Chapter 1: Just not in the bathroom

“Can’t hold it anymore?” The seemingly handsome and cheerful young man smiled slightly, using his height advantage to look down at him. His lowered voice carried a hint of provocation, “You know, a bet is a bet. If you call me something nice, I’ll leave… Oh, of course, you can also show me instead; I don’t mind.”

In the cramped bathroom stall, Chen Ruxiu was about to explode.

Mondays with an 8 a.m. class were already annoying, and to make matters worse, he woke up too late to use the restroom. By the time the break after the second class arrived, his bladder was nearly at its limit.

Who would have thought that scoundrel Fang Yiran would take advantage of the situation, cornering him in the restroom to settle things?

Chen Ruxiu, who was usually not very talkative, could only respond with a cold tone: “The stalls in the school restroom are so small, and it smells. Aren’t you bothered by how dirty it is?”

Not only did Fang Yiran not back off, but he even took the opportunity to touch Chen Ruxiu’s face. “Not bothered at all. How could I ever be disgusted by you? After all, you’re the renowned ‘unattainable flower’ of our Physics Department, classmate Chen. It’s my honor to witness you unzipping your pants in person.”

Chen Ruxiu was furious: “…You! Scoundrel! Shameless!”

“Oh? Calling me names like this, are you trying to renege on the deal?” Fang Yiran raised his eyebrow and slowly pulled out a voice recorder from who knows where. “Who was it that made a bet with me, saying that the one with the lower grades would have to agree to a condition from the one with higher grades? It’s been a week since the results came out, and you’ve been avoiding me every day. If I hadn’t caught you in the restroom today, who knows how long you would have kept avoiding me?”

He pressed the play button on the recorder, and Chen Ruxiu heard the conversation between him and Fang Yiran from the end of the last semester.

—

That day, it was Fang Yiran who provoked first: “Top Student Chen, what’s the matter? Do you think you can’t beat me, so you don’t dare to agree?”

“There’s no need.” Chen Ruxiu’s tone back then was cold and arrogant, still unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

Before this, Fang Yiran was merely a name on the report card, someone competing with him for the top spot in the grade. Occasionally, Chen Ruxiu would hear snippets about Fang Yiran’s vibrant campus life, but they had never once had a formal conversation, let alone truly gotten to know each other.

To Chen Ruxiu, someone he didn’t know was merely an irrelevant stranger. At that time, he walked past Fang Yiran without hesitation, but the person behind him bared his teeth in a grin and suddenly continued speaking.

“Chen Ruxiu, you’re short on money, right? That’s why you skipped self-study sessions to work part-time.” Fang Yiran spoke in a voice that wasn’t too loud, yet not too soft either. “But I remember, if you’re reported for skipping class without a valid reason, your eligibility for the scholarship could be revoked.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ruxiu immediately became alert. He instinctively looked around and, seeing that no one else had overheard their conversation, returned with a serious expression on his face.

“What do you want? Are you trying to meddle in my business?” Chen Ruxiu, just two centimeters shorter than Fang Yiran, wasn’t actually lacking in presence. Especially with his perpetually expressionless face, he gave off the impression of a cold, venomous snake.

But Fang Yiran wasn’t intimidated. He continued to smile carelessly, “Oh, nothing much. I just want to make a bet with you.”

Chen Ruxiu lowered his gaze and spat out a single word: “Speak.”

“Since starting university, there have been four final exams. I’ve been the top in our grade twice, and so have you. Now, it’s almost time for another one.” Fang Yiran looked at him provocatively. “Do you dare to bet on who will be the top this time?”

“You’re really boring,” Chen Ruxiu’s expression remained unchanged, and his tone was far from friendly.

But Fang Yiran wasn’t bothered. “Skipping class once means writing a self-criticism and getting a demerit; skipping twice means losing eligibility for awards and recognitions. Top Student Chen, do you really dislike self-study sessions that much? Or are you not at all afraid of the teachers? Do the school rules mean nothing to you?”

“…If even living is a struggle, how could I care about anything else.” When Chen Ruxiu said this, his voice was so quiet that it was barely audible. He let out a sarcastic laugh, then continued in his usual volume, “Don’t put labels on me. It’s just a bet, right? I admit defeat. I can’t beat you in the exams, so I declare you the winner. Now, can I leave?”

Fang Yiran thought he might have misheard the first part. When he looked again at the man in front of him, who still hadn’t lifted his gaze, he saw the same expressionless, Buddha-like face, so detached that he seemed almost like a jade figurine.

“Hold on, since it’s a bet, there should naturally be stakes. The loser has to agree to one condition from the winner.” Fang Yiran chuckled, tightly grasping Chen Ruxiu’s weak spot. “This year, there’s only one scholarship slot. I never bothered applying before, wanting to leave it for someone who needs it more. The only two of us who qualify are you and me. But you know, I’m popular. If it comes down to a vote, even if your grades are higher than mine, it won’t matter.”

This time, Chen Ruxiu was silent for quite a while.

To be precise, he was nearly grinding his molars to dust.

Fang Yiran had a real knack for persuasion: “So, what do you say? Still giving up? Or, you could beat me in the exams and use that condition to make me back off, and the scholarship will still be yours.”

“And if you beat me, what do you want?” Chen Ruxiu asked bluntly.

“What could I possibly want? It’s just a bet for fun; I won’t ask for anything excessive.” Fang Yiran concluded casually, “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know when the time comes.”

Chen Ruxiu had no choice but to agree.

“Fine.” He appeared very calm on the surface.

But in truth, from that day on, Fang Yiran had already made his way onto the blacklist in Chen Ruxiu’s mind, the kind of list where he wished he could crush him to dust.

—

In the end-of-semester exams that were the basis of their bet, Fang Yiran’s average score was 0.1 points higher than Chen Ruxiu’s.

That 0.1-point difference came from the practical class. Chen Ruxiu, who disliked drawing attention to himself, kept a low profile, relying solely on assignments and exam performance for his grades. Fang Yiran, on the other hand, was sociable and well-liked, frequently making a good impression in front of the teachers, earning him the highest participation score in the entire grade.

But who could have imagined that such a handsome and cheerful star student would end up cornering someone in a restroom stall, forcing them to submit?

After hearing the entire recording, Chen Ruxiu pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, sweeping it around forcefully.

“Your tactics are quite despicable,” he remarked. “Are you really determined to mess with me?”

“How can you call it ‘messing with you’? I haven’t even mentioned my condition yet.” Fang Yiran flashed a bright smile, as pure and flawless as a white lotus. “It’s you who’s been avoiding me, trying to shirk your responsibility. It really hurts my feelings, you know.”

Chen Ruxiu made another mental note against Fang Yiran: You know very well how this bet came about.

“There are only five minutes left until class starts, yet you’re still wasting time with me in the bathroom. It seems like you’re not in much of a hurry either.” Fang Yiran glanced at the Rolex on his wrist, worth millions, and spoke lightly, “Can’t go, huh? Need me to whistle for you? Or are you nervous? Maybe it would help if I held it for you?”

Of course, Chen Ruxiu was in a hurry; his face was already a bit flushed, and he held back, frowning slightly, forced to make a temporary decision.

“We can talk about the condition…” Faced with this smiling tiger, he ultimately gave in. “Just not in the bathroom.”