When Chu Tao was in a bad mood, he couldn’t think of any other way to relieve it; he could only sleep.

Once he fell asleep, he would feel much more relaxed, and the troubling thoughts were temporarily set aside, at least giving him a few hours of peace.

But he still had unfinished homework, and the mistakes he had reviewed hadn’t been revisited yet. The weekend tutoring class teacher had also assigned homework, which needed to be finished by Friday at the latest.

Chu Tao turned over and buried his head in the pillow, immediately feeling the air around him being squeezed out. It became difficult to breathe, and even taking in a little oxygen seemed impossible.

Chu Tao felt the suffocating discomfort, but he didn’t want to move at all.

“Chu Tao, come out for dinner? Mom was just angry, she’s still waiting for you,” Chu Xingning called from outside, but didn’t push the door open.

After a brief silence, Chu Tao muttered, “I’m not hungry, you guys eat.”

Chu Xingning pressed his hand on the doorknob but finally let go, deciding to give Chu Tao some privacy.

“How could that be? You’ve had lessons for hours, if you don’t come eat, then I won’t eat either.”

“Brother, I just want to sleep for a while. I’ll eat when I’m hungry,” Chu Tao tried to sound as calm as possible.

Chu Xingning sighed, knowing that Chu Tao was very stubborn, and if he didn’t want to come out, he wouldn’t.

“Then rest well, don’t think about unnecessary things.”

After hearing Chu Xingning’s footsteps fade, Chu Tao finally relaxed.

But once the surroundings quieted down, he felt extremely wronged.

At first, when he had been alone in his room, he hadn’t felt much, as no one was bothering him. He could rest for a while and then do whatever needed to be done.

But once Chu Xingning came to comfort him, his earlier sadness poured out uncontrollably, as if a dam had broken and he couldn’t stop it.

Chu Tao sat up, took a deep breath, and wiped his eyes.

Through the door, he faintly heard Song Mian angrily say, “If he doesn’t want to eat, then fine! I worked hard for hours, who’s asking him to eat now!”

Chu Tao froze for a moment, but then lowered his head, got out of bed, and walked to his study desk, turning on his computer.

The blue light of the screen flickered, and the dim lights outside the window became blurry. The sour feelings in his heart were temporarily put aside.

Chu Tao logged into the online course website where he had registered and clicked on his homepage. Under the course page, he submitted a request to terminate the course.

On the small grid of the page, the teacher’s photo was displayed. Below it, it showed that this teacher had taught thousands of students and had earned an A+ rating on the website.

There were thousands of comments about the course, all five-star reviews. Students expressed their gratitude, saying that after taking the teacher’s class, their chemistry scores had improved drastically, and they had moved up dozens or even hundreds of ranks in their grade.

Song Mian had also chosen this course for Chu Tao after reading these reviews.

Chu Tao didn’t deny that the teacher’s class was attractive, and many people liked it.

The teacher was both witty and humorous, and often shared interesting stories from studying abroad.

However, after a lesson, Chu Tao realized that what he mostly remembered were various stories and jokes. The actual knowledge he absorbed was very little, and this didn’t meet the knowledge intensity required for high school tutoring.

Since he had already reached a consensus with Song Mian, it was better to cancel the course early.

Not long after he clicked to terminate the course, customer service contacted Chu Tao through the website’s backend.

“Hello, student. We noticed that you’ve canceled the course. Was it a mistake, or do you have other reasons?”

Chu Tao took a moment to collect his thoughts and replied politely, “It’s due to time constraints. I can’t continue with the course.”

Customer service: “Our course starts at 10:00 AM on Saturdays. Is there something you can adjust? Maybe we can work something out?”

Chu Tao took a deep breath and, in a calm tone, replied, “I can’t adjust at the moment. Sorry, please refund me.”

Customer service: “You’ve already attended six lessons. If you request a refund, we can only refund 80% of the remaining lessons. We suggest you push through and finish the course. Teacher Kang is a nationally certified trainer, an A+ level instructor on our website, and has very solid qualifications.”

Chu Tao felt a bit irritated and typed a much shorter reply: “The teacher is great, I don’t have time.”

Customer service: “I understand, but as I know, many high schools are starting their first monthly exams, and Teacher Kang’s course is about to enter the phase of knowledge consolidation and overall improvement. We suggest you reconsider. If you want to rejoin later, it will be harder.”

Chu Tao replied coldly, “Refund.”

Customer service: “Then please fill out a survey.”

Soon, customer service sent a survey.

Chu Tao glanced through it briefly; it mostly asked why he was discontinuing the course, whether there were any shortcomings with the teacher, and if he had any feedback for the website.

In the spirit of providing constructive feedback for improvement, Chu Tao carefully filled out the survey.

