By senior year, the time before exams felt stretched out, yet the actual moments in the examination room seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

Immediately following the first mock exam was a rest day. This was a rare, more leisurely weekend. The spring afternoon sunlight wasn’t harsh, perfect for basking in while doing one’s activities at ease.

Zhou Tingzhao was leaning by the window, reading when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Teachers living in this building sometimes came to discuss academic matters or neighborhood gossip with his parents, and their children occasionally sought out Zhou Tingzhao, so he wasn’t surprised.

However, when he opened the door, he froze in astonishment.

Sang Ru stood at the doorway, smiling upon seeing him: “Good afternoon, Zhou Tingzhao.”

“Good afternoon…”

Seeing his stunned expression, Sang Ru found it amusing. She tilted her head and asked: “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

Zhou Tingzhao then hurriedly stepped aside and said, “Please come in.”

He invited her to sit in the living room, brought her a glass of water, and settled into a single armchair nearby.

So when she asked yesterday if he would be home this weekend, and if his parents would be home, she had meant to visit…

“Has something happened?” Zhou Tingzhao asked, restraining certain thoughts that might be presumptuous.

“Nothing,” Sang Ru hugged the water glass and deliberately said, “Can’t I see you for no reason?”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Zhou Tingzhao pressed his lips together and said, “You can anytime.”

He was dressed simply today, in a white T-shirt and casual pants, a refreshing home style that was hard to look away from.

Sang Ru lowered her eyes to take a sip of water, then looked up at Zhou Tingzhao and asked: “What were you doing just now?”

“Reading.”

“What were you reading?”

“‘The Wealth of Nations.'”

He was reading extracurricular material like professional literature. So Zhou Tingzhao had been interested in economic matters since this time.

Sang Ru patted the space beside her: “Come sit here.”

Zhou Tingzhao hesitated for a moment but finally moved over.

The air quieted for a few seconds. Looking at the gap left between them, Sang Ru laughed: “Am I going to bother you?”

“No…” Zhou Tingzhao instinctively replied.

“I might.”

Zhou Tingzhao suddenly looked curious.

The space beside him was abruptly compressed to almost nothing. The person who had just been teasing him now turned her head to look at him, composing her expression and repeating in a deliberately playful tone: “Yes, I might distract you from your reading…”

Her appearance perfectly resembled a small creature pretending to be mischievous, both endearing and amusing, bringing a smile to his face.

Zhou Tingzhao’s expression softened: “How will you distract me?”

This time, it was Sang Ru’s turn to be momentarily thoughtful. Did this question he threw out represent tacit permission for her to share her ideas?

Sang Ru turned her head and slowly pulled out a notebook, her hand brushing against his as she opened it. He didn’t move away as they sat close together. Sang Ru showed him a page of notes, lightly tapping it once, then using her finger to point to specific parts.

The thoughtful gesture made Zhou Tingzhao feel appreciated.

She explained, murmuring: “Like this…”

As soon as the words fell, interesting questions about his book appeared one after another, like curious thoughts enveloping him, wanting to understand every part of what he was learning.

Zhou Tingzhao seemed to welcome this friendly interest, letting out a soft, thoughtful hum from his throat.

His enthusiasm was apparent, his explanations adding a certain depth to the conversation, appearing genuinely happy in Sang Ru’s eyes.

She leaned forward to look at a passage he pointed out, nodding once, producing an interested “hmm” sound. Then her questions followed suit, alternating between basic inquiries and more challenging thoughts. Zhou Tingzhao raised his hand to turn a page, his long fingers moving across the text, unconsciously becoming more animated as he explained.

Evidence of his excitement spilled out in the fine details. Sang Ru smiled softly, her eyes bright with interest, then raised her head to ask in a friendly tone: “Do you like sharing your thoughts with me like this? Hmm?”

Zhou Tingzhao seemed genuinely pleased, and willingly so: “Mm.”

“What does ‘mm’ mean?”

“I like it.”

Sang Ru brightened and offered her thoughts.

Unlike the overall aloofness he usually projected, Zhou Tingzhao’s ideas were very thoughtful, making one unable to resist engaging with them when shared.

Sang Ru had been leaning at an awkward angle for too long, and her neck began to ache. She simply turned to face him more directly. It happened so naturally that there was no awkwardness. Zhou Tingzhao instinctively adjusted his position to make the conversation more comfortable.

In this more open position, when their gazes met again, there was something indescribable between them. Sang Ru smiled and continued discussing with Zhou Tingzhao for a while, then said with enthusiasm, “Tell me more.”

Zhou Tingzhao had shared his first academic passion with her, and now, taking it further into an engaging discussion, he could unhesitatingly do as she asked.

As soon as he started explaining, Sang Ru’s attention focused without hesitation, but then she added her thoughts, leisurely beginning a back-and-forth exchange.

Sang Ru leaned forward with interest, not rudely interrupting him. During the conversation, Zhou Tingzhao was initially reserved and careful with his words, but gradually he seemed to have successfully found his comfort and passionately shared his ideas.

Their thoughts connected and built upon each other, with new realizations emerging between them as they discussed.

Sang Ru paused, looking at him with genuine admiration and saying softly: “Do you remember, we used to be such rivals in class?”

–