SW - 37

Before Lu Chi could respond, someone came rushing down the stairs.

The boy was running so fast that he couldn’t stop in time, still shouting as he descended.

Lu Chi’s eyes narrowed. With one hand free, he pulled Tang Yin, who had been leaning sideways, closer to him. The boy then zipped past through the gap, disappearing from sight in an instant.

“Who was that?” Tang Yin muttered, frowning.

She didn’t often see students from the repeater class, so she didn’t recognize many of them, though quite a few of them knew her.

Lu Chi didn’t say anything and continued walking up the stairs.

Fortunately, the school’s staircase wasn’t steep, and they soon reached the fifth floor. The Zero Class was located near the stairwell, very close by.

As soon as they arrived, they could see the sign hanging on the classroom door: “Class 0.”

This would be their classroom for the next semester. From now on, all their achievements and setbacks would belong solely to this class, unrelated to their previous ones.

Tang Yin stared at the sign for a moment, lagging behind Lu Chi.

Some students were already inside the classroom. The desks were scattered haphazardly—here one, there another—with some seats still empty.

A small portion of the Zero Class members were from the experimental class, including Lu Ye and Tang Ming. Though they often joked around, their academic performance was no joke, and both ranked within the top twenty this time.

Tang Yin entered the classroom after everyone else, spotting Lu Chi standing inside. She walked over, placed her books down, and asked, “Who’s my seatmate? If it’s not you, I don’t want it.”

Lu Ye, sitting in front, turned around. “Oh, look who’s here.”

Tang Yin ignored him, picking up a book from the neighboring desk. Sure enough, the name written inside was Lu Chi’s—messy but serious handwriting.

Just like him.

“Hehehe,” she chuckled. Lu Chi certainly had self-awareness.

But Lu Chi suddenly grabbed her hand, flipping it over. There was a slight red abrasion on the side of her pale hand.

Seeing him frown, Tang Yin said, “It must have gotten scraped earlier.”

She didn’t think much of it. She hadn’t even felt any pain, and such minor injuries were nothing to her. She pulled her hand back and continued organizing her things.

Lu Ye had been sneaking glances at them. Seeing how concerned Lu Chi was about Tang Yin, he realized Lu Chi must have fallen hard for her.

Sure enough, the next moment, Lu Chi rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of medical alcohol and a band-aid…

Who the hell brings this stuff to school?

Tang Yin exclaimed, “Wow, you have alcohol?”

Lu Chi kept his head lowered, his glasses hiding most of his emotions as he murmured softly, “I brought it… from home.”

Coincidentally, Tang Ming returned from outside just then. He and Lu Ye were seated together, but Tang Yin, with her back to him, hadn’t noticed yet. All she saw was this scene unfold.

“Lu Chi, our school’s infirmary is right there. Why did you bring alcohol? Are you really that lazy? Can’t even walk that short distance?” Tang Ming bit into his apple, puzzled.

Lu Chi didn’t seem like the lazy type at all.

Lu Ye gave him a meaningful look.

Completely oblivious, Tang Ming noticed Lu Chi’s gaze lingering on the person with her back to him. Unable to resist, he asked, “Who’s this new student?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Tang Yin turned around to look at him.

Tang Ming immediately choked, taking a step back, his face flushing red. “Oh, Tang Yin… Hahaha, you’re Lu Chi’s seatmate? Great, great… Welcome, welcome!”

No wonder Lu Chi was so concerned about her—it was Tang Yin all along.

Lu Ye rolled his eyes. This guy was truly reaching new levels of stupidity, completely ruining the vibe between them.

Lu Chi remained silent, lowering his head as he took Tang Yin’s hand and placed it on the edge of the desk.

He was usually meticulous, carefully disinfecting the wound with a cotton swab. The injured area felt slightly hot and stung, making her hand twitch involuntarily.

Perhaps she had imagined it, because the pressure became gentler afterward.

After a long while, Lu Chi finally pulled out a band-aid, gently applying it to the wound. He hesitated for a moment before pressing it down firmly.

The band-aid was cute and playful, perfectly suited to Tang Yin’s personality but entirely mismatched with Lu Chi’s.

Tang Yin noticed this and retracted her hand, grinning mischievously at him.

Lu Chi thought that she looked a little silly when she smiled like that.

________________________________________

Midway through, Tang Yin went to the restroom. On her way back, she ran into Zhao Ruyin.

Zhao Ruyin was struggling to carry a desk alone, stopping midway on the stairs to catch her breath. It was class time, so her classmates were likely still in class. She didn’t know why she was only moving her desk now.

Seeing Tang Yin glance at her, Zhao Ruyin’s expression darkened.

