SW - 27

The experimental class.

Tonight’s evening study session was supposed to be supervised by their homeroom teacher, Mr. Wu. However, since he had gone to get an IV drip, it truly became a self-study period.

“Sigh.”

Chen Chen let out a soft sigh. She had been struggling with a particular type of problem and had just gotten another question wrong. Even after checking the answer key, she still didn’t fully understand.

She gently nudged Zhao Ruying but received no response.

Chen Chen tilted her head to look at her. After staring for a while, she realized Zhao Ruying was lost in thought. The pen in her hand hadn’t moved for several minutes. The last time she checked, Zhao Ruying was on the functions section of the textbook—and she was still there now.

While zoning out wasn’t unusual, it was strange for Zhao Ruying to remain motionless for so long.

“Ruying?” Chen Chen whispered softly.

Zhao Ruying snapped back to reality and looked over. “What is it?”

Seeing her pale complexion, Chen Chen hesitated to ask what she had intended and instead passed her test paper over. “I don’t quite understand this question. Can you explain it to me?”

Zhao Ruying glanced at it briefly and glossed over the explanation in a few short sentences.

After Chen Chen retrieved her test paper, she became even more certain of her earlier suspicions.

Interrupted from her thoughts, Zhao Ruying felt even more agitated.

Earlier that evening, she had gone to the repeater class to find a classmate when she heard noises coming from the restroom. Compelled by some inexplicable force, she approached and witnessed the scene inside.

The next moment, she left the fourth floor, her heart pounding wildly.

Thinking back to how Tang Yin had mocked her at the bookstore—her condescending attitude—Zhao Ruying couldn’t explain why, but before she knew it, she found herself standing outside the discipline director’s office.

The director hadn’t arrived yet, so she slipped a note under the door.

Before evening study hall began, she saw Tang Yin being taken away by the discipline director. At that moment, she felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

But upon hearing Luyang and Tang Ming’s conversation, unease crept into her mind.

She rubbed her face, trying to reassure herself: I’m doing the right thing. Fighting is wrong—it sets a bad example…

Yu Chun was still racking his brain over who could have snitched.

“Whoever did it has no idea what they’re getting into. If I find out who it is, I’ll teach them a lesson and show them who runs Jia Shui Private School.”

Sitting in the back row, his eyes caught sight of the band-aid on Tang Yin’s hand, and he immediately exclaimed, “Oh no, Ine-sister, you’re using such a girly band-aid!”

Her fair, delicate hand rested on the desk, the yellow cat-themed band-aid clearly visible, making it look incredibly cute.

The school didn’t sell these—they must have been bought from outside.

Yu Chun felt like he had uncovered something and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Tang Yin glanced at him. “If you have time to gawk, go do some problems. Or do you want your phone back?”

“Don’t mention that…” The phone was Yu Chun’s weak spot. At the mere mention of it, he instantly deflated, sulking as he returned to his seat.

Tang Yin was in a good mood.

She already had a pretty good idea of who the snitch was.

In this school, those who disliked her openly were few, but recently, Zhao Ruying had been bold enough to act on her feelings.

Still, Tang Yin thought she was foolish. So what if she got sent home for reflection? By exposing herself, Zhao Ruying only proved that all her intelligence was used for studying.

A week wasn’t much—it actually gave her more freedom.

During the break between the second evening study sessions, Tang Yin happened to encounter Zhao Ruying in the corridor.

As she passed by, she lightly clicked her tongue.

Only after Tang Yin’s figure disappeared did Zhao Ruying catch her breath. Her face was pale, and her heart trembled.

One thought echoed in her mind: She knows!

That look Tang Yin had given her earlier—it definitely meant she had discovered Zhao Ruying’s report to the discipline director.

This was Zhao Ruying’s first time doing something like this. Dazed, she returned to the classroom. Thanks to Chen Chen’s explanations, she now understood Tang Yin’s capabilities—but she hadn’t been able to hold back.

This daze carried over into the impromptu math quiz during evening study, leaving her unable to finish several questions she otherwise would have known how to solve.

Her frustration only grew.

Unaware of all this, Tang Yin went home after evening study ended.

As for the play needed for the New Year’s Eve party, she hadn’t expressed interest in joining, so the class monitor and others began rehearsing on their own.

________________________________________

Less than half a month after returning from her reflection, Christmas arrived.

To everyone’s disappointment, despite the dry weather, it still hadn’t snowed.

Christmas always felt incomplete without snow.

Disappointment aside, everyone was still incredibly excited.

This would be the last event they would experience together in high school. Though one semester remained, time seemed to fly, making it feel shorter than expected.

The teachers wouldn’t attend the class parties, leaving everything to the students’ organization.

