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Liang Qian was confident that he hadn’t made a mistake.

Typically, whenever teachers called Chen Yang out of the classroom, it was usually for something positive—or at the very least, neutral.

But this time, the tone felt different, as if something had happened.

Liang Qian thought for a moment, wondering if they had done something that caught the homeroom teacher’s attention—but he couldn’t think of anything.

Everyone in the classroom clearly heard the homeroom teacher’s words.

Chen Yang set down his pen and exited through the back door.

As soon as the door opened, a cold breeze rushed in, creating a stark contrast with the warmth inside the classroom. It jolted those who were feeling drowsy.

The door was then closed behind him.

Zhao Mingri nudged Liang Qian. “What’s going on?”

Liang Qian replied, “How should I know?”

He was curious himself.

A male student from across the aisle leaned over to inquire, “Why did Brother Yang get called out? Did something bad happen?”

“Bad things don’t happen to him,” Liang Qian whispered. “Brother Yang doesn’t get into trouble. Teachers adore him.”

The male student thought about it and agreed.

In this classroom, when it came to teacher favorability rankings, Chen Yang was undoubtedly number one in every subject. Combined, he was the undisputed top.

The sound of footsteps outside had already faded.

Wu Yami’s heart was pounding rapidly. She could no longer focus on the test paper in front of her.

She didn’t know if the homeroom teacher had called Chen Yang out because of that incident, but somehow, she couldn’t help but feel it might be related to her.

Wu Yami fished her phone out of her bag, unlocked it stealthily, and logged into her secondary account. She then checked the chat history.

The homeroom teacher had replied to her!

Wu Yami’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Did this mean that Chen Yang being called out just now was because of this?

“What are you doing?”

A sudden voice startled Wu Yami. In her panic, she hastily put away her phone, only to realize it was her desk mate.

She exhaled in relief. “What is it?”

Seeing her reaction and hearing her tone, the desk mate adjusted his glasses. “I’m not going to report you. Why are you so nervous?”

The more he said this, the more anxious Wu Yami became.

Because what he said precisely matched what she had secretly done. Hearing the word “report” made her feel guilty.

Wu Yami sat up straight, picked up her pen again, and pretended to be focused. Irritably, she said, “Don’t disturb me while I’m doing homework.”

Her desk mate glanced at her before lowering his head to work on his own tasks.

________________________________________

Class One maintained excellent order during evening self-study.

Midway through solving problems, Xie Qingyu began to feel drowsy but noticed the room growing colder despite wearing her uniform.

She looked up. “Who opened the window?”

Le Ya, who happened to be near the window, replied, “I’ll close it.”

No one remembered who opened it—it was just a small crack. But the cold air seeped through, making it feel especially chilly, particularly for those trying to sleep.

Le Ya pushed the window shut.

Just as she was about to turn around and continue her homework, she paused.

Two figures passed by on the opposite corridor. She didn’t recognize the one in front, but the one behind was unmistakably familiar.

Xie Qingyu whispered, “What are you looking at?”

Le Ya snapped out of it and stopped gazing out the window. “Nothing.”

The cake in her desk drawer remained uneaten. Every time she reached in for something, she brushed against the bag containing the card.

Had he bought it because he knew she hadn’t eaten dinner?

Le Ya pursed her lips.

During evening self-study, only teachers without classes were in the office—a total of no more than four people.

Zhou Mingchun’s seat was the second one after entering the door.

He was the homeroom teacher of Class Seventeen and had been there since the new campus was built. He had taught the previous year’s repeater class and then transitioned directly to this year’s freshmen, guiding them from first year to senior year.

Thus, he knew every student thoroughly. Sometimes, just by observing their actions, he could tell what they were thinking.

After all, being a homeroom teacher required skill.

With years of teaching experience, Zhou Mingchun had encountered countless students and dealt with various situations—divorced families, personal tragedies, and so on. He had seen it all.

