"Is Xiyun with you?"
Gu Sheng pondered for a moment and then hesitated before saying, "This time, yes."
"Yesterday, when Zhongshen was making dumplings, he came over for a while and left soon after."
Gu Sheng explained voluntarily, "When I mentioned accompanying before, it means they've been together in close proximity."
"For instance, during the last time Zhongshen experienced stress," he said, "it was my younger brother who stayed with him the whole night."
Gu Zheng: "..."
The three words "the whole night" caused a momentary silence in the conversation.
It was so quiet that Gu Sheng even began to wonder if the signal had been lost.
However, soon enough, a deep voice from the other end of the phone broke the silence.
"Let Xiao Yun answer the call."
Gu Sheng raised his voice and called out, and Bo Xiyun quickly came over from the side.
The child had just been talking to Yi Zhongshen, his voice still carrying traces of the lingering laughter.
"What's... Oh, Brother?"
Bo Xiyun greeted the call with a smile, "Brother, happy new year! You've been working hard."
Gu Zheng could clearly sense the genuine joy in the child's voice.
After a moment of silence, he decided not to say much and responded lightly, "Happy Chinese New Year."
They exchanged a few simple sentences. Bo Xiyun truly felt that his older brother had to work hard during the busy Chinese New Year, unlike high school seniors like himself who had time off.
For Gu Zheng(Eldest young master Gu), even though he was often nagged and cared for by his family, this was the first time he had been genuinely sympathized with by a child.
After all, with Gu Zheng's temperament, it was already quite an achievement if those younger ones didn't shy away from him in fear.
Thinking about it, Gu Zheng recalled the soft touch of the strands of hair in his palm when he left the high-speed rail station in City B a few days ago.
Listening to his younger brother's voice made him really want to ruffle his hair.
Finally, Gu Zheng offered some advice, "If you want to do something, go ahead and do it boldly."
"If you encounter difficulties, remember that you have an older brother."
The call had been on speakerphone all along, and Gu Sheng, who was beside them, had heard everything.
Upon hearing his older brother's words, Gu Sheng suddenly remembered something from a long time ago.
Back then, when Gu Sheng was very young, he went to the park to play and encountered a very cute little dog. He was tempted for a moment but managed to resist.
However, while playing with the dog, he accidentally got scratched by the dog's paw, leaving a small bloodstain on his leg.
Young Gu Sheng had secretly wiped away the bloodstains, but his skin had been clearly scratched. He didn't dare to tell his family because he had always loved animals from a young age. He couldn't even walk past the chicks being sold at the school gate without stopping. As a result, his parents had educated him early on not to casually play with animals outside as it was dangerous.
Gu Sheng also secretly searched online for cases of being scratched by wild dogs. He ended up finding numerous instances of rabies outbreaks, which made him more and more fearful the more he read.
He even began to fear that he might die soon, and he held it in for a long time before eventually breaking down, crying in sadness.
Choking back tears, he wrote a crooked farewell letter and entrusted his secretly saved pocket money and snacks to his parents.
He couldn't write "potato chips" correctly and just spelled it out in pinyin.
At that time, Gu Sheng's parents were both very busy – his dad was in the military, and his mom often worked overtime. It was Gu Zheng who came home from school and noticed something was off with Gu Sheng. After learning the reason, he took him to the hospital and had him vaccinated.
The rabies vaccine injection can be quite painful, and although Gu Sheng was uncomfortable, he didn't dare cry. He trembled in fear, afraid of being scolded by his big brother.
But then his big brother said something to him.
"What are you afraid of? Remember, you have a big brother."
Gu Sheng burst into tears on the spot, crying without any semblance of composure, even causing the nurse giving the shot to stifle a laugh.
Looking back later, he found this scene to be quite embarrassing, but in that moment, young Gu Sheng truly felt like he wasn't afraid of anything, as if the sky could fall without a worry.
After Gu Zheng finished talking with Bo Xiyun, Gu Sheng called out to Bo Xiyun.
"Little treasure!" (Xiao Baobei)
"Big brother is right."
Even though these two older brothers had completely different personalities, they both told Bo Xiyun the same thing—
"No matter what happens, you have your brother with you."
Bo Xiyun was momentarily taken aback, then broke into a smile.
"Yeah."
His tone was light and cheerful.
"Thanks, big brother."
*
This new year, the Gu family spent it in happiness.
