CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 54: TOP SCORER! TOP SCORER! PROVINCIAL TOP SCORER!_2

"Becoming more outgoing is certainly good, but how could someone change all of a sudden?"

"Little He, I had suspected before, could it be that you’ve been repressing yourself for too long, and you have that... dual personality?"

"You used to spin a pen and it never made it past two turns, always dropping to the ground. I’ve seen it many times during breaks... now you’re spinning so fast and round and smooth!"

Chu River lowered her lashes.

But Old Chen kept rambling: "Don’t be afraid, teachers aren’t uneducated people. So what if you have a dual personality? As long as you’re happy, as long as you’re doing well, you can let whoever you want come out..."

Saying this, he chuckled stupidly:

"What I don’t want to do, you do, and what you don’t want to do, I do, and there’s still someone to chat with..."

He wiped his tears with his sleeve, muttering, "Why am I crying?"

Then he looked around: "Oh dear, where are my peanuts? Little He, you changed so suddenly, you scared me."

Even as he said he was scared, a foolish smile spread across his face, and then he collapsed by the sofa, snoring away.

The room was so silent it seemed like only his breathing could be heard.

After a long while, Old Chen’s wife finally seemed to relax from the stagnant atmosphere.

She snapped back to her senses and stood up abruptly:

"Oh dear, look at your homeroom teacher, he gets like this whenever he drinks, and yet he just can’t resist the urge to drink..."

"Have you had enough to eat, Little He? I’ll warm up the dishes and we can continue."

"No need, Auntie, I’ve already eaten my fill."

Chu River stood up and bowed respectfully to her, and also bowed to the still-drunk Old Chen—

Old Chen, on behalf of Chu River, thank you.

...

In Tianshui City, the four seasons are distinct, and in mid-June, the temperature has already soared to 37 degrees. Going out without an umbrella would peel your skin right off.

However, Chu River stood by the roadside, her expression cold, her posture upright, as if she didn’t feel the heat at all.

Her skin was snow white, standing under the blazing sun, she seemed to be glowing. Little brother had a hard time getting a cab over, having clearly been in air conditioning, yet the moment he got out, he was instantly drenched in sweat.

This damned weather!

Then seeing the big sister standing there in a daze, he hurriedly fumbled around in his all-purpose backpack and pulled out a sun umbrella and opened it:

"Sis, sis, why don’t you move to a shady spot?"

The tree shade was right there but she insisted on standing under the blazing sun.

The little brother, just about 1.75 meters tall, standing with Chu River, just barely matched her height. With a steady demeanor, Chu River took the umbrella from his hands:

"It’s nothing, I just wanted to experience the wonder of a star."

"And the complexity of emotions."

What?

The little brother was totally confused, then looked at the glaring sun and instantly, tears welled up—it was just too blinding.

"Sis, there’s no need to cherish this sun so much. If you really like it, come out and bask in it come winter."

Chu River looked up—

In 238 years, accompanied by rapid technological advancements, the small Mountain and Sea Star could no longer bound people’s pursuit of dreams.

That’s why so many left their hometown, ventured into the interstellar, and from then on, had a new home.

Meanwhile, Mountain and Sea Star, with its depleting resources and backward star system, gradually became abandoned.

Plus, with it being too far from the new federation center and without a stable path for warp travel, in the long river of time, it eventually becomes part of history.

Except for the occasional interstellar explorer returning who can provide some images, the real Mountain and Sea Star to them is already in the distant past.

Including the star above them.

1,000 years later, around this lifeless mother planet, the sun would probably still burn as intensely quiet as today.

The little brother didn’t know the significance of his big sister’s silence, but at 37 degrees, standing by the roadside, even with an umbrella, was too silly.

He asked, "Sis, did you deliver the gift for the teacher?"

Chu River: "..."

Completely forgot.

She definitely hadn’t delivered it, Old Chen was crying like that.

Thinking it over: "Forget it, tomorrow then. The results come out tonight, and I’ll definitely go to school tomorrow for sure, might as well give all the teachers their gifts at once."

The little brother nodded, thinking: What’s up with big sis today? She never usually makes such mistakes!

Luckily they were giving Cleaning Circle as a gift, otherwise, it would be a hassle bringing several teachers’ gifts into school piled together.

...

No need to wait until midnight at 12:00 sharp.

At 10:00 PM, while Chu River was drawing new designs for the Sky Falcon, Old Chen’s call came through.

Once the call connected, there was a crazy shout:

"Chu River! Hahaha, Chu River, your results are out, did you know?!"