Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C84

Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 84: Everyone’s the Protagonist

[According to our reporter, Gu Lu comes from a single-parent household. His parents…]

Qi Caiwei found this article oddly puzzling. The headline promised insights into how the parents of a national first-prize-winning essayist raised their child, but the piece mostly highlighted Gu Lu’s personal efforts, with barely a mention of his family.

[Gu Lu’s mother adopted an education philosophy akin to letting a sapling grow freely.] Even that brief line struck Qi Caiwei as less praise and more... something else entirely.

“Am I imagining things, or is there some subtext here?” she muttered, picking up on the faintly biting tone underlying the journalist’s words.

This internet article was reposted by Hualong News, likely because Young Pioneer Newspaper didn’t have an online version. Perhaps it catered primarily to middle school students who weren’t frequent web users.

Beneath the repost, several netizens had left comments:

“Came here expecting parenting tips? What do I get? A single-parent family where the father raises the kid alone. Why no mention of the dad?”

“I looked it up—being named one of the top ten young writers nationwide is huge. That award combines both high school and middle school categories. Sure, the kid must be talented, but talent alone doesn’t cut it without parental support. As a single dad myself, I work day and night to ensure my kid has everything they need. Then I come home and supervise their studies. Don’t ignore the sacrifices single fathers make!”

“This Young Pioneer Newspaper article feels off. Even if the parent didn’t have time to oversee academics, without the father providing for basic needs, the kid wouldn’t have survived.”

“The kid’s clearly gifted, though.”

...

Most commenters were parents, and Qi Caiwei whispered to herself, “It almost seems like Gu Lu’s family situation wasn’t ideal, so maybe the reporter couldn’t write much about it. Otherwise, it doesn’t add up.”

People sure did use the internet as an outlet for venting. Those comments lacked even the analytical depth of a typical high schooler.

“Caiwei!” Wei Jiao hissed softly from behind her.

Startled, Qi Caiwei practically leapt like a frightened cat, shutting down the phone and stashing it back in its hiding spot within seconds!

“What is it?”

“We came up to grab books for evening study. But I can’t remember where I put mine.”

“Find it quickly and head back to class. You’re not supposed to linger in the dorms outside of lunch breaks or after dismissal.”

...

The run from the dormitory to the classroom took a solid few minutes.

“What skills, ha! When I joined, I got in immediately—no audition needed,” one student bragged.

“Next Wednesday, I’ll unveil my masterpiece. I was planning to submit another piece to Sprout, but now I’ve got bigger plans.”

Classmates buzzed excitedly about their freshly joined clubs, each eager to make their mark. Li Guyuan’s voice, however, carried louder than most.

The fifty students in No. 8 High School’s Innovation Class were all exceptional in their own right—the kind of kids other parents bragged about. Each was the protagonist of their own story.

Lü Ping aimed to dominate track and field while leading the school team to glory. Lu Yi hoped dancing would boost her confidence, straighten her posture, and help her look more presentable. Meanwhile, Li Guyuan dreamed of becoming a club leader by sophomore year.

“Hey, Gu Lu…” Li Guyuan began, initially wanting to ask, Why are you so amazing? before deciding that sounded strange. He rephrased instead. “What club did you join?”

“Basketball Club.” Lü Ping chimed in on Gu Lu’s behalf. “He’s got my back now! Basketball Club—no brothers, no ball!”

That settled it. Li Guyuan resolved to inform the advisor next week: Gu Lu preferred basketball over anything else. Perfect!

As students chattered animatedly, the teacher remained silent.

---

“This batch of freshmen is truly fascinating,” Teacher Gao murmured, flipping through Class 10’s club registration forms. Out of fifty students, thirty-seven had signed up for extracurricular activities.

With years of experience as a homeroom teacher, she’d noticed a recent uptick in club participation rates among students.

“Qi Caiwei, the arts representative, joined the literary club; Lu Yi, the class president, went for dance; Gu Lu opted for basketball… Everything’s flipped around,” Teacher Gao observed, finding it perfectly normal.

After years in education, she understood that most students followed predictable paths. Whether it was dance, athletics, or academics, many choices stemmed from habit or parental influence. Few truly knew why they pursued what they did.

Teacher Gao wasn’t the talkative type, except when it came to poetry and literature. More often, she preferred poring over materials to better understand her students’ interests. Extracurricular selections offered valuable clues.

Time passed, and Teacher Gao entered the classroom to prepare for evening study.

“Hey, did you know I’m a violin prodigy?” Tian Xiao, Gu Lu’s desk mate, declared smugly.

Gu Lu glanced at him, silently egging him on: Keep going—I’m listening.

“Ever heard of Paganini? The ‘Devil of the Violin’? His fingers were unusually long, just like mine.” Tian Xiao grinned, adding, “The music club president told me…”

To drive his point home, he scribbled on paper: [Paganini = Long Fingers, Tian Xiao = Long Fingers → Therefore, Paganini = Tian Xiao].

“You and your music club president should check yourselves into a hospital,” Gu Lu deadpanned.

And with that, the day’s academic pursuits concluded amidst Tian Xiao’s self-proclaimed brilliance.

---

After school, Gu Lu stopped by the delivery station to pick up a package containing a sample issue of Chronicles of Mystery. His short story, Mr. Holmes, would be featured in the September gold edition.

“This magazine…” Gu Lu paused mid-thought.

Should he negotiate skipping homework altogether, or perhaps avoid early morning study sessions? Sleep versus no assignments—it was a tough choice.

Scratching his head, Gu Lu realized he’d fallen into a familiar trap. The Innovation Class wasn’t like the Experimental or Parallel Classes, which emphasized rigid schedules. Instead, it prioritized individual competition and creative pursuits.

Take Qi Caiwei, for instance. She juggled dance rehearsals, while Ma Xuanyou balanced shot put training. The school provided flexibility as long as it didn’t interfere with academics.

Skipping morning study due to publishing achievements might sound bad and harm group unity. So No. 8 High School would phrase it differently: “Our school tailors education to each student’s strengths, nurturing potential. We granted Gu Lu additional creative time, resulting in remarkable accomplishments.”

On another note, Story Digest continued sending sample issues. As previously mentioned, two stories per issue meant Gu Lu’s submissions would keep running for a while.

Publication plans for The Little Prince were underway, complete with a 9% royalty rate courtesy of the Children’s Literature Publishing House. After strong insistence from Gu Lu, the publisher agreed to include his hand-drawn illustrations. Everything proceeded smoothly…

---

The next day, a boy named Gu Lu decided to take action.

“Teacher Gao, could you tell me where I might find Director Hu from the admissions office?” Gu Lu asked upon entering the faculty office.

“Director Hu?” Teacher Gao gave him the location of Director Hu’s office, then inquired, “What do you need Director Hu for?”

Gu Lu explained everything candidly. Since Teacher Gao was his homeroom teacher, he’d sought her advice first. Otherwise, he’d have contacted Director Hu directly—he already had the number!

“May I see it?” Teacher Gao asked, unsurprised by the admission promises but deeply curious about Gu Lu’s work.

Gu Lu handed over the latest issue of Chronicles of Mystery.

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/literary-genius-this-kid-was-born-smart/

If you like this project, please vote for this novel through the above link, thank you.

Join our discord you will receive update notification

If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.

All the tiers provide an off-line reading experience

Tier 1: 10 Advance chapters

Access fee $3.00 Monthly