In the southern region, late September brings a gradual relief from the summer heat, with cool mornings and evenings.

With exams approaching, Xu Xing’s dorm roommates held discussions and agreed to wake up early every day to go to the study island and review English for half an hour.

There’s an artificial lake on campus, crescent-shaped, shallow, and clear. The so-called study island is a flat area by the artificial lake.

Xu Xing didn’t join them. After washing up, he left with a tiger skin cake in his mouth. The quiet and peaceful campus in the morning was serene. The teaching building was empty and quiet, and Xu Xing was used to seeing Xiao Shun alone in the classroom every morning, but today he unexpectedly saw two people—Liu Peilian was also in the classroom.

The classroom was silent, and Xu Xing subconsciously lowered his voice, not wanting to disturb the two who were studying.

He quietly set down his backpack and pulled out the Wangzai milk that Lu Che had given him, just in time to have it with the tiger skin cake for breakfast.

Bored, Xu Xing walked to the back of the classroom, biting the tiger skin roll while looking at the wall covered in wish sticky notes, passing the time during breakfast.

---

Xu Xing noticed by chance that Liu Peilian’s sticky notes were lined up alongside those of Lin Peisang and Huang Mengjiao. However, Liu Peilian was stuck alone on the left, while Lin Peisang and Huang Mengjiao were on the right. Though they were only a few centimeters apart, they were clearly separated by a pink border.

“Friendship lasts forever; excel in the college entrance examination—Liu Peilian.”

“Good luck on the college entrance examination!—Lin Peisang.”

“Good luck on the college entrance examination~—Huang Mengjiao.”

Xu Xing: “…”

Xu Xing bit on the small straw of his Wangzai milk, and after reading the three sticky notes, he felt at a loss for words.

Lin and Huang’s wishes were obviously encouraging each other, indirectly expressing feelings, while Liu Peilian’s wish seemed to have already shattered halfway…

Xu Xing didn’t understand emotional disputes at all. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Lin and Huang had feelings for each other, and Liu Peilian should take care of her own feelings; otherwise, she would just be asking for trouble. Why bother?

Xu Xing thought lightly about it, feeling that emotions could be controlled at will. After all, reason could regulate feelings.

Xu Xing clicked his tongue twice in his mind, and then his gaze turned to Lu Che’s sticky note. The simple words “single” made his feelings complicated.

Moreover, why was Lu Che’s sticky note right next to his?

—When this question popped into his mind, Xu Xing first felt disgusted with Lu Che for a moment, and then he started to self-soothe and look down on himself: It’s just a sticky note; why do you care so much? Are you going to care about the classmates above and below you as well?

What a weirdo.

While Xu Xing was reflecting on himself, a few early classmates entered the classroom one after another. Someone passed by behind him, but Xu Xing didn’t pay much attention and didn’t turn around to greet them.

After finishing his tiger skin cake, Xu Xing slowly sipped the sweet milk through the straw when suddenly someone next to him gently pinched his cheeks.

Xu Xing frowned slightly, turned his head, and saw Lu Che standing beside him, holding a box of Wangzai milk.

Lu Che had a smile on his lips and teasingly said, “Class monitor, let go of the straw and come bite me~”

Xu Xing had flattened the small straw with his biting.

Xu Xing didn’t expect it to be Lu Che and reflexively took a step back to avoid Lu Che’s hand, saying, “Get lost.”

Lu Che had never come to class this early before.

Xu Xing’s peripheral vision caught sight of the milk in Lu Che’s hand, and he suddenly felt that holding the same thing made him feel strangely uncomfortable. He felt awkward, took a big gulp of milk, tossed the carton into the trash can, and turned back to his seat.

The second class in the morning was Chinese. In the science students’ curriculum, Chinese class was always among the top three least popular courses.

Bright sunlight streamed through the window, casting golden shadows. Ke Di and Fu Dai, just awake, idly placed their watches in the sunlight, creating two small spots of light on the ceiling, and they played a little game of chasing the light spots with great enjoyment.

