During the break, as she passed through the hallway of another class, someone deliberately blocked her path, looking her up and down.
After she walked away, she overheard people gossiping behind her: “So that’s Qiao Baifei. She’s not that pretty. How could Gu Qishen be interested in her?”
“You can’t judge a book by its cover. Who knows?”
“I heard Gu Qishen asked to sit next to her himself.”
“…”
So even others cared. How could Zhu Zhixi not care?
“I won’t tell anyone that Deputy Director Zhang is your cousin. You really don’t have to ask the homeroom teacher to change seats.”
Zhu Zhixi tilted her head, propping her chin on her hand, her bright and beautiful face unusually flustered. “If you feel awkward, how about… explaining this function problem to me?”
Qiao Baifei was taken aback.
They were two extremes in the class. She was the so-called “good student”—diligent, sensible, and trusted by the teachers.
Zhu Zhixi, on the other hand, was consistently at the bottom of the class rankings, treating academics as the least of her concerns.
Their only common ground was probably that both were favored by the teachers.
To be honest, Qiao Baifei envied Zhu Zhixi—someone whose emotions were vivid and distinct, someone who even dared to give Gu Qishen attitude. Such a person was too sharp.
In reality, she kept her distance from Zhu Zhixi out of respect.
Asking an unfamiliar classmate for help with a problem was awkward—understanding yet not fully understanding, only to have the top student finish explaining and ask while looking you in the eye, “Do you get it?”
Qiao Baifei was exactly that kind of typical, responsible top student.
Zhu Zhixi tapped her forehead with a pen, her oval face scrunching up like a steamed bun. “I can understand this problem, but if I encounter it again, I still won’t know how to solve it. How do you even come up with this kind of approach?”
“How are you so good at this? Do our brains even have the same structure?”
Qiao Baifei felt a little embarrassed. She never thought of herself as particularly talented—just hardworking enough.
“Solving problems is about practice. You just haven’t done enough of them yet.”
The bell rang for class.
As Qiao Baifei tried to return to her seat, Zhu Zhixi grabbed her hand.
“Qiao Baifei, you really don’t have to mind. I’m the one who doesn’t want to change seats.” Zhu Zhixi smiled at her, sincere and radiant.
“Sitting next to Gu Qishen—don’t worry about what others say. He’s good at studying and can help you. Just treat him like a study tool. Whatever others say, just ignore it.”
The young lady’s words were crude yet reasonable.
The weight pressing on Qiao Baifei’s heart felt as if it had been thrown far away. The emotions she had been suppressing surged up, and her eyes grew slightly warm.
“Thank you.”
She had thought Zhu Zhixi would be the person most hostile toward her.
As soon as Qiao Baifei sat back down, Gu Qishen walked in, sprawling carelessly into the seat beside her with his legs spread wide, radiating the heat of someone fresh from exercise. “When are we changing?”
“Zhu Zhixi said she doesn’t want to change. But I can tell the homeroom teacher it was my own idea to switch seats.”
As soon as she finished speaking,
she saw the water bottle in Gu Qishen’s hand crumple.
In the past, Zhu Zhixi would arrive just as the bell rang and leave the moment it rang.
Today, it was as if she hadn’t heard the dismissal bell at all—she remained motionless.
“Xi Mei, school’s over.” Li Yaozi packed her things, reminding her.
Zhu Zhixi hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t move.
Li Yaozi didn’t press her further, picking up her things to leave. But when she glanced up and saw Gu Qishen approaching, she bent down again, pretending to search for something.
Zhu Zhixi looked up and watched her rummage aimlessly, vaguely understanding something.
Her desk was tapped. A familiar voice sounded above her head: “Let’s go.”
Knowing it was Gu Qishen, she didn’t move. “I’m not going back. I haven’t finished my papers yet. Don’t wait for me.”
Since when had this girl ever taken the initiative to study?
Gu Qishen thought she was making excuses.
This little girl was really holding a grudge this time.
He turned his wrist, propping himself on the desk, and leaned down slightly. A sigh brushed over Zhu Zhixi’s head, his tone carrying a hint of coaxing. “Which problem don’t you understand? I’ll teach you.”
“No need.”
Zhu Zhixi refused. “I really don’t need you to teach me. I’ll eat in the cafeteria these days. I want to use the extra time to study more.”
Gu Qishen continued to coax her gently. “The cafeteria isn’t hygienic.”
