Lu Che and Xu Xing teased each other for a while before Lu Che obediently returned to his study spot by the bed. It wasn’t that Xu Xing’s charm had lost its pull; rather, Lu Che’s motivation to study was still linked to Xu Xing’s influence on him. Their little “study for an hour, earn a kiss” game from last night was still in effect.

Xu Xing’s mom brought in a fruit platter, and seeing them studying so seriously, she couldn’t help but feel pleased.

She placed the platter on Xu Xing’s desk and turned to Lu Che, saying, “Lu Che, why don’t you grab a chair and sit here? It’s probably uncomfortable to do your work at the bedside.”

Xu Xing’s room was simple, with only a bed, a desk, and two cabinets—one in the wall and a nightstand.

The desk wasn’t very big, but if tidied up a bit, it could easily accommodate two people.

Not wanting to interrupt their study time, Xu Xing’s mom quietly left after setting down the fruit platter and closing the door.

Xu Xing glanced at Lu Che and, seeing he hadn’t moved, suggested, “Go grab a chair and come sit here.”

With a pen twirling in his fingers, Lu Che replied without even looking up, “Nah, if I sit next to you, I’ll get distracted.”

Xu Xing mouthed an “Oh,” and then added, “Come over for some fruit.”

Lu Che replied, “Sure,” but still didn’t budge.

On the fruit platter, the dragon fruit from his grandma’s house had been cut into pieces. Xu Xing picked up a small piece with a fork, enjoying its refreshing and sweet flavor.

Suddenly, there was a “ding,” and Xu Xing turned to see it was Lu Che’s hourly alarm going off.

At that, the previously motionless Lu Che instantly dropped his work, slid into his slippers, and eagerly rushed over to Xu Xing.

With eyes sparkling, brimming with anticipation, he grabbed the back of Xu Xing’s chair, leaned down, and requested, “I want my reward!”

Xu Xing raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

The “kiss reward” was nothing more than a quick peck, barely even a real kiss, but Lu Che seemed to enjoy it endlessly.

Sticking to the agreement, Xu Xing cupped Lu Che’s chin and gave him a gentle kiss.

Their noses brushed, and their breaths mingled—an emotionless kiss, yet their hearts still fluttered for each other.

Now, Lu Che was very into studying.

Every time the alarm sounded, he’d hop off the bed, hurry over to Xu Xing’s desk, hands behind his back, and lean down with a cheeky grin, puckering his lips.

Xu Xing had grown so accustomed to these quick kisses that sometimes he’d still be looking at the problems on his desk but would instinctively lean in to plant a kiss on Lu Che’s lips.

Lu Che was completely captivated by his studies. But when the alarm went off again, this time it was a video call from Fu Dai.

Seeing the call, Lu Che suddenly remembered he hadn’t yet told Fu Dai that he’d gone from a breakup to a relationship again. Concerned about disturbing Xu Xing’s studies, he took his phone to the balcony to take the call.

Fu Dai had originally wanted a call to commiserate with Lu Che as “two heartbroken souls,” but when the video connected, he was met with a joyful smile as Lu Che announced, “I made up with the class president! I’m at his place now.”

Fu Dai was speechless.

This was, as it turned out, Fu Dai’s own fault for inviting heartbreak.

After a moment, Fu Dai, holding his head in one hand, said, “I’m thinking of ending this call.”

Lu Che laughed, “Do you want to say hi to my class president?”

Fu Dai, looking a bit worn, sighed, “Sure, why not.”

He wanted to grumble, What do you mean by “my class president”? Isn’t he the class president for everyone?

But, given that he was no longer a part of Class 7 of A High, it wasn’t entirely wrong for Lu Che to say “my class president” in front of him.

Fu Dai felt a bit lonely.

As Lu Che moved the camera back inside, Xu Xing looked up, hearing Lu Che say, “It’s Fu Dai.”

Lu Che held up his phone.

He squeezed into Xu Xing’s chair corner, holding the phone’s front camera toward both of them.

When Xu Xing saw Fu Dai through the camera, his gaze lingered on Fu Dai’s chest—a red thread extended from Fu Dai’s heart, still bright and fluttering.

Xu Xing was puzzled.

Has Fu Dai found someone new so quickly?

But Xu Xing quickly dismissed the thought. After all, just recently during midterms, Fu Dai had asked Cody to score low, and not long ago, he had explicitly told Xu Xing that he still liked her.

The “her” in question was Xiong Huan.

Fu Dai greeted them, but Xu Xing wore a surprised expression.

Xu Xing couldn’t figure it out—he had clearly seen the red thread on Fu Dai’s heart break before, yet now it still waved in the air.

What was going on?

Despite his surprise, Xu Xing quickly returned Fu Dai’s greeting.

Fu Dai was not very familiar with Xu Xing, and he didn’t say much, especially since Xu Xing was now in a relationship with Lu Che. Even though Fu Dai was curious, he didn’t dare say too much in front of them.

After ending the call, Xu Xing was still thinking about the red thread on Fu Dai, so he shared his thoughts with Lu Che, who replied, “Isn’t the red thread between hearts supposed to be destined?”

