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Chapter 15: The Resounding Shadow
"How could you finish so quickly?" Mr. Li frowned. He had only given Gu Lu the topics for the Ye Shengtao Cup two days ago, and now here he was claiming he'd already written his essay.
He didn’t take it seriously at all!
The Ye Shengtao Cup wasn’t some district-level writing contest—it was a national competition!
Mr. Li didn’t reach out to take the workbook. "There’s still plenty of time before the submission deadline. Why don’t you think it over again?"
"I chose topic number two," Gu Lu explained. "Once I got home, inspiration just flowed. So I rushed to bring it to you right away."
Ah, so he was just overly excited. Mr. Li could understand that.
"Alright then, let me take a look," Mr. Li said cautiously. "But be prepared for revisions."
"No problem." Gu Lu nodded, fully aware.
As the student walked away, Mr. Li sighed. He didn’t have time to read it now—he was in a rush to teach another class. He taught two classes but was only the homeroom teacher for Class Five.
On his way through the corridor, Mr. Li bumped into the grade director, who was hurrying somewhere. Lately, orders from the cultural department had forced the principal to implement various initiatives, including the recent seating rearrangements pairing struggling students with high achievers.
Now there was talk of a new campaign called “Understanding Student Life,” requiring every homeroom teacher to conduct dorm inspections during lunch breaks.
Was this even necessary? Teachers were already swamped with responsibilities—why add more trouble?
While teachers grumbled, Gu Lu felt quite cheerful as he headed back to the classroom. Another task completed!
The Ye Shengtao Cup should go smoother than the Bingxin Cup. The submission for the latter was adapted from a movie, but the former came straight from the pen of Professor Meng Xianming, a renowned figure in literature at HE University and editor-in-chief of its publishing house. His work was exceptional.
Gu Lu couldn’t help but think, Come on, my cheat, trigger soon—I’m running low on material!
Items like the "Reconciliation Charm" worked wonders in school settings. Thanks to that little note, he’d successfully reconciled with Zhou Lin and even scored snacks from her.
After coming to this world for several days, Gu Lu had seen mostly positive aspects of school life, but schools weren’t always sunshine and rainbows. There were darker sides too—like bullying.
“Meet me by Xiaoxitian after school. Don’t skip.” During break, Wang Wenjun, Zhao Juan’s ex-boyfriend, approached Gu Lu.
“Are you really dating Zhao Juan?” Zhou Lin asked curiously.
“Of course not,” Gu Lu replied matter-of-factly. Gu Lu at least had around twenty years of life in his previous life, and besides, his aesthetic preference was for mature types
“Then why is he asking you to meet him after school?” Zhou Lin wondered aloud.
“I’m curious too,” Gu Lu admitted.
“They say Wang Wenjun knows some big-shot delinquents outside school,” Zhou Lin warned. “Be careful. If things get bad, tell a teacher.”
“I’ll consider your advice,” Gu Lu replied calmly.
To adults, vocational high schoolers or idle loafers often seemed insignificant. But to middle and high school students, a simple phrase like “I know people on the streets” carried weight.
From the original host’s memories, Gu Lu recalled that some girls in their grade proudly dated gang members…
“If memory serves, isn’t Wang Wenjun considered something of a class bully?” Gu Lu pondered.
Not exactly Hollywood-level tyrants, but Wang Wenjun wasn’t above borrowing money from classmates without returning it or snatching stationery. One of his favorite pastimes involved standing casually with three or four others at the school gate, pointing fingers and mocking passing classmates.
Since Wang Wenjun held this “bully” status, few dared to challenge him—not even Fan Xiaotian, despite witnessing such behavior firsthand.
Meanwhile, Zhao Juan confronted Wang Wenjun, leading to a heated argument.
Though Gu Lu felt confident due to his age and experience, he knew better than to underestimate teenagers. Their actions could be unpredictable—and sometimes harsher than those of adults. After all, minors enjoyed legal protections, so caution was key.
---
The first afternoon class passed in a blur.
Back in the office, Mr. Li finally began reading the essay Gu Lu had handed in earlier.