For the question about Teacher Kang, he objectively wrote:

[The teacher is very humorous, knowledgeable, and creates a good classroom atmosphere, but for me, there were too many off-topic discussions unrelated to the course, and I didn’t gain much.]

After submitting it, he didn’t pay much attention to it anymore.

The refund was quickly processed, and his course link was also interrupted. A comment box popped up on the website, inviting him to leave feedback for the teacher.

Chu Tao hesitated for a moment but decided not to include the earlier comments in the review.

After canceling the course, Chu Tao felt much more at ease.

Around 9 o’clock, Chu Jiangmin came to knock on his door.

“Tao Tao, I’ve left you some food, hurry up and eat, don’t stay mad at your mom. She’s just doing it for your own good. How could she not be worried when your grades drop?”

Chu Tao was indeed a bit hungry. He rubbed his stomach and sighed. “I know, I’ll go in a bit.”

It was always like this. No matter what happened, as long as it was for his own good, he instantly had no reason to stay upset.

But Chu Tao also understood that even if he did throw a tantrum, nothing would change; in the end, the family would still continue living together.

After hearing him agree, Chu Jiangmin was relieved and went off to smoke.

Chu Tao took out the notebook and test papers from his schoolbag and placed them on the desk. Then, he closed his laptop and prepared to go out and grab something to eat.

He had just stepped out of his room and hadn’t even reached the kitchen when he heard Song Mian talking on the phone in the bathroom.

Chu Tao didn’t pay much attention at first, until Song Mian called out, “Teacher Yang.”

Chu Tao stopped in his tracks. Song Mian continued, “Yes, yes, Teacher Yang, I absolutely trust you. You’re truly the most responsible and elegant homeroom teacher I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s just that Chu Tao is very easily influenced in this class. Yes, he ran out during tutoring last week, I don’t know what he was doing. He’s been acting all mysterious lately, not communicating with us parents, and now his grades have dropped.”

“I know the chemistry exam was harder this time, but I heard that 70 points was the highest score in the class?”

“Thanks to your usual care, and you even made him class monitor, we parents are so grateful for your trust in him. But he doesn’t see the bigger picture, thinking he’s doing well when, in reality, this score is just average in the whole grade. A good learning environment is still very important, right?”

“We parents don’t have any connections, but we’re all worried about our children. Teacher Yang, do you think it’s possible to help and move Chu Tao to a different class?”

“I know you can’t make the decision, but you surely understand the situation better than us parents. How about this: I’ll find some time to visit the school, and we can discuss this in more detail.”

“Thank you so much, Teacher, for your help. I’m really sorry to trouble you.”

Song Mian spoke to Yang Liu in a gentle tone Chu Tao had never heard before, being so careful and afraid of offending her.

The way she begged Yang Liu to change Chu Tao’s class was something Chu Tao couldn’t have imagined—so humble and pleading.

Chu Tao stood at the door, unable to decide whether he felt bitter or heartbroken at that moment.

He was just lost and confused, as if he had been hit with an overwhelming shock, like the first time he entered the police station.

He couldn’t just rush in and knock on the door to scold Song Mian for going behind his back to contact Yang Liu and request the class change.

His mother was begging like this because of him—not because she didn’t care, but because he wasn’t good enough, he wasn’t excellent enough.

Chu Tao held his breath, rubbed his face forcefully, then turned and went back to his room.

That night, he didn’t eat, but didn’t feel hungry either. He just couldn’t understand—why was the consequence so severe just for a chemistry test?

The next morning, Song Mian left early for something, and Chu Jiangmin made breakfast for them.

Unfortunately, Chu Jiangmin wasn’t very good at it. The bread was over-baked and hard in the center, and the fried eggs were greasy and burnt, possibly from the heat being too high and sticking to the bottom of the pan.

While preparing, Chu Jiangmin grumbled, “Ah, this is such a hassle. What a lousy egg. I should’ve had your mom prepare everything before she left.”

Chu Tao and Chu Xingning reluctantly ate the worst breakfast they had ever had, then rode their bikes to school.

On the way, Chu Xingning asked, “You didn’t eat anything yesterday, are you okay?”

Chu Tao shook his head. “I’m fine, just slept through it.”

When they arrived at school, they had to buy some breakfast at the school gate since they were late. After eating, they felt full and then headed to class.

Chu Tao arrived a bit late, and many students were already in the classroom.

Jiang She was sitting in his seat, spinning a bottle of yogurt in his hand.

Seeing Chu Tao, Jiang She complained, “I sent you messages and you didn’t reply to a single one. As class monitor, are you now acting so high and mighty?”

Chu Tao froze for a moment, then patted his pocket—he had actually forgotten his phone today.

“It ran out of battery yesterday.”

