The crystal chandelier cast a cold light onto everyone’s exam papers. Tests at St. Silan Academy were never merely contests of knowledge.
The ink itself seemed steeped in the bloody scent of family rivalries.
Illegitimate children gripped their pens until their knuckles turned white, while legitimate heirs pretended nonchalance as they glanced at their competitors’ papers.
In any case, no matter how fierce the competition, Miss Jing would always be the one without fear.
Because the Jing family was firmly held in the grasp of Jing Lüyan.
And what Jing Lüyan treasured most was none other than his younger sister.
Sheng Ran stared at the girl sitting diagonally in front of him, his haze-blue eyes narrowing slightly.
He had been staring for a full twenty minutes…
Yet the girl was still working on her problems…
The usually willful and spoiled young lady was now frowning, her fingertip resting on the pen cap as she gazed intently at the questions on the exam paper, deep in thought.
—So well-behaved.
—Extremely rare, and… extremely endearing.
Sheng Ran pressed his tongue against his canine tooth, and as if possessed, he took out his phone, aimed the camera at her, and zoomed in—
Click.
The crisp shutter sound was especially jarring in the quiet exam hall.
Several nearby examinees turned to look at him in unison, their expressions varied.
And the sharp glare from the girl diagonally in front of him arrived right on cue.
Sheng Ran’s hand trembled, and he quickly flipped his phone face down on the desk. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and the tips of his ears uncontrollably flushed a faint red.
Damn it, he forgot to mute the sound.
He cleared his throat, feigning composure, and lowered his head to pretend to look at his exam paper.
Out of the corner of his eye, however, he caught sight of a tall, slender figure walking toward him.
Sheng Ran looked up, meeting a pair of stern eyes—
Xi Yize stood before his desk, his gaze sharp as a blade, the platinum buttons on his uniform cuffs gleaming coldly.
The entire person resembled a sculpture precise down to the millimeter.
Sheng Ran was all too familiar with this face, or rather, everyone in their circle knew Xi Yize.
Starting from international chess competitions at age six to global economic simulation contests at fourteen, Xi Yize always stood on the highest tier of the awards podium.
Even though they were all the same age, he had skipped two grades and now, unexpectedly, had become the Student Council president overseeing everyone.
But Sheng Ran knew that Xi Yize was nothing more than a perfect yet pitiful machine programmed by routines.
Electronic devices are prohibited during exams.
The man’s voice was deep and left no room for doubt.
Sheng Ran curled the corner of his mouth, wanting to retort, but then remembered the scene of being caught red-handed just moments ago, feeling inexplicably at a disadvantage.
Irritated, he ruffled the golden curls at the back of his head and finally handed over his phone.
Xi Yize took it, his fingertips brushing across the still-lit screen.
Then he lifted his gaze calmly, letting it linger on Sheng Ran’s flushed ear tips for a second before shifting away without a trace.
Retrieve it from the Student Council after the exam.
With that, he turned and left, his back straight as a pine tree, even his footsteps sounding like a pre-calculated rhythm.
Sheng Ran stared at his retreating figure, pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, cursing inwardly.
…How fucking embarrassing.
~
Sunlight streamed through the arched glass windows of the corridor, gilding the shoulder line of Lin Jinhuan’s dark green uniform.
Leaning against the wall with one hand in her pocket, she held a bottle of mango milk in the other, condensation still beading on its surface.
The light refracted by the bottle made Ming Jiahe roll her eyes.
She’s coming out.
Song Shishi stood on tiptoe, watching the figure slowly moving within the exam hall.
The moment Jing Nian’an stepped out of the exam hall, her wrist was seized by an irresistible force.Lin Jinhuan leaned in, enveloping the girl completely in her shadow. With two fingers, she pressed the straw directly against her lips.
Mmm…!
The cool straw pressed into her lip, causing it to dip slightly. The girl’s almond-shaped eyes widened instantly.
Upon recognizing who it was, she glanced warily at the bottle in Lin Jinhuan’s hand.
“Hold it yourself. It’s not poisoned.”
Lin Jinhuan chuckled softly, her thumb suddenly brushing the corner of the girl’s mouth. “Drink up, don’t worry.”
The moment the sweet aroma of mango exploded in her mouth, Jing Nian’an felt her left hand being taken.
Lin Jinhuan’s palm was a full size larger than hers, and she was meticulously wiping each of Jing Nian’an’s fingers with a damp cloth.
From her fair fingertips to the pale pink nail beds, even the spaces between her fingers were carefully attended to—
I—I can do it myself…!
Jing Nian’an’s ears flushed hot. She tried to pull her hand back but was held even tighter.
The cuff of Lin Jinhuan’s uniform brushed against the inside of her wrist, where a faint red mark from leaning on it during an exam remained.
Suddenly, Lin Jinhuan curled her knuckles and lightly scraped the skin there. “Does it hurt?”
The sunlight suddenly felt too intense.
Jing Nian’an stared at the other girl’s lowered eyelashes—Lin Jinhuan’s brow bone was exceptionally well-defined, striking yet not overly harsh.
From the side, a faint, tiny mole was visible on the tip of her nose.
Rather than handsome, she was more like a sharp, striking kind of beautiful.
I can wipe it myself!
Jing Nian’an yanked her hand back abruptly, not noticing that the lace cuff of her inner sleeve had caught on the other girl’s button.
She stumbled half a step forward, her forehead colliding directly with Lin Jinhuan’s shoulder.
The mango milk tea fell to the ground with a soft plop.
Lin Jinhuan steadied the girl by her slender waist, her nose almost brushing the top of Jing Nian’an’s head. “An’an, are you throwing yourself at me now?”
No, it was an accident!!
Jing Nian’an instantly bristled and leaped away.
Nearby, Ming Jiahe stared intently at the two, her fingers unconsciously digging into Song Shishi’s arm.
Ouch, ouch, ouch—!
Song Shishi grimaced and shook her arm free. “Ming Jiahe, what’s wrong with you?! If you’re jealous, go hug her yourself!”
Ming Jiahe snapped back to reality, releasing her grip as if shocked, her face flushing. “Who’s jealous?!”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m leaving!”
But after walking away, she glanced back resentfully at Jing Nian’an beside Lin Jinhuan:
“You’ve definitely never tried that new Mexican restaurant, right…”
A whistle sounded from afar.
Sheng Ran leaned against the end of the corridor, a mint candy between her teeth, her haze-blue eyes cool and sharp. “How lively.”