Winter vacation flew by in the blink of an eye.
No matter how reluctant they were, the students still had to shoulder their backpacks and step back onto campus.
Anyone who spotted students sporting massive dark circles under their eyes, looking utterly drained and yawning nonstop, could guess without asking—they’d probably pulled an all-nighter rushing through their holiday homework.
And if they were unlucky enough to be seen by the Discipline Director, they were in for a proper scolding.
The new semester brought a new seating arrangement for Class 6, assigned strictly by academic ranking.
Jiang Wan, who placed in the top ten, naturally claimed a spot in the front row. Bei Huai was no longer scraping the bottom of the class, but she still hovered in the middle of the pack.
One sat at the far left, the other at the far right, with several classmates between them.
From her seat, all Bei Huai could catch was the faintest glimpse of Jiang Wan’s silhouette.
Her new deskmate was a tall, burly boy.
Right now, though, he was shrinking in on himself like a bullied young wife, stealing furtive glances at her.
He truly hadn’t expected such a bombshell on the first day back—being seated next to Bei Huai. In the past, he wouldn’t have dared dream of it.
When Bei Huai had walked into the classroom that morning, her classmates had been shocked by her black hair. But that didn’t mean their deep-rooted fear of her had vanished.
Sure, Bei Huai had become much more approachable lately, her sharp tongue softened. But that was mostly around Jiang Wan. Everyone else still got the cold shoulder.
And after a whole winter break, who knew if she’d revert to her old self?
Lost in his swirling thoughts, the boy had no idea that Bei Huai had already noticed his sneaky looks.
She hadn’t planned to pay him any mind at first, but his stares were so blatant she couldn’t ignore them.
“Need something?” she asked, frowning as she turned to him.
The sudden question startled him half to death, especially as her gaze grew icier. His mind went blank, words tumbling out in a jumbled mess as he stammered without getting to the point.
Bei Huai’s patience was wearing thin. “Gotta hit the bathroom?”
He blinked in confusion. Before he could process it, she stood up smoothly, stepping aside to let him pass.
“Not going?”
“Going, going!” he blurted, scrambling to his feet.
It wasn’t until he was out of the classroom that the realization hit him.
Bei Huai… wasn’t as terrifying as he’d imagined.
The girl now sitting in front of her was a poor substitute, and Bei Huai wasn’t adjusting well.
She’d grown used to staring at Jiang Wan’s back, and somehow, just watching it always lifted her sour mood.
But now? It only made her feel worse.
Jiang Wan, on the other hand, was in heaven.
She was surrounded on all sides by top students, all of them friendly types.
Her deskmate was a bespectacled, clean-cut boy who ranked one spot above her—dragged down only by his English scores.
His physics marks were exceptional, the highest in the class and in the top twenty year-wide.
Having a physics genius right next to her had Jiang Wan thrilled beyond words.
The only issue was that he seemed awfully shy. Whenever she talked to him, his eyes darted away, and his voice grew quieter and quieter.
Though… was she overlooking something?
A few days passed like this, until Bei Huai finally couldn’t take it anymore. After school, she cornered Jiang Wan, brimming with resentment.
“Why are you always grinning at that guy? He’s not tall, not built, just this scrawny little— He doesn’t match you at all!”
Bei Huai had no clue just how thick with jealousy her words dripped.
“What are you talking about? I was just asking him about a problem,” Jiang Wan replied, equal parts amused and exasperated.
“Then why not ask me?” Bei Huai shot back on reflex.
That set Jiang Wan laughing for real.
She set her bag down and regarded Bei Huai with leisurely patience. “All right then, Little Bei—er, classmate. Could you walk me through the last physics problem from today’s assignment?”
Bei Huai froze for a second, her gaze flickering as she feigned annoyance. “Just call me Little Bei. What’s with the ‘classmate’ bit?”
Even as she grumbled, a flush crept up her ears.
She actually called me her Little Bei classmate.
So… so shameless.
“Is that the point?” Jiang Wan sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.
Bei Huai pouted. “It’s just physics. Just you wait—next exam, I’ll beat that guy.”
When Jiang Wan didn’t respond right away, she started to panic. “You don’t believe me?”
Jiang Wan fixed her with a serious gaze, then smiled softly and said with utmost sincerity, “I believe you.”
“Little Bei—as long as it’s you saying it, I believe every word.”
It was such a simple statement, yet it made the tip of Bei Huai’s nose tingle.
