My subject turned into a beautiful girl

"What's the answer?" Xia Qing asked again.

The answer to the first question is 3√3.

With An Yi's current calculation speed, once he determines the solution, arriving at the answer is just a matter of moments.

"The second question uses proof by contradiction, and the third question... is still 3√3."

"Yes."

Xia Qing nodded, seemingly unsurprised that An Yi was able to solve the problem.

"I reckon many people can't solve this problem, so there's no need to explain it to everyone individually. You go up and explain it."

"Up...where?" An Yi was taken aback.

"Of course, it's the podium! Where else can we go?" Xia Qing asked matter-of-factly.

"I?"

An Yi's eyes widened as she pointed at herself.

Yes, you.

"Why don't you go instead, big brother? I'll pass..." An Yi subconsciously refused.

Xia Qing found his reaction very strange: "You don't know the solution?"

"I know."

"If you know the correct answer and the solution process, why can't you go?" Xia Qing asked疑惑地.

An Yi opened his mouth as if to speak, but then stopped, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation for a moment.

He certainly wanted to be in the limelight and had fantasized about it many times in various forms... but if you add "active" before that word, he doesn't know why, but he just felt a little uneasy.

This is not cowardice. As Xia Qing said, he already had the complete solution and the correct answer in his mind, and no matter the outcome, he would not embarrass himself by making a mistake.

Even so, he still felt uneasy and hesitated.

The seemingly perfect prerequisites are actually incomplete, lacking a crucial element.

But what exactly is that thing?

Just then, a screen of light appeared—

[You had a pleasant conversation with math during evening self-study.]

[Mathematics remembers that it's been a long time since she's had such a long and happy conversation with you. Your topics ranged from the most distant places to the most distant places, from the future to the past... and finally, you arrived at the question that Mathematics had long wanted to ask you, but had never had the chance.]

So, why did you gradually start distancing yourself from her starting in the fourth year you've known each other?

The fourth year we met, that was... fourth grade of elementary school?

An Yi knew why, of course. That year, he came to Jingjiang City to study. After the first math exam, when the report card was posted, he habitually looked from the beginning, but only found his score in the middle.

For him at that time, this was a devastating failure, like a bolt from the blue. So he worked hard for a while and returned to the top three... Then his math teacher enrolled him in an Olympiad math tutoring class he had never heard of before.

There, An Yi experienced a truly devastating failure; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't achieve a good result. Ultimately, his journey in the International Mathematical Olympiad ended in a dismal failure, winning only a bronze medal in a competition titled "International Mathematical Olympiad - Guangxi Regional Selection Finals".

Afterwards, having learned just how prestigious the International Mathematical Olympiad was, he actually comforted himself for a while, trying to convince himself that he did have a tiny bit of talent...

Later, An Yi discovered that the International Mathematical Olympiad was not held in primary schools at all. He had participated in a competition organized by a local education research department, which simply used the name of the International Mathematical Olympiad.

At that time, the craze for math olympiads was sweeping the country, and various related competitions sprang up like mushrooms after rain, leading to some chaotic situations, so it was not surprising that such things happened.

Since then, An Yi's math grades have hovered in the middle. He doesn't exactly hate learning math, but he's lost his previous confidence and enjoyment, and gradually finds it increasingly difficult... This situation has continued until now.

[Mathematics makes sense now. It turns out it was because of those little things that you stopped trusting her, no wonder you stopped acting close to her.]

"Um?"

An Yi was so frightened that she snapped out of her reverie.

How was this conclusion, which seems to be heading towards a bad ending, reached?!

Mathematics is always pragmatic; she felt that since you no longer trusted her, there was no need for her to...

Buhou, my favorability rating is amazing!!!

There was no time to wait for the content on the screen to continue unfolding. An Yi knew that right now, immediately, she had to do something to stop the hard-earned favorability points from plummeting!

Trust...trust in mathematics?

How can this kind of thing be expressed?

Have some confidence in yourself.

At this moment, Xia Qing's voice came. She pointed to the function graph that An Yi had drawn earlier and showed an encouraging smile from an older brother to his younger brother.

"Being able to complete this in such a short time means your high school level knowledge of functions is no longer a problem. Otherwise, why would I ask if you know how to do it? Just go ahead and ask. It doesn't matter if you're unfamiliar with the process or afraid of making mistakes; I'll provide support and backup!"

Have some confidence in yourself?

These words were like a wake-up call, and An Yi finally understood what she was missing.

It's self-confidence.

Long ago, he was confident. Back then, he dared to look the teacher in the eye when they asked questions because he could answer them even if his name was called on. He never worried about how to talk to his parents at parent-teacher conferences because his grades were so good that he wouldn't be scolded and would even be rewarded... But as time went by and his grades dropped, those things became increasingly difficult to happen.

