Chapter 9

“Song Cheng is really starting to focus on her studies.”

In the office, Teacher Liu was grading Song Cheng’s homework and turned to talk to Old Li.

Old Li responded, “Oh?”

“She got all the words right in the dictation and has been seriously memorizing vocabulary. I’m grading her homework now, and she’s completed everything.”

Teacher Liu’s pen didn’t stop moving as she marked three consecutive crosses on Song Cheng’s homework. She had indeed completed everything without leaving any blanks, and her attitude was decent, but her accuracy was still dismal.

Old Li took a sip of water, “Let’s see how long she can keep this up. Besides, her family might not agree to her switching tracks at this point.”

As a subject teacher, Teacher Liu wasn’t as familiar with the students’ family situations as Old Li. She didn’t dwell on it and continued grading the next student’s homework.

However, their conversation was overheard by a student from another class, and soon the news that Song Cheng was planning to give up sports spread around. Surprisingly, Song Cheng, the person in question, was the last to hear about it in Class Five the next day.

Before evening self-study, students dragged their bodies into the cafeteria, got their meals, and sat with their friends.

Once everyone had gathered, He Nianyao eagerly gossiped, “I heard Song Cheng is giving up sports? I knew there was something up with her spending so much time in the classroom and skipping training.”

Qin Li was shocked, “Really?”

He Nianyao replied, “You just found out too, huh!”

Qin Li said, “You’re her desk mate and didn’t know? How could we possibly know? Isn’t that right, Wen Xiangyi?”

Qin Li sought confirmation from Wen Xiangyi, but instead, she noticed a subtle expression on her face.

It was hard to describe in words—a slight change that an outsider wouldn’t notice. But Qin Li, being childhood friends with Wen Xiangyi, sensed something unusual. She hesitated and repeated, “Isn’t that right?”

Wen Xiangyi took a sip of soup, “I found out two days before you all did.”

He Nianyao was surprised, “What?”

Qin Li exclaimed, “What!”

The two of them exchanged quick glances, and Qin Li cried out, “I knew it! That day in PE class, Song Cheng kept looking at you, and then she helped you block the ball and get food. You two have been secretly hanging out!”

He Nianyao, feeling equally betrayed, added, “You two even have your little secrets!”

As Wen Xiangyi’s friend and Song Cheng’s desk mate, He Nianyao felt the sting of a double betrayal.

Wen Xiangyi frowned and immediately clarified, “What are you talking about? I overheard it in the office. Now you all know too, don’t you?”

Qin Li wasn’t satisfied, “That’s not important anymore. What’s going on between you and Song Cheng?”

What could there possibly be between her and Song Cheng?

Wen Xiangyi calmly replied, “We’re just classmates.”

After she said this, she noticed that Qin Li and He Nianyao’s gazes shifted upward, looking behind her with a guilty and awkward expression.

Wen Xiangyi turned around to see Song Cheng standing not far away, holding a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, her expression icy cold.

“…”

The steam rising from the soup perfectly obscured the deep gloom in Song Cheng’s eyes.

In that brief moment, Song Cheng thought back to the night before her rebirth. In a bar, chatting with Zhou Ying, Wen Xiangyi overheard some things, just like how Song Cheng was overhearing things now.

Back then, Song Cheng silently criticized Wen Xiangyi for being sneaky, but now she understood. Sometimes, hurtful words just force their way into your ears, even when you don’t want to hear them!

Being caught gossiping and backbiting by the person in question, Qin Li felt her face burn with embarrassment. He Nianyao, on the other hand, managed to maintain her composure and stammered a greeting, “Hi, Song Cheng, do you want to eat with us?”

She’s just an ordinary classmate, what right does she have to eat with Wen Xiangyi?

No, thank you.

That’s what Song Cheng thought, but her feet didn’t move. She glanced at Wen Xiangyi, who said nothing, then glanced again, but Wen Xiangyi still said nothing, even pulling out her phone.

Wen Xiangyi didn’t feel guilty at all, nor did she seem embarrassed. She wasn’t even trying to make amends!

Song Cheng felt deeply hurt and firmly declined, “No, thanks.”

She turned on her heel and left.

Even if Wen Xiangyi called her back, she wouldn’t turn around.

From behind, Wen Xiangyi’s soft, puzzled voice called out, “I got a text from an unknown number saying they bought me milk tea. Do any of you know who it might be?”

She had already made up her mind, so even if—

Wait, what?

Song Cheng immediately turned around, walked back, and sat down in the empty seat next to Wen Xiangyi, slamming her bowl of tomato and egg noodles onto the table. She looked serious:

“Who’s sending you harassing messages?”

Who’s the clueless guy?

Song Cheng immediately leaned in to look at Wen Xiangyi’s phone screen.

The warm body suddenly leaned in front of her, catching Wen Xiangyi off guard. She pursed her lips to suppress the urge to pull away.

