◎Excessive Sugar Intake◎

What was the daily limit for human smiles? Chun Zao felt she could break the Guinness World Record today. She was smiling while brushing her teeth, smiling while splashing water to wash her face, and looking at herself in the mirror, she was still smiling.

She patted her cheeks a few times, desperately trying to arrange her facial expression properly before she could pretend to be calm and return to her room.

But as soon as she sat down and opened her textbook, her lips couldn’t help but curve upward again.

Focus! Focus! Chun Zao silently urged herself, turning to a new page in her notebook to write from memory the text recitation that their homeroom teacher would randomly check tomorrow. Fortunately, she remembered everything—her brain could still function normally and hadn’t been soaked soft by the pink tide.

But… there wasn’t anything else to do tonight anyway…

She glanced at her half-closed door. The sound of Chun Chuzhen washing clothes was coming from outside. She walked over and poked her head out to call: “Mom, I have a bit of a headache today. I’m going to sleep early.”

The woman on the low stool looked up, shaking the soap suds from her hands, concerned: “Why do you have a headache? Did you catch cold?”

Chun Zao went along with her words and touched her forehead: “No, maybe I’m just a bit tired.”

“Then rest quickly.”

“Mm.” Chun Zao responded and closed her door.

Taking off her fleece sweater, she quickly buried herself in the airtight covers, opened her phone, and went straight to QQ without putting on headphones to listen to music, guarding against her mom’s sudden appearance.

As if they shared a telepathic connection, the boy’s concerned message popped up the moment it appeared on the interface.

Yuan Ye: You’re not feeling well?

Chun Zao: How are you eavesdropping on people’s conversations?

Yuan Ye:? You know the sound insulation in this house isn’t good.

Chun Zao confessed: I’m not unwell, I was lying to my mom.

Yuan Ye: Oh.

Yuan Ye: Why?

He was doing this on purpose, wasn’t he?

Chun Zao refused to take his bait: No particular reason, just wanted to sleep early.

Yuan Ye: Okay, I want to sleep early today too.

Chun Zao: What time do you usually sleep?

Yuan Ye: Around twelve to twelve-thirty.

Chun Zao: So late, what do you do?

Yuan Ye: If you’re chatting with me, I focus on chatting; if you’re not paying attention to me, I play a couple of games.

Chun Zao: That’s a boy’s nightlife?

Yuan Ye: Pretty much.

Chun Zao bit her lip for a while and asked: So are you going to play games now?

Yuan Ye replied: No.

He asked again: Are you going to sleep now?

Chun Zao curved her eyes: No, either.

Yuan Ye: [Image]

Yuan Ye: 23:20, isn’t it almost your bedtime?

Chun Zao opened the screenshot he sent—it was a lock screen wallpaper. She noticed the vertically arranged lines of text inside, turned her phone around, and studied the content, nearly crying out in delighted surprise: Where did you get this?

She barely remembered it herself.

But he had happened to see it, found it so fitting, and treasured it like a precious gem.

Yuan Ye: What do you think?

Yuan Ye: Helping you generate income, collecting a little tip privately isn’t too much, right?

Chun Zao pretended to be magnanimous: Take all you want.

Yuan Ye: This section is fine, I’m very content.

Yuan Ye: But seriously, shouldn’t you sleep early?

Chun Zao: Are you eager to go play games?

Yuan Ye:?

Yuan Ye: Just don’t want this thing to affect your normal sleep schedule.

“This thing”—what thing? Chun Zao didn’t ask in detail, but anyway… both people chatting knew perfectly well what it was.

Chun Zao thought for a moment: If I sleep now, will you sleep too?

Yuan Ye: Of course.

Chun Zao: Wouldn’t that disturb your normal schedule?

Yuan Ye: Indeed, I’ve only slept for half an hour since last night until now.

Chun Zao found it hard to believe: Really?

Yuan Ye was also amazed: I’m not tired at all.

Chun Zao: You should sleep quickly, don’t let our grade’s number one collapse at school.

Yuan Ye: How is that possible? Am I that weak?

Chun Zao replied without thinking: How would I know?

The chat went completely silent.

After a moment, Chun Zao realized this retort seemed somewhat… strange and meaningful.

Especially since the other party had also gone quiet, as if struck speechless, not knowing how to respond appropriately.

