Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C46

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Chapter 46: I Know

A series of events had turned Gu Lu into a standout figure in the class. The proof? Most students had listened attentively as Ren Jie read aloud from the newspaper just moments ago.

“I should read more books too—uh, if I can remember,” Zhou Lin said thoughtfully. “I just feel like there’s never enough time.”

“The more time you have, the more you read; the more you read, the less time you seem to have. The less time you have, the fewer books you read—which means having more time actually means having less,” Gu Lu began rambling cryptically.

“Huh?” Zhou Lin stared at him blankly before lunging forward with an exaggerated swipe—Nine Yin White Bone Claw style!

Sunday had been fulfilling, offering a brief reprieve from the intense grind of exam preparation.

Creation was hard; destruction was easy. It had taken hours to decorate the classroom, but cleaning it up only required two or three people and less than half an hour.

By the way, here’s something that might seem strange outside Chongqing but was perfectly normal within the city: Why could Zhao Juan and others peek through the window while Gu Lu was being interviewed, even though their classroom was on the third floor?

Were they floating mid-air?

Of course not—they weren’t ghosts.

The stairs led to the third floor, while the windows opened onto the ground level. This made perfect sense in a place known for its 5D magical urban landscape, didn’t it?

Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere of the class, Gu Lu found himself anxiously awaiting the results of the final competition.

Another Saturday arrived.

Knock, knock—two rhythmic taps sounded at the door.

The softness of the knocks suggested the visitor wasn’t exerting much force. In an instant, Gu Lu’s mind conjured the identity of the person standing outside. His younger sister, Gu Jiayu, had arrived.

This conclusion came almost instinctively, and Gu Lu realized once again how close the original body’s relationship with his sister truly was.

Opening the door confirmed his guess: there stood Gu Jiayu, drenched in sweat, holding a bag full of snacks.

Every two or three months, Gu Jiayu would find a way to visit her older brother. As for why these visits were so infrequent…their mother forbade them, and she dared not disobey.

To be fair, the original body’s ability to save over thirty yuan despite dire circumstances was partly due to his frugality—and partly thanks to Gu Jiayu’s contributions.

“Look, Brother, these are cream-filled cookies, egg yolk cakes, stinky tofu (my favorite!), and Little Chef Xiao Fu Gui snacks,” Gu Jiayu listed enthusiastically.

Why buy so many snacks?! Why not stock up on rice, flour, oil, or other essentials instead? But then Gu Lu remembered—Gu Jiayu was only in seventh grade, barely thirteen years old.

“How did you get here? Did you take public transport by yourself?” Gu Lu asked.

“Uncle Xiao drove me here,” she replied.

Good. Gu Lu nodded, relieved. From the original body’s memories, he knew their stepfather lived in Bishan, twenty or thirty kilometers away. A young girl traveling alone would’ve been far too dangerous.

“Come on, today your big brother will treat you to something good.” Perhaps it was a natural response, but Gu Lu felt an immediate warmth toward his little sister, no trace of estrangement.

Coincidentally, Gu Lu hadn’t eaten yet either. At this point, he considered himself somewhat well-off, with several thousand yuan sitting snugly in his bank account.

If he pushed a bit harder, he might even become a “ten-thousand-yuan household”!

What did that mean? His net worth likely surpassed that of every single one of his classmates.

“What? Eat out?” Gu Jiayu hesitated.

“Come on, I’m rich now. Plus, I got you a present,” Gu Lu said, already heading out the door.

Unable to resist her brother’s insistence, Gu Jiayu reluctantly followed behind, pondering how to give him dinner money without hurting his pride.

“This is ten yuan. Mom remarried, and they have another child now. There’ll be times when they can’t look after you properly. If you ever go hungry, use this to buy food. Don’t be too thrifty. Once it’s gone, I’ll give you more next time we meet.”

Gu Jiayu vividly remembered the first time she visited her brother after their parents’ divorce. He had said those exact words to her.

