[There are moments when you realize it doesn’t have to submit to someone weaker than itself.]

Time slowly passed, and A City fully entered winter. The nights grew longer, the days shorter, with December’s darkness gradually encroaching on daylight.

Zhou Leqi was very sensitive to cold. Every winter, her hands and feet would feel icy. In 2013, the classrooms at No. 1 High School still hadn’t installed air conditioners, making winter especially unbearable.

She had no choice but to replace her thermos with a glass cup. After each class, she’d go to the hallway’s hot water dispenser—not to drink, but just to warm her hands. Still, the cold was unbearable.

Hou Zihao noticed all of this, so he automatically took over the task of refilling her hot water every break. Occasionally, during chemistry class, he would secretly switch seats with Ge Ao—Chemistry Teacher Feng Dasen was over sixty, his vision too poor to notice anything beyond the blackboard. Of course, he wouldn’t discover that some students had swapped seats.

Deep down, Zhou Leqi really liked Hou Zihao sitting beside her. Though it didn’t make her warmer, his presence lifted her spirits. Sometimes, he would silently watch her; other times, their arms would accidentally bump, causing them to exchange knowing smiles before returning to their books. These small details sometimes had the magical effect of making her forget whether she was cold or not.

But rationally, she still disagreed with him sitting next to her, citing valid reasons like worrying classmates might gossip. What if it got reported to Teacher Pan? Hou Zihao completely dismissed such concerns, saying, “Forget it. Everyone already knows I like you. Old Pan probably accepts it by now.”

This left Zhou Leqi speechless.

If Hou Zihao could barely restrain himself at school, then on the bus ride home, he was utterly uninhibited.

Zhou Leqi had set rules for him: upon boarding, he must work on test papers, not speaking until finishing one. Initially resistant, he eventually adapted. Now, he could complete a single-subject physics, chemistry, or biology paper in just over half an hour, both quickly and accurately. He was incredibly impressive, using the saved time to chat with her.

What concerned him most was her health. However, he worried that constantly bringing it up might backfire. Since their hospital visit, he rarely asked directly about her illness, instead relying on observation and subtle hints, occasionally adding clever diversions and deflections.

For instance, he would cleverly ask first, “Still cold?”

She sat by the window. Winter condensation often fogged the glass. With early darkness, the world outside was pitch-black by six o’clock, save for the flickering neon lights and car taillights. The hazy light made her appear even more beautiful.

Her small face was buried in a thick scarf, almost hiding her nose, leaving only her large eyes visible. Her voice was muffled as she replied, “Not too bad...”

They sat close, and she could feel his body warmth, which made her feel less cold.

He smiled, gently pulling her scarf down slightly to expose her nose, saying, “Good, be careful not to catch a cold.”

She nodded without speaking, then took his phone to turn on the flashlight feature, using its light to read her book.

He glanced at her, taking the phone to hold the light for her. As she turned a page, he casually remarked, “By the way, I was wondering... can you take cold medicine and sertraline together? Would it harm your body?”

Sertraline—a prescription drug for treating severe depression.

In truth, Hou Zihao’s question wasn’t about discussing medication compatibility. He simply wanted to confirm if she’d been taking her prescribed medication regularly. Based on his estimation, the prescription from her last doctor visit should be nearly finished. If she stopped taking it abruptly, it could severely harm her body.

Zhou Leqi was intelligent and understood his real intent. She had her own thoughts on the matter.

She didn’t want to continue taking the medication.

First, she felt her condition had improved significantly. Although the upcoming fourth mock exam caused anxiety, she believed she could overcome it herself. Her sleep had also improved—she could fall asleep every night now, allowing her to concentrate better.

Another, more important reason... was money.

She hadn’t told Yu Qing about seeing a doctor or taking medication. The money for her previous hospital visits came from her allowance, which was nearly depleted. She didn’t want Yu Qing to know she was ill because she believed Yu Qing couldn’t handle more stress. Moreover, she knew their family’s financial situation wasn’t good. Since her condition had improved, the monthly cost of medication could be saved.

After hesitating, she decided to tell Hou Zihao the truth—that she planned to stop taking the medication.

Upon hearing this, his brows immediately furrowed. He turned off the flashlight and turned to look at her seriously. “No, you can’t stop the medication.”

Hou Zihao rarely showed such seriousness in front of Zhou Leqi. Usually, he was accommodating, so she always saw him as gentle and tolerant. But now, he looked particularly stern, his deep-set features appearing somewhat cold and intimidating.

