[“Hou Zihao! What exactly are you trying to do?!”]

Liu Jun and Luo Siyu met up soon after.

Their expectations and interpretations of this relationship differed. Luo Siyu was pursuing a romantic relationship, hoping to leverage Liu Jun to escape the social struggles she faced at No. 1 High School. On the other hand, Liu Jun’s intentions were less clear. Initially, he assumed Luo Siyu was a legitimate student at No. 1 High School, but he soon learned that she was merely auditing classes. As an art student preparing for the entrance exams, her artistic skills were mediocre, and her prospects seemed limited. This disparity naturally led Liu Jun to not view her as a candidate for a serious relationship.

If not a serious relationship, then what? Liu Jun was excited, feeling that the legendary “419” (a one-night stand) might finally be within reach.

He prided himself on being a gentleman. Though his inner thoughts were sordid, he managed to mask his true intentions well. He took Luo Siyu out for meals several times, always paying the bill, and during these outings, he naturally introduced her to the “outside world.”

He regaled her with tales of university life—top-tier laboratories and lectures, diverse club activities, and the freedom to manage personal time. Before evening classes, he could stroll through snack streets with roommates and friends; on weekends, he could casually attend exhibitions or concerts he liked. If he had spare time, he could brainstorm with classmates in a discussion room, perhaps even generating ideas capable of changing human society.

It was an endless parade of poetic beauty and distant horizons.

For a high school student who had never left City A, these descriptions were overwhelmingly attractive. University seemed like a perfect utopia, shimmering brilliantly, beckoning Luo Siyu. Subconsciously, she transferred her longing for this mysterious university life into admiration for Liu Jun, the storyteller, amplifying his charm exponentially.

Thus, naturally, after a night of “heartfelt conversations over drinks,” they ended up in bed together.

At first, this shocked Luo Siyu. She had never intended to become intimate with Liu Jun so quickly, and everything felt too sudden. However, after the initial shock subsided, she began to feel a sense of happiness.

Why shouldn’t she? Many of her friends from No. 3 High School had done the same with their boyfriends in their first year of high school. Compared to them, starting in her third year made her late to the game… What about No. 1 High School? People there didn’t behave this way because they were boring bookworms! Only dull bookworms would be so rigid. Her actions were right—boldly pursuing love and happiness!

She convinced herself she was in love, and her relationship with Liu Jun grew sweeter. Before winter break, they visited hotels several more times. When she returned to school and faced her classmates at No. 1 High School, she experienced an indescribable sense of superiority. She believed she was better than everyone else in the class. She had become an adult before them, and her boyfriend attended Z University—he was destined for success. So what if people at No. 1 High School looked down on her? They still couldn’t compare to her boyfriend.

She was ecstatic.

Meanwhile, just before winter break, Pei Qiming also returned to No. 1 High School twice. The first time, he claimed to visit his former teachers, while the second time, he used the pretext of visiting teachers but came specifically to see Zhou Leqi.

Honestly speaking, both visits were solely for Zhou Leqi.

The first time he came, he stood quietly outside the familiar glass window of Class 1, Senior Three, watching her. At that moment, the class was having an English lesson. She alternated between looking at the blackboard and taking notes. Her fair skin made her stand out among her peers, and the strands of hair falling over her face when she lowered her head were as soft and beautiful as he remembered.

However, not long after, someone behind her tossed a crumpled note. Clearly, it was a note-passing session. He assumed she wouldn’t pay attention to it, but to his surprise, she unfolded the note, glanced at it, replied, and even crumpled it back up to toss it discreetly.

Pei Qiming: “…?”

He was surprised. This wasn’t entirely the Zhou Leqi he remembered. Curious, he paid closer attention to the person exchanging notes with her.

...It was a boy.

Upon reflection, it was the same boy who had grabbed her hand on January 3rd during the lecture. That striking appearance—he couldn’t forget it.

Leqi and this boy…?

Impossible.

The second time Pei Qiming came to the school, Class 1 happened to have physical education. Leaving the teacher’s office, he saw Zhou Leqi alone in a corner of the playground from the fifth-floor corridor. She looked isolated. His heart ached, thinking that these two years of retaking exams must have been tough for her, especially since she had no friends in her new class.

He wanted to go to her, to keep her company. But before he reached the stairs, he saw that boy approach her again. They were talking, seemingly arguing slightly. Later, the boy took her hand and led her toward the basketball court, even helping her climb onto the tall concrete platform.

At first, she seemed reluctant, but eventually, she appeared to relent. She sat on the platform, watching him play basketball, waving at him once in the middle.

...Pei Qiming’s brows finally furrowed.

That evening, as Zhou Leqi and Hou Zihao walked out of the classroom together, they unexpectedly ran into Pei Qiming.

At the time, Pei Qiming was walking and chatting with Teacher Pan. Both groups reacted upon seeing each other: Teacher Pan noticed Zhou Leqi and Hou Zihao, suspected to be dating, and his expression soured. Zhou Leqi, sensing Teacher Pan’s disapproval, naturally distanced herself from Hou Zihao to avoid suspicion.

