Zhang Ruochuan hurried to find Xie Ci, just in time to hear Gu Yufeng asking him how he did on the exam.

Xie Ci set up his desk, looked up, and saw a group of people staring at him. He deliberately paused for two seconds before saying, “No matter if it’s right or wrong, at least I filled it out.”

The crowd of students: “……”

What a textbook answer from a poor student.

Zhang Ruochuan patted Xie Ci on the shoulder, comforting him, “Just do your best.”

Even though Xie Ci managed to solve a problem that even Fang Sizhe couldn’t, he still felt a bit worried. He didn’t dare to sound too confident, fearing that he might actually lose and make Xie Ci feel bad.

Jiang Chenyu and a few others also offered some words of comfort to Xie Ci before heading back to their seats to pack up and get ready to go home.

Gu Yufeng looked at Xie Ci, who was silently organizing his backpack, and couldn’t help but speak up, “It’s just a small test. Even if you messed it up, the sky won’t fall.”

Xie Ci replied, “Mm.”

Seeing Xie Ci’s gloomy demeanor, Gu Yufeng, who didn’t know how to comfort people, couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated. “You’re such a big guy, and you’re going to be defeated by this little thing? If you lose, you lose. You can always win back next time.”

Xie Ci paused slightly while grabbing his books and turned to look at him, “Didn’t you say that if I lost, you’d hang me on the wall?”

Gu Yufeng replied, “That was to motivate you.”

Xie Ci said, “I wasn’t motivated at all.”

Gu Yufeng: “……”

Could it be that he was putting too much pressure on him?

Even after leaving the classroom, Gu Yufeng kept reflecting on himself.

Xie Ci noticed the subtle changes in Gu Yufeng’s expression and, feeling sulky, quietly turned his head to look out into the hallway, afraid of laughing and being caught.

“If I lose, you should change seats,” Xie Ci said, his voice a bit heavy. “A student like me doesn’t deserve to be your deskmate.”

Gu Yufeng suddenly grabbed Xie Ci’s collar and pushed him against the wall, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize him. “You want to casually lose the bet and take the chance to get rid of me? You think you can just annoy me by bringing me into the wager? Nice calculation, Xie Team.”

Xie Ci replied, “I didn’t think that way.”

“No wonder you suddenly challenged me at a higher level. Were you waiting for this?” Gu Yufeng leaned in closer, almost brushing against Xie Ci’s nose, staring into his eyes. “I’m the kind of person who likes to stick to my guns and go all the way. Unless I give up myself, no external person or thing can affect me.”

Xie Ci: “……”

What a load of nonsense.

What’s this about sticking to your guns? Where did you learn those flirty techniques?

Xie Ci recalled the night he was dumped in his previous life, when Gu Yufeng had coldly delivered the breakup notice and left without hesitation. He was a bit curious, “What would make you give up?”

“I advise you to give up on that thought.”

Gu Yufeng leaned against the wall, raised his hand to caress Xie Ci’s face, his fingertips sliding gently down his jawline, brushing past his Adam’s apple, and leisurely fixing his disheveled collar. His tone was relaxed yet full of aggression. “If you lose this small test, I’ll climb into your bed every night and whisper formulas in your ear until you win.”

Xie Ci: “……”

What an unrestrained flirt.

The onlookers, including Zhang Ruochuan, felt their faces heat up from Gu Yufeng’s actions and awkwardly turned their gazes away.

It wasn’t even that outrageous of a move, but the atmosphere made it so embarrassing that they wished they could just sink into the ground.

As expected of Old Xie, he could keep a straight face through this.

When they turned their heads, they found that the hallway was filled with students eavesdropping, all craning their necks, looking like they were getting a real treat.

After school on Friday, the alumni group from the first high school was buzzing with excitement, and it didn’t take long for everyone to know that the school hunk, Xie Ci, had been “doubled” and was “wall slammed” by his beautiful deskmate.

The beauty even publicly declared that in order to improve Xie Ci’s grades, she was willing to share a bed with him.

Why didn’t such good fortune fall on them?!

The girls in the group were squealing.

The male god turned into a “rival in love,” which… was quite thrilling.

On the way to the school gate, seeing Xie Ci with a serious face, Zhang Ruochuan chuckled, “Old Gu really likes being Xie’s deskmate, huh?”

Most people would have moved out long ago after being so openly pushed away by Xie Ci.

But it could also be because Gu Yufeng grew up abroad and was straightforward, not good at reading the room.

Gu Yufeng said, “I’m introverted, I don’t like moving around, and I don’t enjoy making new friends.”

Xie Ci replied, “You’re introverted? Are there really extroverted people in this world?”

The first time they met, he practically wanted to hang onto someone else, and he dares to say he’s introverted?

Gu Yufeng said, “If you were a bit kinder to me, you’d immediately get a gentle and obedient deskmate.”

Xie Ci replied, “Not expecting that.”

When they reached the school gate, everyone went their separate ways to head home.