"The Resounding Shadow?" Mr. Li muttered, glancing at the title.
He opened the document on his laptop. Like many others, Mr. Li’s desktop was cluttered with files—a stark contrast to those meticulously organized folders some people maintained.
That printed A4 sheet with the prompt was still fresh in his mind. Topic Two required writing a speech for a book club event.
"Did he misunderstand the assignment because he’s nervous about his first competition?" Mr. Li thought uneasily, scanning the opening lines.
[Influence.
An influencer echoes shadows.
Some call it: The Resounding Shadow.
An ‘influence’ that has resonated throughout history.]
Honestly speaking, as a literature teacher, Mr. Li had drilled techniques for scoring high marks in essays: quoting famous figures, crafting unique openings, using parallel structures for dramatic effect. These tricks were akin to classical Chinese literary forms like breaking themes and concluding remarks.
Gu Lu’s introduction did resemble a speech—but it was cryptic.
However, as Mr. Li continued reading, his expression shifted. He understood what “the resounding shadow” referred to: human thoughts, consciousness, psychology—all ephemeral yet impactful concepts.
"Why did humanity's shadow remain silent initially?"
The essay provided an answer:
[Thousands of years later, a legendary hero emerged—one with four eyes capable of seeing through worldly chaos. His name was Cang Jie! From then on, humanity’s shadow roared with sound. Rain poured grains; ghosts wept at night. Influence ceased to belong solely to gods!]
By this point, the brilliance of the piece became clear. Far from straying off-topic, this was a masterful start rooted in ancient Chinese legend—the creation of characters by Cang Jie.
"The scope of the opening is breathtaking," Mr. Li murmured.
The essay only grew stronger, especially toward the end. Unlike the enigmatic beginning, the conclusion was nothing short of spectacular:
[The scent of ink fills the room, silence reigns supreme. Of all quiet things, none are quieter than books.
Pages turn softly, deafening the soul. Of all loud things, none are louder than books!]
When Mr. Li finished reading, one thought dominated his mind: Did Gu Lu really write this?
Sure, Mr. Li knew Gu Lu was a decent writer, but not this good. Though doubting students wasn’t ideal, Mr. Li couldn’t help but wonder if such talent truly existed within his classroom. Could he himself have written something like this? Unlikely.
A quick internet search revealed no plagiarism—none whatsoever! This was entirely original.
Mr. Li recalled Gu Lu mentioning a sudden burst of inspiration. Was it possible for someone to produce such brilliance in one sitting?
What changes remained? Mr. Li spotted two typos. Other than that, the piece was flawless.
An idea struck Mr. Li: If Gu Lu maintained this level of quality, perhaps winning the Ye Shengtao Cup wasn’t far-fetched after all…
---
After school, Gu Lu arrived at Xiaoxitian.
Technically, it was just the school’s side entrance, opposite a street lined with shops selling incense, candles, and paper offerings. One shop, named [Xitian Incense & Candle Wholesale], lent the area its nickname: “Little Western Paradise.”
No. 37 Middle School typically kept its main gate open while closing the rear and side entrances. Thus, Xiaoxitian became a common spot for students to settle disputes—though these “fights” rarely escalated beyond shouting matches between groups.
……………
TLN 1: The essay The Resounding Shadow is challenging to translate into easily understandable English. It primarily explores the evolution of Chinese characters, tracing how they transformed from individual symbols into phrases, then into sentences, and ultimately into literature. Due to the fundamental differences between the Chinese writing system and English, explaining each concept would require extensive footnotes, which would disrupt the reading flow. So, if the excerpts of the essay are difficult to understand, it’s perfectly fine to skip them without affecting the overall story. Think of it as an impressive and unexpected piece of writing unexpected by the teacher.
TLN 2: The Xitian (西天) lore in Chinese culture refers to a concept related to Buddhism, specifically to the "Western Paradise," a key element of Buddhist cosmology and mythology. The term Xitian literally means "Western Heaven" or "Western Paradise," and it is often associated with the Western Pure Land of Amitābha Buddha (also known as the "Amituofo" in Chinese).
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