9: Chapter 9 I Have a Little Donkey

Zhao Qingyan found a feeling she had never experienced before. How should she put it?

It was like "helping others is the source of happiness."

Indeed, "the trouble with people is that they love to lecture others." Making a Stupid Donkey show a look of worship and admiration made Zhao Qingyan's very soul tremble.

What a strange feeling.

Why...

Why does it feel a bit addictive?

No way.

Zhao Qingyan crossed her small arms, watching Shen Weiyue joyfully double-check the calculations following her logic, then carefully copy them into his correction notebook with utmost solemnity and devotion.

Hmm, not bad. A donkey that respects knowledge is a good donkey.

"Hurry up. Are there any other questions you don't understand? I'll explain them all at once so you don't bother me again."

She couldn't help but urge him.

Shen Weiyue froze for a moment, thinking to himself, *When did I bother you? Didn't you eagerly take the initiative yourself?*

But with the opportunity right in front of him, and this straight-A student explaining things even more thoroughly than Old Demon Han in some ways, he had to seize it.

"This one, and this one. Thanks for your help."

"This one is so simple. How can you not know this? Listen carefully..."

Nickname began crushing him with her IQ again. Director Shen felt knowledge flowing effortlessly into his head in a strange way, making it feel itchy.

Oh no, I'm growing a brain!

After knocking out five questions in one go, Zhao Qingyan obtained the joy of lecturing, while Director Shen's brain was stuffed full by her.

"Thank you, Class Monitor. You're really amazing," Director Shen praised sincerely.

"My time is very precious. Unless it's an exceptionally difficult question, don't disturb me in the future," Zhao Qingyan said indifferently.

"Ah?" Shen Weiyue asked in pleasant surprise. "Class Monitor, of the ten thousand rules we agreed on, one was that I shouldn't disturb you. Does this mean I can still ask you questions in the future?"

"That depends on my mood and your performance. If you're too stupid, I won't teach you. It's a waste of energy."

Zhao Qingyan turned her head proudly, whipping the Stupid Donkey with her ponytail again, making him sneeze.

"Don't sneeze at me! I'm writing this down in your record!"

"..."

...

10:30 PM.

Evening self-study ended.

Shen Weiyue rushed out the door, but was still cornered by Ye Lingtao, who had been waiting for him for a long time.

This asshole had been holding it in for so long and was determined to seize this chance to pry. How had this Mr. Cultural Reference suddenly started chatting about burning pens with Miss Nickname?

"Move aside. I need to get back, wash up, and sleep."

"Yue-san, if you don't give me a full explanation today, I'll follow you to your rented apartment and sleep with you tonight."

Ye Lingtao was relentless, absolutely determined to get the gossip.

"Did you flirt with School Beauty Zhao today?"

"Are you sick? She's so cold and arrogant, would I dare flirt with her? Do I not want to get into college?"

Shen Weiyue bypassed him and walked out of the school gate. Even past ten o'clock, there were still vendors selling snacks and fried skewers outside. The aroma of grilled sausages wafted over, making him salivate.

He had used up too much energy and was hungry.

Director Shen's stomach rumbled betrayingly.

"Heheh." Ye Lingtao's eyes darted around as he smirked. "Tell me the gossip, and I'll buy you a grilled sausage."

"Tell your sister! I am a man of principle. How could I accept food handed out in contempt?"

"Two sausages."

"Who are you looking down on..."

"Plus a bottle of cola."

"You win."

Shen Weiyue followed Ye Lingtao to the food stall. Watching the sausages sizzle with oil, turning golden and crispy in no time, with the scored cuts flaring out like petals, topped with a dusting of chili powder—his appetite was instantly stimulated.

Ye Lingtao paid, and the two walked slowly ahead while talking.

"Yue-san, did you guys really discuss burning pens?"

"You're overthinking it. Zhao Qingyan saw my lighter and demanded to know if I smoked. I said it was for lighting mosquito coils, but she refused to believe me and insisted I was going to smoke. So I pulled out a 2B pencil and said I was burning a pen."

"That explanation is a bit far-fetched. But with her cold and violent temper, how did she not beat you up?"

"Didn't she make me write a two-thousand-word self-reflection because of it? Damn it, walk faster. I need to go back and write my self-reflection."

Shen Weiyue quickened his pace. Ye Lingtao, being a bit shorter, jogged to keep up.

"Wait, there's more. You said you wanted to be a heart arsonist?"

"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense."

"Everyone heard it. You couldn't actually have that kind of idea, could you? If so, you're a real man..."

Shen Weiyue suddenly stopped in his tracks, stared at Ye Lingtao, and said seriously, "Taozi, besides you, there are several other guys in our class. If you guys have thoughts, just go for it. Don't complain about her being cold on the outside while secretly craving her in your hearts."

"I don't! How is that possible? I'm just curious. It's true that Zhou Qiang and the others have thoughts, but for me, it's absolutely impossible."

"Really?"

"No... Wait, you're eating the sausage I bought and drinking the cola I bought. I'm the one questioning you, so how did you turn it around on me?"

Ye Lingtao grumbled as he intentionally pulled Shen Weiyue to slow down, asking his next question:

"You're really something. We all bet you wouldn't last a single day as her deskmate, but three days have already passed, and I even saw her smile at you tonight..."

Shen Weiyue recalled. That fleeting, one-second smile after solving the problem was actually spotted by this guy?

"You motherfucker, did you spend the whole night staring at me instead of studying?"

"Cough, cough. I was just curious, okay? I noticed it by accident."

"Give it a rest. If you keep being this curious, you'll be the death of yourself. If you do poorly on the exam, your dad will hang you up and beat you!"

"No big deal. Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself. I placed ahead of you in the last exam."

"Is that so? The College Entrance Exam might be a different story."

The two had reached the fork in the road. As Shen Weiyue turned left to head into the alley, Ye Lingtao shouted:

"Wait! You still haven't answered me. Why did School Beauty Zhao smile at you?"

"For those who love to teach, isn't finding a brilliant talent to educate the greatest joy?"

???

Only after Shen Weiyue's figure had completely vanished did Ye Lingtao realize what he meant. He cursed loudly at the alley:

"Cultural Reference, you are so shameless!"

"What kind of fucking brilliant talent are you? Even I, who ranked in the top two hundred, haven't said anything, you piece of trash!"

He cursed until he was out of breath, but Director Shen had long since vanished. With no target to vent on, there was naturally no response.

With no other choice, Ye Lingtao could only grumble as he made his way home.

Meanwhile, when Zhao Qingyan arrived home, she actually started humming a song lightheartedly, seemingly in an exceptionally good mood.

Principal Zhao Weiming and his wife, Lu Chunyue, listened carefully. It sounded like the tune of a children's nursery rhyme:

"♪ I have a little donkey, I never ride it at all."

"♪ One day on a whim, I rode it to the market. With a little leather whip in my hand, I felt so pleased with myself..."

The principal and his wife looked at each other, completely baffled by what was going on.

Their darling daughter returned to her room, opened her diary, and wrote a passage:

"March 4, 2009. The Stupid Donkey is starting to change his ways. He is dedicated to learning and is a good donkey. It would be even better if his mouth weren't so annoying."