SW - 6

Tang Yin tugged at the corner of her mouth, her expression unchanged, and tried again: “Teacher, your physics lessons are so good that I came over to listen.”

This time, the class couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into laughter.

“Quiet.”

After saying that, even the teacher couldn’t help but chuckle. “I know Teacher Zhang. Just sit down. Both classes are going over test papers anyway—it doesn’t make a difference.”

The physics teacher for Class 14 was indeed surnamed Zhang.

Lu Ye, sitting near the door, laughed so hard he leaned forward and backward. “First time realizing how thick-skinned Tang Yin is—scary stuff!”

His deskmate replied, “Did you know? Among all her grades, Tang Yin’s physics score is the worst, hahaha!”

Lu Ye rolled his eyes. “How could I not know? Last time in the office, her physics teacher was practically gnashing their teeth in frustration. They were this close to giving Tang Yin private tutoring sessions.”

Tang Yin ranked at the top in every subject except physics, which dragged her down slightly. Though she still firmly held first place, if she could improve even a little, her city-wide ranking would surely rise.

Every school craved the top scorer of the city or province. Jia Shui Private High School happened to lack just such a figure to boost its reputation, and Tang Yin was the student this year’s teachers had pinned their highest hopes on.

And now, there was also Lu Chi.

The classroom finally returned to normal.

Tang Yin sat back down and poked the person next to her. “Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

The person beside her didn’t respond. She asked again, “Lu Chi, did you do this on purpose?”

After a moment, Lu Chi muttered reluctantly, “N-no, I didn’t.”

“You absolutely did it on purpose.”

“No... yes.”

Tang Yin laughed. His stuttering even changed mid-sentence. “You clearly had your physics book at the start of class, but then switched to a math test paper. How can you say it wasn’t intentional?”

“...A-alright, fine.”

“See? You admitted it!”

The girl’s voice rang out with triumph, clear and crisp, carrying an infectious cheerfulness. Lu Chi couldn’t help but sneak a glance at her.

She was leaning on the desk, her slender white arms cushioning her face, her eyes half-open as she gazed at him. Her thick lashes fluttered lightly, as though a butterfly rested atop them.

A faint, rosy smile played on her lips.

“Hah, caught you staring at me!” Tang Yin tugged at his shirt.

At her words, Lu Chi quickly averted his gaze, his cheeks tinged with red. Carefully, he used his hand to pry his shirt from her grasp.

Sometimes, she really was shameless.

That line she said yesterday suddenly popped into his mind again. Lu Chi hesitated for a moment before pushing aside these unproductive thoughts.

“Go over the test paper by yourself first.”

Meanwhile, the teacher sent a message to Wu Feng, the homeroom teacher of the experimental class.

Wu Feng had just taken a sip of water when he saw the message and immediately spat it out.

“Old Wu, what are you doing? Look at my lesson plan!” The person across from him complained.

Wu Feng apologized profusely. “Sorry, sorry. Couldn’t help it.”

He got up and took a quick stroll to the back door of Class 14, where he indeed spotted an empty seat. Then he went to his own class and confirmed that the girl sitting next to Lu Chi was none other than Tang Yin.

Both were busy writing something, leaving Wu puzzled. He returned to the office.

In the office, the experimental class’s Chinese teacher was speaking: “Even though I wasn’t on the playground this morning, I heard about it. I bet the headmaster’s face was priceless. That Tang Yin sure has guts.”

Wu Feng casually fanned himself with a test paper. “Oh, right. Teacher Wang just messaged me. Tang Yin actually went to our class during this period, mistaking him for the math teacher. She said something about admiring his math lessons for a long time—it was quite the joke.”

The others burst into laughter.

“Ah, this is the restlessness of youth.”

Wu Feng added, “Honestly, I don’t think it’s a big deal. I know Lu Chi—he was quiet and reserved at First High because of his family situation. From what I see, the two of them might end up as just friends.”

“That’d be best. Less to worry about. I hope one of them becomes this year’s top scorer.”

The homeroom teacher of Class 14 sighed. “Tang Yin always loses points she shouldn’t in physics. Though it’s not much, every point counts. This time, she dropped to second place because of those few points. Meanwhile, your transfer student snagged first place.”

In private schools, class performance was directly tied to teachers’ salaries. If a student became the top scorer, even second or third place would bring significant benefits to the homeroom teacher.

Wu Feng was secretly pleased but said aloud, “Lu Chi happens to excel in physics. Maybe the two of them are discussing studies together. If anything seems off, I’ll step in.”

Back in the classroom, Tang Yin couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her own face.

Smooth and delicate, her beauty remained unmatched.

But she felt a bit defeated.

Aside from yesterday’s obvious reaction when they had physical contact, he hadn’t shown any other response.

Could it be that books were truly all he cared about?

Tang Yin snatched his test paper. “Lu Chi, are books more interesting than me?”

This time, Lu Chi finally looked up. His deep black eyes stared at Tang Yin for a few seconds, still piercing through his glasses. Slowly and deliberately, he retrieved his test paper.

And then, he continued drawing the function graph.

