Xia had become as busy as a spinning top.

She barely got to sleep before 2 AM each night.

She couldn’t even complete half the “recommended” homework, and couldn’t take it home either, because Zhang Shu had gotten her exam papers that she needed to complete strictly according to exam time limits.

Zhang Shu would check them the next day.

The papers were printed on A4 paper – who knows where Zhang Shu got them from – and came with very detailed analyses.

So even during break times and meals, Zhang Shu was explaining things to her.

Hou Junqi had become the person who fetched water for her.

Hou Junqi had already decided to attend language prep school abroad after the college entrance exam, so he barely needed to study anymore.

When Xia was tired, she envied how he could just lay his head down on the desk whenever he wanted.

Though, if she wanted to, she could too.

Xin Xiaohe teased: “Xia, how does it feel having a personal tutor at your beck and call? Isn’t it great?”

Great?

To be honest, it didn’t feel… that great.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy – it was that he wasn’t happy.

Though Zhang Shu explained things very thoroughly, his temper was still as bad as ever. Xia thought this anger had lasted a bit too long.

And she had no way to deal with it.

Even when she tried giving him candy, he coldly rejected it, saying: “Am I teaching you for a few lollipops and pieces of chocolate?”

Then what are you doing it for?

Xia blinked, not daring to ask.

During the long break, while everyone else was doing morning exercises, only Xia and the duty student remained in the classroom. This was when Xia would put aside her crutches every day and practice walking along the corridor while holding onto the windowsill. The day before yesterday, she had even fetched water by herself.

But she had been in so much pain and sweating on the way back that she didn’t dare try again, only walking the ten or so meters along Class 6’s corridor.

Just as she was about to get up, she heard someone calling her.

“Xia.”

It was Zhou Xuanxuan.

“Can you come out for a moment?”

The duty student was sweeping, looking at them curiously.

Xia still took her crutches and followed Zhou Xuanxuan out. At the bottom of the connecting corridor stairs, she saw an unexpected person – Chen Mengyao.

Xia wasn’t nervous, just somewhat puzzled.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Chen Mengyao said coldly while scrolling through her phone.

There was a wide step-like railing about thigh-high nearby, where many people liked to sit and sunbathe.

Xia calmly replied: “Thank you, no need.”

Since this wasn’t going to be a friendly girls’ chat, she just wanted to get it over with quickly and return.

Zhou Xuanxuan spoke: “Xia, about the sports meet incident, I apologize. I didn’t mean to. I’ve been having a rough time lately too, I hope you can forgive me.”

An apology…

It had been over a month since the incident, her leg was almost healed. Apologizing at this time felt somewhat strange.

Xia: “It’s fine now.”

After a moment of silence, Xia asked: “Is there anything else?”

Calling her out couldn’t just be for this simple apology.

Zhou Xuanxuan glanced at Chen Mengyao, but the latter remained silent with no intention of speaking. Zhou Xuanxuan was also stumped – she hadn’t prepared anything else to say.

She thought Yao Yao had something to say. Wasn’t it Yao Yao who asked her to apologize?

So, under Xia’s gaze, Zhou Xuanxuan found herself inexplicably asking: “Then, can we be friends?”

Both Xia and Chen Mengyao were stunned. Even Zhou Xuanxuan felt her tongue was tied…

The atmosphere became awkward as the radio calisthenics music drifted over – three-two-three-four, four-two-three-four – providing a rhythm to their embarrassment.

After a while.

“We can of course be friends,” though puzzled, Xia’s expression was serious, “but friendship isn’t something that can be arranged, it happens naturally. Besides, there are many types of friends – close friends like Guan and Bao, kindred spirits like the high mountain and flowing water, casual acquaintances, drinking buddies – we’re classmates, so to some extent we’re already friends…”

Zhou Xuanxuan: …

Chen Mengyao: …

This… their thought processes were different, their cultural levels were different – maybe they should just forget it?

A strange thought occurred to Chen Mengyao – she was kind of cute.

And quite pretty too.

Some words that had been on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back as Chen Mengyao called out: “Xia.”

Xia: “Hm?”

“Do you like Zhang Shu?”

Xia’s crutch wavered, but she quickly steadied herself.

Had she become dizzy from standing too long? What had Chen Mengyao just asked her?

“Maybe you should sit down after all?” Zhou Xuanxuan murmured. She was shocked too – wasn’t Yao Yao being too direct?

Was she this easily frightened?

Chen Mengyao resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Let me cut to the chase – I heard you two are together recently. If so, then fine, I’m busy anyway, I’ll probably forget about it soon. If not, do you like him?”

Xia was still dazed but decided to answer the first question: “We’re not together?”

“That’s good then,” Chen Mengyao, who had been leisurely leaning against a pillar, now stood straight and said with a laugh, “I like Zhang Shu. I was wrong before, and I plan to win him back. I’m confident I can, but I won’t be the other woman. If you two get together, don’t hide it from me – tell me immediately. That’s all I wanted to confirm.”

