The English teacher had an engagement in the morning and took leave, swapping with the afternoon P.E. class. When P.E. class ended, Zhong Xiu finally found an opportunity. While buying water for Lin Xi at the school store, she saw Zhai Yong approach alone.
“Class Monitor.”
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?” Seeing it was her, Zhai Yong’s expression softened. He specifically looked down at his clothes, pulling out and neatening the hem of his basketball jersey tucked into his waistband, and bought an extra bottle of Nongfu Spring water.
“It’s just, did you take back the notes you lent me?” Zhong Xiu was eager for an answer and didn’t pay much attention to his actions, naturally accepting the water he bought.
“No, I didn’t,” Zhai Yong frowned. Since he lent them to Zhong Xiu, he would naturally wait for her to return them after she was finished.
The subtle unease in Zhong Xiu’s heart was confirmed. Her spirits sank. How could this be?
“What’s wrong? Are the notes missing?” Zhai Yong was also a bit anxious, but Zhong Xiu seemed even more worried than he was.
“I’m sorry, I might have lost your notes,” there was no use in hiding it, so Zhong Xiu confessed directly, feeling apprehensive and guilty. “I don’t know when I lost them. They were still there last Friday afternoon. I had something to do this weekend, so I didn’t take them home.”
She had actually told a white lie. She did take Lin Xi’s notes home over the weekend.
“Don’t worry, try looking again. Did you lose anything else?” Zhai Yong didn’t quite believe someone would specifically steal his notebook from Zhong Xiu; perhaps it was taken incidentally.
Ye Shuwen, standing outside taking an ice pop, clenched her hand, shattering the ice pop instantly. Those were the notes Zhai Yong valued highly. She had asked Gao Lan to borrow them several times, subtly and directly, but Zhai Yong never agreed. She thought Zhai Yong would be furious that Zhong Xiu lost them.
She didn’t expect this reaction.
…
Going to the cafeteria with Lin Xi at noon, Zhong Xiu was a little preoccupied. The queue they were in had a dish she didn’t like, and Lin Xi noticed, asking her about it.
“I lost Zhai Yong’s notebook,” although Zhai Yong didn’t blame her, she still felt guilty. Regardless, she had failed to properly look after someone else’s property.
“You asked him?” Lin Xi didn’t recall when she went to look for Zhai Yong.
“Yes, I went to the school store just now. He said he didn’t take them.” Zhong Xiu’s tone was low.
Went to the school store? Lin Xi looked at the water in Zhong Xiu’s hand. It seemed unopened. Her throat worked. “Did you buy water?”
She had just played basketball for so long without a water bottle and hadn’t drunk anything. Her throat was a little dry now.
“Yes,” Zhong Xiu handed the water to her without thinking.
Lin Xi twisted open the cap and tilted her head back, drinking a third of it. She had sweated a lot and was dehydrated.
“Zhong Xiu, how can you give the water Zhai Yong bought for you to someone else?” Ye Shuwen happened to be queuing behind them. She was already annoyed to see Zhong Xiu, and then witnessed Zhong Xiu giving the bottle Zhai Yong bought to Lin Xi. She immediately flared up. What did Zhong Xiu take Zhai Yong for?
“Ah,” Zhong Xiu paused, then remembered she hadn’t bought water herself, and this bottle was indeed given to her by Zhai Yong. She replied good-naturedly, “Sorry, I forgot.”
Lin Xi glanced at the water in her hand, frowning. How did she know this water was bought by Zhai Yong for Zhong Xiu? Zhong Xiu herself didn’t even notice.
“I really didn’t mean to. I was planning to buy you water,” after Ye Shuwen left, Zhong Xiu said to Lin Xi with a helpless expression. “I was thinking about the notebook and didn’t notice him giving me the water.”
“Just buy him a bottle next time,” Lin Xi finished the remaining half bottle, tossing the empty bottle into the trash to prevent Zhong Xiu from overthinking.
Zhong Xiu sighed, feeling down.
“You told Zhai Yong you’d compensate him,” Lin Xi looked down at her. Although it was a question, the tone was clearly affirmative.
“How did you know?” Zhong Xiu was a little surprised.
“It’s written on your face. Zhai Yong made things difficult for you.” Lin Xi concocted a serious-sounding reason.
Zhong Xiu’s brow twitched. She subconsciously touched her face, then recalled Zhai Yong’s words, indeed feeling a bit difficult.
