Liang Zhiyi’s smile froze upon hearing the words.
This person is Pei Chen?!
You say you are, and that’s fine, but why did you just go along with everything I said earlier? What was the point of that?!
After a few seconds of silence, she maintained her composure and smiled:
“Well, that’s… quite the coincidence.”
“To be honest, your homework,” she smiled with a hint of sarcasm, “is really something.”
Pei Chen: “…”
The next moment, Liang Zhiyi noticed the homeroom teacher entering the office. She immediately stepped aside with her homework in hand. The teacher came over, pulled out a chair, and sighed, “There’s always so much to do at the beginning of the semester. It’s overwhelming.”
Pei Chen placed the homework in front of the teacher: “Homeroom teacher, everyone in the class has submitted their homework.”
“Good.”
Seeing this, Liang Zhiyi quickly admitted, “Sorry, teacher, I forgot to do one of my physics worksheets. I’ll finish it up and turn it in right away.”
Hearing her, the homeroom teacher finally noticed her.
He saw the young girl with her head lowered, her face full of guilt, making it hard for him to scold her.
He flipped through the rest of her homework and saw that it was done quite diligently. Considering she was a new transfer student, he leniently said, “Alright, you can turn it in next Monday when the semester officially starts.”
After speaking, he looked at Pei Chen: “You can go now.”
Pei Chen responded, and as Liang Zhiyi turned her gaze, she met his eyes.
The boy’s eyes were clear but cold.
He quickly looked away indifferently and turned to leave.
Liang Zhiyi: Huh? He didn’t report me to the teacher?
Her thoughts drifted as she glanced at his departing figure. Just as she was thinking how handsome he was, she suddenly froze, finding him familiar—
Wait, could the boy she saw in the administrative office this morning be him?!
Pei Chen’s height and build were similar to that person’s, but she remembered that the other guy was wearing the school uniform, so she couldn’t be sure…
She was probably overthinking it. How could it be such a coincidence?
She pulled herself back from her thoughts as the homeroom teacher asked her to hand in her tuition fee. After handing over the money and completing her registration, the homeroom teacher took her to the classroom.
Once they arrived, the homeroom teacher stood at the front of the class:
“Everyone, quiet down. This is a new transfer student in our class. Let’s have her introduce herself to everyone.”
Liang Zhiyi looked at the crowd, her eyes curving into a beautiful arc as she spoke, “Hello everyone, my name is Liang Zhiyi. I hope we can all get along well from now on.”
For a moment, it was as if a drop of water had fallen into boiling oil—the class instantly erupted. The students looked at Liang Zhiyi, and excited voices accompanied by applause filled the room:
“No way, the rumor is actually true!”
“She’s the school beauty from the branch campus…”
“I’ve seen her in that show The Silent Year. Even though she only had a small role, wow, she’s really pretty…”
The homeroom teacher knocked on the desk to quiet everyone down, then pointed to a few empty seats in the classroom and said to Liang Zhiyi, “Pick a seat and sit down for now.”
Liang Zhiyi looked around, and when her gaze landed on the last desk in the fourth row, she suddenly paused—
Pei Chen was sitting alone at that desk.
The boy had a pair of thin-framed glasses perched on his tall nose, with skin as pale as snow, lips faint in color, and his features were refined and clean.
Although what happened in the office earlier was a bit awkward, at this moment, seeing him like this, her heart couldn’t help but start pounding uncontrollably.
But the boy was engrossed in his book, seemingly oblivious to the commotion in the classroom, treating her as if she were invisible.
Liang Zhiyi found it amusing and then said, “Teacher, I’ll sit at the last desk in the fourth row.”
Everyone: ?!
The classroom was in an uproar. At his desk, Pei Chen heard her words and slightly lifted his dark eyes, looking at the beautiful and charming girl standing by the podium. His thin lips pressed together, and an unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes.
After the teacher agreed, Liang Zhiyi walked over to his desk and asked, “Excuse me, can I sit inside?”
The boy remained unmoved. A few seconds passed, and just when she thought he was going to refuse—
He stood up and took a step to the side.
He made room for her to sit down.
But he still didn’t say a word, his gaze as cold as ice.
Liang Zhiyi smiled, sat down, and placed her backpack in place. Seeing the blue sky and white clouds outside the window next to her, she suddenly felt refreshed.
A beautiful view on the left, a handsome guy on the right.
A seat by the window in the back row, unmatched in the world.
At the podium, the homeroom teacher began to announce a few new semester matters, telling everyone to take note. Liang Zhiyi glanced at the aloof boy next to her, who was focused on his own things, and took the initiative to strike up a conversation: “Pei, could you lend me a pen and a notebook?”
As the saying goes, if you’re not embarrassed, it’s the others who will feel awkward.
Anyway, she had thick skin; she could pretend the earlier awkwardness never happened.
After a brief silence, the boy didn’t say a word but pushed over a piece of homework paper and a pen.