Xia: …?

So arrogant.

Xia wanted to reply that she just wanted to focus on studying.

But Chen Mengyao didn’t stay to “battle” – or perhaps she was also a bit embarrassed and wanted to quickly flee the “battlefield” – her long legs carried her out of Xia’s sight in a few steps.

Zhou Xuanxuan stood frozen, unsure whether to follow Chen Mengyao or return to class with Xia.

Xia paid no attention to Zhou Xuanxuan’s dilemma. She returned to the classroom, put away her crutches, and slowly began walking again while holding onto the windowsill.

Because of their conversation, time had been wasted, and now people were gradually returning from morning exercises, the corridor becoming increasingly crowded. For the sake of order, classes on higher floors with exercise areas nearby returned first. Class 6 was far away, so none of their classmates had returned yet.

Xia became a bit anxious, afraid others might bump into her. Because of the cold weather, she was wearing loose pants and fuzzy shoes, looking no different from others – it wasn’t obvious she was wearing a cast, so people wouldn’t deliberately avoid her.

As more and more people came, some walking while joking and playing around, Xia simply stopped by the side holding onto the windowsill, planning to wait until people dispersed before continuing.

“Xia!”

She heard a familiar voice and looked toward the stairwell.

Lu Youze came down from the second floor, quickly walking against the flow of people toward her. When he got close, he extended his arm to create a small space around her, asking anxiously: “Are you alright?”

People passing by turned their heads curiously to look.

Xia shook her head: “I’m fine. Didn’t you go to morning exercises?”

“Andrew wanted to discuss something with me,” Lu Youze said.

Andrew was their English teacher.

Lu Youze said: “I’ll shield you, let’s go. Be careful.”

“Mm, thank you.”

Xia took small steps forward.

Lu Youze asked: “Have you started arranging language classes?”

“Not yet.”

“Then, do you want to go to the East or West?”

“I don’t know yet…”

“Well, take your time choosing, there’s no rush.”

“Mm.”

People were gradually returning to class. Xia finished her round and entered through the back door. Just as she reached the last desk, she stopped in her tracks.

At the front door, on the other end of this aisle, Zhang Shu stood by his desk, hands in pockets, ankles crossed, one foot tapping the ground.

A posture is both casual and intimidating.

Like waiting for a criminal about to be judged.

This scene felt familiar, having played out not too long ago.

Xia had developed immunity to it. She lowered her head, carefully navigating around the book boxes scattered on the floor to return to her seat.

Not bothering to make eye contact.

She wasn’t his criminal, after all.

Lu Youze also took his seat, similarly appearing to ignore the situation.

Zhang Shu’s jaw tightened, an inexplicable anger with nowhere to hide and nowhere to vent, surging up only to be forcibly suppressed.

Like smoke suddenly rushing up his throat, both choking and stifling.

He knew he was losing control of himself more and more frequently lately.

“Did you finish summarizing yesterday’s physics mistakes?” Zhang Shu asked as he sat down.

Xia said: “Not yet.”

Zhang Shu said urgently: “Then why aren’t you writing?”

Still had the mood to stroll and chat?

Xia even wondered if Zhang Shu had already met Lu Youze’s uncle, which explained his recent mood swings.

But this situation made her feel uncomfortable.

Not just a little uncomfortable.

Very uncomfortable. She had been feeling bad for several days.

Thinking carefully, his attitude was similar to when she first transferred and they weren’t familiar with each other, but it was harder to go from abundance to frugality – now she found it difficult to accept even a bit of coldness.

She bit her lip and slowly looked up: “Zhang Shu if you don’t have time to tutor me, that’s fine. I’m already very grateful, you don’t need to… don’t need to be so fierce with me…”

After speaking, she didn’t dare see his reaction and turned her head back.

Zhang Shu was stunned – had he been fierce?

The girl’s wronged eyes still flickered in his vision, making his heart ache painfully, feeling somewhat at a loss.

He seemed to understand – in her standard, speaking loudly meant being fierce.

Just as he was about to say something, the bell rang for class.

It was math class, and Lai Yilin had arrived early.

Xia took out the textbook for the lesson, as well as Zhang Shu’s notebook. Now she could occasionally multitask, listening while comparing notes to review her previous learning, and finding gaps to fill.

Lai Yilin’s voice was so loud that the next class could hear her, making it generally impossible to be distracted during her lessons.

Xia returned her attention to class, keeping up with the teacher’s pace, no longer paying attention to Zhang Shu.

After a while, she suddenly heard a helpless voice from her right, “I wasn’t trying to be fierce with you…”

Xia froze.

Not because of what he said, but because the volume seemed… a bit loud?

Xia looked up to see Lai Yilin’s suddenly paused movement, and the shocked expressions of Hou Junqi and his deskmate as they turned around. She confirmed: that it wasn’t her imagination – his voice had been a bit loud.

The entire classroom was silent.

