Persistence is the defining characteristic of Li Xixue.
She once said that no matter how difficult it is to achieve her dream, she will persevere until it comes true.
For example, her math grades were abysmal; at the end of the semester, her overall grades were all in red. It wasn't because she wasn't smart, but because she was too persistent.
When doing problems, she stops at the one she can't solve. If she can't solve it, she won't move on to the next problem, even if the next problem is as simple as one plus one equals two. She'll focus entirely on problems that even the teacher might not be able to solve.
The most outrageous time was when she only finished the first thirty fill-in-the-blank questions, leaving the three large math papers almost entirely blank. Her math teacher was so angry that he lectured Li Xixue for three whole 120-minute periods without stopping.
The teacher even spoke with Li Xixue's parents, reminding them to give their child a pep talk at home, telling her not to get stuck on a few difficult problems. Li Xixue, however, didn't listen at all. In her last math quiz before the high school entrance exam, she barely passed, much to the dismay of her math teacher.
15-year-old Li Xixue persisted in her beliefs.
Although she neglected math due to her excessive focus on writing in junior high, resulting in a significant knowledge gap and slower learning pace, her solid math foundation allowed her to at least pass the high school entrance exam and obtain her graduation certificate. Furthermore, winning several first prizes in junior high novel competitions added to her score, enabling her to gain admission to a regular high school.
Li Xixue wasn't bad at math in high school. Although she didn't actively raise her hand to speak in class, she could answer all the questions the teacher asked. In the eyes of her high school teachers, Li Xixue was an above-average student. They racked their brains but couldn't understand why she only passed the high school entrance exam and her math score was among the lowest in the city. It wasn't until the first small test that her teacher understood, and that's when she burst into tears.
Byun Baekhyun held his first math test paper with undisguised joy, his face beaming with happiness. The large score of 145 on the paper made him extremely happy.
She secretly thought to herself: "I can't believe I did so well on the test even though I didn't study last night. I must be a genius!"
This led Byun Baekhyun to resolutely establish the rule of not reviewing before exams.
"How careless!" This was Li Xixue's only comment about Bian Baekhyun in the student directory.
But while he was overjoyed, he couldn't help but notice his new deskmate's head down, seemingly engrossed in something. Casually peering closer, he was shocked by what he saw. Byun Baekhyun had always thought his deskmate was a top student, but he'd only scored 76! He couldn't believe it. He was usually the one asking his deskmate questions; how could his exam score be so appalling?
Baekhyun was startled and accidentally cried out. The noisy chatter in the class immediately quieted down. Looking at Baekhyun, who was sitting against the wall with his mouth agape, Li Xixue also stared in surprise at this boy she had only known for a short time. It was one thing for him to be noisy and disruptive in front of her, but now the whole class was staring at them. Li Xixue suddenly realized that losing face now was better than failing.
It has to be said that Byun Baekhyun's behavior has always been so exaggerated. He can make a big show of even the smallest things. Li Xixue always complains that he should become an actor and win a Golden Lotus Award.
Being shameless is also one of Byun Baekhyun's greatest strengths. He waved his little hand, imitating the old woman in his room. All that's missing is an embroidered fan and some lace clothing, and he'd be a real auntie. When it comes to imitation, Byun Baekhyun is a professional.
Then, Baekhyun said in his standard dialect, "It's okay, you guys keep playing."
The classroom erupted in laughter, everyone except Li Xixue. She knew that Bian Baekhyun's exaggerated reaction stemmed from his astonishment at her math score, which had startled the entire class.
The atmosphere between them was awkward for a moment. Byun Baekhyun kept fidgeting with his fingers, while Li Xixue started writing something on her test paper again. He glanced sideways, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was doing, but Li Xixue had short hair, which obscured her face, her hands, and her test paper. He didn't look any further, continuing to look down at his slender fingers. Later, after much mental preparation, Byun Baekhyun finally spoke to Li Xixue, who was usually not very talkative.