Liang Zhiyi smiled and thanked him. As she listened to the homeroom teacher’s routine talk, she propped her chin on her hand, feeling bored. Her gaze wandered around the classroom before finally settling on the clean and delicate features of the boy beside her, feeling a strange tug in her heart.
She quietly called him, “Pei—”
He turned to look at her with indifference.
Half-leaning on the desk, her eyes bright, Liang Zhiyi said, “Since we’re desk mates now, we should get to know each other. My name is Liang Zhiyi, you probably heard that earlier.”
Without looking up from his book, he responded with a few faint words, “You probably already know my name as well.”
“…”
Right, she had certainly enjoyed copying his homework in the office earlier.
Feeling a bit guilty, she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and quickly changed the subject, “So, are you the class monitor of Class Nine?”
He gave a slight nod.
Liang Zhiyi remembered something, “By the way, was that you I ran into last night?”
His eyes darkened slightly as he flipped through his book and coolly replied, “You guess.”
“…”
She chuckled, “You guess if I’ll guess.”
“…”
Liang Zhiyi insisted, “It must have been you.”
She doodled absentmindedly on the homework paper, and after a moment of silence, the boy glanced at her and asked quietly, “How do you write your name?”
“…Huh?”
One moment he was so cold, and the next he wanted to know how her name was written?!
Pei Chen noticed her smile as she looked at him, her expression somewhat amused.
“…”
The next moment, he pulled out a notebook from his bag, shattering her fantasy with his explanation: “I need to register your name on the class roster.”
…Oh.
She pursed her red lips and muttered, “You know how to write ‘Liang,’ right? ‘Zhi’ is the character for gardenia, and ‘Yi’ is the character for ‘meaning.'”
As Pei Chen wrote her name, his pen paused slightly when she mentioned the gardenia flower, as if the faint fragrance he had smelled in the air the previous night was wafting back into his senses.
He quickly finished registering her name.
At that moment, the homeroom teacher on the platform began discussing the most important matter: “Starting next Monday, on the first day of the new semester, the entire sophomore class will begin a week-long military training.”
The training would take place at an off-campus training base, so everyone was instructed to pack their bags over the weekend, as they would be under strict management.
“Military training in this heat, it’s going to be torture!”
“A whole week, I’m literally crying…”
Everyone groaned in despair upon hearing the news, but they knew there was no changing it.
After the homeroom teacher finished the announcements, he instructed the students to start distributing the textbooks. A boy with naturally curly hair sitting in front of Liang Zhiyi turned around and smiled at her, saying, “Hey, new classmate, let’s get to know each other. I’m Xuan Xia.”
The boy then patted the chubby guy next to him, who was snacking, and introduced him, “His name is Fan Gao. Not the Van Gogh you’re thinking of—it’s this ‘Fan’…”
Liang Zhiyi smiled and greeted them. The three exchanged a few casual words before Xuan Xia, still smiling, looked at Pei Chen and got to the point, “Pei Chen, what are you doing after the orientation? Going home?”
Without looking up, Pei Chen responded in his usual indifferent tone, “You guess.”
Xuan Xia was at a loss for words at hearing his signature phrase again, but pressed on without hesitation, “Then let’s go somewhere together afterward. I’ve got a great spot to show you.”
Pei Chen finished packing his things and declined more seriously, “I’m going to Xinhua Bookstore.”
“The one outside the school? Are you going to read?”
Pei Chen lowered his gaze, “Work.”
Because he was underage, the jobs he took were always temporary, with locations that weren’t fixed.
Xuan Xia understood and didn’t push further.
After a while, once everyone had received their textbooks, they were free to leave, and the students began to trickle out of the classroom.
Pei Chen packed his bag and left the classroom. Liang Zhiyi watched his attractive figure until he disappeared from sight, then slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out.
At the door of the classroom, Ji Fei’er was leaning against the railing and saw her. “Well, look who finally decided to come out.”
Liang Zhiyi lazily replied, “Let’s go.”
As they walked downstairs, Ji Fei’er stared intently at her. Liang Zhiyi turned her head, meeting her scrutinizing gaze without hesitation, raising an eyebrow slightly. “What?”
“Who was it that said she wouldn’t be boy-crazy?”
Ji Fei’er chuckled. “Not only did you go boy-crazy, but you went ahead and sat right next to him.”
Liang Zhiyi feigned innocence. “I would’ve loved to sit next to you, but unfortunately, you already have a deskmate. I had no other choice, okay?”
“Oh, please. It worked out perfectly for you. But how did you know he was the Pei Chen I was talking about? I never showed you his picture.”
“Because—”
“He’s just too obviously handsome.”
Liang Zhiyi’s eyes curved into crescent moons. Ji Fei’er, who had known her for so long, was stunned—this was the first time she’d seen her react like this to a boy. “He’s handsome, sure, but not like some out-of-this-world Adonis.”
