Xue Jiao was momentarily dazed as the large black umbrella above her head completely sheltered both of them.

Snowflakes fell one by one, with most of the umbrellas covering Xue Jiao’s head. Because of this, not a single snowflake touched her. Even when the wind blew gently, not a single snowflake landed on her.

The cashmere shawl was very warm, enough to wrap half her body.

The two stood awkwardly under one umbrella, not speaking. Xue Jiao tightened the shawl, her gaze fixed on the toe of her shoes as the atmosphere gradually became strange.

Lin Zhihua previously had no particular feelings about snowy days, but starting today, he seemed to like them a bit more.

Snow… Xue Jiao.

This was probably what they called loving everything associated with the beloved.

The wind grew stronger, and Lin Zhihua moved the umbrella closer to Xue Jiao, ensuring she wouldn’t get wet from the snow.

“You—”

“Um—”

They both spoke at once, then simultaneously stopped.

After a moment, Lin Zhihua smiled and asked, “What is it? Are you cold?”

Xue Jiao shook her head and said seriously, “Not cold, I’m dressed warmly.”

She truly wasn’t cold. She was already wearing a down jacket with good insulation, and the shawl Lin Zhihua had given her covered her neck, half her face, and her ears, completely protecting her from the cold.

“This shawl is…” Xue Jiao wondered why Lin Zhihua would have a shawl on hand.

“When I was coming to pick you up, I saw the weather looked like it might snow, so I prepared the shawl and umbrella. Do you like it?” His voice was soft, gentle.

Xue Jiao touched the warm shawl and once again felt that Lin Zhihua was truly good to her.

Was he naturally this gentlemanly, or…

“Why are you so good to me?” Xue Jiao stopped walking, curious.

Her large eyes looked directly at him, filled with puzzlement. The snow was getting heavier, and the dim street lights reflected on the snowflakes, making the whole sky cleaner and brighter. The young woman looked up, her pitch-black eyes staring directly at him, clear and transparent.

Lin Zhihua’s lips curved into a smile as he swallowed his bitterness. The fact that she could ask such a question showed she hadn’t realized his feelings.

“Because… you’re my student…”

Lin Zhihua reached out and gently rubbed her head, his movements restrained and enduring. He suppressed all his emotions and complexity, showing her only a light, carefree smile.

Xue Jiao blinked her large eyes, looking enlightened.

So it wasn’t just that she considered him her mentor; he also viewed her as his student…

A genuine smile of gratitude spread across Xue Jiao’s face, sincere from the inside out.

Outside, the snow fell harder. This heavy snow might be the last of the winter. Under the black umbrella, a man and a woman smiled at each other.

One with a sincere smile from the heart, the other swallowing all bitterness, feigning nonchalance.

—

Lin Zhihua escorted Xue Jiao to the hotel entrance.

“So I’ll head in now?” Xue Jiao took the insulated container.

Lin Zhihua nodded and smiled, saying, “Go on.”

Xue Jiao smiled, turned around, and after walking through the lobby doors, looked back. Lin Zhihua was still standing in the same spot.

She grinned broadly, raised her hand, and waved vigorously before turning and disappearing.

Lin Zhihua took a long moment before raising his hand, stiffly waving back, then stiffly lowering it.

As he turned away, he didn’t use the umbrella, allowing snowflakes to stick to his body, his silhouette cold and solitary.

Xue Jiao hadn’t yet realized his feelings, but he would wait.

One year, two years, or five years—as long as she remained, he would wait.

—

Lin Yinyin returned home with a pale face and collapsed on the sofa.

Her parents, Lin Sheng and Xu Jiaohong, were talking with worried expressions. Seeing her in this state, they glared at her angrily.

Lin Sheng said, “Lin Yinyin! Did you go out wasting money again today? Let me tell you, our little company no longer has Silway’s support. Bankruptcy is just a matter of time!”

Lin Yinyin stared numbly at the ceiling.

Lin Sheng shook his head, both angry and helpless.

Xu Jiaohong also sat on the sofa with a dejected look, asking weakly, “Can our company still be saved?”

Lin Sheng shook his head, “It can’t be saved. Our company and the companies of Silway’s other branches are all the same—small businesses relying on Silway. Now that Silway has withdrawn support, we’ve already held on longer than most…”

“If only we hadn’t gone that day when the old man confronted Zhihua…” Xu Jiaohong couldn’t help saying.

“Would not going have made a difference?” Lin Sheng glared at her and said helplessly, “Even if we hadn’t gone that day, as long as we weren’t useful to Silway, Lin Zhihua would have cut ties with us anyway!”

