9

After starting senior year, Su Bai took the initiative to go to Lin Xiao’s house every day after school to help him with homework and explain problems.

Lin Xiao’s parents had long known that their son had a friend named Su Bai, who was not only smart but also well-behaved. Knowing that their son and Su Bai were good friends, the couple was very pleased. They treated Su Bai with the utmost politeness, running around to peel fruits and bring snacks.

Lin Mother seized the opportunity to lecture her son: “You should learn from Su Bai, stop playing all the time.”

Fearing she would go on forever, Lin Xiao hurriedly replied, “Okay, okay.”

Lin Mother smiled as she handed Su Bai a peeled apple: “Here, Su Bai, have some apple.”

Lin Xiao laughed: “Mom, look at you. You don’t even treat your own son like this.”

Lin Mother gave her son a look, handed him an unpeeled apple and a knife, then went to the kitchen.

Lin Xiao: …

Su Bai offered Lin Xiao the apple he hadn’t eaten yet: “You eat this one, I’ll peel mine.”

Lin Xiao mumbled quickly: “She cares more about her daughter-in-law than her son.”

Su Bai blinked awkwardly: “What?”

Lin Xiao gave him a sideways glance: “Didn’t hear clearly?”

Su Bai answered honestly: “Mm, your words were unclear.”

Lin Xiao chuckled twice and said clearly: “I said, you eat yours, I’ll peel mine.”

Su Bai tilted his head, seriously: “No, that doesn’t sound like what you said earlier. Something about a suit…”

Lin Xiao snorted coldly: “It’s the same thing I said before. Are your ears not working properly?”

Su Bai didn’t respond and quietly sat on the couch, taking small bites of the apple.

After finishing the fruit, the two of them went into the study to continue their studies.

The table was covered with various workbooks, reference books, and two identical enamel cups, both engraved with “Serve the People” and two identical portraits of the great leader, firmly gazing ahead.

Lin Xiao did some problems then lifted his eyes to look at the two enamel cups. After pondering for a while, he poked Su Bai: “Hey, look.”

Su Bai pushed his glasses: “What’s up?”

Lin Xiao grinned mischievously: “These two cups, guess a riddle with two characters.”

Su Bai, confident: “Revolution.”

Lin Xiao was taken aback: “No, it’s to describe a relationship between two people.”

Su Bai answered fluently: “Comrades in arms.”

Lin Xiao’s face immediately dropped in disappointment. “It’s a couple! A couple! A couple’s cup!”

Su Bai smiled, a bit smug.“How’s that? I guessed right, didn’t I?”

Lin Xiao grabbed his hair in frustration.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right!”

“Damn retard!”

10

With Su Bai’s help, Lin Xiao’s grades improved rapidly. He quickly rose from the middle-lower ranks of the class to the middle-upper ranks, and eventually, he started putting in more effort, aiming to surpass Su Bai.

Lin Xiao proudly waved his newly received report card at Su Bai: “Look at this, how about it?”

Su Bai looked pleased and began his usual lecture mode: “Good, very good. I always said your mind is quite sharp, you just weren’t willing to put in the effort. Look, once you start trying, haven’t you clearly improved?”

For once, Lin Xiao didn’t interrupt Su Bai’s chatter. He listened patiently, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips: “If I keep working hard, do you think I could surpass you?”

Su Bai thought for a moment with a serious expression, then shook his head: “You don’t need to set your sights too high. Even if you don’t surpass me, with your current progress, getting into a good university shouldn’t be a problem.”

Lin Xiao pressed his lips together, his eyes shining brightly. He didn’t refute the idea of “getting into a university,” but asked instead: “Then, let’s make a bet. What will you do if I surpass you?”

Su Bai adjusted his glasses and replied calmly: “I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Lin Xiao clicked his tongue and said, “Treating you to a meal is too cheap. Instead, if I surpass you, I want to ask you to do something, and you can’t back out.”

Su Bai nodded, with a slightly sarcastic tone: “Sure, but it’s really difficult. Even if you don’t surpass me, don’t be discouraged.”

Lin Xiao angrily raised his hand and messed up Su Bai’s hair, gritting his teeth as he said: “Just wait for it!”

“Damn, this little retard!”

11

Poor Lin Xiao worked hard for this goal for over half a year. However, no matter how much he stayed up late and worked himself to exhaustion, Su Bai always stayed firmly ahead. The latest time, Lin Xiao only trailed by ten points.

Furious, Lin Xiao ran to the rooftop with his report card, stepped onto the edge of the roof, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted toward the playground: “Aaaahhh! Damn it! Can’t you just give me ten more points?!”

As soon as his voice fell, Lin Xiao was suddenly hugged from behind.

The strength in those arms was firm and unyielding. Through the school uniform, you could feel the other person’s heartbeat pounding like a drum and their body trembling.

Lin Xiao froze, his mind going blank for a few seconds. Then, his heart uncontrollably began to race: “Su… Su Bai?”

Actually, he didn’t even need to ask, because the air was filled with Su Bai’s scent—the lemon shampoo scent Lin Xiao had been smelling all summer.

Su Bai used all his strength to drag Lin Xiao back, his voice muffled as it came from behind: “It’s just ten points. Don’t be like this.”

Lin Xiao, so nervous his voice was shaking, asked: “What do you mean, ‘just ten points’? Why are you suddenly hugging me?”

Su Bai tightly held onto Lin Xiao, dragging him a few meters back before finally letting go: “You were standing on the edge of the rooftop, I thought you were going to… jump.”

Lin Xiao, still reeling from the shock, “Huh???”

Su Bai, still shaken, patted his chest: “A few days ago, I read in the newspaper about a senior from the neighboring school. He tried to take his own life because he didn’t do well in an exam. Fortunately, they found him in time and he survived. You can’t do that!”

Lin Xiao was so angry he was breathing heavily, unable to speak: “I fucking… you fucking… you just hugged me because you thought I was going to jump?!”

Su Bai’s expression was serious: “Yeah, even if you weren’t planning to jump, you shouldn’t have stood so close to the edge. It’s dangerous—what if you slipped or something.”

Lin Xiao was so angry he hopped up and down like a madman, then turned and ran off.

“Fuck you! Retard!!!”