SWTHTC - 15

Chapter 15: “You Think I Have a Crush on You?”

[“This isn’t a crush—it’s an open declaration of love.”]

Before morning reading ended, the class monitor returned. She walked straight to the third row by the window, standing beside Hou Zihao’s seat, and said to Zhou Leqi, “Zhou Leqi, Teacher Pan wants to see you in his office.”

Being summoned to the homeroom teacher’s office was never a good sign—it usually meant trouble. But no one in Class One could fathom what mistake someone as disciplined and academically outstanding as Zhou Leqi might have made. The students exchanged confused glances while secretly observing.

Zhou Leqi, however, remained calm. She nodded at Yuan Jiahui, stood up, and quietly left the classroom. Hou Zihao also rose to let her pass before she exited with a composed demeanor.

Teacher Pan’s office was a large shared space used by the senior-year teachers, located on the fifth floor of the teaching building, diagonally opposite Class One’s classroom. When Zhou Leqi had been a first-time student two years ago, the teachers were already using this office—and they still occupied it now.

She approached the familiar office door and called out, “Report.” Soon after, Teacher Pan’s voice came from within.

“Come in.”

Zhou Leqi pushed the door open.

As well-known among the teachers as she was among her peers, Zhou Leqi had once been a source of pride for No. 1 High School, carrying the hopes of many. But after witnessing her fail twice, the teachers’ gazes toward her had grown complicated.

Zhou Leqi began to feel a heaviness pressing down on her.

From first grade onward, she had always enjoyed visiting teachers’ offices. Her excellent grades ensured that every teacher liked her. Each visit brought either praise or assignments for speeches or competitions—always positive things.

But now… she found herself dreading these visits.

Like standing at the edge of an abyss.

Head bowed, she tried to suppress her inner fear. Walking through the large office, she passed rows of desks until she reached Teacher Pan’s desk.

“Good morning, Teacher Pan.”

At that moment, Teacher Pan was looking down at his phone, his brows tightly furrowed.

Unlike his thinning hair, his eyebrows were surprisingly thick and coarse. When he frowned, it looked like an unbreakable knot had formed between them.

Hearing her voice, he looked up at her. His expression was inscrutable, leaving Zhou Leqi puzzled. After a moment, he gestured to the chair across from his desk and said, “Sit down.”

This was going to be a long talk.

A sense of foreboding washed over Zhou Leqi. She pressed her lips together and silently took a seat.

Teacher Pan remained silent too. Despite calling her here, he seemed unsure where to begin. After a while, he sighed deeply but still said nothing, instead pushing his phone toward her.

“Take a look.”

Zhou Leqi frowned and glanced at the screen.

...There were several photos, all of her and Hou Zihao.

Walking out of school together.

Waiting for the bus at the Cultural Palace stop.

Eating beef noodles at a restaurant.

Zhou Leqi froze, unable to comprehend why Teacher Pan was showing her these images. After a long pause, realization struck her:

...Teacher Pan suspected her and Hou Zihao of having an early romance.

Zhou Leqi felt utterly bewildered. She couldn’t believe she was being accused so baselessly. To her, early romance was shameful, especially for someone who had failed the college entrance exam twice.

Her face flushed red, and she became flustered, shaking her head repeatedly. “Teacher Pan, I—I’m not… involved in an early romance…”

Her denial sounded genuine, but Teacher Pan had seen countless such performances. High school students were adept at deception; some would even burst into tears while vehemently denying their involvement in relationships. He was unfazed.

His suspicions remained unchanged. He continued to scrutinize Zhou Leqi and countered, “You say you’re not? Fine. Then explain to me—why do you take the same bus home every day?”

It was a fair question, and Zhou Leqi eagerly responded, “This is just a coincidence. We both live in the Development Zone, so we happen to take the same bus…”

She thought this explanation would suffice, but to her surprise, Teacher Pan’s expression darkened further. He interrupted her abruptly. “Do you think I don’t know where Hou Zihao lives?”

With that, he pulled out a student information sheet from his drawer and placed it in front of Zhou Leqi.

She quickly spotted Hou Zihao’s name. Under the address column, four bold characters were written: Haoting International .

...That was a high-end residential complex in the city center, miles away from the Development Zone.

Zhou Leqi was stunned.

Speechless.

Seeing her silence, Teacher Pan assumed she was tacitly admitting guilt and sighed deeply.

He collected the information sheet and phone, speaking earnestly as he did so.

“Zhou Leqi, I understand the pressure of repeating a year has weighed heavily on your mindset. But I hope you won’t let it lead you astray.”

His tone was sincere.

