Senior year was, after all, different from the first and second years. During morning self-study, the classroom was no longer filled with the sound of loud recitation, but with the flipping of pages and the soft scratching of pen tips.
Now, classes were spent almost entirely buried in practice papers.
Those who had made it to senior year were all aiming for university, so everyone was especially disciplined. Even during breaks, the classroom remained full of students bent over their desks studying.
Su Nuonuo was also lowering her head, seriously working through problems. She had already mastered these questions in her previous life, so her pen moved smoothly, finishing them all in no time.
Lu Zhiye, however, did not have the same peace of mind. Ever since he had been pestered by Su Nuonuo that morning, his thoughts had not settled once.
His fingers repeatedly rubbed the ring on his left thumb. The cold, hard metal pressed against his palm as fragments of blurred childhood memories suddenly flickered through his mind.
He lifted his gaze toward Su Nuonuo’s back in front of him. Her high ponytail hung neatly over her shoulder, the ends naturally curling in soft arcs—dazzling and familiar.
He let out a low scoff, his eyes darkening slightly.
Sure enough, even her appearance was exactly the same as when she was little.
And yet… something was different.
Not the same anymore.
Disturbed by the surging, unfamiliar emotions, he grew restless and fled to the rooftop of the teaching building.
It was his private refuge. Only there could he escape all disturbances.
After finishing her paper, Su Nuonuo sat quietly at her seat, her head lowered as if studying. Yet from the corner of her eye, her gaze stayed glued to Lu Zhiye behind her, catching every movement he made.
The moment he stood up and pushed open the door, she froze briefly.
Then, without drawing attention, she stood up and slipped out through the back door, lightening her steps as she quietly followed him. When she saw him head up the stairs, she guessed he was going to the rooftop.
Without hesitation, she gently pushed open the rusty iron door that creaked loudly.
The first thing she saw was his back as he leaned against the railing. The usual arrogance and sharpness had faded, replaced by a rare trace of loneliness.
Hearing footsteps, Lu Zhiye did not turn around. His tone carried its usual impatience. “You really are impossible to shake off.”
Su Nuonuo was not annoyed. She walked over and stood beside him, looking out at the distant playground.
A breeze passed by. She stayed quiet for a moment before speaking softly, “The view here is really nice. It feels close to the sky… and far from worries.”
Perhaps the wind was too gentle, or perhaps her voice was too soothing—Lu Zhiye spoke almost involuntarily, a trace of vulnerability hidden in his voice that even he did not notice. “Aren’t you afraid of me? Everyone else is.”
Su Nuonuo suddenly turned her head, her gaze meeting his seriously, carrying certainty—and a hint of quiet heartache. “I’ve seen you at your fiercest. I’m not afraid.”
She had also seen the way he had risked his life to save her from the fire.
The emotion in her eyes was like a small stone thrown into his heart, stirring countless ripples.
The fortress he had built so tightly around himself loosened, just a little.
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew across the rooftop, and Su Nuonuo couldn’t help but sneeze.
Lu Zhiye’s brows immediately furrowed. Almost instinctively, he raised his hand, took off his school jacket, and roughly tossed it over her head, speaking stiffly, “Put it on. You’re troublesome.”
The oversized jacket wrapped around her entirely, carrying his warmth and a faint, clean scent of soap.
She clutched the edge of the jacket, her gaze falling on the tip of his ear as he turned away again. The obvious flush there made her lips curl up slightly.
She knew that she had finally pried open the first crack in Lu Zhiye’s tightly sealed world.
The rooftop breeze remained gentle. Wrapped in the warmth of the jacket, a subtle silence spread—soft, ambiguous, and lingering.
Su Nuonuo suddenly tiptoed closer, her nose nearly brushing his cheek as she whispered softly, “Lu Zhiye, your ears are red.”
Her sweet breath, mixed with the faint fragrance of her hair, drifted toward him.
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Lu Zhiye jerked back half a step. His handsome face flushed instantly as he glared at her, trying to argue, though his usual sharp edge was gone. “It’s the wind!”
Even as he said it, his hand betrayed him, lifting quickly to touch the tip of his ear. The burning heat made his heart tremble, throwing him into flustered confusion.
Su Nuonuo could no longer hold back and let out a clear, bright laugh.
Her eyes curved into crescents, lively and radiant. The vividness of her expression stunned him, and he forgot to argue further, staring at her blankly.
The breeze swept past again, lifting the loose strands by her temples and ruffling his bangs. The rooftop had already been quiet, but now only their intertwined breaths and the increasingly clear sound of their heartbeats filled the silence.
His Adam’s apple moved. He turned his eyes away, not daring to look at her. The tips of his ears grew even redder, and his thoughts tangled into a mess.
He was both irritated by her constant closeness and unable to resist the warmth of this moment. Yet even he could not sort out his own feelings, nor could he understand what exactly the girl—whose eyes were filled only with him—felt for him.
Watching his awkward avoidance, Su Nuonuo’s smile deepened. Her fingers lightly gripped the jacket on her shoulders, warmth and reassurance spreading through her.
Just then, the crisp ringing of the bell cut through the air, breaking the lingering atmosphere on the rooftop.
Su Nuonuo withdrew her smile, carefully smoothing the jacket before folding it neatly and handing it back to him. Her voice was soft and sweet. “Thank you. See you later.”
With that, she turned and ran lightly downstairs, her ponytail swaying behind her, leaving a bright and gentle figure in her wake.
Lu Zhiye stood there alone, looking down at the neatly folded jacket in his hands. His fingers brushed over the fabric, still carrying a faint trace of her warmth and scent.
For the first time, he seriously wondered: this girl—well-behaved, excellent in studies, completely out of place in his world—why did she insist on getting involved with him?
He raised his hand and put the jacket back on. The fabric clung to his skin, as if still holding a trace of her warmth.
His chest felt warm… and chaotic.
An indescribable feeling spread quietly through his heart.
Just then, a call from one of his lackeys came in. The loud, careless voice on the other end asked where he had wandered off to.
Lu Zhiye stayed silent for two seconds. Then, speaking into the phone, his voice was so soft it was almost drifting—tinged with a gentleness he himself did not notice:
“…Getting some air.”