Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C95

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

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 95: The School's Support

"I heard it from Mr. Wu," said matter-of-factly, " is a prodigy writer. His works have been published in and . And because he writes so well, he’s already signed on as a contracted author. That’s why I asked him to help."

"Gu Lu is exactly the kind of person Mr. Wu was talking about—someone with an extraordinary talent for writing," Wan Bai continued, “His essays and stories? They’re leagues ahead of anyone his age. Last week, I asked him to write a script suitable for our school anniversary stage play. Guess what? In just one week, he came up with , an absolutely brilliant story."

His tone dripped with admiration.

"This is…" Qi Caiwei wanted to say it was ridiculous, but then she remembered her own repeated failures as a wannabe writer trying to give advice to someone who clearly didn’t need it. A flush crept up her neck, embarrassment prickling at her skin.

Embarrassment wasn’t the worst part—it was replaying the moment in her mind that made her squirm. She could feel herself digging imaginary holes into the floor with her toes.

Wei Jiao, meanwhile, had gone slack-jawed upon hearing about Gu Lu’s accomplishments. Her surprise hung suspended in her throat, unspoken but palpable. When she finally snapped out of it, she murmured, almost to herself, "No wonder he didn’t join the literary club. It makes sense—he really doesn’t need to."

"Cough cough," Wan Bai cleared his throat awkwardly. Could they be any less subtle? The president of the literary club was still standing right there, after all.

"I’m sorry, President Wan! I didn’t mean to imply anything bad about the literary club," Wei Jiao stammered quickly. "I just meant that compared to professional writers like Gu Lu, we amateurs look…well, pretty amateurish."

"That’s fine, Wei Jiao. No need to explain further, thank you," Wan Bai cut in hastily, steering the conversation elsewhere. "Anyway, does anyone in your class know about this?"

Qi Caiwei shook her head. "He didn’t mention it during introductions. I doubt anyone else knows."

"Only those who can endure solitude are fit to bask in glory," Wan Bai blurted out, quoting his QQ signature without thinking. Realizing how cheesy that sounded, he immediately covered his mouth with a fist and coughed twice to mask his discomfort. Today seemed to be full of awkward moments for him. "I should get back to the dorms. If I don’t hurry, I’ll miss hot water time."

It was already past ten o’clock—forty-five minutes after evening study hall ended—and girls' dorm lights would go out at eleven. Time was indeed running short.

At this reminder, both Qi Caiwei and Wei Jiao snapped out of their reverie. After bidding farewell to Wan Bai, they scurried off toward their own dormitory. Their close friendship stemmed largely from sharing the same room.

"Do you think Gu Lu’s like ?" Wei Jiao mused aloud as they walked. "Hiding his true identity?"

"Don’t jump to wild conclusions," Qi Caiwei replied dismissively. "Edmond disguised himself as the for revenge. What vendetta could Gu Lu possibly have?" She paused, imagining herself in Gu Lu’s shoes. "Besides, do you really expect him to walk into class announcing, 'Hey, I’m a contracted magazine writer'? Even if he did, no one would believe him unless he carried copies around, which would come across as pretentious. Not a great move."

Wei Jiao mulled it over. Why not flaunt it, though? If she were publishing stories left and right, she’d plaster magazines all over her face.

By the time they reached their dorm, Gu Lu had already returned home earlier than them. After finishing classes, he warmed his stomach with some egg cake while waiting for dinner.

The school cafeteria meals were free—a perk—but eating dinner at six only to finish studying at ten left students famished by bedtime. Soaking egg cakes in hot water might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it filled him up nicely.

As Gu Lu picked up his phone, he noticed messages from Director Jian and Mr. Hu.

[Mr. Hu: Gu Lu, our school library plans to subscribe annually to twenty copies each of Chronicles of Mystery and Young Literature. This will allow students to relax briefly amidst their studies.]

[Director Jian: Your creativity seems boundless. The style of your latest work differs significantly from what I’ve seen inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Another story excelling in both narrative and literary merit. For submissions, consider or . Primarily Sprout, as Spark leans more romantic.]

The school’s support wasn’t just lip service—they were putting real money behind it. Earlier, they’d promised to buy 100 copies of published books; now, they were subscribing regularly to magazines featuring Gu Lu’s work.

