Study System: I'm a 38-Year-Old Student-Chapter 37: The In-Law and the Old Flame (Happy New Year)
"Uncle Shen, this is Shen Yixiao’s test paper."
After Guo Junrui and the others left, Wu Ruohan handed Shen Yixiao’s paper over.
"Wu Ruohan, you..."
Seeing the class rep hand his test straight to his old man, Shen Yixiao was instantly speechless.
He remembered he hadn’t offended this class prez or anything!
How could she do such an immoral thing!
At this point, Shen Qiushan had already taken his son’s paper.
The first thing that caught his eye was a big red 56 written with a red ballpoint pen!
Because the students often graded each other’s tests, everyone had a red pen just for marking. Shen Yixiao’s 56 was scribbled in a wild flourish, super obvious!
Seeing this score, Shen Qiushan frowned. So his own son was actually the most reliable "exp point pack"!
He was a whole 30 points behind him!
Shen Yixiao just glanced at the score on the paper, then buried his head in the "mountain of books" on the desk like an ostrich.
Shen Qiushan knew roughly what level his son was at, so honestly, he wasn’t very surprised by the score.
"If you suck, just practice more!"
"Ask me if there’s something you don’t get!"
Shen Qiushan angrily tossed the paper back at his son.
"Uncle Shen, don’t be mad, Brother Xiao already played out of his mind this time."
"Usually if it’s out of 100, he just gets in the 40s, even hitting 50 is rare..."
This time, Wang Yunpeng chimed in from the side.
He probably meant Shen Yixiao actually did okay this time.
But, honestly, his pep talk skill was nonexistent.
Shen Qiushan and Shen Yixiao, father and son, were both beyond speechless!
"Wang Yunpeng, would you just shut up already!"
"Worry about your own score for once!"
Shen Yixiao glared at Wang Yunpeng angrily.
The class bell rang.
Math teacher Sun Xing walked into the classroom with a stack of test papers in his arms.
"Two periods."
"If you need to use the bathroom, raise your hand and ask for leave."
With that, he asked the students to hand out the test papers.
"Oh right, give Old Shen one too!"
As the papers went around, Sun Xing added another comment.
Hearing this, the students who hadn’t beaten Shen Qiushan’s English grade all tensed up instinctively.
They were worried that Math teacher Sun Xing would use Shen Qiushan as the class benchmark, like homeroom teacher Chen Xiangyu had.
Luckily, Sun Xing just had them give Shen Qiushan a paper, and that was it.
Once he got the paper, Shen Qiushan started reading it carefully. He recognized every number and character, but once they were put together, he honestly didn’t know what they meant.
Math really is hard!
Shen Qiushan sighed to himself, but after going through the test, it turned out he wasn’t totally clueless.
He’d just attended Sun Xing’s math class in the morning, and there were a few questions on this test that were really similar, only the numbers had changed.
Shen Qiushan mulled over it for a while, and managed to solve three questions—but he didn’t leave the rest of them blank either, instead carefully attempting to answer the whole test.
Ding!
Detected: Host has finished a test paper!
Scholar Index +200!
Not long after Shen Qiushan put down his pen, the system chime sounded right on cue.
That was exactly why he kept filling out the paper even if he was clueless for most of it; he wanted to see if just working seriously would net him Scholar Index, regardless of right or wrong.
The result was just as he guessed—effort was all it took.
Evening self study ended.
Sun Xing left the classroom with the stack of collected math papers.
The students chatted about the hardest math problems while packing up their backpacks.
"Xiaoxiao, you and your sister head home first."
"I’ll come back later."
Shen Qiushan told his son, who’d already packed up, and then left the classroom alone.
"Brother Xiao, you’re not heading home with Uncle Shen?"
Seeing Shen Qiushan leave by himself, Wang Yunpeng instantly asked, full of curiosity.
"He said he’ll be back later."
Shen Yixiao shrugged: "All secretive and stuff, who knows what he’s up to!"
"I’m off, need to go find Shen Yanran."
With that, Shen Yixiao headed out the back door and made a beeline for Class 2, Grade 12.
