Sang Ru woke up from her sleep. The IV drip had been removed at some point. The needle-like pain that had been intensely concentrated in her head had dissipated, and she felt much more refreshed.

She turned her head to look around. Zhou Tingzhao was sitting on the sofa nearby, reading a book.

His hair fell obediently, and as he lowered his gaze to read intently, he radiated more of the youthful aura of a student. The elite air he would later possess was still just in its embryonic form.

However, this impression was suddenly overturned when he looked up at her. In the instant their gazes collided, Sang Ru had the illusion of being locked onto as prey.

It was just for a moment. Seeing that she was awake, Zhou Tingzhao’s expression softened from its seriousness. He stood up and came over to feel the temperature of her forehead.

“You’re awake. Still feeling unwell?”

Sang Ru shook her head, rubbing her head left and right under his palm.

Why did his palm seem even hotter than her forehead?

At that moment, her stomach growled inappropriately. Zhou Tingzhao’s voice took on an amused tone: “Hungry?”

Sang Ru burrowed into her blanket and replied in a muffled voice: “Mm-hmm.”

His presence withdrew from her side, and Sang Ru only then noticed an insulated container on the bedside table. Zhou Tingzhao unscrewed the lid and took out the porridge and light side dishes he had prepared.

Her stomach growled even more enthusiastically. Sang Ru sat up of her own accord. At this moment, someone walked around the screen.

Sang Ru widened her eyes in surprise: “Luo He?”

“No respect.” Luo He had his hands in his white coat pockets. Despite his words, there was no tone of reproach.

Sang Ru blinked slowly and said, “Intern school doctor?”

In her opinion, Luo He had indeed worked as a school doctor at her high school for a few months when he was about to graduate.

This time, it was Luo He’s turn to be surprised. He clicked his tongue: “Are you a fortune-teller now?”

Just as Sang Ru was about to respond, her lips met a sensation that was half cool, half warm.

Zhou Tingzhao had scooped up a spoonful of porridge and brought it to her mouth, his expression impassive. Sang Ru instinctively opened her mouth and swallowed the porridge, then said to Luo He: “What could you possibly have that I don’t know about?”

Luo He lowered his eyelids: “There is something.”

“What?”

As soon as she asked, another spoonful of porridge was brought to her lips. Sang Ru ate it, but her eyes were on Luo He.

He looked a bit melancholic, which was unlike him.

“Nothing,” Luo He resumed his casual attitude and said, “After you’ve rested, leave quickly and go study.”

With that, he pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, tossed it onto her blanket, and left.

Sang Ru finished the porridge and automatically went looking for the next spoonful while reaching for the candy. As a result, this spoonful didn’t make it into her mouth but got on her nose instead.

Sang Ru backed away. Looking up, she saw Zhou Tingzhao glance at her, pull out a tissue, and wipe the watermark off the tip of her nose with an expressionless face. He said in a deep voice, “Eat properly.”

She obediently swallowed this spoonful without a word, then raised her hand and said: “Let me do it myself.”

Zhou Tingzhao moved his hand away: “You just had an IV. You don’t have much strength.”

Don’t I know whether I have strength or not?

However, being waited on felt quite nice. Sang Ru let him continue, becoming increasingly comfortable with directing him to add a bit of this vegetable, a bit of that vegetable on top of the porridge.

Only after Zhou Tingzhao had finished feeding this little glutton did he casually eat some of what was left. Sang Ru was stunned: “You haven’t eaten?”

“I’m eating now.”

Sang Ru suddenly felt guilty and stuffed the candy she had just received into his pocket: “For you.”

Zhou Tingzhao’s feelings were somewhat complex, but he didn’t return the candy.

With about half an hour left before the evening study session ended, and their things still in the classroom waiting to be packed up, Sang Ru got out of bed, preparing to return to the classroom with Zhou Tingzhao.

Luo He was still battling with Angry Birds and didn’t look up as he said: “Just stay here. After I finish this round, I’ll take you back.”

Sang Ru asked: “Don’t you have the night shift?”

“I do,” Luo He shrugged, “but since you live nearby now, I’ll come back after dropping you off.”

He glanced at the displeased-looking person beside her and smirked: “Your little boyfriend is still a minor himself. It’s not safe for him to escort you.”

Both of them fell silent upon hearing this.

Who exactly was the youngest one here?

Without wasting any more words, Zhou Tingzhao directly took Sang Ru’s hand and, before walking out the door, dropped a single word: “Safe.”

Luo He’s hand slipped, and the red bird crashed mid-flight. In his heart, he made the Nth exclamation of the day—high school students these days are something else—

Sang Ru walked ahead. After walking quietly for a while, she suddenly turned around and, walking backward, said: “We still haven’t finished our homework today. Will we be punished again tomorrow and sent to the office to complete it?”

“No, I spoke with Yang Fan and the others before coming to the infirmary. They’ll help us ask for leave from the teacher,” Zhou Tingzhao took larger steps to reduce the distance between them, frowning as he said, “Walk properly.”

Sang Ru made an “Oh” sound and obediently turned back around. She vaguely felt that Zhou Tingzhao was somewhat different from a few days ago.

Zhou Tingzhao gazed at her back, continuing to process the information that she, too, had come from ten years in the future.

In “normal” time, opportunities to meet her were few and far between. Perhaps because of this, he didn’t understand Sang Ru as well as he thought. But when it came to the entanglement of love and desire, he believed he had a sufficient grasp.

The little princess liked to win, even in lovemaking. She would often willingly suffer a thousand cuts to inflict eight hundred on her enemy, wanting to see him restraining himself for her, then going wild. Zhou Tingzhao sometimes indulged her, and sometimes would repay her with even more tormenting methods.

Yet in those suddenly altered memories, the little princess seemed to use the skills she had refined while being with him to tease his seventeen-year-old self, something he had already experienced since arriving here.

But his seventeen-year-old self hadn’t yet developed the later impenetrable mask of composure. Under her fierce offensive, his blushing and racing heart were difficult to conceal, giving her plenty to laugh about.

Although he didn’t mind letting her win, now that the game had flipped and roles had reversed, with them being in such proximity, it seemed the time had come to counter-attack.

If that “really like you” was genuine, then perhaps winning differently would be acceptable for both of them.