The ceiling in the middle of the classroom was separated by a beam, allowing Ke Di and Fu Dai to enjoy their game right under the eyes of the Chinese teacher.

However, the students sitting in the back rows were attracted to the commotion and shifted their attention from the blackboard to the ceiling.

Ke Di, too immersed in the role-play, dramatically voiced, “Why are you chasing me~”

But just then, the light spots suddenly disappeared. He looked down to see Zhou Mang covering his watch with his hand, saying in a calm voice, “Stop messing around.”

Ke Di chuckled and put away his watch, replying in agreement, then leaned toward Fu Dai and said, “Our Mang Mang is jealous; he won’t let you chase me anymore.”

Fu Dai laughed and scolded, “Get lost.”

Zhou Mang helped Ke Di open his textbook, pointing to a specific passage: “Recite.”

Fu Dai raised his eyebrows at Ke Di in mock amusement, while Ke Di rested his chin on his hand and said, “This is such a sweet trouble.”

Zhou Mang had been managing Ke Di’s studies, and Fu Dai and Lu Che were used to it by now, having grown accustomed to it.

Lu Che turned back to glance at the two of them before his gaze fell on the figure in front of him.

After the second class ended, it was time for the second-year students to do their morning exercises.

Xu Xing stood outside the corridor with his homeroom teacher, listening as the teacher talked about the meeting tasks for the third year, saying that each class needed to send two class leaders to attend.

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, he was pulled into the classroom by a student who had come to ask a physics question. Xu Xing stood alone in the corridor, watching the pedestrians below, taking a moment to relax.

When Lu Che walked up next to Xu Xing, Xu Xing only glanced up at him.

Lu Che faced Xu Xing, leaning against the railing, and asked with a smile, “Class monitor, which university do you want to attend?”

Xu Xing turned to look at him, saying nonchalantly, “Why are you asking that?”

Lu Che propped his right elbow on the railing, resting his cheek in his hand, and smiled, “You’re here to supervise my studies, right? We should make plans to go to university together.”

“…”

Plans to go together? That’s completely unnecessary.

Xu Xing stared at Lu Che, about to express his disdain when his peripheral vision caught sight of a girl walking towards them—Hou Ranmei was carrying a basin of clear water from the end of the corridor. Her slender wrist struggled a bit under the weight of the water. The girl saw Xu Xing and smiled brightly, her pure, fair face radiating warmth as she softly greeted, “Class monitor~”

The girl smiled as beautifully as the spring breeze in March, but Xu Xing’s gaze fell on the sudden appearance of a red thread at her chest, gently drooping and winding toward the ground.

Xu Xing suddenly realized that the red thread had already wrapped around his left ankle and tied a knot.

And now, Xu Xing found that he could suddenly see everyone else’s red threads again.

Xu Xing: “…”

It was rare to see a red thread on his own ankle, and he didn’t know whether to be relieved that someone had a crush on him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Che also turned his head.

Xu Xing’s gaze flickered toward the two large clusters of flourishing red threads on Lu Che’s feet, and his mood became slightly complicated. He looked up to see Hou Ranmei approaching with the water, recalling how he had been drenched that day by Yu Chanzhun’s basin of water—

Without thinking much, Xu Xing instinctively grabbed Lu Che’s wrist and stepped forward, positioning himself between Hou Ranmei and Lu Che.

“…”

Lu Che slightly lowered his head, seeing Xu Xing’s hand gripping his wrist tightly, and then looking at the figure blocking him. He couldn’t help but smile.

Was Xu Xing trying to reassure him?

He complained about him but was holding his hand in front of the girl.

How could he be so cute?

Lu Che felt warmth in his heart and leaned forward to rest his chin on Xu Xing’s shoulder.

