Before the evening self-study session, Sheng Qingxi went to the office to talk to Jiang Mingyuan about applying for a study room.
When Jiang Mingyuan heard Sheng Qingxi’s request, he thought he had misheard. Scratching his head awkwardly, he pulled out a set of last year’s Jiangcheng math exam papers. Since the English and physics teachers were also there, he asked them for their exam papers as well.
Pushing his glasses up, he said, “Stay here and finish this set of exam papers. Once you’re done, I’ll assess your current progress before giving you the answers. That sounds fair, right?”
Sheng Qingxi nodded. It was indeed fair, considering that her grades were the most important thing in Jiang Mingyuan’s eyes.
Pointing to an empty seat across from him, Jiang Mingyuan said, “Sit there and write. I’ll get you some scrap paper.”
The evening study session started at 7 PM and ended at 9:50 PM. It was 6:30 PM now, and Jiang Mingyuan glanced at the time. He figured that Sheng Qingxi wouldn’t be able to finish all three papers in one night.
At 7:20 PM, Sheng Qingxi handed in her completed math paper.
Jiang Mingyuan: “…”
He suspected that this child was deliberately giving him extra work because she thought he had nothing better to do in the evenings.
Jiang Mingyuan accepted the exam paper. He had completed this same set last year, so he rummaged through his things and found the paper he had done.
Five minutes later, Jiang Mingyuan stared silently at Sheng Qingxi’s perfect score. Her solution to the last problem was much simpler than his, skipping the complicated calculus steps. Judging by her solving speed, her mental math ability was on another level.
Quietly glancing at Sheng Qingxi, Jiang Mingyuan noticed she had already started on the comprehensive science paper. The scrap paper he had given her remained untouched.
The principal had already told Jiang Mingyuan that this student had excellent grades, but this was a bit too much, wasn’t it? How did her brain work?
The comprehensive science paper from last year’s Jiangcheng exam was notoriously difficult. It took Sheng Qingxi an hour and a half to finish it. When she was done, she let out a sigh of relief. Though it took a bit longer, she was confident in her accuracy.
After finishing the science paper, Sheng Qingxi paused for a moment, closing her eyes to organize her thoughts.
At 9:00 PM, Sheng Qingxi began the English exam.
English was the easiest subject for Sheng Qingxi, given that it was more of an everyday subject. Thirty minutes later, she handed the English paper to the English teacher and stood up to relax while waiting for the results.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mingyuan had already seen Sheng Qingxi’s score on the science paper—another perfect 300.
The English exam was her fastest, and her score was predictable. Nevertheless, Jiang Mingyuan patiently waited for the English teacher to finish grading. After reviewing the exam, the English teacher asked, “Are you the new transfer student? What’s your name?”
Sheng Qingxi softly replied, “Ms. Zhu, my name is Sheng Qingxi.”
Ms. Zhu smiled warmly at her. “If you develop a deeper interest in English, feel free to come to me. I can recommend some great schools.”
The physics teacher interjected disapprovingly, “She’s such a promising student, let her decide for herself. Not everything revolves around English. Student, have you considered joining our physics department?”
Jiang Mingyuan waved his hand. “Alright, it’s almost time to go. Let her leave.”
Sheng Qingxi turned to Jiang Mingyuan and brought up the matter she had mentioned earlier.
Jiang Mingyuan thought for a moment before asking, “Which class is the student you mentioned in? I’ll talk to her homeroom teacher. If they agree, you can use the study room for tutoring in the future.”
Seeing that Jiang Mingyuan agreed, Sheng Qingxi’s eyes revealed a trace of happiness. “Thank you, teacher.”
Jiang Mingyuan smiled gently at her. “Go ahead, the evening study session is almost over. Stay safe on your way home.”
Sheng Qingxi responded softly, then left the office with light steps.
The March night was still cold. As soon as Sheng Qingxi stepped outside, she felt the chill of the wind blowing through the corridor. Instinctively, she shivered and quickened her pace back to the classroom.
Thinking about her promise to Song Shiman to draw a sketch for her, Sheng Qingxi realized that she probably wouldn’t get to bed early tonight.
Rubbing her neck, she walked into the classroom. There were still five minutes left before the class ended.
Chen Yi noticed Sheng Qingxi’s return and couldn’t help but ask, “Sheng Qingxi, where did you go? Someone wanted to borrow your notebook earlier, but I didn’t give it to her.”
Sheng Qingxi quietly replied, “I went to ask Teacher Jiang about applying for a study room during the evening self-study sessions.”
Chen Yi was surprised. “For the whole semester? I heard it’s really hard to apply for one. Across all three grade levels, there are only about 20 spots. Once the seniors graduate, a few spots should open up.”
Sheng Qingxi shook her head. “I only applied for two months, ending before the college entrance exams.”
Chen Yi glanced around and then whispered, “There’s no surveillance in the study room, and the teachers rarely check on it. But if your monthly test scores drop, the teachers might cancel your spot after evaluating the situation.”
Sheng Qingxi nodded. “Teacher Jiang already told me all that.”
Seeing that she was well-informed, Chen Yi didn’t say more.
At 9:50, the dismissal bell rang.
Sheng Qingxi, eager to get home and start sketching for Song Shiman, packed up quickly. After saying goodbye to Chen Yi, she jogged towards the quieter staircase.
Gu Mingji had been about to ask her where she’d been that evening, but when he saw her heading that way, he instinctively followed.
