Chapter 29

Lin Miaomiao found peace on the familiar bench outside the skewer shop, her mind still reeling from the heated confrontation at home. Lin Dawei sat down in front of her, looking at his daughter with a mix of concern and understanding.

"You know your mother's personality," he began gently. "But she's a good person. She only said those things because she cares about you."

"Who needs her care? What good does it do?" Miaomiao retorted bitterly. "If she's so concerned, she can take the exams for me. A person who's never even taken the college entrance exam herself. What does she know about teaching me?"

Lin Dawei met her gaze steadily. "Who said she's never been through it? Back in her time, the exams were even harder."

"Don't feed me lies, Dad. The pressure we face now is way bigger than anything in the past," Miaomiao argued.

"Every generation faces its own challenges," Lin Dawei countered.

Miaomiao shook her head in disbelief. "I step out of the house for a moment, and suddenly you're sounding just like Mom. Have you been brainwashed or something?

Lin Dawei let out a small sigh "I'm probably standing by your side, but your mom has her own issues—"

"Let's stop," Miaomiao interrupted, her tone pleading. "Can we change the subject? I just want to eat my meal in peace, please?"

"Alright, let's change the topic," Lin Dawei agreed, understanding his daughter's need for a temporary escape from the turmoil at home.

Lin Miaomiao pondered over her frustration with learning seemingly useless subjects like mathematics. "I've never understood why I need to learn things that seem useless in my life. Like mathematics, for example. Besides the college entrance exam, I doubt I'll ever use this knowledge. Why bother learning it?"

"In ancient times, people like you were seen as time bombs," Lin Dawei responded thoughtfully. "The average age of the 108 generals in Liangshan was only 21 years old. Xiang Yu rebelled against the Tang Dynasty at just 24. Nowadays, every country wants to control people of your age. They teach these 'useless' subjects to keep you occupied and prevent you from rebelling."

Miaomiao was taken aback. "Really?"

"Of course not. Are you dumb?" Lin Dawei teased, pinching her nose. "Math trains your critical thinking. It sparks curiosity about the beauty and mystery of the world."

"Why couldn't I inherit your scientific thinking genes?" Miaomiao asked.

"But you inherited my artistic genes," Lin Dawei countered.

"Well, I'm not interested in exploring the beauty and mystery of the world. I think the purpose of teaching math is just to weed out low-performing students like me," Miaomiao lamented.

"My daughter is not stupid. Don't belittle yourself. Everyone has their strengths," Lin Dawei reassured her.

Lin Miaomiao leaned on her chair and said, "I'll tell you about Qian Sanyi. He's flawless. He studies nine subjects simultaneously and consistently ranks first in the class. His mom no longer worries about his studies. Though this time, Ye Bai surpassed him," Miaomiao shared.

"Really? That boy is remarkable," Lin Dawei acknowledged.

"Indeed, Ye Bai is even more amazing. He's handsome, caring, and approachable. Plus, he's a colleague in the radio station, sings and plays guitar well, and excels in basketball. He's practically perfect. Compare that to me—I just eat, sleep, and go to the toilet," Miaomiao sighed.

Lin Dawei's expression became serious upon hearing Miaomiao praise another boy. "He's human, not a fairy."

"Qian San has no shortcomings, but his way of talking is not friendly," Miaomiao pointed out.

"That's called low EQ. The impact of low EQ on people is ten times higher than IQ. It's proven by data. There's a saying: 'Handle your feelings first before you solve other problems later.' EQ is important," Lin Dawei explained.

"But what's the use of having high EQ if I can't go to university? IQ still wins," Miaomiao countered.

Miaomiao picks some grilled kidney and continues "But Ye Bai isn't lacking in EQ, and his IQ is good too."

"No one is perfect. Ye Bai must have his flaws; they just haven't been discovered yet," Lin Dawei remarked.

...

Qian Sanyi House

Pei Yin gracefully arranged the dishes, preparing for the special guest they were expecting—Ye Bai, whom Qian Sanyi had invited for dinner. She was pleased to see her son forming a friendship with such an intelligent companion.

Qian Sanyi, with a competitive spirit, proposed, "Let's compete again in the next exam."

Ye Bai, equally competitive, was tempted to chuckle, knowing he possessed a certain advantage. "Sure, I'm up for the challenge."

"Sanyi, Ye Bai, come and eat," Pei Yin called out.

As they moved to the dining table, the spread of delicious home-cooked dishes awaited them. Even Qian Sanyi, accustomed to exquisite meals, couldn't help but be impressed.

Ye Bai savored every bite, appreciating the change from his usual dormitory fare. Expressing his gratitude to Qian Sanyi's mother, he relished the flavors.

During the meal, Qian Sanyi noticed blood on Ye Bai's nose. "Ye Bai, your nose is bleeding."

Panicking a bit, Ye Bai touched his nose, realizing the bleeding was indeed occurring. Pei Yin quickly fetched the first aid kit and handed Ye Bai some cotton.

Concerned, Qian Sanyi helped Ye Bai wipe away the blood with a tissue. "Are you alright?"

