Xu Xing’s voice was soft, his lips moist from the kiss, glistening faintly. He looked up and caught Lu Che staring at him, eager and poised to make another move.

“…”

Xu Xing avoided Lu Che’s intense gaze, clearing his throat as he lifted his foot to lightly kick Lu Che’s calf, putting on a show of feigned anger. “Don’t let it happen again!”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lu Che standing there.

Lu Che had a smile in his eyes, one hand in his pocket, lightly biting his tongue, feeling elated. He had been prepared to get punched before kissing Xu Xing, but Xu Xing didn’t resist and even kissed him back. When he feigned anger and kicked him, it felt so light, almost like a playful scratch, that it only added to Lu Che’s amusement.

The phrase “don’t let it happen again” was quite intriguing.

Lu Che couldn’t help but ponder: if he pressed Xu Xing down and went for it three, four, five, six, seven, or eight times, would Xu Xing also kick him and tell him not to let it happen again?

His mind raced, and he couldn’t resist imagining how Xu Xing would kick him afterward—would he be standing or lying down? Would he be naked or covered by a blanket? Would his body be marked with kiss marks or just a few scattered ones?

“…”

Suddenly, Lu Che found himself looking forward to that kick from Xu Xing.

·

After allowing Lu Che’s kiss in the stairwell, Xu Xing returned to the dormitory, feeling increasingly embarrassed about it. So he clutched a book and headed to the classroom alone for the first time without waiting for Lu Che.

It was still early, and the preparatory bell for evening study hadn’t rung yet. Tang Mian was sitting opposite Wang Zicong, whispering animatedly. As soon as Xu Xing approached, he heard Tang Mian exclaim, “What? They still haven’t done anything?!”

Xu Xing’s curiosity was piqued by Tang Mian’s exaggerated tone.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

Tang Mian beckoned Xu Xing closer, whispering the gossip: “Everyone says he and his girlfriend have been dating for six months, and they’ve only held hands! This kid still has his first kiss!”

Wang Zicong looked a bit embarrassed, fidgeting with his fingers. “Is that weird? I think it’s fine…”

Tang Mian hesitated, a strange look on his face, then turned to Xu Xing, asking quietly, “Do you think that’s normal?”

“…”

Xu Xing felt a twinge of guilt.

In his case, it certainly wouldn’t be normal. He loved hugging and kissing Lu Che; it was like an instinctive reaction to the emotions he felt, drawing him to want to do more intimate things with him.

And this so-called emotional connection could be understood as a mutual understanding or as an underlying red thread that subtly leads the way…

Xu Xing lowered his gaze and swiftly erased the two words “red thread” from his mind.

Tang Mian cleared her throat and suggested to Wang Zicong, “Anyway, you two are in a legitimate boyfriend-girlfriend relationship! Next time you go out, take the initiative to kiss her!”

Wang Zicong blushed deeply, fidgeting with his fingers. “I can’t do that…”

“…”

Tang Mian was frustrated with him. “Maybe your girlfriend is waiting for you to take the lead? Don’t be cowardly—just do it!”

Wang Zicong didn’t dare to agree. After hesitating for a moment, he replied quietly, “It’s fine the way it is now. I don’t want to put any pressure on her…”

Tang Mian frowned. “What do you mean by pressure?”

Xu Xing was flipping through a book, but out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of the red thread on Wang Zicong flickering uncertainly. When he turned to look, the red thread had returned to its usual vibrant hue, while Wang Zicong shook his head nonchalantly.

Tang Mian sighed silently and shifted the topic. “By the way, you really bought that limited edition lipstick set with 48 pieces for your girlfriend, didn’t you?”

Wang Zicong nodded.

Tang Mian, filled with envy and curiosity, asked, “What was her reaction?”

During National Day, Wang Zicong suddenly consulted Tang Mian, asking her what gift would be suitable for his girlfriend. At the time, Tang Mian was scrolling through a certain celebrity’s Weibo and casually screenshot a photo, saying, “Limited edition 48-piece set! Awesome! No girl can resist the temptation of lipstick!”

