Luo Hongli glanced at the students bustling in and out of the classroom, then whispered, "Chen Ye! Don't you dare go too far!"
"It’s high time Li Dabao got reacquainted with the top student in his class!"
"You—you—why do you have to sit with me?"
"Because I love to study."
"You really have no shame!"
Chen Ye said calmly, "If we don't share a desk, how can you tutor me? How will I pass my finals? If I don't pass, how can I help you earn money? And if there’s no money, how are you going to buy your mother’s medicine?"
Luo Hongli looked startled. Although there was a faint scent of medicine about her, besides the teachers, only Zhang Bing knew about her mother’s illness.
How did Chen Ye know?
Did he threaten Bingbing too?
"Chen Ye, you are shameless!"
"Chen Ye! What are you doing? Wandering around during morning reading again! If you aren't going to study, don't distract others! Get to the back!"
Li Dabao’s voice suddenly erupted from the back door of the classroom.
Chen Ye cursed under his breath, wondering why the homeroom teacher wasn't on duty.
"Stand still!"
"Hey! Lin Feng! Do you think I’m blind? I can see your big head even if you’re hugging the floor! Come on, get over here and stand next to Chen Ye!"
Before long, the classroom was filled with a cacophony of reading. Only Chen Ye and Lin Feng, those two partners in misery, were left staring blankly at their books.
"Brother Ye, want some sticky rice balls?"
"No. Stop smacking your lips. Move your desk away later; I’m going to be sitting with Luo Hongli."
"It’s a bit sticky, yeah? Wait, are you really done with Su Lili? The top student in the class is going to share a desk with you? Are you running a fever?"
"Don't mention that woman in front of me again. I have nothing to do with her. Also, Li Dabao already caught you snacking."
The joys of student life are things you can never truly recapture once you enter society. Chen Ye was savoring this moment.
As the tedious morning reading session neared its end, the homeroom teacher finally arrived. Her name was Gao Xiaoqin, a ripe, thirty-something woman. She was the dream girl of every male teacher in the school, and, of course, the "enlightenment" for more than a few students.
Gao Xiaoqin wore her hair in large waves. If you got close, you could smell a faint, pleasant fragrance—not overpowering, but you couldn't get too close, as her curves were rather… overwhelming.
"Why is it you two who are late again?"
Chen Ye immediately put on a look of total innocence. "Teacher, I was just asking Luo Hongli a question about my studies, and Teacher Li thought I was just wandering around."
Li Dabao had been busy with his divorce lately and had left just moments ago. Gao Xiaoqin called Luo Hongli to the back of the room. Though the students were reading aloud, their curiosity was even louder; they read at the top of their lungs while sneaking glances behind them.
"Hongli, Chen Ye says he was asking you a question and was misunderstood by Teacher Li. Is that true?"
Luo Hongli raised her eyes to look at Chen Ye, who mouthed two words: "Share desk."
Her look of annoyance was interpreted by Gao Xiaoqin as Chen Ye having told a lie.
"Chen Ye, tell your father to come to school tomorrow. Next semester is the sprint toward the exams, and you’ve failed every subject this term while sleeping in the back every day. How did you even get into No. 8 Middle School in the first place? I…"
"Gao—Teacher Gao, um, Chen Ye wasn't lying."
Luo Hongli watched as Chen Ye’s fingers counted down from three to one, and she had no choice but to compromise. That bastard! He was being scolded by the teacher and still had the nerve to threaten her with a countdown! He really was heartless!
Gao Xiaoqin glanced at Luo Hongli with a sigh. This girl—why did she look so aggrieved just a moment ago?
Luo Hongli continued quickly, "Teacher Gao, I—I think sitting in the front blocks the students behind me. I want to sit in the back. And I don’t have nearsightedness."
Gao Xiaoqin frowned. Something was wrong—very, very wrong.
Chen Ye sighed quietly. *You idiot! Couldn't you have come up with a different excuse?* If she moved to the first row against the wall, she wouldn't block anyone!
"Hongli, tell the teacher, is that really what you think? Is someone threatening you? Be brave and tell me; I’ll handle it for you. Next semester is the final sprint, and with these boys in the back, I’m worried it’ll affect your studies."
