My IQ Increases Year by Year

The auditorium’s backstage was huge.

It wasn’t as cluttered as one might imagine, but it wasn’t empty either.

Several rows of folding chairs were stacked against the wall, and next to them stood a few enormous crates bearing "Fragile" and "Provincial Song and Dance Troupe" labels.

The heavy, deep-red curtain hung down like a soft wall, blocking out the stage lights, with only a few slivers of light seeping through.

Chen Zhuo, dressed in his dark blue school uniform, stood in a slightly more open area.

He didn’t take a seat on the folding chairs. He just stood there, hands in his pockets, watching the light filter through the gap in the curtain.

Not far from him, about two or three meters away, stood a girl.

She was leaning against a stack of wooden crates, one leg straight and the other slightly bent, tapping her toe against the ground in a lazy rhythm.

She held two rolled-up official-looking documents, fanning her face with them.

The breeze stirred the bangs on her forehead.

Staff members walked back and forth, murmuring into their walkie-talkies about lighting preparations and telling someone to hurry up.

In the small space occupied by Chen Zhuo and the girl, the silence felt almost abrupt.

"Hey."

Her voice was soft, with a hint of sleepy hoarseness.

The girl didn’t turn her head, her eyes still fixed on a lightbulb somewhere.

"That rice cooker... how did you figure it out?"

Chen Zhuo glanced at her profile.

"I’ve fixed one before."

Chen Zhuo replied.

The girl finally turned her head to look at Chen Zhuo.

Her gaze lingered on his face for two seconds.

"You’ve fixed one before?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"The spring inside that thing is pretty tough. I took one apart once and almost couldn’t get it back together."

"Use pliers to pry it," Chen Zhuo said.

The girl paused for a moment.

"Oh."

She nodded, seeming to find his answer perfectly reasonable.

"Pliers are a good thing to have."

She shifted her position, leaning her shoulder against the curtain, her whole body slumping like a cooked noodle.

She pointed the paper tube in her hand at Chen Zhuo.

"What about that final, killer math problem? Did you use the analytic method?"

"Yeah."

"You’re really patient."

She clicked her tongue. "When I was drawing the auxiliary line, I thought to myself, ’If this line is wrong, I’m just gonna turn in my paper and go to sleep.’ And it turned out to be wrong."

She looked at Chen Zhuo.

"Looks like next time I should bring some extra scratch paper and try the brute-force method."

Chen Zhuo looked at her.

"It’s not really a brute-force method. Analytic geometry was created for situations where you can’t figure out the auxiliary lines."

She didn’t reply.

She pulled a piece of chocolate from her pocket, peeled back the foil, and broke off half, popping it into her mouth.

She chewed a couple of times, her cheeks puffing out.

Then she offered the other half to Chen Zhuo.

"Want some? You’ve been standing there for a while. Must be hungry."

Chen Zhuo looked at the piece of chocolate, then back at her.

He took it.

"Thanks."

He put it in his mouth.

It was a bit bitter. Dark chocolate.

"Are you going to the provincial team training camp?"

she asked, her words muffled.

"Yeah."

"Oh."

She swallowed the chocolate.

"See you there, then. Hope they find a place with AC. It’s too hot these days."

...

"Attention, everyone, attention!"

A teacher with a name badge held a megaphone, his voice low but urgent.

"Third-prize winners, get ready to go on stage! Line up in the order we just practiced. Hurry!"

The backstage door was pushed open.

A large group of students flooded in.

Liu Kai and Zhao Chen were among them.

Liu Kai had slicked his hair back with gel today, and his school uniform zipper was pulled all the way to the top, squeezing the flesh on his neck.

But he didn’t care.

His face was flushed with excitement. Seeing Chen Zhuo standing there, he waved enthusiastically but didn’t dare to shout, only mouthing the word: "Leader!"

"Go, go, go! Stop dawdling!"

the coordinating teacher urged.

Dozens of third-prize winners formed two long lines, like soldiers waiting for inspection.

The music started.

It was the stirring "Athletes’ March."

Chen Zhuo stood in the shadows of the stage wings, watching Zhao Chen and the others walk onto the stage.

The lights were bright, illuminating their faces, and every expression was clearly visible.

Liu Kai strutted with his head held high. When he received his certificate, he bowed a full ninety degrees, an irrepressible grin plastered on his face.

Zhao Chen was a little more nervous. He walked a few steps with his arm and leg on the same side moving in unison before quickly correcting himself, then just grinned foolishly as he hugged his certificate.

"Next, we will present the second-prize awards for the math competition."

the host announced.

Another group went up.

Nan Xiaoyun and Lin Xiao went up.

Both girls had their hair tied up in high ponytails today, looking especially energetic.

Nan Xiaoyun walked in front. When she was receiving her award, the female leader presenting it said something to her. Nan Xiaoyun smiled shyly, her face flushing as she clutched the red certificate to her chest.

Lin Xiao, on the other hand, appeared calmer, but as she came off the stage, Chen Zhuo saw her secretly lower her head and kiss the cover of her certificate.

"Next, we will present the second-prize awards for the physics competition."

Li Hao and Zhang Wei went up.

Although the two of them were a bit disappointed not to have won first prize, standing on stage at that moment, looking out at the hundreds of pairs of eyes in the audience, that small regret had long since vanished into thin air.

Li Hao puffed out his chest, the light glinting off his glasses.

Zhang Wei was even more dramatic; he actually waved in Old Zhou’s direction in the audience.

Chen Zhuo could just imagine Old Zhou in the audience, simultaneously cursing the little rascal while frantically mashing the camera’s shutter button.

"First prize! Get ready!"

The coordinating teacher’s voice rose slightly.

Wang Yang took a deep breath.

He was lined up not far from Chen Zhuo.

"Leader..."

Wang Yang called out in a low, trembling voice.

"What’s wrong?" Chen Zhuo turned around.

"My... my legs feel a little weak," Wang Yang said with a pained expression. "I’m afraid I’ll trip when I go up there."

Chen Zhuo looked at him and smiled.

"It’s okay if you trip. You’ll still be a first-prize winner even if you fall."

Wang Yang froze for a second, then chuckled.

"That’s true."

"And now, for the first-prize award in the math competition!"

"Will the student whose name is called please come to the stage!"

"From Zeyang City No.1 Middle School, Wang Yang!"

Hearing his name, Wang Yang jolted as if he’d been shocked.

He took a sudden step forward, nearly missing his footing on the first one, but he quickly steadied himself.

He walked onto the stage.

The spotlight focused on him.

Chen Zhuo watched from the wings.

The boy who was usually so timid and even a little insecure in front of him was now standing center stage.

He accepted the large, red certificate with both hands, turned, and faced the audience.

He was grinning from ear to ear.

It was a pure, unadulterated joy that came from the bottom of his heart.

It was the greatest reward for all those countless days and nights he had spent grinding through practice problems.