Tang Mian and Wang Zicong’s impromptu gossip squad quickly disbanded—

Tang Mian casually turned her head and saw Lu Che walking in through the back door. It was a cloudy day with no sunlight, but the moment Lu Che appeared at the door, it seemed as if that section of the gloomy sky framed by the door, brightened.

In Tang Mian’s memory, Lu Che in their second year was cold to the core. He didn’t like to smile, didn’t like to talk, and was distant from everyone and everything. Even though he was part of the same class, he never got close to anyone, nor did he allow anyone the chance to get close to him.

Even so, Lu Che didn’t need to be gentle or learn to say sweet words—there were still plenty of girls who liked him, either openly, like the pretty ones, or secretly, like the ordinary ones. But Lu Che never responded to any of them. It was unclear whether he pretended not to notice or was simply indifferent to his admirers.

Tang Mian had no romantic interest in Lu Che. Although she enjoyed silly romantic dramas, she knew her place as a supporting character. At least, the boundary between her and the lead was clear: the lead could wake up and greet the male lead with a fresh-faced morning kiss, whereas she would wake up with a greasy face.

Wang Zicong’s back was facing the back door, so Tang Mian tapped his arm, signaling him to quickly get up and give up his seat. Wang Zicong turned around, saw Lu Che, and immediately stood up to find another seat at the front.

The gossip circle disbanded, and Tang Mian tactfully turned back around.

Xu Xing glanced at Lu Che when he turned, but today, Lu Che didn’t respond with a smile.

Xu Xing found it odd. What was up with him?

Actually, nothing much was wrong.

It was just that Lu Che hadn’t fully shaken off his grumpy mood. He had taken a nap in the dorm during lunch, only to be rudely awakened by Ke Di’s loud voice. Upon waking, Lu Che was surrounded by a cloud of irritation, which had scared Ke Di into fleeing the scene as fast as possible.

As Xu Xing’s thoughts swirled with confusion, he heard the sound of a chair being moved behind him. Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder and his upper body was enveloped in someone’s arms.

At the same time—

His shoulder grew heavy, but his heart felt lighter.

Xu Xing didn’t notice this subtle change and frowned. “Let go. Don’t disturb me while I’m studying.”

Lu Che didn’t let go; instead, he buried his face into the crook of Xu Xing’s neck, rubbing it playfully.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Xing saw Wang Zicong and Tang Mian looking at them, which made him feel even more awkward. Annoyed, he pushed Lu Che away and said, “What are you doing?!”

Lu Che murmured, “Tired.”

Tired and irritable.

Xu Xing pushed him off, then glanced at Lu Che’s frustrated expression. Still, he insisted, “If you’re tired, go wash your face in the restroom to wake up. Don’t bother me.”

Lu Che’s hair was slightly disheveled. He casually brushed his bangs aside, and his eyes drooped, devoid of any light. When Lu Che wasn’t smiling, his lips flattened, and his whole demeanor turned cold.

Lu Che got up and started walking out.

Xu Xing: “…”

Watching Lu Che’s retreating figure, Xu Xing’s lips moved slightly, and that name swirled in his mind, but in the end, he didn’t call out to him.

Xu Xing lightly pressed his lips together and turned his attention back to the notebook in front of him, staring at the blue ink of his pen, but he couldn’t absorb a single word.

His mind was too cluttered, unable to fit anything else.

“Ahem.”

Tang Mian and Wang Zicong exchanged glances and carefully cleared their throats. Tang Mian playfully shifted the conversation, saying, “Oh, let’s see what snacks Wuli Zongzong has hidden.”

Tang Mian pretended to rummage around under Wang Zicong’s desk.

Wang Zicong said, “I’ve only got two boxes of Pocky left—milk flavor and matcha flavor.”

Wang Zicong was meticulous when it came to his snack stash. As soon as he bought a snack, the first thing he did wasn’t to eat it but to take stock. Even if he stayed at school, his father wouldn’t be able to sneakily eat any of his snacks without him knowing.

Tang Mian clicked her tongue and remarked, “You’re like a human snack machine.” He had ordered a bunch of snacks online, and within just a few days, most of them were already gone.

Wang Zicong smiled sheepishly.

Tang Mian then glanced under Xu Xing’s desk and asked, “Xu Xing, do you still have any chocolate left? Give me one!”

Hearing this, Xu Xing took out a few pieces of candy and placed them on the desk. Tang Mian and Wang Zicong each grabbed one, leaving three pieces on the table.

Tang Mian unwrapped her candy and bit into it, her eyes lingering on the remaining pieces. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you eating?”

She suddenly remembered something Lu Che had once said: “Isn’t this the candy the class president likes? Does he really like it?”

At the time, Tang Mian had assumed Lu Che didn’t know Xu Xing well, since she and Xu Xing had grown up together and she’d often seen that candy at his house. Starting from their second year, Xu Xing had always carried this candy with him, so she naturally thought he was addicted to it.

However, if you paid close attention, you’d notice that while Xu Xing always carried the candy, he hardly ever ate it. Most of the chocolate candies ended up in Wang Zicong’s stomach.

Xu Xing, trying to force himself to focus, tapped his pen on the blue ink of the notebook. After hearing Tang Mian’s words, he hesitated slightly before reaching for one of the candies.

