He had received her kiss, yet nothing seemed different. Zhou Tingzhao maintained outward calm in their interactions while inwardly anxiously awaiting her next pronouncement.

But she made no further moves, at most continuing as before—occasionally teasing him with light provocations, then running away.

What did she run off to do?

Study.

With the first mock exam looming, Sang Ru hadn’t taken exams for a long time and feared holding herself back. Her competitive nature wouldn’t allow her to fall too far behind Zhou Tingzhao. Besides being out of practice, she wanted to see her capabilities. In short, she devoted herself more intently to studying during the remaining days.

Pursuing someone was important, but so were exams. Though she had declared she was pursuing Zhou Tingzhao, the person in question didn’t know about it. Besides, he wouldn’t run away, so she temporarily prioritized her academic pursuits.

The formal exams were scheduled for Thursday and Friday consecutively. Based on the seating arrangements from the previous exam results, they met in Examination Room Number One, sitting one in front of the other.

Before the first Chinese language exam began, Zhou Tingzhao suddenly felt something like a kitten scratching his back. Turning around, he saw Sang Ru leaning slightly forward toward him, whispering: “Come with me.”

Sang Ru walked ahead, while Zhou Tingzhao consciously maintained a one-meter distance behind her. His gaze remained properly fixed forward, his expression deliberately serious, as if they weren’t going somewhere together but merely happened to be taking the same path.

On the fifth floor, there was a small storage room rarely visited by others.

They entered one after another, and the outside noise was isolated, coming through indistinctly, less prominent than the sound of their heartbeats.

In the not-so-spacious area, even the air seemed thin. Zhou Tingzhao felt his breathing tighten as he asked her: “What’s wrong?”

Sang Ru didn’t answer, instead looking at him with a smile and saying: “You didn’t ask before coming with me. You could easily be taken advantage of this way.”

“I wouldn’t,” Zhou Tingzhao said, “I wouldn’t randomly follow others.”

Something seemed to hit her heart with a thud. Sang Ru’s smile faltered, and she suddenly sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Tingzhao asked again.

Sang Ru lowered her head slightly, raising her hand to lightly grasp the hem of his clothes with two fingers. She didn’t pull him, but instead moved a few steps closer to him herself.

Zhou Tingzhao quietly waited for her to continue. He saw her raise her head to look into his eyes, then her lips curved downward, her brows furrowed, and suddenly she buried her face in the crook of his neck, saying in a muffled voice: “I’m nervous.”

The cat at home was just like this—either ignoring people, not even bothering to give a glance, or, when wanting attention, changing its demeanor entirely. It would burrow against people, nuzzling at every opportunity, mewing coquettishly. No one could resist softening their heart and taking it into their arms.

Zhou Tingzhao, nuzzled in the crook of his neck, found it difficult not to soften.

He raised his hand, hesitating before touching her, then, as if having made up his mind, placed his palm on the back of her head.

How does one pet a cat? By stroking along its fur to soothe it.

Her hair was very smooth, with a faint hint of fragrance. Zhou Tingzhao gently caressed it, lowering his head slightly to be closer to her, and said softly: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”

His voice was low and close, seemingly possessing a calming magic. Sang Ru nuzzled into the crook of his neck a few times, feeling so reassured she could almost immediately fall asleep.

She murmured, “Next time, I want you to help me fall asleep.”

“Hmm?” Zhou Tingzhao didn’t hear clearly.

“I said,” Sang Ru looked up, “I want you to help me fall asleep.”

Suddenly, face to face at such proximity, Zhou Tingzhao was stunned.

She probably didn’t realize how soft her expression was at that moment. With such a look making demands of someone, how could anyone refuse?

“Okay,” Zhou Tingzhao said.

“Why do you seem to always say this word to me?” Sang Ru smiled, freeing one hand to gently scratch the side of his face. “When will you ever say ‘not okay’?”

Zhou Tingzhao thought for a moment, then said: “I don’t know.”

Sang Ru stared at him steadily, then sighed: “You’re truly a genius in this aspect.”

“Which aspect?”

Sang Ru cupped his face with both hands and said, “Lower your head more.”

Zhou Tingzhao did as she said, and his lips were suddenly lightly touched by hers.

In the moment of his surprise, Sang Ru said: “The aspect of being likable.”

After speaking, she rose to kiss him again, then released him, smiling as she said: “I’m not afraid anymore.”

It took Zhou Tingzhao a while to respond: “Mm.”

Sang Ru lifted his wrist to check the time on his watch. It was time to go back.

She walked toward the door, calling to him: “Let’s go.”

Zhou Tingzhao touched his lips, feeling as if her warmth and touch still lingered there. Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

“Do you know what this is called?” he heard her ask.

Zhou Tingzhao turned around, waiting for her to continue.

“Lucky kiss,” Sang Ru said, “You shouldn’t be afraid either.”