Like a German Shepherd... You know it won’t harm you, but there are moments when you realize it doesn’t have to submit to someone weaker than itself.

Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she couldn’t quite explain how she felt, so she quickly averted her gaze and retreated into silence.

The bus swayed. The evening rush hour streets were filled with impatient honking, but he wouldn’t do that to her—he took a deep breath to compose himself. When he spoke again, his tone returned to its usual gentleness. “Sorry... I was harsh earlier.”

He lowered his head, like a German Shepherd carefully tucking away its sharp claws.

Zhou Leqi pulled her face back into the scarf, leaving only her eyes visible as she looked at him. “It’s... okay.”

He rubbed his nose, seemingly pondering something, his expression hesitant and troubled. After a while, he looked at her again. “I don’t mean any offense... but if it’s a money issue, I can help you solve it temporarily.”

Just as she could see through him, he could see through her. He understood her struggles, her pride, her endurance... everything about her.

He could easily guess she hadn’t told her family about being sick, making money a ridiculous barrier. He could also predict she’d feel uncomfortable accepting his money, but compared to her safety and health, he was willing to risk upsetting or even being disliked by her.

“Of course, this isn’t a gift,” he tried to clarify. “It’s a loan. You understand, right? You’ll have to pay me back later, with interest...”

He worked hard to describe himself as a petty, calculating creditor, trying to mask the underlying inequality of lending money.

His efforts weren’t entirely futile, but they certainly didn’t have much effect. Zhou Leqi understood what it meant, and she truly didn’t want to bother him anymore or owe him anything.

She closed her eyes, intending to argue further. But at that moment, he suddenly found his line of reasoning, delivering a statement that convinced her instantly: “Besides, if you stop taking the medication now and crash during the fourth mock exam, what then? There’s only half a year left until June. What if the college entrance exam is affected too?”

Each word hit her weak spots.

Thus, she hesitated.

Hou Zihao had basically figured out Zhou Leqi’s temperament by now. He knew she was relatively easy to influence when wavering. At this point, playful banter was more effective. If the conversation remained serious, she’d be harder to persuade.

He thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, looking both roguish and slightly wicked. “Of course, you don’t have to pay me back if you agree to be my girlfriend.”

Zhou Leqi: “…………………………”

As it turned out, Hou Zihao really did understand her well.

Zhou Leqi had indeed been wavering between accepting and rejecting his money, rationally leaning toward acceptance but emotionally inclined to refuse. However, his teasing remark suddenly erased her subtle discomfort. The light-hearted tone made her instinctively feel that accepting wasn’t a big deal and certainly didn’t mean losing her dignity.

She pursed her lips, glanced at him, and said, “Then... we need to keep accounts. I will definitely pay you back after the college entrance exam.”

Once the exam was over, she’d have time to work part-time jobs, perhaps at a convenience store or fast-food restaurant, where she could earn some money.

Hou Zihao didn’t care whether she paid him back or not, but he enthusiastically agreed at that moment to make it convincing. To add realism, he said, “Right, we need to keep clear records to prevent anyone from trying to slip by.”

This made her laugh again.

She turned her face toward the window. The reflection in the glass showed her face, her eyes curved upwards—it seemed to be the look of happiness.

At this moment, she heard him complain beside her. “Why are you only talking about keeping accounts? Aren’t you considering becoming my girlfriend? This plan is really good for both of us.”

Zhou Leqi laughed at his persistence and turned her head to look at him. “Good? No way. Not considering it.”

He frowned, looking a bit dejected, remaining silent for a while. After two minutes, he said, “Fine. Adversity does make one strong. Now, being rejected by you doesn’t even affect me.”

Zhou Leqi ignored him, taking his phone from him. She skillfully unlocked it, turned on the flashlight, and continued reading her book.

He sighed, quietly watching her beautiful profile for a moment. Ultimately, he didn’t say anything more, just held the phone for her again, ensuring she could read more comfortably.

He was calm now: he could understand her temporary refusal to be his girlfriend. It was a critical period before the college entrance exam, and her circumstances were complicated. Having no mood for romance was normal. That was fine. He was patient and could wait—as long as they stayed together and she didn’t promise to date anyone else.

Hou Zihao felt very secure at this moment. However, by January, his composure still crumbled due to an event beyond his tolerance:

Pei Qiming, the top scorer of the city in 2009 who had studied at Tsinghua University, inexplicably returned to No. 1 High School.