Chapter 103: The Opposite Problem
Meanwhile, Su Yuqing had also been privately studying a great deal of psychology.
She had recently gained a profound understanding of the modern psyche—particularly how to relieve excessive stress, foster a sense of self-worth, and develop a deeper appreciation for life.
By drawing on her own genuine feelings, she wrote the essay as if divinely inspired, finishing it in no time at all.
In contrast, Chen Mo’s essay writing was a slow, stumbling process.
But when it came to math, Chen Mo was in his comfort zone.
Soon, the math exam began. Chen Mo took the test paper, glanced over it, and his pen immediately began to fly across the page.
Over the past two days, Chen Mo had explained many mathematical concepts to Su Yuqing, Huang Mao, and Zhao Yuanyuan in a way that was easy to grasp. Now, during the exam, they were all able to put that knowledge to use.
Even Lin Yu’an, who had joined the study group relatively late, managed to overcome some of his weaknesses and saw a slight improvement.
The math exam was two hours long, but Chen Mo finished it and even checked it over once within an hour and a half.
But Chen Mo didn’t waste any time.
As long as there was extra time, he would tirelessly check his completed answers over and over again.
This was the secret to how he was able to get a perfect score on the math portion of his college entrance exam back then.
Even geniuses make mistakes from time to time.
Sometimes, on his third pass, Chen Mo would find mistakes he had missed before.
So, for him, there was no such thing as checking enough times.
He would only stop when time was up.
Until time ran out, he would continue to check his work over and over.
Even if repeated checks revealed no issues, he would maintain a diligent mindset and keep checking.
Success and effort are inseparable.
It wasn’t until the school bell rang for lunch that Chen Mo finally stopped checking and turned in his test paper.
Huang Mao had just turned in his test paper and excitedly came over to sling an arm around Chen Mo’s shoulders.
"Old Mo, I owe you big time! Several of the things you explained last night showed up on the test today, and I was able to use them exactly.
I still remember them so clearly, so I know I didn’t get those questions wrong," Huang Mao said with a grin.
Just then, Zhao Yuanyuan grabbed both of Chen Mo’s hands, bouncing excitedly. "Yes, yes! I saw that too! A lot of the questions were the exact ones you focused on these past couple of days, Brother Mo! It’s so great, I used everything you taught us! I’m definitely going to get a good grade this time. My grandparents will be so happy when they see it!"
Seeing how close the two of them were with Chen Mo, Su Yuqing simply smiled and watched from a distance, not getting any closer.
Meanwhile, Lin Yu’an stood at the back of the classroom, watching the scene with a look of pure envy.
His gaze fell on Huang Mao’s hand, which was draped over Chen Mo’s shoulder, then shifted to Chen Mo’s hands, held by Zhao Yuanyuan.
That casual physical contact was something Lin Yu’an yearned for but dared not seek.
In truth, he really wanted to go up and thank Chen Mo as well.
Although he had only recently joined Chen Mo’s study group, Chen Mo’s explanations were so memorable that he could recall them instantly.
And he had actually been able to use a lot of it today.
This meant his grades would likely improve.
Ever since he was young, he had held the belief that good grades equaled popularity and affection.
He noticed that his elementary school homeroom teacher only showed favoritism to students with good grades.
The teacher was completely scornful of students who performed poorly.
At the same time, the class troublemakers rarely bullied the top students. In fact, they would often beg the top students to let them copy their homework.
So, in his mind, good grades were the key to earning favoritism and respect from others.
The fact that even the usual bullies would fawn over these high-achieving students further solidified this rigid belief in Lin Yu’an’s mind.
However, with his own character flaws holding him back, improving his grades was a difficult task, no matter how much he wanted it.
But now, with Chen Mo’s help, there was real hope for his grades to improve.
This meant he might become more popular and respected than ever before.
He was, of course, inwardly thrilled.
He was just too naive. Human nature was far from being as simple as he imagined.
Because he had managed to solve problems he couldn’t before, all thanks to Chen Mo’s pointers, Huang Mao insisted on treating him to lunch as a thank you.
Since he was treating, Su Yuqing and Zhao Yuanyuan were naturally roped in as well.
"Well, I guess we’ll have to figure out what to do with our noodles for dinner tonight," Chen Mo said with a smile, looking at Su Yuqing.
As he spoke, he noticed Lin Yu’an standing in a corner of the classroom, staring blankly in their direction.
"Yu’an, where are you heading for lunch? Huang Mao’s treating, want to join us?"
Seeing Chen Mo’s bright smile directed at him, Lin Yu’an felt as if a divine light was shining down into his heart.
But his subconscious insecurity made him shake his head.
To his surprise, however, Huang Mao actually came over, slung an arm around his shoulders, and said, "What’s there to be shy about? I’m already treating the other three, so what’s one more? Let’s go."
Previously, Huang Mao had been a bit prejudiced against Lin Yu’an. But after spending the last two evenings with him in the study group, he realized he might have misunderstood him.
The boy was surprisingly easy to get along with and also very attentive. He could even immediately spot any mistakes others made in their notes.
When he noticed someone had made a mistake, he would quietly point it out to them.
For instance, when Zhao Yuanyuan dropped her pen earlier, anyone would have picked it up and handed it back—that was nothing special.
But Lin Yu’an had picked it up, wiped the dust off on his own clothes, and only handed it back to Zhao Yuanyuan after making sure it was clean.
It was a purely subconscious gesture. From that small act, Huang Mao could see that behind Lin Yu’an’s expressionless facade was a very gentle and kind personality.
This made Huang Mao realize that Lin Yu’an wasn’t cold, but rather deeply sensitive, fragile, and insecure.
Someone with a personality like that just needed enough care and support, and there was a chance he could be brought out of his shell.
A gratified smile appeared on Chen Mo’s face when he saw Huang Mao proactively including Lin Yu’an.
His own acceptance of Lin Yu’an was clearly not enough.
Lin Yu’an’s situation required a supportive environment filled with care for him to gradually change.
His issues were completely different from Su Yuqing’s.
As the school belle, Su Yuqing never lacked attention. Teachers and classmates were always nice to her, if for no other reason than her looks and gentle personality.
However, the tragedy and torment from her family of origin had left her inner world in tatters, even though she was a girl who seemed to enjoy endless adoration from others.
What she needed wasn’t social acceptance, but a real home that could embrace her.
The two of them had diametrically opposite problems.