Xie Ci didn’t go to the bustling area but took the bus directly to his dad’s studio in Nanling District.

From a distance, he heard a whimpering sound, and a dog’s head poked out from the door crack, barking at him.

Xie Ci hurried a few steps, patted the dog’s head, and was almost stunned when he entered.

“Just a week apart, how did you get so fat?”

The dog, which used to be slim and fit, now looked like a gas can, its weight skyrocketing.

A few young people holding sketchboards walked out from inside, quietly chatting about something.

“Are you really not coming next week?”

“I’m not. Following the teacher to draw has no future. I’ve already consulted another studio; they’re still hiring, and I’ll go there next week.”

“That’s not good, is it? The teacher is really nice to us.”

“What’s so good about it? No matter how nice he is to us, he still has to eat. The teacher can’t even sell his own paintings, let alone ours. If we stay, we’ll just starve together.”

“But seriously, the teacher’s painting style has changed a lot over the years.”

“Didn’t you notice? The teacher hasn’t been quite right lately. He looked better these days, but a while ago, he seemed like his soul had been sucked out. He wouldn’t even respond when called.”

Xie Ci stepped aside, waiting for them to walk away before heading up the metal stairs.

Yang Le was tidying up the reception area. When he saw Xie Ci, his previously serious face immediately broke into a smile. “School’s out? The teacher wanted to pick you up, but he didn’t know what time you got out, so he was afraid of missing you.”

“Where is he?” Xie Ci asked.

Yang Le replied, “The teacher went to buy groceries after class. He said he’d wait for you to come back to eat. He’s busy in the kitchen now.”

Xie Ci nodded, “You should head home early too. You’ve worked hard.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Xie Ci took the little dog and headed to their place.

Behind the studio, there was a relatively independent two-story small building with a small yard of about a hundred square meters. It used to be a kindergarten activity area but had now been transformed into a private residence.

When Xie Ci pushed the door open, he heard a clattering sound from the kitchen, like a metal container falling to the ground.

He casually tossed his backpack onto the sofa and hurried over.

The kitchen counter was piled high with various ingredients. Xie Qian, wearing an apron, was stirring a pot, looking chaotic, as if he were in a battle.

Hearing the noise behind him, Xie Qian turned around, “You’re back? Go check if you like your room. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Xie Ci was skeptical about what kind of dishes he could make, so he followed the hint and went upstairs.

His room was a spacious master bedroom facing south, with furniture in deep blue tones, simple and elegant. The floor-to-ceiling window opened onto a balcony that had been tidied up, with a few pots of succulents that looked freshly bought.

Xie Ci took out the books he brought back and placed them on the desk, sitting at the foot of the bed, watching the sunset dye the sky red.

This was a view he had never seen in his previous life.

Fifteen minutes later, Xie Ci returned to the dining room on the first floor, looking at a table full of either burnt or undercooked dishes, resignedly taking off his school uniform jacket and turning back to the kitchen.

Xie Qian also knew his dishes were not presentable. He opened his mouth, hesitating, “How about we eat out?”

Xie Ci didn’t even turn around, “Forget it, too much trouble.”

The ingredients were all ready, so Xie Ci casually stir-fried a few dishes.

His cooking skills weren’t exactly top-notch, but at least it was edible.

He had learned this specifically to impress Gu Yufeng.

A scene from that year when he went on a date with Gu Yufeng flashed through his mind.

Every word and action of his was designed to align with Gu Yufeng’s preferences, so every time they met, Gu Yufeng seemed to enjoy himself.

That time, they had just known each other for a week and were dining at a high-end hotel restaurant when Gu Yufeng suddenly asked if he ever cooked for himself.

How could someone so busy that he barely had time to sleep possibly have time to cook? Just remembering to eat on time was already a win.

If it weren’t for wanting to catch Gu Yufeng’s attention, he wouldn’t even want to waste time on dates.

“Sometimes, when I have free time, I’ll cook dinner for myself.”

Xie Ci didn’t make his answer too definitive; it was a negotiation tactic. He wasn’t sure if Gu Yufeng liked men who could cook, and the investigation report didn’t have any information on that.

Gu Yufeng put down his wine glass, seeming interested, “Do you eat alone? Or do you invite your favorite women over for dinner?”

“Gu, you’re joking.”

Xie Ci picked up on the probing in his words and calmly replied, “I don’t have anyone I can invite over for dinner yet.”

Gu Yufeng lowered his gaze and chuckled, as if he was pleased with that answer.

“Xie, you seem like the type who can excel at anything you do. I really want to try your cooking.”

Just for that sentence from Gu Yufeng, he practiced cooking like crazy. But on the day he invited Gu Yufeng over, he was so nervous that he forgot to add salt to all the dishes.

He still remembered Gu Yufeng’s knowing smile, thinking his plan to pursue him was going to fail. Unexpectedly, that night, they ended up in bed together, smoothly and unbelievably.

