SWTHTC - 13

Chapter 13: “Cooking Raw Rice into Cooked Rice”

[“What if I kiss you right in front of your homeroom teacher? Turning raw rice into cooked rice—what do you think?”]

On Monday morning, Ge Ao was thoroughly impressed by the blackboard newspaper in their classroom.

Though it was still a half-finished work awaiting color, the basic framework had already taken shape. The central theme—a sailing ship—was drawn with intricate detail and vitality, even the waves showed depth and texture. The accompanying artistic lettering was also fresh and stylish, prompting him to whistle in admiration.

Leaning on Yan Lin’s shoulder, Ge Ao commented, “Monkey’s got skills! Who knew he had such artistic talent?”

Yan Lin scrutinized the artwork carefully and found it hard to believe that this masterpiece could have come from Hou Zihao, whose artistic abilities were akin to a barren desert. He pointed out bluntly, “No way. He definitely got help.”

Ge Ao agreed. After all, Zhang Zounin’s description of Monkey’s drawing skills was “like a turtle applying lipstick.” There was no way he could suddenly produce something so refined.

Just as Ge Ao was pondering who might have helped Hou Zihao, two figures appeared at the classroom door: one was Yuan Jiahui, the class monitor, and the other was Mi Lan from Class 43, who had come looking for Yan Lin.

Seeing them, Ge Ao teased Yan Lin with a wink, chanting, “Yan Lin, ‘Mommy loves you’ ~~~”

Yan Lin was momentarily struck speechless by the jab but recovered after thirty seconds. Smiling, he fired back, “Thanks, Daddy loves you too.”

Without giving his opponent a chance to retort, Yan Lin walked straight out of the classroom to meet Mi Lan.

Ge Ao stood there frustrated by his earlier defeat, feeling quite annoyed. Just then, Yuan Jiahui passed by him, smiling as she asked, “What are you and Yan Lin up to again?”

Ge Ao’s irritation melted away. Scratching his head, he replied, “We’re discussing Monkey’s artistic skills. We think he must’ve gotten some outside help.”

He gestured toward the blackboard newspaper.

Yuan Jiahui had been secretly infatuated with Hou Zihao for over a year and was well aware of his artistic limitations. Looking at the delicate style of the painting on the board, she couldn’t help but suspect it was the work of a girl.

Could it be…

She fell silent.

Ge Ao noticed Yuan Jiahui’s sudden drop in spirits.

The last time, during PE class, when Yuan Jiahui called Zhou Leqi “senior,” Hou Zihao had publicly defended her. Though his demeanor remained calm, the situation was undeniably awkward, and everyone felt he hadn’t spared Yuan Jiahui any face.

Since that day, Yuan Jiahui hadn’t been able to recover. Even now, she hadn’t mustered the courage to speak to Hou Zihao again—let alone to Zhou Leqi.

Ge Ao sympathized with her. In his eyes, her pursuit of Hou Zihao was hopeless from the start. And now with Zhou Leqi around, Hou Zihao’s attention was clearly focused entirely on her, leaving Yuan Jiahui with even less of a chance.

But he dared not say this outright. Seeing Yuan Jiahui lost in thought while staring at the blackboard newspaper, he quietly slipped away without disturbing her.

Yan Lin, on the other hand, couldn’t escape. Mi Lan was blocking the classroom entrance.

Mi Lan was a remarkably capable girl.

All students at No. 1 High School were required to wear uniforms, which were notoriously ugly and made everyone look the same. Yet somehow, Mi Lan managed to make them stylish—either by tying a knot in the bottom hem of her shirt to reveal a small section of her slender waist or deliberately ordering an oversized uniform to create an oversized look.

And it worked. She looked good.

The moment she saw Yan Lin, her eyes lit up, and she darted toward him so fast that Yan Lin didn’t even know how she moved so quickly.

He instinctively put some distance between them, then glanced around to check if any teachers were nearby. Finding none, he furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you want now?”

Mi Lan was unfazed by his coldness and countered with a question of her own: “Why did you delete my QQ again?”

This wasn’t a new issue. Before this latest deletion, Yan Lin had already blocked and deleted Mi Lan at least four times.

Yan Lin responded matter-of-factly, “You said it yourself last time—if you don’t rank in the top thirty of the liberal arts exams, you’d leave me alone.”

Ah yes, there had indeed been such an agreement.

It happened during summer vacation when Mi Lan was obsessively pursuing Yan Lin, bombarding him with two hundred messages daily. Fed up, Yan Lin resorted to blocking and deleting her repeatedly, but to no avail. Mi Lan even hacked into Ge Ao’s account to continue chatting with him, proving herself resourceful beyond belief.

Desperate, Yan Lin finally typed a humble message under Ge Ao’s profile picture: “…What exactly do you want?”

“Big Brother Ge” replied promptly: “I’m going to pursue you.”

Qingbei Robber (Yan Lin’s username): ???

Qingbei Robber: I refuse.

Big Brother Ge: No can do. I’ve made up my mind to chase you.

Qingbei Robber: Can’t you be reasonable?

Big Brother Ge: Sure.

Big Brother Ge: Let’s make a bet.

Qingbei Robber: ???

Big Brother Ge: If I rank in the top thirty in the mock exam for liberal arts, you’ll agree to be my boyfriend.

