"Now first of all, we must firmly keep in mind that the square root of $ab$ is less than or equal to half the sum of $a$ plus $b$. This is the most basic fundamental inequality, which was on the last exam, and then... Here is an example problem. Try solving it first according to your own understanding, then explain your train of thought to me, and I will correct whatever you do wrong."
Holding a pen, Ansheng listened. Although Miaomiao always seemed a bit unserious when she spoke to him, he was actually paying close attention. He could grasp the key points with very little guidance from Miaomiao.
Watching Ansheng furrow his brow and scribble furiously across the paper, Miaomiao couldn't help feeling a bit curious.
"I think you learn pretty fast. Most of the previous exams weren't that difficult, were they?"
The unspoken implication was a bit of puzzlement: with Ansheng's ability, even with just a little previewing, he shouldn't have been at the bottom of the class.
Ansheng's hand paused. *Is this woman deliberately mocking me?*
He raised his head and happened to meet Miaomiao's sincere, curious, and clear gaze.
"Hmm?" Miaomiao tilted her head and continued to ask.
Ansheng silently lowered his head and went back to writing, feeling that this woman was actually quite simple-minded at the core...
"I didn't preview high school knowledge at all. I was purely guessing blindly and only did the multiple-choice questions."
Miaomiao let out a long "Oh," revealing an expression of sudden realization. She had completely forgotten that Ansheng hadn't reviewed at all.
Ansheng's mouth twitched. Although he knew she hadn't meant to mock him or anything, for some reason he really wanted to hit her.
Learning this, Miaomiao rested her chin in her hands and blankly gazed at Ansheng's room full of anime merchandise while waiting.
That example problem was a comprehensive one, and Ansheng still needed a moment to sort out his thoughts.
"Did you buy all of these?"
After a minute or two of silence, Miaomiao looked at the figures.
Without even looking back, Ansheng knew what she was talking about. "Yeah."
Miaomiao was a bit puzzled. "Is there any point in buying these? People usually say things like money, time, and energy are wasted..."
*Click—*
Ansheng's mechanical pencil lead snapped with a crisp sound. He leisurely replaced it with a new lead and turned the question back on her.
"What do you think is the meaning of life?"
"Life?" Miaomiao was startled. She had never thought about questions like this before.
Frowning in thought for several minutes, she hesitantly began, "Is it to constantly learn and understand a broader world?"
"That's just the meaning of your life, not mine," Ansheng said flatly.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying the meaning of my life is definitely not your so-called understanding the world. I wouldn't even think about such brain-dead questions in the first place; I'm no philosopher."
"For ordinary people like us, thinking too deeply about the meaning of life is useless anyway. There is no meaning; life just happens because your parents had that act, and you were born. It's as simple as that."
Miaomiao was left speechless, momentarily not knowing how to reply. After pondering for a bit, she couldn't help speaking up.
"Then... you were the one who asked me about the meaning of life."
"I just wanted to sass you."
Ansheng spoke unhurriedly, making Miaomiao's face stiffen.
"As for that question just now—you asked me if there's any point in me buying these."
"Now I can tell you clearly: these things might be meaningless to you, and perhaps to everyone else in the world except me, even to fellow enthusiasts who are just as willing to collect these figures as I am."
"Some people simply watch a work they like and want to gather all the characters from the anime; others are touched by a certain character in a work and fall in love with buying all their merchandise from then on. Even if they look expensive in your eyes, as long as it's within their disposable budget, they will definitely buy them."
Ansheng spoke these words in a flat tone, leaving Miaomiao somewhat startled. He usually looked like nothing was any of his business, yet he was actually willing to say so much with such genuine seriousness.
"Then... which type are you?" Miaomiao couldn't help asking out of curiosity.
"Probably leaning toward the latter."
Ansheng lightly tapped his pen. He had already finished the problem, and he pointed to a figure of a short-haired girl on the upper shelf of the TV cabinet—wearing a white beret, a red knit sweater, and a white skirt.
"This character's name is Katō Megumi. I bought quite a few figures of this character because I like her personality as portrayed in the story: calm, rational, agreeable, and kind. At first, she wasn't interested in two-dimensional culture at all, but she was still willing to listen to the male lead's 'sermons' and never argued with his hobbies."
"To me, this is a very precious trait."
Miaomiao asked in confusion, "Have other people sneered at your hobbies to your face before?"
Ansheng's expression changed slightly. He coughed a few times and sidestepped the question.
