Chapter 7

"Then go get me a cup of water." Yes, exactly like that. Bai Shihan took the cup with a sense of complete satisfaction and left her seat... Under Lin Xinyu's guidance, Bai Shihan had mastered the art of taking care of someone, though she could only ever manage it with him. At the cafeteria. Bai Shihan was actually still a bit afraid of standing in line, but just as Lin Xinyu had said, once you do it the first time, you slowly get used to it. Plus, the cafeteria ladies were very kind; seeing a familiar face, even their Parkinson's-shaking hands steadied, and they even voluntarily gave them an extra helping of special food. They arrived at their exclusive corner. Actually, there was one thing Lin Xinyu still couldn't figure out: why wasn't this little nincompoop afraid of him? Everyone else basically stayed far away, giving him zero chance for any contact. Up to now, in his memory, he was the only person who had ever gotten close to her. "How come you're not afraid of me?" Bai Shihan, who had been eating obediently, stopped her movements: "Afraid, I was still afraid..." Bai Shihan raised her head, her gaze—wanting to look at Lin Xinyu but not daring to—was utterly adorable. "Then why do you still hang out with me? Aren't you afraid I'll bully you again?" Hearing this, Bai Shihan grew a bit nervous, at a loss for how to phrase her response. She picked up her chopsticks to eat, hoping to dodge the questioning that way, but the rosy flush on her face seemed to protest, betraying her almost immediately. Lin Xinyu could only find it unbelievable; could it be that she already liked him back then? There had always been two lingering questions about Bai Shihan that troubled Lin Xinyu. First, why she turned out the way she did later on, and second, how she came to like him. "I, you... no, not annoying." Bai Shihan found Lin Xinyu sitting there restless, racking her brains before finally squeezing out that sentence. She wasn't quite sure why it turned out like this, ever since she became deskmates with Lin Xinyu. Aside from him being good-looking, her only other assessment of him upon first impression was—he was a bad person. At first, Bai Shihan had even considered asking Teacher Chen to change her deskmate. But every time, he never disturbed her studies, nor did he ask to copy her homework and check answers like her previous deskmates used to. Apart from returning from outside the classroom smelling of cigarette smoke and other stinky, obnoxious odors, there didn't seem to be anything else to dislike about him... The silly little girl stared blankly at Lin Xinyu. For some reason, she just really wanted to stay by his side. In fact, the cold medicine in her desk drawer was something he had bought for her. It was just that he seemed to have forgotten.A pitch-black world had existed for her since childhood. When other children of the same age scraped their fingers, their parents would kiss and gently blow on the wounds. Bai Shihan had once tried to do that herself, but the only response she got was being told to learn how to be strong. The tears welling up in her eyes were not allowed to fall, or else her parents would scold her for being useless...

Bai Shihan stopped dwelling on the memories—or rather, she didn't dare think about them. Her parents were extremely busy with work, and the family home had become her sanctuary from everything.

Having no contact with the outside world, the only thing she knew to do was achieve good grades to bring honor to her parents.

She still remembered the time she underperformed and placed second; even across the phone line, she could hear the angry scolding from the other end.

Ever since she was little, Bai Shihan had a timid and weak personality, having no idea how to fight back. Even when she felt dissatisfied during her rebellious phase, she never dared to voice her true thoughts.

That was until she met Lin Xinyu, who constantly carried a scent she disliked. In Bai Shihan's eyes, it was as if she had caught a glimpse of a new world.

Sleeping in class, not doing homework, smoking...

A whole series of things that seemed utterly impossible in Bai Shihan's eyes—and even more miraculously, how was it that he hadn't been beaten to death by his parents, yet still lived every day so happily?

After the rain came clear skies.

The summer sky was unpredictable; just yesterday it was pouring rain, but now the hiding sun had poked its head out from the clouds, looking much less shy.

"Do you only... bully me?" Following closely behind Lin Xinyu, Bai Shihan gently bit her lip, not daring to walk too fast.

"Of course not, I always bully Fatty too." Lin Xinyu turned his head, having no idea what the girl was trying to say.

Bai Shihan lowered her head to seriously inspect herself, and even reached out to touch her waist. "I'm not... fat."

Amused by this cute girl, Lin Xinyu placed his hand on her head and gently stroked it.

"But I just like bullying you."

The gentleness leaking from those words was something Bai Shihan had never experienced before. Suddenly, she found herself somewhat enjoying the touch of his palm, feeling no aversion to it at all.

Being bullied actually seemed pretty nice.

"What are those two over there doing?"

