They're already in university, and the primary school system is only just starting out?

Saturday, May 21st, 9:49 AM.

In room 406, the curtains were drawn tightly, but they still couldn't block the summer sunlight that wanted to get in, leaving a dazzling golden edge on the curtains.

Chen Lin slowly woke up in a peaceful atmosphere.

He rubbed his eyes, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and the screen lit up, displaying the time.

Great, sleeping until I naturally wake up, this is what a weekend should be like.

He sat up in bed and looked around.

The dormitory was empty. The dormitory head, Wang Tao, was a local and usually got up early on Saturday mornings to go home.

Chen Lin had no idea what Fatty Zhao and Monkey Li were up to.

Chen Lin stretched, his bones cracking and popping, and he felt refreshed.

As he recalled the past week, a slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Very satisfied.

Since his spare time was no longer filled with those scattered part-time jobs, his life has become more relaxed and rhythmic than ever before.

He maintained his disciplined routine on Thursday and Friday.

When there's a class, go to the back of the classroom and find a corner to sit in. If you find something interesting, listen carefully. If you really can't concentrate, go on BLBL (a Chinese learning platform) to find videos with similar knowledge and save them. Then browse Tieba (a Chinese online forum), Weibo (a Chinese online forum), and Enki Love Forum (another Chinese online forum).

When I don't have classes, I unfailingly spend my time in the library's single study room, continuing to study "Python Mathematical Programming".

He had already finished reading Chapter 4 before dinner last night.

Although the math problems used as exercises for readers were no different to him than seeing one plus one equals two, the methods implemented with code still made him feel that he had learned a lot.

These past two days, Chen Lin has been checking the online chat less frequently. Since completing his second transaction, he has never encountered a customer as generous as "Black Whirlwind is not McFlurry".

This is understandable, though. It is indeed a bit extravagant to spend nearly 900 yuan to have a math exam paper rewritten, but it is a bit excessive for those who ask about prices on Xianyu to keep asking Chen Lin for a 90% discount.

It's like paying 100 yuan per problem or 888 yuan per hour for rule-based, difficulty-insensitive mathematical problem-solving skills. And yet, some people still complain about the price?

Friday nights, without fail, are the fixed time for the four roommates plus Zhao, a high school classmate, to have a five-on-five free-for-all.

The brothers joked and blamed each other, and in a cheerful atmosphere, they lost five games in a row before logging off.

Zhao Pangzi, who had just climbed into bed, was still teasing Chen Lin about his Akali in the last game, saying that he forgot to switch to Snowball, which led to Fatal Tempo and made his brothers cry.

As a result, before his complaints had even subsided for two minutes, his signature snoring began.

Chen Lin put on his headphones and watched the last three episodes of "The Long Season".

When the familiar melody of the ending theme song "Looking Back" began to play, the dormitory had fallen completely silent, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner remaining.

He lay in bed, the scenes from the drama and the line "Look ahead, don't look back" echoing repeatedly in his mind. He couldn't calm down for a long time, and finally fell into a deep sleep with a lingering sense of loss.

Looking back now, Chen Lin still finds it incredibly enjoyable.

"Choosing this show as the theme for my major assignment was definitely the right choice."

Chen Lin sighed inwardly.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I don't have any plans, so I can go to the library, find a quiet corner, rewatch the TV series, and start writing that 2,000-word analysis of the work.

As for now...

Chen Lin glanced at the bright sunlight shining through the gap in the curtains, then decisively lay back down, turned the air conditioner down by one degree, snuggled comfortably in the blankets, and started scrolling through his phone.

Weekends should be this enjoyable.

Chen Lin recalled the gentleman's agreement he made with Yao Yao last Saturday when he was tutoring her—to find an opportunity to trick her mother and take her out for a good time.

Moreover, it's a bit heartbreaking to say that he's been at Yannan University for almost two years, and apart from the school and the few commercial streets around it, he's only been to a handful of places in the entire city of Tianjin.

Before, I was either delivering food or handing out flyers on the street; I simply didn't have the leisure to be a tourist.

"Perfect timing, I'll take this opportunity to follow the little girl and explore the city properly."

Thinking of this, Chen Lin immediately perked up.

He sat up in bed and began searching earnestly, intending to devise a simple itinerary for the afternoon.

……

At 1:07 PM, Chen Lin, holding his plate, shoveled the last bite of cumin-flavored lamb with rice into his mouth and let out a satisfied burp.

After finishing his meal, he didn't waste any time and hailed a taxi at the school gate, heading straight for Yao Yao's residential area.

According to his agreement with Sister Liu, the tutoring time was actually quite flexible. He could usually arrive between 1:30 and 2:00 pm and then teach for two and a half to three hours.

But today is a special case. Since I promised to take the little girl out for some fresh air, I should act quickly and try to visit as many places as possible.

Moreover, he had already confirmed with Brother Wang of the Backstreet Bar via WeChat last night that he would be there on time to sing tonight, and he couldn't stand him up again.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of an old residential area.

With a backpack on his back, Chen Lin walked into the building with practiced ease and knocked on the door with a "福" (good fortune) character pasted on it.

It was Sister Liu who opened the door as usual. She was wearing casual clothes. When she saw Chen Lin, she smiled warmly and handed him slippers while casually asking, "Teacher Chen, why are you here so early today?"

coming!

Chen Lin thought to himself, but his face remained calm as he gave a gentle, scholarly smile and said sincerely, "It's like this, Sister Liu. I was thinking that since the weather is nice today, I'm planning to take Yao Yao to the library at Yannan University to read for a while, so she can experience the learning atmosphere there in advance."

He had already prepared a set of explanations to deal with any suspicions that Sister Liu might have.

Unexpectedly, the other person's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this, and their face showed an uncontainable joy.

"Oh! That's wonderful!" Sister Liu clapped her hands and said happily, "I've been wanting Yao Yao to visit places like your school more often! Yannan University, that's a top-ranked university in the country! If my Yao Yao can get into it in the future, I'll be laughing in my sleep!"

Just then, a crack quietly appeared in the door to Yao Yao's room.

A small head with pigtails peeked out from behind the door. After confirming that Chen Lin's plan had succeeded, the little girl winked at him and gave him a sly and happy smile.

"Don't think of this as a trip to have fun. When you get to university, you need to study hard with the older students there, you know? They're all top students."

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Sister Liu turned around and gave Yao Yao a lecture.

Yao Yao's expression changed instantly; she pouted and shrank back into her room.

Five minutes later, Yao Yao, carrying her beloved pink backpack, happily went out with Chen Lin.

"Brother Chen Lin, where are you planning to take me today?" Yao Yao asked Chen Lin impatiently as soon as they entered the residential area.