Xia Fu lacked experience in interacting with the opposite sex and wasn’t quite sure what it felt like to like a man.

After all, she was an unlucky girl—her dad barely held her, and her younger brother was just a noisy, squishy little ball of flesh. When they held hands, Xia Fu often felt fearful of the sharp cries that concealed his needs, so urgent and so unreasonable.

No one was quite like Fang Jingcheng. He lowered his head like a little puppy, bringing a seemingly close yet safe touch that sparked a strange curiosity in her.

Was his cheek as soft as his lips?

What if, at that moment, she cupped his beautiful face in her hands, buried her fingertips in his messy silver hair, pressed her thumb against the corners of his eyes to keep him from leaving, and then looked deeply into his bright blue eyes, asking, “What are you thinking?” What kind of expression would Fang Jingcheng have then?

He scared her, and she knew she should do something.

But when it came time to act, not only did she not scare Fang Jingcheng, but Xia Fu also felt confused by her bold thoughts—

Perhaps they should maintain some distance.

Nervously, she curled her right hand and pressed it against her other palm, looking at Fang Jingcheng with an expression that seemed to hold back her words.

He appeared indifferent, quickly licking a crumb from the corner of his mouth, swallowing the sweet jam filling with a big bite as if he always ate in such a casual, natural manner.

“You weren’t wrong in recommending this; it’s really delicious,” he said with a smile, folding the empty paper bag into small pieces before reaching for a baozi on the side.

“Let’s look at something else.”

He picked her up for school, had breakfast with her, and even did little things unexpectedly. Why go to such lengths? Was this still part of the “tutoring business”?

Once a question began to sprout, it couldn’t be contained. Xia Fu’s mind was no longer focused on eating.

She observed Fang Jingcheng’s expression carefully, just about to speak when his phone suddenly rang.

He casually glanced at the screen, seemingly uninterested, but when he saw the word “Grandma,” he sighed, resigned, and reached for the phone.

“Sorry, I need to take this call first.”

His long fingers gently pulled apart the baozi through the oil paper, revealing a filling mixed with flowers.

“Here, this is the one with the locust flower.”

Fang Jingcheng handed her the larger half and then bent down to bite the other half, chewing it quickly before answering the phone:

“Hello—, I’m up, already having breakfast in the classroom.”

Xia Fu had only ever drunk locust flower honey and had never tried a locust flower baozi. The creamy, flower bud, once steamed, released a light fragrance, and its unique crunchy texture balanced the greasy meat filling. She chewed on the sweet meat filling, quietly observing Fang Jingcheng on the phone.

The dialect from his hometown was always fast, words blending together as if he was firing a machine gun when speaking; even a normal conversation felt like an argument.

In comparison, Fang Jingcheng was quite refined. He spoke in the local dialect of S City, his gentle tones aligning perfectly with the public’s imagination of soft southern accents.

When S City’s transportation system announced the arrival at the station, it cycled through dialects, Mandarin, and foreign languages. Having stayed here for nearly a year, Xia Fu could barely understand Fang Jingcheng’s meaning.

The young man had a heavy nasal tone, elongating certain phrases, nodding obediently on the phone, his expression imbued with a sense of helplessness that seemed a bit spoiled.

“I know; I promised Dad I’d study hard… I’ve already signed up for the competition, and I’ve found excellent teammates. I’ll give him an explanation.”

…

“Yeah, the money’s enough… If he finds out, he’ll say you’re spoiling me.”

He tilted his head, balancing most of the weight on his phone, while the free hand lazily swayed on the table like a cat’s tail.

Xia Fu’s gaze followed that hand’s movement.

Although he initially seemed reluctant to answer the phone, once he started talking, he appeared to relax quite a bit.

His grandma must really like him; the family atmosphere must be pretty good.

Was it because Fang Jingcheng, like her younger brother, was a boy?

Behind that aloof rich boy facade was a boy who was cherished by his elders. Yet, getting to know Fang Jingcheng better didn’t make Xia Fu like him more; it only added to her irritation.

She only heard such warm conversations when her roommate was on the phone.

Why did other families seem so happy? Was this how daily life was supposed to be? Why was her own life like this? Was it her fault? How strange and envious…

All sorts of bizarre thoughts spread in her mind, and Xia Fu felt as if an “invisible wall” had risen between her and her roommate.

Though it made her sad, she absolutely couldn’t let these thoughts escape her lips. Otherwise, the other person would surely find it strange and then start to dislike her.

To avoid losing her composure, she often covered her ears and hid in dark corners.

Now the locust flower baozi in her hand no longer smelled good.

Unconsciously, Xia Fu stopped chewing and silently waited for Fang Jingcheng to finish his call.