Before the two of them could break away from the ambiguous atmosphere, judging by the voice alone, Lin Xinyu knew instantly that it had to be the head of discipline, who loved patrolling everywhere.Bai Shihan panicked as well, looking at Lin Xinyu in bewilderment. Then, something she had never done before in her life happened.

The only thing she could feel was her little hand suddenly being caught in his warm palm. Immediately after, Bai Shihan heard something she never would have dared to imagine in her entire life: "What are you standing there for? Run!"

The sun completely broke through the clouds, casting its rays directly onto the ginkgo tree and dyeing it with a reddish glow, much like Bai Shihan's shy appearance.

Now it was the head of discipline's turn to be dumbfounded. Just before walking over, he had seen the two of them acting affectionately in the hallway and thought he had caught a couple of typical rule-breakers, ready to deal with them. He never expected them to run faster than anyone else, leaving him with nothing to do but complain helplessly:

"Don't let me catch you a second time."

...

In a corner, Bai Shihan panted heavily. The hand that had been held was still not let go, her little face flushed red, and she made no move to resist.

"I think we lost him." Lin Xinyu took a brief look around, and after confirming it was safe, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Having engaged in a battle of wits with that head of discipline for many years, he was naturally full of experience.

Leading Bai Shihan out from the greenbelt, the little girl was still feeling remorseful about the trampled grass, taking all the blame upon herself.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Tomorrow they'll spring back to life." Following Bai Shihan's gaze, Lin Xinyu guessed what she was thinking.

Bai Shihan nodded. Recalling everything that had just happened, amidst her shock, she also felt a thrill. This was something she had never done before—it definitely counted as a breakthrough!

This reaction was instantly spotted by Lin Xinyu: "Aren't you scared?"

"S-Scared."

"Then why do you look so happy?"

Bai Shihan opened her mouth wide. For a fleeting moment, she felt as though he possessed superpowers; he seemed to know every single thing she was thinking, so she didn't dare lie: "Never... never before."

Little Dilly's stutter had improved significantly, and compared to two days ago, she was clearly a different person.

Noticing this, Lin Xinyu deliberately raised the hand he was holding, wanting to press his advantage.

"So you admit you're my wife now?"

Beneath the sun, Bai Shihan's just-pacified emotions churned once more. Realizing her little hand was still in his, she quickly pulled it away, then took off in a small run to escape this place of trouble.

By the time afternoon classes rolled around.

Bai Shihan discovered that the usually daring bad boy was gone. He spent the entire afternoon at his desk, with no other activities besides going to the restroom.

Lin Xinyu was studying very seriously. Although starting over didn't make him particularly eager to study, in order to get into the same university as Bai Shihan, he had to do it.

For someone whose memory was already super-human, this was basically no challenge.

In his past life, he had spent a single month roughly grasping the high school curriculum and ended up getting into a tier-2 university, let alone now when he still had more than three months left.

"Water..."

Every time the water in the transparent thermos bottle hit the bottom, Bai Shihan would obediently fill it back up and put it back in its place, her movements very gentle, accompanied by a soft, quiet heads-up, terrified of disturbing Lin Xinyu while he was in the zone.

At first, Bai Shihan quite liked this state of affairs, but as time went on, she always felt something was missing. Initially, she would use practicing problems to kill time, but later on, she simply couldn't help herself.

She fished some snacks out of her desk drawer, placed them on the table, and then cautiously crossed the boundary line between their two desks until they appeared within Lin Xinyu's field of vision.

"Phew..." Lin Xinyu raised his hand and stretched lazily.

Just as he was about to see what Bai Shihan was up to, he spotted the little snacks slowly inching across the table, while the person pushing them seemed somewhat unhappy.

"What's wrong?" Lin Xinyu took the snacks, opened them very naturally, and met Bai Shihan's aggrieved gaze.

"N-Nothing." The little girl hurriedly pulled her hand back, shook her head, and refused to look at him. She must be broken, she thought, to actually have the thought 'Why isn't he coming over to bully me yet?' pop into her head.

"What should I do if I still want to hold your hand?" Lin Xinyu rested his upper body on the desk, continuing to look at Bai Shihan, who kept her head lowered.

He saw her panic slightly; her little hand, which had been holding a pen to do homework, slipped and dropped it onto the floor.

Actually, she wanted to refuse, but because of what Lin Xinyu had said earlier—everything has a first time. She had already let him hold it, and most importantly, the feeling of holding his hand wasn't hateful at all...

Oh no, if she kept this up, her mom and dad would definitely beat her to death!

Bai Shihan's heart was full of grievance. Suddenly she felt that holding hands wasn't that great after all, and she immediately distanced herself a little bit from Lin Xinyu.