“You’re a gifted student, and you know what’s important. While dating might bring temporary relief, what about your future? Countless students have had their futures ruined by early romances. Do you want to throw yours away?”

“Repeat.”

“Pressure.”

“Early romance.”

“Future.”

One heavier term after another bore down on Zhou Leqi.

She could barely react.

Teacher Pan’s voice wasn’t loud—it was normal volume—but the enclosed office amplified it enough for everyone present to hear clearly, including passing students.

Zhou Leqi felt like a clown paraded for public humiliation.

Her face burned, her heart raced wildly, and her blood seemed to flow backward. She had never felt so ashamed, so humiliated, so awkward, and so exposed.

Unable to speak, she kept her head down, picking at her nails until she broke the nail on her ring finger. Sharp pain followed, and blood trickled out.

Teacher Pan watched her stiff posture and bowed head, sighing inwardly.

He knew she was a good student—perhaps the best he’d ever taught. He genuinely hoped she would stay focused and achieve excellent results in this year’s college entrance exam, living up to her potential.

Believing she had recognized her mistake, he decided not to press further. After a pause, he said, “Considering your special circumstances, I won’t pursue this matter with you and Hou Zihao further. I hope you’ll reflect deeply and not disappoint me again. Do you understand?”

“Disappointment.”

Zhou Leqi stared at the blood staining her uniform pants, spreading slowly like a growing wound.

“...I understand,” she replied.

When Zhou Leqi returned to the classroom, her expression was blank. She simply told Hou Zihao, “Come out for a moment.”

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out again.

Her demeanor appeared calm, so no one else noticed anything amiss. But Hou Zihao sensed her distress—her emotions were fluctuating intensely.

Unsure of what had happened, concern outweighed his surprise, and he immediately got up to follow her.

Behind them, Yuan Jiahui’s expression grew increasingly complex.

Zhou Leqi walked all the way to the basement level of the teaching building, where many students parked their bicycles and faculty members parked their cars. At this time, no one was around—only dim incandescent lights flickered faintly.

She stopped under one of the lamps.

Hou Zihao followed her, his mind racing. Her silhouette reminded him of the night she walked home alone—equally lonely and tense, but now tinged with anger absent then.

She was angry, and she was hurt.

But he didn’t know why.

It wasn’t until she coldly confronted him that everything clicked.

“Hou Zihao,” she addressed him formally, her voice echoing in the empty underground garage, “where do you live?”

At that moment, his heart skipped a beat—he understood everything.

—He had been caught lying.

Who told her?

Teacher Pan?

Why would he suddenly bring this up?

Had someone reported them for early romance?

Who? Yuan Jiahui?

A string of thoughts raced through his mind. He understood everything except how to respond to Zhou Leqi’s question now.

He fell silent.

Zhou Leqi sneered. The incandescent light cast shadows on her face, making her appear cold and hostile—like a hedgehog, turning everything into weapons to protect herself.

“Why did you lie to me?” she demanded. “Was it because I outperformed you in the mock exams, so you were jealous and wanted to sabotage me? Or did you think I bullied your girlfriend during PE class, so you wanted revenge?”

She interpreted his actions through the lens of every malicious possibility she could imagine.

Hou Zihao had been speechless before, but now he was utterly dumbfounded. He couldn’t fathom why she thought this way or how his previous actions had been so misinterpreted.

Growing anxious, he hurriedly explained, “I wasn’t jealous of you. Yuan Jiahui isn’t my girlfriend. I had no intention of hurting you. I…”

But before he could finish, Zhou Leqi cut him off coldly.

The events in the office had wounded her pride beyond measure. She couldn’t articulate her feelings—whether anger or injustice—only sensing a fire burning fiercely within her.

She pressed him relentlessly. “No? Then tell me—why did you lie to me? Why have you been riding the bus with me every day?”

All she received in response was Hou Zihao’s silence.

Her anger grew with each passing second of his silence. In her mind, she had already convicted him, convinced he intended to harm her, regardless of his reasons.

This wasn’t unusual.

Her life had never lacked sudden calamities or inexplicable malice.

“Can’t come up with a decent excuse?” she mocked, her gaze sharp. “Let me help you. You’re not trying to harm me—you secretly like me, right?”

Hou Zihao had initially planned to let her vent, but upon hearing this, he couldn’t contain himself.

His temper flared, and he scoffed at her accusation.

“I secretly like you?”

Hou Zihao’s eyes narrowed disdainfully, his voice echoing through the cavernous underground garage.

“Secretly? This isn’t secret admiration…”

The boy’s tone and gaze were equally defiant and cutting.

“This is outright love.”