[When someone comes knocking, can he really refuse?]

Zhou Leqi didn’t expect to see Hou Zihao when she reached the Cultural Palace bus stop.

It was not yet six o’clock, but the sky was already pitch dark. The winter night’s chill was biting, yet there he was, leaning against the edge of the platform, head bowed over his phone, exhaling visible white puffs of breath as if oblivious to the cold.

She furrowed her brows and walked over to him. “Hou Zihao?”

He had seen her before she called out to him. Pretending to look at his phone was just a cover—his real attention had been fixed on the corner of the street near the Cultural Palace stop, waiting for her to appear.

He put away his phone, straightening up just as she reached the platform, and then heard her ask, “Why are you still here?”

Her tone carried a hint of urgency—one part surprise at seeing him, another part worry that he might catch a cold from waiting so long in the freezing weather.

But to Hou Zihao’s ears, it didn’t sound like that—he thought she sounded a bit impatient.

Under normal circumstances, he would have accepted her impatience without issue, given how accommodating he usually was with her. But today, Pei Qiming’s appearance had stirred some subtle fluctuations in his emotions. He realized there might be a unique bond between that man and Zhou Leqi—something that he, who had only known her for less than half a year, couldn’t possibly replace.

It felt like a needle prick. Though this level of discomfort was still manageable, he appeared composed, even managing a smile as he said, “I said I’d wait for you.”

Zhou Leqi was exasperated. The dim light made it hard for her to read his expression, but fortunately, the bus arrived just then. She quickly tugged at his sleeve and urged, “Come on, let’s get on.”

It was much warmer inside the bus. Sitting together made them feel even cozier. Everything seemed the same as usual: Zhou Leqi still buried herself in her books, Hou Zihao quietly worked on practice exam papers, and the neon lights outside flickered beautifully.

But in reality, many things were different.

Today, Zhou Leqi’s reading efficiency was abysmally low—she hadn’t turned a page in ages. Hou Zihao wasn’t faring much better; while he usually finished his test paper within half an hour, today he still had two fill-in-the-blank questions left undone.

He was indeed feeling restless. Her distraction unsettled him further. Eventually, unable to hold back, he put away his test paper and asked, “…Was he your classmate?”

At first, she didn’t hear him because she was lost in thought. He repeated himself, finally catching her attention.

She nodded. “Mm, he’s from my year.”

“Oh,” he began absentmindedly twirling his pen. “Did you share the same class all three years?”

She nodded again. “Mm.”

He fell silent for a moment, twirling the pen faster, his brows knitting together. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Is he your ex-boyfriend?”

The question couldn’t have been more direct.

Zhou Leqi was taken aback, clearly not expecting him to ask this outright. She immediately shook her head. “Of course not—we’re just friends.”

Her denial was sincere, her eyes unwavering, which did soothe Hou Zihao somewhat. But it was far from enough to dispel the crisis brewing in his heart. He could sense that the man liked her, and he was certain Pei Qiming had returned to their high school because of her. After all, what he said during the public Q&A session was essentially a confession.

Hou Zihao lowered his eyelids. This made his features appear deeper, rendering him more serious and stern.

He asked her, “What did he say to you earlier?”

The question carried a clear accusatory tone, coming across as overly assertive for their relationship—they were more than friends, but not yet lovers.

Yet Zhou Leqi didn’t feel offended. She carefully thought about it before replying, “Nothing much… just greeted me.”

She wasn’t lying—her interaction with Pei Qiming truly amounted to no more than a greeting. The only thing that stood out was him giving her a necklace at the end. Deeming the gift too extravagant, she declined it, merely thanking him for remembering her birthday.

But Hou Zihao didn’t believe her. On the contrary, he assumed she was hiding something from him.

He was getting angry—not at her, but at their relationship. He felt powerless and frustrated by his lack of legitimate grounds to pursue the matter.

In short, he was seething but trying to contain it.

Poor black ballpoint pen was twirled even faster—if it had consciousness, it would’ve been dizzy by now. Hou Zihao fell silent, turning his face away. After a while, he adjusted his mood and turned back to her, asking, “If he didn’t say anything, why do you seem so distracted?”

Zhou Leqi was startled, then slightly lowered her head.

Yes… she too felt something was off. Pei Qiming’s appearance had caused a significant stir in her heart.

Her feelings toward him were pure—they were simply friends with similar personalities and goals, devoid of any ambiguous or romantic undertones. Upon reflection, the reason his appearance affected her so deeply boiled down to her own inferiority complex.

