Pei Chuan’s hand lifted several times, then stiffly dropped back down. He couldn’t embrace her—it was as difficult as pushing her away.

Bei Yao’s heart was also beating very fast. This feeling was strange and novel to her.

It wasn’t until the snowflakes on her head were melted by his body heat, bringing a bit of coolness, that she lifted her head from his chest.

“I—I feel better now.”

She dizzily covered her forehead. It was so hot there, as if burned by the young man’s excessively high body temperature.

She raised her eyes to look at him. In the dim light, she could only see the contours of the young man’s jaw.

Pei Chuan lowered his eyes. “Mm.”

His fingers curled slightly. He discovered that in front of Bei Yao, he always seemed unable to speak. His ability to mock Wu Mo automatically lost its effect in her presence. He also wanted to touch his heart that was about to jump out of his chest, but she was still there, so Pei Chuan could only remain silent.

Bei Yao finally remembered the main matter and asked him, “Is your hand better?”

“It’s better.”

“Let me see.”

She still remembered Pei Chuan had injured his right hand. She gently lifted that injured hand. The bandage was wrapped very tightly. The white color was especially conspicuous even in the night.

He lowered his eyes to look at her. The girl’s touch was very light, like fingertips touching soft cotton wadding. Her careful appearance was like she was holding some fragile treasure.

However, he knew he wasn’t any treasure. Having walked through rain and snow, hammered in fire, he himself didn’t know what could destroy him. Moreover, even his biological mother Jiang Wenjuan found him dirty.

The two small hands gently holding his right hand were very soft, a bit cooler than his body temperature. The fair skin was visible even in the night. Her fingers were slender and beautiful. Pei Chuan’s hands were boxing hands—the knuckles were wide and rough. Although naturally slender, they didn’t have half the delicacy of a young man’s hands. What’s more, wrapped in bandages, they weren’t attractive.

He knew that all unattractive things easily aroused people’s repulsion, or rather, revulsion.

Pei Chuan withdrew his hand. “It’s already better.”

Bei Yao clearly saw the different color of the inner layer of bandage.

She didn’t pursue the question, but the strange emotion in her heart became even more obvious. Did Pei Chuan dislike her closeness? Why did his whole body stiffen into a rock when she approached him? When she checked if his injury was healed, even his knuckles were rigid.

His heartbeat trembled so violently—could it be because of rejection?

Bei Yao realized this and felt stuffy inside.

She took the initiative to move aside. “Mm, you can go.”

She never made things difficult for people. Things Pei Chuan didn’t like, she wouldn’t do. She stepped back, letting Pei Chuan come out. The young man stood restrainedly for two seconds, then walked past her.

Bei Yao thought for a moment and said with a smile, “Pei Chuan, don’t smoke anymore. It doesn’t smell good, and it’s not good for your wound either.”

His footsteps halted.

The young girl’s voice was very gentle. “Also, Merry Christmas. Study hard.”

He didn’t say yes, nor did he say no. His left hand clenched the cigarette butt as he finally left her side.

Without the large tree blocking the snowflakes, snow fell on his stern face.

Qingshi’s Christmas party was especially lively. Jin Ziyang and the others were also having a great time. Pei Chuan had walked very far away but still couldn’t help turning back.

Bei Yao was no longer under the large tree. Only then did he touch his heart, lost and melancholy.

~

Chen Feifei carried the twinkling star light and asked Bei Yao, “Where did you go just now? I turned my head and you were gone. I asked Yang Jia, and Yang Jia didn’t see you either.”

A young girl’s thoughts were like a locked diary. Bei Yao didn’t know what to say for a long while.

Fortunately, Chen Feifei was just asking casually. She was more interested in gossiping about Wu Mo from the dorm. “Wu Mo also doesn’t know where she went. Why does she need to make things so difficult with the other people in the dorm over that previous matter?”

Only Bei Yao knew that Wu Mo’s issue seemed to be not just about Ding Wenxiang’s matter.

Wu Mo’s hostility toward Bei Yao more likely came from Pei Chuan.

“Feifei, tell me, what does it feel like to like someone?”

This topic change was too fast. Chen Feifei saw the confusion in Bei Yao’s eyes. Her heart jumped—no way! The school beauty had finally become aware and was starting to be curious about what it felt like to like someone?

Who was that person? Awooo—Chen Feifei felt like she had already glimpsed gossip that hadn’t even started yet. Could it be the Class 1 heartthrob, the super handsome Han Zhen!

Chen Feifei’s inner self danced wildly. She suppressed her excitement on the surface and said, “I don’t know either, but probably you’d always want to see him. You’d be very happy seeing him. When you don’t see him, you’d wonder what he’s doing. Why? Do you think you like someone?”

