“Alright, we’ll proceed with this plan.”

While speaking on the phone, Song Hongyu was making notes on a document. “Yes, that’s fine.”

After ending the call, he summoned Assistant Wang into the office. “Send this document to Manager Zhang.”

“Understood. By the way, New Cheng Company called earlier asking if you’ll attend tomorrow’s meeting.”

Song Hongyu pondered for a moment. “No, there’s nothing worth discussing.”

“Then your schedule for tomorrow…?”

“I’ll decide when the time comes,” Song Hongyu replied. Just as he finished speaking, his phone vibrated.

Assistant Wang glanced at his watch, smiling knowingly. “Ah, it’s six o’clock again. These past few days, the messages have been right on time—six sharp, not a minute off.”

Song Hongyu chuckled faintly and handed him another document. “This one is for Manager Wang. Stop dawdling.”

“Got it.”

Assistant Wang left the office, closing the door behind him.

Stretching his shoulders and loosening his tie, Song Hongyu leaned back in his chair.

Unlocking his phone, he saw the familiar profile picture and messages waiting for him.

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Song Honglang Observation Diary, Day Five]
…
[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Today, the results of the chemistry quiz were announced. He skipped class.]
[Super Cheeky Zhixing: I saw his test paper. It was a 100-point test, and he scored 40.]
[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Pfft.jpg]

Song Hongyu immediately sensed something amiss. Tapping his knee with a finger, he smiled slightly.

[Hongyu: What did you score?]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: …]
[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Take a guess.]

The smile on Song Hongyu’s lips grew broader, his eyes brimming with amusement.

[Hongyu: I’ll guess it was decent. Let me test you.]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: 56.]

[Hongyu: ?]

Song Hongyu couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Seeing the question mark on the screen, Zhang Zhixing’s face flushed with embarrassment.

It was just a simple symbol, but she felt as though she could see Song Hongyu’s teasing smirk.

Frustrated, she jabbed the screen with her finger.

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Stop laughing!!!]

Song Hongyu paused for half a second, but the corners of his lips couldn’t help curving upward again.

[Hongyu: I’m not laughing.]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Rounding up, my score is practically 60!]

[Hongyu: Round it up again, and it’s 100?]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Are you mocking me?]

[Hongyu: .]

Zhang Zhixing ground her teeth. Song Hongyu might seem refined, but deep down, he was a mischievous prankster.

[Hongyu: Let’s not talk about Honglang’s grades. What happened with yours?]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Not interested.]

[Hongyu: Interests can be cultivated.]

Zhang Zhixing pouted.

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: I genuinely can’t focus on it. Don’t just talk without understanding.]

“Talk without understanding?”

Seeing her response, which was brimming with emotion, Song Hongyu paused for a moment.

[Hongyu: If you put your heart into it, even the most disliked subject can become bearable.]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Nope, no way. The three subjects I chose are strong enough to comfortably pass the first-tier cutoff.]

Song Hongyu lowered his eyes slightly.

[Hongyu: Since this is the first year of selective exams, mistakes are likely. Maintaining balanced grades across all subjects would be safer.]

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: I’ll deal with surprises when they come.]
[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Predicting disasters early and forcing myself to endure things I hate sounds miserable.]
[Super Cheeky Zhixing: Besides…]

It took a while before the next message came through.

[Super Cheeky Zhixing: This might be the first year of selective exams, but it’s not my first time being a person.]

Song Hongyu froze for half a second, then chuckled softly.

Rubbing his temples, he sighed helplessly.

Zhang Zhixing was clearly a bright girl, but her mindset seemed spoiled.

She appeared to live by the philosophy that her only duty in life was to enjoy herself, dismissing all else.

Still, her determination was admirable.

Maybe he had overstepped by lecturing her.

Before he could type out a reply, he received a voice message from her.

Tapping on it, a soft, sweet voice rang out:

“Twisting a melon off the vine makes it unpalatable. Chemistry and physics just aren’t meant for me.”

Song Hongyu chuckled and felt an urge to tease her.

Leaning closer to his phone, he spoke into the microphone, his dark eyes gleaming with mischief.

