Chapter 21

Lu Chenyu’s gaze fell on the brand-new exercise book, and she dryly managed to say, “What do you mean?”

Wen Feixi smiled faintly and asked in a soft voice, “That exercise book was so dirty… and besides, someone else’s name is written on the cover. Is it really appropriate for you to use it?”

From a distance, Lu Chenyu peered toward the trash can. She could see the large characters spelling out “Xia Weiwei” on the exercise book’s cover.

“…” Lu Chenyu lowered her gaze, her fist clenching instinctively. “This is yours. I can’t—”

Before the words “accept it” could fully escape her lips, Wen Feixi interrupted her with a smile. “Don’t misunderstand, Classmate Lu. I’m not giving it to you for free just because you’re pretty.”

She said I’m pretty. Heat rushed to Lu Chenyu’s ears at once, while her heart malfunctioned, thumping erratically this way and that.

“I need you to promise me one condition,” said Wen Feixi.

“What condition?” asked Lu Chenyu.

“Join the Science Innovation Club,” Wen Feixi replied. “Accompany me to a competition.”

“I don’t have time,” Lu Chenyu refused without thinking.

“The prize is twenty thousand,” Wen Feixi said. “We’ll split it down the middle.”

Lu Chenyu’s mind buzzed. In an instant, excitement coursed through her veins, heating her neck.

Wen Feixi’s eyes crinkled in amusement as she beamed at her.

“Well,” Lu Chenyu said reluctantly, “since you’ve invited me like this, I suppose I will.”

Delight deepened in Wen Feixi’s eyes. She asked softly, “Have you washed your hands?”

“I washed them just a moment ago,” Lu Chenyu replied.

“Disinfected them?”

“No.”

Lu Chenyu’s heart began pounding again. She worried Wen Feixi might think she was dirty…

From her bag, Wen Feixi pulled out a pack of alcohol wipes. She took hold of Lu Chenyu’s hand where it rested on the desk.

A cool, soft sensation spread across Lu Chenyu’s skin, stiffening her entire body.

Wen Feixi’s hands were exquisite—her fingers long and pale, nails tinged with soft pink, her skin so thin that the blue veins stood out clearly on the backs.

Standing before Lu Chenyu, Wen Feixi bent her head. Strands of her ink-black hair draped down from behind her ear as she carefully wiped Lu Chenyu’s hand with the disinfectant wipe, avoiding the red marks.

Suddenly, Lu Chenyu felt terribly awkward.

But these were Wen Feixi’s wipes, after all. She couldn’t very well ask her to hand them over so she could do it herself.

Once finished, Wen Feixi balled up the wipe and tossed it into the trash can.

“Thank you for today,” Lu Chenyu murmured softly.

…

There was still plenty of time left.

With great care, Lu Chenyu opened the exercise book she had finally obtained.

This was the very one she and Wen Feixi had selected together at the bookstore that day. Beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, its purple cover gleamed with vibrant shine.

The moment Lu Chenyu flipped it open, her eyes landed on the title page, where bold characters declared: Wen Feixi. Class 11 (Grade Two).

“…”

Oh well. A name scribbled inside didn’t matter.

The exercise book was practically pristine. Wen Feixi had barely touched it, jotting only a few sample problems on the first page. Fresh ink scent wafted up as Lu Chenyu turned the pages.

She loved that aroma.

Cherishing it like a treasure, Lu Chenyu opened the book wide. Tucked inside was a thick solutions manual, along with a booklet of mind maps. Many of the problems were ones she had never encountered.

Truth be told, the exercises from Fourth High School’s workbooks were sufficient for building a solid foundation. Yet Lu Chenyu craved more. To make Ms. Song happy, she had to tackle extra problems, pushing herself toward even more impressive test scores.

Pen in hand, Lu Chenyu began working through them.

Just then, the chair beside her scraped open. Wen Feixi settled in with a few sheets of scratch paper.

Lu Chenyu pursed her lips, discomfort washing over her once more.

But this was Wen Feixi’s exercise book. She couldn’t shoo her away.

In the hushed classroom, only the faint scratch of pen tips against paper broke the silence.

Absorbed in her work, Lu Chenyu soon completed an entire page. At the same moment, Wen Feixi set her pen down.

Stunned, Lu Chenyu glanced at Wen Feixi’s scratch paper.

Wen Feixi had been solving the exact same page, their progress nearly identical.

Propping her chin, Wen Feixi smiled. “You’re quick on the uptake. These aren’t easy problems, but you grasp the material so well. How?”

Heat flooded Lu Chenyu’s cheeks, a spark of quiet pride igniting within her.

Aside from her teachers, no one had ever praised her quite like this.

“Want to check our answers against each other?” Wen Feixi suggested.

“Sure,” said Lu Chenyu.

Nerves tingling, she opened the solutions manual.

