Chapter 18: Life Transformation Lv. 1, Trait Acquired: Deep Learning

This was the first time Chen Lu had been in such a cramped space alone with a boy; she could even feel his breathing. Whether it was the awkward atmosphere or the sweltering heat inside the vehicle, her cheeks flushed, and fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She wanted to reach into her pocket for a tissue to wipe it away, but she feared the movement might cause her to brush against Xu Ming.

She had no choice but to sit upright and remain perfectly still.

She had originally intended to walk back, but at the school gate, she was stopped by the elderly driver asking for a ride. They were just discussing the fare when Xu Ming happened to arrive, and the two decided to share the cab. Although Dongping No. 1 High School and the Xinhua Bookstore were not on the same road, the distance between them was not very far.

A short while later, they finally arrived at their destination.

"Driver, just stop here," Chen Lu said in a clear, crisp voice as she looked at the building outside.

"You got it."

Once the vehicle came to a complete stop, Xu Ming and Chen Lu stepped out together. He deliberately moved aside to make it easier for her to retrieve her quilt. Seeing her reach for her money, he quickly spoke up.

"I'll pay for both of us for now; you can just give it to me during evening study session." Knowing something of Chen Lu's character, he didn't presume to pay for her fare entirely on his own.

Chen Lu’s hand froze. "I'll give it to you in the classroom, then."

With that, she picked up her quilt and carefully made her way across the road.

Xu Ming glanced at her retreating figure, then withdrew his gaze and returned to the car, lifting his shirt to vigorously wipe his face. He let out a long sigh of relief.

"It’s really hot today."

...

The elderly driver took the five-yuan note Xu Ming handed him, pulled a sharp U-turn right there on the spot, and drove off toward Dongping No. 1 High School without a moment's delay. It was peak time for students to be out; if he was fast, he could pick up another fare.

Xu Ming first returned to his rented room to drop off his things, then went downstairs to his family's handmade wonton shop.

It was the usual—wontons wrapped by his mother and some spicy dried tofu.

That afternoon, he was the first one back in the classroom again. Habitually, he took out his "Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulation" book and continued reviewing and solving problems from where he had left off at noon.

Just as he thought he would be able to enjoy this peace and quiet alone, a figure strode into the room.

To his surprise, it wasn't Chen Lu, but his seatmate, Qian Hong.

"I’ve never seen you come into the classroom at this time. What's the schedule today? Did all the internet cafes in the county go out of business?" Xu Ming looked up at Qian Hong and asked with a smile.

"Don't even mention it."

"I went to two internet cafes, and there wasn't a single computer available."

Qian Hong sat down and grumbled unhappily, "In the end, I had to get a buddy from the class next door to log into my QQ for me. I knew you’d definitely be in the classroom, so I just came over to take a break."

Hearing Qian Hong’s words, Xu Ming didn't know what to say. It was clear that his seatmate had an agreement with his online girlfriend to log on and chat every Sunday afternoon. Whether he could play games didn't matter, but he had to be online on QQ.

However, even though Qian Hong said he was just there to rest, under Xu Ming's subtle influence, he eventually picked up a book to read.

And so, time passed.

About half an hour later, Chen Lu, having changed her clothes, finally arrived at the classroom.

Xu Ming caught a glimpse of her. Her hair wasn't entirely dry yet, cascading over her shoulders and framing her delicate features; even he couldn't help but be struck by her appearance. He could imagine just how stunning she would be once she entered university.

Of course, a thought was just a thought; he had no other intentions. After all, in his current plan, studies were the most important thing.

Chen Lu had originally intended to return the money to Xu Ming right away, but she clearly hadn't expected Qian Hong to be in the classroom. On a whim, she simply returned to her own seat.

After putting her things away, she stood back up, walked to his desk, and held out a few coins.

"Xu Ming, thank you for earlier. Here is the money," Chen Lu said softly.

Xu Ming took the money. "You're welcome."

He responded with a mere nod. Once the exchange was over, both went back to their own studies, as if it were the most trivial matter in the world.

Qian Hong, however, kept shifting his gaze between the two, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Why did Chen Lu give you money?" he asked Xu Ming in a low voice.

Xu Ming didn't look up as he replied, "We shared a pedicab back. That was her share of the fare."

"Oh, is that so? I almost thought you were cutting ties with Zhang Yingxin because you wanted to pursue Chen Lu."

"If you don't want your brain, you can donate it," Xu Ming retorted with an eye-roll.

"I’m just performing a rational analysis. For a student like Chen Lu with such good grades, if you want to pursue her, you definitely can't be too mediocre," Qian Hong argued, sounding unconvinced.

Xu Ming was too lazy to argue with him. Seeing that Chen Lu in front didn't seem to notice them, he threw his energy back into his biology practice book. He wanted to try to raise his "Chemistry/Biology" subject to Level 1 before the evening study session ended.

The three study sessions on Sunday night passed without any teachers coming by.

Even their homeroom teacher made a rare appearance.

Only the class monitor, Li Wenhui, sat at the podium, maintaining discipline while doing his own work.

Xu Ming, who hadn't stood up or moved for three hours, remained focused on his biology review. It wasn't until the final bell rang that a look of joy broke through his intense expression.

—

【Through diligent study, your [Biology] proficiency has improved; you have gained 2 experience points.】

【Through diligent study, your [Chemistry/Biology] level has increased to Lv1.】

【You have gained the trait: [Deep Learning].】

【Trait: Deep Learning】

【Effect: You can enter a state of deep learning once per day. In this state, you can rapidly memorize the content of books you read.】

"Finally reached Level 1."

Facing the information panel before him, Xu Ming kept his emotions in check and carefully examined the effects of the new trait.

"Deep Learning?"

Of all the knowledge he possessed, the most familiar concept was the "flow state"—the ability to enter a state of self-forgetful focus to increase efficiency in tasks. He remembered that in his past life, when he was working hard to prepare for graduate school entrance exams, he had specifically researched it for a few days. Unfortunately, he had never managed to achieve that state.

As for "Deep Learning," it seemed to him like a version of flow that allowed one to maintain high focus while reading, significantly increasing the speed of memorizing content.

Ever since he had gained the [Deep Sleep] trait, he had been full of energy every day. His memory had already improved significantly compared to before; if he were to enter a state of deep learning on top of that, the efficiency of his memorization would surely reach a terrifying level. It would be as if, in the same amount of time, while others could only read and memorize half a book, he could finish several.

As this thought crossed his mind, Xu Ming felt a slight stir. Reviewing Chinese literature suddenly felt incredibly simple.

Considering that entering this state would require extreme focus and make him less aware of external factors, he decided to wait until tomorrow morning to experience it, just in case he got too engrossed and missed his chance to return to the dormitory.

"I'll just go back and get some sleep early tonight."

He muttered to himself, then stopped stalling. He quickly tidied up his things, stood up, and caught up with his seatmate, Qian Hong.