As usual, the school dismissed one class early in the afternoon. The class monitor led a group to buy decorations like ribbons and fairy lights.

There would be no evening study today.

Thankfully, everyone was experienced, and setting up the classroom didn’t take long. However, winter nights fell early, and by the time everything was ready, it was already 7 p.m., with the outside completely dark.

Tang Yin and Su Kexi leaned against the railing, chatting.

Su Kexi pointed to the sophomores across the way. “Look over there—they’ve already started. Sigh, our class just finished setting up.”

“You’re not performing,” Tang Yin rolled her eyes.

“I just want to watch everyone perform, okay? You probably don’t know, but today the class monitor and Zhang Mei are going to sing a duet!” Su Kexi whispered, covering her mouth.

Initially skeptical about Zhang Mei’s star-shaped confession, she noticed that the two had grown closer recently. Every time they made eye contact, Zhang Mei would blush visibly—it was impossible to miss.

This afternoon, Su Kexi had secretly seen their names listed for a duet and was surprised.

Tang Yin replied indifferently, “I know now.”

“Here, have some candy.” Su Kexi popped one into her mouth. “Why aren’t you excited? I’m looking forward to your play in a couple of days.”

Thinking about the play’s content, she couldn’t help but giggle. She wondered what expressions the school leaders below would make—and Tang Yin’s father would also be present.

Tang Yin glanced at the experimental class.

Their lights were off, and colorful flashes reflected off the windows, though details were obscured by decorations.

“What are you guys thinking, dying your hair like that? Go wash it off! If the discipline director sees you, you’re done for!”

Lin Ru’s voice suddenly rang out behind them.

Tang Yin and Su Kexi turned around to see Lin Ru scolding a group of boys led by Yu Chun. Their hair was dyed in all sorts of colors, including one with streaks of light green.

“Teacher Lin, just for tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll wash it off after the party!”

Lin Ru couldn’t hold back a smile. “No way. I can’t approve of this. Our class is already on the discipline director’s radar.”

“Wash it off—it’s hurting my eyes,” Tang Yin suddenly chimed in.

“Ugh.” It seemed that even Yu Chun agreed it was an eyesore. With a sigh, he turned and headed to the restroom with the others.

Watching the group of boys leave, Lin Ru chuckled softly. Turning to Tang Yin, she said, “Have fun tonight. After this, it’s time to buckle down. Your physics has been holding steady recently.”

At her words, Tang Yin thought of Lu Chi, her face lighting up with joy.

Lin Ru smiled gently and excused herself, heading back to the office.

Meanwhile, the experimental class was buzzing with noise.

Tang Ming glanced at his desk mate’s seat, deeply feeling how surreal the world could be.

The classmates in front were laughing and chatting, eagerly awaiting the first performance. His desk mate, however, sat calmly under the soft glow of a small lamp, engrossed in a book.

Occasionally, his gaze would flick toward the stage.

Unable to resist, Tang Ming whispered, “Come on, it’s the evening party. Why are you still reading?”

Without looking up, Lu Chi flipped a page, his hand moving slightly. “It hasn’t... started yet.”

Tang Ming pursed his lips. He felt like his communication skills had deteriorated since being paired with this desk mate—and his intelligence felt crushed under the weight of Lu Chi’s brilliance.

“Ah!” A sudden cry rang out from the front.

The students near the lights immediately switched them on, brightening the room. Many turned their attention to the source of the commotion.

“Ruying, are you alright?”

“What happened? Ruying, what’s wrong?”

Zhao Ruying stood in the center, pinching her left hand over her right, brows furrowed. Several girls quickly surrounded her, fussing and asking questions.

Tang Ming rushed over to take a look, then returned to his seat, muttering under his breath. It’s just a small cut—so overdramatic. Girls are like that.

Chen Chen examined it closely. “It’s bleeding. Does anyone have a band-aid?”

The girls shook their heads. “I used mine up a few days ago.”

“I didn’t buy any, and the convenience store is closed now.”

“What should we do? It’s bleeding. What if it gets infected or leaves a scar?”

Suddenly, one of the girls spoke up. “I saw Lu Chi with a box of band-aids last time. Let’s borrow one.”

Chen Chen instinctively glanced over. She saw Lu Chi, head bowed, flipping through his book as though he existed in his own serene world—a refined young nobleman, elegant and composed.

She recalled the scene at the bookstore from a few days ago. Though they hadn’t spoken since, something about it still felt strange.

Unwilling to approach him, another girl, Huang Mi, ran over instead. “Lu Chi, do you have any band-aids? Ruying’s hand got cut. Can we borrow one?”

Luyang happened to be nearby and chimed in, “What’s the big deal?”

Tang Ming nodded in agreement.

