Genius Playground

They would go eat at the rice noodle shop by the school gate that had since closed down. They’d occasionally zone out on the bleachers of the sports field, and they’d also team up with each other’s friends to throw birthday parties or stress over exams.

But from Jiang Ran’s perspective,

this girl was a complete stranger.

The two of them had no shared experiences, and thus, no shared feelings.

He understood Nan Xiuxiu’s feelings for him, and he understood her devotion.

But he couldn’t empathize. He just couldn’t.

At this stage, he only wanted to save Cheng Mengxue. This world didn’t allow him the luxury of considering anything else.

And as long as he saved Cheng Mengxue, the world line would change drastically, drawing closer to World Line 0... On the new world line, his historical trajectory would have no intersection with Nan Xiuxiu’s whatsoever.

After all,

as long as Cheng Mengxue didn’t die on the day of the college entrance exams, she and Jiang Ran would have both gotten high scores and applied to East Sea University, where her cousin Xu Yan was.

He wouldn’t have come to the East Sea College of International Trade and Economics; he wouldn’t have even heard its name.

And naturally, he wouldn’t have met Nan Xiuxiu.

There would be no Nan Xiuxiu in Jiang Ran’s story, and no Jiang Ran in Nan Xiuxiu’s.

They were a fairy tale and a novel.

They wouldn’t even be placed on the same bookshelf.

"Actually, it’s not so bad right now."

Jiang Ran’s voice was soft.

"Look, nothing physical ever happened between us. We never had any physical contact. The one and only time was when she held my hand at the bus stop. I never took advantage of her, and I never really let her down in any major way..."

"Just shut up. Don’t say that."

Wang Hao waved his hand dismissively, cutting Jiang Ran off.

"Saying stuff like that just makes you sound like a scumbag. You’re just looking for excuses to make yourself feel better, trying to act all noble, but it’s all complete nonsense!"

"Ah, forget it."

Wang Hao sighed.

"Forget it, forget it. Jiang Ran, even an honest official can’t settle a family dispute. This is a matter of the heart between you two, so you’ll have to figure out how to handle it yourself."

"You’re my best friend, but Nan Xiuxiu is also my classmate and a good friend. I can’t take sides between you two."

"But if I have to choose... whether you’re right or wrong, you’re my best friend, and in the end, I’ll still stand by you."

"So... don’t ask me about this. Like you said, since your heart has changed and you don’t like her anymore, anything more said is just pointless. It’s better to just be clear with Xiuxiu. Better to rip the band-aid off quick than to let it fester. Just give her a clean break."

"Of course, I still suggest you think it over carefully. But looking at you... sigh, you’ve probably been thinking about this for a long time."

Even though he had just chewed him out, a brother is still a brother. Wang Hao knew Jiang Ran well.

Since he was bringing this up now, it meant... that deep down, he had already made his decision.

"Let’s drink."

He opened two more bottles, filled both their glasses to the brim, and raised his.

"To you! And to a bright future at East Sea University!"

Jiang Ran gave a helpless laugh.

"You... stop being so sarcastic with me."

CLINK.

The glass cups clinked together.

Carrying the worries that floated and shattered with the foam, they downed their glasses in one go.

...

「The next evening.」

Jiang Ran and Nan Xiuxiu were taking a slow walk just outside the campus wall.

"Jiang Ran! You’re so amazing!"

Nan Xiuxiu gave him a thumbs-up.

"The whole school is talking about you today! So many people came up to ask me! They were like, ’How did your boyfriend do it?!’ They’re all saying you got a letter of recommendation from the Longke Institute. Is it really true?!"

Although the matter of "Goldbach’s Conjecture" was kept secret, the news that he was being directly admitted to East Sea University for graduate studies was impossible to hide.

Not to mention, his five dorm mates had all seen the recommendation letter with their own eyes. The news swept through the entire school like a flood in half a day.

For the first time in his life, the name Jiang Ran had replaced Nan Xiuxiu’s as the most famous and widely known person at their vocational college.

"I knew you deserved it!"

Nan Xiuxiu walked ahead, puffing out her chest proudly.

