You've only been playing for half a year, and you've already reached the finals?

Chapter 287 I Like It Too
Seeing the Northern Lights in Reykjavik is actually not difficult.

All you need to do is find a good time, leave the city's neon-lit district, and look up at the sky.

Of course, there are some nuances to it, since the aurora season lasts for several months, but most aurora displays are quite faint and almost invisible to the naked eye. Only on rare occasions will the aurora burst forth on a large scale, becoming the magnificent sight seen in videos.

But Song Xuan must have done her homework; she even downloaded a mobile app that could predict the intensity of the aurora borealis over the next month.

Coincidentally, tonight is the time when the aurora will be in full bloom.

"But..." Ming Jing, wearing a mask, looked at the pitch-black sky and scratched his head, "Is it really going to break out?"

Song Xuan was also looking at the sky. Even with her excellent eyesight, she could hardly see a single green leaf in the night sky. "This is just a prediction, like a weather forecast. It's normal for it to be inaccurate."

"It's alright, a walk outside is fine too." Ming Jing smiled and said, "Aren't you cold? If you are, we'll go back inside."

Once they were no longer sheltered by the city buildings, the November winds in Iceland grew even stronger. Ming Jing was fine, but he noticed that Song Xuan was wearing a hat and a scarf, so he seemed to be very afraid of the cold.

"It's not cold, let's go." Of course, Song Xuan wouldn't just go back like this; she had to see the aurora tonight no matter what.

Reykjavik is a world-renowned tourist city, and tonight the wilderness was crowded with people coming out to see the aurora. Although the two were out of the city, the density of people around them was actually greater than in the city.

Interestingly, many people were still holding match-related support items, clearly indicating they had just finished watching the game.

The surrounding audience obviously had no idea that the FMVP they had been cheering for was now wearing a mask and a baseball cap, hidden in the crowd.

Therefore, the two were not worried about safety and simply followed the main group.

It probably really has something to do with city lights. As the group moved forward, the city lights became increasingly distant, so many people turned on their flashlights for illumination.

But at the same time, a few green hues finally appeared in the sky.

"Hey, isn't that it?" Ming Jing pointed to the brightest star in the night sky. Next to the star, you could see a faint green light.

"It seems so!" Song Xuan immediately raised his phone and took a picture.

Mobile phones have longer exposure times, and even if their quality is not as good as professional cameras, they can record more than the human eye.

A photograph can indeed be seen showing a faint green band of light floating in the sky.

It's just not enough.

The two continued walking, chatting back and forth, just like when they used to do practice problems together online, they always had a lot to talk about.

"I'm going back to China soon and I have to take the CMO exam again. Are you confident?" Song Xuan asked, turning his head.

"It should be fine," Ming Jing thought for a moment and said, "The first sixty should be quite easy."

Since the knockout stage began, the competition in the world championships has reached a fever pitch, and Mingjing has suspended his practice of math problems. In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.

Regardless, Mingjing's goal has always been to be among the top six in the country and represent the country in the IMO, and he did indeed have the ability to reach the top six before the World Championships.

Even if they have recently declined, it shouldn't have fallen from the top six to outside the top sixty.

If Ming Jing can make it into the top 60, he will be able to advance to the national training team and quickly catch up in the training team.

Mathematics is largely a matter of talent; even if you've forgotten some, you can pick it up again quickly.

"That's good." Song Xuan's tone was filled with anticipation. "I hope we can both go to the IMO this time."

Ming Jing smiled and said, "I hope so too."

Song Xuan glanced at Ming Jing and asked again, "Do you prefer math competitions or League of Legends matches?"

Ming Jing thought for a moment and said, "Right now, I'm more looking forward to participating in the math competition."

After winning two S-series championships, Ming Jing's enthusiasm for League of Legends esports has actually diminished.

He enjoys challenges, but for him now, the challenges of League of Legends tournaments are far less significant than those of math competitions.

Simply put, it means you won the mahjong game.

