Afternoon sunlight spilled into the study. In the courtyard, the little osmanthus tree was covered in clusters of tender yellow blossoms, hidden among its lush green leaves.
The rich fragrance of osmanthus drifted in through the window with the breeze, filling the entire study.
The boy reached across the desk, his slender fingertip lightly tapping the first question on the worksheet.
“The intersection means finding the elements that are repeated in both sets…”
“Hm?”
Lin Zhinuo instinctively looked up.
“Look. Which numbers appear in both sides?”
His voice was clear and cool, like snowmelt flowing over smooth stones in a mountain stream refreshing and soothing.
Lin Zhinuo’s gaze unconsciously traveled over his clean, fair palm before settling on the spot where his fingertip was tapping.
She blinked and was silent for a moment.
“Four and six?”
“Yes. Now, the second question…”
…
“First, check whether the domain is symmetric about the origin. Then calculate f(-x) and compare it with the original function. That will tell you whether it’s even or odd.”
The girl’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. As the boy quietly guided her through the problems, her almond-shaped eyes gradually brightened, and a smile spread across her lips.
“This problem tests several concepts together: the range and maximum/minimum values of a quadratic function, as well as even and odd functions. Try doing it yourself.”
Only then did Lin Zhinuo realize that, without even noticing, she had already reached the final question.
She obediently nodded. After concentrating for a moment, she quickly worked out the problem with a clear train of thought.
Thursday and Friday were the days of the monthly exams.
The day before the exams began, Meng Siyu clasped Lin Zhinuo’s hand and solemnly prayed toward the window.
“I don’t ask to come out on top in the rankings. I only ask that things stay as they are, and that fate does not cruelly separate the two of us!”
Lin Zhinuo laughed.
“Don’t worry. We’ll always be desk mates.”
“We’ll be best friends for the rest of our lives.”
“Really?”
Meng Siyu’s eyes sparkled.
“You’re so pretty. I believe you.”
To keep her grades from becoming too embarrassing, Lin Zhinuo had stayed up for several nights working through practice problems. Combined with Xu Qingyan’s tutoring every Saturday, she found the two days of exams surprisingly easy and relaxed.
Every Friday, the senior high school division normally dismissed students at 4:30 in the afternoon.
But since first-year students did not have evening self-study yet, they were dismissed at the regular time of five.
As soon as the bell rang, Lin Zhinuo rode her little pink bike toward the place where she had arranged to meet Xu Qingyan.
She was afraid he would have to wait too long.
Along Luan Shu Street, the leaves were gradually turning pale yellow. Whenever the wind blew, flecks of gold and pale red fluttered softly to the ground.
The boy stood quietly beneath a tree, dressed in a neat gray-blue school uniform. The slanting sunlight outlined his slender figure with a layer of gold.
His black mountain bike leaned against the roadside. Surrounded by fallen leaves, the boy looked especially cool and lonely.
“Brother!”
The moment she saw him, Lin Zhinuo called out excitedly and sped up as she rode through the intersection. But just as she stopped, she saw the boy frown deeply.
“I’m not going anywhere. Why did you ride so fast?”
Lin Zhinuo blinked.
“That was my normal speed.”
There weren’t that many cars on the road at this time. Of course she had to enjoy riding freely.
She reached out and tugged lightly at his wrist, her eyes shining.
“Brother, come with me to dance practice. There’s a place where you can do your homework, so you can study while you wait for me. When I’m done practicing, we can go get barbecue together?”
She had been craving it for a long time. Before, Lin Jingshan had always been too busy to take her.
Xu Qingyan was silent for a moment before giving a slight nod.
Ring-ring~
The sound of a bicycle bell came from behind, accompanied by a boy’s light cough.
Lin Zhinuo turned around.
Two boys on bicycles had stopped by the roadside at some point.
They were wearing the same high school uniforms as the two of them.
The buzz-cut boy’s gaze was fixed directly on Xu Qingyan, carrying undisguised hostility and provocation.
She tilted her head and looked at Xu Qingyan.
“Brother, are they your classmates?”
“Mm.”
Xu Qingyan’s expression remained completely calm. He casually removed the backpack from his shoulder and handed it to her.
“There should be an extra physics test paper in my bag. Could you help me find it, Zhizhi?”
His voice was very soft, almost carrying a hint of pleading.
“Oh.”
Lin Zhinuo obediently took the backpack, unzipped it, and lowered her head to search through it.
The instant she lowered her head, Xu Qingyan stepped toward the two boys.
The blackness of his eyes, previously calm and emotionless, now held a trace of icy coldness.
His face remained expressionless as he lowered his voice and said a few words to them.
The buzz-cut boy frowned, his expression changing slightly.
There wasn’t much in Xu Qingyan’s schoolbag. He hadn’t even brought any textbooks, only a few test papers.
The papers were neatly stacked in the inner compartment, making them easy to spot.
When Lin Zhinuo looked up, the two boys had already ridden away.
