Unrequited love, its intricacies, its topsy-turviness, perhaps only one's self truly understands.

—Little Monster's Diary

"Still not getting up? Trying to crush me?"

The person underneath gasped, their voice restrained, deep, and groggy from just waking up. If he hadn't spoken, Ding Xian wouldn't have had time to react, remaining foolishly pressed against his back.

Ding Xian suddenly bounced away from him, genuinely a bit startled. Turning back, Kong Shadi also had a look of not knowing what to do with herself.

The matter between the girls was finally brought to light.

Kong Shadi wasn't used to holding back. Seeing Ding Xian and You Keke frequently associating these past few days, she genuinely felt as if someone had stolen her boyfriend, even though the two of them had already "broken up" before that.

What's more, the two had argued because of You Keke, and this feeling of being taken advantage of indeed left her with a sense of emptiness. At this moment, Kong Shadi harbored strong ill will towards You Keke, and also felt wronged. Why should Ding Xian instantly have new friends and completely forget that just a few days ago, she herself had been holding a new friend's hand to provoke Ding Xian?

Tears fell unexpectedly. Kong Shadi turned and ran, rubbing her eyes, feeling at this moment exactly like the female lead in a Qiong Yao drama, overwhelmed by immense sadness, crying as she ran out of the classroom.

Ding Xian couldn't understand Kong Shadi's feelings. It was clearly Kong Shadi who had bumped into her, so how did she end up being the wronged one? Ding Xian stood dumbfounded in place.

Zhou Siyue rubbed his hair and sat up, leaning his back against the chair, head down, trying to clear his head.

Sleeping on a desk at noon was bad for the spine. Half of his arm was numb from being pressed. He shook his head, rubbing his arm, and casually glanced at her, his voice a bit stuffy: "Did you upset her again?"

"I just got back," Ding Xian whispered.

Zhou Siyue glanced at her. His lips were dry, and he lightly licked them with his tongue. He found these relationships between girls extremely complicated, and shook his head speechlessly.

As the lunch break neared its end, most of the class had woken up. Students rubbed their faces, sat up, and chatted with classmates or did homework. Ding Xian looked at Zhou Siyue, who was drinking water, and whispered, "Should I go explain to her?"

Zhou Siyue stopped drinking. His voice, now moistened, regained some of its cool clarity: "Explain what?"

"...To make peace. This is too uncomfortable. It was actually a very simple matter. If I had just given in a little back then, there wouldn't be all this trouble now."

Zhou Siyue listened quietly. After drinking the last sip of water, he crushed the bottle, turned sideways, and accurately tossed it into the trash can behind him, saying half-jokingly, "You know to make peace with her, but you don't know how to yield to me? Tsk tsk, look at how spoiled I've made you."

'How could that be the same?'

Ding Xian stared at him resentfully.

Zhou Siyue pulled out a test paper. Just as he opened it, he saw her staring at him like that and chuckled softly: "What? Upset?"

"..."

"Next time if we argue, you'll need to have this awareness."

After Zhou Siyue finished speaking, he no longer paid attention to her. Instead, he opened his test paper and immersed himself in his competition studies, casually tossing out a remark, "Kong Shadi is just a bit slow-witted. No need to argue with her. If you want to make peace, go ahead."

Ding Xian found Kong Shadi in the restroom. The little girl's eyes were swollen from crying, standing in front of the sink like a little rabbit, and didn't forget to give her a cold remark: "What are you doing here?"

Ding Xian stood at the restroom door, spreading her hands innocently, "I came to use the restroom."

"..."

Kong Shadi turned and walked away.

Only then did Ding Xian pull her back and coax her, "Alright, Shadi, it was my fault. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you that day."

Kong Shadi pursed her lips, looking at her with a wronged expression, as if she had a lot to say but couldn't quite articulate it. She was too upset, and after a long moment, she finally managed a meaningful —

"Hmph."

In their usual relationship, Kong Shadi actually held more initiative.

But at this moment, Ding Xian's soft whispers sounded more like she was coaxing her girlfriend, "Let's not argue anymore, okay?"

Kong Shadi said nothing, holding herself stiffly, seemingly unwilling to forgive her so easily.

Actually, in her heart, she knew she was also at fault.

After a long pause, her gaze darted back and forth over Ding Xian, and her attitude seemed to soften a little.

Ding Xian knew she was ticklish, so she took the opportunity to reach out and tickle her.

"Pffft." Kong Shadi couldn't hold back her laughter, accompanied by a big sneeze.

After two seconds of silence, an irrepressible burst of laughter echoed from the restroom, along with Kong Shadi's embarrassed growl, "Ding Xian!"

"My fault, my fault, my dear lady."

In the afternoon, bell-like laughter echoed in the restroom, and another osmanthus flower outside the window seemed to have bloomed.

The two walked back to the classroom arm in arm.

Zhou Siyue was explaining a problem to a boy in front. He Xingwen had just finished using the restroom and, as he passed Zhou Siyue's seat, secretly glanced over. Ding Xian saw him let out a disdainful snort, walking and shaking his water-filled hand.

The two boys didn't notice, engrossed in their discussion of the problem, completely oblivious to He Xingwen's malicious "water droplet attack."

Ding Xian returned to her seat. Zhou Siyue noticed the movement, merely glanced at her, and continued explaining the problem to others.

After finishing a few problems, the boy was incredibly grateful: "I feel like after your explanation, my whole body's channels are clear, like my Ren and Du meridians have been opened! Please guide me more in the future, great master."

Zhou Siyue smiled faintly: "You're too kind."

The boy comically cupped his hands in greeting, picked up his paper, and turned to go back.

Zhou Siyue glanced at Ding Xian, who was lying on the desk, "Made up?"

