The classroom erupted in commotion.
"Whoa, isn't she the one from that underground forum… she looks different somehow."
"This chick's got guts. Isn't she a solo operative? How could she possibly answer a mech maintenance question?"
"Say what you will, but if she actually pulls this off, I'll genuinely fall for her!"
"…Pfft, hopeless romantic."
…
Jiang Buli watched her without blinking, showing neither surprise nor doubt.
Lu Lefeng slapped his shoulder wildly. "You think she's got this?"
The lecturer on stage swept his sharp gaze over her again and again, looking down his nose at her. "And what if you can't do it?"
The female Alpha didn't overstate her abilities, completely unfazed by the provocation. She answered cautiously, "I imagine that even if I can't answer, Teacher wouldn't fault someone who's eager to learn."
Hearing this, the lecturer, now hoisted onto a moral high ground, let out a cold snort and said disdainfully:
"Of course."
Rong Xuanyu nodded politely, took the stylus herself, and walked up to demonstrate.
She didn't even glance at the question. From the start, she wrote out a stream of obscure formulas and data with effortless fluidity.
Gasps rippled through the audience. Some students who were more proficient in the course tried to verify her steps.
But before long, they all threw down their pens in defeat. "Damn, is she even human? This person doesn't even show her calculation steps!"
The lecturer's face, like dried bark, slowly unfolded. His pupils went wide, his entire expression filled with disbelief.
He stepped forward and grabbed Rong Xuanyu's sleeve. "This—you, which class are you from? How have I never heard of you?"
Rong Xuanyu wrote out the final formula, then turned and put away the stylus with a clean motion. Hearing the lecturer's question, she was a bit puzzled.
"Teacher, you didn't specify that the helper had to come from this class."
"No! That's not it!" The lecturer was so flustered he could barely speak. He urgently asked again, "Which class are you from?!"
Rong Xuanyu was even more confused. Does that matter?
"Mech Class One. Why?"
"Mech! Mech?!" The lecturer's eyes rolled back and he started to collapse straight down.
Rong Xuanyu was startled and quickly caught him. She saw tears streaming down his aged face—nothing left of the arrogant demeanor from moments ago.
"Come here… I saw you waiting in the hallway earlier. You've got a partner in this room, right?"
"Transfer to my department. I'll take you on as my final disciple, and I'll give your partner full marks."
The room erupted in noise again. Someone frantically raised their hand and shouted, "Teacher, teacher, look at me! I'm their partner!"
"Get out of here! When did my partner become yours?!"
It wasn't unreasonable for them to act this way—the mech maintenance course had an abysmal pass rate, and it held supreme status among all maintenance department subjects:
If you couldn't pass this course, you'd never graduate.
Rong Xuanyu's mind went blank from the sudden turn of events. On a whim, she looked toward Jiang Buli, only to find him walking through the crowd to her side, hands tucked neatly in his pockets, staring straight at her.
Rong Xuanyu: Uh… what does that mean?
A possibility occurred to her, and her pupils contracted in shock.
No way. Are you asking me to admit you're my partner?
"Well? Have you made up your mind?"
Seeing her hesitate, the lecturer thought victory was in hand and waited smugly for her reply.
Rong Xuanyu's heart pounded like a drum. She swallowed against her dry throat and was about to close her eyes and say it when she heard a cool, magnetic voice beside her ear.
"The problem's been solved. Teacher, you should honor your promise and let us leave."
"Huh?" Oh. That wasn't what I thought.
Rong Xuanyu had been overthinking it, only to realize she'd misunderstood.
Since Jiang Buli wanted to leave, Rong Xuanyu had no choice but to gently remove the lecturer's hand with an apologetic look. The venerable old teacher had never been treated like this in his entire life.
He stubbornly followed them down half the hallway. "People beg me to take them on for projects and I turn them all away! You'll regret being so hasty! You'll definitely regret this!"
"Wait, wait! Hey, you! Don't forget to come to the next class—"
Jiang Buli pulled the female Alpha by the wrist and walked quickly. Rong Xuanyu hesitated and glanced back.
Seeing her like this, Lu Lefeng excitedly patted her shoulder:
"Don't look, don't look. That old man's faking it—he's the Science Association's famous actor."
He familiarly slung an arm around Rong Xuanyu's shoulder. "I'm just saying, with skills like yours, why worry about not landing a rich Omega? Why would you—"
"Lu Lefeng!"
Jiang Buli suddenly stopped in his tracks and snapped coldly.
Hearing this, Lu Lefeng instantly dropped his playful expression. Expressionless, he lowered his arm from Rong Xuanyu's shoulder and walked straight up to Jiang Buli.
"Protective much? Can't even take a few words."
Seeing things about to go south, Rong Xuanyu quickly moved between them. "Don't get angry. Don't fight."
Jiang Buli pushed Rong Xuanyu's arm away. Seeing that he was serious, Lu Lefeng's temper flared up too: "What's the rush? How few are those on the forum who covet her?"
"I'm just one more."
The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Buli's eyes turned red, a hint of hurt visible in them: "Lu Lefeng!"
Sharp canine teeth pierced his lower lip. Lu Lefeng licked the blood at the corner of his mouth, draping his jacket over his shoulder with a look of utter boredom. "No fun."
He turned and left. Jiang Buli watched his retreating figure, chest heaving violently, a mist clouding his emerald eyes.
Rong Xuanyu didn't understand what had happened between them, so she could only wipe the tear tracks from the corner of his eye with her thumb.
"There, there, don't cry."
Jiang Buli instinctively leaned closer, half-embracing Rong Xuanyu's waist, stubbornly insisting: "I'm not crying."
It had been too long since they'd been this close. Jiang Buli couldn't help but ask: "Rong Xuanyu, why don't you spend my money?"
"I can earn my own." Rong Xuanyu answered without a second thought.
Live off a kid's allowance? She couldn't bear that shame.
"If you don't want my money, then why are you so good to me?"
That question truly stumped Rong Xuanyu. She asked herself honestly—she wasn't the charitable type, yet she couldn't help but keep an eye on Jiang Buli.
Rong Xuanyu asked herself: did she really just see him as a child who needed looking after?
Jiang Buli waited for a reply that never came, his fingertips going numb. Casting aside all pride and self-respect, he pleaded humbly:
"Rong Xuanyu, can we try? Please?"
"I…" Rong Xuanyu looked at his emerald eyes, her whole body going numb.
She opened her mouth helplessly, then closed it again, her mind completely blank, unable to load any answer.
Seeing this, Jiang Buli took her hand and led her to a secluded garden, pushing her against a tree.
Then, with everything on the line, he rose onto his tiptoes.
"!"
Rong Xuanyu's heart seemed to stop. She felt the touch on her lips and the warmth of his breath.
Too close—so close she could clearly see the fine fuzz on his cheeks.
The kid's eyes were squeezed shut, and all he could do was rub his lips against hers clumsily. His fingertips dug deep into his palms, terrified as though opening his eyes would mean being sentenced.
From start to finish, Rong Xuanyu traced every tiny movement of his—his trembling lashes, his pale complexion, and his moist, rosy lips.
When they finally parted, her throat bobbed once as she stared straight at the fluffy crown of the boy's hair.
Fine. No more hesitation needed.
Jiang Buli lowered his head, finally daring to open his eyes. But the moment he did, tears fell like beads from a broken string.
No reaction at all. Jiang Buli closed his eyes, tears sliding messily down his cheeks, not daring to imagine the shock and disgust on her face.
"Then let's try."
The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Buli froze, then jerked his head up: "What did you… say?"
Rong Xuanyu looked seriously into his eyes and repeated: "Let's be together."