As soon as he sent the voice note, a call from the school principal interrupted him.

“Hello, Mr. Song! Tomorrow we’re hosting a quarterly review. As an honorary director, could you attend?”

Song Hongyu agreed.

---

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhixing grabbed her phone. Seeing the voice message from Song Hongyu, she froze.

He sent me a voice message?!

Excited, she immediately played it.

“Twisting a melon may make it unpalatable, but it’s still thirst-quenching.”

“And I just ordered a set of Five Years of College Entrance Exams: Science Comprehensive Edition for you and Honglang. Remember to provide feedback.”

Feedback?

Zhang Zhixing: “…”

Her phone vibrated again.

[Hongyu: Also, make a statistical chart and trend forecast of your grades and send them to me later.]

Zhang Zhixing: “…”

---

When Song Honglang entered the classroom, morning reading was nearly over.

He strode to his seat, casually tossing something onto Zhang Zhixing’s desk before sitting down like a king.

It was a warm bottle of milk and freshly baked honey bread, still steaming.

Zhang Zhixing’s mouth started watering.

But she held onto her textbook and pushed the breakfast back onto Song Honglang’s desk, saying softly, “I’m not hungry.”

Song Honglang frowned and lowered his voice, “Even if you’re not hungry, you should eat.”

“I don’t want to.” Zhang Zhixing’s tone was calm, her eyes still fixed on her book. “You eat it yourself.”

Song Honglang glanced at the breakfast on the desk. “You don’t like it?”

“No, I just don’t want to eat.”

Zhang Zhixing didn’t spare him a single glance.

Song Honglang felt a tightness in his chest. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” Zhang Zhixing flipped the page and continued reading.

“Zhang Zhixing.”

Song Honglang called her name softly, reaching out to grab her hand.

Zhang Zhixing pulled her hand back and finally turned to look at him.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, her expression tinged with annoyance, but she said nothing.

Song Honglang looked at his empty hand, his gaze darkening. “First thing in the morning, what’s your problem with me?”

“Do I have a problem?” Zhang Zhixing smiled, but it was a perfunctory smile. “I don’t think I do.”

Song Honglang forced a smile, feeling his anger rising.

The bell signaling the start of class rang.

Zhang Zhixing straightened up in her seat, focusing on the teacher at the podium, completely unaffected.

Song Honglang, on the other hand, felt a restless frustration. Everything had been fine yesterday—why was she acting like this today?

He replayed their interactions in his mind repeatedly but couldn’t pinpoint anything he might have done wrong.

Glancing at Zhang Zhixing again, he felt even more stifled.

He hadn’t done anything wrong—why was she giving him the cold shoulder?

He crossed his legs, switching from left to right, enduring the most agonizing lesson of his life.

Finally, the class ended.

Song Honglang grabbed Zhang Zhixing’s wrist, his voice low. “Zhang Zhixing, what’s your deal?”

“I don’t have a deal,” Zhang Zhixing replied softly, but her tone was distant. “Song, could you let go of my hand?”

Song Honglang clenched his teeth, holding on for a few seconds before finally letting go.

For the rest of the morning, they didn’t exchange a single word.

At lunchtime, the noodle shop was packed with students out for their break.

Song Honglang ate two bites of noodles before putting his chopsticks down.

“Done already?” Xu Ting slurped his noodles noisily.

“Yeah,” Song Honglang replied curtly.

“What’s up with you? You’ve looked sour all morning.”

Xu Ting swallowed his noodles and asked, “Your brother causing trouble again?”

“No.” Song Honglang paused for a few seconds before snorting lightly. “It’s that bookworm.”

“Still haven’t sorted that out?”

Xu Ting took a sip of water. “Why don’t you just admit defeat? It’s not like I’m going to make your life hard.”

Song Honglang smirked. “Are you scared?”

“Scared of what, you idiot?” Xu Ting rolled his eyes, then leaned in, his expression gossipy. “Why are you so hung up on this? Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for her.”

Song Honglang’s heart skipped a beat. He picked up his glass and took a sip of water. “As if.”

