Xu Xing was inspired by the red string idea. After Wang Zicong came out from using the bathroom, Xu Xing deliberately led Xiao Shun and Wang Zicong to follow the red string. After turning a corner from the bridge, the first classroom they came to was Jiang Jize’s class.

However, to Xu Xing’s surprise, as soon as they turned the corner, he saw Lu Che standing in the hallway.

Jiang Jize had his back to Xu Xing, but Lu Che instinctively looked over as Xu Xing appeared from the corner.

Xu Xing: “…”

There were still three or four meters between them. Xu Xing, trying to avoid eye contact with Lu Che, pressed himself against the classroom wall, afraid of once again stumbling into Lu Che’s arms. At the same time, he couldn’t help but silently criticize Jiang Jize—Shen Xiao was already so close to him, but he still had his back to them, laughing and chatting with a long-haired girl beside him.

Frustrated with Jiang Jize’s cluelessness, Xu Xing couldn’t resist the urge to pull the red string and forcibly create a moment of interaction between them—he wished for Xiao Shun to fall into Jiang Jize’s arms, hoping Jiang Jize would finally realize Xiao Shun’s feelings through a lucky accident.

Xu Xing had been holding onto the red string that connected Xiao Shun and Jiang Jize, gradually pulling it tighter as they walked. Now, the string had formed a straight line between them. With just a slight tug, he could apply some external force and cause Xiao Shun to lose his balance and fall into Jiang Jize’s arms—just like Xu Xing had deliberately fallen into Lu Che’s arms that day in the classroom.

Feeling that his plan was foolproof, Xu Xing waited until they were a little closer before casually giving Jiang Jize’s end of the red string a small tug. Just as he expected, the string pulled Jiang Jize around involuntarily.

Jiang Jize’s broad chest turned toward the corridor as if he were opening his arms to welcome Xiao Shun.

Xu Xing seized the moment. With a smooth motion, he put his hands behind his back, pretending not to do anything, while at the same time pulling the red string tighter from both ends.

Unfortunately—

All Xu Xing’s efforts resulted in was a distracted glance from Jiang Jize at Xiao Shun, while Xiao Shun, who hadn’t dared to raise his head since stepping into the corridor, completely missed the chance to make eye contact with him.

Frustrated, Xu Xing wrapped the string around his wrist and gave it another hard tug, but Jiang Jize and Xiao Shun’s positions remained unchanged.

Xu Xing was confused. He had tried twice already, and though the red string had glowed faintly the first time, by the second try, it no longer even responded to him.

His plan had completely failed. As they walked past Jiang Jize, he was still flirting with the girl next to him. The girl’s playful laughter cut through the air like a sharp wind in Xiao Shun’s ears. He lowered his head even further, his steps hurried, desperate to escape.

Feeling indignant on Xiao Shun’s behalf, Xu Xing had just turned to glare at Jiang Jize when he felt a rolled-up test paper lightly tap the top of his head.

It wasn’t painful, but Xu Xing still frowned. When he turned around, he saw Lu Che take a step forward, positioning himself right in front of Jiang Jize, completely blocking him from view. Lu Che’s face bore a casual smile, and his deep voice was magnetic, every word pronounced clearly and appealingly: “Class monitor, have you handed in your homework?”

Xu Xing: “What homework?”

Lu Che: “Physics.”

Xu Xing wasn’t happy about that. “When did you call my student number? Didn’t you just call number 7 two days ago?”

The physics teacher had mentioned in class that every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, he would randomly check some students’ homework, which included exercises from their workbooks, the “problem of the day” written on the blackboard, and test papers from daily practice.

The way it worked was by calling student numbers. For example, on Monday, the numbers ending in 2 and 7 were checked, which had caught Xu Xing, who was number 37, the first time. He hadn’t thought much of it then, but now it finally dawned on him—though the rules were set by the teacher, the specific day and numbers to be checked were entirely up to the class monitor!

Lu Che smirked and said matter-of-factly, “Today, I decided to call the numbers ending in 3 and 7. I made the decision just now, mostly because you seemed too idle, so I need to make sure you’re studying properly.”

Xu Xing: “…”

After finishing his English class and leaving the computer room, Xu Xing only went to the bathroom for a quick break and was already on his way back to the classroom. How on earth did Lu Che see him as idle?

Xu Xing was irritated but had no way to deal with Lu Che’s shamelessness. Frustrated, he snapped, “You’re just using your power for personal revenge!”

Lu Che smiled slightly, playing dumb, “What grudge do we have, class monitor?”

Xu Xing: “…”

Thinking about it, Xu Xing realized he was at fault and had no comeback.