Lu Che’s tone was a bit casual as he asked, Since the red thread between hearts represents destiny, how could it be broken so easily?

Xu Xing didn’t answer, and Lu Che murmured to himself, “Lovers will end up together. No matter the obstacles, true lovers will find a way.”

Xu Xing’s pen suddenly stopped spinning in his hand.

He started piecing things together. When Wang Zicong’s red thread broke, he regained the ability to see the red threads, yet he hadn’t seen any between Xiong Huan and Wang Zicong. And after he untied Lu Che’s butterfly knot, he didn’t see any red threads for two weeks. It was as if untying Lu Che’s thread had severed his connection to this unusual ability.

But on that Friday, after he and Lu Che shared mutual feelings, a red thread appeared between them, and he noticed the red thread connecting Xiong Huan and Wang Zicong as well.

All the threads had disappeared when he untied the knot, only to reappear when he and Lu Che understood each other’s feelings. But one thing was still missing—the messy red thread tangled around Lu Che’s foot hadn’t reappeared.

The word “restore” lingered in Xu Xing’s mind.

Xu Xing turned to Lu Che and asked, “Can you check if Jiang Jize is dating Xiao Shun?”

Though confused, Lu Che agreed and contacted Jiang Jize. Their friendship was solid enough that even after a month without chatting, Lu Che could start a conversation without any awkward small talk.

Straightforwardly, Lu Che asked, “Are you dating anyone?”

Jiang Jize quickly responded with a confused “?” followed by, “Nope.”

“And is this your way of setting me up with someone?” he joked, sending a playful GIF of someone rubbing their hands together.

Lu Che, smiling, replied simply, “I’m taken.”

The plain statement, lacking exclamation marks or emotive words, still conveyed Lu Che’s satisfaction perfectly.

A string of question marks and shocked expressions appeared on the screen, but Lu Che didn’t bother replying further.

He reported to Xu Xing, “Jiang Jize said he’s still single.”

This answer was both surprising and expected for Xu Xing.

Xu Xing sat deep in thought, fingers wrapping around an invisible red thread as memories returned. When he first noticed the red threads, he’d resented them. But looking back, he realized the threads hadn’t controlled his feelings; instead, they had subtly taught him to appreciate Lu Che.

The red thread had led him to repeatedly bump into Lu Che, making them aware of each other despite having no prior connection.

When the thread appeared between Xiao Shun and Jiang Jize, Xu Xing deduced Xiao Shun’s hidden feelings for Jiang Jize and grew anxious, wondering if the red thread connecting him to Lu Che symbolized a bond beyond friendship.

He had tried explaining the red thread’s existence to Xu Yin and Lu Che, but the message was distorted. First, it triggered a consequence for revealing a “cosmic secret.” Second, it led Lu Che to mistakenly believe Xu Xing had feelings for him.

The events involving Liu Peilian made Xu Xing believe the red threads could invoke jealousy in “original partners.” He even established a relationship agreement with Lu Che to mutually and clearly reject any romantic advances from others.

During this time, Lu Che’s misunderstandings, combined with Xu Xing’s harsh words and repeated rejections, somehow strengthened their bond. In contrast to the prior year when they kept missing each other, now Lu Che stayed by his side, playful and patient.

Xu Xing, in turn, was touched by Lu Che’s unwavering patience and kindness, realizing he would never find anyone else who would love him with such humility and care.

When Fu Dai’s red thread broke, Xu Xing observed from the outside. It taught him a valuable lesson: relationships can’t be sustained by one person alone. It’s a delicate balance; if one partner is always humbled and the other placed on a pedestal, it will eventually collapse.

After that, Xu Xing had a chance to untie Lu Che’s butterfly knot, but he selfishly held back, acknowledging that he wanted to be with Lu Che. He promised himself to cherish him.

Yet, because of the red thread’s presence, Xu Xing believed that without it, Lu Che wouldn’t love him. The knot had become a mental burden, and in Wang Zicong’s struggle with a similar doubt, Xu Xing saw a reflection of himself.

Finally, on that chilly, rainy day, Xu Xing let go of his knot.

Xu Xing had always thought he didn’t understand love. He was slow, reserved, and struggled to express emotions. But now, he had to admit that, while the red thread hadn’t dictated his feelings, it had shown him how to find love, feel love, and express it.

…

Xu Xing sat at his desk, lost in thought until a “ding” snapped him out of it.

He turned to see Lu Che turning off the alarm but, unlike before, not hurrying over in his slippers to ask for a reward.

Puzzled, Xu Xing asked, “Wasn’t that the hourly mark?”

Ruffling his hair, Lu Che sighed, feeling both regretful and upright. “I was on my phone just now, so I didn’t study the whole hour…”

Looking troubled, he bit down on his pen cap, staring at the stack of worksheets on his bed.

Xu Xing called to him, “Come here.”

Lu Che looked up, confused. “Huh?”

Although his mouth expressed doubt, his feet obediently carried him over to Xu Xing.

Looking up, Xu Xing’s bright eyes met Lu Che’s as he confidently gave a simple command: “Kiss me.”

Xu Xing’s voice was firm, but a slight blush tinged the edges of his ears.