After confirming the loss, she asked Zhai Yong if there was any way to make up for it. She really didn’t want to owe him a favor like this. She was even willing to copy the notes out again.
“How can you make up for it? Unless you can collect all the test papers I’ve done before and let me do them again,” Zhai Yong chuckled. It was a mistake notebook, and even he didn’t fully remember all its contents.
Zhong Xiu could only keep apologizing.
“Since you want to compensate me, how about I aim for first place next time and ask Mr. Tang to let me sit at the same desk as you?”
He brought up the request after all. Zhong Xiu was a little unsure how to answer.
“Besides the mistakes, bringing up the score of someone failing physics is also a great opportunity to exercise my ability, isn’t it?” Zhai Yong looked at her expectantly.
“So you’re treating me as a guinea pig,” Zhong Xiu tried to make a joke to ease the tension, feeling a little awkward. “But that’s not up to me to decide. It depends on Mr. Tang.”
It also depended on his own grades. He hadn’t managed to surpass Lin Xi in the last monthly exam, which had made Zhong Xiu anxious for a while.
“It’s okay. Your agreement is enough.”
Zhai Yong smiled and left after saying this. Zhong Xiu remained, agitated. She really didn’t want to agree.
“Why worry about such a simple issue?” Lin Xi’s tone was quite nonchalant, carrying a hint of arrogance, yet it wasn’t annoying.
She was stating a fact. The biggest obstacle to Zhai Yong taking first place was her. This Alpha was like a rock, dominating the top spot in the science stream.
“Instead of being troubled by this, why not…”
“Why not what?”
She had learned to speak in suspense, likely from Yu Tian. Zhong Xiu remembered the magazine and felt a mix of sadness and helplessness.
Lin Xi looked at her, pointing her index finger at her own lips.
Zhong Xiu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“We should go eat grilled cold noodles and egg waffles this weekend.” The Alpha’s eyes were clear.
So that’s it. Zhong Xiu lightly punched her.
Can you stop teasing people like this?
…
Perhaps Lin Xi’s desire for grilled cold noodles was too strong. In the afternoon, Zhong Ruilin sent Zhong Xiu a message saying he had taken Zhong Xiu’s grandparents to the hospital for a check-up and couldn’t make dinner for them at home. He told them to find something to eat themselves or eat at the school cafeteria.
“Your wish came true. Are you happy?” Zhong Xiu asked her.
“Moderately,” Lin Xi tugged at her schoolbag strap, her brows drooping.
“Didn’t you want to go to the back street for snacks?”
“I’d rather eat with Grandma.”
Zhong Xiu understood. She wanted to eat grilled cold noodles on the weekend, but she didn’t want to miss dinner at home.
“Then what should we do? Dad said Grandpa and Grandma won’t be back until very late tonight.”
“Will you eat with me?”
“Yeah, I have nowhere else to eat either.”
“How about we cook ourselves?”
They happened to pass a farm produce store. Lin Xi pointed to the nameless green organic vegetables with dew still on their leaves.
It was clear she loved the atmosphere of their family dinners.
“But I don’t know how to cook. Do you?” Zhong Xiu was intrigued.
Zhong Ruilin was a chef himself, so no one in the family had to cook, especially Zhong Xiu’s mother and Zhong Xiu. Zhong Ruilin absolutely forbade them from getting near the cooking fumes.
When Zhong Xiu played house with her classmates as a child and stole some soy sauce from home, her father scolded her severely, telling her never to enter the kitchen, even when she grew up.
Lin Xi paused to think, checked her phone, then nodded, pulling Zhong Xiu inside.
The store sold seasonal vegetables that looked very fresh. Red and green produce was neatly arranged in chilled cabinets, which was visually appealing. A banner at the entrance read “Vegetable Basket Project Construction Base,” so the quality was at least guaranteed.
Lin Xi’s eyes scanned the fruits and vegetables. She picked out produce with a skilled look, lifting and weighing potatoes, and even sniffing some of the vegetables. The ones she selected were all clean and their colors were quite artistic.
“What vegetables are we buying?”
“Spinach, pumpkin, eggs, and fish.”
All dishes Zhong Xiu ate. Zhong Xiu was a little touched.
Comparing the produce to pictures on her phone, Lin Xi selected the spinach from a pile of green vegetables.
Although she didn’t look practiced, Zhong Xiu had great faith in her. After all, someone who had won so many trophies should be able to cook something edible, even if following an online recipe. That’s how it was in idol dramas, right?
