[“You’re asking me this on purpose.”] He was slightly annoyed and lightly tugged her ponytail.

Zhou Leqi blinked, glanced at him, then averted her gaze and lowered her head to ask, “Why are you telling me this?”

“You know exactly why,” he said with a hint of dissatisfaction, gently pulling her ponytail.

Finally, she smiled.

That smile was peculiar—her eyes still bore traces of tears, yet it somehow appeared bright. Seeing that smile, his heart gradually settled. Just then, they passed a small shop selling grilled lamb skewers and cold noodles. It was the golden hour for late-night snacks, and the shop was bustling with customers.

Feeling cheerful, he pulled her along and asked, “You haven’t eaten dinner, have you? Are you hungry?”

Zhou Leqi also glanced at the shop. The rich aroma of grilled lamb skewers wafted over, accompanied by the sizzling sound of grilling meat, making her mouth water instantly.

However, it was already past nine o’clock, and if she didn’t return home soon, Yu Qing would surely worry—and who knew what problems might arise? Considering this, she reluctantly replied, “I’m not hungry... I won’t eat.”

Hou Zihao could immediately tell that she actually wanted to eat. So, without further discussion, he simply pulled her toward the shop.

She resisted, trying to hold him back. “I really can’t go. I need to go home...”

He sighed and said, “I’ve already called Auntie.”

Zhou Leqi froze. “What?”

“When I couldn’t find you after school, I knew something was up today. While looking for you, I called your house,” he shrugged. “I told her I had to work on a bulletin board again and asked you to stay behind to help. I promised to take you home later, and she agreed.”

Zhou Leqi: “…………………………”

She didn’t know what to say.

This person… seemed indifferent about most things, yet he was always so thoughtful.

At that moment, under the bright streetlights, he smiled at her, his hand still warm as he held hers. The aroma of food wasn’t half as enticing as his words. When he simply said again, “Let’s go,” she relented.

Fine, let’s go… After all, she was with him. What was there to feel uneasy about?

They indulged in a hearty meal.

At first, Hou Zihao naturally handed over the task of ordering to Zhou Leqi. However, when he saw her only order four skewers of lamb very modestly, he realized she wasn’t up to the task. They switched roles, and he ordered a large variety: grilled pork tenderloin, grilled squid, grilled fish tofu, spicy oil noodles, grilled mushrooms, garlic butter scallops… Good heavens!

Initially, Zhou Leqi complained that he had ordered too much and they wouldn’t be able to finish it all. But when the steaming hot skewers, glistening with inviting oil, arrived one by one, her complaints vanished, and she quietly began eating.

The sense of fullness and satisfaction brought by delicious food was sometimes unimaginably strong. After devouring five skewers of lamb, Zhou Leqi visibly cheered up. She regained some strength and even ordered three more skewers from the owner while finding the energy to address Hou Zihao’s affairs.

“This is no good,” Zhou Leqi said seriously. “I bombed the exam because of my mental and physical state, but why did your ranking drop so much? Did you not take it seriously?”

Hou Zihao: ?

Given Zhou Leqi’s stern demeanor, reminiscent of a homeroom teacher conducting a serious talk, Hou Zihao had no choice but to temporarily set down the grilled tenderloin in his hand and cautiously reply, “I took it seriously... I just slacked off a bit during review. Next time, I’ll do better.”

Zhou Leqi was dissatisfied with this answer. Her brows furrowed as she said, “You can’t harbor侥幸psychology. A collapse starts from seemingly insignificant oversights. You need to carefully review this exam and stop being so careless.”

Hou Zihao: “...Alright.”

After a moment of serious contemplation, Zhou Leqi continued, “This is partly my fault too. The daily commute on the bus has been taking away from your study time. This isn’t working. Starting tomorrow, you shouldn’t come to pick me up anymore. I’ll go home alone, and you should focus on studying.”

Hou Zihao: ?

To be honest, he found the current situation deeply perplexing.

First, he couldn’t understand why someone ranked 13th was getting lectured by someone ranked 86th—and he didn’t even feel the slightest bit resentful. Second, he couldn’t fathom why his privilege of riding the bus with her was being revoked. Was this reasonable?

