SWNOVELXO Chapter 18:
Chapter 18: Physics Genius:
Lin You closed his physics book, unable to suppress the grin forming on his face. It felt as though his rebirth had come with a golden ticket—mastery over physics. With this newfound skill, he felt like the world was at his fingertips.
Just then, a girl entered the classroom, carrying a stack of papers and books. She was wearing the standard school uniform, stood around 1.65 meters tall, and exuded a cool and composed aura. The girl was none other than Li Ruochen, the physics class representative.
When Li Ruochen saw Lin You sitting there with a silly grin, she frowned, placed the papers and books on the table, and called out sharply, “Lin You!”
Startled, Lin You immediately erased the grin and looked up at her. “Is something wrong?” he asked instinctively.
As the physics class representative, Li Ruochen had taken special interest in Lin You.
Despite his brilliance in other subjects, his poor performance in physics had made him a focal point of the teachers’ attention. Everyone believed that if Lin You could improve in physics, he might create a miracle for No. 16 Middle School.
“Did you finish the problems I gave you last time?” she asked, her tone dripping with frustration. “There are only three months left until the exams. You can’t expect a miraculous improvement in physics. These questions are critical—they always appear in the tests. Even if you have to memorize the answers, you need to do it.”
Lin You, who hadn’t attended class the previous day, had no idea what she was referring to.
He flipped through his books and found two test papers tucked underneath. A quick glance revealed that they contained high-probability physics questions for the college entrance examination.
After scanning them, Lin You realized the questions, which would have seemed impossible before, now appeared straightforward.
Smiling, he flicked the corner of the test paper and said, “Classmate Li, I think I understand all of these.”
Li Ruochen, already preparing to leave, paused mid-step.
Hearing his claim, she slapped his head lightly with the book in her hand and snapped, “Will you stop bragging? You can’t ace the college entrance exams by talking big. Be realistic and study the solutions I provided. Memorize them if you have to—your future depends on it. Don’t forget, it’ll also reduce the burden on your family.”
Like many others in the class, Li Ruochen assumed Lin You came from a poor background. His simple clothing and habit of eating plain rice with vegetarian dishes in the cafeteria had fueled rumors that he was an orphan. Some even speculated that his father was in prison, his mother had remarried, and he was being raised by his grandmother.
In reality, Lin You was the sole heir of the Lin family, a dynasty worth billions. But his life with the Lin family was far from privileged. If anything, it was harsher than his time at Dinghui Temple. At least there, he had felt warmth and familial bonds. In the Lin family, it was more like a prison.
Seeing her disbelief, Lin You picked up a pen. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll solve these problems right now,” he said confidently and began working through the questions.
Initially, Li Ruochen didn’t take him seriously. But by the time he reached the fourth question, she was stunned. Lin You was solving each problem with ease, even using methods different from those taught in class. Some of his approaches were completely new—not even the teachers had introduced such techniques.
In less than ten minutes, Lin You had solved half of the problems.
Li Ruochen found herself captivated, unable to look away from his methodical approach. As she observed him, she noticed something she hadn’t paid attention to before.
Lin You’s long hair partially obscured his face, but his clear features and pale skin were striking.
Subtle scars added a mysterious edge to his appearance.
He looked like a character straight out of a comic book—a “tearing man,” as the phrase goes.
It wasn’t that Lin You intentionally kept his hair long; he simply couldn’t afford a haircut. His already defined features were further sharpened by chronic malnutrition, giving him an almost ethereal quality.
Even from across the table, Li Ruochen could catch a faint, clean scent of sandalwood from him.
She felt her cheeks flush and couldn’t help but think,
Whose crush will he be in the future?
If he were taller, she mused, he could rival the top idols in the entertainment industry. But at sixteen, there was still a chance for him to grow a few more centimeters.
Putting her book down, she sat quietly beside Lin You, watching him solve the problems with rapt attention. Her presence didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the class. As one of the school’s most admired girls, her proximity to Lin You stirred whispers and envious glances from other students.
In less than twenty minutes, Lin You finished the test paper. He set down his pen and looked at her. “Did you think I solved these earlier?” he asked, confused. “And what do you mean by problem-solving ideas? Isn’t this how they’re supposed to be solved?”
Li Ruochen stared at him like he was a mythical creature. Was he genuinely clueless, or was this some kind of humble brag? She pulled out another booklet, this one containing advanced questions designed for international physics competitions. These problems were far beyond the high school curriculum.
“Try solving these,” she said, her voice tinged with doubt.
Lin You’s eyes lit up as he glanced at the questions.
Some looked deceptively simple but contained hidden complexities. He hesitated. “I’m not sure I can solve these,” he admitted. “Let me give it a try.”
Disappointed, Li Ruochen assumed Lin You had merely memorized the required questions. His photographic memory was well-known in class; it wasn’t surprising that he could memorize over a hundred questions.
Still, she watched as Lin You immersed himself in solving the new problems.
Sometimes he paused, deep in thought, holding his chin.
Other times, his pen flew across the page. One by one, Lin You began solving the questions using methods that defied convention.
By the time he finished the first few problems, Li Ruochen was speechless.
The booklet had been downloaded from an international physics forum—meant to challenge her understanding. She hadn’t expected anyone, let alone Lin You, to crack them. Yet his unconventional methods, though unorthodox, turned out to be the most efficient solutions.
Staring at him in awe, she thought, Is this boy an untapped physics genius?