🍓 CHAPTER 146 🍓
All the people in Senior A class could see that Nan Xiao was not the same as before.
This big brother began to engage in serious study today.
In the beginning, they all thought that it was just a three-minute impulse and wouldn’t hold out for two days.
But after a week had passed, Nan Xiao was even more serious than the two hardest-working academics in the class.
Learning was a long process and never happens overnight.
Nan Xiao’s foundation was too poor, he was aware of this. He hasn’t done anything these says but reading textbooks again and again.
Fortunately he was only a freshman in senior high school. Many basic things were mentioned in textbooks and good for him he could understand textbooks all by himself.
Only a few days before the final exam, Shi Ning saw him carrying a large box approaching the classroom.
“What’s all in here?”
Shi Ning asked.
“Our junior high school textbook.”
“…”
It’s almost the end of the period, why are you still reading junior high school textbook?
Nan Xiao seemed to read her question and explained.
“I have little knowledge before. I’m going to read the mathematics and chemistry book in junior middle school these two days.”
“Foundation is the most important, if you don’t lay a solid foundation. It’s easy to ignore the details.”
Hearing what Nan Xiao Shi Ning was quite surprised.
She thought he was studying so hard because he wanted to get immediate result from this exam.
She didn’t expect him to have such patience, but also know that it was true that if the foundation was well laid studying with be more efficient.
Now it seems that he doesn’t really care about the test scores but really wanted to study well.
And because of this, there was a popular saying in Class A now.
“Look at Nan Xiao, he was seriously studying yet you still don’t work hard.”
She don’t know how many people were encourage by these words but the whole class A has the learning atmosphere, and they improve more than when the teacher was teaching them.
Because he studies too hard, Nan Xiao had a rare dark circle on his handsome face especially three days before the exam.
His eyes themselves were now particularly smaller added with dark circles which were distinctly visible on that fair face.
Everyone looked at him like watching national treasure enter the city. The male students in the class joked.
“Brother Xiao, you really become a panda if you continue like this.”
“Our Brother Xiao is still brother Xiao, usually very fierce and even fiercer when studying.”
“Are you tired? I’m tired of watching you.”
In the face of these voices, the reply of Nan Xiao was always only one sentence.
“I’m not tired, learning makes me happy.”
It’s not clear whether he’s saying this to others or brainwashing himself.
One time during lunch break, Nan Xiao couldn’t hold on and close his eyes for a while leaning on the table.
When Shi Ning’s pen just ran out of ink.
“Nan Xiao, do you have an extra pen or refill, lend it to me.”
Then she saw Nan Xiao raised his head from the table drowsily, topped with two groups of black and blue circle around his eyes looking at her seemingly half asleep and half-awake and said.
“Study makes me happy.”
Shi Ning was silent for a few seconds, get the pen out directly in his pen bag, and then spoke to him.
“Although it can be true but you don’t want to go crazy.”
**
On the day of the final exam, Shi Ning returned to class after the first language exam.
“I told you to choose A for this question!”
“No, it’s not A, it’s clearly B.”
“We all picked A.”
“No way, it’s B. I remember reading this questions!”
The class was very familiar with this situation where they discuss the questions and answers.
Before each test, the teacher had to tell them.
“Don’t correct the answers until you’ve take one test and lose one and don’t let your last test affect your next one.”
While everyone was arguing on what was the correct answer some of the student couldn’t resist and went back to the classroom to check the answers.
Shi Ning on the other hand did not expect that in her lifetime she could see Nan Xiao also involve in these ‘discussion’ he was working with three or four classmates on the answers to the language exam.
And even argued with several other students.
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🍓 CHAPTER 147 🍓
Remembering Nan Xiao’s previous image, she felt inexplicably happy about the way he believe that he was right.
Shi Ning originally wanted to spectate but the result, as she walked in she was dragged by Nan Xaio, and asked.
“Shi Ning, what did you choose for the first question of your language multiple choice?”
Shi Ning answered honestly.
“B.”
“Yeah!”
Nan Xiao instantly lightened up and dejectedly said to a few other students.
“I told you it was B, didn’t I? You’re all wrong.”
The students had a puzzled look on their faces.