The last person she wanted to encounter was Tang Yin. Yet, the first person she saw upon climbing the stairs was her, leaving her feeling oddly flustered.

Especially after being confronted several times before, she dreaded facing Tang Yin directly.

Though she had mentally prepared herself to share the same class with Tang Yin this time, she had resolved not to interact with her at all. After all, there were only a few months left.

She could endure it until the end.

Tang Yin shrugged and headed straight into the classroom. But after taking a few steps, she turned back and asked, “Do you need me to—”

Before she could finish, Zhao Ruyin cut her off, “No!”

“You knew what I was going to say?” Tang Yin smirked, casually grabbing the chair from the desk and lifting it up effortlessly.

Zhao Ruyin snorted, hoisting the desk onto the stairs.

She snatched the chair back, stacking it on top of the desk, dragging it forward without sparing Tang Yin a second glance.

Tang Yin knew she had overstepped, but as she passed by Zhao Ruyin, she heard a soft “Thank you.”

When Tang Yin turned to look, Zhao Ruyin had already turned her head away, avoiding eye contact.

Suddenly, Tang Yin found Zhao Ruyin quite amusing.

Rubbing her chin, Tang Yin entered the classroom through the back door. At a glance, she spotted Zhao Ruyin’s seat—right in the front row, next to the podium.

She couldn’t help but feel impressed.

That seat left no room for any mischief, indicating Zhao Ruyin’s dedication to studying.

Though part of her attention was still on Lu Chi.

Thinking about it, Tang Yin felt a twinge of unhappiness and shot a subtle glare at Lu Chi.

If only she could lock him up at home where no one else could see him, keeping him all to herself, wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Lu Chi turned his head just in time to catch the glare, bewildered. He couldn’t figure out what had upset her moody self this time.

By the time Tang Yin returned to her seat, she had already forgotten about the incident, resting her chin on her hands and spacing out.

Zhao Ruyin was busy arranging her books.

None of her close female friends had made it into the Zero Class, and she didn’t know anyone else here. She was completely alone.

She couldn’t help but recall Tang Yin from earlier.

Nothing seemed to faze her. Just the other day, she had provoked her, yet today she offered help without holding any grudges.

Her carefree life was the complete opposite of Zhao Ruyin’s own.

It had only been a day since she’d seen them together outside. She remembered clearly—the image of the two sharing an umbrella lingered in her mind.

There was a WeChat group for the class, and naturally, Lu Chi was in it too.

Zhao Ruyin had stared at his nickname, “LuLuLu,” and profile picture all evening, but ultimately, she hadn’t clicked on anything.

Now, thinking about it, she realized she didn’t stand a chance against Tang Yin. She lacked even the simplest courage.

She subtly turned her head to look back.

She had guessed early on that Tang Yin would choose to sit next to Lu Chi, but seeing this scene now was somewhat unexpected.

It was Lu Chi who kept glancing at Tang Yin, not the other way around.

Zhao Ruyin felt confused and a little disheartened.

People had told her that those who relentlessly pursued someone usually ended up disappointed. She had secretly rejoiced over that.

But now, judging by the signs… things seemed to be heading in a different direction.

At least he had never looked at her.

The first period of the morning was allocated for moving classrooms.

The new homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhou Cheng, appeared to be in his forties, wearing glasses and exuding a gentle demeanor that immediately put some students at ease.

The last thing they wanted was a strict homeroom teacher. Studying was already grueling enough; a harsh teacher would make life unbearable.

“Classmates, welcome to the new class. I am your homeroom teacher, Zhou Cheng. If you need me, you can find me in the corridor at the back of this floor.”

This floor was connected to the experimental building by a corridor, with the office located near the restroom.

Mr. Zhou’s gaze swept across the classroom, forming a general impression of the students.

His eyes lingered slightly longer on the corner seat at the back.

Both the top-ranked and second-ranked students in the grade were here, and their provincial rankings from the mock exam were outstanding. If he managed them well, this year’s top scorer would undoubtedly come from his class.

Even though he had only taken over mid-year, as the homeroom teacher, he would still receive a bonus if they succeeded.

The education bureau’s reward for the school producing the top scorer was substantial—enough to cover many months of his salary.

Moreover, Tang Youwei’s daughter also performed exceptionally well. As long as these two maintained their results over the next semester, their future achievements were sure to be remarkable.

“The seating arrangement is entirely up to you for now—I won’t interfere,” Mr. Zhou continued. “There will be an entrance exam next semester. If you wish to change seats afterward, you may do so. After every major exam, I’ll give you time to adjust.”

