Chapter 39

The classmates were astonished by Ji Wenchen’s significant progress. Then, they couldn’t help but sigh with emotion:

Qin Xiaoxiao is truly amazing—getting the school bully to focus on studying, organizing his knowledge, and explaining problems, which drastically improved his grades.

The classmates, especially the male students, were particularly eager to have Qin Xiaoxiao as their deskmate.

Of course, they only dared to think about it; none of them had the courage to compete with the school bully for a deskmate.

Unaware that the classmates attributed Ji Wenchen’s improved grades to herself, Qin Xiaoxiao glanced at her deskmate, who had been specifically praised by the homeroom teacher.

He propped his elbow on the desk, resting his cheek in his hand, maintaining that same lazy and indifferent demeanor.

After noticing her gaze, Ji Wenchen lifted the corner of his eye slightly and said in a soft, breathy voice, “Thanks to your tutoring.” His tone was low, carrying a lazy yet amused smile.

Qin Xiaoxiao shook her head slightly. The main reason wasn’t her tutoring but the fact that he already had a solid foundation of knowledge. Combined with his sharp mind, he grasped concepts as soon as she explained them.

Sometimes, she felt that for the questions he asked, he actually already had some ideas of his own…

Guo Hairuo handed out the physics test papers and then spent about ten minutes discussing the results of the monthly exam. Finally, she encouraged everyone: “Learning is like sailing against the current; if you don’t advance, you’ll fall behind. Everyone must strive for progress and focus wholeheartedly on studying.”

After listening to her speech, most of the students felt at least a bit more motivated to improve their studies.

Looking around, most of the class was sitting noticeably more upright than usual.

“Oh, and Tao Lei,” Guo Hairuo said, shaking a thick stack of charts in her hand, “post these at the back of the classroom after class.”

Post them? The students were stunned. Was this month’s exam ranking sheet going to be put up for public display? Judging by how thick the stack was, it probably even included detailed rankings for individual subjects!

“No, please, teacher…”

“Don’t put them up…”

Some of the students wailed in despair.

Guo Hairuo looked down at the students with a “kind” expression. “Posting them will help you clearly understand where you stand, which will motivate you to study harder.”

The speechless students: … Fine, we give up.

***

As November arrived, the weather grew colder. The sweet fragrance of ripened fruit lingered in the crisp breeze.

Qin Xiaoxiao switched to wearing long pants and added a light jacket.

With the new content for the slowest-progressing subject finally completed, the final-year students officially entered the first round of review.

They were noticeably behind other high schools in Guangjian City.

Some subject teachers often complained during class about the slow progress of this year’s final-year students, urging them to make the most of their time to study.

That day, before evening self-study, Old Wu came to Class 8 for a routine inspection.

“With the first mock exam just around the corner, there’s very little time left for review. And some of you are still reading extracurricular books? You need to learn how to squeeze time out for yourselves,” Old Wu advised earnestly, hands clasped behind his back. “Time is like a sponge—if you squeeze it, you’ll find some. For example, when brushing your teeth in the morning, you can review classical Chinese; while waiting in line at the cafeteria, you can memorize ancient poems…”

Walking down the aisle where Qin Xiaoxiao sat, Old Wu suddenly paused mid-sentence. “Why is there still a student not in the classroom? Qin Xiaoxiao, your deskmate is… Ji Wenchen?”

“Yes,” Qin Xiaoxiao instinctively glanced at the empty seat beside her.

Old Wu’s graying eyebrows furrowed together. Ji Wenchen, the student who had been helping him maintain discipline just a few days ago and seemed to have improved his behavior, was now… what had happened?

“Why isn’t he here for self-study?” Although Ji Wenchen had a history of skipping class, Old Wu was reluctant to immediately jump to conclusions about him.

Qin Xiaoxiao shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

When she went to the office to hand in her physics homework, Guo Hairuo noticed the list of missing assignments and also asked Qin Xiaoxiao, “Did Ji Wenchen skip evening self-study again today?”

Qin Xiaoxiao silently repeated the word “again” in her mind, staring at the ground. “Yes.”