“How can Lin Zhihua be so ruthless?” Xu Jiaohong pouted, then suddenly said, “Why don’t we go back to W City? Back then in W City, we were still…”

“What’s the use of going back? Without Lin Zhihua, nobody would look up to us. But we could indeed go back. Beijing’s cost of living is too high. Let’s sell this house and go back to figure something out.”

“Go back?!” Lin Yinyin, who had been silent all along, suddenly jumped up.

“This doesn’t concern you.” Lin Sheng had almost lost patience with this increasingly disappointing daughter.

“I don’t want to go back!” Lin Yinyin’s eyes widened.

She had finally established herself in Beijing and didn’t want to return to W City!

“It’s not up to you to decide!”

Lin Yinyin stared with wide eyes and suddenly said, “Third Uncle seems to have a woman! You offended him because you thought he had physical problems, which ruined our family, but Third Uncle is fine!”

Lin Sheng and Xu Jiaohong ignored Lin Yinyin’s complaints, their attention focused entirely on—

“Your Third Uncle has a woman?!”

Their voices were shocked to the extreme as if they had heard something utterly absurd.

“Yes, today Third Uncle took her to Wuliu Lane for a meal. She looked like a young girl, and Third Uncle even held an umbrella for her and wrapped a scarf around her…”

“Really?!” Lin Sheng pressed, his eyes widening.

“Why would I lie to you? I wasn’t the only one who saw them.” Lin Yinyin was very angry. If she hadn’t seen Third Uncle, she definitely would have settled scores with that girl!

Lin Sheng collapsed back onto the sofa, “Third Uncle doesn’t have issues after all…”

Then why had they offended him by siding with Lin Zhitang?

Xu Jiaohong’s eyes lit up, “Husband, this is also an opportunity for us!”

“Hmm?” Lin Sheng looked at Xu Jiaohong in confusion.

“Third Uncle hasn’t been with any woman for years, and now this woman who appears… she might be the future mistress of Silway!”

“Hmm? And then?” Lin Sheng still didn’t understand.

“Weren’t Uncle and Auntie sent abroad by Third Uncle? That girl is young. If we approach her first, we can work through her!” Xu Jiaohong’s eyes brightened.

Lin Sheng frowned slightly. He had become somewhat afraid of Lin Zhihua and was reluctant to target him or those close to him…

Xu Jiaohong continued, “Husband, this might be our only chance. Can you bear to go back so ignominiously? Yinyin said she’s just a young girl, so she must be easy to control. We’re not going to harm her, just establish a good relationship.”

Lin Sheng gritted his teeth, “Alright!”

“What do you mean? We’re going to curry favor with that little vixen?!” Lin Yinyin’s eyes widened as if she had heard something preposterous.

But no one paid attention to her.

Instead, Lin Sheng glared at her, “I’m telling you, stop calling her a vixen! If you drag us down, you can suffer the hard times by yourself!”

Lin Yinyin: “…”

Once Lin Sheng and his wife made their decision, they began investigating in Beijing, but… they found no information.

Xue Jiao had already returned to W City, so naturally Lin Sheng and his wife couldn’t find her in Beijing. After searching for half a month without seeing Lin Zhihua interact with any women, they returned and scolded Lin Yinyin, who angrily cursed the already-departed Xue Jiao.

“She is a vixen! Hiding so deeply!”

—

When Xue Jiao and her group returned to Seventh Middle School, the vice principal and the head of the mathematics department personally came to welcome them.

The honors they had achieved were not only their own but also the school’s!

Especially Cheng Mingze and Xue Jiao—they had made it to the final round of the competition!

It happened to be Monday, and during the flag-raising ceremony, the principal lavishly praised the students who had achieved rankings and distributed prize money through the mathematics department.

Xue Jiao didn’t know how much Cheng Mingze received, but she got three thousand yuan. It wasn’t much, but it was money she had earned herself.

She carefully stored the money in a box, deciding to buy a gift for Lin Zhihua the next time she went to Beijing.

Xue Jiao’s honor was largely due to Lin Zhihua.

Calling him her mentor was not an exaggeration.

The class bell rang, and Yin Fang entered with a smiling face.

“First, let’s congratulate Gu Xue Jiao!” This typically serious teacher in front of students was smiling with squinted eyes, being the first to applaud.

“Clap, clap, clap—” Below the podium, the students applauded enthusiastically, all looking toward Xue Jiao.

