“Hey, Niannian, did you see the link I sent you?”

As soon as Shi Niannian returned to class, Jiang Ling pulled her aside to ask.

“Ah, wh-what?” She was still distracted and hadn’t registered what Jiang Ling was asking.

Jiang Ling repeated herself.

“I did.”

“Did you see the latest content?” Jiang Ling faced the wall, took out her phone, and kept scrolling down. “Look!”

“Let me hijack this thread… I think the big boss seems quite interested in his soft and cute tablemate… though it might just be my CP filter being too thick!”

“I think so, too.”

“Now that the thread starter has pointed it out… holy shit! It seems true! Didn’t the academic genius run the 800m during the sports meet? I went to the bathroom at the gym! When I came out, I saw the big boss crouching in front of the little girl, pressing a can of cola against her face! Ahhhhhh my maiden heart!!”

“I’m from Class 3… The big boss does seem a bit strange toward his little tablemate. Once, the little tablemate publicly touched the school bully’s reverse scale and mockingly applauded him. Guess how the big boss reacted?! The big boss! Just! Leaned back in his chair! And started laughing!!! So attractive, okay!!!”

Shi Niannian frowned slightly. One of the comments was even posted by Jiang Wang using her phone.

It left her both puzzled and confused.

Jiang Ling said with certainty, “Everyone has noticed it! I told you, Jiang Wang treats you differently!”

Shi Niannian opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain.

Besides, Cheng Qi…

If Cheng Qi found out about this, she would cause trouble for her again.

She understood Cheng Qi’s temperament quite well. Cheng Qi couldn’t tolerate her crush liking someone else, just like with Fang Cheng before.

Although Cheng Qi didn’t like Fang Cheng that much either, shortly after their breakup, Shi Niannian had seen Cheng Qi embracing another boy.

She didn’t want to cause trouble.

“Hey, Shi Niannian, Jiang Ling,” Xu Fei limped over. “Today’s my birthday. There’s a party tonight, you two should come.”

First High had a humane policy of canceling evening self-study sessions after monthly exams.

Jiang Ling: “Ah, happy birthday! Where’s the party?”

“At the KTV on Shangyi Road, 8 PM.”

“Sure, I’ll go,” Jiang Ling said with a smile, then nudged Shi Niannian. “Niannian, are you going?”

She nodded: “I’ll go.”

Xu Fei had invited almost the entire class, and probably quite a few from other classes too, as several boys and girls from different classes were hanging on the windows outside the classroom near dismissal time, talking to Xu Fei about something.

Xu Fei was Class 3’s sports representative, with a straightforward and cheerful personality, quite outgoing, and knew many people.

Shi Niannian walked down the corridor holding her Chinese composition notebook and heard several girls standing on tiptoes looking inside.

Since Jiang Wang had ranked second in the grade, numerous girls had come to Class 3’s door that afternoon. With Cheng Qi’s group absent, they were even more brazen in their staring.

Originally, everyone had been quite afraid of him because of his past incident. Even though he was handsome, no one dared to approach him. But suddenly adding the “academic genius” label changed everything.

Everyone began to think that perhaps the previous incident was a misunderstanding.

Shi Niannian didn’t linger and walked into the classroom.

She returned to her seat after handing out the composition notebooks.

Jiang Wang had just woken up. He sat up and grabbed her wrist as she passed by.

“Ahhhhh!! What’s happening?!”

“Holy shit, is that Shi Niannian? The legendary soft and cute tablemate of the big boss? Am I heartbroken??”

“I think… they have CP vibes…”

The girls in the corridor weren’t keeping their voices down, so people in the classroom could hear them. Everyone put down what they were doing and turned to look.

Shi Niannian struggled and freed her hand.

Only then did Jiang Wang become a bit more alert. He tilted his head slightly and glanced back at the surrounding gazes.

He looked quite intimidating just after waking up, with drooping eyelids, exuding clear impatience and coldness.

So everyone quickly turned back, and the gossiping voices outside also fell silent in perfect unison.

“What’s the homework for home?” Jiang Wang asked.