What are you writing?
Li Xixue finally broke into a smile through her tears. Everything Bian Baekhyun had done was laughable. She hadn't expected him to go to such lengths, only to ask this one question in the end. Li Xixue couldn't understand it, but she couldn't think about it too much for now. Every time she recalled Bian Baekhyun's earlier behavior, she couldn't help but laugh.
Byun Baekhyun was puzzled, completely baffled as to why Li Xixue had suddenly burst into laughter. He simply sat there, waiting for her to stop laughing before asking her. Right now, all he could do was quietly observe Li Xixue's antics—something even more precious than the Chinese men's football team qualifying for the World Cup. All Byun Baekhyun needed was a huge bucket of popcorn.
It was such a rare event that he shouldn't miss it. At that time, Byun Baekhyun was filled with curiosity about Li Xixue, of course, as a friend.
"I'm correcting my math test."
Li Xixue perhaps realized this was different from her usual quiet self, and quickly interrupted her laughter. She glanced furtively at Bian Baekhyun, then continued what she had been doing, calmly answering his question.
Byun Baekhyun was even more confused. The teacher hadn't explained how to correct the mistakes yet, and Li Xixue was correcting the last big question on the test paper, the very question where Byun Baekhyun had lost points. He couldn't believe Li Xixue had solved it. He then displayed his terrible acting skills, widening his eyes, covering his mouth with one hand, and forcefully patting Li Xixue's back with the other.
"Dude, you're really something, but why did you get this score?"
Li Xixue didn't mind Bian Baekhyun's seemingly idiotic behavior at all, because he didn't know that Li Xixue had secretly saved Bian Baekhyun's social media account as "idiot," and she was secretly laughing to herself.
"Not finished writing"
"Although I know all of these, I'm the kind of person who can't do a single problem and can't continue. I'm hopeless."
Byun Baekhyun, full of enthusiasm and with the intention of helping others, began to reprimand Li Xixue with a seemingly serious demeanor. Li Xixue didn't even glance at Byun Baekhyun, perfectly embodying her style—that aloofness from the world. If it weren't for her weight, the title of "Ice Beauty" would be tailor-made for Li Xixue.
But it was precisely because she was overweight that she became introverted and withdrawn.
Baekhyun's fiery passion met Li Xixue's icy exterior, and he readily surrendered. He somehow learned a trick, mimicking the domineering CEO from a drama, forcefully forcing Li Xixue's eyes to meet his own, and proudly raising his head.
Li Xixue hadn't even reacted yet. She gripped the red pen tightly, but Bian Baekhyun's hand roughly and without a trace of gentleness turned her face towards him. She saw his face contorted as if he'd been punched. At that moment, Li Xixue couldn't figure out what Bian Baekhyun wanted. Even writing a few words caused trouble. Her anger was about to explode. Li Xixue really wanted to break free of her inhibitions and smash the dictionary on the desk over his head; maybe that would solve everything.
The next second, Byun Baekhyun spoke in a voice as soft as a sesame seed or mung bean.
“Li Xixue, do you even have a brain? Have you ever heard the saying, ‘If something you’re obsessed with is causing you pain, then stop struggling and let go’?”
This phrase ultimately replaced persistence and became Li Xixue's belief.
Li Xixue seemed to be under a spell; in every math exam, she would only think for a short while, usually more than five minutes, before skipping it. Coupled with her already strong foundation, Byun Baekhyun's sense of superiority vanished.
"Who said that to me?"
It wasn't until several weeks later, with midterms approaching, that Li Xixue remembered the question she had been curious about. She saw Bian Baekhyun raise his head again, put on an arrogant face, give her a thumbs-up, and slowly point it at her, while simultaneously giving her a lewd smile that Li Xixue found inappropriate.
Narcissism
Actually, Li Xixue wanted to say to Bian Baekhyun
Thank you for showing me my future.