Finally, after the daily report wrapped up, the young man let out a relieved sigh, turning his gaze back to Xia Fu.

“What’s wrong? Are you already full?”

Xia Fu shook her head, feeling pressured by Fang Jingcheng’s gentle concern.

“Thank you for treating me to breakfast and for picking me up; I’m really happy. Is there anything I can do for you besides the competition?”

“…Why did you help me last night?”

She should have asked this earlier.

Yesterday’s incident happened so suddenly that she didn’t think to ask because she was in a panic. In that overly exhausted state, she inevitably became weak, only wanting to cling to the recent presence of Fang Jingcheng, to mend her broken heart.

Moreover, in such a sorry state, what use was it to say she wanted to help? Not only did it seem unconvincing, but it also made her seem more pitiable.

Xia Fu didn’t want that.

Just now, Fang Jingcheng mentioned money; as long as he studied well, his grandma would send him money… How nice, but where was her money? Her family never gave her any.

If she couldn’t prove that going to college in a big city could earn her a lot of money, she might end up being exchanged for a hefty betrothal gift. One hundred fifty thousand and done in one go; it was definitely easier than waiting for her to achieve something.

Tutoring between boyfriends and girlfriends was considered voluntary work; what if she couldn’t charge for it? What if there were emotional disputes, and she couldn’t get the prize money from the competition?

She was too slow-witted, and Fang Jingcheng often acted in ways that surprised her. The classroom was the only place where she could breathe, and she needed to clarify things here to gain some initiative.

Fang Jingcheng was slightly taken aback, keenly sensing the distance hidden behind her gratitude.

How direct—was it because she was trying too hard to make an impression?

He had just found her reaction adorable and wanted to tease her further by licking her palm.

But seeing Xia Fu retract her hand, he knew he had messed up.

She must have been startled; even though he pretended nothing happened afterward and attempted to shift her attention, he couldn’t escape this.

Fang Jingcheng felt a tinge of disappointment, but he also thought things weren’t out of control yet.

Indeed, after experiencing a terrifying stalker, Xia Fu would definitely reject any positive feelings towards the opposite sex. He should take a step back and place himself in a safe position.

He leaned on the table, resting his chin on his arm, looking up at Xia Fu.

“Is it because you value talent?”

“Just like I said on the phone earlier, my family is strict about my studies lately. If they find out I’m looking for a tutor outside, it would be quite troublesome.”

“I finally chose someone as smart as you, and I just happened to catch you off guard. We know each other well, so it’s the perfect cooperation. If you fall apart, finding another one would be quite a hassle, so I naturally have to take good care of you.”

The young man blinked slowly, his long eyelashes fluttering like flower branches swaying in the wind, casting small shadows under his eyelids. That upward gaze made him seem sincere and innocent.

Xia Fu finally received the answer she wanted.

She lowered her gaze and solemnly assured Fang Jingcheng, “I won’t let you down. After breakfast, I’ll be full of energy; let’s start preparing for class!”

“Since we came so early, we can choose a great seat, let’s go!”

To boost his enthusiasm for studying, she even made a gesture to cheer him on.

Without needing Fang Jingcheng to play the emotional card, she was also determined to prepare well.

He had already informed his family about this; after all, Fang Jingcheng’s power came from his family. If she did well in cooperative learning, she would be a good teacher and friend; if she didn’t, she’d just be a pretty distraction.

Heaven knows how Jiang Rong would deal with herself if she got disappointed.

Fang Jingcheng sighed at the mention of studying, but he had already said it, so there was no taking it back.

“Okay, okay, let’s go. If I miss class again, my old man will probably kill me…”

“Leave these for you to eat during the break; see you at lunch?”

He stuffed the paper bag into Xia Fu’s backpack, and under her encouraging gaze, reluctantly waved goodbye.

Once Fang Jingcheng’s figure disappeared from view, the smile on Xia Fu’s face faded.

This class was Linear Algebra, and their Applied Mathematics class would have lessons together. God knows what the boys would say when they saw her injuries after entering the classroom.

But she would never give up her front-row seat—the best spot for listening to the lecture—over such trivial matters.

Unconsciously, Xia Fu touched the bandage on her face, flipping open her textbook to begin previewing the day’s content.

As eight o’clock approached, students trickled into the classroom, some glancing at Xia Fu. However, she was so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t particularly pay attention.

Until suddenly, someone shouted her name.

“Hey, Xia Fu, what happened to your face?”

“LOL, you look like a calico cat.”

Without needing to look up, Xia Fu recognized their identities from their rude manner of speaking. She glanced around and, sure enough, it was those guys who were close to Bao Zhiwei, the same ones who were passionately discussing “the girl who got stabbed for cheating” last night after school.

Xia Fu pressed her lips together.

