen Yuan suddenly wanted her to have the ability to hear his thoughts as well.

Does she need me at the funeral on Sunday...?

"Sunshine Community is here, passengers getting off, please prepare..."

After getting off the bus with Xia Xinyu, the two went to the supermarket to shop.

Although there was half a portion of pork belly, a "hard dish," left in the refrigerator, as well as a lot of high-quality protein vegetables, they had decided to eat fried chicken cutlets.

So, they spent 8 yuan to buy a frozen chicken breast, 5 yuan for bread crumbs, and 9 yuan for light soy sauce, which was outside the budget but had to be purchased. Today, they happened to encounter a discounted promotion of 12 yuan per half-kilogram of frozen shrimp. Although it was too extravagant, the two thought they could eat it slowly as a "hard dish," so they bought one kilogram for 25 yuan.

Unknowingly, the budget was approaching 50 again.

There was no other choice, they bought a tremella mushroom, totaling 50.2 yuan.

"This is only the second day, and there's less than sixty left... can we really survive, brother?" Chen Yuan asked Xia Xinyu unsurely.

"Although it's exceeded... we bought some things that can be used for a long time, and this one kilogram of shrimp can be eaten for four meals. If it really doesn't work, we'll just boil noodles." Seeing that the plan was completely disrupted, Xia Xinyu was already flustered, but she still said stubbornly, "It's enough... it's definitely enough, don't worry."

As if making up her mind, Xia Xinyu had a reason she had to persevere.

The two unconsciously walked to the raffle stand again.

When Chen Yuan's eyes just glanced over, the girl at the raffle stand stood up straight with a stiff body.

[It's the man who took away Senior Cute Bear!]

Turning her head nervously, looking at the Cute Bear junior who had only been on the job for a day, she had her own reason to fight.

[This time, I'll bet everything I have as a raffle clerk!]

Okay, okay, I'll bet everything you have.

Chen Yuan quietly rolled up his sleeves, already unable to resist seeing the despairing expression on the raffle clerk's face when she collapsed on the ground.

"I'll draw today," Xia Xinyu offered proactively at this moment.

[Right now, I feel like I have luck on my side!]

"...Okay." It wasn't that Chen Yuan didn't want Xia Xinyu to draw, but he was worried that she would get caught up in the idea of ​​connecting probability and luck and then be a little disappointed.

However, he could help her as much as possible.

"Reach your hand in, they usually like to hide the prize at the bottom."

[Is this the man's strategy?!]

[The disappearance of Senior Cute Bear... may not have been accidental.]

[But today, Cute Bear junior must not be lost in my hands, because it...]

"This one." Following Chen Yuan's suggestion, Xia Xinyu chose a prize ball very decisively.

"Um..." Chen Yuan couldn't stop her in time and could only sigh in his heart.

You should have let this girl finish talking.

He could have almost broken through her armor again!

[Thank goodness... I protected Bear junior.]

[But why did that man suddenly stop me just now?]

[Could it be that he already knows the secret of Cute Bear junior...]

Thinking of this, the raffle clerk couldn't help but gasp!

"Don't let it be the fourth prize, don't let it be the fourth prize... the third prize!"

Opening the prize ball and finding that it was not tissue paper, Xia Xinyu's eyes suddenly lit up with joy.

Luck was favoring her!

"Congratulations, this is your prize."

Handing a bag of cheese sticks to Xia Xinyu, the raffle clerk finally landed safely.

What she experienced in this one minute was more tortuous than her father's twenty-year career.

"Although they're close to the expiration date, they cost at least half the price if you buy them." Xia Xinyu was very happy and planned to put the bag of snacks into the shopping bag that Chen Yuan was carrying and took a bag.

Chen Yuan was holding a bag of frozen shrimp in his left hand and a medium-sized shopping bag containing vegetables in his right hand, and he didn't let her help.

"Anyway, we haven't eaten yet, why don't you just open it and eat it now?" Not wanting her to help, Chen Yuan said casually.

"Chen Yuan."

Suddenly, she called him.

Chen Yuan, who was walking in front, turned his head and saw Xia Xinyu looking up, holding a torn cheese stick in her hand.

Looking at the girl with a rare dazed expression, he lowered his head, and then Xia Xinyu stood on tiptoe and put the cheese stick into his mouth...