Besides, Zhong Xiu had hardly ever eaten bad food her entire life.
“Playing house, are we?” The two high school students, wearing school uniforms and schoolbags, each holding a bag of vegetables, were teased by the owner as they checked out. “Be careful, don’t set anything on fire.”
“Mhm,” Lin Xi obediently replied. “We have fire safety equipment at home.”
The owner was amused.
The two decided to cook at Lin Xi’s house. Otherwise, if they blew up the kitchen at home, Zhong Xiu was afraid her father would hit Lin Xi’s butt with a frying pan if he found out.
“You go upstairs and do your homework. I’ll cook.”
Lin Xi’s answer was steady. She rolled up her sleeves and stood on her tiptoes to retrieve various seasonings from the upper cabinet. These were leftovers from the previous housekeeper.
The cabinet was high. When she raised her arm, her school uniform sleeve slid up, faintly revealing a segment of her waistline. Slim waist and long legs—that figure was truly enviable.
A pig’s appetite, a leopard’s figure.
After preparing all the seasonings, Lin Xi glanced down at her pristine school uniform, took the newly bought apron, put it over her uniform, and tied the strap behind her back.
“Don’t you need my help?” Although she couldn’t offer much assistance, Zhong Xiu felt it might be a bit much to leave everything to her alone.
“Uncle Zhong doesn’t allow you in the kitchen,” Lin Xi pushed her out of the dining area.
“Alright,” Zhong Xiu didn’t go up to the study but sat at the dining table to work on her problems.
She could hear the sound of water rushing as vegetables were washed in the kitchen, and the sizzling sound of ingredients hitting the hot oil. It seemed to be going well. Zhong Xiu was looking forward to it.
However, Lin Xi inside was a little different from what was imagined.
Let’s start with frying an egg, Lin Xi thought, standing at the sink, extending her hands toward the eggs.
The slightly obsessive-compulsive Alpha diligently washed the eggshells until they were spotless, not missing a single pore.
Then, following the tutorial, she turned on the gas and poured in the oil.
But the tutorial didn’t explain how to crack the eggshell. Eggs looked like such fragile things. Lin Xi first gently tapped it. The egg remained intact, perhaps with a concussion inside.
The Alpha, unable to crack the egg after several attempts, finally made up her mind and smashed the egg onto the countertop. It finally broke. The egg white streamed down her hand. Lin Xi quickly put it into the pan.
The eggs, freshly washed, were covered in raw water, which mixed with the egg liquid. You can imagine the result.
The oil pan began to “disco,” the egg merrily jumping around as it was deep-fried.
She quickly closed the lid. The sound of boiling oil quieted down, but she could hear the oil mixed with water droplets splashing and hitting the inside of the lid, a crisp sound like raindrops falling on tiles on a rainy day.
…
“Is it ready?” Seeing the kitchen door open, Lin Xi walked out holding several bowls. Zhong Xiu quickly went to meet her. The meal had taken a long time, and her stomach was indeed rumbling.
The bowls were covered with lids, making it hard to see the contents.
So much ceremony? Zhong Xiu’s expression held a hint of anticipation.
“Zhong Xiu,” Lin Xi wiped her hands with a tissue. “Let’s go eat egg waffles.”
“Why?”
As she spoke, Zhong Xiu opened the lid of one of the bowls. Inside was a blackened mess, unrecognizable as its original form.
She opened another bowl. It was also a mess, but at least the stringy green things were identifiable as greens, probably spinach.
“Isn’t this one okay?” The fish meat was snowy white and looked decent.
“You try it,” Lin Xi said faintly.
Zhong Xiu picked up a tiny piece of fish with her chopsticks. The moment it entered her mouth, she was hit by a strong fishy taste. She quickly spat it out.
She had never eaten such an inedible fish in her life.
…
Half an hour later, the two of them sat on the curb, facing the sunset, eating bread.
The school was too far. They had bought bread from a nearby convenience store to tide them over, looking a little forlorn.
“If we put out a bowl, we could apply to join the Beggars’ Clan,” Zhong Xiu said with a laugh.
“I’m sorry,” Lin Xi turned her head to look at her, her eyes reflecting the red light. “I shouldn’t have said I could cook without being sure, making you eat bread with me.”
If Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Zhong knew, they would definitely feel distressed.
“It’s okay. Everything has a first step, right? See, at least we didn’t have to use the fire extinguisher.”