“No way, I still think it’s A.”
Nan Xiao sneered.
“A my ⓐⓢⓢ, my deskmate’s test paper is the standard answer. If she said it was B then its B.”
Shi Ning didn’t know if she would laugh or cry at this statement.
“There’s a catch to this question, and it’s really easy to get it wrong. You can turn to the practice questions in Unit 3 of the language workbook to see that there’s a similar question.”
After hearing this, they immediately took out the book and flipped through it and after turning to. They all had a painful face.
“Hey I remember this topic at that time! How come I forgot it on the exam!”
“I was careless!”
After they finished lamenting they all looked at Nan Xiao with admiring eyes.
“Good for you Nan Xiao! You got all the questions right that were so easy to get wrong, so it seems like your studies have been very productive lately.”
Nan Xiao pointed his eyes.
“Can’t you see I’m damn near becoming a panda? I stayed up for two or three all-nighters, this test is not test, it’s life.”
After saying that he also looked at Shi Ning.
“But what can I do, I just have such big love for learning.”
Shi Ning coughed and said.
“Body is also important, you also have to have life to learn.”
“I don’t work like this every day, I can’t help it. My foundation is too poor so I need to work hard for this final exam and have progress.”
Since Shi Ning said that, since he does not love to study then he does not love her that much.
So he must let her believe that his love for her was stronger than gold.
After the final exams were over, it’s winter break.
But before the official winter break they still have to go to school to get their report card and winter break homework.
When they return to school again, the results came out.
The teacher handed out report cards to each person.
Shi Ning came in second again.
As expected no matter how smart she was, she knows that there were people who could outdone her. Some things couldn’t be obtained only by hard work.
She carefully calculated the last time she was twenty-six points behind Lin Suno, this time she was only twenty points behind.
Being able to close the gap by six points was also a satisfaction for her. At least she was one step closer to first place.
As for Nan Xiao, he was also progressing at an amazing rate.
Straight from the end of the rank to the middle level of the class, Shi Ning knew that her rapid progress was due to her crossing over the original body.
But Nan Xiao’s rapid progress shows that he was originally good at studying but wasted his time.
“Brother Xiao is so awesome he progress so much. Is he going to get the third best student next time?”
“【F】【u】【c】【k】, Laozi seem to be far from the word three, right?”
“What I learned is that last time you made a progress of ten, and this time you made progress of more than ten in the class. At your speed, I am afraid you will take the third place in our class next semester.”
“Brother Xiao is awesome, I think you’re an immortal.”
“Brother Xiao, I hope I can be as powerful as you then I can have my father double my allowance several times.”
Nan Xiao usually has more followers, most of the boys in the classroom were his ‘disciples’.
Usually when Nan Xiao’s grades were very bad, they could only blow flowers for him but now that his grades improved everyone was giving him praises.
Shi Ning has a hunch that he scored a little better but hearing this group of people, she estimated that they were brainwashing him and making him believe that college entrance exams was not a dream anymore.
“Sigh.”
Shi Ning sighed behind the scene, she could only hope that Nan Xiao would not be too complacent because of what he was hearing now and would continue to maintain this studying enthusiasm.
“Shi Ning, how did I do on the exam?”
Nan Xiao dismissed the group of people, he then turned sideways to Shi Ning while spinning the pen in his hands as he asked her.
“Your progress is quite big, it proves that you are able to learn ah, keep going.”
Nan Xiao frowned slightly.
“That’s it?”
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🍓 CHAPTER 148 🍓
In order to study, he had to become a panda. She did not even praised him with few words?
“You don’t think the fact that I can progress so fast means that…”
Nan Xiao brewed, ready to side-step the implication that Shi Ning had forgotten to compliment him.
But the result, the figure beside him was nowhere to be found. Shi Ning went to Lin Suno, all the papers had just been handed out and Shi Ning was discussing the last problem in mathematics with Lin Suno.
Obviously, he was her desk mate but she had to go far to find Lin Suno to discuss this topics.
Nan Xiao looked at his math score of 75 and saw Lin Suno’s math score.
100 points, no red marks at all.
All right.
It’s normal for Shi Ning to look for Lin Suno. He has to work harder to get to the point where one day his tablemate wants to discuss the topics she doesn’t have to run to someone else.