Bei Yao thought carefully, then with a red face, quietly whispered a name in Chen Feifei’s ear.

Chen Feifei was thunderstruck. “No—no, listen to me. How could it be him? What I just said—that might not be liking. It could be from nervousness or something.”

Chen Feifei spoke a whole bunch of incoherent things and covered her face. “Do you know what kind of person he is? In the previous forum posts, he wasn’t portrayed as a very good person.”

Bei Yao walked with her on the road back to No. 6 High School.

The sky was an endless expanse of black. Bei Yao retorted, “He’s quite good. I’ve known him for over ten years.”

“That could also be care from childhood friends. I also have a childhood friend. When I go back after being at school for a long time, I’m quite excited every time I see him, but I don’t like him.”

Bei Yao became somewhat confused by Chen Feifei’s words.

Chen Feifei struck while the iron was hot. “Right! It might just be feelings from being together too long—normal human nature. That’s not liking at all.”

Chen Feifei didn’t like Pei Chuan. Compared to the completely unknowing Bei Yao, she had been reading forums and message boards since Grade 10. There had been several posts about Pei Chuan—gossip and descriptions of him.

That person was cold and arrogant. Who knows, he might have already had several girlfriends. Could he be sincere with Bei Yao? Maybe he was the same type as Ding Wenxiang.

Moreover, there were previous rumors about his family background. No money but still pretending—his character wasn’t good.

Most importantly, those posts gossiping about Pei Chuan would be deleted completely before long. From this you could tell he was also a troublesome, petty-minded young man.

Chen Feifei saw that Bei Yao was really seriously thinking about it. She gritted her teeth and added another heavy dose of medicine. “He probably just treats you as his little childhood friend.”

Was that so?

~

The little secrets of adolescence were like planting a very small seed. Each time you thought about it, it grew an inch taller.

After Christmas, time flew by quickly, and soon came the Grade 11 unified exam.

The final exam was still a joint exam between Schools 1, 3, and 6. The principals of Schools 1 and 3 had originally been classmates with quite a good relationship. The idea of the schools taking joint exams was proposed by School 1’s principal. After all, the future college entrance exam was competition across the whole city and across the whole country. Knowing your own school’s level in advance wasn’t a bad thing.

Later this exam model was retained. School 6’s principal thought it over and also requested to join. Thus C City’s exams became the most unique model—every year the final exams were joint exams between Schools 1, 3, and 6. By Grade 12, the practice exams were unified every time.

The day the results came out, a major incident was reported.

Someone from No. 3 High School had cheated.

The standard answers were leaked. Someone from No. 3 High School had scored perfect marks in math and science comprehensive.

In the past, this would have been impossible.

In previous exams, not once had anyone achieved perfect scores in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. This year was January 2008. No. 3 High School hadn’t yet installed surveillance cameras in classrooms. However, the perfect score test paper seemed to have become ironclad evidence.

Because it was a joint exam, all three schools—1, 3, and 6—knew about this matter.

When Bei Yao came back from the bathroom, she heard someone say, “The honor roll was put up, but the first place name was immediately taken down. I heard it was because of cheating.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Have you ever seen anyone who could score perfect marks in math, physics, chemistry, and biology?”

“Who is it? Such courage—cheating on the joint exam gets the strictest punishment.”

“Pei Chuan from No. 3 High School. Have you heard of him?”

Bei Yao raised her eyes and immediately ran downstairs. Sure enough, the long honor roll had been hung up. It praised the top two hundred students from the three schools and also tallied how many students from each school made it into the top two hundred.

Her gaze fell on first place. That name had been blotted out with black ink.

The honor roll was a ranking organized by computer. The ink was a stain from human judgment.

Bei Yao looked at that blob of ink and the people viewing the roll pointing and discussing the first place. For the first time, an anger that was hard to suppress rose in her heart.

Why must it be that scoring perfect marks in math and science comprehensive meant he cheated?

Their No. 6 High School was already discussing it so intensely—what about No. 3 High School then?

No. 3 High School’s rule was that cheating on the joint exam meant probation at school.

Bei Yao didn’t believe Pei Chuan would cheat. From when she was very small, she knew how smart Pei Chuan was. Things teachers hadn’t taught yet, he already knew. Sometimes problems even teachers found difficult, he could solve at a glance.

Bei Yao held a fire in her heart, as if something she valued had been casually slandered and trampled.

The punishment came out quickly—a major demerit.

This made many people indignant. “Tch, what’s this? Didn’t they say No. 3 High School’s punishment was very severe? Why not expel him? Maybe others were also passed the answers. Then the whole top two hundred is questionable. So many people cheating—is the exam still fair?”

“If you ask me, he should be expelled. If not expelled, at least put on probation. What does a demerit amount to!”