"Anyway, I like this character, so I paid for it. The meaning is that this character can give me a warm feeling, which people who don't understand can't experience. So I don't need to care if others criticize my behavior."
"But I will still inevitably get angry."
Ansheng cast a sidelong glance at Miaomiao. Catching the faint warning hidden in his gaze, Miaomiao instantly realized this was a caution directed at her.
She instinctively straightened up and apologized, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier..."
Ansheng waved a hand. "You were just puzzled. You're much better than those people who said it to my face. Come on, I'm done with this problem. Take a look."
Miaomiao took Ansheng's exercise notebook. The problem had been solved perfectly, with the steps neatly written out to the side.
"Whoa... completely correct!"
Ansheng stretched out a huge lazy stretch, put down his pen, and lay straight back on the sofa. "Alright, I'm taking a break. This math is seriously not something humans are meant to study."
Miaomiao didn't reply, and Ansheng took her silence as consent.
After a long silence, Miaomiao suddenly spoke up with a hint of admiration, "Actually, I feel like... you guys who can have your own hobbies are amazing."
"Oh?" Ansheng shifted his gaze to look at Miaomiao, who was sitting upright.
"I haven't had any hobbies since I was little, so I'm just a bit envious."
Miaomiao stood up and pointed to the edge of the sofa to signal whether she could sit there. Ansheng nodded.
Leaning against the sofa, Miaomiao's bright eyes held a trace of inexplicable loneliness.
"You didn't like anything when you were a kid?" Ansheng asked, his curiosity piqued.
Miaomiao shook her head, offering a wry smile for the first time in front of Ansheng.
"Ever since I was little, it's basically been all about studying and attending various cram schools. I've barely touched anything unrelated to studying."
"Your parents forced you?"
Miaomiao hesitated for a moment and shook her head slightly, which made Ansheng feel even stranger.
Logically speaking, isn't playing a child's nature? Since her parents didn't force her, this must have come purely from her own idea to keep studying and exploring knowledge endlessly.
He clicked his tongue, finding Miaomiao somewhat terrifying, and the phrase *'bearing the aura of a supreme emperor'* subconsciously flashed through his mind.
"No wonder your grades are always so good, and you're studying even during breaks."
Miaomiao took out the key ring Ansheng had picked up earlier and stroked the little plush white cat.
"I had to do it..."
She murmured softly. Ansheng frowned, not hearing clearly.
"What did you say?"
Miaomiao shook her head and smiled at Ansheng. "I said I'll help you tutor your homework for an extra week."
Ansheng was stunned, his eyes widening.
"Grandma, what grave sin did I commit for you to do this to me?!"
"As an apology for passing judgment on your hobby just now..."
Ansheng's mouth twitched, and he gave an awkward smile. "I didn't take that to heart... How about... forget it?"
Miaomiao pressed her lips together, broke into a smile, and shook her head.
Ansheng let out a long sigh. "First you treat me to noodles, and now you insist on tutoring me. Exactly how did I offend you?"
Miaomiao was startled. "You didn't?"
"Then why did you suddenly treat me to noodles earlier?"
Miaomiao hesitated. Realizing that she seemed to have already blurted out the words "I'm sorry" just a moment ago, she gritted her teeth and explained.
"It's just... I mistook you for a stalker before and even caused the classmates to hate you... I just wanted to make it up to you and apologize."
Ansheng raised an eyebrow. "Just for that?" If she hadn't brought it up, he probably would have forgotten all about it in a few days.
"Yeah."
Ansheng helplessly spread his hands. "Thanks, but I don't really care. To be fair, me being disliked wasn't your fault; I would have been disliked even if we weren't in the same class. You can't blame yourself for that."
"You really are something else."
Miaomiao's heart had felt a bit warm listening to Ansheng's explanation, but hearing his final remark made a nameless fire flare right up.
*What do you even mean by that?! A girl worried about you for so long and kept trying to make it up to you and apologize, and what is that supposed to mean—'you really are something else'?? Who are you looking down on?!*
Ansheng's original intent was just that Miaomiao's impact on him was negligible; his brain had simply short-circuited for a second combined with his somewhat lacking verbal expression skills.
"Sit down. I'm going to teach you a big problem."
Miaomiao said coldly, sitting back down on the carpet. Ansheng was taken aback. "Aren't we already finished?"
"Hurry up!"
"It's going to be six o'clock."
"Shut up!"