When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 31: Tingting 29

Sensing Tan You’s thoughts, the little system whimpered and bit a handkerchief off to the side. ’The host doesn’t care about her looks. Doesn’t that mean there’s no use for me? And I’m so weak myself... I’ll end up having to be supported by the host...’

Tan You paid no attention to the little system’s thoughts at all. Her high school life was very peaceful. The teachers all looked out for her, and her classmates were friendly. Although she didn’t have any especially close friends, things were at least amicable on the surface.

In the blink of an eye, a semester went by, and it was time for Tan You to choose between the arts and science streams. Having become Teacher Shi’s student again this semester, Tan You naturally wanted to stay that way.

However, Teacher Shi had always taught science classes, and Tan You’s aptitude for science was indeed not as strong as her aptitude for the arts. Still, it wasn’t impossible if she worked hard—or so she thought, until Teacher Shi asked to speak with her.

"Me? I’m definitely choosing the science stream," Tan You declared immediately upon hearing Teacher Shi’s question. "I want to continue being your student."

Teacher Shi sighed softly; she had guessed this would be the outcome. "You don’t have to consider me. Just tell me, what major do you want to study in the future? It’s true that science-related fields have better job prospects, but I can see you’re really struggling with the subject."

"If you chose the arts stream, it wouldn’t be so hard on you. Besides, aren’t you studying fashion design right now? It seems like the arts would be a better choice."

Tan You thought for a moment. "I still want to choose the science stream."

"I’ve thought about this very seriously. It’s true my scientific thinking isn’t great, but I can’t give up just because I’m not good at it. The one thing I don’t lack is patience. It’s a hurdle I have to overcome eventually."

"Besides, I want to be your student. It’s always the one who wants it more who has to put in more effort. For you, I’m willing to overcome any difficulty. Just watch as I make my way toward you, step by step."

Teacher Shi fell silent for a moment. "It’s going to be very hard. I already told the school leadership that I would be teaching an arts class."

"I’m already so grateful that you thought of me, Teacher, but I can’t let you do that. Admiring and looking up to you is my own affair; I can’t disrupt your life plans because of it. All you have to do is watch over me from the side, Teacher, and make sure I don’t stray from this path. That alone would make me very happy."

"Besides, I’m not afraid of the hard work," Tan You said, looking at Teacher Shi. "Like I just said, only the person who wants it more needs to put in more effort. It might be difficult, but I won’t back down midway."

"I have my own selfish reasons, too," Tan You added with a smile. "I also want to show everyone that even if I choose the science stream, I can still do well."

"Good! That’s the spirit!" Her homeroom teacher laughed as well. "I told you she was stubborn. Now you see it for yourself, don’t you?"

Teacher Shi let out a long sigh. "I see that all too well."

Her gaze toward Tan You was very gentle. "Since you’ve made up your mind to study science, then I won’t hold back. I’ll prepare extra homework for you. Scientific thinking is something that can be trained."

"I won’t back down," Tan You vowed. This was a rare opportunity to learn, and in the future, she would show her mother, Cheng Wenhui, that she wasn’t some blockhead who couldn’t grasp science.

The news that Han Tingting had chosen the science stream naturally reached the junior high division. In fact, many teachers there were following her progress. Mr. Qin wasn’t surprised at all; he had guessed it long ago. Given how much Han Tingting adored Teacher Shi, her choice was obvious.

Wang Lanfeng’s feelings were complicated. "I heard Teacher Shi was planning to teach an arts class, but Han Tingting talked her out of it. Now she’s still Han Tingting’s teacher."

Mr. Qin replied, "You could call it a mutual devotion. Seeing Teacher Shi and Han Tingting like this is inexplicably moving. To be that kind of teacher... you could say you’d have no regrets in life."

A math teacher also chimed in, "It wasn’t easy for Teacher Shi back then, either. She was heavily pregnant, yet she still frequently explained problems to Han Tingting. The little flower she planted with her own hands has finally blossomed into her own."

After choosing physics and biology, Tan You’s life didn’t change much. She could fully master all the tedious memorization material after reading it just twice, so she spent most of her time on math, physics, and biology.

It was a bit of a struggle, admittedly, but as she gradually kept at it, Tan You felt like she was starting to get the hang of things. As a result, her scores began to approach a perfect mark.

The homeroom teacher was also pleased. "I used to worry she was just putting on a brave face, but now it’s clear this kid is truly outstanding. She actually dared to grapple with these tough subjects head-on."

Teacher Shi’s gaze toward Tan You was filled with sympathy. "That’s all from being fed a massive amount of practice problems. It’s very hard work."

’The better Han Tingting’s grades are now, the more time she must be spending on them behind the scenes. I heard she still occasionally works part-time at a clothing factory. Perhaps that part-time job is a form of relaxation for her.’

"I never expected you to choose the science stream." Master Hu looked at Tan You, a hint of surprise in his eyes. By now, Tan You was in her third year of high school, but she still maintained her habit of coming to work part-time at the factory during her monthly days off.

"Actually, once I chose the science stream, I discovered the subjects aren’t so insurmountable," Tan You said with a shrug. "It just takes a little more time. Of course, it also helps that my memory is good, so Chinese and English don’t really take much of my effort."

"President Yang wanted to discuss something with you. After the new year, you’ll be in the second semester of your third year. He was thinking, why don’t you wait until after your college entrance exams to come back? Don’t let work at the factory distract you."

Tan You refused flatly. "No way. Coming to the factory makes me happy. If I have to spend all my time off doing homework, that would be so boring. Master... could you help me talk to Uncle Yang...?"

Master Hu glanced outside the office. "He’s right over there. You’d be better off telling him yourself."

Tan You immediately darted out. Master Hu shook his head, but on second thought, he could understand. Don’t people always talk about balancing work and rest these days? Perhaps working part-time at the factory was a way for Tan You to clear her head.

Once the second semester of her third year began, time seemed to move like clockwork. Tan You felt as though school had just started one moment, and the next, she was already sitting in the examination hall.

Experiencing the college entrance exam for the first time, Tan You was strangely not nervous at all. That was just her personality—the bigger the event, the calmer she became. She had reason to be confident, too, because her grades had always been good.

Okay, to say they were "good" was just Tan You being modest. They were actually excellent. Even though she was a student from a township high school, Tan You knew just how famous Han Tingting was.

In every joint examination, Han Tingting’s name was almost always in the top three. Tan You wasn’t greedy; she didn’t dare to dream of taking the top spot, but she would be more than satisfied with a place in the city’s top ten.

She entered the examination hall with that same calm and left with it, too. Over the three days, Tan You’s emotions didn’t waver in the slightest. After the exams were over, Tan You was whisked away to the office by Teacher Shi.

By that time, the other students had all been picked up by their parents. Only Tan You was kept behind by the teachers. And why? To ask about how the college entrance exams went, of course.