After she’d plummeted into the abyss, everyone had written her off, watching from afar with cold detachment.
Only Jiang Wan had drawn near without hesitation from start to finish, trusting her unwaveringly.
Bei Huai had rarely felt truly moved from childhood until now, but at last she understood the feeling.
It was like a river locked in ice for ages, thawing bit by bit beneath a gentle spring breeze. Or like the first ray of warm sunlight piercing through the depths of winter.
The sensation was so wondrous it left her a little flustered, unsure how to respond.
Her Little Moon trusted her so completely—how could she ever let her down?
Everyone said Bei Huai had changed.
She seemed like a completely different person.
The fiery red hair that the Discipline Director had scolded her over time and again was now dyed black. The silver studs in her ears were gone, and she even wore her school uniform properly.
No more showing up late or slipping out early. She listened attentively in class and turned in her homework on time.
She was the picture of a model student.
It was as if she were determined to make up for all the wasted years, cramming with relentless intensity.
She even changed her profile picture and nickname to: Studying. Do Not Disturb.
Qu Tao and the others didn’t dare ask her to hang out anymore, making a conscious effort not to bother her. Cen Jin held back her usual sharp tongue for once and kindly lent Bei Huai her own highlighted notes.
Even Jiang Wan tried to talk her down every now and then, urging her not to push so hard. “Your health comes first,” she’d say. “There’s still plenty of time—take it slow.”
Bei Huai would just smile, nod, and say sure. Then she’d go right back to what she was doing.
Her time was precious; she couldn’t waste a single second.
Fate had never been kind to her. Now that she’d finally seized this chance, how could she afford to slack off?
In the past, she’d studied like a demon just to win Yun Manzhu’s approval. Now she was doing it to make herself good enough—truly worthy.
Only then could she stand proudly at Jiang Wan’s side. Only then would she have the courage to say, “I like you.”
Truth be told, she wasn’t nearly as free-spirited or wild as she seemed.
Deep down, she was nothing but a coward. A total wimp.
Everyone had seen how hard Bei Huai was working these days. Even the teachers had started treating her with a warmer smile.
After all, it was rare for a problem student to turn things around like this.
In just over a month, her grades had skyrocketed, with physics showing the most dramatic improvement.
She had a genuine gift for the subject, far beyond the ordinary. She didn’t just make clever connections—she could puzzle out concepts the teacher had barely touched on, figuring them out with a little thought.
The physics teacher was over the moon. He hadn’t realized it before, but now…
To discover such a rough diamond in his class, neglected for so long—it thrilled him and broke his heart in equal measure.
Cherishing talent as he did, the physics teacher now pulled Bei Huai aside for extra one-on-one sessions whenever he could.
Bei Huai didn’t pick up on his intentions. When the quiz scores came back, the first thing she did was check hers. Sure enough, she’d beaten Jiang Wan’s desk mate and claimed the top spot in the class.
Grinning from ear to ear, she dashed over to Jiang Wan and waved her paper under her nose. “See? Told you I wasn’t bluffing.”
Jiang Wan hesitated, looking a little deflated, as if she’d taken a hit to her pride.
Bei Huai’s expression was pure tsundere—”Praise me, but I’m not gonna ask for it”—and Jiang Wan couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, Little Bei is pretty amazing.”
She flashed a thumbs-up, her eyes sparkling as she beamed at Bei Huai.
Those bright, crystalline eyes pinned her in place, laying all her secret hopes bare. Bei Huai fidgeted with her earlobe, trying to play it cool. “Psh, like I need you to tell me.”
She started to turn away, but Jiang Wan caught her hand.
The classroom was nice and toasty from the heater, and even through Jiang Wan’s thick cotton jacket, her palm felt warm and soft against Bei Huai’s skin.
The delicate touch sent a tingle racing up Bei Huai’s arm—a sweet, fizzy warmth that seeped straight into her heart.
“W-What’s up?” She glanced back, forcing herself to stay calm.
“Got a question for you. Will our resident physics genius help me out?” Jiang Wan smiled radiantly, her clear eyes and delicate features like something out of a painting.
Just like that, she let go.
Bei Huai’s heart unclenched… but an odd emptiness followed.
It didn’t last. Gazing at that beautiful smile, the void filled in an instant, replaced by a gentle current of joy rippling through her chest.
She ducked her head with a soft laugh. “Fine. Since you’re asking so nicely, I’ll make an exception.”
You might never know.
She’d been waiting for those words for so long.