It seemed even might have been considered if its content aligned better with the school ethos. As for Park of Yesterday, despite being told largely through a child’s perspective, it didn’t quite fit the category of children’s literature—a point Director Jian understood implicitly.

After sending replies of gratitude, Gu Lu turned his thoughts to his next project.

—a piece of eccentric detective fiction.

Eccentric detective fiction focused on bizarre elements, pushing boundaries beyond conventional mystery. While fell within this genre, Owl Man took things several steps further into psychological strangeness.

Having read ’s Selected Works, Gu Lu found two stories unsuitable for release under his current persona. With revisions, however, the remaining four could be submitted to horror publications. Altogether, these amounted to roughly forty to fifty thousand words—a task requiring significant effort, given his limited writing hours during lunch breaks.

After planning his schedule, Gu Lu logged today’s expenses and turned in for the night.

---

Morning light filtered through the curtains as Gu Lu swung his student ID card attached to a blue lanyard, mimicking a habit he’d observed among classmates yesterday. Learning bad habits came easily—it spread like wildfire.

"Eating it feels bland, yet throwing it away feels wasteful," Gu Lu sighed, recalling breakfast. Passing by a small shop, he bought a pack of snacks, finding them less satisfying than when he'd shared them with his desk mate.

On his way to school, Gu Lu spotted Dou Ke walking alongside a middle-aged man wearing a striped T-shirt, black jeans, and a large keychain dangling conspicuously from his belt loop. Wisps of gray streaked the man’s temples, and a faded canvas bag slung over his shoulder completed the picture.

An adult! Gu Lu retracted his steps, abandoning plans to greet Dou Ke. He recalled yesterday when Class Monitor Lu Yi had asked Dou Ke to bring a repairman—it appeared business had been passed along to Dou Ke’s father.

Trailing behind the pair discreetly, Gu Lu soon arrived at the classroom.

"This is…my dad," Dou Ke introduced hesitantly, tilting his head slightly to avoid eye contact with Lu Yi. "He’s been fixing appliances for years."

Was having a repairman for a father embarrassing? Gu Lu’s mind wandered to a junior high classmate whose disabled father exuded immense pride. The contrast struck him sharply.

"It’s too hot for students without air conditioning," Dou Senior remarked gruffly, diagnosing the issue swiftly as frozen pipes preventing the AC from turning on. Pulling out specialized tools from his trusty canvas bag, he repaired the unit efficiently.

"Your dad’s amazing!" Huang Lu, Dou Ke’s deskmate, gushed once cool air began flowing again.

Dou Ke smiled faintly, addressing his father, "Since it wasn’t much trouble, let’s not charge for it."

Dou Senior scratched the back of his head, silent for a beat before nodding in agreement. Slipping the tools back into his bag, he hoisted it onto his shoulder. "The AC’s fixed. I won’t keep you from class any longer."

With a soft "Mm," Dou Ke settled into his seat, feigning studiousness as he flipped open a textbook.

Once Dou Senior left, campus buzzed with renewed energy.

Qi Caiwei and Wei Jiao entered the classroom, brimming with what they deemed explosive news: "My Classmate Is a Literary Genius!" To whom should they share it?

Their gazes lingered on Gu Lu differently now.

Before: Quiet and reserved, speaking mostly to those familiar.

Now: A master cloaked in humility, accessible only to friends.

With the AC humming pleasantly, even the world outside felt less irksome.

"Friends, friends! Do you know what I discovered?" Lü Ping burst into the room, waving two magazines triumphantly.

"You might want to stash those in your bag," Class Monitor Lu Yi advised kindly. "You never know when teachers might confiscate them."

Confiscations weren’t uncommon lately—phones and magazines alike disappeared frequently.

"These won’t cause trouble because I borrowed them from our school library!" Lü Ping declared confidently. "This morning, I helped Ms. Gao carry something, then popped into the library. That’s where I found these two magazines!"

True to form, Lü Ping loved pitching in physically. On the first day of school, he’d volunteered eagerly to help move textbooks.

But new magazines in the library? Hardly groundbreaking news.

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