Looking back now, Gu Yufeng probably didn’t care at all. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to sleep with him by coming over for dinner?

He was trying to maintain the persona of a master in the dating scene, yet he had no real experience in romance, which was fundamentally different from someone like Gu Yufeng, who was a true expert.

He might have made quite a few blunders in front of Gu Yufeng without even realizing it.

In Gu Yufeng’s eyes, he might have always been a fool.

Although it was too late to explore this now, he was very curious about what Gu Yufeng saw in him.

Ten minutes later, the father and son sat back at the dining table, and Xie Qian looked a bit dejected. “I’ll really learn to cook well next week.”

“No need to force yourself.”

Xie Ci served him a bowl of yam and pork rib soup, his words laced with sarcasm, “I didn’t expect you, a divorced middle-aged man, to make anything delicious.”

Xie Qian, holding the soup bowl, looked deflated.

Xie Ci prepared an extra portion of dinner for the little dog. Seeing Xie Qian so downcast, he added, “I’m not picky about food; you don’t have to go out of your way for me.”

Xie Qian watched him drink the soup and couldn’t help but ask, “How’s the soup? I had Xiao Yang teach me.”

Xie Ci replied, “Not bad, a bit bland.”

“Should I stew it again tomorrow?” Xie Qian asked.

Xie Ci was indifferent, just going along with his words.

It was the first time the father and son had dinner at home. The atmosphere wasn’t exactly harmonious, but they could both feel the effort to bridge the distance.

After dinner, Xie Qian brought out a new phone for Xie Ci.

“I don’t know if you can bring it to school, but having a phone will be more convenient.”

Xie Ci took it, “Can’t bring it into the classroom, but it shouldn’t be a problem to keep it in the dorm.”

Xie Qian sighed in relief, a bit of a smile appearing on his face. “Then if you need anything in the future, just call me.”

Xie Ci replied, “Mm.”

The father and son took the little dog out for a walk. After returning, Xie Qian went to the studio, and Xie Ci finished his shower and sat down to flip through his physics textbook.

He was so used to being busy in his previous life that he couldn’t sit still.

His backpack vibrated, and Xie Ci took out the flip phone, thinking it was Old Wang from the barbecue stall calling again. To his surprise, it was Fang Sizhe this time.

“Old Fang?”

“Old Xie, I and Old Zhang and the others are thinking of going hiking tomorrow. Are you coming?” Fang Sizhe’s voice came through the phone.

Xie Ci replied, “Sure, what time?”

Fang Sizhe said, “Tentatively at six-thirty at the school gate… They said they changed the time again. Let me check the group messages…”

Xie Ci said, “Then let’s just chat in the group. Give me the group number.”

Fang Sizhe paused and then gave him the number.

“Does your phone support that?”

Xie Ci replied, “I changed it.”

After hanging up, Xie Ci unwrapped the new phone from its packaging, switched in his old SIM card, added the group number, and quickly got approved. The group messages started flashing non-stop.

Chuan Chuan: 【Welcome, Team Xie! Your arrival makes us shine!】

Jiang Ye: 【You finally made it! We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.】

Wei Wei: 【Team Xie is joining too? Our group is going to be packed!】

Old Fang: 【I’ve put the details of the activity in the group announcement. Old Xie, go check it out first. If there are any objections, we can adjust.】

There were currently nineteen people in the group. Xie Ci glanced through it; most were from the basketball team, with a few girls, like cheerleader Wang Wei.

Before Xie Ci could finish reading the announcement, many people in the group tagged him, asking him to bring Gu Yufeng along.

That’s when he remembered that after being deskmates for so long, he hadn’t asked Gu Yufeng for any contact information.

In the end, it was still Fang Sizhe, using his authority as class monitor, who found Gu Yufeng’s phone number and added him to the group.

Gu Yufeng: 【So many people are going? Forget it, I have social anxiety.】

Old Fang: 【Old Xie is going too.】

Gu Yufeng: 【Then okay.】

Xie Ci: “……”

A friend request popped up on Xie Ci’s phone, from Gu Yufeng.

He casually clicked to accept, and Gu Yufeng’s message came in immediately.

Gu Yufeng: 【You didn’t invite me to the activity? Planning to go have fun alone?】

Xie Ci: 【I just joined the group.】

The group was buzzing with messages, discussing tomorrow’s itinerary and activity arrangements.

When it came to the barbecue, many people mentioned Xie Ci.

Chuan Chuan: 【I’ll be in charge of bringing the ingredients; the barbecue will be handled by Old Xie, hehe.】

Wei Wei: 【Is Team Xie good at barbecuing?】

Jiang Ye: 【He’s really good at it! Among us, his skills are the best!】

Wei Wei: 【Looking forward to it!】

Followed by a bunch of “Looking forward to it +1.”

Suddenly, an unharmonious voice popped up.

Gu Yufeng: 【Not looking forward to it, it’ll be bad.】

Xie Ci: “……”