So this stuttering boy had such a side to him. Tang Yin rested her chin on her hand, her current pose looking almost ascetic—so interesting.

She couldn’t get enough of Lu Chi’s face. His profile boasted a perfect curve. The light cast a shadow over his features, and the Adam’s apple on his neck looked irresistibly sexy.

Tang Yin unconsciously became entranced.

Not long after, the bell signaling the end of class rang.

The teacher neatly tossed the chalk into the chalk box. “That’s all for today’s test review. We’ll continue next class. If you have any questions, come find me upstairs after class. Class dismissed.”

He taught two advanced classes and the experimental class, so his office was on the fifth floor.

Lu Chi packed up his test paper and hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Aren’t you going back... to class?”

Tang Yin squinted and pulled out the comprehensive science test paper he had placed at the bottom of his stack. “Lu Chi, my physics grades aren’t good. Let me borrow this.”

Lu Chi didn’t say anything.

Thinking he disagreed, Tang Yin poked his hand resting on the desk. His slightly curled fingers were so beautiful that she wanted to stroke them repeatedly.

“...I’ll... I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”

“Alright, Chi Chi,” Tang Yin deliberately omitted his surname to observe his reaction. He only blushed slightly, but otherwise showed no other noticeable response.

Helpless, Tang Yin picked up the test paper, stood up, and walked toward the back door.

No rush—it wasn’t like she didn’t have the entire senior year ahead of her.

The two students in front who had been secretly eavesdropping throughout the class couldn’t hold it in any longer. One of them mimicked Lu Chi’s voice: “Lu Chi.”

“Yeah?”

“...Can you at least act better?”

Immediately afterward, a wave of surreal, hysterical laughter erupted through the classroom.

Listening to the conversation between the student in front and their deskmate, who were deliberately imitating him and Tang Yin, Lu Chi pinched his ears, recalling the past ridicule from his classmates. His face grew paler by a few shades.

Almost involuntarily, he glanced toward the back door. Tang Yin was standing there, talking to Lu Ye.

Her oversized school uniform was clean and bright, hanging loosely down her body and accentuating her long, slender legs.

Tang Yin tilted her head, half of her face pale and clear, her delicate features highlighted by her refined nose that seemed almost translucent. Her hair was tied up, revealing a graceful white neck framed by the orange collar of her uniform.

Between her slender fingers, she held a test paper.

Her slightly upturned lips moved as she spoke calmly, appearing completely different from her mischievous demeanor earlier.

Lu Chi lowered his gaze, transfixed for a moment. Suddenly, he took off his own school uniform without a word and stood up.

The two students in front, who had been enjoying themselves, were confused when they saw him abruptly rise. When they witnessed what happened next, they exchanged glances.

Was he sick? Could it be that Lu Chi had already fallen for her?

Before Tang Yin could react, two arms suddenly appeared around her waist. She was momentarily bewildered as a stranger’s presence invaded her space, making her hair stand on end.

Lu Chi bent his back slightly, bringing his chin just a blink away from Tang Yin’s shoulder.

Up close, he noticed her porcelain-white skin and cute, small earlobes. The unique scent of a young girl wafted from her neck to his nose.

The large male school uniform wrapped around her lower body from behind, and he pulled the sleeves around her waist.

Lu Ye stared wide-eyed, muttering, “Holy crap, did I see that right?”

“You saw it right. Lu Chi is tying Tang Yin’s uniform for her! Why though?”

“Are you stupid? Obviously, they’re plotting something!”

“Wait... is that even how you use that idiom?”

“I got two more points than you on the last Chinese exam.”

“Just two points and you’ve been bragging about it since last semester? You think having those two points makes you always right?”

Most of the students had gone to the restroom, and the remaining ones were focused on their books, so not many noticed what was happening by the back door.

Tang Yin stood still, her head bowed.

Lu Chi’s hands passed around her waist as if embracing her from behind. His long fingers intertwined, tying the sleeves securely around her waist.

Her waist suddenly appeared slimmer, no longer hidden under loose fabric. Just barely encircled, it felt soft and delicate.

And now, it was in his grasp.

It seemed like he let his thoughts wander somewhere they shouldn’t have.

As if burned, Lu Chi quickly withdrew his hands and stepped back abruptly.

Tang Yin glanced at the tied sleeves around her waist, then turned sharply, staring directly at him.

Lu Chi kept his head low, his voice hoarse and stuttering: “D-don’t untie it.”

This statement carried an ambiguous meaning, but Tang Yin found it amusing. With great interest, she asked, “Why?”

Lu Chi raised his head to look at her.

His gaze lingered on her clear, watery eyes before shifting to her rosy lips.

Then, he quickly averted his eyes again.

Tang Yin didn’t receive an answer. His glasses obscured everything, making it impossible to read his expression.

For a fleeting moment, she truly wanted to take his glasses off.

Without another word, Lu Chi returned to his seat. Tang Yin watched his retreating figure and the tightly clenched hand resting on the side, a faint smile curling her lips.

After pondering for a few seconds, she placed her hand on the tied uniform around her waist, cracked a shallow smile, and left the experimental class.

He must have been shy.

Bookworms getting shy—completely normal.