The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 80
by Little PandaExtra IF-Line – Modern Arc
Friend’s Older Sister
The results of the Advanced Mathematics1 test from a few days ago were out. Song Linlin barely needed to look to know she must have done abysmally this time, and the results were indeed as bad as she had predicted.
After all, by the time she handed in her paper, there was still a large blank section she hadn’t filled in. When it came to a subject like mathematics, if you didn’t know how to do it, you just didn’t know. She didn’t even know how to make things up.
Back during the Gaokao2, Song Linlin had only barely passed mathematics by frantically cramming problems. She had relied entirely on her outstanding performance in other subjects to get into her current university.
For a liberal arts student3 like her, high school mathematics was already a struggle. When it came to university-level Advanced Mathematics, she had just given up completely4, unable to understand what the teacher was saying at all.
Every time Song Linlin looked at the blackboard full of mathematical formulas, she felt like she was in an English class; she recognized every number and letter, but together they became gibberish5.
At this moment, Song Linlin was slumped over her desk in the dormitory, sighing deeply. I have a feeling I’m going to fail Advanced Mathematics this semester!6
As Song Linlin was imagining the tragic scene after failing, her roommate Wen Yueyue7 suddenly appeared. Wen Yueyue patted Song Linlin’s shoulder and said, “Song Linlin, what did you score on this test, ah?”
“What did you score?” Song Linlin was too embarrassed to say her own score directly and asked back.
Wen Yueyue always managed to pass Advanced Mathematics, so when asked this question, she answered readily, “Me? Seventy points. What about you?”
“Ai—”
Song Linlin let out another long sigh. She and Wen Yueyue clearly slacked off8 and dozed off together in Advanced Mathematics class, so how come Wen Yueyue always managed to pass the tests, while she herself did so terribly?!
“I didn’t pass,” Song Linlin said, a little embarrassed, only vaguely stating she hadn’t passed, too ashamed to say her actual score.
“Ah?”
Wen Yueyue looked surprised. She herself felt that this Advanced Mathematics test was quite simple and didn’t understand why Song Linlin wouldn’t have passed. “How could you not pass? Did you get in the fifties?”
“Eh… Anyway, if this trend continues, I’m probably going to fail Advanced Mathematics in the finals…” Song Linlin buried her face on the desk, speaking listlessly.
Wen Yueyue was also troubled. Song Linlin slacked off with her every day, but now Song Linlin might fail. “How did it turn out like this…”
Unfortunately, Wen Yueyue’s Advanced Mathematics skills were only at a passing level. She wanted to help Song Linlin but really didn’t know where to start; she was willing but unable9. After thinking for a while, she suggested, “Why don’t you find someone good at math to teach you? Find someone to give you some intensive tutoring. That would be much more efficient than studying blindly on your own.”
Song Linlin thought it was a good idea too, but after thinking back carefully, she realized that all her friends were also liberal arts majors, and none of them were very good at math.
Song Linlin, who had just perked up, deflated again. She said miserably, “I’m not familiar with people who are really good at math. This isn’t high school anymore; I’d be too embarrassed to ask them.”
“This is troublesome… Wait a moment, let me think for you!”
Wen Yueyue also fell into a state of thought. Most of her friends overlapped with Song Linlin’s, and for a moment, she really couldn’t find a suitable candidate.
She thought for a good while before realizing there was only one person she knew who was good at math.
“I have an older female cousin10 who has always been very good at math. She’s the type who ranks first in the math department and could publish Zone 1 papers11 as an undergraduate. Want me to ask her for you?” Wen Yueyue said.
Song Linlin just thought Wen Yueyue was joking. She couldn’t remember anyone that amazing in their school. She immediately asked back, “From our school?”
“No.” Wen Yueyue shook her head. “From Jingda12.”
Jingda was a university Song Linlin had heard about since she was little; it wasn’t far from their school.
Since that person was from Jingda, it made sense that she was so formidable. However, Song Linlin still couldn’t believe it. She said dejectedly, “She’s so amazing, why would she have nothing better to do than teach me math? I can’t afford such expensive tutoring fees.”
Wen Yueyue was an outgoing person with a very good attitude. “It’s fine, asking won’t cost you anything13! Besides, my cousin might seem hard to approach, but she’s actually quite easy to talk to.”
