Chapter 36: Catch the Light

Tan Mo wasn't very interested, but he didn't say no right away. The physics teacher was already talking at great length.

"First enrollment, in October, will be able to participate in the provincial region of the National High School Physics League, if the results in the province's top few will be able to enter the provincial team, I have also taken the award-winning students, but Tan Mo, your level of physics is even better than those students! Once you're in the provincial team, you can go to the winter camp, and if you win the first prize in the winter camp, you can go to the national training team! The national training team is taught by the best teachers in the country, and after two months of training, the best ones will be selected to represent the country in the International Physics Olympiad!"

The physics teacher gets more and more excited, as if Tan Mo has really won the gold medal in the International Physics Olympiad.

But I heard Tan Mo spit out two words icily.

"No go."

Physics teacher did not say okay, said to enter the national team "training", Tan Mo already little interest in the idea of even less interest.

The physics teacher's enthusiasm froze for a moment.

The homeroom teacher signaled to the physics teacher not to be anxious, and took over the conversation, slowly talking to Tan Mo in a tone of coaxing a small child.

"After so many exams, several teachers are very amazed by your talent in math and physics, that's why I want you to give it a try", the homeroom teacher sat on a chair not far away from Tan Mo, and continued, "The content of the knowledge that you have mastered is too advanced for high school students, and it is indeed a waste of time for you to attend classes here every day, instead of wasting time, it would be better to go to a higher level of education, to master a more profound knowledge. It's a waste of time for you to attend classes every day, instead of wasting your time, it's better to go to a higher level of education, to master the finer points of knowledge."

The homeroom teacher thought that Tan Mo was not interested in anything, but he was so good at math and physics. Talent is one thing, and love must be another big reason, so she wanted to use this aspect to attract Tan Mo.

As a result, Tan Mo heard two words, "No", and wanted to leave directly, so the class teacher hastened to add.

"Participating in the competition will also have a lot of benefits, Tan Mo I know you don't like being around your classmates and sitting in class every day, if you really win the prize, you'll be able to completely focus on just what you like, and you won't have to sit in class with the other classmates any more; and if you really win the prize later on and get the first place award, that's straight away a guaranteed transfer to the best university, you won't have to come back to attending classes, don't you want to?"

This can be too much of an attraction for students, especially Tan Mo. After all, Tan Mo hates campus life more than anything else, doesn't he?

Unfortunately, Tan Mo is still aloof, which is probably what he would mean if he could make faces.

You're so annoying.

"Don't want to," Tan Mo said coldly, adding after a pause, "I want to go to class."

He is not interested in any of the awards or training programs, he can come to class if he wants to, he can't if he doesn't want to, and no one can force him, the only reason why he is here now is because Qiao Lan is here; as for the guaranteed admission to the university, he is even more uninterested, even if he is really guaranteed admission, if Qiao Lan isn't in the university in the future...

At that thought, Tan Mo froze abruptly.

Tan Mo seems to have realized that he doesn't have any specific plans for the future, and if he does, it's Qiao Lan.

He didn't want to go to some physics competition because she was here.

Since I don't know where Qiao Lan will be in the future, I won't decide too soon where I will be.

He didn't hesitate at all, it was just so natural for him to write the name of a person in the blank screen of his future.

Qiao Lan.

That's the only name, nothing else.

For the first time, Tan Mo clearly sensed that she had developed a strong sense of dependence on Qiao Lan, a sense of following her.

The phrase, follow the light, suddenly came to him.

No need to think or distinguish, Qiao Lan is his light, and where the light is, he is.

And away from the light, life would revert to the darkness it had once been, perhaps even harder, and he suddenly remembered a poem by Emily Dickinson.

Had I not seen the Sun

I could have borne the shade

I could have lived with the darkness.

If I never see the sun

But Tan Mo couldn't help thinking about the last two lines of the poem.

But Light a newer Wilderness

My Wilderness has made

But the sun that shines on me

A new wilderness.

Tan Mo couldn't figure out what that meant, he only knew that he couldn't get away from this light, this sunshine, like the grass that couldn't get away from the sun.

Without light, it will die.

The classroom teacher was astonished with an unexpected look: .......????

