CS - 12

After the military training ended, life back at school resumed as usual.

Amidst the busyness of studying and exams, half the semester flew by before anyone realized it.

It wasn’t until after the mid-term exams that Lin Zhe Xia finally felt the weight on her chest lighten a bit.

The mid-term exams lasted three days. Before the exams, she often went to Chi Yao’s place to ask him to help her identify key topics.

“You’re amazing at predicting exam questions,” Lin Zhe Xia said one morning while waiting for the bus, holding a carton of milk. “You guessed the last two big math problems spot on.”

Chi Yao leaned against the railing next to the bus stop, wearing his school uniform, looking like he hadn’t fully woken up yet.

Lin Zhe Xia: “The format of the questions changed a bit, though. I still couldn’t solve the last part.”

Chi Yao glanced at her: “It’s fine. At least you recognized they were the same type of problem.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t argue with you.”

As they spoke, the bus slowly pulled into the station.

On the bus, Lin Zhe Xia sipped her milk, curious about what Chi Yao was listening to: “What song are you listening to? I want to hear it too.”

Chi Yao was slouched in the back row, leaning against the window, eyes closed as he tried to catch some sleep.

Hearing this, he raised one hand and handed over the earphone dangling from the other side.

Lin Zhe Xia took it and heard a low electronic beat.

She didn’t really understand the song—it wasn’t her usual style. Before the song even finished playing, she nudged Chi Yao with her elbow: “Skip this one, play another.”

“No skipping,” Chi Yao said. “Listen if you want, otherwise don’t.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “There’s this super popular song lately—I want to listen to that.”

Chi Yao: “I don’t.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “Just listen to it—you might like it too.”

Chi Yao: “Give me back my earphones.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “...”

Early in the morning, the two argued childishly over skipping songs for a full two rounds.

He Yang, sitting in front of them, shook his head, unfazed, and continued sneaking in some homework time on the bus, preparing to submit it once they reached school.

After arriving at school, daily life resumed as normal. Halfway through the semester, Lin Zhe Xia had gradually grown closer to her classmates. She, Chen Lin, and Tang Shuxuan formed a small group.

During breaks, when they gathered to chat, the two boys from the back row would also join in.

The boy sitting behind Lin Zhe Xia was quite scholarly-looking and usually quiet.

Tang Shuxuan: “Earlier in class, when Old Wu realized he’d miscalculated something mid-lecture—hilarious!”

Chen Lin, however, remained silent, busy surfing on her phone.

Tang Shuxuan: “Stop scrolling online all the time. Why do you always have your phone out?”

Chen Lin didn’t look up, her fingers flying across the forum as she replied absently: “I’m busy. Have you guys heard of the neighboring school?”

Lin Zhe Xia: “Neighboring school?”

Chen Lin: “Experimental Affiliated High School.”

That rang a bell.

He Yang’s school.

Lin Zhe Xia: “The one three bus stops away from Second High?”

“Yes,” Chen Lin said. “I’ve been arguing with someone from their school.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “….”

The internet truly brings people closer together.

When the topic shifted to phones, the boy sitting behind her suddenly said: “I just remembered—we haven’t added each other as friends yet.”

It wasn’t unusual for classmates to exchange contact information.

After adding Tang Shuxuan and Chen Lin, he turned to Lin Zhe Xia: “Um… Lin, can we add each other?”

Lin Zhe Xia had no reason to refuse, so she gave him her number.

By lunchtime, Lin Zhe Xia and Chen Lin headed to the cafeteria.

Second High’s cafeteria offered a variety of dishes and decent meals. As Lin Zhe Xia carried her tray, searching for a seat, she spotted two empty spots at Chi Yao’s table.

“Are these seats taken?” Lin Zhe Xia approached with her tray. “If not, then I’ll give you the honor of dining with this young master.”

Chi Yao was clearly struck by her “young master” act: “They’re free, but I don’t welcome people with brain issues.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “This young master has an IQ of 280 and belongs to the high-IQ elite.”

Chi Yao slowly looked at her: “You seem more like 250 to me.”