From Tuesday to today, Ji Wenchen had missed three consecutive evening self-study sessions. He still came to the classroom during the day to attend lessons, but she could clearly sense that he was colder and more withdrawn than usual.

During these three days, they hadn’t exchanged a single word—unlike before, when most of their interactions were initiated by Ji Wenchen asking her questions or requesting explanations of knowledge points.

“Does he seem off during the day when he comes to class? As his deskmate, I hope you can pay a little attention to his mood. Tomorrow… try asking him if something’s been bothering him recently,” Guo Hairuo said.

“Alright.”

Guo Hairuo seemed like she wanted to say more, but at that moment, Dong Yunfang entered the office.

“Teacher, here’s the class fund.” Dong Yunfang handed a stack of cash to Guo Hairuo. “It totals 2,950 yuan.”

Guo Hairuo counted the money in front of her. “Yes, that’s the correct amount.”

“Teacher, there’s one more thing,” Dong Yunfang said.

Qin Xiaoxiao softly interjected, “Teacher, I’ll head out now.”

After receiving Guo Hairuo’s nod of approval, Qin Xiaoxiao left the office.

From the corridor, a glimpse of the night sky could be seen. Cold constellations slowly emerged from the dark blue clouds, shining silently and steadfastly.

Qin Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes slightly and walked toward the stairwell’s corner.

“Qin Xiaoxiao—” It was Dong Yunfang, who had caught up from behind.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

The wind on the playground was faintly desolate, like a poet softly reciting verses.

They walked past the first half of the track.

Dong Yunfang finally spoke, “Something’s happened recently in Ji Wenchen’s family.”

Qin Xiaoxiao’s steps paused slightly, waiting for her to continue.

“Ji Wenchen’s father is getting remarried the day after tomorrow. Oh, his parents divorced when he was in fifth grade.”

“The person his father is marrying is Ji Wenchen’s aunt.”

“Ji Wenchen’s uncle passed away a year and a half ago.”

Qin Xiaoxiao had read in the original text that Ji Wenchen’s parents were divorced, but… his father was actually going to marry his younger brother’s widow?

This was a bit…

“Ji Wenchen’s grandfather is against it, but his father insists on going through with it. It’s angered his grandfather so much that he’s fallen ill twice. The incident in May left him hospitalized, and he hasn’t been discharged since.”

They had walked three-quarters of the track.

Qin Xiaoxiao felt a bit uneasy as she listened. “Why are you telling me this?”

She couldn’t help but feel curious about why Dong Yunfang had chosen to share this with her.

Dong Yunfang didn’t stop walking, as if she hadn’t heard Qin Xiaoxiao’s question, and continued talking to herself: “Ji Wenchen and I were classmates in elementary and middle school. My dad works at his family’s company and interacts with Ji Wenchen’s father quite a bit. That’s why I know a bit about his family situation.”

And, she had once liked Ji Wenchen.

At the beginning of their first year in high school, when she found out that she and Ji Wenchen were attending the same school again, Dong Yunfang confidently approached him and confessed her feelings.

Ji Wenchen rejected her, saying that he didn’t like her type of girl.

So, what kind of girl did he like? In the second semester of their second year, Dong Yunfang accidentally saw Qin Xiaoxiao’s lit phone screen in the dormitory. That’s when she knew.

But it didn’t matter. Back when Ji Wenchen rejected her, she had decisively cut off the budding feelings before they had a chance to grow.

Dong Yunfang glanced sideways at Qin Xiaoxiao’s delicate and beautiful face under the moonlight, unable to suppress a silent, self-mocking smile.

Telling her all of this might have just been an impulsive decision.

Maybe it was because of what Miss Ruo said to her—hoping that she could help Ji Wenchen recover. After all, perhaps only she could do it.

“I guess Ji Wenchen hasn’t been in a good mood these past few days.”

Later that night, Qin Xiaoxiao lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It wasn’t until the dorm quieted down, replaced by a chorus of soft snores, that she gradually drifted off to sleep.

……

The next day, during morning reading and the first class, the seat to Qin Xiaoxiao’s left remained empty.

After returning from the morning exercises, she finally saw her deskmate.

