It wasn't because of that reason.

That statement was sincere.

But in reality, it was a refutation of herself.

Because Xia Xinyu had previously told them that her insistence on staying in Xiahai was to study and get into a better university.

Even her aunt, who smoothed things over for her, did so to reassure the people back home.

Among the Xia family members, her aunt had the highest education. She graduated from a good normal university and worked as a tenured teacher in one of the top two high schools in Haidong Province, so her words carried weight.

Knowledge might have limited power to change fate, but it could indeed improve life.

Xia Xinyu had a great chance of graduating from a prestigious university, and she was a very beautiful girl. Even without her parents, she could have a bright future.

Talking about worldly things might seem materialistic, but materialism determined everything.

But at this moment, Xia Xinyu was about to deny the basis of materialism and try to convince them with an idea that seemed particularly foolish in modern society.

No, it couldn't be called convincing.

Whether they agreed or not, she was going to do it.

She just wanted to reassure everyone.

"Because of Xiao Chen, right?" Her eldest uncle stood up from his seat, walked to Xia Xinyu's side, and knelt down in front of the portrait, looking at his sister on the memorial tablet.

"Yeah." Xia Xinyu nodded, not denying it.

"Is that why he came?" Her eldest uncle continued to ask, "Because he was worried you wouldn't go back, so he came to find you?"

"No." Xia Xinyu shook her head and said after a moment of silence, "I told him not to come because he has an important exam, but he still came. Even if he didn't come, I would still go back to Xiahai. And since he's here..."

"He should go back even more, right?" Her aunt asked.

"..."

Xia Xinyu didn't really understand her own heart. She told Chen Yuan not to come, and even if he didn't, she would still go back because they had already made an agreement: 504 + 121 = 625.

But when she saw her grandfather, whose skin was like withered bark and whose eyes were sunken, and who showed no sign of vitality on his face because of her parents' death, could she bear to leave?

And after Chen Yuan came here, Xia Xinyu realized that she couldn't bear to leave him either.

The pressure was too great on this small girl. She didn't expect that after she said it, it would become even heavier...

"I think I know what exam you're talking about."

Just as Xia Xinyu was silent, her aunt turned off her phone, looked up, and said, "The exam from Sunday to 5 p.m. is only a math competition. But as far as I know, if you want to get here from Xiahai, you can only take that one train at that time... the 16:57 train." (4:57 PM)

"But the exam won't be over by that time..."

One of Xia Xinyu's older cousins ​​immediately noticed the bug after hearing this.

The eldest uncle also turned his head to look at Xia Xinyu, quite puzzled.

The aunt continued, "If you want to get there and take that exam, you can only hand in the paper an hour early."

"..."

Xia Xinyu was clearly a woman, but she suddenly became afraid of women.

"With that level of difficulty, handing in the paper an hour early and still wanting to pass the preliminary round... Even you, Xinyu, would find it difficult, right?"

"I can't do it." Xia Xinyu said frankly.

She would have no problem passing the preliminary round after the exam, but she didn't think she was strong enough to do three hours of questions in two hours.

However, other students in Fourth High should be able to do it.

For example, those in Class One, and some people in Classes Two and Three.

"Handing in the paper an hour early is the most extreme situation."

After checking the train tickets and analyzing them, her aunt judged, "If you want to have more time to catch the train, maybe the time to write the exam paper won't even be two hours, maybe only an hour and a half? And who are the people who can pass the preliminary round in an hour and a half?"

"..." Xia Xinyu lowered her head, unable to refute.

To pass the preliminary round in an hour and a half, you would have to be a top student in Class One of Fourth High.

And not everyone in Class One can do it.

Although Chen Yuan said 'I will definitely win', Xia Xinyu couldn't really be sure that it was 'definitely win'.

She shouldn't have said that, she shouldn't have distrusted Chen Yuan.

But she really felt that Chen Yuan might have made a choice between the exam and her.

He chose her.

And the fact that he was still going to take the exam was just to make her feel that he hadn't forgotten that equation.

In the eyes of her aunt, a senior teacher, this could only be understood as: Xiao Chen, for the sake of Xinyu in our family, messed up the competition and traveled thousands of miles to Jingnan to pursue love.

"Indeed, no one can refuse this." As a math teacher, her aunt didn't approve of this somewhat 'self-destructive' approach, but after empathizing with Xia Xinyu, she still gave it a high evaluation. "He is a boy who moves people."

"Aunt, he's a man." As soon as her aunt finished speaking, Xia Xinyu retorted like this.

Although she didn't know where her confidence came from, she decided to believe unconditionally.

Because Chen Yuan said, believe first!

And after the word 'man' came out, the relatives present were a little surprised.

Of course, the older generation.

Girls who were the same age as Xia Xinyu or a little older almost cried from the sweetness.

They didn't expect that such a sweet scene could actually happen in reality, just like in a movie. When they said it, they even had an idea—if I were a man, I would risk my life for this little girl.

"He can pass the preliminary round, he really can." Xia Xinyu said firmly.

"..." Her aunt was silent for a while, then nodded and said nothing more.