“Ai, then you ask.” With the mentality that it wasn’t her asking anyway, so it wouldn’t be awkward if she was rejected, Song Linlin simply agreed to Wen Yueyue’s suggestion.
“Then I’ll go ask, ah!”
Wen Yueyue picked up her phone and started sending a WeChat message to the cousin she mentioned. Song Linlin watched her type beside her. After Wen Yueyue sent the message, she waited a minute or two, but there was no reply. She had to put her phone away and look up.
“Did she refuse?” Song Linlin asked.
“No.” Wen Yueyue thought for a moment and said, “It’s mealtime now, she might be eating and hasn’t seen the message.”
Song Linlin just felt that if the other person didn’t reply, it was probably a no-go. She continued to sigh, “I should just go to the self-study room and do problems later.”
If she really failed Advanced Mathematics in the finals, that would be so embarrassing.
Song Linlin silently began to pack her things. Although it was evening, the self-study room would be open very late. She planned to go there to study; doing problems there would have a better atmosphere.
And maybe she could run into a kind person there who could teach her the problems she didn’t understand.
Just as Song Linlin was about to leave, Wen Yueyue’s phone chimed with a message notification. Wen Yueyue quickly called out to Song Linlin, “Wait a minute!”
“En? What’s wrong?” Song Linlin was already at the door, having opened the dormitory entrance. She turned around and asked.
“Wait a second, my older sister replied to my message, let me see…”
Wen Yueyue opened WeChat, tapped on the unread message, and after reading the information on the chat interface, she immediately stood up and said excitedly, “Song Linlin, my older sister agreed!”
“Ha?!”
Song Linlin’s first reaction was disbelief. She subconsciously blurted out, “No way?! Did you misread it, ah?”
“How could that be?”
Facing Song Linlin’s doubt, Wen Yueyue simply walked over to Song Linlin and handed her the phone so she could see for herself. “Look at the chat history, she really agreed!”
Song Linlin woodenly took the phone Wen Yueyue had thrust into her hand and looked down at the screen. It was just as Wen Yueyue had said; the other person had agreed to her request to help her study.
“Wen Yueyue, is your older sister really not joking?” Song Linlin still found it hard to believe, always feeling that such good things shouldn’t happen to her.
Wen Yueyue patted Song Linlin’s shoulder. “How could that be? Why would she be so bored?”
“Why don’t you ask again, just to confirm?” Song Linlin said uneasily, afraid this was some kind of Truth or Dare punishment.
Wen Yueyue couldn’t stand Song Linlin’s nagging, so she nodded and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll ask for you one more time.”
This time, Wen Yueyue typed in front of Song Linlin, so Song Linlin could see the content on the phone screen. Wen Yueyue asked her sister again if it was true, and the other person quickly gave an affirmative reply.
Wen Yueyue put away her phone. Song Linlin had witnessed their entire chat. She said, “See, I told you it was true. She really agreed to help.”
“This is too dreamlike…” Song Linlin was stunned.
She couldn’t have imagined that such an amazing top student14, who was neither a relative nor a friend, would kindly tutor her in math for free.
Song Linlin was still dazed, but Wen Yueyue patted her again and said, “Song Linlin, my older sister wants you to add her. I’ll share her WeChat contact with you now. You discuss a time when you’re both free, and then you can go find her to teach you.”
Saying that, Wen Yueyue had already sent her sister’s WeChat to Song Linlin. Song Linlin had no choice but to pause her plan to go to the self-study room. She sat back down in her seat and then added the other person as a friend.
At this moment, that person was still online and quickly accepted Song Linlin’s friend request. Chatting with someone she wasn’t familiar with, especially when the other person was a very formidable top student, made Song Linlin feel a lot of pressure.
Especially since the other person was kindly helping her. Looking at the interface showing the friend request had been accepted, Song Linlin felt she should greet the other person first.
Song Linlin didn’t know the other person’s name, so she had to look up and ask Wen Yueyue, “Wen Yueyue, what’s your older sister’s name?”
“You’ve already added her, right? Her name is Chi Qianning.” Wen Yueyue typed Chi Qianning’s name on her phone again and showed it to Song Linlin.
Song Linlin nodded, “I’ve added her.”
At this moment, Chi Qianning on the other side had already sent Song Linlin a message: Hello.