On the horizon, Zhong Xiu shielded the setting sun with one hand. Her youthful face was flushed pink. The sunset enveloped her blue school uniform, the white collar extending in neat, distinct folds, making her look like a luminous object.
The way she tried to cheer herself up was kind of cute.
However, she wasn’t the only one who found Zhong Xiu cute.
“Zhong Xiu, we have a class tournament at noon. Can you come and watch?” It was Zhai Yong’s day for duty, and he walked over to Zhong Xiu.
The class tournament was likely a basketball game. Betas and Alphas always played separately. Zhong Xiu had no qualms about rejecting that boy last time, but now, she had lost Zhai Yong’s notebook, and he was personally inviting her. Zhong Xiu really couldn’t refuse again.
“Sure… when exactly is it?”
“Twelve-thirty,” Zhai Yong smiled brightly.
After he left, the Beta boys nearby cast meaningful glances at Zhong Xiu. So, it takes a personal invitation.
Their assumptions bothered Zhong Xiu a little. She didn’t know how long this feeling of indebtedness would last, or who had taken Zhai Yong’s notebook, and if there was any hope of getting it back.
She couldn’t keep having this awkward connection with Zhai Yong indefinitely.
In order to attend the game, Zhong Xiu quickly ate a few bites of lunch and prepared to leave. Lin Xi’s face was clearly unhappy, her eyes fixed on Zhong Xiu as if she were about to abandon her.
Faced with the Alpha’s silent accusation, Zhong Xiu was momentarily speechless.
“You’re watching his game, not eating with me,” Lin Xi looked up, her dark eyes pure and deep, like a whirlpool, deeply attracting the person in front of her.
“I’ll be right back after the game,” Zhong Xiu could only comfort her like this.
Lin Xi didn’t speak, burying her head in her food, looking angry.
“Then what do you want?” Zhong Xiu sat back down opposite her, a helpless expression on her face. It looked like Zhai Yong’s side would have to wait a little longer.
“Do one extra chapter of physics problems tonight,” noticing her slight anxiety, Lin Xi ultimately didn’t make an excessive demand.
“Are you messing with me?” Zhong Xiu lightly kicked her and prepared to leave.
After a few minutes of back and forth, she had intended to buy Zhai Yong a bottle of water, but time was tight now. She could only buy it after the game ended.
“I drank his water last time. I’ll buy one for him,” Lin Xi produced a bottle of Nongfu Spring from somewhere.
Zhong Xiu didn’t think much of it, took the water, and left.
…
When she arrived at the sports field, the game seemed to have already started. Many people were gathered around the court, almost all Betas. Zhong Xiu was beckoned over by some boys in her class. She wasn’t surprised to see Ye Shuwen here, but Ye Shuwen was very surprised to see her.
“Yong Ge, Zhong Xiu is here!”
A classmate shouted loudly towards the court. All eyes on the court turned towards them. Zhai Yong’s eyes lit up. Zhong Xiu felt uncomfortable all over, only managing an awkward but polite smile.
Before long, Zhai Yong scored several three-pointers, fighting with renewed vigor. Of course, it wasn’t just Class 1 in the science stream; Beta boys from other classes also wanted to show off in front of the pretty girls.
The excitement grew, and the court was more passionate than usual.
“Zhong Xiu, if you come often, our class might be the permanent champion.”
“That’s right, you’re the source of Yong Ge’s energy.”
Everyone eagerly urged Zhong Xiu to come watch the games more often, as if she were the central protagonist of the basketball game.
Zhong Xiu hadn’t brought an umbrella, and the sun was quite strong now. Several boys voluntarily stood around her to block the sun.
Ye Shuwen, standing under her sun umbrella, dug her fingernails into her palm. She attended every game. As one of the few female spectators, they usually took good care of her, and she loved that feeling.
But as soon as Zhong Xiu arrived, she stole everyone’s attention.
Who does she think she is?
Zhong Xiu’s eyes followed the basketball. When others applauded, she clapped along. Other than this, she really didn’t know how to ease her discomfort. She knew nothing about the rules of basketball, only that the goal was to shoot the ball into the hoop.
The motion of shooting a basketball can be broken down into upward freefall and horizontal projectile motion. Looking at that standard parabolic arc, Zhong Xiu’s mind surprisingly heard Lin Xi’s voice explaining the physics problem to her.
Actually, doing physics problems is quite interesting, at least more interesting than watching a basketball game, right?
Lin Xi should be doing her homework right now. Zhong Xiu’s thoughts drifted.
