Chapter 12: The Rival in Love

Lin Qianfan had anticipated his grandfather’s reaction. He looked up and put on a show of earnestness.

"The school wants me to participate in the city-wide mathematics competition, and I’m looking up reference materials on my phone."

"A math competition?" His grandfather stopped his whittling knife. "You’re an athlete; why are you joining a math competition?"

"It’s true." Lin Qianfan had come prepared. He pulled the competition materials given to him by the principal from his bag and handed them to his grandfather. "The school’s math teacher said I have potential for problem-solving and recommended that I represent the school."

His grandfather took the materials and flipped through a few pages. Seeing the dense thicket of formulas, the skepticism on his face faded slightly. "Is this really the case?"

"Of course."

Lin Qianfan nodded. He grabbed a pen from the table, scribbled a few problems on a piece of scratch paper, and solved them casually. "See? I’ve already started preparing, haven't I?"

His grandfather studied the work. Although he didn’t understand the math, he looked at it for a long moment. Finally, he gave up on further questioning and waved his hand. "All right then, keep at it."

Lin Qianfan breathed a sigh of relief. He seized the opportunity to take back his phone, lowered his head, and continued typing, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"However," his grandfather’s voice drifted over again, "don't focus only on that. Your regular studies are still important."

"I know, Grandpa." He agreed verbally, though his mind was already mapping out his schedule for the week.

He spent both Saturday and Sunday holed up in his room writing. Relying on memories from his past life, he had a firm grasp on what readers enjoyed, ensuring every chapter was taut and engaging. By Saturday noon, he let out a long breath. "Done."

Lin Qianfan had pulled an all-nighter, rushing to churn out 56,000 words. He logged into the website, scheduled each chapter, and queued them up until the following Saturday night. He had finally managed to secure the updates for the coming week. Staring at the screen where it read "All scheduled posts successful," he felt a mix of exhaustion and a sense of accomplishment.

He didn’t linger, however; he had to return to school soon. He shared a meal with his grandparents, chatting idly about school life, before packing his bag and bidding them farewell.

When he stepped through the school gate, he immediately heard a few people whispering nearby.

"Did you hear? Lin Qianfan is going to represent the school in the math competition!"

"For real? Isn't he an athlete?"

"Tch, who knows? But Mr. Fang said it himself. He even went to the office to practice problems last week."

Lin Qianfan listened to the chatter without much emotional response. He knew that the math competition news couldn't be kept under wraps, especially in such a small environment where the slightest breeze could be blown into a storm. He twitched the corner of his mouth, ignored the gossip, and headed straight for his classroom.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he felt the atmosphere shift. A group of boys were huddled together, laughing and discussing something, while a few girls in the hallway were peeking into the classroom.

"Lin Qianfan is here!"

Someone shouted, and the room went silent for a few seconds before erupting back into noise. As soon as Lin Qianfan set his bag down, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see Zhao Zihao, the study committee member from the class next door.

Zhao Zihao’s tone carried a hint of resentment. "Lin Qianfan! I heard you’re going to participate in the math competition?"

"Yeah." Lin Qianfan nodded and pulled out his chair to sit.

Zhao Zihao persisted. "You’re an athlete—do you even understand math?"

Lin Qianfan looked up at him and replied coolly, "What, you don't approve?"

Zhao Zihao was choked by his attitude, his expression darkening. "Since you're so smart, dare to face me in a challenge?"

Lin Qianfan raised an eyebrow and slowly stood up. "Challenge what?"

Zhao Zihao pointed to the blackboard. "We’ll pick two problems. Whoever solves them the fastest and most accurately wins."

The students in the classroom were instantly intrigued, cheering and jeering.

"Oh, this is interesting! Let’s see it!"

"Zihao is the best at math in our class. Can Lin Qianfan really pull this off?"

"Tch, an athlete shouldn't try to show off."

Lin Qianfan couldn't be bothered with their noise. He walked to the front of the room and picked up a piece of chalk. "Fine. You choose the problems."

Zhao Zihao gave a cold snort and scribbled two quadratic function problems on the board. Once finished, he turned to Lin Qianfan. "Ready?"

Lin Qianfan glanced at them, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Start."

Both of them began writing the solution steps on the board in a flurry of chalk. Zhao Zihao had been smug at first, thinking Lin Qianfan was just posturing. But halfway through, a glance at Lin Qianfan’s progress caused his expression to stiffen.

In less than ten minutes, Lin Qianfan dropped his chalk and turned to Zhao Zihao. "I’m done."

The answers on the board were clear, the steps orderly and flawless. Zhao Zihao froze, his chalk hovering in mid-air, his own solution still incomplete. The classroom was stunned for a moment before a wave of cheers erupted.

"Holy crap, Lin Qianfan is that good?"

"Zihao hasn't even finished yet! The gap is too huge!"

Zhao Zihao’s face turned bright red, and his hand holding the chalk trembled slightly. "This is impossible!" He turned sharply to Lin Qianfan. "How could you be so fast?"

Lin Qianfan shrugged, his tone indifferent. "My fault?"

With that, he walked off the podium, returned to his seat, and picked up his book to continue reading. Zhao Zihao stood on the stage, his face shifting between shades of green and white, until he finally slammed his chalk down and stormed out of the classroom.

News of the incident spread quickly, and for a time, Lin Qianfan became a local celebrity. The boys argued about it, while the girls began casting admiring glances his way.

"Lin Qianfan isn't just good at sports; he's a math genius too?"

"Tch, if I had known he was this outstanding, I would have made my move sooner!"

However, there were those who remained unconvinced, particularly Xu Qian’s clique.

"Pfft, so what if he's smart? His family is dirt poor!"

"Exactly! If he's so great, let him buy his own car and house!"

Once these words circulated, the more vain girls in school began whispering.

"Lin Qianfan is impressive, I guess, but it's a pity his family background is so bad."

"Still, our school’s star heir, Gu Haotian, is better. He's handsome and rich!"

Gu Haotian, a well-known wealthy heir, came from a family that owned a chain of businesses. He was known for his lavish spending and being chauffeured to school in luxury cars.

"Who is Lin Qianfan?" Gu Haotian stood by the basketball court, spinning a ball on his finger, looking thoughtful.

A boy nearby leaned in and whispered about the athlete who was supposedly a math prodigy and sat next to Xia Ruo. Gu Haotian had always been interested in Xia Ruo, and hearing that she had been getting closer to Lin Qianfan left him feeling irritated. He decided he would go see this person for himself.

In the classroom of Class 2, Senior Year, Lin Qianfan was busy with his problems, while Xia Ruo sat beside him, turning the pages of her book.