“Yeah, true.” Xu Ting nodded while slurping more noodles. “You’ve already done so much, and the academic star still isn’t biting. She probably doesn’t think much of a slacker like you.”

“What do you mean she doesn’t—” Song Honglang swallowed the “think much of me” and said instead, “You’re looking down on slackers now?”

“Alright, alright. How about you tell me your chemistry score?”

Xu Ting suddenly paused, his expression turning sly. “By the way, you missed the fun yesterday—did you hear what happened to Zhang Zhixing?”

“What?”

Song Honglang’s eyes sharpened slightly.

“Zhang Zhixing’s chemistry test score—she got this.” Xu Ting held up his fingers to indicate a number. “Old Zhang asked her on the spot if she was in a relationship.”

Song Honglang’s heart skipped again, his throat dry. “She only got in the fifties?”

“Yeah. Impressive, huh? Even if you haven’t caught her, you’ve managed to drag the star student down to that score!”

Xu Ting slapped Song Honglang on the shoulder, laughing proudly.

Song Honglang forced a few dry chuckles, standing abruptly. “I’ll go pay the bill.”

Xu Ting waved a hand lazily, grabbing his coat, but accidentally brushed against someone seated behind him.

“Ow—”

“Ah, didn’t see you there. My bad.”

Xu Ting turned around, his apology half-hearted until he saw a familiar face.

He froze for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. “Well, if it isn’t Miss Du Xue.”

---

About thirty minutes after a carb-heavy meal, most people feel a wave of drowsiness.

Usually, Song Honglang would skip afternoon classes if he could, but not today.

As he sat at his desk, he suddenly didn’t know how to face Zhang Zhixing.

She had let her grades slip—because of him.

Just before class started, he noticed someone standing beside him.

Song Honglang quickly looked up. “Zhang—”

But it wasn’t her. Instead, it was an unfamiliar face.

The boy chuckled awkwardly. “Zhang Zhixing just asked if she could swap seats with me for this lesson. She said she wants to focus on some questions. If you’re not okay with it, I can tell her we won’t switch.”

Song Honglang glanced around the classroom, spotting Zhang Zhixing seated next to the class monitor, leaning in to discuss something.

He forced a smile, his tone indifferent. “Do whatever you want.”

“Uh, alright.”

The boy settled into the seat, flipping open his textbook.

Song Honglang lowered his head, pretending to read.

Zhang Zhixing’s mouth instantly watered.

But she clutched her textbook and pushed the breakfast back onto Song Honglang’s desk, speaking softly, “I’m not hungry.”

Song Honglang frowned, lowering his voice, “Even if you’re not hungry, you should eat.”

“I don’t want to.” Zhang Zhixing’s tone was indifferent, her eyes still fixed on her book. “You eat it yourself.”

Song Honglang glanced at the breakfast on the desk. “You don’t like it?”

“No, I just don’t want to eat.”

Zhang Zhixing didn’t even spare him a glance.

Song Honglang felt a tightness in his chest and began clenching the black pen in his hand. Frustration mingled with confusion.

Her grades dropped; that’s all. How could this alone justify her attitude…

“Probably because the star student doesn’t want to deal with a slacker like you.”

Xu Ting’s teasing words echoed in his mind.

Maybe he was just overestimating himself from the very start?

The sense of blockage in Song Honglang’s chest grew worse, his frustration surging.

Snap—

He looked down coldly at the black pen that had snapped in his grip.

Song Honglang scoffed softly, his expression turning darker.

With a mix of restlessness and agitation, he endured what felt like the longest class of his life in years.

Amid the bustling classroom, Zhang Zhixing approached him.

Song Honglang’s heart raced, but he avoided her gaze, spinning a pen in his right hand.

She stopped.

Only then did Song Honglang look up. “What’s up?”

Zhang Zhixing glanced at him before shifting her gaze away, handing two textbooks to a boy nearby. “Li Song, can you help me bring the history and Chinese textbooks over?”

Li Song gave an awkward chuckle, taking the books.

It seemed like she intended to stay in that spot all afternoon.