Ji Wenchen was lying on the desk, his face turned toward Qin Xiaoxiao’s side. His long lashes cast faint shadows under his eyes.

Standing still for two seconds, Qin Xiaoxiao sat down.

She noticed that the shadows under his eyes weren’t just from his lashes but also faint traces of exhaustion from lack of sleep.

“What is it?”

His naturally lined eyelids lifted, revealing eyes that showed no sign of drowsiness.

Qin Xiaoxiao’s expression remained calm, showing no guilt at being caught staring. “You skipped morning reading and the first class today.”

A brief silence.

Ji Wenchen’s lashes lowered slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to say ‘sorry’ to me,” Qin Xiaoxiao said softly, shaking her head. “You haven’t wronged me. I’m just following the homeroom teacher’s instructions and, out of concern for my deskmate, trying to remind and supervise you to follow the rules and study hard.”

Ji Wenchen suddenly looked up.

The girl in front of him had a calm expression, her gaze toward him serene and unruffled.

She still regarded him as just an ordinary classmate, didn’t she?

This realization left Ji Wenchen with a dull, uncomfortable tightness in his chest.

Qin Xiaoxiao met his deep, pool-like gaze, her hand at her side curling slightly. “When it comes to matters involving parents, if we as their children can’t intervene, we shouldn’t be too…” She paused, struggling to find the right word. “We shouldn’t let it affect us too much.”

“Are you concerned about me?” Ji Wenchen straightened up from the desk.

His first reaction wasn’t to wonder how she knew about the mess in his family but rather that her words seemed to suggest she cared about him.

“…No, I just don’t want a deskmate who disrupts my studies.”

Ji Wenchen stared at her intently, unwilling to let any subtle change in her expression escape. “Really? How does my not coming to class affect you?”

“If you don’t come to class, the teachers will ask me about it, and it wastes my time,” Qin Xiaoxiao replied, her tone as calm as ever.

However, Ji Wenchen noticed a slight, fleeting tremble of her thick lashes.

It felt as if a ray of sunlight had suddenly poured into his chest.

Dispelling the gloom that had lingered over him for days.

“Little liar.”

The words slipped softly from his lips, carrying a hint of playful delight and nonchalance.

His gentle voice wound its way into her ears, leaving a slight tingle in her eardrums. Qin Xiaoxiao instinctively turned her face slightly to the side.

Focus on the questions—yes, solving a few problems would fix this.

Qin Xiaoxiao pressed her lips together slightly and pulled out the English study paper from the front of the bookstand.

“Next class is Chinese,” Ji Wenchen reminded her.

Qin Xiaoxiao’s hand paused as she flipped open the study paper. “I just feel like doing English.”

A chuckle escaped his throat as Ji Wenchen propped his chin in his hand, watching her intently.

It felt like a thorn in her side—no, more like a thorn right next to her. Just as Qin Xiaoxiao was about to shoot him a cold glance, he spoke, “I don’t mind.”

Hmm? Qin Xiaoxiao quickly realized that Ji Wenchen was referring to her earlier advice about not letting his parents’ matters bother him.

“That’s good, then.”

In the original novel, there wasn’t much description of Ji Wenchen’s family situation, only a mention that his relationship with his father was as cold as ice. Father Ji, despite his domineering nature and his remarriage, still loved Ji Wenchen as his son and always expressed his care in his own way.

Qin Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but add, “Maybe your father’s actions are unreasonable in some ways, but after all, he’s still your father…”

“My grandfather is still in the hospital.”

“Older folks might get more upset about these things. As for your father’s matter… it’s already decided. You can only try to console your grandfather more,” Qin Xiaoxiao said gently. “Maybe your father also feels guilty about what happened with your grandfather.”

Ji Wenchen lowered his lashes, remaining silent.

“You can try communicating with your father in the future, calmly and patiently. Let him know how you feel… And there’s no need to let your frustration with him affect your studies or delay your own life.”

“…”

Qin Xiaoxiao felt like she might have been rambling a bit.

She wasn’t sure if he could take her words to heart.

Placing the English study paper back, she pulled out her Chinese practice book.

Just then, the bell for class rang.