And until the bustling days of the Spring Festival had passed, the Gu family kept Bo Xiyun, who had just returned home, busy with various tasks.
The Gu family not only had him meet many visitors due to family reasons but also swiftly helped him sort out his own matters.
The Gu family members were all quite busy. Grandma Gu had returned to the hospital on the third day of the new year, and Grandpa Gu moved to the recovery building to accompany her. Gu Jingfeng and his wife had already returned on the second day, as there were a lot of affairs waiting for them in the province.
Bo Xiyun's uncle, Gu Jianping, was busy at the military camp during the day and rarely came home at night. Aunt Song had her own job and occasionally needed to attend video conferences during those days.
However busy the family members were, anything related to Bo Xiyun was promptly taken care of without any delay.
After the public security system resumed work following the holiday, Bo Xiyun's household registration was immediately transferred back to the Gu family in City B.
And his enrollment information was a bit delayed, but everything was resolved smoothly. There was no need for Bo Xiyun to go through the process again.
Compared to the last time he changed his surname and went back and forth, dealing with those tedious procedures, this time Bo Xiyun just signed a few words online, and everything was settled.
Soon after, he successfully received the confirmation letter for his admission to University T.
Although Bo Xiyun's student status is in City Q, after discussing with his family, they decided to temporarily send him back to No.1 Middle School in City Q for classes.
It's not that the Gu family is afraid that there will be any further complications when the child returns to City Q—after all, nowadays, no one dares to cause trouble for the Gu family.
It was a decision made by the family after consideration, thinking that there's no longer a need for Bo Xiyun to go back for multiple rounds of review in his senior year."
Not long after, there will be selections for the National Physics Olympiad team. The Gu family left their child in City B and specifically hired a competition teacher to provide supplementary lessons for him.
The teacher they managed to hire is undoubtedly the best in City B.
The teacher's surname is Li, and he teaches at R High School. He is the head of the physics division within the school.
He's not very old, in his early forties, perhaps due to his 'easygoing' nature, coupled with his consistently active thinking, Mr. Li gives off an overall light impression.
The approach to these supplementary lessons is quite different from all the previous courses Bo Xiyun has taken. Mr. Li handed him several books to work on, and he spends the entire day on them. Along with the assignments Bo Xiyun has already completed at night, the total number exceeds fifty.
All of these are competition problems.
It wasn't until the second day that the teacher formally began the explanation.
And this explanation was of an extremely high intensity.
For Bo Xiyun, it was the first time he felt challenged by physics.
Previously, even if he tackled advanced preview or beyond-syllabus problems, he breezed through them all.
Rather than calling them "challenging problems," it's more accurate to say they were "novelty" that sparked his strong interest.
But this time, Bo Xiyun experienced a torrent of overwhelming information that hit him head-on, almost to the point of overload.
In two days, Teacher Li finished explaining all the problems Bo Xiyun had worked on. During the discussions, he would present all the possible solutions for each problem, not only requiring Bo Xiyun to memorize them all, but also to identify the drawbacks and benefits of each approach.
Among the fifty-plus questions, there were no repeated question types.
These two days of supplementary lessons made Bo Xiyun feel like he was a porcelain jar, and knowledge was like water being poured continuously into the jar, bucket after bucket.
The benefits of this intensive immersion were evident.
In less than ten days, Bo Xiyun had already developed a habit.
For any type of problem discussed, no matter how complex and convoluted it may be, Bo Xiyun could always spot the simplest solution method at a glance. And while writing out this solution, he could quickly mentally calculate the entire process, even for all the other possible approaches.
— It was as if he had transformed competition problems into ordinary practice exercises.
Moreover, for the problem types he had encountered, Bo Xiyun gradually began to find more than one solution method.
His approach was rapidly broadened by the high-intensity practice.
Just like a clear spring that, after being constantly washed by flowing water, eventually breaks through its confines, forming a cascading waterfall that stretches a thousand miles, with sparkling drops splashing like pearls and jade.
Even Teacher Li couldn't help but exclaim, "Your adaptability speed is quite impressive."
Bo Xiyun didn't realize the weight behind those words spoken by Teacher Li.
Because he was unaware that, in school, Teacher Li's most well-known image was him leisurely watching students scratch their heads in distress.
But what caught Bo Xiyun's attention the most was Teacher Li's next sentence.
"As expected, you are quite similar to your mother."
Bo Xiyun paused, "My... mother?"