Song Cheng’s head even blocked Wen Xiangyi’s view, her fuzzy hair swaying under her eyes, the lemony scent of shampoo wafting in—impossible to ignore, disturbing her thoughts.

Doesn’t Song Cheng understand that they’re just ordinary classmates? Doesn’t she know anything about personal space?

If Wen Xiangyi weren’t trying to avoid contact with her, she might have shoved her away herself.

Her voice turned cold, “You’re too close.”

The distance in her tone was painfully clear, enough to make any teenage girl back off in embarrassment.

But Song Cheng?

Just a moment ago, she had stormed off at the phrase “just classmates,” but now she was completely oblivious to the hint. She replied without even looking back, “I’m checking the number.”

She spoke so naturally, as if Wen Xiangyi was the one who didn’t get it.

Across the table, He Nianyao and Qin Li were stunned by this scene, blinking in confusion.

Before Wen Xiangyi could lose her patience, Song Cheng finally sat back.

She had already memorized the number.

Qin Li and He Nianyao snapped out of their daze and also checked the text message, each pulling out their phones to help “solve the mystery.”

Qin Li came up empty-handed, but He Nianyao, who had a wide network, quickly found out: “It’s from Class Six…”

Song Cheng interrupted, “Lin Hang?”

“How did you know?”

Song Cheng snorted inwardly.

She knew Lin Hang wouldn’t give up easily.

Song Cheng glanced at Wen Xiangyi and suddenly realized that, to Wen Xiangyi, she was now no different from Lin Hang—just an ordinary classmate.

Song Cheng blinked in confusion.

But her frustration only lasted two seconds before she perked up again.

No, it’s completely different.

Lin Hang had ulterior motives and wanted to date Wen Xiangyi, but Song Cheng didn’t.

They were fundamentally different. If Wen Xiangyi had even a bit of sense, she’d realize that. If she didn’t, then she was just being dense!

Thinking this made Song Cheng feel much better.

Seeing that Wen Xiangyi and the others were almost done eating, Song Cheng didn’t dawdle any longer. She quickly finished her noodles in a few big gulps and calmly stood up to leave with them.

On the way back to class, Song Cheng casually walked over to Wen Xiangyi’s side, hands in her pockets.

Originally, Wen Xiangyi, Qin Li, and He Nianyao were walking side by side, but with the addition of Song Cheng, it became uncomfortable for the four of them to walk in a row. So they split into pairs: Qin Li and He Nianyao in front, with Wen Xiangyi and Song Cheng following behind.

Everyone except for the overly at-ease Song Cheng found this arrangement a bit awkward, so they didn’t talk much as they walked to the classroom in a strange atmosphere.

Before they even entered the classroom, Song Cheng spotted the three cups of milk tea on Wen Xiangyi’s desk through the window. She bit down lightly on her molars.

Lin Hang had done his homework, buying enough milk tea not only for Wen Xiangyi but also for her friends.

Song Cheng crossed her arms, determined to see how Wen Xiangyi would handle the milk tea.

They returned neither too early nor too late, with over ten minutes left before the evening self-study session began. Some students were already in the classroom, quietly starting their self-study. As they walked in, their footsteps and conversations naturally softened.

Wen Xiangyi looked down at the milk tea. Underneath one of the cups was a note, which she picked up and glanced at briefly before putting it back down. Suddenly, a furry head leaned in close from behind her shoulder.

Song Cheng whispered lightly, “Not as pretty as my handwriting.”

The breath that accompanied her words brushed against Wen Xiangyi’s ear, warmer than the surrounding air, and felt as if it lingered, impossible to brush off. Wen Xiangyi’s eyelashes trembled violently.

Ignoring Song Cheng, she continued to deal with the miscellaneous tasks in front of her.

Wen Xiangyi had dealt with too many acts of goodwill on campus. To her, carelessly placing something in her space represented a kind of abruptness and offense, and it didn’t earn any favor from her.

However, returning something as trivial as milk tea wouldn’t be appropriate either, so she usually gave it to her friends. She handed one cup to Qin Li and another to He Nianyao.

The girl who usually sat in front of her hadn’t returned to the classroom yet, so the last cup didn’t have a recipient and was temporarily left on her desk.

After dealing with the milk tea, Wen Xiangyi sat down. When she looked up, she noticed Song Cheng still standing nearby, staring at the milk tea.

Wen Xiangyi raised an eyebrow. “Do you want some?”

“?”

Song Cheng nearly jumped.

Who wanted Lin Hang’s milk tea?

She always thought Wen Xiangyi was a bit off!

Song Cheng frowned, “I don’t.”

She pointed at the milk tea. “Aren’t you giving it away? You’re not planning to keep it for yourself, are you?”

Of course, Wen Xiangyi wouldn’t drink it.

But she didn’t see any need to tell Song Cheng her plans.

“I’ll keep it for now.”

Wen Xiangyi’s indifference was obvious, especially to someone who knew her as well as Song Cheng. She was clearly just trying to brush her off with a few words!