He never discriminated against anyone, which was why he rarely received complaints during school evaluations. At most, he was criticized for being too strict.

Zhou Mingchun sat back in his chair, looked up at Chen Yang standing in front of him, and asked, “Do you know why I called you here?”

He had been teaching Chen Yang since first year.

Initially, he thought Chen Yang was just an introverted child, as he rarely spoke and often went about his business with a blank expression.

Unexpectedly, rumors had surfaced over time, though without concrete evidence, they remained unverified.

Later, during a parent-teacher meeting, no one from Chen Yang’s family showed up. He sat alone in a classroom full of parents, standing out like a sore thumb.

At that time, Zhou Mingchun didn’t approach Chen Yang directly. Instead, he spoke with Liang Qian and the others to learn more about Chen Yang’s family situation. Only then did he discover the truth about Chen Yang’s father.

To be honest, he was shocked at the time.

Such an obedient and high-performing student—how could he end up with such a family? But there was nothing Zhou Mingchun could do about it.

All he could hope for was that Chen Yang would get into a good school, escape that environment, and start anew.

Chen Yang stood straight, his gaze fixed on a blank test paper lying on the desk. His tone was calm as he said, “I don’t know.”

Zhou Mingchun paused, not expecting this response.

After a moment of thought, he said, “Someone sent me a picture.”

The office door was open, and a sudden gust of wind blew in, chilling Chen Yang’s neck.

He furrowed his brows but quickly smoothed them out.

After a long pause, Chen Yang finally looked up at him.

“You’re curious about what it is, right?” Zhou Mingchun met his dark eyes calmly. “But I can’t let you see it.”

If Chen Yang couldn’t know, then so be it.

Zhou Mingchun continued, “You’ve always been someone I trust. Now, we’re in the first semester of senior year—the beginning of review season and the most critical period. You already know how important this is without me having to say it.”

Chen Yang listened silently.

Homeroom teachers tended to be verbose, and Zhou Mingchun was no exception.

Zhou Mingchun said, “Your scores didn’t drop in the first monthly exam, which is excellent. Next month is the mid-term exam, and I expect the same results.”

Chen Yang replied simply, “Mm.”

Just then, the homeroom teacher of Class Eighteen happened to return and overheard this. He interjected, “What’s there to worry about with Chen Yang’s grades? I’m envious.”

Zhou Mingchun chuckled. “Precisely because of that, his grades cannot drop. We need to remind him constantly.”

The Class Eighteen teacher shook his head.

Zhou Mingchun turned his attention back to Chen Yang, lowering his voice. “Have you been getting too close to a girl recently?”

Chen Yang glanced at his expression.

Zhou Mingchun leaned back in his chair. “I won’t go into specifics, but overly close relationships between male and female students are strictly prohibited in school, especially in senior year.”

Romantic relationships were even more forbidden.

Often, teachers turned a blind eye if they chose not to intervene.

Chen Yang’s lips twitched slightly. “Too close?”

“Yes,” Zhou Mingchun said. “I don’t need to explain what that means—you understand, right?”

Chen Yang replied, “I understand.”

The neighboring teacher, who was about to leave, heard this and chimed in, “Chen Yang has a girl he’s close with? The girls in my class would cry their eyes out.”

Young and fond of joking, he knew a bit about student affairs. Rumors spread wildly among the girls. Sometimes, when Chen Yang passed by Class Eighteen, half the girls were gazing outside.

After the Class Eighteen teacher left, Zhou Mingchun said, “I won’t interfere after you graduate, but for now, it’s not allowed.”

Chen Yang stood still.

Zhou Mingchun clasped his hands together and spoke gravely. “As for who that girl is—I won’t pursue it. You can pass along my message to her.”

He didn’t want to affect the students, and he didn’t know the girl. Investigating further would only cause trouble.

There was no need to make a big deal out of this.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang gave a faint smile. “Alright.”