As a result, his self-confidence gradually left him.

His departure went almost unnoticed until now, when he was suddenly struck by a chilling realization.

At the same time, An Yi finally figured out how to restore trust in mathematics, or more accurately, "make mathematics feel that she trusts him".

Ultimately, it all comes down to confidence—confidence that you can learn math well!

Confidence isn't something you can just talk about; it requires accompanying action... The main thing is that if you don't take action, the math department won't be able to see it. You have to take corresponding learning actions to make an impact on the world described by the light screen!

Whether it was for the sake of goodwill or for that long-lost confidence... he had no reason to refuse anymore.

"good!"

An Yi suddenly stood up, the wooden chair beneath him sliding on the floor, the sharp, grating sound breaking the silence of the classroom and drawing everyone's attention, including the teacher sitting on the podium.

Those gazes felt so real, they made his scalp tingle and his legs stiffen, almost making him want to sit down again.

"that……"

Xia Qing spoke up at the opportune moment, fulfilling her promise to play support. As the acknowledged leader, her voice immediately shifted all the pressure and attention focused on An Yi.

"Excuse me, everyone, I need to explain a problem. An Yi will be explaining the detailed steps for problem 19 on tonight's math test..."

She didn't even bother to get up when she said this, remaining seated lazily. After speaking, she paused, as if observing everyone's reactions, or perhaps waiting for them to process the information in her words.

A moment later, she glanced at An Yi, who was still frozen in place, and tilted her head slightly.

"Shall we give them a round of applause?"

The girl's clear and powerful voice broke the silence in the classroom. An Yi's good friend Wang Xinze was the first to react and clapped loudly. Although he didn't understand what was going on, he had to support his friend at least... Once there was a first, there was a second, one after another, until it was thunderous.

All eyes turned to An Yi again. Perhaps the applause dispelled the pressure, or perhaps the stage and steps were so perfectly set up that it would be a disservice to his elder brother not to step onto them. He chose to brave the gazes and walk towards the podium.

The teachers who were on duty at the lectern had already moved aside and come down to the bottom of the podium.

The teacher naturally wouldn't interrupt such a positive learning session. However, the "doubt" in his eyes when he looked at An Yi was noticeably more than normal.

An Yi was completely unaware of this. The applause gradually subsided, and the classroom was now completely quiet. Everyone could clearly hear every stroke of the whiteboard marker in his hand as the blue ink gradually took shape on the whiteboard.

Even if he had noticed it, he still wouldn't have been able to understand it.

The teacher who was on duty and whom An Yi didn't recognize was the biology teacher for another class. When An Yi was being "threatened" by the crab boss in the office that evening, the teacher on duty was right there watching the drama unfold. An Yi didn't dare to look anywhere else from beginning to end, so naturally he didn't know about this.

But for the teachers who are on duty, this is quite interesting... It's not that he has any prejudice, it's just that the facts are there - how can an ordinary student whose grades hover around the first-tier university admission line and whose grade ranking is 312, which is only in the middle and lower range, be qualified to go up on stage to explain the problem?

It's still a math problem; you can't rely on luck with this kind of thing!

An Yi wrote down the title and turned around.

The view from the podium was indeed excellent; everyone's expressions and movements were clearly visible. The previous segment had successfully captured and focused everyone's attention... their gazes were intense.

What are they thinking right now?

The thought was quickly dismissed by An Yi. He knew he didn't have much time to indulge in wild thoughts, because his favorability towards mathematics was in jeopardy!

"Um... everyone... everyone, let's look at the first question. The first question... asks us to find the maximum value on the interval... to find the maximum value, we need to analyze the monotonicity, and to analyze the monotonicity, we need to find the derivative of the function."

After differentiation, we use the sum-to-product formula to perform trigonometric constant transformations, making it possible to determine monotonicity...

At first, An Yi's throat was dry due to instinctive nervousness, and he frequently stumbled over his words, his speech unconsciously becoming faster. The students below the stage offered no feedback, and the pressure of the silence made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

However, he quickly found a solution: look to his older brother. His brother was nodding slightly, seemingly quite approving of his approach.

That makes things much easier.

His speaking speed gradually returned to normal and he no longer stumbled. As time went on, he no longer needed to look at his older brother, because the students in the audience finally began to give feedback.

Some responded with an "Oh!" after a sudden realization, while others nodded silently and wrote on the paper... Each reaction was simple and brief, but it brought An Yi a subtle and lasting response, like long-awaited sweet dew continuously being delivered to the roots of trees that were about to die of drought, so that decay disappeared and vitality reappeared.

An Yi was speaking when the bell rang to signal the end of the second evening self-study session. He instinctively stopped, but no one in the class stood up.

Realizing something, he licked his slightly dry lips. "Shall I... continue?"