Even Chen Feifei said, “Yaoyao, where do you think he got the answers?”

Bei Yao’s face was tense. “He didn’t cheat! He scored those results by his own ability.”

Chen Feifei thought to herself—holy crap, can you believe that!

Chen Feifei really wanted to shake Bei Yao’s unhappy little face. What kind of person was he? Could he score first among three schools?

“Yaoyao, it’s not that I don’t believe you, but it’s a perfect score. One subject with a perfect score would be one thing, but all four subjects are perfect scores. If he had this level, why didn’t he score well before? Last time he didn’t even make the top two hundred. Now suddenly he’s first place.” Chen Feifei thought to herself—this kind of person with no one to control him at school should at least cheat more carefully. Even if he cheated to get into the top hundred on the joint exam, that would be better than this terrifying first place. Way too brazen.

Bei Yao was stunned.

Yes, why didn’t he test well before, but this time scored first place?

For… what reason?

She suddenly remembered—that Christmas night, her casual blessing to him.

What did she say?

Pei Chuan, Merry Christmas. Study hard.

~

No. 3 High School grade director’s office. Director Zhang said, “Tell me, who else did you give the answers to?”

The young man before him lowered his eyes, his pitch-black eyes falling on the roster.

Pei Chuan glanced coldly at the grade director and turned to leave.

Director Zhang said in exasperation, “You leave! If you dare leave today, No. 3 High School won’t tolerate you today! I’ve been teaching for so many years—what kind of student haven’t I seen? Someone lawless like you will also be scum when you enter society. You’ve lost all of our No. 3 High School’s face!”

Pei Chuan’s homeroom teacher said, “Director Zhang!” Those words were too harsh.

Pei Chuan turned back. He laughed lightly with derision. “A director like you is worse than scum like me.”

Director Zhang’s chest heaved with anger. “Teacher Chen! Look—this is a student from your class. We treated him leniently and only gave him a demerit in the end. What’s his attitude!”

Teacher Chen also had a terrible headache, but the responsibility of being a teacher made her speak up. “This matter hasn’t been investigated clearly yet. Pei Chuan also hasn’t said he cheated. It’s indeed not good for you to speak to him like this.”

“Didn’t cheat! How is it I didn’t know your class had such a capable student! Joint exam first place, perfect scores in math and science comprehensive—do you believe he’s that amazing?”

Teacher Chen was at a loss for words. She had no way out either. “At least investigate the matter clearly. He was originally admitted to our school through recommendation—his foundation and basics definitely have guarantees. He also hasn’t skipped class recently and was reviewing for finals. In any case, I’ll go make him explain. Please don’t report the conversation just now to the school for now.”

Director Zhang’s face was dark as he waved his hand.

No. 3 High School’s campus had a very thick layer of accumulated snow. Ji Wei held his books and asked haltingly, “Brother Chuan, what should we do?”

Zheng Hang said, “I’ll go home and talk to my mom. Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal.”

Jin Ziyang made exaggerated expressions. “Brother Chuan, where’d you get your connections? Last time you scored perfect on math, this time it’s perfect again. Awesome. And daring to do this on the joint exam—you’re the first. You’re the best! Want a cigarette?”

Jin Ziyang gave a thumbs up.

Pei Chuan took that pack of cigarettes. With a basketball shooting motion, it landed steadily in the trash can.

Jin Ziyang: “…”

Pei Chuan said, “I’m irritated. Stop yapping.”

In the afternoon, Teacher Chen came to the last desk in the classroom. “Pei Chuan, whether you cheated or not, you need to explain clearly to the grade director. It’s not that the teacher doesn’t believe you, but you have to say something yourself.”

Class 9’s students turned back in unison, secretly watching Pei Chuan.

Pei Chuan said, “Say what?”

Teacher Chen said, “For example, in the past your grades rarely passed. Why did you do so well this time? If it wasn’t cheating, you should at least tell the teachers the reason.”

Why?

The classmates held their breath.

Teacher Chen said helplessly, “This is a joint exam among three schools. This isn’t just our No. 3 High School’s matter. Think clearly—this matter is quite serious. Even if…” She glanced at Zheng Hang, thinking of his mother being the vice principal. The school’s face was lost—the vice principal couldn’t just blindly cover for him. Most importantly, Pei Chuan needed to state his reason.

“If you did cheat, we’ll acknowledge it and correct it in the future. If you didn’t, then state your reason, explain clearly, and make everyone believe you.”

Pei Chuan gripped his pen tightly.

His right hand had already healed. The place on his heart where she had leaned still had lingering warmth.

Pei Chuan smiled indifferently. “If you all think it’s cheating, then it’s cheating.”

Where would there be any reason for suddenly doing well?