Li Song pulled the books out and was about to hand them over when Song Honglang’s icy voice interrupted.

“Zhang Zhixing, if you’ve got something to say, just say it. Stop beating around the bush.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Zhang Zhixing took the books and turned to leave.

But Song Honglang suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Don’t test my patience.”

Without turning back, Zhang Zhixing yanked her hand free. “Stop bothering me.”

The classroom instantly fell silent.

After a few seconds, Zhang Zhixing’s soft voice broke the tension. “Class monitor, did I miss any key points in this subjective question?”

Song Honglang took a deep breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm down.

But he couldn’t hold it in.

He kicked his desk over with a loud crash.

Bang!

The deafening noise echoed through the room as Song Honglang let out a derisive laugh.

“F***.”

Without looking back, he walked out of the classroom.

[Song Honglang Favorability -5]
[Song Honglang Favorability: 80]

Zhang Zhixing lowered her gaze slightly, then calmly continued jotting down the missing points from her answer, utterly at ease.

Song Honglang’s favorability was starting to drop, but wasn’t that where the fun began?

The afternoon classes went smoothly, with Zhang Zhixing thoroughly reviewing her notes.

After school, as she was about to leave, the class monitor adjusted his glasses. “Don’t forget it’s your turn for classroom duty.”

“Got it.”

Zhang Zhixing agreed obediently, but she secretly hated cleaning duty the most.

She let out a soft sigh and began arranging the chairs.

Just then, a commotion erupted near the classroom door.

Zhang Zhixing frowned.

A group of boys noisily entered the room, instantly crowding the once-empty space.

Leading the pack was none other than Song Honglang.

Zhang Zhixing’s eyelid twitched. “What are you doing?”

But Song Honglang acted as if he hadn’t heard her. “Here?”

“Perfect spot! Plus, we’ve got a little beauty here to clean up after us.”

One of the boys smirked lecherously. “Man, it’s been ages since we had hotpot in a classroom. Brings back memories.”

It was only then that Zhang Zhixing noticed most of the boys were carrying small bags of ingredients.

Her face darkened. “This is my classroom. Either you clean up after yourselves, or you find somewhere else to go.”

“Boss, what do you say?”

“Should we move?”

“No need.” Song Honglang leaned casually against the door, arms crossed. “This is my classroom too. If I say we’re staying, we’re staying.”

At his word, the boys efficiently began dragging desks and chairs aside, setting up equipment.

Without a word, Zhang Zhixing threw her broom aside and turned to leave.

“Solo responsibility for classroom cleanliness. If it doesn’t meet standards and affects awards, say goodbye to your scholarship.”

Song Honglang’s voice was lazy and nonchalant. “We’re definitely not cleaning up, so you’d better think it over.”

Zhang Zhixing almost laughed in anger. She took a deep breath and picked up the broom again.

Then, she smiled. “Fine. Enjoy your meal.”

The boys jeered and laughed, watching the standoff.

Before long, the soup base was boiling, and the floor was littered with scraps of trash and even oil stains.

Zhang Zhixing calculated the cleanup workload, her expression growing darker.

Some of the boys even opened beers, turning the classroom into a chaotic scene of revelry.

“Hey, goody-goody, want some?”

One of the boys tried to strike up a conversation.

“Get lost.”

Zhang Zhixing’s face was expressionless.

The boy froze for a moment before his expression turned sour, clearly embarrassed.

Glancing at Song Honglang, who was still leaning by the door playing on his phone, the boy felt a surge of boldness.

Judging by the tension between Song Honglang and this girl, their relationship didn’t seem good. Why not take this chance to show off?

“What’s with the attitude? Acting all—”

Song Honglang walked over.

The boy, thinking he was being encouraged, raised his voice even louder. “B****, you—”

Before he could finish, Song Honglang expressionlessly kicked the boy hard in the stomach.

Bang!

The crash of desks falling echoed loudly as the boy doubled over, clutching his stomach and crying out in pain.

Song Honglang’s gaze was cold as he planted a foot on the boy’s mouth, grinding it down.

“If you don’t need this mouth, I can help you get rid of it.”

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