Deep down, Lu Chenyu still harbored a competitive edge against Wen Feixi. She didn’t want to be outdone. But as they compared answers one by one, four of hers were wrong—while Wen Feixi’s were nearly perfect.

Lu Chenyu’s mood plummeted.

Why was Wen Feixi so brilliant?

Earlier upstairs, she had run into her right after cram school. Someone like Wen Feixi undoubtedly attended countless tutoring sessions on the side. Of course she was better.

Examining Lu Chenyu’s paper, Wen Feixi tapped the final major problem with the end of her pen. “This one’s tricky. Want me to walk you through it?”

“No need,” Lu Chenyu replied coolly. “I can study the solutions myself.”

“…” Wen Feixi fell silent.

After her curt refusal, an awkward quiet settled beside her. Lu Chenyu peeked sideways and saw Wen Feixi with her head bowed, her face expressionless as she leafed through her scratch paper.

Regret twisted in Lu Chenyu’s gut.

Wen Feixi had helped her out again today. How could she speak to her so harshly?

She was just about to say something—anything—to smooth things over when Teacher Xu’s furious face appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, this has to be the worst class I’ve ever taught! It’s still self-study period, and every last one of you has vanished!”

—

Evening self-study.

“The monthly exam is right around the corner, but instead of hitting the books, you’re all off goofing around!” Old Xu’s angry voice boomed through the classroom.

“I walked by after class today and the room was deserted! Only Wen Feixi and Lu Chenyu were in here—what do you think they were doing? Working through problems together!”

Dead silence gripped the class.

Lu Chenyu wished the floor would swallow her whole. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Wen Feixi sitting calmly up front, serenely turning the pages of her book as if she hadn’t heard a word.

“Two girls—the top students in the class! Why can’t the rest of you learn from their example?”

From the seats below, a girl whispered, “I kinda ship them. What’s wrong with me?”

“No way. Lu Chenyu and Wen Feixi have always been at odds, haven’t they? Since when do they study together?”

“Old Xu must’ve seen it wrong. They weren’t doing problems—they were fighting.”

Having finished his tirade, Teacher Xu passed out test papers. “This is a pop quiz. Fail it, and you’re calling your parents!”

The quiz covered fresh material from recent lessons that no one had reviewed, leaving everyone shaky on it. Overall, the paper was tough.

Papers in hand, the students began scratching out answers, faces clouded with worry.

Lu Chenyu scanned her test, her eyes lighting up just a touch.

The pop quiz filled the entire period.

As class neared its end, Lu Chenyu finished and turned in her paper.

Teacher Xu gave her an indulgent smile and dove right into grading.

Sympathetic glances turned her way from the class.

Old Xu always graded the first paper handed in right there on the spot. Reward or torture—no one could say.

He finished quickly and announced with a grin, “Perfect score.”

Soft murmurs of dismay rippled through the room.

Lu Chenyu took her paper and descended from the podium. Glancing up by chance, she caught Wen Feixi watching her. Those foxy phoenix eyes narrowed playfully, curving into a flirtatious smile.

Back at her seat, Lu Chenyu ducked her head. Her ears burned hot.

She had blazed through the quiz so fast because several problems matched the types she had done in the exercise book that afternoon.

One by one, others began handing in their papers.

Old Xu graded swiftly on the spot, returned them, then clapped his hands from the podium. “Time’s up.”

Noise erupted in the classroom.

“Now we’ll go over this test,” Old Xu declared loudly. “No more submissions if you haven’t turned it in yet… Eyes on multiple choice, question six.”

At that instant, a crumpled paper wad sailed back from Han Yi up front, landing squarely on Lu Chenyu’s desk.

Lu Chenyu blinked in surprise.

No one had ever passed her a note during class before.

Unfolding it, she read the neat handwriting: Happy?

The script gave it away instantly—Wen Feixi’s. A little smiley face grinned beside the words.

“…”

In the past, Lu Chenyu would have ignored such a bizarre message outright.

She dithered for a long moment before scrawling slowly on the paper: Nothing to be happy about.

Knowing it came from Wen Feixi, Han Yi passed the note back with extra gusto.

It returned in a flash.

Unfolding the wad again, Lu Chenyu read Wen Feixi’s reply: You looked pretty happy while smiling (smiley).

Lu Chenyu truly wanted to ignore her. Was Wen Feixi that bored? When had she even smiled?

Yet setting the note aside left her fidgety, guilt creeping in.

She was beginning to grasp the saying about accepting a favor leaving you beholden.

Having taken Wen Feixi’s exercise book, brushing her off now felt wrong…

Unsure what to write, Lu Chenyu simply dotted the paper: …..

She crumpled it up and passed it forward.

The wad bounced back almost immediately.

Lu Chenyu: “?”

Wen Feixi: After class, meet me in the hallway.