Shi Ning scored 95 points in math this time and the five points deducted were from the last question.
She was able solve two easy questions from three questions and the last one took half an hour for her to solve.
Lin Suno: “It’s normal that you didn’t solve it right, this problem is beyond the outline. It’s difficult to calculate it, even if the teacher tell us it will take another discussion to explain it clearly. Where can you have so much time to do it during exam?”
“At your level, if given another half hour, you will certainly be able to do it.”
“Then how did you do it? I saw your test paper, this question seems to have written four or five lines.”
“The method used in high school is difficult to do but it is easy to use the calculus method in advanced mathematics.”
Lin Suno looked up to her and asked.
“Do you want to listen? I can tell you both ways.”
Shi Ning seriously doubts that the school came up with this topic for the students but him alone instead.
**
Shi Ning did not want to make it difficult for herself, she would probably choose liberal arts in high school.
And it’s not certain whether she would study advance mathematics in college. There’s no need to understand calculus now.
“No, since it’s not easy to talk to about it, let’s discuss it next time.”
Lin Suno retrieve the test paper.
“Okay.”
“You did very well on the test this time, throwing off the third in the grade by twenty points.”
Lin Suno then added.
Shi Ning sighed.
“The third place in our grade is 20 points behind me and I am 20 points behind you. These 20 points are really a lot.”
“Is even our gap narrowing?”
His long thick ebony eyelashes fanned gently as he said in a warm voice.
“Before you, the smallest gap between me and the second place was thirty points.”
“And in the whole grade, the gap between second and fifth is very small every time.”
Shi Ning laughed.
“Then you’re really riding high.”
“Before you, yes. I even thought I would stay this way forever.”
His eyes locked with hers.
“But now, not anymore.”
“I didn’t review arts before but I am doing it now because of you. I didn’t think that after I reviewed our gap was still narrowing.”
“But you have improve ah, don’t you find that your total score is insane?”
Lin Suno suddenly held out his hand to her.”
Shi Ning looked bewildered.
“What are you doing?”
It look like the two of them met for the first time.
“Shi Ning you are welcome to be my competitor.”
He said solemnly.
She froze for a second when she heard it.
Then slowly took a hold of the straight and slender hands.
The word, competitor—was his greatest encouragement to her.
“Then I’ll have to work harder to be worthy of being your competitor.”
Shi Ning responded with a smile.
His light brown eyes looked at her, as if he hadn’t thought about he asked thoughtlessly.
“It take you quite a bit of time to teach Na Xiao, doesn’t it?”
“It’s okay, as long as he’s willing to learn.”
Shi Ning did not expect him to suddenly jump to this topic.
Lin Suno continued.
“Why don’t I ask Lao Yang to transfer him to sit with me so that what he costs is my time? And you’ll win the first place in next semester’s grade, what do you think?
------
🍓 CHAPTER 149 🍓
During the month of winter vacation, except for two days off at the beginning of the vacation, Shi Ning still planned her time strictly according to her study schedule every day.
And because of this, she was able to finish her three winter vacation homework in a week.
Then she began to study the next semester’s textbook content on her own. Winter break has the freest time and Shi Ning not only prepares for the next semester to study them but also takes two hours every day to study on Mathematics Olympiad topics every day.
Though she didn’t think she’d have to be like her brother or Suno in the future who got extra points on the National College Entrance Examination.
After all, both her brother and Lin Suno have been exposed to Olympiad since junior high school and their achievement was the result of sweat and talent.
She was a semi amateur player who really doesn’t dare to have such extravagant expectations.
She insists on doing these now was just like when she liked to learn those strange talents in her last life—it was pure hobby.
In addition, even if she studies liberal arts in the future mathematics was also most scoring subject in liberal arts.
If she could even solve the Olympiad problem, wasn’t it easier for her to learn liberal arts as well as mathematics?
Every year, Father Shi and Mother Shi would go on a trip and Shi Ning often tag along while Shi Chen didn’t want to mingle with the family before and didn’t want to deal with them.
But with Father Shi insistent and forced, he went with them for two to three times.