Just as Lin Ran and the others exited through the back door, they saw Sheng Qingxi running ahead, with Gu Mingji chasing after her. Surprised by how fast she was, he raised his voice and called out, “Xiao Xi!”
He Mo and Xie Zhen, hearing this affectionate nickname, exchanged glances. They had seen Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji eating together in the cafeteria before, and now hearing him call her by such a familiar name sparked their imaginations.
The two of them started whispering:
“Last time in the cafeteria, didn’t the top student eat with her?”
“Yes, we definitely saw that.”
“Just now, didn’t he call her by name? And in such an intimate way!”
“Yes, we definitely heard that.”
“And this afternoon, didn’t we hear her say she wasn’t going to chase after Brother Ran and wasn’t interested in dating?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t chase after her.”
“True.”
Lin Ran’s expression remained unreadable. He didn’t look at Gu Mingji, only casting a glance at Sheng Qingxi as she hurried downstairs. Then he turned his head and looked at He Mo and Xie Zhen, his voice calm and indifferent, “You two are doing a comedy routine now?”
He Mo and Xie Zhen immediately shut their mouths.
Lin Ran casually slung his bag over his shoulder and walked down the stairs at an unhurried pace. He Mo and Xie Zhen followed behind, arms around each other’s shoulders, discussing how they had to team up for some ranked matches in the Summoner’s Rift tonight.
As Lin Ran descended the stairs, he caught a glimpse of Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji walking side by side, heading down a path so dark that nothing could be seen. He instinctively furrowed his brow.
Xie Zhen and He Mo, both sharp-eyed, noticed this too.
Xie Zhen said, “Wow.”
He Mo added, “Top student’s making moves fast.”
Lin Ran’s dark eyes narrowed. He stood still for a moment, watching them, before saying, “You two go on ahead.”
After speaking, Lin Ran quickened his steps toward the shortcut, his pace somewhat hurried from a distance.
He Mo clicked his tongue. “Ah Zhen, I think there’s something between the ‘fairy’ and Brother Ran. I had a feeling this afternoon. Everyone’s been guessing what type Brother Ran likes, and it turns out he’s into girls who are pretty and take the initiative.”
Xie Zhen nodded in agreement, pretending to be serious. “If I had known winning over Brother Ran was this easy, I would have rushed to hug him at the start of the semester. Then the ‘fairy’ wouldn’t have a chance.”
He Mo laughed. “…You’d probably have killed him.”
Xie Zhen: “Shut up!”
.
The dark path had few people, and Sheng Qingxi, walking with Gu Mingji, wasn’t in a hurry.
Lin Ran quietly followed behind them, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far. The scene tonight was quite similar to the one from the night when he had waited for her—only this time, Gu Mingji was there.
With one hand in his pocket, Lin Ran listened as the boy in front of him chatted with Sheng Qingxi.
Gu Mingji asked, “Xiao Xi, you weren’t in class for the whole evening self-study. Where did you go?”
Lin Ran thought: How is that any of your business?
Sheng Qingxi’s voice was soft. “I was in Teacher Jiang’s office all evening.”
Gu Mingji pressed further, “Are you having trouble with your studies? Or is it something else, like not being used to life at school?”
At that, Lin Ran glanced at Gu Mingji’s figure. This kid sure likes to meddle.
Sheng Qingxi shook her head. “Neither. I went to apply for a spot in the study room. Teacher Jiang had me do a set of exam papers tonight, so I spent some time in his office.”
Gu Mingji said, “You’re applying for the study room? Teacher Jiang asked me about it at the start of the semester too. I told him I’d think about it. How about I join you? The environment there is quite good.”
Lin Ran didn’t like hearing this. The girl can go wherever she wants. Why are you tagging along, being such a bother?
Sheng Qingxi hesitated and said, “I’m going with Shiman. You don’t have to come just because of me.”
Gu Mingji chuckled. “It’s fine, I’ve been thinking about it anyway. Xiao Xi, you don’t need to be so formal with me. I’m used to looking after you, just like when we were kids.”
Lin Ran: Damn, I’m the one getting involved in things I shouldn’t.
He didn’t want to hear any more, so he turned to leave.
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose in the night, and Sheng Qingxi’s slender figure ahead of him shivered slightly from the cold.
When they reached the school gate, the two of them went their separate ways. Gu Mingji got into the car that had come to pick him up, while Sheng Qingxi walked alone toward the bus stop. In the chilly night breeze, her figure appeared both lonely and a little pitiful.
Lin Ran felt even more irritated. As he walked toward the bus stop, he raised a hand to his collar and yanked hard, pulling the zipper of his school uniform all the way down.
Sitting on the bench, Sheng Qingxi’s mind wandered to Lin Ran. With her fingertips, she traced the outline of his face in the palm of her hand—his facial contours, the lines of his neck, and his lean figure.
Whatever she was thinking, it suddenly made her blush. She patted her cheeks lightly, trying to clear her mind and stop herself from having such thoughts.
In the next moment, she heard the faint sound of wind by her ear, and suddenly everything went dark.
A warm jacket was draped over her, completely blocking her vision. In the enclosed warmth, she caught the scent of Lin Ran.
Vetiver and iris root.
For a moment, she had the illusion of being embraced by him.
Above her, a cool, indifferent voice sounded: “Wear it.”
Sheng Qingxi was momentarily stunned. By the time she snapped out of it and took the jacket off her head, Lin Ran was already gone.
At that moment, she no longer felt cold.