Zhou Mingchun frowned, feeling something was off, but Chen Yang appeared cooperative and well-behaved. He didn’t press further and allowed Chen Yang to return to the classroom.

Chen Yang obediently turned around.

Just as he stepped out of the office, he inexplicably chuckled softly, the sound vanishing into the night.

________________________________________

When Chen Yang pushed open the back door, everyone’s gaze shifted toward him.

Of course, no one dared to look for too long.

Liang Qian quickly approached and asked, “What did the homeroom teacher call you out for? It didn’t sound like good news?”

Wu Yami in front unconsciously perked up her ears to listen.

Chen Yang responded indifferently, “Nothing.”

His expression revealed neither joy nor anger as he calmly resumed solving problems.

Liang Qian scratched his head, certain that something had happened, but since Chen Yang didn’t elaborate, he couldn’t guess.

A man’s heart was as deep as the ocean.

________________________________________

After evening self-study ended:

Le Ya and Xie Qingyu walked back together, with Le Ya carrying the bag containing the cake.

“Go ahead and eat it,” Xie Qingyu urged impatiently. “Are you waiting to eat it at home? If your dad sent it so early, he might as well not have bothered.”

Le Ya: “… “

She quietly opened the cake box, cradling it in her hands. Inside were two small spoons.

Peeling back the transparent cover, the true aroma of the dessert wafted out, sweetening the air.

The top of the cake was adorned with cranberry jam, along with a few strawberries and raspberries scattered haphazardly yet beautifully.

Le Ya took a deep breath and scooped a small bite into her mouth.

It was soft and velvety, with a slightly grainy texture—just as she’d imagined. The sweetness was perfect, not cloying at all.

Delicious.

Xie Qingyu stared for a while before exclaiming, “Oh my goodness, you look like you’re about to ascend to heaven.”

Le Ya felt a bit embarrassed. “It’s really good.”

She used the other spoon to scoop a bite for Xie Qingyu and extended it. “Try some.”

Xie Qingyu didn’t hesitate and ate it.

To be fair, it tasted great. You got what you paid for—it was much better than the desserts she sometimes bought at milk tea shops.

Xie Qingyu gave a thumbs-up. “Delicious!”

Le Ya smiled gently.

The two continued walking, eating as they went. The cake wasn’t large, and within minutes, half of it was gone, including the berries.

By the time they reached the school gate, only a tiny bit remained.

Xie Qingyu glanced at her and remarked, “You sure can eat. I never realized you had such a good appetite.”

Le Ya felt embarrassed but couldn’t deny it.

The cake was just too delicious.

What could she do? She couldn’t help herself.

Xie Qingyu couldn’t resist teasing her. “Don’t give me that look—it makes me want to pinch your cheeks. Just keep eating; I’m not going to take it from you.”

Le Ya hummed in acknowledgment.

For the last piece, she didn’t bother dividing it. She scooped it all up in one spoonful and popped it into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out like a greedy little hamster.

Xie Qingyu turned her head, saw this, and couldn’t help but laugh.

How adorable.

“Le Ya.”

A familiar voice called from behind.

Le Ya obediently turned her head, still biting the spoon she’d just put in her mouth. But the sight of the face behind her startled her even more.

Xie Qingyu also turned around and exclaimed, “Ah.”

Chen Yang stood behind them.

Caught off guard, Le Ya swallowed the last bite without chewing, her eyes squinting in shock, her fingers instinctively curling inward.

She felt like she was about to explode.

Like a little hamster caught stealing food, afraid it would be taken away, she gulped it all down in one go.

Chen Yang didn’t expose her.

Instead, he reached out, grasping the spoon handle she was biting, his two distinct fingers pinching it firmly.

Le Ya’s breathing nearly stopped.

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow. “If you don’t let go soon, you’ll bite the spoon in half.”

His deliberately softened voice seemed audible only to the two of them, tinged with a faint trace of amusement.

Instinctively, Le Ya opened her mouth and released the spoon.