"What else? You're trying to run away halfway through your show-off act?" Wang Xinze slammed his fist on the table in feigned indignation, which triggered a burst of laughter.

An Yi couldn't help but laugh. This time he finally relaxed completely and continued.

An Yi didn't know how much time he spent explaining the problem. He only knew that after the bell rang for the third evening self-study session, quite a while later, he wrote the answer to the third question on the whiteboard while explaining.

"...Therefore, the minimum value of b is 3√3."

This time, there was no need for the eldest brother to speak or for his good brothers to lead the way; the applause from the audience was almost entirely spontaneous.

Of course, such enthusiastic applause wasn't out of admiration or special respect—it was just a difficult problem, not that serious. It was mainly because everyone wanted to join in the fun, to get a moment's relaxation from the tedious studying, and also to express their gratitude to the person explaining the problem.

For An Yi, the applause had a different meaning.

He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sudden lightness in his body, even a slight sense of lightness as he walked. Back in his seat, he realized his hands and feet were numb, as if he had just returned victorious from a great battle.

"How are you feeling?" Xia Qing asked with a smile.

"Cool."

An Yi felt his answer was still insufficient, so he added another sentence.

"This is so awesome!"

"As long as it's enjoyable."

Xia Qing's eyes were still curved in a smile. "Then from now on, the job of explaining math problems on stage will be yours. Is that alright?"

"Huh?" An Yi was a little confused.

"Do you understand the principle that with great power comes great responsibility?" Xia Qing patiently guided her.

"But I..."

An Yi wanted to decline, because from a factual point of view, he had only grasped the function part. This was only a large part of high school mathematics knowledge, far from being the whole picture, and certainly not enough to support the "explanation of all math problems"!

But before he could utter a word of refusal, he remembered what had happened earlier and brought up the light screen to check—

Your explanation is very convincing, and given your previous behavior which clearly showed remorse and a desire to make amends, I think we can trust you one more time.

But this time, mathematics feels it needs to change; at the very least, you must have equal and absolute trust in her.

So, are you willing?

【whether】

This isn't a multiple-choice question at all! An Yi chose "Yes".

Math is pleased with your answer and hopes to see you demonstrate your trust through your actions.

[Mathematics' favorability towards you +20]

Math wants to pinky swear with you for a hundred years, and it can't change.

【whether】

An Yi continued to select "Yes".

In an instant, a very peculiar feeling came from his right hand fingers, as if he had really touched something, warm and soft like warm jade.

Are you sure you're absolutely certain you'll pinky swear with math for a hundred years and never change your mind?

You've touched upon mathematics.

Your [Mathematical Thinking Ability] +1! Duration: Permanent

The content on the screen was like a nuclear bomb detonating, almost blasting An Yi's mind into a blank.

"But you..."

Xia Qing raised an eyebrow slightly. "What happens next?"

"That's all, brother."

An Yi murmured as he came to his senses.

"I misspoke... I actually said 'I can,' I can do it!"

What can't this do? This is mathematical thinking ability, and it's permanent! Even if it's just 1... there will be many more to come!

An Yi stared blankly at his right hand, where a slight warmth still lingered.

Did I really encounter math just now?

This is just a touch; if it continues, as the affection level keeps increasing...

His thoughts gradually began to wander.

Xia Qing didn't notice An Yi's distraction because she was also thinking about something.

An Yi's quick and confident agreement further confirmed her suspicion that "An Yi is a fallen genius," and now it seems... her actions have somehow reactivated him?

Good thing!

Being the eldest brother is tiring. Having a reliable and capable younger brother to share the burden is the best thing ever!

This way, her older brother would have more free time to pursue his sister-in-law... Xia Qing felt that her plan was absolutely flawless.

Let's leave aside for now the fact that An Yi and Xia Qing were each lost in their own thoughts.

On the podium, the teachers who had just finished eating melon seeds were getting restless.

He was a typical man of action, and immediately took out his phone to send a message to the crab owner.

"Hey, Lao Jie, that student in your class named An Yi, the one you called into your office this afternoon, turns out to be a genius who excels in only one subject but not the other?"

A moment later, the crab owner replied: "?"

Crab Boss: "You mean An Yi? He's a bit unbalanced in his subjects; he only got 127 in English this time... What happened?"

The teacher on duty was taken aback: "English? Isn't it math?"

Crab Boss: "Mathematics? His math is just barely passing; he only got 91 points this time."

The teacher on duty: "???"

The teacher on duty said, "He just came up and explained a math problem to the whole class that even students who usually get 130 or 140 might not be able to solve completely, and he didn't even look at the answer! I got 150 on my college entrance exam in math, and later switched to a math major, so I'm sure I'm not mistaken. This student's problem-solving approach and methods are definitely not bad in math!"

Crab owner: "???"