“Children, there are 431 days left until the college entrance examination! Gu Xue Jiao has achieved excellent results in the competition. These results already qualify her for direct admission to top universities, but our Gu Xue Jiao has not slackened. Her weekend was spent taking tests, which we teachers permitted! But this morning, among the homework collected by the class representative, there was Gu Xue Jiao’s name!”

Yin Fang paused, her gaze coldly sweeping over everyone before continuing with a smile that lingered on Xue Jiao.

“Gu Xue Jiao is already so outstanding, yet she still hasn’t stopped working hard! But what about the rest of you? Put your hand on your heart and tell yourself, have you been working hard? Some people…”

Yin Fang began her daily criticism. Xue Jiao lowered her head, feeling the gazes around her, somewhat helpless.

Perhaps every teacher was like this, eager to heap praise on a student they liked and using it as an opportunity to educate others.

Helpless, Xue Jiao took out her English textbook and began to study.

Yi Tianyu’s gaze rested on the girl beside him. She seemed no different from before.

Wearing the simplest school uniform, her hair casually tied up, with only the hair by her ears pinned back. Her clean face showed nothing but concentration.

But Yi Tianyu once again felt the distant gap between them. She was like a towering mountain that had suddenly appeared in his life, in his… heart.

Direct admission to a top university?

He was still Xue Jiao’s deskmate this year, but what about next year? The year after?

When she went to a top university, and he… wouldn’t the distance between them grow even greater?

Would he become just an ordinary passerby in Xue Jiao’s life, one of her many former desk mates? Then disappeared in the river of her memories, occasionally mentioned when flipping through photos: “Oh, this was my academically poor desk mate from high school.”

Yi Tianyu put his hand on his heart, not knowing why it felt both sour and bitter. Even his eyes gradually grew moist.

The young Yi Tianyu didn’t understand this feeling. Many years later, when he recalled the time spent with Xue Jiao inch by inch, moment by moment, he would suddenly realize—

The once arrogant Yi Tianyu, who thought the sky was big, the earth was second, and he was third, would also have someone appear who made him feel an emotion called inferiority.

As his mood gradually sank, two scallion-like fingers suddenly appeared beside him, pressing down a piece of paper.

Yi Tianyu reached out and slid the paper over. It read—

Don’t look at me, look at your book.

Yi Tianyu suddenly looked up to see Xue Jiao’s fingers already back on her book, writing rapidly.

He turned his head and picked up his book to study.

From now on, he would pay more attention in class, practice basketball at noon, and practice harder in the evening.

The provincial basketball tournament was about to begin, and he was determined to earn his Level 2 Athlete certificate.

Xue Jiao was working hard, and Yi Tianyu also immersed himself in the effort.

In those fleeting years, meeting someone who makes you work hard, strive, and become a better version of yourself is a bittersweet taste with hope, a rich fragrance that can be savored for a lifetime.

Amid sweat and the evening lights, early April quietly passed. As spring blossomed and flowers bloomed, the provincial basketball tournament began.

“Bookworm, the first game is in the gymnasium against Third Middle School. Are you coming to watch?” The weather wasn’t warm enough yet, and Yi Tianyu wore a tank top under his basketball uniform. Fresh from practice and drenched in sweat, he asked.

His eyes darted around, looking here and there, anywhere but at Xue Jiao. Though he was extremely nervous, he pretended to ask casually.

Xue Jiao tilted her head, “Against Third Middle School?”

“Yes!” Yi Tianyu raised his chin slightly. “Those chickens from Third Middle School—don’t worry, your brother will crush them easily.”

“Pfft—” Xue Jiao couldn’t help laughing. “You’re quite arrogant.”

She asked further, “When is the match?”

“Saturday morning is our game!” Yi Tianyu hurriedly said.

“Saturday, huh…” Xue Jiao rubbed her chin. “Let me think about it.”

“Do you have something else to do?! Why ‘think about it’?!” Yi Tianyu became anxious.

Xue Jiao looked bewildered, “Isn’t Saturday the day after tomorrow? I don’t know if I’ll have anything else going on that day.”

Yi Tianyu: “…”

How frustrating.

This bookworm!

—

In fact, Xue Jiao did come that day, and so did Cheng Mingze, who was also participating in the basketball tournament.

It was only then that Xue Jiao remembered that in the original story, the male lead was a multi-talented person—excellent in academics, and sports, and even when he later turned to business, he was outstanding.

She couldn’t help but look at him with envy…

Indeed, he was the male lead, the son of destiny, with everything good delivered to him…

Cheng Mingze tugged at his clothes, somewhat curious, “What’s wrong? Is something off about me?”

