SW - 34

Lu Chi was left speechless by her matter-of-fact demeanor.

He took a step back, creating some distance, and turned his face away. His voice, muffled by the scarf, sounded subdued: “Let’s go… inside.”

Tang Yin returned to her original position and followed him into the bookstore.

Just as they approached the stairs, she suddenly spoke up again. “Did you do this on purpose?”

“Hmm?” Lu Chi didn’t pause, his tone puzzled.

“You didn’t wear your glasses today. You’re definitely showing off how good-looking you are to seduce me,” Tang Yin declared loudly, stopping in her tracks.

From the moment she had walked up to Lu Chi earlier, she had been captivated by his appearance. She already thought he was handsome, but now without his glasses—whether it was beauty or charm—it was all exactly what she liked.

Lu Chi’s steps faltered, and he shook his head.

“Forget it, even if I ask, you wouldn’t tell me,” Tang Yin pouted. In her mind, he was definitely doing this on purpose. “Sigh, beautiful people always have privileges.”

Lu Chi felt a twinge of guilt at her words.

He glanced around. The bookstore wasn’t crowded today. On the first floor, there was only the shopkeeper, who was engrossed in watching a drama series with the volume turned up loud enough to drown out Tang Yin’s voice.

He cleared his throat lightly and continued following her upstairs.

Nothing in the bookstore had changed.

The physics reference book Tang Yin mentioned was merely an excuse. At this stage, her physics scores were already stable. If she could gain a few more points in Chinese, she might surpass that second-place student.

That second place… Humph, she was just unhappy about being ranked below him.

Lu Chi suddenly recalled the night the mock exam results came out—the way Tang Yin had spoken to him in the stairwell with that melancholic expression and tone. Now, he couldn’t help but think:

Thankfully, it was a boy. If it had been a girl, she would’ve been even more upset.

Snapping back to reality, he realized Tang Yin had already walked ahead. Seeing that he hadn’t caught up, she turned around to wait for him.

“What were you thinking about? You’ve fallen behind,” Tang Yin asked.

Lu Chi quickly replied, “Nothing.”

Tang Yin shot him a glance, certain that he was thinking about something he didn’t want to share with her.

Once they reached the bookshelves, Lu Chi immediately pulled out a reference book. Tang Yin leaned over to peek at it and spotted the word “Physics” written on the cover.

She giggled softly, trailing behind Lu Chi.

Though he had claimed he didn’t want to come, he clearly had already planned which reference books to pick for her. Classic case of denial mixed with action. How cute could Lu Chi get?

Tang Yin didn’t disturb him. Like a little shadow, she followed him quietly, turning from shelf to shelf without saying much.

Lu Chi selected a few newly released practice test booklets, taking two copies of each before leaving that section.

The cashier was still Ding Tong.

Seeing the two of them together again didn’t surprise her. Instead, she secretly smiled. Though they didn’t look like they were officially dating, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before they admitted their feelings. After returning home last time, she had even inquired about this girl.

She never expected such a pretty girl to be notorious for fighting.

Setting aside the fighting, her academic performance was only slightly lower than Lu Chi’s. And now, with the results of the mock exam out, the top ten rankings were public knowledge. Tang Yin’s third-place finish was impressive.

Out of all the schools, First High School alone occupied three or four spots. This girl, attending Experimental High School for only three years, had secured third place—a testament to her intelligence.

An hour later, they exited the bookstore.

Outside, snowflakes began falling—not too large, not too small—drifting through the air. A cold wind picked up, sneaking into their collars and chilling them to the bone.

Tang Yin frowned.

She hadn’t brought an umbrella. The snow had nearly melted earlier, so why was it snowing again? Plus, the weather forecast hadn’t mentioned any snow.

With snow this heavy, going without an umbrella meant their clothes would get soaked.

She hated the cold and had only gone out because it seemed like the snow had stopped.

Without a word, Lu Chi silently re-entered the bookstore.

On the first floor of the bookstore, not only stationery was sold; there were also various other items, including umbrellas, though they were all kept in a bucket near the cash register.

Lu Chi succinctly said, “Umbrella.”

The shopkeeper pulled one out. “This one? Ten yuan. Just one?”

The umbrellas here weren’t expensive—they were just basic transparent ones for emergencies. They sold decently because some people simply disliked carrying umbrellas.

Lu Chi paused briefly before replying, “One.”

Turning her head, Tang Yin noticed Lu Chi had disappeared.

She looked around and just happened to see him coming out holding an umbrella. “You went to buy an umbrella?”

“Mm.” Lu Chi responded indifferently.

What good was a single umbrella?

Tang Yin was puzzled, about to go in and buy another umbrella herself when Lu Chi suddenly grabbed her arm.

His grip was firm.

As she turned her head, the warm scarf wrapped snugly around her neck.

Lu Chi wound it twice around her. It had been wrapped around his neck once, but now it encircled hers fully.

Tang Yin’s entire face was now hidden within the thick scarf, looking like a squirrel preparing for winter. Watching her, Lu Chi couldn’t help but chuckle.

Seeing him laugh, Tang Yin reached out and poked his chest. “What’s so funny?”

Her hand pressed against his coat, feeling the solidness beneath. Lu Chi gently removed her hand. “Nothing.”

Tang Yin huffed.

After wrapping her up, he finally spoke: “Let’s go.”

…

Not far away, inside a hair salon, the transparent windows and doors did nothing to block the view outside. Zhao Ruyin sat on the sofa playing with her phone.

A woman styling her hair in front of the mirror asked, “Ruyin, you haven’t started dating anyone at school, right?”

“Auntie, what are you talking about? I’m still in high school. How could I? I need to get into a good university,” Zhao Ruyin replied.