"Yes," Teacher Li smiled, "Your mother and I were high school classmates. Back then, we used to discuss problems together."
Mentioning Gu Qingyun, Teacher Li seemed to be somewhat nostalgic.
This young prodigy in physics wasn't most impressive during her childhood due to her problem-solving abilities, but rather her astonishing rate of progress.
Teacher Li: "During high school, she was quite famous, almost like a legendary figure."
When Gu Qingyun was in the first year of junior high, she once attended an advanced physics class for high school students. She joined on a whim, without any preparation. On the very first day, during the very first class, she could naturally keep up with the teacher's pace.
The other high school students in the same class looked at this younger sister and assumed she was just there for fun.
Because the young girl was remarkably attractive, quite a few people playfully teased her.
"Do you want big brother to teach you?"
As a result, on the third day during an in-class quiz, this young sister in the eyes of many had already secured a spot within the top three among nearly a hundred students.
By the time the formal assessment arrived on the seventh day, Gu Qingyun had already left everyone far behind—completing an extensive test that over half the class couldn't finish. Gu Qingyun submitted her paper half an hour early, scoring thirty points more than the second-place student.
To the extent that Gu Qingyun's name became a shadow the high-achieving students of that cohort hesitated to mention.
Bo Xiyun sighed after listening, "That's really impressive."
Teacher Li glanced at him, not saying much.
He had encountered many prodigious students, and he wasn't one to easily praise.
But precisely because he had seen so many, Teacher Li could determine from his brief interaction with Bo Xiyun—
Compared to his mother, Bo Xiyun wouldn't have much difference.
However, what struck Teacher Li as peculiar was another matter.
He told Bo Xiyun, "Your problem-solving style is quite unique."
Bo Xiyun, in the midst of jotting down all the possible solutions for a new problem, looked somewhat bewildered, "Unique?"
He glanced at the draft paper in front of him, "Are you saying the solutions I come up with are not the ones most people commonly use?"
"No," Teacher Li shook his head, "It's about your overall approach."
Bo Xiyun always approaches problem-solving with thoroughness and meticulousness. He never needs to double-check the problems he has solved, and he never overlooks the deepest hidden information.
But if it were just that, it wouldn't have prompted Teacher Li to say "unique."
Having taught so many students, he had seen various styles.
But Bo Xiyun was different.
Beyond his meticulousness, Bo Xiyun possessed a remarkable boldness.
At times, his approaches would take an unexpected turn, leading to completely surprising outcomes that left people in awe, even causing them to applaud in astonishment.
It was the stark contrast between thoroughness and boldness, both of these styles evident in Bo Xiyun.
No wonder it made Teacher Li say "unique."
"This bold style, it feels somewhat familiar," Teacher Li rubbed his chin, "It's like... back when I was mentoring a student, his problem-solving approach was somewhat similar to yours."
Teacher Li pondered for a moment, then pointed towards the door, "Oh yes, it seems like he was in the next room during the supplementary lessons back then."
Bo Xiyun quickly caught on, "Was that student surnamed Yi?"
Teacher Li's memory was quite good, and he nodded, "Yes, Yi Zhongshen."
Yi Zhongshen had taken a few days of lessons from Teacher Li, but it wasn't for long-term tutoring. He was attending a short-term intensive program to enhance his physics skills, as he had further plans in that subject.
Ironically, he excelled more in mathematics.
In the end, Yi Zhongshen participated in a competition, opting for the mathematics category.
But disciplines don't divide themselves easily. This student left a profound impression on Teacher Li.
Bo Xiyun mentioned, "That's my senior. He guided me for a period when I was working on problems before."
Teacher Li raised an eyebrow, "Oh, that's impressive."
Bo Xiyun nodded along, "Yes, my senior is really impressive."
Teacher Li interjected, "I wasn't talking about his problem-solving skills."
He looked at Bo Xiyun, "You're a student with independent thinking."
Over these days, Teacher Li had already noticed this.
"But Yi Zhongshen was able to influence you, causing your approach to change," Teacher Li said.
"That's why I said he's impressive."
Bo Xiyun visibly paused, taken aback.
"This is a good thing," Teacher Li said, "Learning is about drawing from the strengths of many."
"Unlike some students I've taught before, I'd explain a problem in the same spot on the blackboard three times, and they'd still dare to get it wrong."
"They are unaffected by anyone. Always dismissive, never listening to anyone's words."
