Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C61

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Chapter 61: As Expected

Chen Xue’s house was immaculately clean. The living room featured a set of red solid wood furniture—a sofa, coffee table, and TV cabinet—all in a rich reddish-brown hue, adorned with simple bamboo leaf carvings that added an understated elegance.

It was the first time any of her classmates had visited her home, so everyone felt a bit awkward at first. No one spoke, and no one touched the snacks laid out on the table.

The silence made it easier for Gu Lu to notice something else—the faint smell of Chinese herbal medicine wafting from the bedroom.

"I didn’t expect Chen Xue could cook?" Zhang Yudong said, clearly surprised.

The kitchen was visible from where they sat on the couch, positioned diagonally to the right of the living room. Chen Xue stood there wearing an apron, deftly chopping vegetables with rhythmic thwacks of the knife. Her technique looked sharp, almost professional.

"And she seems pretty good at it too," Zhou Lin said, wide-eyed.

To their classmates, Chen Xue had always been the foul-mouthed rebel—not exactly someone you’d peg as having proper manners or being particularly domestic. They assumed she lived a carefree life, waiting hand and foot on others without much thought for responsibility.

Even Zhang Yudong, who got along well with her, held this impression.

But Gu Lu wasn’t as shocked. He remembered how, during their last outing at the park, when an elderly man tipped over his cart, Chen Xue was the only one who accepted his gift of oranges—and said she wanted to take them back for her grandmother.

A girl who thinks about her grandmother like that couldn’t be all bad.

About half an hour later, dinner was ready.

The spread was impressive: duck braised with konjac, pig’s trotters soup, blanched shrimp, and marinated walnut meat.

"Aren’t we waiting for your parents?" Fan Xiaotian asked hesitantly.

"It’s my birthday today—we’re not talking about those jerks," Chen Xue replied casually, carrying over a massive 2.5-liter bottle of cola. She filled each cup to the brim for her friends before pouring plain water for her grandmother.

There seemed to be a story behind her words. Though Fan Xiaotian wasn’t known for his emotional intelligence, he wasn’t stupid either, so he wisely chose not to press further.

Seeing the subdued mood, Zhou Lin raised her paper cup. "Happy birthday, Chen Xue. May you always stay happy."

"Thanks! Haha, I’ll definitely stay happy forever," Chen Xue laughed, raising her own cup. Turning to her grandmother, she added, "Grandma, raise your cup too. Let’s all stay happy forever."

Her grandmother chuckled and lifted her glass. Her face was lined with wrinkles, folds of time that concealed her youthful beauty long past—but when she smiled, just like Chen Xue, she radiated warmth.

They ate heartily, chatting and laughing through the meal. Afterward, Chen Xue cleared the dishes and headed into the kitchen to wash up.

"This is the first time Xue has brought classmates home. You must get along really well," Grandma observed, moving slowly but still managing to serve everyone honey water.

She always treated guests with the best things she had in the house—it was simply her way.

"We’re part of the Park Alliance; we’re all close," Zhang Yudong declared, then paused, realizing he might have accidentally excluded Zhou Lin.

"People say drinking honey water improves memory," Grandma remarked. "I drink it every day, but there’s still so much I can’t remember."

Honey water? Combined with Grandma’s comment… If Gu Lu’s hunch was correct—sure enough, another book popped into existence in his mind.

Perfect. This novel fit perfectly within Gu Lu’s predictions. Still, now wasn’t the time to zone out while conversing with an elder.

Perhaps because she hadn’t spoken to anyone in a while, Grandma began rambling about Chen Xue’s family situation. The Chen household was a classic case of favoring boys over girls (largely due to Grandpa’s influence).

While Chongqing women were often said to hold higher status compared to other regions, this was only relative. In the Chen family, the bias was extreme. Without Grandma’s intervention, Chen Xue might never have been born.

After giving birth, Chen Xue’s parents left to work in distant cities, abandoning both her and their responsibilities altogether. They rarely returned, treating their daughter as if she didn’t exist.

Now sixteen, Chen Xue could count the number of times she’d seen her parents on one hand. Essentially, she grew up under Grandma’s care, relying solely on her.

Thankfully, Grandma had a pension, and though Chen Xue’s father disliked her, he still sent money to support his mother.

Zhang Yudong, Zhou Lin, and Fan Xiaotian listened in outrage.

Meanwhile, a thought occurred to Gu Lu: Living with Grandma, no men around, and such a gentle personality—no wonder Chen Xue swears like a sailor and has such a fiery temper.

Fiery indeed. Not many students—or even adults, for that matter—would dare pick fights with middle-aged women in public…

Every family has its skeletons, and Gu Lu found himself understanding this phrase more deeply than ever.

As they chatted and digested their meal, finishing off the honey water, Chen Xue completed cleaning up and saw her friends off.

She didn’t walk far, stopping near the end of the street.

It was just after two in the afternoon, a lull period for customers, so vendors selling woolen pants, shoe inserts, socks, and other sundries lounged lazily on stools.

"Zhou Lin, thank you," Chen Xue said earnestly as they parted ways.

Though Zhou Lin couldn’t quite recall what she was thanking her for, she responded sincerely, "You’re welcome. And honestly, the food today was amazing!"

With a wave, Chen Xue turned back toward home, eager to ensure Grandma took her medicine.

"She’s actually really pretty…" Fan Xiaotian murmured absently. “Her looks rival Zhao Juan’s…”

He almost mentioned Zhou Lin and Xu Meili next but caught himself, swallowing the words. At their age, complimenting someone directly took courage.

"Well, our paths diverge here. See you guys later!" Zhou Lin said breezily, flagging down a taxi.

"Want to go play video games? We can try Dynasty Warriors," Zhang Yudong suggested.

Gu Lu declined, already engrossed in planning his next project. On his way home, he passed by street vendors calling out their wares.

"Cold noodles, spicy tofu pudding, bean jelly…"

Street-side cold noodles were the best, but he was still full from Chen Xue’s feast. Unlike his wasteful past self, Gu Lu now knew better than to squander food unnecessarily.

Back home, he noticed that three labels—The Real Sherlock Holmes, Elegy of Old Age, and Wise and Beautiful— had merged into one book: The Tricks of the Mind, also known as Mr. Holmes.

Synopsis: Set in 1947, decades after Dr. John Watson’s passing, the once-arrogant Sherlock Holmes, now 93, lives quietly in a countryside farmhouse. But a series of seemingly trivial cases disrupts his peaceful retirement, unraveling memories of a forgotten past.

“It sounds like a detective story, but at its core, it isn’t,” Gu Lu thought, recalling having read it in his previous life.

Despite not adhering strictly to the conventions of detective fiction, it was widely regarded as one of the finest Holmes continuations—both intriguing and thought-provoking.

“I shouldn’t publish yet. Wait until high school. A lengthy novel written by a high schooler will seem slightly more plausible than one by a middle schooler.”

“But I need to tweak a few details…”

Fueled by determination, Gu Lu began outlining his plans.

Summer vacation stretched ahead for two more months, and rent loomed large. Even though all expenses for No.8 High School were waived, buying a computer remained risky given his limited funds.

“Once The Little Prince or Mr. Holmes starts serialization, everything will fall into place. Patience!” he reminded himself.

Later, he called Chronicles of Mystery to discuss signing a contract.

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