“Nothing…” Xue Jiao shook her head.

Xue Jiao knew that Cheng Mingze genuinely had a good brain, but he was also extremely hardworking. No one’s success is innate.

If even the male lead worked so hard, how could she, a “supporting character” who had died alone in her previous life, not work hard?

Thinking this, Xue Jiao took out her vocabulary book and began reciting words as she walked.

Cheng Mingze: “…”

How did his sister… manage to be so diligent?

Since Cheng Mingze had to compete, the two arrived particularly early, but to their surprise, the gymnasium was already filled with many students, mostly from Seventh and Third Middle Schools who had come to cheer.

There were also a few students from other schools. With so many students, the gymnasium was almost full.

“Bookworm! Over here!!” Yi Tianyu spotted her entering the gymnasium, and his eyes lit up as he suddenly jumped up and waved vigorously.

Xue Jiao: “…”

She and Cheng Mingze approached. The front row was reserved for basketball team members and teachers.

“Sit here!” Yi Tianyu spread a piece of clothing on the chair next to him, smiling brightly.

Xue Jiao shook her head, picked up his clothing, threw it back to him, and sat down. Cheng Mingze sat down next to her.

“Bookworm, so you came after all!”

He wanted to say—did you come to watch me play?

His gaze swept over to Cheng Mingze beside her, and he choked slightly, swallowing those words.

Yi Tianyu hadn’t said much when the Third Middle School team entered from the opposite side. Their seats were across from Seventh Middle School.

As these people walked to the center of the court, someone whistled toward the Seventh Middle School side, and there was a faint comment—”Beautiful girl.”

Yi Tianyu and Cheng Mingze looked over, their faces simultaneously darkening.

The whistling was directed at Xue Jiao!!!

Xue Jiao, however, paid no attention at all. She casually glanced around, a bit curious.

She had never really watched a basketball game before. Sitting in the front row, earnestly preparing to watch the game—this was a first.

Soon, the basketball game began.

Xue Jiao didn’t understand basketball. She could only tell who scored and see the coach running back and forth, shouting.

Behind her was the Seventh Middle School section. Whenever Seventh Middle School scored, those behind her would shout—

“Wow!! Ah!!”

Whenever Third Middle School scored, it would be—

“Tsk—”

The opposite side was completely the reverse.

Although Xue Jiao didn’t understand the game, she could see that Cheng Mingze and Yi Tianyu scored the most. They were the most handsome on the court and scored the most points.

Gradually, those behind them were all shouting—

“Cheng Mingze! Go!”

“Yi Tianyu! Go!”

“Ze-ge! Awesome!”

“Yu-ge! Awesome!”

…

There was no suspense in this game; Seventh Middle School’s score remained far ahead.

Especially in the second half, after a boy from Third Middle School whistled as he ran past Xue Jiao, he and his team were chased and beaten by Yi Tianyu and Cheng Mingze, not scoring a single point afterward.

Yi Tianyu was particularly brilliant in this game. He ran across the entire court and, as if still full of energy, even scored a three-pointer in the final moments.

Even Xue Jiao was quite shocked.

From such a distance… he still make the shot?

When the game was announced over, all the Seventh Middle School team members rushed forward, lifted Yi Tianyu and Cheng Mingze, and tossed them up while shouting.

“Beautiful girl, what’s your name? Can I add your WeChat?” Third Middle School had lost, but a baby-faced boy didn’t seem sad. Instead, he ran across the court toward Xue Jiao and asked.

Xue Jiao: “…”

“What are you doing?! What are you doing?! Haven’t you been beaten enough?!” Yi Tianyu struggled to get down from his teammates and shouted.

The baby-faced boy glanced at them both, then turned and ran.

Yi Tianyu was covered in sweat, panting as he ran over, “What was he saying to you?”

“He asked for my WeChat…”

Yi Tianyu’s face darkened as he said, “I know this guy. His surname is Wang. He’s a scoundrel, quite notorious. Don’t be fooled by this type who plays with girls!”

Xue Jiao: “…Oh.”

She didn’t say that the person’s name was written on the front of his uniform—surname Sun.

—

After the basketball game, the school team was going to have a meal together. Despite the team’s strong insistence that Xue Jiao join them, she still declined.

Cheng Mingze called Uncle Xing, asking him to come to the gymnasium to pick up Xue Jiao. The group saw her in the car before going to eat.

“Ze-ge, Ze-ge, is this your sister?” A teammate edged closer to Cheng Mingze.

For some reason, Cheng Mingze felt somewhat proud, yet he replied calmly, “Yes.”