Tan Mo used to hate going to class and disliked the hustle and bustle of campus life, but what happened? He also thought that participating in the competition was like a tailor-made life track for Tan Mo, but Tan Mo rejected it so decisively.

Tan Mo didn't have to satisfy the curiosity of his homeroom teacher and turned around after reconfirming that he wouldn't be there.

The physics teacher and the homeroom teacher looked at each other in dismay, and after finally sighing to each other, the homeroom teacher picked up the book on her desk and hurriedly ran in Tan Mo's direction as well.

The next class was the language class of class XIV and he was going to the class as well.

The class teacher walked very fast, a few steps to Tan Mo's side not far, do not give up and persuade Tan Mo several times, and finally even for the school to compete for their own glory this kind of scene, but Tan Mo did not even turn his head a little bit, the class teacher finally gave up.

Forget it, the homeroom teacher shook his head, "Right there's one more thing, I forgot to tell you, our school has set up a scholarship mechanism, do you know it."

"I don't know."

"I knew that you definitely don't know", the homeroom teacher cheerfully laughed, "Our school has specially set up a scholarship system in order to encourage students to study, with one first prize, three second prizes, and six third prizes, and judgments are made based on the last two final exams of the two semesters of the yearly grade. The first prize has five thousand dollars, the second prize is three thousand dollars, and the third prize is one thousand dollars, if there is no accident, the first prize should be you not running."

The students who won the first prize got a bonus, and the class teacher who brought out the first prize students also had a good look on his face. The class teacher felt that it was not too easy for Tan Mo to get this first prize, after all, the scores in every test were ridiculously high.

Saying that, a turn of the head suddenly realized that Tan Mo was sitting still in his chair, "What's wrong?"

Lost something?

Tan Mo looked up thoughtfully, "What are the conditions for winning first prize."

"And you're worried about that, you're sure it's no problem." , the homeroom teacher was happy, "It's all about the last final exam scores of the two semesters, and whoever has the highest score when the two scores are added together, the first prize will be theirs."

Tan Mo will get the first prize, Qiao Lan and Chen Yaoyang will get the second prize, and if Pei Ning or Song Yao are lucky enough to be a bit more competitive at the end of the semester, there might even be a third prize.

That would be so dignified for him.

The more the class teacher thought about it, the happier he was, subconsciously wanting to reach out and pat Tan Mo's shoulder, his hand stretched out and then retracted, "The bell is about to ring, quickly go back to class."

Tan Mo returned to the classroom, Qiao Lan looked at the time, it was almost time for class to start, Tan Mo had been out a bit too long this time.

"Is the homeroom teacher looking for you for something important", Qiao Lan asked Tan Mo.

"No", Tan Mo Dao, thought it best to make it clear to Qiao Lan, summarizing in a few words what the physics teacher had said, and his own attitude.

Qiao Lan nodded, no wonder the homeroom teacher was jubilant.

But Tan Mo's refusal was totally unexpected, and she didn't really want Tan Mo to go.

As soon as Qiao Lan remembered that Tan Mo had been away for two years in the book, and her whole body had turned into a major depression, she felt that it would be better to let Tan Mo be safe and sound under her watch. I've heard that students who participate in competitions usually need intensive training, and Tan Mo's physical condition is not suitable for intensive training at all, so who dares to guarantee that there will not be any problems.

Winning is honorable, but safety is more important.

Qiao Lan's attitude made Tan Mo a little puzzled, he sat in silence for a long time, wanting to ask Qiao Lan what, but this class is English, and the English teacher absolutely does not allow anyone to talk in class.

Tan Mo turned around and looked at Qiao Lan who was secretly doing math in English class, took out a piece of paper from her school bag, wrote a few words and silently pushed it over to Qiao Lan.

Qiao Lan was surprised to see this little note for a long time before she took it.

Tan Mo asks her if she wants him to go to the competition.

Qiao Lan puts pen to paper quickly, then pushes the note back.

-Don't want to.

Tan Mo stared fixedly at the clean two words on the note for a long time before clamping it solemnly in his book and then plopping himself down on the table, secretly, unable to stop his face from moving.

It was a still slightly odd, but uncontrolled smile from the heart.