Hou Zihao, however, cared little about what Teacher Pan thought. His instinctive judgment was that Zhou Leqi had moved away from him immediately because of Pei Qiming.

A surge of anger rose within him.

But before he could react, Pei Qiming spoke first.

Smiling, he greeted Zhou Leqi, saying, “I was just about to find you—how about we have dinner with Teacher Pan tonight?”

Zhou Leqi was taken aback, unsure how to respond.

She wasn’t like Pei Qiming—a student who had retaken exams twice. How could she justify having dinner with a teacher?

Fortunately, Teacher Pan politely declined, saying, “Oh, Qiming, your kindness is appreciated, but I need to help my child with homework tonight—you go ahead with your friends.”

After some polite exchanges, he finally convinced Pei Qiming, waving goodbye. Before leaving, he gave Zhou Leqi and Hou Zihao another glance, satisfied only when Zhou Leqi moved further away from Hou Zihao.

Three individuals remained, standing awkwardly.

Though Zhou Leqi couldn’t explain why she felt awkward, the current situation indeed made her uncomfortable, especially under Hou Zihao’s gaze, which felt like needles piercing her back.

She was contemplating what to do next when Pei Qiming called her again: “Leqi?”

She instinctively responded, “Hmm?”

Pei Qiming, looking at Hou Zihao, asked her, “Is this junior your friend?”

His tone was polite, but the term “junior” irked Hou Zihao, whose gaze visibly turned colder.

Zhou Leqi paused for reasons difficult to articulate and said, “…Yes, he’s my current classmate, Hou Zihao.”

She then turned to Hou Zihao, pointing to Pei Qiming, and introduced, “…This is Pei Qiming.”

After the brief introductions, neither of the two boys reacted, not even a word exchanged—it was excruciatingly awkward.

“It’s best to have a friend by your side,” Pei Qiming kindly interjected, warmly inviting, “Let’s have dinner together. We still haven’t finished discussing what happened last time.”

This statement was clever yet subtle.

By positioning himself as the friendly party, he naturally appeared superior. However, the latter part of his sentence carried a less friendly implication, as if reminding Hou Zihao that he could never intrude on the somewhat secretive matter between him and Zhou Leqi—”what happened last time.”

What exactly was “what happened last time”?

This phrase sounded ambiguous, easily sparking endless speculation—was it a confession? A promise? Or worse… were they making some kind of agreement?

Zhou Leqi didn’t detect any suggestive undertones in this statement. To her, Pei Qiming’s meaning was clear—he must want to discuss the necklace.

She had declined his gift last time, and he likely hoped she would accept it. Reflecting afterward, Zhou Leqi felt a bit guilty. After all, the necklace was clearly custom-made, with her initials and birthdate engraved on the back. If she didn’t take it, he probably couldn’t return it either… Wouldn’t that mean losing money for nothing?

Perhaps she should simply buy the necklace outright, but recently, she was short on funds…

Thinking this through, she said, “Alright, let’s have dinner together…”

She paused, realizing this matter had nothing to do with Hou Zihao. It would seem odd for him to join them, so she turned to him and added, “Do you want to join us, or should you go back first?”

Bang.

Hou Zihao’s anger, which had simmered since Pei Qiming’s arrival on January 3rd, could no longer be contained. For days, he had been suppressing it, trying not to dwell on the matter. But Zhou Leqi’s words now ignited his temper, erasing any desire to remain calm.

To hell with restraint.

To hell with composure.

To hell with overthinking.

He had no interest in the pretense of maturity and rationality.

He just wanted to figure out whether Zhou Leqi had a heart or not!

Hou Zihao had no intention of arguing with Pei Qiming. He didn’t even bother responding to Zhou Leqi. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along with him.

Zhou Leqi was startled, nearly stumbling. However, even in his anger, Hou Zihao was considerate of her. The tall boy lightly supported her waist, steadying her before striding toward the stairwell.

She followed him anxiously, asking, “Hou Zihao! What are you doing!”

What was he doing?

He sneered but offered no reply.

It was precisely because he had done nothing that he felt so frustrated!

He continued pulling her along, walking briskly and exuding coldness. Everyone they passed along the way from the classroom to the campus sensed something was amiss. Even friends who were usually close to Hou Zihao hesitated to greet him upon seeing his demeanor.

Damn… Monkey was angry.

Even Zhou Leqi, despite her usual obliviousness, could sense his fury. Yet, she couldn’t understand why he reacted so strongly or where he was taking her…

They had already left the school gate, but they weren’t heading toward the Cultural Palace bus stop. Without a word, he kept pulling her along, walking further and further away from the crowd, the surroundings growing increasingly desolate.

She finally began to panic, realizing she couldn’t let him continue like this. She started struggling, trying to free herself from his grip. After several attempts, she finally managed to wrench her wrist free from his tight hold.

Under the dim streetlight, she shouted, “Hou Zihao! What exactly are you trying to do!”

He turned around.

The streetlight cast a long shadow behind him, his features shrouded in darkness.