I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 64: Medical Checkup

Modern day, classroom.

“Zheng Fa, you’re about to lose me!”

Zheng Fa looked up from his desk, dazed. It took him a moment to pull his mind away from the unrecognizable mathematical symbols before him and realize it was Wang Chen speaking.

Wang Chen looked utterly distraught.

“When you used to memorize textbooks, I put up with it!”

“When you ranked second in class and top ten in the grade, I endured it!”

“When you started getting all chummy with Tang Lingwu in that ambiguous way, I still held my tongue!”

“…”

Zheng Fa glanced at the Perfect Score Practice Test in his hands. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re memorizing test papers! And not just that—you’re picking the hardest questions to memorize!” Wang Chen sighed deeply. “After all these years of knowing you, I thought I had you figured out. But now you’re so insane it’s like I don’t even know you…”

Zheng Fa fell silent, then said, “Don’t even bother. I feel like a lunatic myself.”

“?”

“You don’t understand what it’s like to shove this disgusting nonsense into your brain just to survive… I feel like throwing up. I’m heading out.”

With that, Zheng Fa glanced at the time, shook his head, and walked downstairs. Today was his tutoring session with Tang Lingwu at Old Man Bai’s place.

Watching Zheng Fa leave, Wang Chen turned back to his desk mate. “Did he just insult himself? Did he lose his mind from all that studying?”

“Seems like it,” the desk mate replied, watching Wang Chen pull out a textbook and begin mumbling to himself.

“What are you doing?”

“Memorizing!” Wang Chen snapped, opening his eyes to glare. “Don’t interrupt my studying.”

“…Are you copying Zheng Fa?”

“So what if I am?”

“Didn’t you just criticize him?”

Wang Chen turned to his desk mate, incredulous. “You don’t feel like criticizing him?”

“…I do!”

“And you don’t want to become like him?”

“…I do!”

“Then do you have any more questions?”

…

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu walked side by side toward the faculty residences.

“Tang Lingwu, have you been preparing for the math competition?”

“Mm.” Tang Lingwu glanced at him, puzzled by such an obvious question.

“Have you ever come across problems that are especially difficult, ridiculously complex, and just plain infuriating?”

“I don’t understand why you’re asking me this.”

“Well, if you find any like that, could you send them to me?” Zheng Fa asked.

“What for?”

“I want to memorize them.”

There was no helping it. Picking questions for Senior Sister Zhang was no easy task.

Too simple, and they wouldn’t give her enough satisfaction, risking the loss of her support.

Too complex, like century-defining problems, wouldn’t work either. Senior Sister Zhang seemed to enjoy the thrill of conquering challenges, not the frustration of being utterly stumped.

And proof-based problems were a no-go—not only because she might not understand them but also because too many of those would reveal the difference between his mathematics and the system of the Xuanyi Realm.

He never underestimated the intelligence of a Golden Core genius.

With those constraints, he needed to focus on finding problems that were ridiculously tedious and calculation-heavy.

Zheng Fa figured he’d need to stockpile a good selection to keep Senior Sister Zhang satisfied.

Tang Lingwu was silent for a long time, not indicating whether she would agree.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Zheng Fa asked.

Tang Lingwu pursed her lips and finally said, “If the pressure is too much, I know a hospital that’s pretty good at dealing with this kind of thing.”

…

“Grandpa Bai went to the hospital?”

At Old Man Bai’s house, the two found that he wasn’t home. Instead, a middle-aged woman they hadn’t met before opened the door.

“Nothing serious. The old man’s getting on in years and goes for annual checkups.”

“And you are?”

“You must be Tang Lingwu and Zheng Fa. Come in,” the woman said, ushering them inside and introducing herself. “I’m his daughter.”

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu exchanged a look.

They both knew Old Man Bai’s daughter worked at Qingshui High School in logistics, but they’d never seen her before.

After they all sat in the living room, Old Man Bai’s daughter studied the two of them as if deciding how to phrase something.

Finally, she spoke. “I’ve heard a lot about you two from my father. He says you’re both hardworking and very smart.”

“…”

The two exchanged another look but stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Openings like this rarely led to compliments.

“I should also thank you two. I have my job, kids, and a busy home life. With you keeping my father company, it makes me feel more at ease.”

Seeing that Tang Lingwu wasn’t used to conversing with adults, Zheng Fa took the initiative. “Professor Bai is willing to teach us. We should be the ones thanking him.”

Old Man Bai’s daughter smiled. “He’s always been like this. Loves being around young people and refuses to admit he’s getting older. Even after retiring, he can’t let go of his mathematics and dreams of writing books in Jingcheng.”

Zheng Fa began to understand why she had invited them in.

“I brought him back to keep a closer eye on him,” she explained, laughing wryly. “But the old man refuses to live with us, says it’s too noisy, and insists on staying in this old house.”

“He doesn’t want to trouble you,” Zheng Fa noted.

She nodded. “You’re about the same age as my kids, so I’ll speak frankly. I want him to spend his later years resting and taking care of himself. I don’t mind him mentoring you, but…”

Her tone became firmer. “I won’t tolerate him staying up late drawing diagrams.”

Zheng Fa thought of the notebook back at his house.

“Do you understand what I mean?”

He and Tang Lingwu nodded. Clearly, she wanted them to avoid overburdening Old Man Bai, especially with late-night work.

Zheng Fa had a feeling the comment was aimed at him specifically.

“These words can only be said while he’s not here. Otherwise…”

Just then, the door opened, and Old Man Bai walked in, holding a white plastic bag from Second Hospital.

“Oh? You two are early,” he greeted them before spotting his daughter. His brow furrowed. “What have you been telling them?”

“Dad, how did the checkup go? What did the doctor say?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“They said the results will be available later on my phone. They gave me some meds—the same ones I’ve been taking for over ten years. I could write the prescriptions myself,” he replied. Then, turning back to her, he added, “You couldn’t convince me, so now you’re trying to persuade them?”

“Dad…”

“I told you, I’m perfectly fine,” he snapped, a trace of irritation in his tone.

“You? Fine?” His daughter wasn’t backing down. “You’d forget to eat or drink while working on your book, only to collapse in the library and scare the staff half to death! Why do you think I brought you back?”

“It was just low blood sugar. It’s nothing,” he muttered, his voice softening.

“You’re old! Do you understand what that means?” she countered, raising her voice. “Just wait for your test results. I’ll bet every problem you have will still be there.”

“It’s not like I’m going to die…” he grumbled, clearly lacking confidence. “First your mother watched over me when I was young, and now you’re doing the same in my old age…”

A notification chimed from his phone.

Old Man Bai glanced at the screen, his expression shifting slightly before he hastily put the phone down, looking oddly guilty.

“The results are out, aren’t they? Go on, check them!” his daughter demanded, giving him a pointed look.

“Fine, I’m not afraid!” he retorted, tapping the phone. But as he scrolled, his brows furrowed deeper, and his fingers moved quickly across the screen.

“What’s wrong? Is it serious?” His daughter’s tone softened with concern. “Should we go to Jingcheng for a more thorough checkup?”

“They must’ve mixed up the reports. This one says the patient has no health issues whatsoever—clearly not mine,” Old Man Bai replied, his certainty tinged with pride.

“You’re actually proud of being sick?!” his daughter exclaimed, laughing in exasperation.

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