“How do we choose the book?”
“Limit it to the scope of classical literature.” Jian Shuye leaned back in her chair. “To prevent unfairness, we’ll decide by drawing lots. Each of us picks five books, and we’ll mix them together.”
Ji Yin nodded. “We draw lots for the book. What about the excerpt selection?”
Jian Shuye replied, “Being too unfamiliar isn’t good for either person’s performance. We’ll each choose our own excerpts.”
She’s even considering the viewing quality of the article? Ha, this girl…
Lin Yi exchanged a look with the poor female club member. They saw helplessness and resignation in each other’s eyes.
They were like two dolls, being manipulated at will by the club president above them.
Just you wait, Ha… Jian Shuye! One day, I, Lin Yi, will turn the tables!
Jian Shuye and Ji Yin each wrote book titles on slips of paper, crumpled them into balls, and placed them in a box.
“Hold on.” Ji Yin held out her palm. “Draw three. Choose one from three.”
“Whatever, I’m fine with it.”
So they each grabbed three paper balls and placed them in front of Lin Yi and the female club member.
Jian Shuye didn’t move. Lin Yi knew what she was thinking. This girl was too lazy to open them herself and wanted Lin Yi to do it for her.
Lazy! Shameless!
Lin Yi glanced at them. The three Jian Shuye drew were decent: Dream of the Red Chamber, Don Quixote, and The Moonstone.
Excluding The Moonstone, which Lin Yi had never even heard of, Jian Shuye’s gaze lingered on Dream of the Red Chamber, clearly deep in thought.
Ha… Jian Shuye! What are you planning?!
As everyone knows, the more well-known a work is, the harder it is to critique. On the other hand, with niche or foreign works, you can spout nonsense and the other side might not even know if you’re right or wrong.
“This one.” Jian Shuye tilted her chin up. “Chapter fifty-eight.”
Lin Yi had no concept of which chapter was which and couldn’t voice support or opposition.
“Really?”
Lin Yi opened her phone. Since the Classical Literature Club had no classical literature, they could only use e-books for reference.
At the same time, the other two had also chosen their work. They exchanged a smile and jointly selected Sherlock Holmes.
This might be the only book in this classroom that satisfied both “classical” and “detective” aspects.
Ji Yin directly pulled the collection from the bookshelf and said to Jian Shuye, “Hmph, just be jealous of our good luck. I don’t know if you’ve even read this masterpiece from the Victorian era. If not, I have reasonable doubts about whether you can even understand a book review…”
Jian Shuye’s eyes turned somewhat cold. “You just name the chapter. I’ll recite the method and the murderer’s name for you.”
Ji Yin clicked her tongue and stopped engaging with Jian Shuye, instead starting to discuss with her club member which passage to write about.
“Fifteen-minute time limit. After reading, write the appreciation.” Jian Shuye started a timer. “Handwritten.”
Lin Yi had never read Dream of the Red Chamber, not even in her previous life. She forgot it right after the exam.
If you asked her what the book was about, she only knew how to look for the racy parts. As for humanistic sentiments, feudal critiques, and the like, she learned none of that.
At times like this, she could only use the backup energy source.
—System Bro, can I get an appreciation assist, please? I’m begging you!
[Detected that the host’s current conditions are below the average activity level. Activate assistance?]
—The USB drive is plugged in. Turn it on!
[Assistance activated.]
Lin Yi’s body began to move on its own.
Any trace of goofiness was gone from her face. Now, it was etched with determination.
In her field of vision, the System Panel automatically opened, jumping to the inventory interface.
Shocked. I, Lin Yi, get to see the system operate itself in this lifetime. It’s as absurd as making an AI write its own code.
[Item used: Brainstorm Card *1 (briefly increases Intelligence level for 30 minutes). Writing Lv.2 Bonus is active.]
[Intelligence up. Temporarily increased to Intelligence: B.]
—What does that mean?
Ha… System, do you think my current intelligence is completely incapable of writing this appreciation?
You have to use this card to remind me?
Get lost, get lost! Let me write it myself!
The system did not respond.