In truth, she had saved dozens of yuan intending to give it to him, but before she could say anything, he shoved ten crumpled bills into her hands.

She remembered it clearly—the money wasn’t in whole notes. It was a mix of coins and loose change.

She had wanted to tell him that she had never gone hungry—but the words never left her lips.

The siblings arrived at a nearby skewer hotpot restaurant called “Xiao Fang’s Place.” Oddly, the owner wasn’t named Xiao Fang—perhaps it was the husband’s name?

Compared to traditional hotpot, skewer-style dining was more affordable. Gu Lu was feeling peckish himself, so he ordered a variety of dishes.

“This is for you,” Gu Lu handed her a small package.

“Story Digest?” Gu Jiayu looked puzzled, holding two magazines.

“My article got published in Story Digest, so I earned some royalties,” Gu Lu explained.

“Really?” Gu Jiayu eagerly flipped through the pages, finding four stories credited to [Gu Lu] in the table of contents.

“Brother, you’re amazing! So amazing! You actually got published in Story Digest! Hole in the Wall, Good Intentions, Shoes, The Flying Santinis—four pieces! Four whole pieces! You’re incredible!” She immediately dove into reading.

Her admiring gaze filled Gu Lu with quiet satisfaction. Huh? Was being admired by his little sister really this gratifying?

“So, see? I’m doing okay now. I earned royalties. No need to worry,” Gu Lu said confidently.

“Mm-hmm, you’re way better than Xiao Yang,” Gu Jiayu mumbled, completely abandoning her skewers to focus on the magazines.

Xiao Yang? Who was Xiao Yang? Gu Lu couldn’t recall anyone by that name from the original body’s memories. Maybe she was the top student in Gu Jiayu’s class, he thought absently.

“Eat while you read,” Gu Lu placed two skewers of meat into her bowl.

Skewers were versatile—loach, pig lungs, beef tripe, and more. Gu Lu ate heartily, grease dripping down his chin.

But to Gu Jiayu, reading Story Digest took precedence over eating. She muttered under her breath, “No wonder you feel different lately. You’re not like before. Our teacher says that when someone gains confidence, they change. That must be why—you’ve become confident!”

The phrase “not like before” nearly caused Gu Lu to choke.

“Ahem, sorry, I ate too fast. I ordered a lot of food—I can’t finish it all myself,” Gu Lu told his sister.

He sipped some cola to calm himself, realizing he’d grown a bit smug.

“Classmates and teachers haven’t noticed anything unusual because no one interacts deeply with me. And Fan Xiaotian, who does interact closely, isn’t observant enough to pick up on subtle changes.”

“The original body’s father hasn’t noticed anything either—no communication, no understanding. Haven’t met the original body’s mother yet, but I imagine it’s similar.”

“As for Gu Jiayu…even though we only see each other every two or three months, our bond remains strong. She’s perceptive enough to notice differences…”

Still, it wasn’t a problem. Gu Lu concluded that his closest sibling had stumbled upon a reasonable explanation entirely by accident.

Throughout the meal, Gu Jiayu showered her brother with praise, finding new ways to compliment him. She could’ve easily been the admin of a mutual admiration group.

With bellies full and clothes soaked in hotpot aroma, Gu Lu patted his stomach and slowly ambled home to digest his food.

The summer breeze carried a hint of warmth.

As they approached the entrance to their building, the dim yellow streetlights cast weak pools of light. The distance between lamps left patches of darkness untouched.

Just as Gu Lu stepped from shadow into light, he suddenly felt a small figure wrap its arms around him from behind.

It was Gu Jiayu.

What’s going on? According to the original body’s memories, such affectionate embraces between siblings shouldn’t exist.

Before he could turn around, he heard her whisper, “Brother, I know. I’ve always known. You’ve suffered so much, so very much.”

Those words struck Gu Lu like a thunderclap. Someone else besides him understood how difficult life had been for this child. How comforting.

For reasons unknown, tears streamed uncontrollably down his face…

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