Bo Xiyun nodded, accepting Teacher Li's comforting words.
However, in reality, it didn't lessen the surprise in his heart.
Because Bo Xiyun was more aware than anyone else of how unaccustomed he was to being influenced by others.
But now, Teacher Li's words had shattered something he hadn't paid any attention to before.
Bo Xiyun lowered his head again, looking at the thick half-filled notebook in front of him.
In reality, in just over half a month, he had embraced a lifestyle that far exceeded his original plans.
Bo Xiyun suddenly realized that.
Whether it was his family or Yi Zhongshen.
The feeling of being genuinely influenced didn't seem as bad as he had imagined.
*
During these one-on-one tutoring days, Bo Xiyun would study for three hours in both the morning and afternoon, and then he would revise in his study during the evening.
While it might sound like he was attending classes for six hours a day, in truth, the amount of information covered in each of Teacher Li's daily sessions was quite substantial.
In contrast to the seemingly leisurely demeanor he usually exhibited, Teacher Li was quite strict in his demands during the lessons. At times, he exuded a palpable sense of pressure that compelled students to move forward incessantly.
This wasn't an issue for Bo Xiyun; he had adapted quite well to this sense of pressure.
In fact, Bo Xiyun had always enjoyed the feeling of constant self-improvement.
For him, discipline had always been a source of joy.
Teacher Li had noticed this aspect about him.
Coupled with Bo Xiyun's remarkable pace of progress, Teacher Li intentionally increased the intensity, gradually tapping into Bo Xiyun's potential.
As a result, after completing the lessons during the day, Bo Xiyun would spend a considerable amount of time revising, often immersing himself in his study throughout the night.
In that study every night, there would be another presence.
Yi Zhongshen would come over.
During the day when Bo Xiyun had his tutoring sessions, Yi Zhongshen would go about his own tasks since he had quite a few matters to attend to. However, every night during Bo Xiyun's study time, Yi Zhongshen would arrive punctually.
It was like when the two of them were together during the winter camp.
But this time, he was acting as Bo Xiyun's teaching assistant.
Lately, whenever it was mealtime, Yi Zhongshen would come over to have a meal together with Bo Xiyun.
So, there were a few instances when Teacher Li's lectures ran late, and he coincidentally encountered Yi Zhongshen's arrival.
It happened that Teacher Li had recalled this student he had taught before during his chat with Bo Xiyun earlier, so he wasn't surprised to see Yi Zhongshen again.
As these encounters happened more frequently, and Teacher Li saw how Yi Zhongshen and Bo Xiyun interacted, he occasionally felt generous and would see them off to the door when leaving.
The regular tutoring schedule was six days a week, with Sundays off. On this particular Saturday afternoon, after the lessons were over, Yi Zhongshen picked up Bo Xiyun because he had to go to Elder Guo's place to get some medicine.
However, when they were about to leave, Bo Xiyun realized he had forgotten to bring the insulated bag, so he went back inside to get it.
The insulated bag was in the kitchen, and since the kitchen was closer to the back door, Bo Xiyun entered through the back door of the courtyard.
After finding the insulated bag and preparing to leave again, he heard some commotion from the front courtyard.
There were people chatting in the front courtyard, and the one speaking was Gu Sheng.
Gu Sheng and Madam Song had just returned and happened to encounter Teacher Li as he was leaving.
Gu Sheng exchanged greetings with Teacher Li and asked, "Is my younger brother in his room?"
Initially, when Bo Xiyun and Yi Zhongshen were leaving, Teacher Li was about to depart as well. However, he had a last-minute form to submit, causing him to be delayed.
Teacher Li happened to see Bo Xiyun coming in through the back door and casually responded.
"He's gone out with his boyfriend."
"What?!"
Gu Sheng was completely taken aback, his tone getting out of control, startling even Teacher Li.
"What's wrong?"
Teacher Li looked at Gu Sheng in astonishment; it was evident that something was off.
"Why are you acting as if your brother has been kidnapped?"
That sentence struck directly into Gu Sheng's heart.
He didn't even have time to apologize for his earlier outburst; he urgently pressed for more information.
"My brother's boyfriend... Who is that guy?!"
____________________________________________________
Tn: As a fellow physics student I don't want BXY or his mother in my class. It's already enough that I feel unbearable pressure from people my level... God I beg you...
orz for being dramatic, I am just triggered ;(