Noticing her movement, Lin Xinyu was somewhat baffled. She had just handed him food, so why was she suddenly ignoring him?

"Turn around."Lin Xinyu spoke in a calm tone, but that was not how Bai Shihan interpreted it. He sounded so fierce. Was he going to bully her again? Yet why did she feel a sense of... anticipation? Bai Shihan did not understand. Her body reacted on instinct, and she sat back down in her original spot. "You can bully me, but, but we can't hold, hold hands. Don't, please don't let me get in trouble, okay?" Seeing Bai Shihan beside him, so frightened that she was barely stuttering, Lin Xinyu began to reflect on himself. Was he moving too fast? Look at how terrified this little Dilly was; he really didn't have the heart to keep going. "Maybe my approach really was wrong. I'll be careful from now on and won't scare you like this anymore." Though he was reluctant, the moment he saw her aggrieved expression, he truly couldn't bear to push it any further. What if he ended up really scaring her? Bai Shihan was stunned. Especially when she saw Lin Xinyu straighten his posture, a deep sense of anxiety arose in her heart. Didn't his words mean he wouldn't bully her anymore in the future? That simply wouldn't do! "N-No, it's fine. Y-You can bully me. You have to bully me." Lin Xinyu, who had just settled into his seat, found it incredible. Could those words have actually come from Bai Shihan's mouth? When he caught sight of her expectant gaze, Lin Xinyu was completely bewildered. Something was wrong. This girl was acting very strange!

