Hua Tong had no idea she had already caused a sensation throughout the entire school. Right now, she was facing the daunting task of climbing to the fourth floor.
Her previous schools had all had elevators. She never expected that a school as big as No. 1 High School wouldn’t have one.
She turned to look at Lin Zixuan and asked, ”Bro, is No. 1 High School really that poor? They don’t even have an elevator.”
Lin Zixuan scratched his head, not sure why his sister was asking, but he answered seriously anyway, ”No. 1 High School is actually pretty well-off, not poor at all. The reason they didn’t install elevators is because the principal said climbing stairs exercises students’ bodies and builds their perseverance.”
Hearing Lin Zixuan’s explanation, Hua Tong was speechless. It was the first time she’d ever heard that climbing stairs could build perseverance.
Hua Tong looked up at the fourth floor. Little fourth floor, easily conquered. She could definitely do this.
By the time she reached the second floor, Lin Zixuan understood why his sister had asked whether the school had an elevator.
Watching his sister panting and huffing, Lin Zixuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, not very kindly.
Lin Zixuan grinned widely as he teased Hua Tong, “Sis, your physical fitness is way too bad! You’ve only just made it to the second floor. No wonder Mom makes you take your medicine. You really do need it—without it, you can’t even climb to the second floor.”
Hua Tong rolled her eyes at the gleefully laughing Lin Zixuan. “Bro, if you keep making fun of me, I’ll go home and tell Auntie you were mocking me.”
Sure enough, at the mention of those two words, Lin Zixuan immediately shut his mouth and apologized to his sister, “Sorry, Sis, I won’t laugh anymore. Don’t tell your auntie.”
So for the rest of the way, Hua Tong climbed to the third floor and rested for five minutes, while Lin Zixuan patiently and uncomplainingly waited five minutes. When she reached the fourth floor, Lin Zixuan waited another five minutes for Hua Tong to catch her breath.
Looking at his sister leaning against the wall to rest, Lin Zixuan sighed. Normally it only took him three minutes to climb up here; now it had taken a full twenty minutes.
Once Hua Tong had recovered, Lin Zixuan led her toward Class 3 of the senior year.
In the classroom, Wen Yan checked his phone again. Twenty minutes had already passed. Why hadn’t the person arrived yet?
As the young master of the Wen family, he had long known that a transfer student would be joining their class. If he guessed right, the pretty girl who had caused a stir throughout the school must be their class’s transfer student.
Jiang Xianshu, who was frantically rushing to finish his homework, also noticed something off about Wen Yan and teased him, “Ah Yan, what are you looking at? Your eyes keep glued to the door, and you keep checking the time. Are you waiting for your destined one?”
Wen Yan clicked his tongue and lifted his eyelids to glance at him. “Finished your homework?”
Sure enough, the moment those words left Wen Yan’s mouth, Jiang Xianshu looked at the pile of homework still beside him and instantly had no spare time for joking around.
Wen Yan looked up at the door again. The person he wanted to see was standing right there. Their gazes happened to meet, but the girl was the first to look away, turning to speak to the person beside her.
The only thought left in Wen Yan’s mind was: she’s so damn pretty, prettier than him. The girl was wearing No. 1 High School’s blue-and-white striped uniform, small-framed, with fair skin, delicate features, a petite oval face, big round eyes, and pale lips—she looked like she’d be wonderful to kiss.
Just then, Lin Zixuan spotted Wen Yan and shouted happily, “Yan-ge!” pulling Wen Yan out of his daydream and back to reality.
That shout of Lin Zixuan’s also drew the gazes of everyone in Class 3 of the senior year onto him and Hua Tong.
Someone spotted Hua Tong and exclaimed, “Wow, is that the pretty girl from this morning?”
“I didn’t expect her to be in our class.”
“She’s really gorgeous—prettier than the school belles, Bai Yumou and Mu Xuewei.”
“Looks like the school belle title is changing hands this year.”
…
Lin Zixuan introduced her to Wen Yan and Jiang Xianshu. “This is my little sister, Hua Tong.”
“Sis, this good-looking guy here is Wen Yan, and that one is Jiang Xianshu. They’re both my best bros.”
Hearing Lin Zixuan’s introduction, Jiang Xianshu wasn’t happy about it. “Xuanzi, why does A-Yan get introduced as ‘super handsome’ while I just get a name?”
Lin Zixuan rolled his eyes at him. “A person should have some self-awareness. You think you’re more handsome than Yan-ge?”
Jiang Xianshu glanced at the guy beside him. There was simply no comparison.
Comparing himself to Wen Yan was just asking for humiliation.
Hua Tong looked at the boy her brother had called very handsome. He really was handsome—the absolute pinnacle of the striking-features type, with deeply defined, unmistakable features: a pair of obsidian-black eyes with slightly upturned corners, a high nose bridge and a sharp jawline, thin pinkish lips that were full and sensual, and naturally cool-toned fair skin. He was, without a doubt, a devastatingly handsome guy.
He was also exactly her ideal type.
Wen Yan noticed the girl kept looking at him, and the corners of his mouth lifted. So she liked his face quite a bit, huh. He could definitely make good use of it.
He reached out his hand toward Hua Tong. “Hello, I’m Wen Yan.”
Hua Tong stared at the outstretched hand, froze for a moment, then extended her own. “Hello, I’m Hua Tong.”
Wen Yan watched their hands clasp together, the corners of his lips curving up despite himself. Just as he’d imagined—very soft.
Beside them, Jiang Xianshu and Lin Zixuan both stared wide-eyed at their joined hands. Since when was Wen Yan this approachable?
Normally, didn’t he just treat situations like this as if they didn’t exist? Was this still their cold, heartless Yan-ge?
Noticing their strange looks, Hua Tong asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Wen Yan glanced at the two of them and answered for them. “They’re fine. Their eyes are just cramping.”
The two with cramping eyes had nothing to say.
Seeing that time was almost up and he still had to get back to class, Lin Zixuan gave Hua Tong some parting instructions. “Sis, if you need anything, you can go to Yan-ge or Shuzi. Remember to pick up your medicine at noon—you’re drinking it in front of me, and you have to record a video for your auntie.”
Hua Tong nodded obediently, though the thought made her unhappy. She’d been planning to secretly dump the medicine out—she never expected her auntie to demand video proof of her drinking it.
“Yan-ge, Shuzi, remember to take good care of my sister for me.”
Wen Yan nodded, then his gaze flicked to the thermos in Hua Tong’s hand. So she was sick—that explained the hint of coolness in her fingertips.
Jiang Xianshu thumped his chest. “Leave our little sister to me and you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
With that, Lin Zixuan hurried off.