Across from Chi Yao sat Xu Ting, the boy who had brought water. Hearing this exchange, he laughed and greeted Lin Zhe Xia, joining in the banter: “Young Master Lin, fancy meeting you here.”

Lin Zhe Xia nodded approvingly: “Xu Ting knows how it’s done, unlike someone else.”

The water-bringing boy was named Xu Ting.

Since Lin Zhe Xia frequently visited Chi Yao’s class and appeared during PE, Xu Ting and Lin Zhe Xia were somewhat acquainted.

Lin Zhe Xia gestured for Chen Lin to sit down as well, then said: “I’ll go get some soup.”

Chen Lin stood up too: “I’ll…”

Lin Zhe Xia: “No need—you stay here. I’ll bring some for you.”

Chen Lin actually wanted to go with her.

Because after Lin Zhe Xia left, she was left alone facing the two boys—mainly Chi Yao.

Chen Lin quietly ate her food, chopsticks in hand.

She didn’t dare talk to Chi Yao.

Although she had closely followed and gossiped about him on the first day of school, over the past half-semester, she realized that Chi Yao was a difficult person to get along with.

At first, she introduced herself: “I’m Chen Lin, Lin Zhe Xia’s desk-mate.”

Chi Yao simply grunted in response.

Then, silence fell between them.

She saw how naturally Lin Zhe Xia could talk to Chi Yao, but when it came to her turn, she couldn’t manage a single word.

In Chen Lin’s eyes, Chi Yao was distant, cold, and hard to approach.

It seemed only her desk-mate, Lin Zhe Xia, could chat with him effortlessly—even engaging in childish arguments.

When Lin Zhe Xia returned with the soup, mealtime was anything but quiet.

Casually, she picked out the cauliflower she didn’t like and placed it onto Chi Yao’s tray: “You’re still growing, eat more.”

Chi Yao: “Unless you want me to dump this tray over your head, take it back.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “Once Young Master Lin gives something, there’s no taking it back.”

“Oh, thank you, Young Master Lin,” Chi Yao set down his chopsticks and turned his head, saying, “That drumstick in your bowl looks pretty good—why don’t you give it to me?”

Lin Zhe Xia: “…No way.”

Chi Yao: “I didn’t think Young Master Lin was so stingy.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “…”

Midway through the meal, the group suddenly started talking about the mid-term exam results.

Xu Ting: “This mid-term exam was pretty tough.”

Lin Zhe Xia wholeheartedly agreed: “Absolutely.”

Xu Ting pointed at Chi Yao across the table and complained: “I asked him to help me highlight key points, but he completely ignored me—”

This was something Lin Zhe Xia couldn’t agree with.

Xu Ting: “Why aren’t you saying anything, Young Master Lin? Don’t you think he’s cold-hearted?”

“He helped me with the highlights,” Lin Zhe Xia said. “I feel awkward chiming in.”

Xu Ting: “…”

What, bullying him because he doesn’t have a childhood friend like Chi Yao?

Lin Zhe Xia encouraged: “Some results should be out this afternoon. Don’t be afraid—face it bravely, no matter how bad the scores are.”

True to Lin Zhe Xia’s prediction, part of the results came out in the afternoon.

The Chinese, math, and English test papers were distributed in batches.

Lin Zhe Xia’s performance remained stable, consistently ranking among the top few in the class.

However, Chen Lin’s results weren’t as ideal—she barely scraped by in every subject.

From the afternoon onward, Lin Zhe Xia noticed that Chen Lin’s expression seemed off.

“You should probably cut down on phone usage,” Lin Zhe Xia assumed it was due to her grades and consoled her. “These questions aren’t that hard. Spend some time reviewing the key concepts.”

Chen Lin stared blankly at the desk, responding absentmindedly.

But even during class time, Chen Lin kept zoning out.

The last period was math class. Several times, the math teacher called her name: “Chen Lin—what’s going on? You got such a score, and now you’re not even paying attention.”

“Stand up,” the math teacher said. “Which question was I just explaining?”

