“So what if it is?”
A pair of large hands suddenly reached over, wedging into the narrow gap between Yun Xiang and Shen Zhe, mercilessly shoving that loathsome head away.
Shen Zhe looked up in fury, meeting Pei Xingche’s icy-cold gaze.
The young man had sharply defined features—handsome and flamboyant to the point of being razor-edged. He stood against the light, where the orange glow of sunlight and the cold white of the fluorescent lamps merged, casting a shadow across his face that made him look dark and menacing.
And in the interplay of light and shadow that Shen Zhe couldn’t see, Little Ala’s hostility was even more pronounced. Its tail stood straight up, fur bristling as it glared viciously at Shen Zhe.
“I believe Student Shen should maintain an appropriate distance from his female classmates,” Pei Xingche said in a cold, hard voice. “Crowding in like that is very rude.”
The classroom fell silent in an instant—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone’s eyes had already been on Pei Xingche the moment he entered the classroom, and seeing him shove Shen Zhe away was surprising enough, let alone hearing those words.
An Wuyang opened a bag of chips, lazily swinging her legs with an amused expression.
Oho, the coward finally made his move?
Even though she sat in the very last row, An Wuyang considered this an excellent vantage point.
Shen Zhe’s face flushed dark red—a mixture of embarrassment and anger at being exposed.
“I was just joking with Xiangxiang,” he said stiffly, trotting out the same old excuse.
[The hell you were joking! You perverted, lowlife, beast-beneath-contempt bastard—you just wanted to take advantage of my wife!]
[When big bro doesn’t show his power, you really think he’s a pushover? (angry dog growling)]
Pei Xingche wanted to curse him out further, but seeing Yun Xiang, he forcibly held himself back.
[Big bro doesn’t curse. Big bro doesn’t use foul language. Big bro is a man of class.]
“A joke stops being funny once it goes too far.”
Pei Xingche lowered his hand, his eyes half-lidded with a soft curve as he looked at Yun Xiang. “But you did guess one thing right—I really will become Yun Xiang’s deskmate very soon.”
[Heehee, die of anger, you dog! Stay away from big bro’s wife, you hear me?!]
Little Ala’s tail wagged cheerfully.
Yun Xiang: …
Shen Zhe clenched his fists, shooting Pei Xingche a venomous glare, but in the end, he feared the Pei family’s power and held back, saying, “Don’t make bold claims about things that aren’t confirmed yet.”
After all, you only got that score through cheating.
Pei Xingche let out a scoff.
He could guess with his toes that Shen Zhe had a hand in stirring up those rumors on the forum and the hostility from classmates.
He was nothing but a clown—Pei Xingche truly didn’t give him a second thought.
But this clown constantly harassing Yun Xiang had indeed crossed his bottom line.
“Likewise, don’t make baseless assumptions about things that aren’t confirmed.” Pei Xingche’s lips curved slightly as he continued, “And spreading words behind someone’s back is beneath a gentleman. Just so everyone knows.”
The young man’s voice was clear and pure, carrying an innate confidence.
As if she were seeing an illusion, Yun Xiang felt as though a faint ring of light surrounded Pei Xingche—dazzling, almost blinding.
She hurriedly lowered her head, and as her eyes swept across her practice book, she noticed the inspirational quote beside the page number at the bottom.
“Young companions, in the prime of life; scholars in spirit, wielding words like swords.”
It was from Changsha by Mao Zedong.
Yun Xiang paused briefly.
She thought to herself, those words really did fit Pei Xingche perfectly.
The sudden ringing of the bell interrupted their standoff. Before returning to his seat, Pei Xingche stole a careful glance at Yun Xiang.
[Oh dear, will my wife blame me for acting so suddenly? (worried puppy)]
[Did I do okay just now? Not sure—let me take another look.]
Yun Xiang glanced at the young man’s expressionless handsome face and the eager little Ala hovering above his head, and for some inexplicable reason, she gave Pei Xingche a small nod.