This year he would soon face the college entrance exams and it was no mind to travel.
Shi Pingzhan asked Shi Ning.
“Ning Ning would you like to go abroad with your mom and dad to play?”
Shi Ning: “I’ll stay at home.”
Shi Pingzhan tried to convince her.
“Staying at home is more meaningless, you rarely take a long vacation. Do you even go out to play and have fun?”
“You still have time to play while you’re only a freshman in senior high school. Look at your brother, when you’re in your senior year, you don’t have time to play.”
Shi Ning smiled lightly.
“Mom and Dad you usually work hard, you should play more when you have a holiday. As for me I’m still young, I’ll have opportunities to play in the future. Now I just want to study.”
Lin Xuemo scolded.
“You child, why don’t you go out with your parents to relax rather than to study more, your brother is not even going with us.”
“It’s good for you and dad to have a trip with the two of you only. I’d better stay with my brother.”
It’s so sad to have my brother studying so hard, leaving him all alone at home.
Shi Pingzhan looked at his daughter and smiled.
“Now ah, the most important thing in your heart is your brother. You’re so dependent on you brother, how can you marry out in the future?”
Seeing his dad making fun of her, Shi Ning grunted.
“How can that be, mom and dad and brother are most important people in my heart. It’s just that brother make Ning Ning very distressed that’s why Ning Ning wants to accompany him more. When he go to college, brother won’t be home much. As for marriage…”
Shi Ning paused at this point and her eyes narrowed slightly at her father.
“Dad, you really want Ning Ning to marry?”
Shi Pingzhan: “As long as you’re happy, there’s nothing Dad won’t give up!”
Lin Xuemo couldn’t help but laugh at the father-daughter bickering in front of her.
“Your father won’t marry you out, don’t listen to his talk now. When you get married, on the day of your wedding your father will cry worse than me.”
“Your father also told me that the boy you will marry must pass his tests first, otherwise he will never deliver his daughter. What else did you say? Even if the best boy in the world marries you, he’s afraid of crying on the spot of your wedding day and shamed himself.”
Shi Pingzhan hurriedly covered the mouth of his wife.
“What are you talking about, this kind of things that we talked in private should not be told to your daughter!”
Shi Ning then jokingly covered her ears.
“Don’t worry dad, I didn’t hear anything.”
“Then don’t marry, it’s not like our family can’t afford it.”
Shi Chen who they did not notice walk down from upstairs was now behind them, suddenly saying this.
Shi Pingzhan glared at him.
“Nonsense! What kind of girl doesn’t get married, I don’t want to raise an old girl for life.”
Shi Chen: “Then I’ll raise you.”
Shi Pingzhan looked at his son’s expression was quite serious although he also do not want his daughter to marry but his son of his really dared to say it.
“Ning Ning ah, don’t listen to him. He may say that he wants to support you all his life but if he found a girlfriend in college, there will be no sister in his eyes.”
Shi Chen then went back to topic.
“Go to your foreign country and don’t keep provoking me and Ning Ning.”
Girlfriend?
Girlfriend are nothing and can be changed at any time, but I only have one sister.
Shi Pingzhan glared.
“What are you talking about? You are all my children so why should I provoke you and Ning Ning? Are you sick?”
“In this family, my little sister sticks to me more and doesn’t pay much attention to you, father. You’ve been jealous of me for a long time now.”
“I’m jealous of you? Heh! This is my own daughter! Why should I be jealous of you!”
Shi Pingzhan looked like he had heard some kind of joke as he turned his head to ask his baby daughter.
“Baby, you can only choose of the two men in this family who do you choose?”
-------
🍓 CHAPTER 150 🍓
“Baby, you can only choose of the two men in this family who do you choose?”
Is the new million problem that parents asked their children?
Of only choosing one, between mother and father?
Shi Ning felt her head ached.
“Why should I choose between dad and brother when I want both?”
Shi Chen and Shi Pingzhan, the father and son almost spoke in unison.
“No, you can only chose one.”
Shi Ning quickly wrapped her arms around her mother’s hand and leaned her whole body over.
“I choose mom.”
**
Time flies and it’s already the eve Spring Festival.
On the Spring Festival, naturally it was a family reunion day and the family went to the old mansion for the Spring Festival’s Eve.