Ding Xian nodded, "She was quite hard to coax. It took a lot of talking."

"You can coax people? Impressive."

Ding Xian suddenly sat up, looked at him, and asked off-topic, "Do you think boys also argue?"

Zhou Siyue twirled his pen while smoothly writing answers on the test paper, saying without thinking, "Probably. But boys usually just fight if they don't like something."

"...You fight too?"

Zhou Siyue didn't even raise an eyelid, answering without hesitation, "Yes."

A man with such high tolerance fights too? Ding Xian found it incredible. What kind of things could possibly provoke him to fight?

Then she heard Zhou Siyue calmly add, "When I was little, I used to fight with Jiang Chen every day. Don't look at Jiang Chen now, but he was really asking for a beating when he was a kid."

"...He's still asking for a beating now."

Ding Xian said with dissatisfaction.

Zhou Siyue smiled: "Still holding a grudge? Alright, next time I'll make him treat you to a meal."

"Forget it, I'm not familiar with him."

Zhou Siyue hummed, his gaze returning to the test paper, "Alright then."

End of conversation.

During the second period Chinese class in the afternoon, after the first period ended, Ding Xian went to Zhan Wenli to retrieve the students' homework. The office door was ajar. As she reached out to knock, she heard rustling voices from inside. It seemed not the time to go in. She moved to the side, and just as she turned, she heard—

"You want to participate in the competition?"

The math teacher looked at the boy in long sleeves standing before him.

He Xingwen nodded.

Yang Weitao was very clear about He Xingwen's grades. He excelled in physics, chemistry, and Chinese, while his math and English were relatively weaker. When selecting candidates, Yang Weitao would consider many factors. Zhou Siyue, being talented and having plenty of time, was definitely the first choice.

"Do you still have the energy? Actually, He Xingwen, we don't necessarily have to go down the competition path. Your current performance in all aspects is quite balanced and average; you can still get into a good university by taking the college entrance exam."

Ding Xian pouted.

'What kind of talk is that? Zhou Siyue just doesn't study. If he were serious, there'd be no place for He Xingwen at the top.'

He Xingwen actually didn't have the energy, but he had a very competitive personality. He always felt, why couldn't he do what others could? He didn't think he was dumber than anyone else.

"Teacher, I want to participate."

He Xingwen said firmly.

Yang Weitao didn't know where this kid got his drive from. He somewhat helplessly propped his forehead: "Participating in competitions is very time-consuming. It might take up time you'd spend on other subjects later. Is that okay with you?"

"It's fine. Zhou Siyue can do it, and my grades are better than his, so why can't I?"

Yang Weitao suddenly gave him a meaningful look, and finally nodded: "Did you have any prior foundation?"

He Xingwen shook his head.

Yang Weitao pulled out a few chapters of test papers and handed them over: "Finish these few chapters of papers first, and bring them to me tomorrow."

Before He Xingwen came out, Ding Xian quickly walked to the stair landing, pretending she had just come up. He Xingwen, clutching a stack of test papers, hurried over without looking at her, passing her like a gust of wind.

Ding Xian carried the homework books out and encountered He Xingwen again at the classroom door. He seemed to have just returned from the restroom, the papers still in his hand, his steps still hurried.

Ding Xian was carrying a large stack of homework books. He Xingwen, his mind elsewhere, charged straight towards her as if he hadn't seen her. Ding Xian couldn't stop in time, and the two collided head-on.

"Crash—" went the sound, and papers and notebooks scattered all over the floor.

She landed on the floor with a thud, followed by a piercing pain that made her grimace, unable to help but gasp, her face contorted in a way that she knew, without looking, was utterly hideous.

Zhou Siyue and Song Ziqi were discussing a finished NBA game. Hearing the noise, they turned around, saw Ding Xian lying on her back with her limbs in the air, and then both shook with laughter.

Ding Xian braced herself on the ground, still on her back, gritting her teeth from the pain: "What are you laughing at?"

Zhou Siyue: "Song Ziqi, what are you laughing at?"

Song Ziqi: "Are you seriously framing me like that?"

He Xingwen picked up the papers from the floor and left without a word.

The two sharp-eyed boys saw him. Zhou Siyue showed no expression, but Song Ziqi asked, "He's going to participate in the competition?"

Young Master Zhou had no interest in who participated in the competition.

After he had laughed enough, he finally stood up and pulled Ding Xian up from the floor, not very gently, but by grabbing her arm and lifting her directly. The boy's warm, thick palm felt warm and dry through her thin T-shirt. Zhou Siyue helped her pick up all the notebooks and placed them on the desk, saying, "I'm impressed. You can even fall like that. Why were you running so fast? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary to get it checked?"

Ding Xian's backside hurt, and she really wanted to rub it, but felt it would be improper. She could only endure it, her face flushing red then turning pale. She waved her hand, preparing to stand up and distribute the homework books.

Zhou Siyue pressed her back down, "Just sit."

"You're going to help me distribute them?"

Ding Xian was surprised.

Zhou Siyue simply shoved the items into Song Ziqi's arms, directing skillfully, "You distribute them."

"..."

"Holy crap! You're flirting with a girl. Why should I help you distribute them?"

He ended up being kicked over by Zhou Siyue, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Ding Xian couldn't help but blush at Song Ziqi's words "flirting with a girl."

So, in front of Zhou Siyue, she still counted as a girl?

Then she heard someone scoff softly, "What kind of girl is she?"

"..."

Ding Xian snatched back the homework books, gritting her teeth, "I'll do it myself."

As her words fell, an enthusiastic voice sounded from behind:

"I'll help you."

Ding Xian turned around at the sound, seeing Liu Xiaofeng, the enthusiastic young man who had just returned from the teacher's office, standing at the door, scratching his head and grinning foolishly at her.