Jiang She stood up, half a head taller than Chu Tao, and teasingly said, “Tsk, you can’t just leave it like that. How about letting me hug you?”

His voice dropped lower and lower until only Chu Tao and Fang Sheng, who was nearby, could hear.

Fang Sheng coughed loudly twice and couldn’t resist commenting, “Damn, you’re blinding my titanium-alloy dog eyes!”

Jiang She swatted the back of Fang Sheng’s head with the yogurt bottle to shut him up.

Although Chu Tao felt a warm sensation in his chest from Jiang She’s closeness, he wasn’t in the mood for jokes at the moment.

He lowered his gaze, his thick lashes casting a small shadow on his eyes, and raised his hand to gently push Jiang She’s chest. He spoke softly, “My mom wants to change my class.”

Jiang She was stunned, the playful expression on his face disappearing in an instant.

“Why?”

Chu Tao gave a bitter smile. “Because I didn’t do well in chemistry, and I didn’t do well in the extra lessons either. She probably wants to be like Meng Mu.”

Jiang She’s expression grew serious.

He knew that the environment in Class 3 was a paradise for bad students and a hell for good students.

Chu Tao was an exception—a good student who could still be accepted by a bunch of troublemakers.

Jiang She wasn’t unaware of how other classes were. He had even seen some insane top students running to the bathroom while reciting vocabulary words.

If that happened in their class, they’d definitely be ridiculed as idiots.

The only one who could be upset about a drop in grades was probably Chu Tao.

Jiang She took a deep breath, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

Fang Sheng sucked in a sharp breath. “Bro, what are you doing? Smoking in class? Isn’t that a bit too bold?”

But Jiang She didn’t light it. He just held it in his mouth, taking a few puffs, and even without lighting it, the dry, rich fruity aroma still lingered in the air.

It was almost as effective as lighting it.

Chu Tao briefly spaced out.

Jiang She was still smoking that same brand of cigarette. Chu Tao had once leaned in and taken a puff.

The smell was nice, but it was harsh—spicy and choking, but not unpleasant.

No one knew he had shared a cigarette with Jiang She.

Jiang She’s gaze fell on Chu Tao’s face, his dark, determined eyes unwavering. He threw the cigarette aside and said solemnly, “If you improve your grades, you won’t have to change classes, right?”

The combined scent of hyacinth, white musk, and tobacco wafted around Chu Tao with his breath.

Chu Tao’s eyes flickered. Just as he was about to speak, Yang Liu walked into the room.

“Chu Tao, come to the office with me.”

Chu Tao swallowed the words he had yet to say, gave Jiang She a deep look, and whispered, “Wait for me.”

Then he followed Yang Liu out of the classroom.

It was obvious what the conversation was about—Yang Liu was going to talk to him about what happened yesterday.

When they arrived at the office, Yang Liu pulled out a chair for him and said earnestly, “Chu Tao, your mother called me yesterday.”

“I know,” Chu Tao said as he sat down properly.

Yang Liu stared at him for a moment. From Chu Tao’s demeanor, it was clear that he hadn’t had a good day yesterday.

“To be honest, Class 3 might be a bit of a compromise for you. I didn’t want to admit it at first, but after what happened—fighting in the alley, going to the police station to write an apology, getting into a conflict with Pang Cai, being called out by Teacher Cai for a talk—if you hadn’t been placed in Class 3, none of that would have happened. I understand why your mom is worried.”

Chu Tao pressed his lips together. “My mom doesn’t know about those things. She just thinks I didn’t do well in chemistry.”

“Huh?” Yang Liu was taken aback. “Actually, your chemistry grades are fine. You haven’t fallen behind. You’re doing the best in Class 3, and all the subject teachers are paying attention to you.”

Chu Tao leaned back in his chair and casually glanced around the clean office. “It’s because I’ve been attending extra lessons. My mom got anxious because I didn’t make any progress.”

As for things like running off on weekends and being influenced by classmates, that was just her solid proof that he wasn’t studying properly.

The truth was, no one had led him astray. While the other students in his class weren’t studying, he never slacked off.

“Where did you take your extra lessons?” Yang Liu couldn’t help asking.

“An online school. It was recommended by my mom’s colleague.”

“I’m being honest with you,” Yang Liu said. “With your grades, the content in online classes is too basic. If you want to improve, you should find a top-tier teacher who’s still on the front lines of teaching, like the head of the chemistry department at our school, or the two chemistry grade leaders from the Provincial Experimental School.”

Chu Tao fell silent.

These kinds of teachers didn’t offer online classes, and getting them to tutor would be quite difficult. Without connections or a personal introduction, they wouldn’t take him on as a student.

If the fees were too high, someone might report it, and it would cause a lot of trouble.