“…”

Shi Niannian looked at him for a few seconds, as if judging the truthfulness of his words, then placed one of the composition notebooks on his desk: “The monthly exam composition… needs revision, due tomorrow.”

“What else?”

The classroom was quiet, with only their voices audible.

Shi Niannian pointed at the blackboard.

The study committee member had already written out the homework for each subject.

Jiang Wang made a “tsk” sound.

He had been quite annoyed by the spectating girls all afternoon. He picked up his school uniform jacket and tapped Shi Niannian’s desk with his knuckle.

“Let’s go, tablemate.”

Shi Niannian went home, changed her clothes, and finished her homework by around seven-thirty in the evening.

She walked out of her bedroom: “Aunt, I’m… going out for a bit.”

“Where to?” Her aunt looked up at the clock. “It’s already dark outside.”

“Classmate’s birthday.”

“Do you want your aunt to drive you? Is it far?” Her aunt truly treated Shi Niannian like her own daughter, even better than she treated Xu Ningqing.

Shi Niannian smiled and shook her head, holding up her phone: “My good, good friend is already waiting… outside.”

“Oh, then hurry along.” Her aunt walked her to the door. “If you’re coming back late, call your aunt, or have your brother pick you up.”

“Okay.” Shi Niannian turned back and waved. “Aunt, please… go back inside.”

As soon as Shi Niannian walked out of the community gate, she saw Jiang Ling sitting in a car waving to her: “Niannian, over here!”

The two of them had ordered a cake after school as a joint gift for Xu Fei. Jiang Ling had her family driver pick up the cake first before heading to the KTV.

“I heard that the KTV on Shangyi Road is particularly large. Niannian, have you ever been there before?” Jiang Ling asked, not waiting for an answer before continuing, “A good girl like you hasn’t been there before. I haven’t been to that one either, but I heard it’s quite expensive.”

Shi Niannian had only been to a KTV once.

It was when she graduated from middle school, when she still lived with her parents in another city.

But this one was completely different from the one she had gone to before.

Bright floor tiles, tall and slender men and women, front desk staff in black suits and bodycon skirts, and the chaotic, jumbled singing already audible from outside.

Shi Niannian and Jiang Ling stood arm in arm at the entrance, as if separated from the adult world by a barrier.

“Do you think they’ll require ID to enter?” Jiang Ling asked. “I didn’t bring mine.”

Shi Niannian paused, then answered: “I think… probably not.”

Shi Niannian’s phone vibrated. It was a message from Xu Fei.

Are you and Jiang Ling here yet? We’re in room 410, don’t go to the wrong place!

Shi Niannian held Jiang Ling’s hand and walked with her head down, following the arrows on the floor, finally looking up at the number 410 on the door and sighing in relief.

“You’re finally here!” Xu Fei exclaimed upon seeing them. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long!”

Jiang Ling handed over the cake: “Here, this is from me and Niannian as your birthday gift. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

Shi Niannian said, “Happy birthday.”

Xu Fei smiled and said “thank you” again.

The two found seats in a corner of the sofa. The large private room had about thirty people, most from their class. Shi Niannian noticed that everyone seemed to be dressed quite maturely.

Several girls from their class who were usually quite serious were even wearing small leather shoes with slight heels.

She looked down at her black canvas shoes and short socks, and shrank back a little.

Several people were gathered around the song selection console, with Chen Shushu holding the microphone and singing.

No one, except for Xu Fei himself, had expected Jiang Wang to come.

“I thought you weren’t coming!” Xu Fei jumped down from the coffee table on one foot.

Ever since Jiang Wang had played a few games of basketball with him, and later ran the 4×100 relay for him, Xu Fei had unilaterally considered Jiang Wang his true brother.

He wore a white shirt, with black pants outlining his long legs, his raised chin creating a smooth, sharp line. The colorful lights in the private room fell on his face, and his black hair, tousled by the wind, looked a bit messy.

The corners of his eyes were like sharpened weapons, creating a sharp and slender outline.

Some people’s demeanor is just suited for such noisy, unrestrained settings.

Just as some scars on Jiang Wang’s face wouldn’t affect his looks at all, but rather made that angular face even more breathtaking.