Liang Zhiyi smiled, “He doesn’t need to be out of this world. As long as he amazes me, that’s enough.”
“What’s this? Have you taken a liking to him?”
Hearing this, a ripple stirred in Liang Zhiyi’s heart, but she didn’t directly respond. Instead, she simply said, “Let’s go, time to buy some stationery.”
—
The two girls walked out of the school gate and headed to a nearby stationery store.
After covering their books and picking out stationery, they dawdled their way out of the store, and by then, it was already noon. However, they weren’t in a hurry to go home because Ji Fei’er had planned for them to have lunch at a place near the school.
After lunch, they leisurely walked along the campus road, with Ji Fei’er pointing out the surrounding areas and giving Liang Zhiyi a brief tour.
As they walked, a tall, slender boy in a school uniform passed by Liang Zhiyi. She froze for a moment, instinctively thinking it was Pei Chen, but upon a closer look, she realized she had mistaken someone else for him.
She felt an inexplicable twinge of disappointment.
Looking down at the dappled light and shadows on the ground, she drifted into a daydream.
It wasn’t until Ji Fei’er called her name a second time that she snapped out of it. Ji Fei’er teased her, “What’s wrong? Were you daydreaming about that handsome guy?”
Liang Zhiyi hummed softly, “Yes, I was thinking about Pei Chen.”
“?? Are you serious?”
Liang Zhiyi herself wasn’t sure what was going on. How could she be so preoccupied with someone she had only just met? Was she really that drawn to his looks?
As they passed by a Xinhua Bookstore, Ji Fei’er remarked, “If you need to buy any textbooks, you can get them here. Some of our school’s students also come here to study.”
Liang Zhiyi absentmindedly responded, but suddenly felt a nudge on her shoulder. She asked in confusion, “What is it?”
“Weren’t you just thinking about Pei Chen?” Ji Fei’er chuckled lightly and pointed towards the bookstore, “Look, he’s in there.”
Liang Zhiyi turned her head, and upon seeing the boy standing by the bookshelf, she froze.
Pei Chen was standing tall, placing new books on the shelves. The sunlight slanted through the windows, casting a soft glow on him. His thin-framed glasses reflected the light, giving him a restrained and understated aura.
Liang Zhiyi recalled hearing something in class today about him going to work at a bookstore, though it wasn’t the same one where she had seen him last night. He was likely working part-time.
Her interest piqued, Liang Zhiyi said, “Let’s go in and browse some books.”
She pushed the door open and walked in, with Ji Fei’er following behind. They found a spot to sit.
“I’ll go find some books first,” Liang Zhiyi said.
“Or are you just going to see him?” Ji Fei’er teased, calling her out as the infatuated girl she clearly was.
Liang Zhiyi didn’t deny it, turning and walking towards the book section.
Pei Chen was busy organizing the books when he suddenly heard a soft voice nearby: “Pei Chen—”
The boy looked up and saw Liang Zhiyi walking towards him, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
Liang Zhiyi smiled as she approached him. “Pei Chen, what a coincidence meeting you here again. Are you working part-time at this bookstore?”
She kept her voice low, just enough for him to hear, and there weren’t any other people reading nearby.
Hearing her, Pei Chen lowered his long lashes, casting a faint shadow over his eyelids. His voice was soft and indifferent, “Do you need something?”
Liang Zhiyi’s lips curved into a smile. “I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d say hi.” Strictly speaking, she was indeed just passing by.
He remained silent, continuing with his task. She looked at him with sparkling eyes and said, “Pei Chen, don’t you think we have quite the connection?”
The boy kept working, his tone calm, “If by connection you mean that I share the same name as your friend, then yes, quite the connection.”
“…”
Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh at his remark. Then, more seriously, she added, “About this morning, I’m sorry for copying your homework. I know it was wrong, so I wanted to apologize.”
Copying homework was indeed her mistake, and she owed him an apology.
“Could you be the bigger person and not hold it against me?” Liang Zhiyi’s voice was soft and gentle as she stood a bit closer to him, her back to the bookshelf, her gaze fixed on him.
A few seconds later, Pei Chen replied distantly with a simple “Okay.” Seeing that she didn’t leave, he asked, “Is there something else?”
She murmured, pretending to browse the shelves casually, “No, not really. I just wanted to look at some books.”
“Then don’t follow me.”
“Am I following you…?”
He turned to look at her quietly.
She blinked her eyes and then said, “Honestly, I really did come to look at books, but I’m not sure what to read. How about you recommend something as an employee here? Something suitable for someone my age?”
Pei Chen stared at her for a few silent moments, then pulled a book from the children’s section in front of him, placed it in her hands, and walked away, leaving behind a faint comment: “This should suit you.”
Liang Zhiyi looked down.
The book’s title read: In the Night Garden: Storybook.
“…”
Alright.
You win.