Tang Mian let the white chocolate melt in her mouth, the creamy taste spreading across her palate. She shrugged and thought, “Looks like I was overthinking—Xu Xing still loves candy.”

She stopped paying attention and continued teasing Wang Zicong.

Xu Xing furrowed his brow at the physics problem in front of him, then tossed his pen aside and stood up. “I’m going outside for some air.”

Tang Mian moved her chair aside to let Xu Xing pass.

While Tang Mian and Wang Zicong stayed in the classroom chatting, Xu Xing wandered out into the hallway. His mind was elsewhere as he gazed off into the distance. Today’s sky was dull and cloudy, with no sun or rain, but the oppressive weather weighed heavily on his mind.

Xu Xing had been standing there for a while when he heard footsteps coming from the other end of the hallway. He turned his head and locked eyes with Lu Che.

Unlike usual, Xu Xing didn’t immediately look away. Instead, he kept his gaze on Lu Che until Lu Che passed the back door of their classroom and walked over to him.

Xu Xing let out a quiet sigh of relief.

As Lu Che neared Class 7’s back door, Xu Xing had suddenly worried that Lu Che would just go straight into the classroom.

Droplets of water clung to Lu Che’s hair and face, indicating that he had, in fact, gone to the restroom to wash his face. His earlier irritation seemed to have faded, and now he leaned casually against Xu Xing’s side, smiling and playfully saying, “Class president, I wasn’t in a great mood earlier—please don’t be mad at me.”

“…”

Xu Xing hadn’t expected Lu Che to apologize so quickly, and the lightness of those words, “Don’t be mad at me,” weighed on his heart.

Pushing aside the jumble of thoughts in his mind, Xu Xing asked, “What was up with you earlier?”

Lu Che blinked and replied in a soft voice, “It’s nothing. I was just a little grumpy from being woken up early. Someone disturbed my nap, so I wasn’t in the best mood after that.”

Xu Xing asked, “And now?”

Lu Che, a bit puzzled, glanced at Xu Xing before smiling and responding, “Now I’m feeling better. If you gave me a hug, I’d feel even better.”

Xu Xing rolled his eyes, his annoyance and reluctance plain.

Lu Che wasn’t discouraged. Instead, he cheekily moved behind Xu Xing and hugged him from behind, locking his arms in front. Grinning, he said, “Fine, I’ll hug you myself then.”

Lu Che rested his head on Xu Xing’s shoulder, and Xu Xing let out a long sigh.

Though Lu Che was often playful, he always worried about one thing—that Xu Xing might find him too bothersome.

After Xu Xing pulled Lu Che’s hands apart, Lu Che pretended like nothing happened and said, “Alright, alright, I’ve had my hug. I’ll come back for another in an hour.”

But—

After pulling Lu Che’s hands away, Xu Xing didn’t push him aside. Instead, he held Lu Che’s left hand, opened his palm, and placed a chocolate candy in it.

Xu Xing turned around and looked at him, speaking softly, “How about now?”

“…”

Lu Che gazed at the chocolate candy lying in his palm, and the smile in his eyes was almost spilling over. His lips curled high, and in a magnetic, gentle, and affectionate voice, he softly said, “Now, I’m in such a good mood. Even if Cody interrupts me again, I wouldn’t hit him.”

Hearing this, Xu Xing pushed the head that had been nuzzling his shoulder away and coldly said, “Then get lost. Stop bothering me while I’m studying.”

Xu Xing pushed Lu Che aside and walked back into the classroom without turning his head.

Lu Che stood there, watching Xu Xing’s retreating figure, feeling utterly satisfied.

He unwrapped the candy, noticing that the corners of the chocolate had slightly melted.

Lu Che’s smile deepened: when he had silently left the classroom earlier, Xu Xing had been waiting in the hallway, gripping this chocolate candy tightly in his hand. Was he feeling anxious or uneasy?

The warmth of his anxious mood had transferred through his palm into the candy.

Xu Xing, with a tense expression, walked into the classroom and returned to his seat. When he picked up his pen with his right hand, he realized that a thin layer of sweat had formed in his palm.

Xu Xing clenched his palm, furrowing his brow.

·

Later that afternoon.

Xu Xing was registering attendance in the class log: Ke Di had skipped class.

Xu Xing: “…”

He stood up speechlessly, his gaze passing over Lu Che and Fu Dai, who sat behind him, and asked Zhou Mang in the last row, “Zhou Mang, why isn’t Ke Di here?”

Zou Mang took off his headphones and replied, “No idea, he’s not answering his phone.”

Fu Dai, lazily resting his head on his hand, laughed, “That idiot Ke Di must be hiding somewhere, scared stiff and avoiding getting beaten by Ah Che.”

Lu Che scoffed indifferently and said to Zhou Mang, “If he calls you back, tell him as long as the class leader is here, I won’t hit him.”

Fu Dai, puzzled, asked, “Wait, what does this have to do with the class leader?”

Leaning against the wall, Lu Che slowly spun his pen, a grin playing on his lips. “Because I can’t beat the class leader.”

There are two reasons for not winning a fight: one is not being able to, and the other is not wanting to.

Fu Dai, surprised, exclaimed, “Wow, then the class leader must be really strong!”

Xu Xing: “…”

He shot a glare at Lu Che, but Lu Che just smiled back, his handsome face beaming.

His smile was so bright, it seemed to make even the overcast sky outside turn sunny.