At nearly 1.7 meters tall, she didn't really fit the typical delicate mold of a southern girl. Chen Ye still remembered how she used to act tough, intentionally puffing out her cheeks to look unapproachable. Looking back, he wondered what would have happened if he had just kissed her then.
"Teacher Gao, I can do it. I promise my grades won't drop."
"Then who do you want to sit with?"
"Chen—Chen Ye is fine."
Gao Xiaoqin narrowed her eyes. "Chen Ye, are you willing to sit with classmate Luo?"
Chen Ye had never been one to fear authority! Even if Gao Xiaoqin glared him to death right now, he was going to sit with her!
"Yes, teacher. I have no problem with it. It’s… manageable, as long as she doesn't disturb my studying."
*The nerve!* Gao Xiaoqin wondered if she’d slept too much today. Not only did the class valedictorian want to sit with a slacker, but the slacker was acting like he was being forced into it? She felt like something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Chen Ye, I remember what you said just now. Are you sure you can pass all your subjects by the end of the term?"
"As long as classmate Luo doesn't disturb my studies, I guarantee it! So, about calling my dad tomorrow…"
"You can hold off on that for now. If you fail even one subject at the end of the term, I’m doing a home visit. Also, don't disturb classmate Luo’s studies, and absolutely no bullying her!"
Chen Ye smiled faintly. "Mission accepted!"
As soon as the teacher announced it was time to eat, the reading stopped instantly. Everyone scrambled out. Only the class monitor approached Luo Hongli as she tidied her desk.
Cheng Ziwen took out a math worksheet. "Hongli, I have a problem I’d like to discuss with you. Are you free? If you haven't had breakfast, I brought a bit extra, we could..."
Just then, Chen Ye strode over, head held high like a victorious fighting cock.
"Tsk, you're so slow at packing up."
Cheng Ziwen watched, stunned, as Chen Ye ignored him and hauled Luo Hongli’s desk to the very back of the room.
Luo Hongli added insult to injury: "Class monitor, we aren't that close. Please call me by my full name. I’m not free, go discuss it with someone else."
After moving the desk, Chen Ye came back to grab the stack of books Luo Hongli had placed on the floor. He said with a smirk, "Time to move house."
Cheng Ziwen felt his heart bleeding. Didn't Gao Xiaoqin just spend the whole time scolding Chen Ye and Lin Feng? How did his Luo Hongli disappear? *No, no! This will definitely affect her studies! I have to go find the teacher!*
Lin Feng scooted his own desk over and whispered, "Brother Ye, are you two together?"
Chen Ye grinned. "Guess? Don't go around saying things; girls are shy."
"Got it, I get it. Holy crap, you gave up on Su Lili and went for the icy school beauty? You're actually for real?"
Chen Ye signaled for him to move along. Soon, there were only a few people left in the classroom.
Luo Hongli’s pretty face was full of indignation. Finally finished packing, she reached for her breakfast, only to find Chen Ye sitting right next to her, staring.
She blushed and glared back. "What are you looking at? Happy now?"
Chen Ye coughed and pulled an aluminum lunch box from under the desk, pushing it toward her. "My mom made too much this morning."
"Actually, I didn't mean to threaten you. But you promised yesterday, and if you don't sit with me, how can you tutor me? It’s all for the sake of learning, right?"
Luo Hongli wanted to shout a rebuttal, but since other students were still around, she whispered, "I never agreed to sit with you! And I'm not eating your food!"
Chen Ye deliberately darkened his expression. "If I don't finish it, I’ll get scolded when I bring it home. I’m not going to be miserable alone, so I’ll go find Li Dabao right now and expose you."
"Eat."
Luo Hongli was usually reasonable, but faced with a rogue like Chen Ye—who held leverage over her—she had no choice. She opened the box to find neatly arranged food: red-braised pork, braised eggplant, a fried egg, and a bit of spicy pickled mustard on the side to cleanse the palate.
A minute later.
Chen Ye watched the girl eating with her cheeks puffed out. "Is it good?"
Luo Hongli mumbled, "It's tasty."
Just then, Lin Feng crashed through the back door, a sticky rice ball in his hand.
"Brother Ye, big trouble! Su—Su—Su Lili is standing on the roof! She says… she says you abandoned her!"