Zhu Zhixi replied, “Then I’ll go home to eat after Kang Yi returns.”
Gu Qishen pursed his lips slightly, his brow lowering. “Why did you tell Qiao Baifei you didn’t want to switch seats? Are you still angry?”
“No, it’s fine sitting separately now.”
Gu Qishen’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Sitting separately was fine.
The two of them locked eyes, stubbornly so. Zhu Zhixi’s face was cold and distant, detached to the extreme.
Few dared to give Gu Qishen the cold shoulder—aside from Zhu Zhixi, there was only Gu Wanxin. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Gu Qishen was inherently aloof and indifferent, lacking much patience or a good temper.
His gaze fell on a bottle of milk on the desk, untouched.
Gu Qishen’s expression turned cold as well. “Have you grown tired of eating at my house for over a decade, or have you grown tired of looking at me?”
It was the future Gu Qishen who would grow tired.
Zhu Zhixi lowered her eyes, not looking at him. “Sometimes it’s nice to try something different.”
Try something different, or try someone different.
With a soft thud, the pen was tossed back onto the desk.
Gu Qishen withdrew his hand, slipping it into his pocket, and tossed out three words in a flat tone. “Suit yourself.”
She knew Gu Qishen was angry.
Before Gu Qishen had even left the classroom, Li Yaozi abandoned her messy desk and walked away as well.
Zhu Zhixi silently picked up her pen, unmoving for a while, then tugged at the corner of her lips. She hadn’t noticed Li Yaozi’s intentions before.
The cafeteria was crowded.
Zhu Zhixi fanned herself with her meal card, scanning the windows one by one.
The cafeteria had two floors, but she was too lazy to go upstairs. Filling her stomach was enough; she wasn’t looking for anything delicious.
“Whoa, there’s such a pretty girl in our school? First time seeing her in the cafeteria.”
“A freshman, right?”
A few boys carrying trays passed by Zhu Zhixi. Only after walking a bit farther did someone speak up. “That’s Zhu Zhixi, Zhu Huaiqian’s sister.”
So, she’s Gu Qishen’s childhood sweetheart.
The boys felt a chill run down their necks and fell silent.
Zhu Zhixi had just started high school not long ago and had already received many love letters, from freshmen to seniors alike.
This infuriated Zhu Huaiqian, who, during the Monday morning assembly, held a stack of envelopes and declared in front of the entire school, “Anyone who wants to chat with Zhu Zhixi, just wait. I’ll chat with you first.”
Zhu Huaiqian was speaking as an outstanding student representative, but he ended up setting a record at Yizhong for the fastest time an outstanding student had ever written a self-criticism.
What was even more outrageous was that after Gu Qishen took the stage to speak next, he openly showed favoritism. “I support Zhu Huaiqian. Yizhong students don’t date early.”
Zhu Huaiqian was a troublemaker.
Gu Qishen was inherently rebellious too.
The two of them took it seriously, tracking down every person who had written a love letter.
For a chat.
Completely cutting off Zhu Zhixi’s romantic prospects.
Besides, everyone knew Zhu Zhixi had no interest in anyone else—her heart was entirely set on Gu Qishen.
The promotional video the two of them filmed for the school was still the hottest couple topic on the School Forum.
Zhu Zhixi chose the window with the shortest line.
“One small serving of scallion oil noodles.”
The meal card was placed on the card reader, and Zhu Zhixi’s expression stiffened for a moment.
That bastard Zhu Huaiqian.
He’d used up all the money on her meal card.
The auntie behind the window was still staring at her, making Zhu Zhixi feel uneasy. She narrowed her eyes, curved her lips, and put on an obedient smile.
She wanted to cancel one bowl of noodles.
Someone gently tapped her shoulder.
She turned around to see a boy from the line behind her, holding his meal card with a friendly expression. “How about I pay for you?”
“Okay, thank you. I have change to give you,” she said, actively stepping aside to let the boy move forward.
“No problem.”
Zhu Zhixi lowered her head to dig for change from her pocket.
A familiar, casual, and polite voice rang out. “I’m with her.”
“Auntie, please adjust the price—two bowls of noodles, thank you.”
Zhu Zhixi looked up, and in her line of sight, a pale, fair-skinned forearm reached over and placed a card on the reader ahead of the boy in front.
Xie Jin stood behind, his arm extending past the boy in front.