When Tang Mian asked him this, Wang Zicong suddenly stammered, his face turning red. “She… should like it.”

Tang Mian didn’t pay much attention to Wang Zicong’s suspicious blush and replied, “That’s for sure! It’s well-known that girls can’t resist the allure of lipstick!”

Wang Zicong nodded absentmindedly.

When Wang Zicong went to give his girlfriend the heavy lipstick gift box today, it seemed that she wasn’t very happy. Instead, with a surprised expression, she asked, “Why are you suddenly giving me this?”

Wang Zicong stammered, his face red as he explained, “I heard girls like it, so I thought… I thought I’d buy it for you…”

His girlfriend couldn’t help but chuckle, resting her chin on one hand as she casually opened the box, saying, “You didn’t need to buy so many. This big box is more than you can eat!”

Wang Zicong replied foolishly, “Huh? This isn’t for eating…”

His girlfriend curved her lips into a smile, looking at him with bright eyes and a gentle voice. “When I put it on my lips, aren’t you the one who will end up eating it?”

Wang Zicong blinked, realizing belatedly that his face was now scarlet.

…

Tang Mian chatted aimlessly with Wang Zicong until the bell rang. She stood up to return to her seat but suddenly remembered something important and turned back to Xu Xing, saying, “By the way, Xing Xing, Xiong Huan is taking sick leave tonight. She should have called the homeroom teacher.”

Xu Xing was slow to react when he heard that name, asking with concern, “What happened to her?”

Tang Mian replied, “She has a fever. The temperature has dropped these past few days, so you all need to remember to wear an extra layer!”

Tang Mian pinched Wang Zicong’s ear and saw the homeroom teacher enter the classroom with a stack of exam papers, so she hurried back to her seat.

The bell echoed through every corner of the building.

Xu Xing sat up straight, waiting for the students in front of him to pass the papers. Suddenly, he heard a chair scraping against the floor behind him, making a harsh sound. Xu Xing found the noise jarring, but amidst the rustling of papers throughout the classroom, no one else seemed to notice it.

“Class monitor~”

The magnetic voice from behind made Xu Xing’s ears soften.

Feigning calmness, Xu Xing received the exam paper that his deskmate Xiong Huan handed him from behind. He passed one to Wang Zicong and kept one for himself before turning around, his gaze inevitably locking with Lu Che’s.

Lu Che took the exam paper and casually tossed it onto a nearby empty desk. Then, looking sincerely at Xu Xing, he said, “Class monitor, come sit with me.”

With Fu Dai gone, the seat next to Lu Che had been empty for a while, and with two athletes, Kedi and Zou Mang, having extra training sessions, only Lu Che remained in the four back-row seats, looking quite lonely.

Xu Xing succinctly replied, “No.”

Then he turned away, leaving Lu Che’s forlorn gaze and sighs behind him.

Xu Xing wasn’t quite used to interacting with Lu Che in a couple-like manner. First, he felt shy; second, it was awkward; and third… Xu Xing was genuinely inexperienced in relationships. If he wasn’t careful and indulged Lu Che too much, that person would surely take advantage of it, spiraling out of control.

During the evening study session.

The homeroom teacher approached Wang Zicong’s desk and, speaking over Wang Zicong to Xu Xing, said, “Class monitor, isn’t it about time to change seats? When was the last time we did that?”

Xu Xing responded, “Ah, I forgot… Let’s change seats after class.”

What Xu Xing meant by changing seats referred only to switching the order of the four groups.

Lu Che leaned against the wall, lazily twirling a pen, and waited for the homeroom teacher and Xu Xing to finish their conversation before interjecting, “Homeroom teacher, when can you arrange a deskmate for me? Being alone is too lonely; it seriously affects my motivation to study.”

“…”

As soon as Lu Che spoke up, Xu Xing felt his right eyelid start to twitch.

