Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C105

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Chapter 105: The Joy of Freebies

"Finally, we got it done," sighed in relief.

To be honest, Dong's bold move had been nudged along by , the corresponding editor.

"The previous tone of the magazine was set by your predecessor. Since you’ve taken over and are working toward reform, why not take a chance?" Xiao Xue had urged him, especially during their , where his persuasive words flowed effortlessly, convincing Dong to take the plunge.

After escorting Gu Lu to meet with , , and Chief Editor Dong, offered to accompany Gu Lu back to his classroom. However, the others still had matters to discuss, even though they were in Mr. Hu’s office.

"There’s no need to see me off, Mr. Hu—you’re busy too," Gu Lu said. "I know this school like the back of my hand."

"Today, you opened my eyes," Mr. Hu replied. "Gu Lu, our believes in tailoring education to individual talents. Some students thrive better when studying independently at home. As for morning and evening self-study sessions... I’ll be waiting for you."

He was referring to granting special privileges, something Gu Lu hadn’t forgotten.

"Mr. Hu, could I bring my phone?" Gu Lu asked. "Editors often call to contact me, and not having a phone is inconvenient."

"Bring a phone—" Mr. Hu paused for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No, phones can distract from studies and might encourage other students to follow suit."

"Even with teachers repeatedly forbidding it, some students still sneak their phones in on silent mode. It’s impossible to completely ban them—teachers can’t search students’ bags. At No. 8 High School, we must protect students’ privacy." Mr. Hu sighed. "So, for now, there’s nothing I can do about your unique situation."

Indeed, allowing one student to carry a phone would set a problematic precedent.

Still, while Mr. Hu claimed he couldn’t help, his words subtly hinted at a solution—a testament to his skill as the Director of Admissions.

Overall, Gu Lu returned to Class 10 in high spirits, just as the political science teacher was reviewing the monthly exam papers. Gu Lu’s performance in math and sciences had collapsed entirely, but given his circumstances, the teachers didn’t criticize him.

Instead—

", how could your scores be so low?" pressed.

"They’re not that bad—I scored over 80 points!" Out of 100, Gu Lu considered himself above average.

Since arriving in this parallel world, Gu Lu had always made an effort to understand its nuances, wary of missing critical details caused by the butterfly effect.

"Not bad? Fine, let math and science slide—but history, politics, and geography ? In our Class 10, if you don’t score above 90, it’s a failure!" Li Guyuan declared firmly.

"I’ll do better next time..."

Li Guyuan cut him off. "Forget ‘next time.’ Just this once—come to my shop this Saturday, and I’ll tutor you."

Li Guyuan excelled in history, politics, and geography, consistently ranking among the top students in the class. His offer to tutor carried undeniable authority.

"No trouble necessary—I can study on my own," Gu Lu protested.

Wasn’t the whole point of transmigration to avoid the drudgery of rote memorization? He wanted to relax.

"No!" Li Guyuan insisted. "For a writer, it’s acceptable to struggle with math and sciences, but history, politics, and geography must be strong. Writing requires knowledge in these areas—if you make mistakes, it becomes laughable."

"Gulu, tutoring is non-negotiable. What I say goes, no matter who tries to persuade me otherwise," Li Guyuan said firmly.

Gu Lu had to admit—he was convinced. Literary cultivation truly intertwined with history, politics, and geography.

When plagiarizing works, Gu Lu took care to preserve the original essence while tweaking minor details.

"And didn’t you say you enjoyed eating my parents’ cooking?" Li Guyuan added. "I’ll have them prepare extra food this time."

"Wouldn’t that trouble Uncle and Auntie too much?" Gu Lu asked.

"What trouble? My mom adores you. She says you’re far more mature and polite than me—you’ve clearly endured hardships," Li Guyuan explained. "She told me to invite you over whenever possible."

"... Your mom is really kind," Gu Lu murmured, touched.

Indeed, growing up in difficult circumstances often shaped people into two extremes: either highly responsible and mature or overly sensitive and domineering. Both the original body and Gu Lu himself fell into the former category.

Even after achieving financial independence as a writer in his past life, Gu Lu still couldn’t shake feelings of unworthiness. Buying something expensive filled him with guilt.

That was why he’d resolved to confront his father face-to-face—to do what he’d never dared to in his previous life.

"She’s great, sure—but she’s also the boss of the house. My dad and I are both terrified of her when she gets angry," Li Guyuan joked.

"Marry a , live a cursed life," Gu Lu quipped, recalling a popular internet saying.

In any case, the was officially formed.

"Gulu, listen to this question: established the position of in the central government but left it vacant, appointing no one to fill the role. What was the main purpose of this decision?"

"There are four options. First, the emperor wanted to control all national affairs and strengthen centralized power. Second, the emperor aimed to directly command the military, concentrating power further." Li Guyuan looked at Gu Lu. "Third, there was no suitable candidate for the role. Fourth, the ended too soon for an appointment to be made."

"Choose—"

"Hold on, don’t choose yet. Do you remember the method I summarized?" Li Guyuan interrupted, adjusting his glasses.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Gu Lu thought he saw a glint of light reflecting off the lenses.

"Unless the question explicitly asks about the reasons for a dynasty’s decline, the answer won’t involve the dynasty’s flaws," Gu Lu recited.

"Exactly. A dynasty’s flaws are analyzed from our modern perspective, but people back then operated within the limitations of their era," Li Guyuan explained. "So, options three and four are eliminated, leaving only two answers."

After an hour or two of tutoring, Gu Lu realized that Li Guyuan was exceptionally skilled at summarizing concepts—like the method he’d just demonstrated, which likely required years of experience as a history teacher to refine.

During a break, Gu Lu sipped his drink, feeling a bit guilty about enjoying free food, drinks, and tutoring at his classmate’s expense.

"Uh?" Gu Lu’s gaze accidentally landed on a stack of papers partially covered by a folder.

There were over twenty pages. If they were ordinary sheets, they wouldn’t appear thick enough to form a “stack.” But these A4 papers had been crumpled into balls, then flattened again, creating noticeable creases that added bulk. And the pages were densely covered in handwriting?

Could these be love letters to ? Gu Lu wondered.

It wasn’t right to pry into someone else’s belongings, so despite his curiosity, he turned his head away.

When Li Guyuan returned from helping a customer, Gu Lu finally asked, "What’s that, Tangyuan?"

"Oh, drafts I wrote for magazine submissions but ended up scrapping," Li Guyuan replied casually, covering the papers completely with the folder.

But because of the creases, the folder didn’t lie flat, drawing even more attention.

"Did your submission fail?" Gu Lu probed.

"Not exactly. I felt they weren’t good enough, so I didn’t send them," Li Guyuan admitted.

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