Only at times like these can Mingjing truly appreciate Faker's power.

Having already won three championships and accumulated numerous honors, even teammates who joined midway through the season would lose their desire for victory because of having won too many championships. But Faker has persisted in pursuing victory day after day for ten years, which is no easy feat.

Regardless of honors or skill, this dedication alone is worthy of respect, which is why Mingjing has always believed that Faker truly deserves the title of GOAT.

After all, this title is not just an honor; its very existence represents a spirit that inspires more players to persevere and strive for improvement. Mingjing may not be inferior to Faker in terms of honors, but in terms of spirit and representation, he may not be quite there yet.

Of course, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Even though League of Legends has become much less challenging for Mingjing, he will still try to win every championship he can.

When he wins his third title, the GOAT title will still be his.

However, before that, he wanted to take on another challenge.

"Anyway," Mingjing said with a smile, "I certainly can't let you down."

For Mingjing, in addition to the challenge, there is another crucial aspect to the math competition.

Song Xuan has put in a lot of effort to improve his math grades this year.

Song Xuan is a very good teacher. Ming Jing was able to quickly improve to a level where he could compete for a top-six position. In addition to his own talent, Song Xuan's help was the more crucial factor.

Even if it's just for Song Xuan's sake, Ming Jing can't fail the exam; he must achieve his goal.

The girl blushed slightly upon hearing this, but thankfully it wasn't too noticeable under the cover of darkness. She still replied, "No, no, it's not that serious. Helping you is like me studying for the exam too."

This is something teachers often say in class.

“Of course,” Mingjing replied, “because it’s very important to me.”

Hearing this, the girl was overjoyed and unconsciously started walking on tiptoe. With the sudden increase in her body movement, the medal hanging around her neck bounced slightly inside her down jacket, making Song Xuan feel the weight of the medal.

In fact, Song Xuan's tutoring of Ming Jing in mathematics was important not only to Ming Jing but also to Song Xuan.

This was one of the few opportunities that Song Xuan could openly and honestly talk with Ming Jing.

Song Xuan had always admired Ming Jing's talent, not only for his outstanding mathematical talent, but also for his unparalleled gaming talent throughout history.

This allowed Mingjing to follow the guidance of his talent, freely choosing the path he wanted to take, and every path led to Rome.

In the gaming world, Song Xuan is just a fan, just a spectator.

Only in the field of mathematics can Song Xuan be considered a teacher and a fellow traveler.

For Song Xuan, Ming Jing's sincere remarks today were more important than anything else.

But at this moment, the girl was unusually speechless, unsure how to respond to Mingjing's gratitude.

The two fell silent for a moment, their breathing mingling with each other, their exhaled air condensing into white mist in the zero-degree air before quickly dissipating.

Song Xuan walked through the white mist and looked up at the sky.

Perhaps because the sun was not too far from the horizon, the night sky in Iceland was a deep, dark blue velvet curtain, not the pitch black one might imagine.

Under such intense light, apart from Polaris, not many stars can actually be seen.

Suddenly, a green light spread across the sky, clearly visible even to the naked eye.

The girl suddenly widened her eyes and nudged the boy next to her with her elbow, "Look!"

Before the words were finished, the green light suddenly stretched out, transforming into a flowing ribbon that instantly covered the entire night sky.

When Mingjing looked up, he saw emerald-colored silk surging in the night sky, sometimes like a waterfall cascading down, sometimes like a goddess waving her sleeves, the ethereal green gauze dancing gracefully in the sky.

Shouts rose and fell all around, all the flashlights were switched off at the same time, and countless people raised their filming equipment to record the ceaselessly flowing river in the sky.

Suddenly, Mingjing felt cool fingers gently touch his palm, as if they had found a place to go, and quickly slipped into his palm, the fingers interlocking between his fingers.

Ming Jing didn't speak, but he also tightened his grip on his fingers.

"Song Xuan".

"Um"

"I like you."

"I would also like."

(End of this chapter)