Shi Niannian held her glass, silently widening her eyes a bit, then quickly lowering her head.

Jiang Wang was pulled by Xu Fei to sit on the other side, with several boys standing up to give him a seat.

Jiang Wang’s gaze swept past, over several girls, and saw Shi Niannian in the corner on the other side.

Boys of this age mostly yearned to grow up, and rather than drinking juice or soft drinks, they had directly brought in two cases of beer. After drinking a lot, they no longer cared about school bullies or academic geniuses.

One of the boys put his arm around Jiang Wang’s shoulder, his speech already slurred: “Wang! Today! I recognize you as my big brother!”

“…”

Jiang Wang frowned, looking rather displeased, and shrugged the person’s hand off his shoulder.

He had also drunk a little, but having been accustomed to such wild gatherings in earlier years, his alcohol tolerance was well-developed, and he felt no effect.

“Oh right!!” Huang Hao suddenly shouted. “Let’s play a game!”

Others also became interested, quickly asking: “What, what game?”

Huang Hao picked up another bottle of beer from the floor and loudly tapped it on the coffee table: “It’s very simple! The rule is that the person who gets picked has to share something they’ve done that no one else present has done, or else they have to drink a penalty.”

Jiang Ling pushed Shi Niannian to come over as well: “Great, great, where do we start?”

Jiang Wang had originally just been about to stand up, but after glancing at Shi Niannian, he sat back down.

Huang Hao picked up an empty beer bottle from the floor and shook it: “We’ll use this. Whoever it points to goes!”

Everyone’s attention was drawn over, and they gathered around the coffee table to establish their positions. Shi Niannian sat directly across from Jiang Wang.

“—I’m spinning it!” Huang Hao said, gently flicking the bottle with his fingers.

Everyone’s gaze followed the bottle’s mouth as it spun, and it finally stopped just as it was about to roll off the table.

“Huang Hao! Shot yourself in the foot, huh!”

The surrounding circle of people all laughed.

Huang Hao tilted his head with a smile and scratched his hair: “Let me think… I’ve had a fever of 41 degrees!”

“Damn, how come it didn’t turn you into an idiot?”

“What are you talking about? Hasn’t it already burned him into an idiot?!”

Huang Hao laughed and cursed: “Get lost!”

“Come on, second round!”

Everyone held their breath for a moment.

Shi Niannian watched as the bottle’s mouth slowly pointed at her, and she froze.

“Come on! Let’s hear one from the academic genius!”

She hesitated: “I’ve been… ranked first.”

“Hey!” Xu Fei raised his hand next to her. “Does it count if I’ve ranked first in sports scores?”

Jiang Ling helped her out: “Of course not! Class rank doesn’t count either. Niannian didn’t specify, but it must be first in the grade!”

“Who else has that?”

“Wait, wasn’t Wang just two points behind Shi Niannian this time? Wang, have you ever been ranked first before?”

Shi Niannian looked up.

Jiang Wang turned his head to meet her gaze, and after a moment, suddenly chuckled and drawled lazily: “No.”

Shi Niannian breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“Moving on, next round! Why hasn’t anyone had to drink yet?”

This time, it landed on Xu Fei.

“Does it count that it’s my birthday today?”

“Of course not! Who told you to add a time limit? By that logic, I took three shits today! Does that count?!”

“Ugh, Huang Hao, you’re so disgusting!!”

“Hurry up! Either change your answer immediately, or drink!” Huang Hao poured him a glass.

“I’ll change, I’ll change.” Xu Fei scanned everyone, finally smiling meaningfully, his gaze gently falling on Chen Shushu. “There’s a girl here that I like.”

After two seconds of silence, the room erupted.

His glance just now had been too obvious, and Chen Shushu covered her face with her hands, turning red.

After everyone’s excitement died down, Jiang Wang straightened up.

He picked up the glass that Huang Hao had just poured and placed it in front of Xu Fei.

With a crisp sound.

Xu Fei was stunned: “What does this mean, Wang?”

“Drink up.”

Jiang Wang raised his chin slightly, his posture completely unmoved, as if immune to everything.

He said casually, “There’s also a girl I like here.”