Downplaying it, Ye Bai casually mentioned, "It's alright, probably just overworked from reading late at night."

As he inserted cotton into his nostrils, he requested, "By the way, please don't mention this to anyone."

"I'm not someone who talks a lot," Qian Sanyi assured him.

With two cotton plugs in his nose, Ye Bai thanked Pei Yin and decided to head back to his dorm for some rest.

"You don't have anyone at your house. Just call us if something happens," Pei Yin reminded him.

"Thank you, Auntie. Sanyi, see you later," Ye Bai bid them farewell and left the Sanyi residence.

...

After Ye Bai entered the house he hurriedly checked his status.

[ Ye Bai ]

Age: 16/20

Physical: 79 -> 81

Intelligence: 90 -> 92

Charm: 81

Skills:

Acting: 35/100 C -> 46

Singing: 50/100 B -> 60

Dancing: 20/100 C- -> 31

Musical Instrument:

Guitar: 71/100 A

Piano: 45/100 B+

Traits:

[Enhance Memory]

Debuff:

Ye Bai felt a sense of relief when he checked his status and found everything in order. Reading had been helping him gather knowledge, and practicing his skills had shown some improvement. It was a small comfort to discover that he now had a new stat for musical instruments under his skill set. However, this realization didn't fully ease his mind, as he was acutely aware of the limited time he had in this world.

Turning to his phone, Ye Bai opened a note titled 'Things I Want to Do Before I Go,' a list he had been compiling over the past six months. With his two lives cut short unexpectedly, he was determined to make the most of his remaining time in this life.

Adding a new item to the list, Ye Bai wrote, "study cooking." The idea had struck him after enjoying a homemade meal at Qian Sanyi's house. He wanted to delve into the world of cooking, inspired by the flavors and warmth of home-cooked food. This new addition to his list felt significant, and he wanted to ensure he pursued it with dedication.

...

Wang Shengnan felt a wave of relief wash over her as she saw her husband and daughter return home, but her relief was quickly replaced by a familiar scent that filled the air.

"Have you been eating grilled meat again?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the odor.

"Can you tell?" Lin Dawei replied with a chuckle.

"I can smell it from a mile away. It's like you've been to some greasy, oily place. How can you stomach that stuff?" Wang Shengnan turned to her daughter. "Lin Miaomiao, you only know to cry and eat, go take a shower, and then do your homework."

"Do you no longer consider her as your precious daughter? Do you have to scold her like that? Don't you realize your words can hurt her?" Lin Dawei interjected, taking a seat in front of Wang Shengnan. "You're too hot-headed, like a tiger. Luckily, Miaomiao takes after me and can handle it."

Wang Shengnan, clearly upset, retrieved a notebook from her bag and tossed it onto the table. Lin Dawei examined its contents, finding it feasible and nodding in agreement. "Who made this suggestion? I think it will work."

"It was Ye Bai," Wang Shengnan replied. Lin Miaomiao, on her way to the bathroom with a towel in hand, paused upon hearing Ye Bai's name.

"At the parent-teacher meeting, he offered some tips for parents. This is his suggestion. He mentioned that this was how his parents motivated him when he was younger."

Lin Miaomiao was quietly eavesdropping from inside the bathroom.

"Ye Bai also said he's available to tutor Lin Miaomiao. Combine that with this reward system. If she still doesn't improve, maybe you hugged the wrong child at the hospital," Wang Shengnan remarked.

"Alright, I'll explain it to Miaomiao," Lin Dawei agreed.

After Lin Miaomiao finished her bath, her father shared their plans with her. She listened attentively, finding a newfound motivation to study. Wang Shengnan and Lin Dawei decided that if she made significant progress in her grades, she would be rewarded with 1000 yuan.

After the talk, Lin Miaomiao hurriedly took her phone and messaged Ye Bai.

Meowmeow: Xiaobai I want to thank you, your suggestion really gave me motivation to study. When the time I receive the reward we will drink again.

...

Wang Shengnan sat at the table, analyzing each of Lin Miaomiao's test papers with a furrowed brow. "Your daughter really infuriates me sometimes. She failed three subjects, despite everything that's been taught in their class. Is she just not paying attention?"

Lin Dawei, engrossed in his phone, replied casually, "Don't get too worked up about it. Maybe she simply doesn't have a knack for physics. It might be better to let her focus on literature instead. That way, you'll feel more at ease, and those failed subjects will seem insignificant."

"We can't decide yet if she'll be able to join the literature major class. There's still half a year left. Until then, she needs to pass these subjects," Wang Shengnan retorted. When she noticed Lin Dawei still playing on his phone, she snapped, "Stop playing and go check if Miaomiao has tucked herself in properly."

Lin Dawei reluctantly got up and went to his daughter's room. After a while, he returned and said to Wang Shengnan, "She's curled up like a little kitten, and she looks really hurt. Can you please be gentler when you teach her? I'm worried you'll hurt her feelings and end up hurting yourself too. Remember, she's our daughter. Can you still be happy if she's not?"

...