"I told them that Jiang Ran practically lives in the library, that he’s so absorbed he forgets to eat or sleep, often skipping meals to study and research really difficult things."

"Circuits, cathode-ray tubes, mathematics... you study everything! You can’t find anyone in the whole school who works harder than you. If they weren’t going to admit you, who else would they admit?"

"Hehe, I heard you went to see the principal today. Was he super surprised? A lot of people are saying they’re going to hold an awards ceremony for you, and that they’ve cleared a spot on the honor roll board by the school gate to post your information."

"Your dorm mates said they even gave you a ’Notice of Advised Withdrawal’? Haha, the school must be kicking themselves right now! By the way... when are you planning to go to East Sea University? Are you enrolling next semester?"

"..."

Jiang Ran fell silent and stopped walking.

"Nan Xiuxiu."

He looked at the girl gesticulating wildly in front of him and said in a heavy voice,

"I have something to tell you."

"Hey! Why’d you stop? Let’s keep walking!"

As if she hadn’t heard him, Nan Xiuxiu kept walking forward.

"East Sea University isn’t actually that far from our school. It took us less than an hour by taxi last time."

"An hour is totally fine! That’s just how it is in a city like East Sea; it takes at least an hour to get anywhere."

"But I think taking the subway would probably be faster, since the subway never gets stuck in traffic. I can take the subway to come see you!"

"Nan Xiuxiu," Jiang Ran called out, stopping her.

"Oh, I know, I know. You’ll be going straight into graduate studies at East Sea University, so the academic pressure will be intense and you’ll be really busy. It’s okay, I won’t bother you too often. I can just take the subway after my classes on Friday!"

As if she were deaf, Nan Xiuxiu kept walking forward.

"We don’t have to meet every week, either. Just tell me whenever you have time. I’m a total loafer, anyway. I’m free whenever."

Jiang Ran watched Nan Xiuxiu gradually walk further away and quickened his pace to follow her.

But it was as if Nan Xiuxiu had eyes in the back of her head; she started walking faster and faster.

Jiang Ran caught up to her.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me—"

"I’ll study hard at school, too! I might not be good at that stuff, but maybe it’s just because I wasn’t interested before. It doesn’t necessarily mean I can’t learn it."

Nan Xiuxiu didn’t turn around, the smile still present in her voice.

"I can upgrade my associate’s degree to a bachelor’s, too! I might not be able to get into East Sea University, but there are lots of other schools in the university town nearby. I can get into a less competitive one!"

"It just means I’ll be a year behind you, that’s all. Your master’s program is three years, and what if you decide to get a doctorate after that? We can still be in school together in that university town for a long—"

"Nan Xiuxiu!" Jiang Ran cut her off loudly.

"Don’t say it!!!"

Nan Xiuxiu quickly covered her ears, her pent-up emotions finally erupting!

Looking at her back, at the tips of her pink hair, he could see her whole body was trembling.

Slowly,

Nan Xiuxiu turned around.

The forced smile was gone, her gaze flickering as she looked at Jiang Ran.

"Please don’t say it... okay?"

In that instant,

Jiang Ran froze.

The words caught in his throat.

He couldn’t speak them, nor could he swallow them back down.

Nan Xiuxiu’s throat bobbed slightly.

"I... This is my first time in a relationship, too. I don’t know how to do it..."

Her voice was very soft.

"So, if I’m doing something wrong... can you just tell me, okay?"

...

Jiang Ran had never seen such a proud and willful girl so flustered.

She could arrogantly claim that studying was useless;

She could brazenly say her family was rich;

She could treat her extraordinary talent for archery as just a game;

She could live freely, every second of her life her own.

But now,

she was rambling incoherently, terrified that Jiang Ran would open his mouth and say the words she had long seen coming.

Yes...

It seemed Nan Xiuxiu had long since guessed, or rather, had a premonition.

A woman’s sixth sense was sometimes like that; just like her god-like archery skills, it never missed the mark.

"Nan Xiuxiu."

Finally,

Jiang Ran looked up, meeting Nan Xiuxiu’s trembling gaze.

"Let’s... break up."