Yang Liu realized she was getting off track and cleared her throat. “Actually, when you first arrived, I asked you if you wanted to change classes. Back then, you said no. Now, you’ve already settled into Class 3, and moving to a new environment with new teachers might not be the best thing for you. It’s already the second semester of your sophomore year, and there’s less than half a year left until the college entrance exams. Asking the school leadership to transfer you now would definitely be difficult.”

Chu Tao nodded, his voice soft. “I know.”

Yang Liu’s tone softened. “Don’t think it’s because I’m unwilling to let you go. This is about your future, and I can’t have any personal bias. It really depends on you. Do you want to leave? If you really want to go, I can help you try.”

Chu Tao lifted his eyes and met Yang Liu’s gaze for a few seconds before he said firmly, “No, I don’t want to change classes.”

He wasn’t someone who hesitated much. Just like with the courses that didn’t suit him, he would drop them without second thoughts.

Perhaps because he rarely relied on others, and most things were his own decisions, he was used to taking responsibility.

If staying in this class really affected his grades, and if he truly couldn’t even maintain this little self-discipline, then he would accept it.

Yang Liu sighed in relief. “You’ve made up your mind?”

Chu Tao swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. “Yes.”

“Good. Then I’ll have a good talk with your parents. Don’t overthink it, just focus on your studies. You’ll be fine. In our class, you’re the focus of all the teachers’ attention, and everyone will help you.”

“Thank you, Teacher Yang. I’ll go back to study now.”

Chu Tao stood up, pushed the chair back into place, and opened the door to leave the office.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Jiang She leaning against the railing.

Chu Tao stopped in his tracks.

Unlike before, this time Jiang She came up to him, grabbed his arm, and asked, “Yang Liu agreed?”

Chu Tao smelled a cool scent in the air, unsure of how long Jiang She had been standing in the corridor.

“What did she agree to?” Chu Tao casually responded.

Jiang She gritted his teeth and said angrily, “You know what I mean. I’ve been so careful—don’t dare kiss, don’t dare touch, keeping my wife locked up in the backyard, and now, a chemistry test takes him away from me?”

Chu Tao frowned. “Stop making stuff up!”

He shook off Jiang She’s hand and walked toward the classroom without looking back.

But out of Jiang She’s sight, Chu Tao couldn’t help but curl his lips in helpless amusement.

He had been full of worries, feeling overwhelmed, almost unable to breathe, but Jiang She’s unreasonable words somehow dispersed all his pent-up frustration with a single strike.

Who taught this guy Literature Chinese, a physical education teacher? How can he speak like that?

Jiang She caught up and blocked Chu Tao’s path. “Hey, it’s just a chemistry test. You’re going to change classes over something so small? Isn’t that overreacting? Just study harder next time.”

Chu Tao replied slowly, “I did study hard this time.”

Jiang She paused for a moment. “If you think the class is too noisy, I can make sure they don’t talk while you’re studying.”

Chu Tao raised an eyebrow, tilted his head, and let Jiang She pass. “The class might be noisy, but as long as they’re not lazy, it doesn’t really affect me.”

Jiang She smirked. “So changing the teacher isn’t an option? You think Xu Fang isn’t good enough?”

Chu Tao couldn’t help but glare at him. “Stop it. Teacher Xu is responsible. You don’t even listen to her class, so how do you know she’s not good?”

The teaching itself wasn’t the issue. The blind spots he neglected needed to be filled in, but he lacked the ability to do that. The online courses he found didn’t meet the requirements.

Jiang She hissed and leaned in, bumping his shoulder against Chu Tao’s. “Why are you so hard to please?”

You’re harder to deal with than a girl.

Jiang She had never genuinely liked anyone before, so he didn’t have the patience to coax anyone. People usually had to indulge him.

Now that he had really fallen for someone, he realized all the debts from before had to be paid back.

But he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with Chu Tao.

He had sent more than ten messages yesterday, ranging from small talk to serious ones, carefully crafting each one before sending it, but Chu Tao hadn’t replied to a single one.

Even so, he wasn’t really angry.

He just wanted Chu Tao to comfort his lonely, cold heart for a night.

Chu Tao was already pushed up against the wall, unable to move, so he helplessly said, “Alright, I’m not changing classes.”

He still had to go back to study; he didn’t have time to chat with Jiang She.

Jiang She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Chu Tao sighed, exasperated. “Really.”

Jiang She stepped aside, giving Chu Tao room to pass. Chu Tao quickly walked ahead. He didn’t want Yang Liu to come out and see him hanging around in the corridor with Jiang She.

But Jiang She stood still and called out from behind, “You’re not changing classes, is it because of me?”

He cautiously asked, not really expecting an answer.

Chu Tao’s footsteps slowed slightly. He didn’t turn around but remained silent for a moment.

“Yes.”