The homeroom teacher turned to look at Lu Che, arms crossed and in a cheerful mood. She teased, “Oh, when did you ever have any motivation to study?”

Lu Che raised the corners of his mouth, and the neutral pen he was spinning suddenly stopped. He rested his chin on his hand, looking up at the homeroom teacher and said, “By the way, I remember at the beginning of the semester, you tricked me into being the physics class representative, saying I could manage the seating arrangements?”

That day, the homeroom teacher jokingly promised Lu Che in front of the whole class, “There are sixty-eight students here; as long as no one breaks up couples or forces them apart, just tell me who you like, and I’ll definitely help you!”

“…”

Xu Xing felt his eyelid twitch even more!

The homeroom teacher had a good memory, and Lu Che’s mention of the past piqued her curiosity. She smiled and said, “Alright, I certainly remember. If you have someone you like, I’ll arrange it for you. If not, I’ll introduce you to someone. Now tell me, who do you like?”

The homeroom teacher was friendly and engaged with her students, showing a keen interest in their romantic lives, mainly to satisfy her own curiosity.

Lu Che’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and even his tone became playful.

“I like someone in the class…”

“Homeroom teacher!!”

Lu Che deliberately elongated the last syllable, his ambiguous tone trailing off as the person in front of him hurriedly interrupted.

The homeroom teacher’s attention shifted to Xu Xing, who, holding the physics practice paper just distributed, asked her with a subtle expression, “I think there’s a problem with this final question on magnetic field strength…”

The homeroom teacher took the paper, her gaze falling on the question as she asked, “Let me see, where is the problem?”

Xu Xing awkwardly stammered, “I feel like this question isn’t very reasonable as a final question. It seems a bit…”

Xu Xing forced out four words: “Too easy.”

“…”

The homeroom teacher put down the physics paper and looked at Xu Xing with a loving gaze, saying, “Class monitor, you’ve become quite naughty.”

With Xu Xing’s interruption, Lu Che also joined in the mischief, saying, “If I like someone in class, I won’t tell you~”

The homeroom teacher smiled at Xu Xing and Lu Che, maintaining her cheerful demeanor. “I hope you both don’t flunk your physics exam in the midterms; otherwise, I’ll make you a pair of star-crossed lovers.”

Xu Xing: “…”

Wang Zicong couldn’t help but correct her, “Homeroom teacher—this idiom isn’t used like that.”

The homeroom teacher laughed and patted Wang Zicong’s head, saying, “Just sit quietly and do the exam, be good.”

“…”

The homeroom teacher returned to the podium to prepare her lesson.

Xu Xing shot a glare at Lu Che, turned around, and faced Lu Che while doing his homework.

Lu Che was finally satisfied, alternating his gaze between Xu Xing’s face and his exam paper.

After evening study ended, the whole class changed seats. The fourth group moved to the first group’s positions, and groups one, two, and three simply shifted one seat inward.

Xu Xing and the others moved their desks and chairs together. He stood up, kicked the leg of Lu Che’s desk, and feigned calmness as he said, “We’re changing seats.”

Lu Che blinked, playing dumb and asking, “I have to change too?”

Lu Che and Ke Di had been occupying the four desks in the fourth group by the window, and they hadn’t moved since the second year was approaching finals. The other classmates were at a loss as to how to deal with them.

Xu Xing rolled his eyes at Lu Che and then turned his gaze away. He pressed his lips together, knowing that Lu Che was deliberately teasing him and would definitely scamper over to move with him…

But Xu Xing still took the initiative to ask, “Do you like sitting by the window, or do you prefer…”

His voice paused, and his wandering gaze finally landed on Lu Che’s face. He slowly read the last word:

“I.”

With a loud scraping sound, Lu Che suddenly stood up, leaning forward and getting close to Xu Xing’s ear, enunciating clearly, “I don’t like sitting by the window; I prefer sitting next to you~”

The emphasis on the second-to-last word was incredibly teasing.

“…”

Xu Xing opened his mouth and cursed, “Get lost!”