Even Zhang Shu was visibly stunned for a rare moment.

How was he supposed to know that when he spoke, Lai Yilin had just turned to write on the blackboard and wasn’t talking?

How was he supposed to know he would speak so loudly just saying that?

His mind was in such chaos, how could he pay attention to such things?

Speechless.

Bunch of silly geese, never seen anything before? What was there to be so shocked about?

The “leader” of the silly geese, Lai Yilin, recovered and smiled, throwing a piece of chalk at Zhang Shu with a “whoosh,” “Don’t bully your deskmate!”

Zhang Shu tilted his head to dodge: …

The whole class giggled.

The class rhythm quickly returned to normal, the small episode having no sequel.

However, Xia felt that the atmosphere between her and Zhang Shu had become even more awkward than before.

…

The end of the year was packed with holidays – Winter Solstice, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s – but for third-year high school students, they were all just ordinary days.

Still, Christmas Eve stirred up some excitement.

Exchanging apples between dormmates was quite popular.

Xin Xiaohe gave one to Xia too, elaborately packaged. Xia hadn’t prepared anything and gave Xin Xiaohe a pack of chocolates in return.

Zhang Shu had moved to sit by the window this week, conveniently providing easy access for gift-givers – his windowsill was now full of peace apples.

From summer to winter, some people’s popularity hadn’t diminished.

When Zhang Shu came, he was holding a small reindeer plush toy.

He looked at those peace apples without acknowledging them, then noticed one on Xia’s desk and frowned, asking: “Who gave you that?”

Xia wasn’t fond of his recent tone and hadn’t decided how to respond when Xin Xiaohe pulled her arm and said mysteriously: “A junior gave it!”

“Over-packaged, environmental awareness needs improvement,” Zhang Shu said flatly, sitting down casually.

Xin Xiaohe: …

Lu Youze entered the classroom just before the bell, taking out a peace apple from his backpack – even more elaborately packaged in a small flower basket, “Xia, peaceful holidays!”

Xia accepted it awkwardly, “But I didn’t prepare anything?”

No. 2 Middle School didn’t do this – after all, apples that usually cost a few yuan were selling for dozens on this day.

So she took out her last pack of chocolates to give to Lu Youze, wishing: “Thank you, peace to everyone!”

Zhang Shu nearly twisted the neck off the little reindeer in his hands.

Why was everyone giving out sweets?

She had that many chocolates?

Did she think everyone would fall for her act?

This idiot was really…!

Zhang Shu threw the reindeer onto the windowsill and irritably took out test papers to work on.

Suddenly a graceful figure appeared by the window, “Ashu!”

Though she called for Zhang Shu, the whole class looked over.

Chen Mengyao was used to being watched and showed no embarrassment. She handed over a peace apple and asked: “Where are my test papers?”

Zhang Shu took out a folder from his backpack and handed it to her.

Xia was about to look away when her gaze stopped on the folder.

It was… the same set she was using, the first and second-year exam papers and analyses from the affiliated school.

She had thought he had prepared them, especially for her, that only she had them.

So that wasn’t the case.

Xia swallowed hard and turned to focus on her homework.

But their conversation still clearly reached her ears.

“Aren’t you going to give me something in return?” Chen Mengyao asked coquettishly.

Zhang Shu glanced at the windowsill, “Why don’t you pick one of these?”

“No, they’re not as pretty as the one I gave you,” Chen Mengyao reached out and grabbed the reindeer, “I want this one!”

Zhang Shu snatched it back, “No!”

Then Xia watched as the small flower basket piece apple from Lu Youze was picked up from her desk.

She stared in disbelief as she followed the movement.

It was Zhang Shu who took it, and at the same time, he tossed the little reindeer onto her desk.

“Let’s swap,” Zhang Shu said to Xia.

Then he turned and stuffed the small flower basket to Chen Mengyao, “This one’s prettier than yours, take it!”

Chen Mengyao: …

Xia: …

Lu Youze: …

Chen Mengyao left, giving Zhang Shu the middle finger before going.

Class 6 students: …

What kind of plot development was this?

The whole class was silent, with no one making a sound.

Hou Junqi was about to burst, watching someone execute this whole series of actions so smoothly, showing no trace of “deliberateness” – what kind of natural yet bizarre operation was this?

Hou Junqi: “Shu, that’s inhumane!”

Zhang Shu showed absolutely no moral awareness of having done something unethical, apparently oblivious as he said: “You’re crazy.”

If he were being humane, that little flower basket would have been incinerated by his glare tonight.

Xia turned to look at Lu Youze, feeling apologetic since it was his gift to her that had been taken and given to someone else.

Lu Youze was holding back his anger but still reassured her: “It’s fine.”

Xia nodded, then grabbed the reindeer and asked Zhang Shu: “This…”

Zhang Shu found the eye contact between these two unbearable and waved dismissively: “Gift from the stationery store.”

Xia kept it.

She couldn’t tell if it was out of helplessness or private desire.