Seeing that Song Cheng hadn’t left yet, Wen Xiangyi smiled, “Evening study is about to start.”

The implication was clear: hurry up and go.

Song Cheng was upset and quickly turned to leave.

Two minutes later, she picked up her books and sat in an empty seat near the front.

She wanted to see if Wen Xiangyi would drink that milk tea.

Just let her try taking one sip.

While Song Cheng wrote her assignments, she kept a sharp eye out.

When the biology teacher came in to review some worksheets, they were pleased to see Song Cheng sitting closer to the front, nearer to the teacher’s desk and blackboard.

Word had it that Song Cheng had started taking her studies seriously, and yes, her attitude had clearly changed a lot.

The teacher was so touched that they kept glancing at Song Cheng to see if she was listening and understanding the material.

Song Cheng had never felt such close attention from a teacher before.

In the past, she sat in the far corner of the classroom. Even though the bright light shone on her like everyone else, it felt like she was shrouded in darkness. When the teacher’s gaze swept across the room, it never lingered on her because she was an athlete.

Her primary focus was sports training, and the teachers all knew that.

Sitting in the back of the class, she often couldn’t see the distant podium clearly, and the teachers rarely noticed the silent, struggling student in the corner.

Just like the English dictation in class the other day, in the past, Song Cheng would never have been called up to participate. Teachers tended to overlook athletes when focusing on academics—

That said, Song Cheng didn’t want to go through the pressure of being called up for dictation again. It was nerve-wracking, especially with Wen Xiangyi watching.

Now, with the biology teacher’s unprecedented enthusiasm, Song Cheng had to focus all her mental energy on keeping up.

Once she committed to something, Song Cheng did it wholeheartedly. As she threw herself into her work, time flew by, and before she knew it, the bell rang, and the biology teacher leisurely left the classroom.

Two minutes later, Song Cheng finally stopped writing and took a deep breath, full of the fragrance of knowledge, and lifted her head.

…Did she forget something?

The milk tea!

Song Cheng immediately looked to the front.

Wen Xiangyi and Qin Li’s seats were empty; the two had gone out at some point.

The difference was, Qin Li’s desk had a half-finished cup of milk tea on it, but Wen Xiangyi’s desk was empty. There was nothing at all.

—Wen Xiangyi not only drank it, but she finished it already?

Song Cheng strode over to Wen Xiangyi’s desk, looking disbelievingly at the desk compartment, but there was no milk tea there either.

She felt a bit lost, her heart empty.

What could she say?

She had made a judgment based on her experience of being around Wen Xiangyi, but that was a mistake.

The Wen Xiangyi of Class 5, Grade 2 at Third High was not the same as the elite Wen Xiangyi she was familiar with—

So it turns out Wen Xiangyi of Class 5 at Third High has quite a sweet tooth.

Sigh, or maybe not. Most likely, it’s because the weather has cooled down, and the evenings are chilly.

Wen Xiangyi is so afraid of the cold that the milk tea must have warmed her up.

Yeah, she probably drank it because she was cold.

Song Cheng thought absentmindedly as she slowly walked out, almost bumping into a girl entering the classroom.

The girl had a round face and was noisily sucking on the milk tea.

Song Cheng recognized her; she sat right behind Wen Xiangyi, so every time she looked forward, she would see her.

Huh?

Song Cheng stared at the familiar milk tea packaging and hesitated before asking, “Did you buy that milk tea?”

The girl, chewing on a tapioca pearl, replied, “This? Wen Xiangyi gave it to me.”

Wen Xiangyi gave it to her.

So it was for the person behind her.

She knew it. Wen Xiangyi wouldn’t drink something questionable from outside.

Song Cheng was happy.

So happy that her face showed it, her lips curving slightly, and her eyes regaining their sparkle.

The second session of evening self-study was about to start.

Wen Xiangyi and Qin Li returned to the classroom just as the bell rang.

The temperature difference between morning and evening in November was significant, and after walking around outside, they were both feeling cold.

Qin Li took a sip of her milk tea, then put it down in disappointment, unwilling to drink any more.

“It’s not warm anymore.”

Wen Xiangyi said, “We’ll buy hot drinks after class.”

Qin Li sighed, “That’s the only option.”

Wen Xiangyi gently rubbed her hands together.

Her body temperature was usually on the cooler side, and she especially couldn’t stand the fall and winter. The classroom wouldn’t have the heating on until winter, so for now, she just had to tough it out.

She tried to ignore the coldness on her body, especially in her hands, and focused on her studies, reaching into her desk for her study materials.

Her icy hand brushed against a warm, round object inside the desk.

The temperature was just right—not hot enough to burn but warm enough to make her reluctant to let go. The moment she touched it, she was reminded of the body heat of Song Cheng, who had kept invading her personal space today.

But the thought was fleeting, and she quickly dismissed the random association.

Leaning back slightly, Wen Xiangyi looked down at her desk compartment.

A bottle of warm milk was quietly lying inside.

It was her favorite brand.