Having carelessly pushed herself into an awkward situation with her quick mouth, Chun Zao blushed and hastily retreated: I’m going to sleep.

Yuan Ye didn’t pursue it: Okay, good night.

For the first time, he added more at the end of their chat: Cover yourself well with the blanket, sweet dreams.

Chun Zao stared at those last few words he sent. Was it possible she was already in a sweet dream? Otherwise, how had her entire being transformed into fizzy candy that dissolved on contact, so light she was bubbling, and even the heavy soybean cotton quilt core had become silk or down? She poked her head out to breathe for a while, then shrank back in, reviewing today’s chat. It took tremendous willpower not to squeak like a little hamster that had found honey cookies in the covers.

She liked Yuan Ye.

She liked him so much, super liked him. So liking someone was such a happy, bright thing—even the night felt like it was bathed in sunlight. She was truly grateful he had given this to her and responded to her.

Chun Zao had an excellent night’s sleep. When she went downstairs, her steps were light. When she turned out of the building and saw the teenager waiting under the tree, she was stunned.

Chun Zao walked over quickly: “You haven’t gone to school yet?”

Yuan Ye said casually, “Waiting for you.”

Chun Zao said, “We don’t need to walk together in the morning.” This was beyond their agreement, but also a surprise.

Yuan Ye took out his phone and pretended to call up an interface: “Oh, I just stopped here to order breakfast in advance.”

A previously overlooked experience with a strong sense of déjà vu emerged. Chun Zao widened her eyes: “You before… couldn’t have been…”

Yuan Ye summed it up with a laugh: “I’m struggling.”

Chun Zao muttered, “You think I’m not struggling?”

Yuan Ye glanced at her mischievously, his eyes sincere and bright: “How are you struggling? Tell me about it.”

Chun Zao averted her gaze and quickened her pace forward: “Nothing worth talking about.”

Yuan Ye followed, his gaze flashing past the back of her head, restraining his mischievous urge to grab her ponytail, only asking: “Where’s that hair tie of yours?”

Chun Zao stopped, her face already flushed red to her neck. Fortunately, her scarf covered it. She almost wanted to push him away, pretending not to understand: “What hair tie? Don’t know where I put it, probably lost it.”

“Don’t treasure it once you get it,” the boy said with wicked implication, “I knew it.”

“Get lost.”

…

—

Coming to school again today, that unfamiliar and uncomfortable turbulence began expanding around her. After the first class, going to the bathroom, she walked arm-in-arm with Tong Yue past Class 1 as usual, and the ghostly howling from inside the windows continued endlessly, one voice louder than the next, all calling out Yuan Ye’s name.

Chun Zao: “…”

Tong Yue was torn between crying and laughing: “These idiots are sick.”

Chun Zao could only bury her head lower and run away quickly. When returning, she didn’t dare pass close to Yuan Ye’s classroom, taking a detour from below the stairs. Luckily, their classroom was on the first floor, and there was a large open area for her safe retreat.

Yuan Ye was also somewhat disgusted by his class’s chaos-mongering. With a cold face, he scanned around: “Who shouted first just now?”

Several of the loudest ones all insisted it wasn’t them.

Yuan Ye grabbed the smiling spectator, Tu Wenwei: “Was it you?”

Tu Wenwei, who had participated in the jeering but wasn’t the instigator, felt extremely wronged: “It wasn’t me—”

“You also barked like a dog,” Yuan Ye used him to make an example, “That’s not wrong, is it?”

Tu Wenwei couldn’t argue.

“No one is allowed to shout again. If I catch you, don’t come to me to copy homework for extra points next time.”

“Ooh, so protective~” Tu Wenwei still wouldn’t give up his smart mouth.

Yuan Ye pulled a smile and pressed him back into his seat: “Starting with you.” He took out his phone and looked at Xu Shuzhou: “Kick him from the answer-sharing group.”

Group admin Xu Shuzhou received the order: “Roger.”

“Hey? Don’t, bro, Yuan-ge—” Tu Wenwei rushed to grab Yuan Ye’s phone.

Yuan Ye raised his hand to avoid him: “Will you keep shouting or not?”

Tu Wenwei could bend with the wind, sliding to his knees in one second: “Won’t shout anymore, I’ll shut up, won’t say a single word, be an honest person and do honest work,” and quickly got into character, pointing accusingly at everyone around: “You guys too, from now on I’m the one watching you, Brother Yuan’s special investigation officer.”