016. Bai Shihan Tells Her First Lie Bai Shihan was terribly timid. From his observations over the past few days, she was terrified of being bullied by Lin Xinyu. Yet now, she actually wanted to be messed with? That hardly seemed likely. Coupled with the snacks that had slowly started appearing earlier, and the water delivery designed not to disturb his studying, if he thought about it carefully, only one reason remained—she had missed Lin Xinyu a little. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to buy you something to eat?" Bai Shihan felt a flicker of happiness, but she still waved her hands. "Going home, I can, make it myself." Yesterday, she had mustered up a great deal of courage, intending to whip up something for him after taking a shower, only to find that he had already left. This remark gave Lin Xinyu an idea. "Cook a few extra dishes tonight. I'm coming over too." "N-No, you can't..." He had already held her hand today, and if her mom and dad found out there was a boy in the house, they would definitely come back and beat her to death! As for yesterday, that was merely an accident; she only let him up to dry his hair out of a sense of guilt. Though she did indeed want to be bullied by him a little, doing something like this was definitely out of the question... "Why can't you? Aren't we good friends?" Lin Xinyu looked at Bai Shihan in confusion, his expression seemingly blaming her for not treating him as a good friend. "Y-Yes, good friends." Bai Shihan obediently nodded. According to what Lin Xinyu had said before, he was indeed pursuing her, but as long as she didn't accept, wasn't he not her husband? If he wasn't her husband and wasn't her boyfriend, then he was a good friend. What was wrong with good friends having a meal together? Bai Shihan thought about it carefully. Combined with Lin Xinyu's resolute expression, she ultimately chose to believe him. "T-Then... good friends, having, a meal together." As she spoke, Bai Shihan grew shy. This was different from eating in the cafeteria; after all, those dishes were prepared by the school, and some of them were rather unpalatable. If they ate together at home, it meant... he would get to taste the food she cooked with her own hands. Growing up, Bai Shihan didn't have many friends. The only things she interacted with were books, the piano, and other things her parents deemed useful. In her spare time, the cooking channels broadcast on television deeply captivated Bai Shihan's eyes. From that moment on, cooking became her best way to unwind. When a little Bai Shihan successfully cooked her very first dish, she was overjoyed and wanted to share it, only to find no one around. She was all alone in the vast, empty house. Loneliness and solitude crept in, and her vision blurred at some point. Even so, the stubborn Bai Shihan fought back her inner emotions, refusing to let cowardly tears slip down, because doing so would mean she was useless... She had to admit that Lin Xinyu had successfully touched her heartstrings. For the first time, Bai Shihan, who had long been unable to share her joys, experienced what it meant to be happy. At the very least, her vision wouldn't suddenly blur with tears anymore. "What are you thinking about? Look up at me. I've discovered a way to make your courage grow quickly." Lin Xinyu reached out and gently pinched Bai Shihan's cheek. Snapped back to reality, Bai Shihan looked up, her eyes filled with confusion and curiosity about the method Lin Xinyu mentioned. "Come on, let me hold your hand, and I'll tell you." "!!" Bai Shihan, who had still been curious a moment ago, instantly shifted her gaze to wariness, her intuition telling her that he was trying to take advantage of her. "I'm not lying to you. Aren't we good friends? Good friends can hold hands, you didn't know?" Lin Xinyu feigned surprise, staring straight at Bai Shihan. "Y-You're lying..." He had just said good friends could eat together, so how did it suddenly turn into holding hands? The two of them just stared at each other. Lin Xinyu didn't continue teasing her, afraid that this girl wouldn't even dare step out of the classroom later. "Just follow right behind me. Don't be afraid." Even though she didn't understand what he wanted to do, she nodded mechanically. In Bai Shihan's eyes, Lin Xinyu was completely different from anyone else; he dared to do things that neither she nor her classmates would ever dare to do. If she followed him, this bad habit of being terrified of people would surely be cured, right? "Bring your homework, paper, pens, and the things you need to take home tonight." Lin Xinyu began packing up as he spoke. Although she wasn't clear on what he was up to, Bai Shihan obediently followed his instructions. "A-All done..." The moment the zipper of her backpack closed, Bai Shihan let out a small breath and met Lin Xinyu's bare, intense gaze. "Just follow behind me." "Mhm." She stepped aside to make room for Lin Xinyu to leave. Only after he walked out of the classroom did Bai Shihan pick up her backpack and nervously leave under the watchful eyes of her classmates. Fortunately, it was dinner time, or else she certainly wouldn't have dared to do such a thing. Outside the classroom. Lin Xinyu's plan was very simple. Bai Shihan was always so quiet—if he took her through experiences she had never had before, would she change quickly? The little Dilly wasn't very brave, trembling slightly as she stepped out of the classroom and searched all around for Lin Xinyu's figure. "Over here." Hearing his voice, Bai Shihan stopped feeling scared. She was just about to break into a light jog when she ran into the head teacher coming up the staircase. Lin Shinyu could easily imagine the panic in her eyes without even looking. "What are you two up to?" To be honest, Old Chen could hardly believe his own eyes at the scene before him. Bai Shihan, who was always so obedient, was now walking out of the classroom with Lin Xinyu, carrying her backpack? And judging by the looks of it—were they skipping class? At that moment, Bai Shihan's heart leapt into her throat, let alone speaking. She could only cast a look of appeal toward Lin Xinyu not far away. "Mr. Chen, the classroom was too noisy, and Bai said she was going to the study room to help me with tutoring." Lin Xinyu showed not a trace of panic, his tone even and calm. On the contrary, Bai Shihan was completely shocked. She had never said any of the things Lin Xinyu had just uttered, yet he could say them with a straight face and a steady heartbeat... "Is that true?" Old Chen found it a bit hard to believe. How could Bai Shihan, who couldn't even speak coherently when talking to him, possibly take the initiative to invite Lin Xinyu to the study room for tutoring? Bai Shihan bit her lip, hugging her backpack tightly, completely at a loss for how to answer. Tell the truth? Or just nod and pretend what Lin Xinyu said was true? But wouldn't that be lying? Ever since she was little, she had never dared to lie. Whenever anything happened, she would always confess... "If he's bullying you, tell the teacher. The teacher won't let him get away with it." In Old Chen's impression, Lin Xinyu was a problematic student. He certainly wouldn't believe that such an obedient girl was telling the truth when she said she wasn't being bullied. "N-No, we're, going to study." Bai Shihan tried her best to steady her emotions. So this was what it felt like to tell a lie for the first time. Amidst the nervousness came a small thrill, making her heart pound continuously. "Mr. Chen, am I really that bad?" Lin Xinyu asked with an aggrieved expression, spreading his hands. As his accomplice, Bai Shihan felt a bit frightened instead. I'm sorry, Mr. Chen, I didn't mean to...

017. I Won't Cook for You Anymore [Seeking recommendations, seeking reads] Upon arriving at the study room, the little Dilly sat at her desk in a daze, occasionally writing down some homework, the worry on her face never dissipating. It wasn't that Lin Xinyu hadn't asked, but Bai Shihan refused to say a word, burying her head in her homework and refusing to even look at him. "Should I just leave now then?" "N-No..." At first, Bai Shihan had no intention of answering, until Lin Xinyu made some noise and started packing his things, prompting her to finally speak. "Spit it out. Why aren't you talking to me?" Few people ever came to the study room; most were too lazy to go downstairs and preferred to stay in the classroom, so the two of them didn't have to worry about anyone else being around. Bai Shihan didn't speak. Instead, she pulled out a scratch pad, scribbled something on it, and handed it to Lin Xinyu. [You're a liar. I'm not playing with you.] After reading the contents, Lin Xinyu finally understood—she was upset because of that.