Zhao Leyi nodded approvingly. “You absolutely can’t start dating early. At the school where I teach, those who dated early saw their grades plummet. You’re a daughter of the Zhao family.”

Zhao Ruyin responded, “I know.”

Her goal was clear: one specific school, and she had to get in.

“All right, let’s go,” Zhao Leyi said, spinning around in front of the mirror, delighted.

Zhao Ruyin nodded, tidying up her things. As she turned around, she caught sight of the scene outside the shop and froze.

Lu Chi and Tang Yin were sharing an umbrella, walking past the entrance of the shop where she sat.

Even after the two disappeared from view, she still hadn’t snapped out of it.

Zhao Leyi picked up her bag and, noticing her dazed state, asked, “What’s wrong? Daydreaming?”

Zhao Ruyin quickly snapped out of it, lowering her head. “Nothing, nothing. Auntie, let’s go.”

“Mm.”

Zhao Leyi agreed but grew suspicious. As soon as they stepped outside, she followed Zhao Ruyin’s earlier gaze.

Snow was falling outside, and there weren’t many people on the street. The only noticeable figures were a boy and a girl walking along the road.

Zhao Leyi recognized them and sneered. “Ruyin, is that one of your classmates? Such a young girl walking around with a boy must be dating early, right? Has her grades dropped too?”

Zhao Ruyin’s lips trembled, but she didn’t say anything.

“From the look on your face, their grades must be terrible. Don’t hang out with them,” Zhao Leyi warned. “Otherwise, it’ll affect your own performance.”

Zhao Ruyin’s expression darkened.

Their grades weren’t bad at all—in fact, they were better than hers.

Especially after this mock exam, she had ranked thirteenth in the province, lagging far behind both of them.

Passing by a snack shop, Tang Yin finally spoke up. “I’m hungry.”

Lu Chi tilted his head toward her. “What do you want to eat?”

Tang Yin smiled, her eyes landing on a shop across the street. She tugged at his other hand and crossed the road. “Have you ever eaten at this place?”

Lu Chi shook his head.

“Then let’s try it today. My treat,” Tang Yin said.

This noodle shop had been around for quite some time, since Tang Yin was in elementary school. Even now, in high school, the owners were still the same couple.

The shop wasn’t big, with only six or seven tables neatly arranged. Unlike typical old shops, it was clean and free of dust.

As soon as they entered, the shopkeeper, who was tidying up, spotted them and smiled. “Yinyin’s here.”

Tang Yin grinned.

“What do you want to eat?” she asked Lu Chi.

Lu Chi glanced at the menu posted on the wall and ordered scallion oil noodles.

“One scallion oil noodle and one spicy sour vermicelli,” the shopkeeper interjected. “Take a seat—it’ll be ready soon.”

They had just settled against the wall when voices emerged from inside.

“How many times have I told you not to do that?” the shopkeeper complained. “Why won’t you listen? If you do it again, don’t bother entering the kitchen.”

Moments later, the owner retorted, “It tastes better this way. Stop arguing with me—it’s distracting. A shopkeeper should act like one. Go outside. I just bought sesame cakes, and they’re on the table.”

Their voices gradually faded as the shopkeeper walked out.

Seeing the boy staring at her, she smiled and headed to the innermost table, where the sesame cakes lay.

“What are you looking at?” Tang Yin asked.

Lu Chi withdrew his gaze. Though the couple argued, their warmth was evident.

Following his earlier line of sight, Tang Yin whispered, “When the shopkeeper married the owner, her parents didn’t approve. She insisted on marrying him despite him having nothing at the time.”

Together, they built this shop through hard work.

What Tang Yin admired most was how the owner always bought the shopkeeper’s favorite sesame cakes every day, even though he had to walk to the end of the street to get them.

The owner often said that he had put her through tough times, so fulfilling her little desires—like buying her favorite food—was the least he could do to make her smile.

Tang Yin briefly recounted the story to Lu Chi.

Lu Chi’s gaze shifted back to the couple, prompting thoughts of his own family. Similarly, his mother had married his father against all odds—but their outcome was vastly different.

After returning from the hospital last time, he had taken a few days off to stabilize her emotions. If it hadn’t been for the upcoming mock exam, he might have skipped school entirely.

He had urged them to divorce more than once. The possibility was close, almost within reach.

“Here’s your noodles, young man.”

Lost in thought, the shopkeeper placed the bowl in front of Lu Chi. The fragrant green scallions blended with the noodles, making them look irresistibly appetizing.

Tang Yin stared at his dish until her spicy sour vermicelli finally arrived.

The table fell silent as they ate.

After a while, Tang Yin suddenly heard Lu Chi’s voice: “You…”

Lu Chi’s face was conflicted, no longer hidden by the scarf. Without its obstruction, his features were breathtakingly handsome, almost unreal.

He moved his lips, his voice low: “Why… do you… like me?”

Tang Yin was taken aback.

She looked at Lu Chi. Rarely, he didn’t avert his gaze this time but met her eyes directly. His captivating eyes held genuine confusion, crystal-clear and piercing.

“This question…” Tang Yin bit her spoon.

She gazed at Lu Chi and stirred the noodles in front of her. “I’ve loved eating this shop’s spicy sour vermicelli ever since I discovered it.”

Su Kexi had asked her more than once why she liked it so much. To her, it wasn’t particularly tasty—sometimes, if the owner skimped on the seasoning, it lost its flavor.

She looked straight into Lu Chi’s eyes. “Liking something is liking it. Of course, it’s because I think it’s the best, so it becomes the best.”

Tang Yin countered, “What about you?”

Because she liked him, the world tasted sweet.

[...]