Pei Qiming seemed to symbolize another version of Zhou Leqi—the person she should have been. She should have succeeded in the college entrance exam, become the top scorer, and enrolled in Tsinghua or Peking University. She shouldn’t still be stuck in the quagmire of the college entrance exam; instead, she should appear as he did now, serene and triumphant.

But reality painted a starkly different picture—they had grown worlds apart. She had fallen behind, and she didn’t know if she could ever catch up.

Seeing him made her feel defeated, powerless, and timid.

She knew this was the darker side of her psyche. She shouldn’t compare herself to others—just being herself should suffice. Yet she couldn’t help but constantly measure herself against Pei Qiming. Perhaps it stemmed from their long-standing competitive relationship since several years ago, making her current defeat feel especially humiliating…

As Zhou Leqi mulled this over repeatedly, she suddenly heard Hou Zihao call her name:

“Zhou Leqi.”

His tone was serious, addressing her by her full name.

She snapped out of her thoughts, looked up at him, and found him staring at her, brows furrowed tightly. He looked genuinely angry, fixing her with a prolonged gaze before finally speaking: “You know this is a critical period before the college entrance exam, right? Do I even need to emphasize how much early romance can impact studies? You can’t afford to date, do you understand? If you start dating now, your exam results will definitely suffer.”

Zhou Leqi: …?

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

How dare he say such a thing?

Who was the one confessing repeatedly just recently?

She had no intention of dating in the first place!

Zhou Leqi was momentarily speechless, too stunned to think of a comeback. She simply glanced at him and said, “…I understand.”

But he pressed on, demanding, “Promise me now—you won’t date anyone before graduation.”

Zhou Leqi began to frown. “Why should I promise you?”

Hou Zihao was momentarily stumped. After a pause, he countered her question with another, smirking slightly. “So you’re saying you absolutely must date?”

His smirk looked particularly… handsome, carrying a roguish and cool vibe, sharp and unlike his usual self.

Zhou Leqi’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she inexplicably felt hesitant to meet his gaze.

She awkwardly averted her eyes and said, “…I never said that.”

He didn’t respond.

…He seemed thoroughly upset.

After that day, Pei Qiming once again became the widely discussed figure at school.

Almost all the senior students were talking about him, especially the girls. Although Liu Jun from Z University had also spoken at the event—an excellent senior in his own right—under Pei Qiming’s brilliance, who even noticed him? He was completely overshadowed.

Only Luo Siyu was different—she noticed Liu Jun.

Of course, she knew Pei Qiming was better. He was more handsome, came from a more prestigious school, and exuded greater charm. Winning Pei Qiming’s affection would undoubtedly elevate her status at No. 1 High School. But he was so popular, with everyone fawning over him. How could she guarantee he’d choose her?

Better take the indirect route—go after the neglected Liu Jun.

If she dated Liu Jun, it would still be impressive. Z University was a great school. Hou Zihao and Yan Lin might currently be ranked first and second, but what if they bombed their exams? Then they might not even get into Z University. At that point, she’d surpass Zhou Leqi and Mi Lan. Who’d be laughing then? Moreover, if she dated Liu Jun, perhaps he’d help boost her grades, just as Yan Lin did for Mi Lan. Wouldn’t that be a win-win?

This was perfect.

Luo Siyu might be clueless about studying, but she had a knack for flirting. Although her attempt to seduce Hou Zihao had failed, she learned from her mistakes. She realized her biggest error was appearing too innocent. Men probably preferred girls who were a bit bolder—this insight came from her girlfriends at No. 3 High School, who claimed the most alluring girls were those who appeared pure on the surface but were secretly bold.

Luo Siyu agreed wholeheartedly.

Thus, on January 3rd, after the lecture ended, she secretly approached Liu Jun, pretending to be shy and innocent, and asked for his contact information under the pretext of seeking study advice. Liu Jun, having felt utterly overshadowed by Pei Qiming and reduced to insignificance, was pleasantly surprised to find an admiring junior seeking him out.

He was delighted and quickly exchanged QQ and WeChat contacts with Luo Siyu, even offering to answer any questions she might have, presenting himself as a generous and upright senior.

Luo Siyu felt victorious. After adding him on social media, she occasionally flirted with him. Initially, she played it coy, but soon began subtly teasing him, saying things like how she thought he was handsome during the lecture, how she’d never found other boys attractive, and how she hoped they could meet again.

With words like these, Liu Jun couldn’t have been clearer about her intentions. It was a case of a fake prude meeting a bold flirt!

In university, Liu Jun had struggled to find a girlfriend. Everyone around him was equally accomplished, each mountain taller than the next. In that environment, he seemed too ordinary, and his attempts to pursue girls had ended in rejection.

Now, however, someone had come knocking. Could he really refuse?