Xu Xing didn’t have time to care about the clingy “cow candy” behind him. He looked at Hou Ranmei and gently asked, “Is today your turn to be on duty?”

Hou Ranmei nodded, and as her shy gaze met Xu Xing’s, it unintentionally brushed against Lu Che’s indifferent eyes, making her immediately shrink back.

Xu Xing merely said, “Be careful.”

In the past, if he had seen a girl struggling to carry a basin of water, he might have helped her without thinking, but since Hou Ranmei’s red thread was tied to his ankle, it was clear that she had feelings for him. He thought it was better to maintain a distance from her.

Unintentional gestures could lead to deeper entanglements.

Hou Ranmei carried the basin of water into the classroom.

Xu Xing confirmed that the crisis was averted and irritably shook his shoulders, saying, “Get off!”

Lu Che not only didn’t back off but instead opened his arms to hug Xu Xing, acting like a clingy candy, and playfully said, “I can’t get off until the class monitor kisses me.”

Xu Xing found him particularly annoying, feeling that he was really getting too bold.

Xu Xing: “Get lost.”

Lu Che: “I won’t~”

“……”

Xu Xing was annoyed by him, but to others, it just looked like the two were close.

Until the homeroom teacher stood at the back door of the classroom and called out, “Lu Che, come in.”

Lu Che asked, “What do you need me for?” Only then did he reluctantly let go of Xu Xing and walk over.

The homeroom teacher said, “Wipe off the bulletin board on the back blackboard. You can write a few big characters on it, like ‘Success in the College Entrance Examination.’”

Lu Che was taken away by the homeroom teacher, and only then did Xu Xing feel relieved.

Xu Xing lowered his head to look at the red thread on his left ankle. Unable to help himself, he raised his head again and peered through the window into the classroom, looking at the girl wiping the board at the podium.

Xu Xing hesitated a bit, but when his gaze fell on Liu Peilian’s back at the podium, he suddenly felt relieved: cutting off someone else’s love may be cruel, but it’s still better than being in a painful love without a result.

Earlier that morning, when Xu Xing went to get water, he specifically took an extra look at Liu Peilian. He noticed that her complexion and mood today were much better than yesterday. Clearly, just as he had expected, as long as the red thread was severed, the emotions that had been wasted could also be reclaimed. Lin Peisang would make Liu Peilian feel pain, but that was only because she still liked him. Once she fully detached her feelings, what was there to fear?

Having figured this out, Xu Xing squatted down, pretending to tie his shoelaces, and reached for the red thread.

But in the end—

Xu Xing’s fingers grasped at nothing. The red thread on his ankle was merely an illusion—visible but intangible.

Xu Xing was momentarily stunned. He instinctively held onto his left hand, and the red thread growing from his palm was still tangible. He then tried to hook the red thread hanging behind him, which also felt real, yet the one around his ankle remained elusive.

At that moment, the class bell rang.

Xu Xing watched as all the red threads slowly faded from view, disappearing once again.

—The red threads had only appeared for about five minutes.

Xu Xing stood up with mixed feelings and walked into the classroom, just in time to hear the homeroom teacher smiling at him, “Class monitor, come see what Lu Che has written.”

Xu Xing absentmindedly responded and looked up to see that the only thing left on the back blackboard was the signature area in the center and the daily question written on the right side. The remnants of the Teacher’s Day bulletin board had been wiped clean, replaced by the strong characters that Lu Che had just written—

Above the signature area, it read: Success in the College Entrance Examination.

Next to it was a smaller font phrase: As long as the class monitor is here, the third year is full of love~

The homeroom teacher nodded and praised, “I think it’s quite good.”

Xu Xing had a good reputation in the class, so no one found this statement strange.

Xu Xing: “……”

Was he the only one who thought this was a roundabout confession? It clearly carried extreme emotional connotations!

As Xu Xing walked back to his seat, he saw Lu Che smile at him, saying, “I will respond with action, class monitor~”

Xu Xing: “???”