Grandfather died early so in the big old mansion it was only her grandmother living alone and for the past two years the old madam’s health was also deteriorating.
She had forgotten many thing but also remember things wrongly.
One time when Shi Ning went to see the old madam she asked her,
“How is Ning Ning getting along with her classmates at her new school? Has she been bullying her brother again lately?”
Shi Ning did not quite understand what she said, she was not new to her school and had not quarreled with her brother for a long time.
It turned out that after talking to the old madam for half day, she realized that Grandma Shi was talking to her about her junior high school years.
After dinner, the family watched spring festival dinner with grandma. The old madam’s eyes were also bad and could not see the TV clearly.
Shi Ning then told her what was performed in the TV.
“It’s acrobatics grandma, look the boy lifted the girl and spun her in the air.”
“It’s a special effect, not real.”
“Grandma, this singing boy not only sings well, he is also very handsome with white skin and very three-dimensional features.”
As the old madam listened, she became emotional.
“I’m really old ah, my eyes are not useful anymore and my ears are getting worse and worse this year. Fortunately I have my granddaughter who is very patient to accompany her grandmother to watch the spring festival gala.”
Shi Ning hold the old madam’s hand, the grandma in front of her was the same with her grandma on her memory.
She lowered her head and tried not let everyone see her red eyes.
“Grandma, from now on, Ning Ning will accompany you every year to watch the spring festival gala. If you can’t see clearly Ning Ning will be your eyes, if you can’t hear clearly Ning Ning will be your ears.”
Old Madam Shi listened and held her hand tightly.
“It’s grandma’s fault that she didn’t love you enough before. Now when grandma reflects, I’m really afraid that the days will be too short to watch my little granddaughter grow up and get married.”
“Mom, don’t say such words during the Chinese New Year.”
Shi Pingzhan interrupted her.
“Blah blah blah, these unlucky words don’t count. Grandma will definitely live a long life! Ning Ning has heard that as long as you keep a good mood, your body will get better and better.”
“So grandma just needs to get well and be happy every day.”
Shi Ning said in a hurry.
“Okay, grandma listens to you.”
Old Madam Shi said with a smile.
Elderly were prone to sleepiness after watching TV for a long time.
Shi Ning was planning to help her up to bed, when old Madam Shi said.
“Let you father accompany me to bed. There are fireworks sent by others at home, so you and Xiao Chen can take them and set them off later. Let housekeeper Ming accompany you.”
“I can set of the fireworks!”
Shi Ning was very happy to hear this, and asked her grandmother where the fireworks was then pulled her brother and went to look for them.
The Old madam and Shi Pingzhan went upstairs together.
“Mom you be careful.”
Shi Pingzhan helped the old madam slowly walk upstairs.
“Did I really treat Shi Ning poorly before?”
Old Madam Shi asked her son suddenly.
Shi Pingzhan: “They are all our children, there is no such thing as treating them poorly. In the past Ning Ning also did not know how to behave and did not see much filial respect to you, now it’s good that she’s all grown up and understand.”
“But I always feel that I have treated the child badly. These days I heard the housekeeper say a lot of good things, the child has become so hardworking and excellent.”
“The most important thing is that she still remembers me when she studies hard, she comes to see me when she is free and I am the happiest when I have time with her.
“It’s good that you are happy, Ning Ning is indeed the happy fruit of our family now. Shi Chen that gloomy child has also become a lot cheerful because of her.”
“Yes, it’s good to have a daughter. Unlike me, I only have a son like you, not thoughtful at all.”
Shi Pingzhan smiled bitterly.
“You taught me a lesson, mom.”
When they almost reached her room, old madam Shi suddenly grabbed Shi Pingzhan’s hand.
“Pingzhan, although it is the son who inherits the Shi family he must not treat Ning Ning poorly. You’d better be able to end the water evenly in one bowl.”
“This is natural, as long as Ning Ning is willing I will hand over the company to the two of them.”
Old Madam Shi nodded and waved her hand at her son, signaling that he could go.
After Shi Pingzhan left, Old Madam Shi dialed out a phone call.
“Lawyer Xu? I want to amend my will.”