He added a few more requirements before opening his textbook to begin the lesson.

Tang Yin listened drowsily.

Last night, Su Kexi had kept her up talking nonsense until the early hours of the morning, leaving Tang Yin exhausted while Su Kexi remained full of energy.

Mr. Zhou taught Chinese and was currently reviewing the recent exam paper.

The classical prose droned on like a lullaby, and Tang Yin unknowingly rested her chin on her hand and closed her eyes.

Lu Chi had just finished jotting down a vocabulary word when he glanced over and saw Tang Yin nodding off like a little chick pecking at rice, sound asleep.

Mr. Zhou hadn’t noticed, so Lu Chi didn’t intervene either.

Time passed quickly, and suddenly the bell rang. Tang Yin’s hand slipped, and her head jerked forward, about to collide with the desk.

Lu Chi swiftly reached out.

Tang Yin’s forehead landed softly on the back of his hand.

She woke up groggily, her voice raspy, like sandpaper brushing against one’s heart. Startled, Lu Chi quickly withdrew his hand, pretending to flip through the test paper as if nothing had happened.

Fully awake now, Tang Yin leaned closer. “Was that you just now?”

Lu Chi kept his eyes straight ahead. “N-no.”

“How do you know what I’m talking about? Clearly lying,” Tang Yin teased. “Lu Chi, you’re getting bold.”

She grabbed his hand, which was still holding a pen, and pressed it against her forehead.

“Hmm, feels the same as before.”

Lu Chi’s ears turned red, and he gently pulled his hand back, hiding it behind him without saying a word.

Tang Yin smirked, watching him curiously as his entire face flushed crimson, the redness spreading from his ears to his cheeks.

She leaned close to whisper in his ear, “You look so delicious when you blush.”

Lu Chi hurriedly pushed her away.

Though his movement seemed forceful, he used minimal strength.

“Hmph.” Tang Yin tilted her chin proudly, sitting upright and obediently flipping through the test paper as if nothing had happened.

Lu Chi couldn’t help but chuckle softly, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

Before the class bell rang, the music for eye exercises began.

In winter, there weren’t many activities during break time, so students mainly did eye exercises.

Tang Yin had never been interested in such activities. In Class Fourteen, no one usually did them unless the student council came to check. Even then, they’d only pretend to participate briefly.

During winter, inspections were less frequent, so she hadn’t done them in days.

However, as soon as the music started, she noticed that the entire classroom was participating. Beside her, Lu Chi—the epitome of a model student—was particularly focused.

In winter, the school didn’t require uniforms. Occasionally, during flag-raising ceremonies on sunny days, students might wear their uniform jackets over their clothes.

Now that the weather was cold, flag-raising ceremonies had mostly been canceled, so most students didn’t bring their uniforms to class. Tang Yin’s uniform had long been buried at the bottom of her closet.

Perhaps only Lu Chi still wore his obediently.

Strangely, even a simple uniform looked stylish on him.

Tang Yin’s eyes roamed from top to bottom, taking in every detail of Lu Chi.

Jia Shui Private School had excellent facilities. Principal Tang never skimped on these things. The air conditioning in the classrooms kept them warm and cozy.

Today, Lu Chi had worn his uniform jacket, looking prim and proper.

Tang Yin glanced outside. The windows were fogged up from everyone’s breath, making it impossible for teachers to see inside.

With that thought, her courage grew.

She stealthily tugged at the zipper with her finger, slowly pulling it down. Within seconds, it reached his chest, revealing the neatly buttoned white shirt underneath.

Then… her hand was caught.

Since he wasn’t wearing his glasses during the exercises, Lu Chi’s unobstructed gaze locked onto her. His eyes were stunning, as if painted with vivid colors. Tang Yin stared back, unconsciously licking her lips.

Lu Chi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he whispered, “Do… the exercises.”

His lips, tinged with a hint of allure, looked almost too tempting to resist.

Too bad she couldn’t touch them… Sighing, Tang Yin reluctantly withdrew her hand and cast a wistful glance at the open collar.

She wanted to rip apart the shirt underneath.

Perhaps her intense gaze was too captivating. Lu Chi reached out, gently turning her face toward him. Her soft cheek nestled in his palm, feeling as tender as a glutinous rice ball.

He wanted to squeeze it again.

But he restrained himself, withdrawing his hand. Still, his gaze occasionally flickered back to her.

Tang Yin seemed to sense it, turning her head to meet his eyes.

She grinned mischievously and asked, “Why are you sneaking glances at me? Should I tell the homeroom teacher that you have ulterior motives?”

Lu Chi: “… “

Perhaps it would be more believable the other way around.