C14 Wu Suowei's Trust!

Wu Suowei's Trust

After class, Wu Suowei caught Ye Yu's eye as he was leaving, signaling for him to follow. Ye Yu rose and trailed Wu Suowei to his office to collect a reward.

The office was a spacious, standalone room lined with shelves of mathematical texts. In the center stood a large desk, incongruously neat with the traditional scholar's 'Four Treasures' set against the scholarly backdrop.

"Take a look around; I need to find something," Wu Suowei said as he entered the office and began rummaging through a drawer.

Approaching the desk, Ye Yu noticed a sheet of rice paper with a sentence of elegant calligraphy.

"Teacher, your handwriting is impressive," Ye Yu remarked, admiring the strong yet graceful strokes.

"You appreciate calligraphy?"

"I may not understand it, but I can sense the rhythm in your writing. It's structured yet spontaneous. You're not as stiff as you seem!"

Ye Yu smiled at Wu Suowei, who had turned to face him.

Wu Suowei laid another paper on the desk, chuckling and playfully chiding Ye Yu. "I'm thorough with my studies, but as for life, I embrace it with ease, just as you said."

"You heard that?" Ye Yu blushed, recalling his words to Han Xue in class.

Wu Suowei pointed at Ye Yu, "I've overheard quite a bit. You've certainly charmed the Han family's young lady!"

"The Han family? You seem quite acquainted with Han Xue," Ye Yu mused, sensing there was more to her background.

"I've met Han Xue's grandfather a few times—a true national luminary. If you want her as your girlfriend, you'll need to put in the effort."

"You're teasing me. I haven't planned that far ahead."

Wu Suowei grew serious. "Do you know why I asked you here?"

Ye Yu shook his head.

"Take a look at this." Wu Suowei passed the paper from the desk to Ye Yu.

Ye Yu examined it. "What's this?"

"The Princeton University Mathematics Competition! Surely you've heard of it. A strong performance could be your ticket to university admission or studying abroad."

Ye Yu set the paper down, locking eyes with Wu Suowei. "I'm aware. It's one of the most prestigious math competitions globally. I just didn't expect you'd want me to compete."

Sitting back, Wu Suowei sighed. "We've been lacking notable success for some time. I'm hoping you'll lead our team to victory."

"You truly believe I can win?" Ye Yu asked, surprised by the depth of Wu Suowei's faith in him.

"I do believe in you! Your confidence convinces me," Wu Suowei affirmed.

Buoyed by his teacher's trust, Ye Yu stood tall. "I won't disappoint you."

"Good," Wu Suowei nodded, content. "The competition is at year's end. You have six months. I'll train you thoroughly, so no complaints, alright?"

"Of course I won't complain!"

"One mustn't turn down a reward from their elders. As it's your first mission, I'll grant you the opportunity for a lottery draw!"

Can I really receive a reward for this? The reward seems to have a spiritual quality to it.