Chen Lin stammered, unable to answer.

Lin Zhe Xia whispered, “The third question,” but it was too late.

Math Teacher: “You stand and listen to the lecture.”

Chen Lin stood until the end of class.

When the dismissal bell rang, Lin Zhe Xia finished cleaning up and prepared to head to Class One to meet Chi Yao and walk home together. That’s when Chen Lin finally broke down, grabbing Lin Zhe Xia’s arm: “Um… could you walk home with me today after school?”

Lin Zhe Xia was puzzled: “But our routes aren’t really the same.”

Chen Lin clung to her hand, her voice trembling: “Someone might come looking for trouble tonight. I’m scared to walk home alone.”

“I’ve been arguing with people from the neighboring school on the forum recently… somehow, they managed to find my personal information…”

As she spoke, Chen Lin showed Lin Zhe Xia her phone screen.

Forum posts were anonymous.

The argument itself was rather childish. The idol Chen Lin liked had a dispute with another idol, and the fans were fighting, defending their respective idols.

The forum was a campus section, and most of the commenters were students from different schools in the city.

Chen Lin’s username was “Little Orange.” In her private messages, there were several unsettling texts.

• I’m from Experimental Affiliated High. Where are you? Let’s meet and talk.

A few hours later, the person sent two more messages:

• Your name is Chen Lin, right? From Class Seven, Grade Eleven?

• Wait for me.

Seeing these messages, Lin Zhe Xia felt a chill run down her spine.

After all, no one would expect personal information from an anonymous forum to leak so quickly.

Lin Zhe Xia calmly reassured her: “We’re all students. I think it’s unlikely they used technical means to track you down, and everyone’s been busy with mid-terms. So, it’s probably someone on the forum who knows your identity and leaked it.”

She then asked: “Think carefully—how many people know that ‘Little Orange’ is Chen Lin?”

Chen Lin was already panicking and didn’t have the mental capacity to reflect on this question.

Seeing her like this, Lin Zhe Xia didn’t feel comfortable letting her go home alone. Sighing, she said: “Alright, I’ll walk with you after school. Even if they come looking for you, they probably won’t dare do anything. Let me tell Chi Yao.”

While waiting for Chen Lin to pack her bag, Lin Zhe Xia took out her phone and sent a message to Chi Yao.

• Don’t wait for me after school.

Chi Yao replied with a question mark and two words:

• ? Reason?

Lin Zhe Xia didn’t mention Chen Lin’s situation—it was a private matter—and typed back: Because I have other good friends. I’m walking home with Chen Lin today.

The reply came quickly:

• Got it.

Chen Lin’s bus stop was farther from the school, requiring them to cross two streets.

On the way, Chen Lin asked anxiously, “Do you think they’ll bring a lot of people to beat me up?”

Lin Zhe Xia reassured her: “It’s probably not that serious. It’s just an online argument.”

Chen Lin: “It is serious. Fanatics can be really scary.”

Lin Zhe Xia countered: “Does that include you too?”

Chen Lin hesitated before replying: “...After this incident, I’ve decided to quit the fandom and focus on studying from now on.”

Lin Zhe Xia nodded approvingly: “That’s a good mindset to have.”

The topic circled back as Chen Lin fretted again: “What if they really bring people to confront us?”

Lin Zhe Xia replied calmly: “Don’t worry about me looking like this—I’m actually quite capable of fighting.”

“...You?” Chen Lin was incredulous.

Lin Zhe Xia puffed up with pride: “When I was little, I could take on three kids with one punch. There was this chubby kid about this tall—I made him cry several times. He even had a gang of followers, but none of them could beat me.”

As she recounted her childhood exploits, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of heroism—though the “little brother” she used to protect back then was named Chi Yao.

While walking, Lin Zhe Xia kept an eye on their surroundings.

The first street was bustling with people, but when they turned onto the second street, it grew quieter. This area was farther from the school, and many shops were closed due to poor business.

Across the road was a dim alleyway—it seemed to be a dead end. The light inside was poor, and there were piles of miscellaneous items scattered around.