The boy’s expression had returned to its usual calm.
“Brother, there’s only one physics test paper.”
Xu Qingyan took the backpack and casually slung it over his shoulder.
“It’s fine. I probably remembered wrong.”
“Your classmates left?”
“Mm.”
Lin Zhinuo felt that something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.
When the two of them arrived at the dance training center, Shen Qianqian and Su Wenjing hadn’t arrived yet.
The large dance studio only held classes on Saturdays and Sundays, so the reception area was unusually quiet, its lights bright and clear.
Classical dance teacher An Ning happened to be coming downstairs. She wore an elegant beige maxi dress, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. Tall and graceful, she was a delight to look at.
Lin Zhinuo greeted her obediently.
“Teacher An.”
An Ning lifted her eyes slightly. Seeing that it was her student, she gave a small nod, her gaze casually sweeping over the boy beside her.
He was dressed in a gray-blue school uniform, his slender figure tall and straight.
The boy looked toward her and gave a polite nod. His black eyes were cool and composed.
An Ning immediately saw through his temperament, and the faintest curve touched the corners of her lips.
Just then, a sapphire-blue sports car pulled up outside the entrance, and the curve of her lips deepened almost imperceptibly.
“Zhinuo, I have to step out for a while. For this lesson, work on your foundational exercises quietly with your two senior classmates. I’ll check them tomorrow.”
“Okay, Teacher An.”
After the teacher left, Lin Zhinuo looked at the boy beside her.
“Brother, isn’t my teacher super beautiful? She’s practically a goddess!”
Xu Qingyan’s tone remained indifferent.
“She’s okay.”
Lin Zhinuo secretly pouted.
His standards were really high. No wonder that in her previous life, even though there had always been beautiful girls around him, not a single one had ever managed to make his heart flutter.
There were tables and chairs on the first floor where people could rest.
“Brother, you can do your homework downstairs while I go upstairs and change into my dance clothes,” Lin Zhinuo said. “If you get bored, you can walk around nearby. There’s a small park close by.”
Xu Qingyan lowered his eyes to look at her.
“Okay.”
Lin Zhinuo went upstairs. Xu Qingyan found a seat and sat down, then took the test papers out of his backpack.
After changing, Lin Zhinuo began warming up.
Shen Qianqian and Su Wenjing arrived at the entrance at the same time and came inside together.
Without even bothering to change into their dance clothes, Shen Qianqian rushed into the dance studio, her eyes sparkling.
“Junior, did you see the super, super handsome guy downstairs? He has an absolutely perfect model-like face!”
Lin Zhinuo blinked and nodded.
Shen Qianqian clutched her chest with both hands.
“Junior, feel my heart! Thump, thump it’s practically about to leap right out of my chest!”
“Is it really that exaggerated?”
Shen Qianqian nodded vigorously.
“Don’t you know? He’s a new transfer student in our No. 1 High School, a second-year student. He’s only been here for a week, and he’s already caught the attention of every girl in our entire second year.”
Lin Zhinuo lowered her raised leg.
“Do you have to be so dramatic? Everyone seems so focused on studying. They’re all working incredibly hard.”
Shen Qianqian clicked her tongue.
“You first-years are all in the south teaching building, while the second- and third-years are in the big teaching building in the north. No wonder you didn’t know.”
Su Wenjing had finished changing and came over. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she asked quietly,
“Where’s Teacher An Ning? The guy downstairs has a similar air about him. Could he be Teacher An’s younger brother or some relative?”
Lin Zhinuo: “…”
“Well… is it possible that he’s my brother?”
“Your brother?”
Shen Qianqian’s eyes widened.
Lin Zhinuo deliberately asked with a serious expression,
“Doesn’t he look like one?”
Shen Qianqian carefully thought about it for a moment before looking at her suspiciously.
“Stop trying to fool me. I already asked around. That guy is in Lingyun Class, and his surname is Xu!”
Lin Zhinuo gave a little mischievous grin.
“My cousin. My actual cousin.”
Shen Qianqian immediately pulled out her phone.
“Junior, um… could you give me your brother’s QQ number? You know, it’s always good to have more friends!”
Lin Zhinuo froze for a moment.
Ever since Xu Qingyan got his new phone, she had been keeping in touch with him through text messages.
It had simply been so many years since she last used it that she had completely forgotten his QQ account.
She scratched her head and explained guiltily,
“Um… my brother doesn’t have a QQ account. He’s a total bookworm and hardly ever uses his phone.”
Just last week, she had heard Shen Qianqian say she wanted to pursue the handsome guy from the class next door. And now she was already ready to switch targets and add Xu Qingyan.
What a total flirt.
Although things had changed in this life, Lin Zhinuo would no longer become a burden to him because of her legs, and Xu Qingyan would no longer marry her out of their childhood bond just to take care of her.
But he was her brother now, and she had every right to make sure her brother focused on his studies.
Yes.
Study hard.
Keep improving every single day!