Xu Xing looked up in surprise and asked, “You… can see the red string now?”

Lu Che let out a small “ah” and held the heart-to-heart red string connecting them. Curious, he asked, “So this is the red string you were talking about?”

Lu Che had previously seen two red strings floating around Xu Xing, but at that time, everything was chaotic, and he hadn’t had time to focus on them. Now, seeing the red string linking the two of them felt magical.

Xu Xing nodded. “Yes.”

Then, he watched as Lu Che grabbed the string connected to his heart and started pulling it out.

Startled, Xu Xing swore, stopping him immediately: “What the hell are you doing?! Got a problem with me or something?”

Lu Che gave the string a small tug, which pulled him slightly forward. Looking innocent, he replied, “I just wanted to prove to you that even without this thing, I’d still love you.”

“…”

Xu Xing, feeling touched but wary, said, “I believe you. You don’t have to prove it. Just… don’t touch it again; it hurts.”

Confused, Lu Che blinked and said, “It doesn’t hurt at all. I don’t feel a thing. Try it?”

Suspicious, Xu Xing grabbed the red string and gently pulled it. Although he couldn’t remove it, the pull made him lean forward.

And then—

Caught off guard, Xu Xing was pulled forward into Lu Che’s embrace.

With the red string in his hand, Lu Che used its pull to draw Xu Xing closer, wrapping his arms around him.

“…”

Xu Xing froze for a moment, then raised his hand to pat Lu Che’s back.

Lu Che nuzzled against Xu Xing, delighted with his new “skill,” and said with satisfaction, “This thing is actually pretty fun. It means our hearts are connected, right? Like we’re meant for each other?”

Xu Xing shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure. The red string didn’t used to connect like this. It only changed to heart-to-heart recently, probably because we’ve finally opened up to each other.”

Lu Che tilted his head with a grin and asked, “How was it connected before?”

Xu Xing: “…”

Xu Xing chose not to answer.

Noticing Xu Xing’s subtle expression, Lu Che thought back to a certain night of self-study at the start of the term when Xu Xing had stealthily reached toward his lower body…

Squinting mischievously, Lu Che asked, “Was the red string attached… down there? And the other end was also… down there?”

He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Clearly, this “down there” was not the other “down there.”

“…”

Xu Xing shot up, changing the subject entirely: “Let’s go back. You should get that hand injury taken care of.”

Trying to hold back his laughter, Lu Che only became more curious. Although he was shocked by the altered memories he had uncovered, he still remembered the two red strings connected to Xu Xing—one attached to his left hand, the other under him.

Even though he could guess the truth, Xu Xing refused to admit it.

Xu Xing urged impatiently, “Let’s go, hurry up.”

Turning to leave, Xu Xing was pulled back again as Lu Che remained seated, tugging on the string so that Xu Xing fell right into his lap.

Xu Xing: “…”

Is that really how you’re supposed to use the red string?!

With a shameless smile, Lu Che hugged Xu Xing tightly, pressing his face against Xu Xing’s back. He playfully whined, “Okay, I won’t ask anymore. Let’s just stay here a little longer. It’s just a small scratch, not a big deal~”

With his arms wrapped around Xu Xing’s waist, his broad chest pressed against Xu Xing’s back, radiating warmth.

Xu Xing couldn’t resist Lu Che’s pleading and rolled his eyes, but he still allowed Lu Che to hold him.

Until—Lu Che’s legs shifted slightly.

The sweet and tender atmosphere was instantly shattered.

Xu Xing, straddling Lu Che’s lap, felt himself bounce as Lu Che shifted his legs. In this position, it was easy to get the wrong idea, and Lu Che, caught off guard, moved again, causing Xu Xing to bounce.

“…”

Xu Xing immediately pried himself out of Lu Che’s arms, stood up, and gave him a light kick before walking off without looking back.

Lu Che chuckled, quickly picking up his jacket and following after Xu Xing to return to campus.

—

Class was over, and the soft chime of the dismissal bell echoed across the school grounds.

The two of them went back to the dorm, where Lu Che tended to his wound and changed into fresh clothes before finding Xu Xing again.

When Xu Xing opened the door to the dorm, Lu Che solemnly handed him a meal card. Xu Xing’s gaze flicked to the card between Lu Che’s fingers and then to his face.

With a bright smile, Lu Che said softly, “In school, I hand over my meal card. When we work, I’ll hand over my paycheck. Isn’t that obedient of me?”

Xu Xing took the card, responding, “Good.”

He patted Lu Che on the head, slipping the meal card into his pocket.

Even though Xu Xing’s response was casual, it made Lu Che smile like an idiot all the way to the cafeteria.