Even though most of the time their bickering was endless, it was a hard rule they go to and leave school together every day.
This was a demand from Shen Qiushan, the old man!
Because siblings going to school together meant they’d look out for each other—safer that way.
"Where’s Dad?"
Shen Yanran had thought her dad Shen Qiushan and little brother Shen Yixiao would both be waiting for her in the corridor today.
The whole family walking home together!
But as it turned out, it was just Shen Yixiao there alone.
"He said he’ll come back later."
"Told us to go home first!"
Shen Yixiao relayed their dad’s exact words.
"Did Dad say what for?"
Shen Yanran frowned lightly.
"Nope!"
Shen Yixiao shook his head, muttering, "Dad has been extra mysterious lately, no idea what he’s busy with behind our backs."
"Probably out delivering food."
"The pay’s higher at night."
Shen Yanran sighed and shot her brother a glare: "Shen Yixiao!"
"Can’t you just work a bit harder for once!"
"Give Dad a little peace of mind!"
Shen Yixiao pouted unhappily: "Says the one who makes Dad worry so much less!"
"Still better than you!"
Shen Yixiao let out a snort: "It’s just ’cause your grades are a tad better! That’s only ’cause I didn’t feel like studying before. If I put in even a little effort, beating you would be a piece of cake!"
"Then how about you work hard and let me see?"
"Just you wait!"
"Fine, I’ll keep my eyes peeled!"
"..."
While the siblings bickered as usual, Shen Qiushan had already hopped on his e-bike and was zipping out of the school gate.
He was about to go to his old flame’s house for tutoring.
But suddenly, someone called out to him from behind.
"Younger Brother Shen, how come you’re coming out of the school?"
Shen Qiushan stopped his e-bike and turned to look—turns out it was Luo Yao’s mom, Luo Meimei.
Clearly, she’d come to pick up Luo Yao after school.
"Younger Brother Shen, I thought parents weren’t allowed inside to pick up kids. How’d you get in?"
Luo Meimei walked a couple steps closer, moving right next to Shen Qiushan.
"I applied to be an in-school guardian."
"See, Xiaoxiao’s grades are just too awful. Had to keep an eye on him!"
Shen Qiushan whipped out his old excuse again.
"Parents can even apply to be in-school guardians?"
Luo Meimei was genuinely shocked—she’d never heard of this kind of thing.
"Hey, Sister Meimei, why not apply too?"
"We could even be desk mates again."
Shen Qiushan teased with a big grin.
"Uh, I’ll pass, thanks!"
Luo Meimei shook her head with a laugh-cry: "I’m not like you, Younger Brother Shen—I can’t just take off work for months to babysit. Gotta make a living, y’know."
"But since you’re at school anyway, if anything happens with Luo Yao, I hope you can help out."
"Definitely!"
Shen Qiushan nodded enthusiastically.
"By the way, if the guardian gig wears you out, come to my shop for a spa!"
"You’ve already topped up the spa card anyway!"
Luo Meimei added with a bright smile.
"I’ll definitely come by if I get a chance."
"Sister Meimei, your massage skills are really something!" Shen Qiushan wasn’t just being polite—last time’s spa was truly amazing.
"I’ve got even more secret tricks!"
"I’ll let you try them next time." As she spoke, Luo Meimei gave Shen Qiushan’s sturdy lower back a couple playful pats.
Since they were standing pretty close, Shen Qiushan could catch a faint whiff of perfume drifting from Luo Meimei.
Honestly, mature women really do have their own special charm!
"Secret tricks!"
"Well, then I have to give them a try next time!"
Shen Qiushan laughed heartily, shared a few more jokes with his "in-law," then rode off to Chen Xiangyu’s place.
Since Sun Xing had taken up the third and fourth periods of night study, Chen Xiangyu got home early, and at this point, she’d already gotten ready for tutoring, changing into a flight attendant uniform.
When Shen Qiushan entered, she greeted him with a dazzling smile: "Sir, what service would you like today?"
Shen Qiushan looked at the complete 180-degree switch of his old flame—who’d think that the super serious Teacher Chen on the podium could have a side like this in private!