Only then did Yuan Ye sit back down helplessly.

But even blocking the gossiping mouths in class, their affair still spread from ten to a hundred, being passed around the entire grade as juicy news. For instance, when Chun Zao went to do morning exercises, she was chased and stopped by two unfamiliar girls on the road.

Their gazes locked directly on her face: “Are you Chun Zao?”

Chun Zao was stunned and nodded.

Tong Yue shooed them away like a swarm of bees, protecting her sister: “What’s with you? Don’t be so bored.”

Then they giggled and ran away.

Tong Yue howled at the sky.

Chun Zao still felt somewhat detached: “They were…?”

Tong Yue was ready to beat her chest: “Sightseeing you, sister.”

Chun Zao understood: “Because of Yuan Ye?”

Tong Yue nodded vigorously: “Yeah, having a husband who’s a school celebrity is quite troublesome.”

“…” Chun Zao was scalded by this naked term. Husband? What the hell.

Standing on the green field, in her peripheral vision, Class 1’s two rows also arrived unhurriedly. Today, they were unusually quiet, and Chun Zao’s anxiety and tension from the endless unexpected situations also faded somewhat.

She still didn’t dare look directly at Yuan Ye.

Even though his movements and positions were already carved into her eyes and heart.

Thinking of the “hair tie” he had casually mentioned on the morning walk, Chun Zao smiled obliviously again, but didn’t dare maintain it too long. One, two, three, okay, stop.

After that night passed, the changes around her felt somewhat foreign. It wasn’t exactly crisis-ridden, because she wasn’t that panicked, just unexpected, requiring slow adaptation and figuring out coping methods.

Yuan Ye…

Had he always lived under this kind of large-scale, jumpy scrutiny? Having to be a perfect, flawless “king”?

A subtle pain emerged in her heart, as if corroded by weak acid. Chun Zao lowered her brows and pressed her lips tightly.

How was he doing these past two days?

He probably faced a hundred times more situations than she did.

In a moment, when the broadcast music and beat started, she would steal a glance at him like before, pretending to do the turning exercise.

Having made this decision, Chun Zao focused on exercises for the first time, with only one thing and one person in her mind, her movements precise enough for competition.

Concentrating completely until the eighth section, she held her breath and turned her head.

The girl’s pupils suddenly dilated.

At that position she had peeked at countless times, too many to count, the tall, outstanding teenager stood there casually, wind stirring his jet-black hair. He wasn’t doing anything, just looking over from afar.

Across the crowd, as if just for this moment.

Curving his lips, capturing, or awaiting her fleeting glance.

Their eyes met.

Time stretched in that instant, and all sounds fell silent.

Chun Zao stiffly turned back with the beat, her heart nearly leaping from her chest.

The violent roaring seemed to drown out all sounds circling above the playground.

As soon as morning exercises ended, she grabbed Tong Yue and left impatiently. Tong Yue looked at her, confused: “Why is your face so red?”

Chun Zao loudly protested: “It’s not!”

“Why are you yelling at me?”

“…Sorry.”

…

Watching Chun Zao’s figure disappear into the crowd, Yuan Ye unhurriedly walked toward the track with his deskmate, stopping midway by their homeroom teacher.

Yuan Ye frowned slightly and stopped.

Tu Wenwei’s eyes widened like copper bells, starting to worry, slowly pacing without leaving earshot.

Fortunately, their homeroom teacher just asked calmly: “Yuan Ye, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Yuan Ye: “Huh?”

Homeroom teacher: “Then why did you stop moving halfway through exercises?”

Yuan Ye’s expression didn’t change: “Oh, I didn’t eat breakfast this morning, got a bit dizzy from low blood sugar.”

“How can you not eat breakfast? No matter how hard you study, you must eat three meals on time. Health is the foundation of everything,” the teacher said earnestly, then urged, “Go buy something to eat quickly!”

“Okay, sorry for worrying you, teacher. I’ll go right now.”

Yuan Ye walked away, and Tu Wenwei hurried over, believing it and supporting him: “Damn, you have low blood sugar?”

Yuan Ye smiled subtly without answering.

How could he have low blood sugar? Three minutes ago, he’d had an excessive sugar intake.