Once assistance was activated, it couldn’t be stopped voluntarily unless the assisted goal was completed. Lin Yi could only watch as, with the system’s help, she became like that kid who took a speed-reading course, scanning ten lines at a glance to finish the original text.
Then, Lin Yi swiftly snatched the draft paper from Jian Shuye’s hand, also taking the sketching pencil she was holding.
Jian Shuye was stunned for a moment, then slowly turned her head to look at Lin Yi, who was now writing furiously.
The air in the room suddenly grew much colder. Winter had descended between the two of them.
Wahhh, it wasn’t me! It really wasn’t me! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!
She didn’t dare to glance at Jian Shuye’s expression out of the corner of her eye, afraid she’d be scared.
Seeing Lin Yi had already started writing the appreciation, the other two couldn’t hold back either. After making their selection, they also took draft paper and black pens and began writing.
And so, on an ordinary, quiet afternoon, the Classical Literature Club finally welcomed a normal club activity.
Only the sound of two people writing remained in the classroom.
Jian Shuye crossed her arms, her index finger tapping rhythmically on her forearm.
Ji Yin sat on another desk, legs swinging, a confident smile on her face.
Soon, Lin Yi finished first.
[Assistance ended.]
[Sublimated writing has been performed according to the host’s inner thoughts.]
[Please consciously train according to the assistance standard. Becoming a famous literary master is just around the corner.]*
She finally regained control of her body.
Quick, quick, quick! Very urgent, very urgent!
What inner thoughts? She didn’t acknowledge them at all!
The first thing Lin Yi wanted to do right now was tear up this appreciation. She’d rather lose than let it be exposed!
Especially not letting Jian Shuye see it. Otherwise…
Just then, Jian Shuye also leaned in. Their heads bumped together, and they both warily pulled back.
Jian Shuye brushed the hair by her ear and reached out her hand. “I’ll look first.”
“Is that really okay? Maybe I should revise it a bit more?”
“I’ll count to three…”
“Please, have a look!”
Lin Yi caved.
Jian Shuye’s eyes moved left and right as she read.
At first, she just looked on expressionlessly.
Later, she pursed her lips and brought the draft paper closer.
Finally, she seemed thoughtful and glanced at Lin Yi for the first time.
Then a second time.
Finally, a third time.
She carefully folded the draft paper, placed it on the table, coughed once, and asked the other side, “Ready?”
“Ready!”
Both appreciations were out. Rock-paper-scissors decided the order.
Lin Yi’s luck was always bad. She lost at rock-paper-scissors. The other side would present their appreciation first.
Ji Yin cleared her throat and began reading from the draft.
“In ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,’ the married Watson visits Holmes…”
“Genius and madness can perfectly merge in Holmes. He only cares about the cold, hard truth, while Watson is the opposite, a warm and soft companion…”
“I prefer the emotional outpouring in ‘The Final Problem,’ after Holmes and Moriarty perish together, and Watson loses his beloved…”
“The relational nature between the two perhaps long ago transcended ordinary friendship, becoming something carved deep into each other’s souls…”
After reading a full five hundred words of appreciation, Ji Yin placed the draft paper against her chest.
This was enough. This was just right.
This was what they pursued!
They had to let the whole world understand that indescribable feeling between Holmes and Watson.
Perfect score!
Ji Yin said with a smile, “One hundred points. That’s the upper limit of the rules, not the upper limit I give this appreciation.”
“Zero points.” Jian Shuye said without hesitation. “From a literary perspective, it failed to break free from the shackles of parroting others.”
“Then you—”
“Hear me out first.” Jian Shuye interrupted. “Originally, even so, it wouldn’t be zero points. But you made a technical error.”
“Where’s the error?” Ji Yin spread out the draft paper, searching.
Jian Shuye sighed. “In order to fully describe the relational nature between the two, you’ve already exceeded the scope of ‘excerpt.’ You jumped from ‘The Blue Carbuncle’ to ‘The Final Problem.’ So, by the rules, I can only give you zero points.”
Ji Yin was speechless.
This showed that being too deeply invested was truly harmful!