She reflected on herself, was she too focused on grades?

But she thought of herself.

Also from a rural background, and like Xia Xinyu, she grew up in Nanxi Village. If she hadn't gone to university, how could she have become who she is now?

Moreover, Fourth High now only recruits graduate students from Ji Shi Normal University as teachers, and her secondary normal school education is a bit lacking.

If it were today, she would also be an eliminated candidate.

It is wrong to only focus on grades, but that is for people who have other options besides grades.

Otherwise, why would she have to fight for such a hard-to-get degree at Fourth High for Xinyu?

She couldn't decide for Xia Xinyu about Chen Yuan.

However, she could see it.

The results of the preliminary round will be released then.

If Chen Yuan's score is very low, then it means he is fooling around.

If the score is not up to par, but is also seventy or eighty points, then it means that he has done his best in the shortest possible time.

Only in the latter case can she recognize the underage Chen Yuan as a man.

"Chen Yuan is a man, I think he is."

Xia Xinyu's words to her aunt convinced the eldest uncle next to her. He patted Xia Xinyu on the shoulder and said, "He came all the way from so far away, and he even handed in the paper early for an important exam to be here today. If this doesn't count as a man, what is?"

"Uncle..."

Her uncle's support made Xia Xinyu cry, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Come, offer incense to your parents."

"Okay, okay."

Her uncle's statement made her aunt seem like a bad person. She didn't say anything more, sat next to Xia Xinyu's grandfather, held his hand, and said softly, "It's okay, Xinyu has me in Xiahai."

"You have to help her more... help her more." Her grandfather was reluctant to part with Xia Xinyu and couldn't understand these words.

But he knew that Xia Xinyu was definitely going.

Therefore, he could only say these words to his daughter more.

At the same time, he also hoped that the boy would be good to Xinyu.

Don't be good now and not good later.

Always be good.

Men ah...

Sitting at the staircase on the second floor, listening to the conversation in the mourning hall downstairs, Chen Yuan felt that Xia Xinyu's expression was somewhat inappropriate, especially in the part about her aunt.

But for a girl to say so much at this time, she was already amazing.

According to her uncle, he was a man because he was willing to give up important things for a woman.

According to her aunt, if he wants to be a man now, he can't fool around with his life in order to win the girl's heart in front of him.

Which is right?

Both are right.

Xia Xinyu needed comfort at this time, but he couldn't go down, otherwise, he would both scare her and make the relatives downstairs feel embarrassed, thinking that he said bad things about him behind his back.

Pinching his temples with his thumbs to prevent himself from overthinking, Chen Yuan carefully returned to his room, lay on the bed, and turned off the lights.

Just staring at the darkness.

After the superpower from the previous week was refreshed, it meant that continuing to copy would not be so easy in the future.

After all, locking on is required when reading minds, and it also consumes energy. Unless it is a very necessary moment, he generally won't use it all the time.

Therefore, study harder.

School is for studying, I'm going to study, study, study.

Sleep well now, save up energy to work hard!

Closing his eyes, exhaustion swept over him along with drowsiness...

………

I am standing on a small road with ponds on both sides, waiting for the bus to come.

This bus goes to school, and if I take it now, I can arrive in the evening.

Arrive where...

No.

How can there be a bus stop at the village entrance in the countryside?

And how can a bus departing from the countryside drive to Eleventh High?

Where is this?

Looking down, I saw red firecracker shells that had been exploded on the ground, not cleaned up.

The lotus flowers shouldn't be withering like this at this time of year either.

In winter, the lotus stalks will be crooked and twisted like scribbles.

Many disharmonies...

This must be a dream.

And according to the principle of seeing through dreams, I should wake up soon.

Oh, isn't that Xia Xinyu?

What is she doing with her schoolbag on her back?

In front, I saw Xia Xinyu talking to two people. Some parts of their faces resembled hers. After saying something, she turned around and walked towards me.

"Let's get on the bus, it's coming." Xia Xinyu spoke, pointing to the yellow bus that was indeed driving over and was about to stop at the bus stop.

You can speak and see clear faces in dreams.

In this dream setting, Xia Xinyu and I are classmates, and then her parents are sending her to the bus?

"Okay, let's get on the bus."

I nodded and was about to leave as well.

Suddenly, the smiling Xia Xinyu stopped, standing in place, completely stunned.

Looking at me.

Looking, looking.

Looking, she bit her lip, then turned her head to look at her parents at the other end.

Dreams are a reflection of reality. Did I have this dream because I felt sorry for Xia Xinyu and wanted her to see her parents?

Then Xinyu, go quickly.

"Mom and Dad, goodbye!"

Suddenly, Xia Xinyu raised her hand and waved at the two of them.

Then the two of them turned into fireflies at some point and flew away.

Ah?

Why does my dream have such a plot...

"Goodbye~"

The fireflies flew away, and Xia Xinyu waved her hands even more vigorously.

After she couldn't see them completely, she slowly turned around and looked at me with a smile.

Then she stretched out her hands and stood on her tiptoes. She suddenly hugged me...

(End of this chapter)