There was even a period after “Hello.” Paired with that inscrutable landscape photo avatar, and the fact that the other person was excellent at studying, an air of seriousness and propriety rushed over, making Song Linlin, who had originally wanted to send a cute sticker, not dare to send it.
Song Linlin also became reserved all of a sudden. She repeatedly typed on the screen, but for a moment, she didn’t know how to address the other person.
Calling her by her name would be too blunt. If I call her ‘older sister’ like Wen Yueyue does, would this person, who seems so serious, think I’m trying to curry favor15?
The other person was definitely waiting for her reply, leaving Song Linlin little time to think. In the end, she didn’t know what came over her, but she replied: Hello, Teacher Chi.
Song Linlin was embarrassed by her own reply, but the message had already been sent. Retracting it now would be even more awkward. She had to brace herself16 and send another message: My name is Song Linlin.
Chi Qianning on the other side just replied with a cold “En,” and didn’t correct Song Linlin’s way of addressing her. This actually lessened Song Linlin’s embarrassment a bit; it seemed Chi Qianning had accepted her form of address.
This kind of serious and formal chat was very stressful. After introducing herself, Song Linlin didn’t know what else to say. She could only pick a serious, non-sarcastic17 sticker and send it.
Chi Qianning didn’t exchange many pleasantries with Song Linlin and asked very directly: I have time tomorrow afternoon, are you free?
Song Linlin remembered she didn’t have many classes all day tomorrow and immediately typed back: Yes!
Chi Qianning: Come to my place tomorrow afternoon.
At the end of the message, Chi Qianning sent an address for a certain residential complex.
Song Linlin put down her phone. Her entire conversation with Wen Yueyue’s older sister had lasted less than two minutes, and just like that, it was decided that Song Linlin would go to the other person’s home tomorrow.
Seeing Song Linlin put down her phone so quickly, Wen Yueyue hurriedly asked, “You’ve already sorted it out?”
“En, your older sister asked me to go to her place tomorrow.”
The author has something to say:
All settings are fictional/AU. The original setting has now been changed to a friend’s older sister. Both characters are students.
Footnotes
- 高數 | gāoshù | Advanced Mathematics, often referring to university-level calculus or higher math.
- 高考 | gāokǎo | National College Entrance Examination in China.
- 文科生 | wénkēshēng | Student majoring in humanities or social sciences, as opposed to STEM fields.
- 躺平 | tǎng píng | Lit. “to lie flat.” Internet slang: to give up on ambitious goals and embrace a more relaxed, less stressful lifestyle; here, to give up on studying the subject.
- 天書 | tiānshū | Lit. “heavenly script.” Fig. writing that is incomprehensible or unintelligible.
- 挂科 | guàkē | Lit. “to hang a subject.” Colloquial: to fail an exam or a course.
- 溫月悅 | Wēn Yuèyuè
- 摸魚 | mōyú | Lit. “to touch fish.” Fig. to slack off, goof off, or be idle at work/study.
- 有心無力 | yǒuxīnwúlì | Lit. “the heart is willing, but the strength is not there” | Fig. wanting to do something but lacking the ability or resources.
- 表姐 | biǎojiě | Older female cousin via one’s mother, or from one’s paternal aunt. A general term for an older female cousin who does not share the same surname.
- 一區論文 | yīqū lùnwén | Lit. “Zone 1 paper/thesis.” Refers to academic papers published in Q1 journals, which are the top 25% of journals in their field based on impact factor. Indicates high academic achievement.
- 京大 | Jīngdà | Abbreviation for Peking University (北京大學 Běijīng Dàxué), one of China’s most prestigious universities.
- 少塊肉 | shǎo kuài ròu | Lit. “to lose a piece of flesh.” | Fig. It won’t hurt; there’s no harm in trying.
- 學霸 | xuébà | Lit. “study hegemon/tyrant.” | Fig. A top student, academic ace, someone who excels in studies.
- 套近乎 | tào jìnhu | Lit. “to try to get close to” | Fig. to try to ingratiate oneself with someone, to try to get familiar or friendly, sometimes with an ulterior motive.
- 硬着頭皮 | yìngzhe tóupí | Lit. “to harden one’s scalp” | Fig. to force oneself to do something against one’s will; to bite the bullet.
- 陰陽怪氣 | yīnyángguàiqì | Lit. “yin-yang strange air” | Fig. speaking in a deliberately ambiguous, sarcastic, or cynical tone; eccentric or peculiar manner.
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