Lin Zhe Xia noticed the alley because it appeared that two or three people were standing inside. They were dressed in flashy, unkempt clothing, cigarettes dangling between their fingers.

The leader of the group had dyed red hair. He squatted at the entrance of the alley, cigarette in mouth, casually eyeing passersby.

Lin Zhe Xia slowed her steps: “I don’t think it’s likely, but... do you usually see people like this hanging around here when you walk by?”

Chen Lin glanced over and shook her head firmly: “No, I walk this route every day after school, and I’ve never seen anyone hiding here.”

At that moment, Lin Zhe Xia began to feel a real sense of panic.

She still didn’t believe they’d go so far as to cause trouble for Chen Lin. After all, everyone was a student, and no one wanted to risk getting into disciplinary trouble.

But what she hadn’t considered was that sometimes, causing trouble didn’t require them to show up in person.

Lin Zhe Xia forced herself to stay calm, pretending everything was fine while subtly pulling out her phone. Her trembling fingers betrayed her anxiety as she clumsily typed a message into Chi Yao’s chat window, making several typos in the process.

• I’m currently at

• Two streets away from the school, at the 9th bus stop

• There are some delinquents

Lin Zhe Xia tried to discreetly correct the typos (“school” and “group”) so Chi Yao wouldn’t misunderstand.

Just as she was about to send the message, the group in the alley suddenly moved.

The red-haired leader flicked his cigarette butt to the ground, pointed in their direction, and signaled to the others. They immediately understood and started heading toward them.

Lin Zhe Xia quickly grabbed Chen Lin’s hand and bolted back toward the school: “Run!”

The group needed to cross the road to reach them, which bought the girls some time—but not much. They were cornered at the end of the street, just one block away from the bustling area.

“What’s with all the running?” the red-haired leader sneered, his voice laced with the stench of cigarettes. “Which one of you is Chen Lin?”

Lin Zhe Xia tightened her grip on Chen Lin’s hand: “Who are you? I don’t know you.”

Red Hair: “Who I am doesn’t matter. Tell me—who’s the Chen Lin who argued with my sister online? If you don’t tell me, I’ll beat both of you.”

As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Lin Zhe Xia’s face for a few seconds.

“This girl’s pretty cute,” Red Hair smirked. “It’d be a shame if I accidentally ruin that face of yours.”

Lin Zhe Xia tried to buy more time: “I don’t know any Chen Lin. You’ve got the wrong person.”

Seeing that neither of them would cooperate, Red Hair spat on the ground and reached out to grab Lin Zhe Xia by her hair, intending to yank her closer—

But just then, a hand suddenly shot out from behind him. Only then did he realize someone had been standing behind him without his notice.

The newcomer was taller than him, slightly hunched over, and wearing Second High’s uniform.

He stood behind Red Hair, casually draping an arm over his shoulder and pressing down the hand Red Hair had extended, as if they were close buddies.

From afar, it looked like they were part of the same group.

Lin Zhe Xia, who had instinctively closed her eyes out of fear, opened them to see this scene unfold.

“Hey, man,” the newcomer said, his light-colored eyes glinting as he tilted his head toward Red Hair. “Blocking people, huh?”

Red Hair was momentarily stunned, unable to tell if this guy was friend or foe.

But he assumed they were on the same side—after all, why else would he casually sling an arm over his shoulder like that? “Who are you? Are you here to fight too?”

Chi Yao’s expression remained unchanged as he lifted his chin slightly and drawled: “Yeah, that’s right. I’m from Second High. I often get into fights around here.”

Red Hair was about to say, “I’ve never heard of such a tough guy in Cheng’an,” when—in the next second—

The youth’s hand clamped down hard on the back of Red Hair’s head, gripping his hair and yanking it backward. His movements were sharp and forceful, his fingers tensed as he delivered a swift kick to Red Hair’s calf.

“As for me,” Chi Yao said coolly, “I like to wander around this street when I’m bored. If I see someone I don’t like, I beat them up.”