“I accidentally fell from upstairs.”

No wonder everyone said birds of a feather flock together.

The boy in front of her was tall and skinny, wearing a loose sports T-shirt. His hair was dyed a trendy yellow, but the dye quality was clearly poor; his short hair was messy and frizzy, making him look like a straw stalk.

Strawhead scrutinized Xia Fu’s appearance and carelessly commented, “Wow, LOL, you really are clumsy! I didn’t think such things would actually happen in real life!” Clearly indifferent to her feelings.

Then, his eyes rolled, finally asking the key question.

“By the way, do you know where Bao Zhiwei went? He didn’t come back to the dorm last night, and he’s not answering his phone.”

The detention center would confiscate a prisoner’s phone, and the boys who were close to Bao Zhiwei had been waiting all night, finally realizing something was off.

Xia Fu took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

“Why would Bao Zhiwei not be here… and come to ask me? Shouldn’t his roommates know better?”

“Did he tell you? Do we have any special relationship?”

Did they know Bao Zhiwei’s whereabouts? How much did they know? Clearly, they were all classmates; why hadn’t anyone come to tell her?

Because she did well in her studies, when exams approached, the class monitor would always ask her to tutor the boys, and Xia Fu would always agree.

After all, she had been Teacher Li’s favorite study committee member since high school. Teacher Li treated her well, so she naturally was happy to tutor other classmates in return.

After three years, not only was Xia Fu smart herself, but she also cultivated the ability to be a “gold medal lecturer,” earning her first pot of gold for a computer in S City.

Her excellence was beyond doubt; Strawhead had borrowed her homework countless times under the excuse of forgetting to do it and had even photocopied a stack of her key notes.

Xia Fu thought her relationship with everyone was pretty good. Who would have thought that when danger approached, they all stood by watching, discussing secret codes only the “little group” would understand:

“Eh? I thought everyone knew about your relationship?”

“LOL, I told you it wouldn’t work out.”

Watching them make faces, Xia Fu clenched her palms hidden under the table. After this experience, she finally realized that her seemingly calm class relationships were actually a mess because of her constant yielding and compliance.

In the past, she might have endured it, using passive avoidance as resistance, trying to minimize contact with the other person.

But she had already beaten up Bao Zhiwei, had done ridiculous things, and there was no reason to tolerate this jerk anymore, right?

What was he laughing at? So frustrating, but suddenly hitting him on the head with her cane would be against the rules.

Calm down, Xia Fu; think about how Fang Jingcheng spoke before, how he used those rhetorical questions to annoy her.

Xia Fu thought hard, recalling the strange sensation lingering on her palm from Fang Jingcheng’s kiss; now, it felt hot with anger, like a brand sinking into her flesh.

She stared intently at “Strawhead,” her tone completely steady:

“What does LOL mean?”

“Is there anything funny about this? I’m just a bit injured, but you look like you’re about to die from holding your breath. Can you explain this to me properly?”

At first, Strawhead didn’t think Xia Fu was any different from usual.

The girl was petite, with an innocent and harmless appearance, speaking softly, like a little white flower touched by morning dew, hardly sparking any interest.

But now he wasn’t so sure.

Strawhead subconsciously averted his gaze.

“It’s just an internet slang term, meant to lighten the mood. You see how badly you’re hurt, I just thought I’d say something funny to cheer you up?”

She had eyes like a cat, with round, dark pupils that resembled a pitch-black night, sending chills down his spine—

Even the cutest cats are carnivorous; once their size reaches a certain point, they can easily bite through their prey’s throat.

“I don’t feel amused at all. I really want to know what’s so funny; is this really interesting? If you don’t know how to cheer others up, it’s better not to say anything, because—”

The girl mimicked his earlier scrutinizing gaze, scanning Strawhead from top to bottom. Then she gently furrowed her delicate brows and sincerely concluded:

“You’ll look like a weird person.”

“LOL.”

Strawhead widened his eyes in shock; he probably never imagined that his catchphrase would turn into a tool to harm himself. Coupled with Xia Fu’s usually introverted and quiet demeanor, he couldn’t even tell whether she was genuinely advising him or mocking him—

Whichever it was, it was devastating.

“You, you, you…”

He gasped for breath, his face turning from pale to flushed, stammering for so long without completing a single sentence, looking like he was really going to “die laughing.”

Meanwhile, Xia Fu was not idle, her hand reaching for her cane, ready to give him a whack.

But not everyone in the world was like Bao Zhiwei.

The man was as skinny as a straw, and his heart was just as fragile, relying on others’ willingness to speak; he acted all high and mighty, but in fact, his vocabulary was only a few short phrases.

“What’s up? Why are you so angry early in the morning?”

Strawhead stomped his foot hard and turned to run.