It was a sign of approval for what he’d done.
More than that, it was a sign of gratitude.
Shen Zhe’s approach and interrogation just now hadn’t only made her feel sick and uncomfortable—it had frightened her.
If Pei Xingche hadn’t stepped in, she truly didn’t know what she would have done.
Pei Xingche froze, staring at the girl’s dark, misty eyes as she nodded obediently. His brow lifted uncontrollably.
Little Ala instantly broke into a smile too.
[Ooh ooh ooh, that look—she’s definitely fallen for big bro (confident puppy)]
[Oh you little rascal, you can’t resist me~]
The smile on Yun Xiang’s lips stiffened: …Could you not be so full of yourself?
During the self-study period after lunch, Old Wang walked in with the grade report and directed everyone to change seats.
“Same rule as always—first place is Pei Xingche. Come up and choose your deskmate and seat.”
Pei Xingche walked up to the podium and selected two seats on the simulated seating chart on the computer, writing his own name and Yun Xiang’s.
Actually, these weren’t seats he’d chosen himself. Right after the grades came out, he’d privately gone to Yun Xiang and asked where she wanted to sit.
He’d been so excited back then—it was the first time he realized that good grades could bring him such great advantages.
It seemed like the more he had, the more he could give to Yun Xiang.
“You choose,” the girl’s voice was soft and gentle as a spring breeze.
Yun Xiang didn’t feel she had any right to choose. The fact that Pei Xingche had helped her get rid of Shen Zhe was already something she was deeply grateful for.
Pei Xingche stared at her lowered, curled eyelashes, pressing his thin lips together as he said coolly, “There’s no particular seat I want to sit in.”
【Hehe, what big bro wants most is to sit right next to you~ Of course, it’d be even better if I could plop my butt right into wifey’s heart!】
…
Yun Xiang gave the boy’s cool, aloof, and handsome face a look that was hard to describe, then swept her gaze across the seats in the classroom.
She extended her fair, delicate finger, the pink tip pointing at a spot. “Is that spot okay?”
Pei Xingche followed her finger’s direction. The seat Yun Xiang had chosen was in the third row by the window.
It was somewhat unexpected—he’d thought Yun Xiang would pick the first row again.
After all, in his impression, Yun Xiang always sat in the first row with Shen Zhe.
“Alright, do you want the aisle seat or the window seat?” he responded.
“Either is fine.”
“Then I’ll…”
【I’ll take the aisle seat? That way I can block wifey in and keep others from looking at her, hehehe.】
【No wait, if Little Snail sits on the inside, she’ll have to look at the blackboard at too much of an angle. If she does that for too long, she might end up with a squint, and that’s bad for her eyes. No, no, no.】
【But if I sit on the inside, I can’t protect Little Snail anymore (doggo scratching head)】
“I’ll take the window seat.” Pei Xingche said after weighing the options back and forth.
His voice was calm and indifferent. If not for hearing his inner voice, no one would have guessed he’d agonized over such a small matter for so long.
Yun Xiang’s eyes flickered slightly.
The hesitation in her heart completely dissolved.
She’d been wondering if she’d made the wrong choice earlier, afraid that Pei Xingche’s true nature was the same as Shen Zhe’s.
The kind of forceful suppression done in the name of “liking” and “for your own good.”
But it was completely different.
She should have realized that long ago.
But now…
She spoke slowly, earnestly expressing her own wishes. “I want to sit by the window.”
Pei Xingche was momentarily troubled, the little Ala on his head swaying as his thick dark brows knitted together.
“If you sit on the inside, it might not be convenient for looking at the blackboard.”
“It’s fine,” Yun Xiang said. Actually, compared to the aisle seat, she preferred the window seat—it gave her that sense of security from being tucked into a corner.
Pei Xingche was silent for a moment before conceding. “Fine.”