“It’s bleeding!” Huang Mi shot them a glare. “Lu Chi, just lend us one.”

Lu Chi remained silent, his eyes behind his glasses dark and unreadable. Slowly, he reached into his desk and placed a plain band-aid on the edge of the table.

Huang Mi picked it up but remarked, “I saw those cute band-aids you had last time. This one’s so ordinary.”

Luyang retorted, “Does a band-aid have to be cute to work?”

Lu Chi’s lips pressed into a thin line, a hint of impatience showing. He replied curtly, “They’re... all used up.”

Yeah, right, Huang Mi thought sarcastically. A whole box gone? Who does he think he’s fooling?

She huffed inwardly but took the band-aid and hurried back.

Seeing no one paying attention, Huang Mi whispered to Zhao Ruying, “He wouldn’t give us the cute ones. He clearly has them. Girls need cute band-aids, obviously.”

This one was so plain—it looked terrible. She remembered seeing Lu Chi use those adorable cat-themed ones before. They were so cute!

“It’s fine,” Zhao Ruying said, hiding her embarrassment with a faint smile. “It works either way, and it’s not like we’re stealing it—we’re borrowing.”

Huang Mi nodded and applied the band-aid to Zhao Ruying’s wound.

Chen Chen said nothing, only pursing her lips slightly.

Amid the crowd of girls fussing over her, Zhao Ruying stole a glance at the corner of the classroom. Lu Chi, leaning against the window, turned his head to gaze outside. The curve of his profile made her heart race.

She quickly averted her gaze.

________________________________________

As the evening progressed, Class 14’s performances reached their climax with a skit.

Tang Yin, seated near the back door, slipped out unnoticed while everyone cheered and clapped.

The corridor outside was chilly, her hair fluttering in the breeze.

She pushed open the back door of the experimental class.

Luyang, who had been pounding the table and whistling, cursed loudly when the door opened, letting in a rush of cold air. “Damn it, who’s being careless—oh, Tang Yin! Come in, come in.”

A nearby boy smacked him on the back, amused by his quick change in attitude.

Luyang didn’t seem to mind. Grinning, he jerked his chin toward the window. “Lu Chi’s over there.”

Her purpose for coming was obvious.

Tang Yin nodded and strode past the back rows, heading toward the window. The dim lights cast her slender figure in sharp relief.

Several boys sighed wistfully. Tang Yin was so beautiful—why did she have to fall for Lu Chi, the quiet bookworm? It had been like this for half a semester now, with no sign of change.

By the window, Lu Chi sat bathed in slightly brighter light.

Tang Ming had already squeezed to the front, completely absorbed in the performance and oblivious to the fact that someone had taken his seat again.

Tang Yin plopped down beside Lu Chi, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at him. Lowering her voice, she teased, “Did you miss me today?”

Lu Chi glanced at her briefly before turning back, his expression unchanged. His pale fingers tapped lightly on the desk.

Tang Yin nudged his shoulder, pouting. “Bookworm, I’m talking to you.”

“You ask... every single day,” Lu Chi replied helplessly, his tone implying more than his words.

“Because I think about you every day. I thought about you today too, so I wanted to ask you.” Tang Yin straightened up, speaking without a trace of shyness.

Lu Chi froze for a moment, covering his mouth with a fist as he coughed lightly.

Tang Yin’s lips curved upward. Though he hadn’t said anything, his reaction spoke volumes. His ears, flushed red, peeked out from beneath his hair.

From her vantage point, Tang Yin admired Lu Chi’s smooth, clean jawline. It looked so touchable.

So she acted on her impulse.

The moment she touched him, Lu Chi grabbed her hand and gently pushed her away, his brows knitting slightly. “Don’t... fidget.”

Tang Yin grinned and withdrew her hand.

Their eyes met.

Suddenly, Tang Yin’s eyes crinkled with mischief. Leaning in swiftly, she pressed her lips to his.

A cool, fleeting sensation.

Their breaths mingled.

Lu Chi, caught off guard, widened his eyes in shock. Through his glasses, his surprise was crystal clear.

He tried to push Tang Yin back by her shoulders, but she resisted, pressing him firmly against the wall. Her body leaned heavily into his.

After a moment, Lu Chi finally pushed her away, turning his head and coughing softly.

Tang Yin’s heart swelled with sweetness. Pretending nothing had happened, she gazed out the window. Beneath the twinkling holiday lights, she occasionally caught sight of snowflakes drifting past, sparkling like diamonds.

She moved closer to Lu Chi, stifling a laugh at the sight of his crimson-tipped ears. Whispering softly into his ear, she murmured, “Little stutterer, look—it’s snowing.”

The first snowfall of winter.

She had kissed Lu Chi.

How wonderful.