Now that they could both see the red strings, they noticed not only the heart-to-heart string between them but also red strings appearing on other people.

Curious, Lu Che observed the newly visible strings, bombarding Xu Xing with questions: “Why do I have a red string on my foot, and why do you only have one? Why do some people have red strings, and others don’t? Are all red strings from the heart? And what does it mean when there’s no end to a string?”

Xu Xing scooped a spoonful of rice and stuffed it into Lu Che’s mouth, saying, “Shut up.”

Lu Che obediently closed his mouth, chewing the rice Xu Xing had given him.

After a pause, Xu Xing began explaining:

A red string on your foot means someone has a crush on you; it’s like unwanted romantic attention.

I only have one string because I’m not as popular as you.

People without red strings haven’t met someone they like yet.

Red strings usually come from the heart, though there are exceptions.

If you can only see the beginning of a string and not the end, it’s because the other person is too far away.

“As for what the red string means, I’m not entirely sure…”

Xu Xing originally thought that the red strings represented a person’s romantic state, but even after Lu Che and Fu Dai’s strings were severed, their feelings remained unchanged.

Xu Xing later guessed that the red strings symbolized the bond between two people—red strings tied from heart to heart meant destiny, while those bound to hands or feet represented entanglements doomed to be fruitless.

After comparing these possibilities, Xu Xing began to favor the latter explanation. However, when the heart-to-heart string between Fu Dai and Xiong Han and Wang Zicong and his girlfriend was severed, he doubted this interpretation—could fate be so easily broken?

Luckily, Lu Che’s curiosity wasn’t too intense. He only remembered two things: “Red strings on the feet mean someone likes you,” and “My popularity isn’t as high as yours.”

Wanting to show his unwavering commitment to Xu Xing, Lu Che bent down, trying to pull away the string wrapped around his own foot. Yet he couldn’t grab it. Confused, he looked up at Xu Xing and asked, “Why can’t I touch other people’s red strings?”

Xu Xing shrugged, saying, “We can’t just interfere with other people’s feelings.”

Lu Che chuckled. “You understand that but still undid my red string?”

Xu Xing lowered his gaze and said, “Because you’re not ‘other people.’”

This answer left Lu Che speechless but overjoyed.

After dinner, they returned to the classroom. Xu Xing casually glanced around at the state of everyone’s red strings—it looked mostly the same as it had two weeks prior.

The only change was with Wang Zicong and Xiong Huan: after cutting their strings, the ones at their hearts hadn’t disappeared but dragged on the ground.

Not thinking much of it, Xu Xing opened the class logbook and jotted down both his and Lu Che’s names under “Special Circumstances.” He had no regrets about skipping class, knowing he couldn’t stand still waiting for Lu Che to come to him.

Love is mutual—it can’t rely solely on Lu Che to take the initiative.

Behind him, he heard Lu Che moving his desk and chair back to his spot. Lu Che saw Xu Xing watching him and laughed. “Class President, are you glad I’m back?”

Xu Xing smiled back, “Glad to have you back.”

Glad to have you back in my life, to walk alongside me, so my future includes you.

Xu Xing was grateful for this lesson, learned from a brief scare.

---

During night study, the homeroom teacher came by and noticed Xu Xing with Lu Che back behind him. Her expression was a bit mixed—two weeks ago, Lu Che had switched seats, explaining to her, “I wasn’t happy sitting there.”

Ke Di added, “That seat faces the door and is too drafty—so cold that all Che Ge could focus on was closing the door, which really affected his studying.”

The teacher hadn’t asked any more questions after that.

So, Lu Che’s return this time was because the weather warmed up?

The teacher had already come up with a reason for him 🙂

She called them into the hallway, crossing her arms. “Class President, did you enjoy skipping class this afternoon?”

Xu Xing smiled sheepishly. “Not at all. I’ll definitely reflect on my actions.”

In reality, if given another chance, he knew he’d still skip.

Turning to Lu Che, she asked, “Class Rep, have you finally had enough fun and come back to focus?”

Lu Che smiled shamelessly. “Class President skipped a class just to bring me back. I’m not only focused, but I’m also very moved. Teacher, you should give the Class President a gold star~”

The teacher sighed but didn’t reprimand them further and quickly let them go back to night study.

---

The red line is the biggest hero of this story but also the biggest scapegoat√

Why did someone complain in the last chapter that the protagonist, as just a high school student, had already been in bed with someone?? The author, Xue Gong Risheng, is completely baffled, saying, “Well, in that case… it seems the ‘scene’ can just be skipped, haha [fist]” ← [The main point here is… when did they get into bed together, and why didn’t the author know about it?!! [covering face]]