Without dwelling on the “revenge” matter, Lu Che said, “Class monitor, did you think that just because you were checked on Monday, you could slack off these past two days? That won’t work. I’ll still be checking on you later to make sure you’re keeping up with your studies.”

Even though Lu Che was making things up, his words sounded pretty reasonable. Xu Xing could only glare at him helplessly. Defeated, he stopped worrying about Xiao Shun and Jiang Jize and resigned himself to returning to the classroom to finish his homework with a sigh.

Xu Xing wasn’t the type to avoid doing homework. It was just that with so many assignments, he had to manage his time wisely to ensure that each subject’s work was completed before the teacher reviewed it.

His pen hovered over the scratch paper, idly scribbling random marks.

Feeling frustrated, Xu Xing scratched his chin. When he looked up, he saw Lu Che walking up to the podium, grabbing a piece of chalk, and writing boldly on the blackboard: “Physics Homework Check for Numbers 3 and 7, due before the end of the day.”

Xu Xing shot an angry look at Lu Che as he walked down from the podium, but Lu Che didn’t even glance his way. Xu Xing could only grind his teeth and continue scribbling answers.

Luckily, since it was still early in the semester, there wasn’t too much homework or test material to catch up on. Plus, he had P.E. during the fourth period, giving him extra time to finish his assignments. Xu Xing was confident he could complete it before the deadline.

As Lu Che passed by Xu Xing’s desk, his stern expression finally cracked a little. He couldn’t resist glancing down at Xu Xing. The west-facing classroom curtains hadn’t been drawn fully, allowing the late afternoon sun to slant through a gap, casting a golden light on Xu Xing’s profile.

Lu Che stared a moment longer, then, as if possessed by an impulse, reached out and gently brushed his chalk-covered fingers against Xu Xing’s smooth, fair cheek.

“…”

Xu Xing was immediately startled, goosebumps rising all over his skin. He recoiled and looked up in horror. “What are you doing?!”

His eyes were wide—

Why did Lu Che suddenly touch his face?!

This was such a weirdly intimate gesture—he should report him!

Even Lu Che froze for a second.

The cool and soft sensation of Xu Xing’s cheek under his fingertips was like a delicate feather tickling Lu Che’s heart.

Lu Che clenched his fingers into a loose fist at his side, trying to hold onto that fleeting sensation. Outwardly, he wore his usual casual smile, saying, “Class monitor, your thoughts are a bit impure. I’m not you. What do you think I would do?”

Xu Xing: “…”

Xu Xing was left speechless, but Lu Che’s words suddenly sparked a realization—could it be that the red string was influencing Lu Che’s behavior again?

Xu Xing thought this was highly possible. He eyed Lu Che suspiciously. After all, he hadn’t accidentally fallen into Lu Che’s arms in the past two days. Maybe the red string’s effect had shifted to Lu Che.

Xu Xing wiped his face with the back of his hand, smudging some pink chalk dust. He stared at his hand, feeling conflicted, wondering if this was just another one of Lu Che’s pranks.

Xu Xing had to admit to himself: Maybe he was being overly sensitive lately.

He let out a barely noticeable sigh and gave Lu Che a sideways glance, complaining, “Aren’t you being childish?”

Compared to the earlier shocked tone of his “What are you doing?” his voice had softened, now calm and gentle.

Lu Che chuckled lightly, not the least bit ashamed. With his hands in his pockets, he teased, “Class monitor, you still have to do your own homework. If you get stuck, feel free to ask me, though I won’t actually explain anything.”

“…”

Annoyed, Xu Xing pulled out a pair of earbuds from under his desk. His perfectionism compelled him to double-check the L and R markings before putting them in. Once the music played, the world went quiet, making his message to Lu Che—”Go away”—crystal clear.

Lu Che didn’t linger. He returned to his seat, picking up a ballpoint pen and twirling it between his long fingers with effortless grace, spinning it without a hitch.

He leaned back against the wall. The shouts and cheers from the basketball court outside filled the air, but he couldn’t be bothered to glance at the action.

From his seat, he could only see a quarter of Xu Xing’s profile. Xu Xing rested his hand on his forehead, his fair face illuminated by the dappled sunlight. His ear, which was white with a faint flush, seemed to glow with a golden edge…

Lu Che paused, his brow slowly furrowing. His thoughts were becoming dangerously unguarded…

Just as he was lost in thought, Xu Xing turned slightly, squinting at the sunbeam peeking through the gap in the curtain. He frowned and shielded his eyes with his hand before looking back down to continue working on his scratch paper.

Lu Che stopped twirling his pen and stretched out his leg to kick the chair in front of him. The boy sitting there turned around, and Lu Che, lowering his voice, said, “Closed the curtain properly.”