…
However, Lin Xi wasn’t doing her homework. She was standing at the doorway of Class 7 on the second floor, with Gao Lan.
“How about we wait until Shuwen gets back?”
“Will she return it if we wait for her?” Lin Xi glanced into the Class 7 classroom. It was empty during the lunch break.
“But this way,” Gao Lan hesitated. “You promised me you wouldn’t expose Shuwen.”
“I won’t say anything. You go get Zhai Yong’s notebook back.”
Over the weekend, Lin Xi and Zhong Xiu weren’t at school, so the classroom was empty. Ye Shuwen and Gao Lan were studying in Class 1 in the science stream. Ye Shuwen found out that Zhai Yong had given the notebook to Zhong Xiu. Gao Lan hadn’t told her about this, and the two had an argument. In a fit of anger, Ye Shuwen took Zhai Yong’s notebook from Zhong Xiu’s desk. Gao Lan helped her hide the fact.
This meant Zhong Xiu had to bear all the consequences. Lin Xi deliberately provoked Gao Lan a few times, and unexpectedly, it led her to the truth.
However, Gao Lan insisted that Lin Xi swear not to reveal that Ye Shuwen took the notes, or she wouldn’t help her retrieve them, and she would tell Ye Shuwen to destroy the notebook to eliminate any evidence. Gao Lan firmly believed Ye Shuwen was just upset at the time and hadn’t found a chance to return it to Zhong Xiu later.
Talking to someone infatuated with another was completely illogical. Lin Xi was a little angry. She found Gao Lan completely unreasonable right now.
“I know this is unfair to Zhong Xiu, but what choice do we have? If Zhai Yong finds out Shuwen took his notes, they’ll never have a chance,” Gao Lan handed Zhai Yong’s notebook to Lin Xi. “Besides, if everyone knows, how will Shuwen face people in the future?”
Lin Xi said nothing to this person, who was completely ruled by emotion and lacked any logic at this moment. It was better to resolve the issue this way than not at all. She planned to place the notebook on Zhong Xiu’s desk later.
If Zhong Xiu felt wronged, then…
She would comfort her.
“Why are you helping Ye Shuwen and Zhai Yong get together? You like her too, don’t you?”
“She likes Zhai Yong,” Gao Lan leaned against the railing, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “And my biggest problem is that I’m not Zhai Yong.”
“Since you understand, why are you still sad?” Lin Xi couldn’t quite grasp her feelings. Since she knew the problem, what was there to be troubled about?
“Because I like her,” Gao Lan smiled. “A study prodigy like you probably doesn’t have such worries.”
Lin Xi neither agreed nor disagreed. Liking sounded too illogical and messy. She disliked this feeling of losing control.
Between Alphas and Omegas, pheromones were enough. Compared to inexplicable emotions, marking was perhaps the most stable connection.
However, she was curious about Gao Lan’s feelings for Ye Shuwen. Driven by this curiosity, she spoke.
“How did you come to like her?”
“Why are you suddenly interested in this, Study Prodigy?” Gao Lan countered. Lin Xi usually showed no interest in gossip, like a celestial being.
“Because you’re an Alpha and she’s a Beta,” Lin Xi was very calm, quoting the doctor from the gland department. “Don’t Alphas all like Omegas?”
“Oh, that. I didn’t think too much about it. I just liked her. Didn’t I just say it? Liking someone doesn’t need a reason. Maybe I’m just used to being wild. My family doesn’t really care whether I like an Omega or not, and Omegas are so rare,” Gao Lan’s expression was indifferent. Then she leaned closer to Lin Xi. “Could it be that the Study Prodigy has someone she likes too?”
Gossip is a woman’s nature, whether Alpha, Beta, or Omega, or even an Alpha who just experienced a breakup.
“No,” Lin Xi stepped back, pressing her finger against Gao Lan’s shoulder. She wasn’t used to people being so close.
“How do you determine that you like her? She doesn’t have pheromones,” Alphas and Omegas can often confirm attraction based on pheromone scent, but Betas don’t have this special ability.
“I wasn’t sure at first,” seeing her interest, Gao Lan elaborated. “But.”
She paused, as if recalling the moment she confirmed her feelings for Ye Shuwen.
Lin Xi felt an inexplicable sense of tension, thinking her answer would be surprising.
“I remember now,” Gao Lan clapped her head. “It was during my susceptibility period. I suddenly found myself really wanting to bite her.”
“…”