Qingbei Robber: ????

Big Brother Ge: What, not satisfied?

Qingbei Robber: Let me say it again—I don’t want a relationship, and I don’t like you.

Big Brother Ge: Doesn’t matter. I like you enough for both of us.

Big Brother Ge: If you can’t handle it, just think of it as me being a fan. You can act like a normal idol, and I’ll imagine the romance on my own.

Qingbei Robber: …

For ten minutes, the chat window remained blank as “Qingbei Robber” repeatedly went online and offline more than ten times, seemingly overwhelmed by disbelief.

Finally, he calmed down and replied: Fine.

Big Brother Ge: Really?!

Big Brother Ge: I took a screenshot. Your word is your bond!

Qingbei Robber: But with an additional clause.

Big Brother Ge: Go ahead.

Qingbei Robber: If you don’t make it into the top thirty, you’ll leave me alone forever.

The screen went blank again for ten minutes as “Big Brother Ge” logged on and off repeatedly, possibly due to extreme excitement.

Big Brother Ge: Deal! I’ll fucking ace the exam and come back with first place!

Qingbei Robber: …Good luck.

Their exchange was nothing short of delightful. In the end, Mi Lan ranked 46th in the grade.

In reality, she had improved significantly. Previously ranked over 200th in the liberal arts division (with fewer than 300 students total), she had spent the entire summer studying tirelessly, waking up before the rooster and sleeping later than a dog. She diligently posted updates on her social media about her study routine, pushing herself so hard that even Yan Lin began to fear she might actually break into the top tier.

He even considered tutoring the top thirty liberal arts students to ensure they kept Mi Lan firmly outside their ranks.

Fortunately, fate intervened. Mi Lan ended up ranking 46th. On the day the results were released, Yan Lin was beside himself with anxiety until he saw her ranking. Relieved, he immediately went home and happily deleted Mi Lan’s nth alternate account—”Yan Lin’s Girlfriend Account #89.”

To his dismay, Yan Lin soon discovered that this girl had no sense of integrity. She created yet another alternate account, her 90th, and added him again.

He collapsed emotionally, logging on to confront her: “Didn’t we agree?! One promise only!”

Yan Lin’s Girlfriend Account #90: A person cannot step into the same river twice.

Qingbei Robber: ???

Yan Lin’s Girlfriend Account #90: Meaning, the person who promised you was the old me, but now I’m no longer the same person.

That day, Yan Lin nearly had to be hospitalized from frustration.

He was utterly powerless against Mi Lan. By now, his attitude bordered on apathy. Even when she cornered him at their classroom door, he barely reacted, refusing to engage in conversation.

Mi Lan wasn’t offended. Crossing her arms, she commanded him: “Add me back right now.”

Yan Lin: “No.”

Mi Lan stomped her foot: “Why not!”

Yan Lin rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on: “No reason. Just… I don’t want to, okay?”

Mi Lan’s face puffed up in anger. Her round cheeks made her look even cuter when she was upset.

Fuming, she paced back and forth. Just then, she spotted Teacher Pan emerging from the office and heading toward the classroom. An idea flashed across her mind as she turned to Yan Lin.

Though Yan Lin didn’t know what she was planning, alarm bells rang in his head. Sensing impending disaster, he immediately asked warily, “What are you going to do?”

Mi Lan smirked mischievously, inching closer to him. “I wanted a long-term relationship, but since you’re forcing me, I’ll have to take drastic measures.”

Yan Lin: ???

Mi Lan: “How about I kiss you right in front of your homeroom teacher? Turning raw rice into cooked rice—what do you think?”

Before Yan Lin could react, she jumped up and tried to kiss him!

Panicking, Yan Lin quickly restrained her!

Teacher Pan was notorious nationwide for cracking down on early romances. If he caught a student engaging in inappropriate behavior in public, the consequences would be dire…

A vein throbbed on Yan Lin’s temple as he hissed through gritted teeth, “Fine! I’ll add you back—all 90 accounts!”

Mi Lan beamed triumphantly, confirming her victory: “Really?”

By then, Yan Lin had already turned and walked back into the classroom.

Mi Lan watched his tall, upright figure retreat, imagining his frustrated expression as he held back his anger. Bursting into laughter, her mood instantly brightened. Just as Teacher Pan approached the classroom door, she pretended to casually walk past and hurried away.

What was this called?

Arriving with empty sleeves, departing with bountiful fruits.

Human joys and sorrows were never aligned. While Yan Lin started his day fuming over Mi Lan’s antics, Hou Zihao was in high spirits.

In the past, he had always loved holidays, counting down every second until school ended. But now things were different. He looked forward to school because it was the only time he could see a certain someone—eat with her, walk her home.

After enduring two days, Monday finally arrived. Early in the morning, he saw the person he longed to see. When she noticed him, she even smiled, leaving him utterly defenseless against her beauty.

Sigh.

After school was Hou Zihao’s favorite time.

He had done his research, discovering a highly recommended snack shop near the school known for its delicious braised pork. If she didn’t like it, there was also a fried chicken shop next door—still meat, perhaps she’d enjoy that.

However, before he could invite her to eat together after school, an unexpected visitor appeared in the classroom.

…It was Yuan Jiahui.