He felt he couldn’t concede on this point. “No way. What if something happens to you? If I’m constantly worried, it’ll affect my studies even more.”

He spoke naturally, without any intention of flattering her, but inadvertently pleased Zhou Leqi. She felt a bit happy, suppressing a smile as she thought for a moment and then said, “Alright, from now on, we’ll use the bus ride productively. You can’t just sit there playing games. You need to read or solve problems.”

Hou Zihao was speechless. “When did I ever just play games? I only played during the first few days after we met in early September, and that was because you ignored me back then. Afterward, I stopped and just watched you.”

Zhou Leqi: “...”

This guy…

She blushed slightly, avoiding further banter, and said, “Anyway, from now on, you have to study on the bus. If you don’t, you’re not allowed to ride with me.”

Hou Zihao: “...”

This…

Sigh.

He couldn’t think of anything to say and could only pick up the grilled tenderloin again. She was still watching him, determined to manage him completely, kicking him under the table and asking, “Did you hear me?”

“I heard you,” he sighed helplessly. “Teacher Zhou.”

This “Teacher Zhou” made her laugh, especially since he looked so helpless around her, increasing her sense of security and ease.

For a moment, she even felt like she didn’t need to go to the hospital.

“You should smile more,” he said, looking at her. His deep features appeared particularly gentle at that moment. “You look especially beautiful when you smile.”

Zhou Leqi felt her face heat up again. She picked up a skewer of lamb to eat, using it to mask her slight awkwardness, and asked somewhat concernedly, “Then… Do I look ugly when I cry?”

Upon reflection, she had indeed cried several times in front of him, and each time it was a big cry, completely disregarding her appearance… She started to regret it, suddenly becoming self-conscious about how she appeared to him and whimsically wanting to erase her unattractive moments from his memory.

“Not ugly, but smiling suits you better,” he chuckled, looking especially handsome. “So, unless you’re crying out of emotion, try not to cry otherwise.”

Zhou Leqi hummed softly, still feeling a bit sulky. She lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and said, “Eat yours.”

Since it was already late, they decided to take a taxi home, arriving in less than half an hour.

As usual, he accompanied her to the building entrance, around 10:30 PM. Before going upstairs, she repeatedly asked him if her eyes were swollen, clearly indicating she had been crying. He couldn’t deny it, so he tactfully suggested, “... Maybe Auntie is already asleep.”

Zhou Leqi wasn’t optimistic. After composing herself, she muttered, “Never mind, if my mom asks, I’ll say it’s because of you…”

Hearing this, Hou Zihao immediately frowned, extremely dissatisfied. “How can you say that? I’ve worked so hard to make a good impression on Auntie. Can’t you respect my efforts?”

Zhou Leqi shrugged, retorting, “Then what should I say?”

Unexpectedly burdened with helping her find an excuse, Hou Zihao thought for a while before saying, “Just say the bulletin board was too difficult to create, and it made you cry.”

This made her laugh again.

She playfully hit him, and they both burst into laughter, unable to stop. Their laughter lightened the darkness enveloping them.

Suddenly, Zhou Leqi felt a strong attachment to this person in front of her, making her reluctant to part ways. Impulsively, she hugged him.

“Hou Zihao,” she whispered in his ear while embracing him, “... Thank you so much for today.”

An embrace was an intoxicating thing. Their heartbeats quickened rapidly, and an unfamiliar emotion surged within Zhou Leqi, making her feel certain things were spiraling out of control—and yet, this loss of control was unexpectedly sweet.

She was enveloped by palpitations.

Hou Zihao naturally felt the sweetness and excitement too, but he was also cautious. After hugging her back, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you causing trouble for me again?”

Zhou Leqi didn’t understand. “Huh?”

“Every time you initiate a hug, nothing good comes of it,” his voice muffled, seemingly a bit irritated. “My dad is absolutely right—girls are enigmatic and unpredictable.”

He was referring to the time she hugged him at the hospital, only to run to the rooftop shortly after.

Zhou Leqi was at a loss for words, starting to feel guilty and a bit embarrassed.

She pushed him away, lowering her head. “You’re the one who causes trouble. I never cause trouble.”

He raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced by her statement. Fortunately, in the darkness, she didn’t see his expression and only heard him say, “Alright, that’s what you said—if anyone changes their mind, they’re a dog.”

Zhou Leqi pouted, thinking to herself that he was already a dog.

Her brief silence quickly prompted his anxious urging. Unable to resist, she muttered after a while, “... Okay.”

Zhou Leqi was a person of her word, especially when she was in a normal state, displaying remarkable actionability.

When Hou Zihao came to pick her up at her building on Saturday to go to the hospital, she indeed appeared as promised. Moreover, she had prepared two exercise books for him—one on biology and one on chemistry—and handed them to him as soon as they boarded the bus, saying, “Choose one. Finish at least one real test paper before we arrive.”

Hou Zihao: “...”

To be frank, Hou Zihao wasn’t ungrateful. He knew his recent study habits had been lax and that he should spend more time focusing. However, today it was particularly hard to concentrate because… this was the first time he had seen Zhou Leqi wearing anything other than her school uniform.

In his memory, she was always in her school uniform since they met almost exclusively in a school setting. The uniform was always the same—a white shirt, dark sportswear jacket, and similarly dark loose pants. But today was the weekend, and she wasn’t wearing her uniform. Instead, she wore a fitted, knee-length milky yellow dress underneath a small trench coat. She had also let down her ponytail, and her smooth black hair cascaded over her shoulders, appearing simple yet gentle.

She just… looked exceptionally beautiful.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. Despite repeatedly reminding himself not to lose his wits over beauty, he couldn’t help stealing glances at her throughout the journey, nearly getting caught several times.

In reality, this effect was the result of Zhou Leqi’s careful planning.

She hadn’t deliberately dressed up for a long time, always wearing her school uniform. Even on weekends and holidays, she rarely went out, and when she did, she would just grab whatever clothes were handy. Recently, though, she suddenly became conscious of her appearance in front of Hou Zihao—she wanted to look prettier, hoping he would remember her as beautiful.

Therefore, before leaving today, she had painstakingly selected and paired outfits from her wardrobe, aiming to look stylish without appearing overly done-up—an incredibly challenging task.

Fortunately… judging by his reaction now, her efforts had paid off.

Zhou Leqi secretly smiled, feeling a bit reassured, while her nervousness slowly accumulated.

The closer they got to the hospital, the more nervous she became.

Although she had agreed to go to the hospital to see a doctor, she still harbored fear. She didn’t know the examination process or whether her test results would be optimistic—if the doctor really diagnosed her with a mental illness, how would she face it? How would she explain it to Yu Qing? If her condition was severe, would the doctor force her to stay in the hospital? And what about her studies?

She didn’t know, leaving everything to fate.

Her heart was troubled, when suddenly, she felt warmth on her hand. Looking down… he had taken her hand.

He wasn’t even looking at her, still focused on writing answers on his test paper, yet it was as if he instinctively knew what she was thinking, casually comforting her. “Don’t worry. If anything seems off, I’ll pull you away. I’m pretty good at sports.”

Zhou Leqi was speechless, finding it a bit amusing, yet also slightly touched and warmed. She rolled her eyes at him without responding, retracting her hand and asking, “Are you done with your test paper?”

He snorted disdainfully, coincidentally finishing at that moment. Capping his pen, he casually handed her the completed chemistry paper. “Is this it? Next time, I won’t bother with such easy ones.”

Arrogant tone.

Zhou Leqi glanced at him, pulling out a red pen from her bag to grade his paper. This gesture made Hou Zihao chuckle. “Are you really going to be my Teacher Zhou?”

She ignored his teasing, concentrating fully on grading his score.

Hou Zihao had initially been calm, but seeing her grade his paper made him inexplicably nervous, regretting not checking his answers earlier. Fortunately, he still got everything correct, preserving his dignity.

He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her teasing, “What’s the use of getting everything right in practice tests? Why did you get two multiple-choice questions wrong in chemistry during the third mock exam?”

Hou Zihao: “...”

...Was this really something someone ranked 86th should say to someone ranked 13th?

He mentally surrendered.