Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 651 Secret Base

“Next year,” Zhan Zixun tossed the leftover cucumber stem into the distance, “we’ll wear out our error notebooks and do so many practice problems until we’re sick of them—” He suddenly paused, turned to look at Zhang Xincheng, “Xincheng, your steps on the physics problems are messy, but you got all the answers right. What does that mean?”

Zhang Xincheng was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously reached into his bag for his error notebook: "So... I'm pretty good at practicing the basic question types?"

“Right!” Zhan Zixun patted him on the shoulder. “Then next year we’ll have the final question—you’ll be in charge of organizing the question types, and I’ll be in charge of…” He suddenly stopped and turned to look at Zhan Mengyan. “Mengyan, your Chinese composition topic selection teacher always praises Lixin. Next year, teach me how to write argumentative essays.”

Zhan Mengyan chuckled and stuffed the last bite of cucumber into her mouth: "Brother Zixun, you lost all your points on the math test for neatness, and you're still writing an argumentative essay?"

The three of them laughed together, their laughter carried away on the evening breeze. Zhan Zixun watched the setting sun gradually sinking into the sky and suddenly felt that failing the college entrance examination might just be a warm-up—just like Zhan Mengyan said, falling down is to run more steadily, and they had only just warmed up for the marathon of the college entrance examination.

The summer sunset, like molten gold, lazily streamed across the gray-blue roof tiles. The tiles on the roof were slightly warm from the sun, and three small figures perched on this sun-baked high ground, as if occupying the highest point in the world.

Zhan Zixun, knees bent, an open workbook resting on his lap, pointed at complex geometry problems, his brows furrowed in a frown. Zhan Mengyan, like a curled-up kitten, almost touched her brother's shoulder, fine beads of sweat glistening on her nose, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the lines and formulas, occasionally whispering a bold hypothesis. Zhang Xincheng sat sideways on Zhan Zixun's other side, occasionally gesturing where to draw auxiliary lines. The wind swept across the eaves, bringing with it the rustling of distant leaves, which also carried away their rapid breathing during their argument and the occasional bursts of excitement only children could understand.

This small rooftop is their secret base, a place where they temporarily escape their desks, yet are drawn by a wondrous thirst for knowledge.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps broke the focused tranquility. Zhan Yu appeared at the courtyard gate. He had just finished his afternoon rounds, still smelling of disinfectant, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. He looked up at the roof, his brows instantly furrowing, his expression one of undeniable sternness and a hint of barely perceptible worry: "Hey! You three! Get down here right now! Don't wander around on the roof, be careful! Don't collapse the roof of this old house!" His tone was like a key, instantly winding up the three children's hearts.

Almost simultaneously, Yunqing's gentle call came from the direction of the kitchen, carrying the aroma of food and her unique soothing power: "Children—come down! The food is ready, eat it while it's hot!" Her voice was like a warm thread, pulling them back from the battlefield of their thoughts in the "cloud" to the ground of reality.

Zhan Zixun was the first to react. He stood up briskly, his movements carrying a youthful decisiveness mixed with a hint of annoyance at being scolded by his father. Zhan Mengyan and Zhang Xincheng also immediately stopped laughing and joking. Like three startled deer, they quickly slid down the slope of the roof, their feet making a soft "rustling" sound as they stepped off the tiles. They jumped off the last tile, their feet landing steadily on the ground in the yard, as if they had fallen from a suspended, logically-driven castle back into the mundane reality.

The three of them lined up and jogged through the air filled with the aroma of food, heading towards the kitchen. Zhan Zixun walked in front, his steps a little hurried, with Zhan Mengyan and Zhang Xincheng close behind, their faces still flushed from the sun and filled with the anticipation of sharing dinner that came with being called by their mother.