“Damn! Are your family’s genes this good? So beautiful! She won first prize in the mathematics competition and is first in her sophomore year! Does your family produce male gods and female goddesses?”

“Can I be reborn into your family?”

“Wow! I’ve heard about it too. The most outstanding boy and girl in our school are this brother and sister!”

“My roommate even sent a love letter to your sister, but there’s been no response.”

“Ze-ge, you and your sister are the school’s most handsome guy and most beautiful girl!”

…

When Cheng Mingze heard about the love letter, he frowned slightly. Although he also thought Xue Jiao was the best, hearing others say so made him uncomfortable for some reason.

So, Cheng Mingze changed the subject.

Behind them, Yi Tianyu and Xi Junyang walked together, listening to these conversations.

Yi Tianyu couldn’t help pouting, “He’s the school’s most handsome? What about me?”

“Um…” Xi Junyang scratched his head and said frankly, “Yu-ge, although you’re also very handsome, you and Ze-ge aren’t the same type. It’s not comparable. Besides… he’s all-around talented, with a godly aura.”

Yi Tianyu pouted but said nothing more.

This was Xue Jiao’s brother… well, he would consider him as a brother too.

Xi Junyang couldn’t help sighing, “Since Jiaojiao won the first prize in the mathematics competition, her reputation has spread throughout the city’s high schools. They say she’s incredibly beautiful with good grades—a definite goddess. One of my middle school buddies has always wanted to secretly see if Xue Jiao is as beautiful as in the photos.”

“Photos?” Yi Tianyu was puzzled.

Xi Junyang took out his phone and found a photo, “Here, look. This is the group photo from the first prize ceremony. Look at Jiaojiao—isn’t she the brightest star in the whole scene?”

It was a group photo of over fifty first-prize winners. As a girl, Xue Jiao was in the front row. There weren’t many girls to begin with, and Xue Jiao stood out completely. The photo was very realistic; the others looked like ordinary students, slightly dark, but she made even the school uniform look different, exceptionally fair, and pretty.

Xi Junyang continued, “Our Jiaojiao brings honor to Seventh Middle School.”

“What Jiaojiao, not Jiaojiao! Are you calling her Jiaojiao too? Call her Classmate Gu!” Yi Tianyu suddenly became angry.

Xi Junyang: “…” ???

—

They played another game on Sunday, but Xue Jiao didn’t go this time. She was reviewing while listening to Lin Zhihua’s strategies for exam preparation.

Since the mathematics competition, she had realized Lin Zhihua’s extraordinary abilities.

This person seemed truly omnipotent.

Only after Cheng Mingze returned did she learn that they had won another game.

The next basketball game would be the following Friday. On Monday, she and Cheng Mingze still carried their backpacks to school.

When she reached the classroom, her seat was already surrounded by people—more precisely, they were surrounding Yi Tianyu.

“Yu-ge, can our Seventh Middle School win first place?”

“Can our school’s team beat the sports school? They’re so strong.”

“In the past, first place was always taken by the sports school!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

…

Yi Tianyu was annoyed by them. Noticing Xue Jiao on the periphery, he quickly shooed everyone away—

“We’ll see the results later! Scatter, scatter now!”

After everyone dispersed, Xue Jiao sat down at her desk.

“Congratulations.”

Yi Tianyu pressed his fist against his lips, pretending to be calm, “It was nothing.”

Xue Jiao reached for her books, while Yi Tianyu also extended his hand into the desk, but instead of grabbing books, he pulled out a stack of various small envelopes.

Yi Tianyu: “…”

Xue Jiao had some experience with this, “Love letters?”

“You know?! Have you received any?” Yi Tianyu raised his voice.

Xue Jiao shook her head, “No.”

In her previous life, she had received quite a few.

Strangely enough, she believed she was much better in this life than in her previous one, yet she had rarely received love letters…

She was only slightly surprised, without any other thoughts.

However, she preferred not receiving such things—they were quite troublesome.

Xue Jiao quickly immersed herself in her studies, while Yi Tianyu threw away all those pink envelopes without even looking at them.

More than the love letters he received, he cared about—

At noon, almost all the students had gone to lunch.

Yi Tianyu quickly finished eating and returned to the classroom. The first thing he did was bend down at Xue Jiao’s desk, reach inside, and pull out several blue and pink letters—

“Damn! Is this endless? I just cleared a batch this morning, and there are so many more?!”

Author’s Note: Lin Zhihua: Outrageously handsome!

Cheng Mingze: Applause!!!