Pei Chuan’s hand lifted several times, only to stiffly fall back down. He couldn’t bring himself to hold her—it was as difficult as pushing her away.
Bei Yao’s heart raced wildly, the sensation both unfamiliar and exhilarating to her.
It wasn’t until the snowflakes on her hair melted from his body heat, bringing a slight chill, that she lifted her head from his chest.
“I-I’m feeling a bit better now.”
Dazed, she pressed a hand to her forehead, which felt scorching hot, as if burned by the boy’s unusually high body temperature.
She looked up at him, but in the dim light, she could only make out the outline of his jaw.
Pei Chuan lowered his gaze. “Mm.”
His fingers curled slightly, realizing he always seemed to lose his ability to speak around Bei Yao. The sharp tongue he used to mock Wu Mo automatically failed him in her presence. He wanted to press a hand to his own wildly beating heart, but with her still there, Pei Chuan could only remain silent.
Bei Yao finally remembered the main reason she’d sought him out and asked, “Is your hand feeling better?”
“It’s fine.”
“Let me see.”
She remembered it was his right hand that had been injured. Gently lifting the bandaged hand, she noted how tightly it was wrapped—the white gauze starkly visible even in the night.
He looked down at her. The girl’s touch was feather-light, like fingertips brushing against soft cotton. Her cautious demeanor was as though she were holding something fragile and precious.
Yet he knew he was no treasure. Having trudged through rain and snow, tempered in fire, even he didn’t know what could truly break him. Besides, even his own birth mother, Jiang Wenjuan, found him filthy.
The two small hands cradling his right hand were soft, slightly cooler than his own body temperature. Their fair complexion was visible even in the darkness, with slender, delicate fingers. In contrast, Pei Chuan’s hands were those of a boxer—broad-knuckled and rough. Though naturally long-fingered, they held none of a young man’s refined elegance. Wrapped in bandages, they were far from pleasant to look at.
He knew that anything unattractive easily evoked aversion—or even disgust.
Pei Chuan withdrew his hand. “It’s already healed.”
But Bei Yao had clearly noticed the discoloration on the inner layer of the bandage.
She didn’t press further, though the strange feeling in her heart grew stronger. Did Pei Chuan dislike her closeness? Why did he stiffen like a rock whenever she drew near? Even his knuckles had turned rigid when she checked his injury.
If his heart was pounding so violently… could it be out of revulsion?
The realization left Bei Yao feeling heavy-hearted.
She stepped aside voluntarily. “Alright, you can go.”
She never liked imposing on others. If Pei Chuan disliked something, she wouldn’t do it. Retreating, she made way for him to leave. The boy stood there for two restrained seconds before walking past her.
After a moment’s thought, Bei Yao smiled and said, “Pei Chuan. Stop smoking—it smells bad and isn’t good for your wound either.”
His footsteps halted.
The girl’s voice was gentle: “Also, Merry Christmas. Study hard, okay.”
He didn’t agree or refuse, only tightened his grip on the cigarette butt with his left hand before finally walking away from her.
Without the shelter of the large tree, snowflakes now landed on his cold, stern cheeks.
The Christmas celebration at Allure World was exceptionally lively, and even Jin Ziyang and the others were having a great time. Pei Chuan had walked quite a distance before he couldn’t help glancing back.
Bei Yao was no longer under the big tree. Only then did he press a hand to his chest, filled with a sense of loss.
~
Chen Feifei, holding a twinkling star-shaped light, asked Bei Yao, “Where did you go earlier? I turned around and you were gone. I asked Yang Jia, but she hadn’t seen you either.”The worries of a young girl are like a locked diary; for a long while, Bei Yao didn’t know what to say.
Fortunately, Chen Feifei had only asked casually, as she was more curious about the affairs of their dormmate Wu Mo: "I wonder where Wu Mo went. Why did she have to clash so badly with the others in the dorm over that earlier incident?"
Only Bei Yao knew that Wu Mo’s reasons seemed to go beyond the matter with Ding Wenxiang.
Wu Mo’s hostility toward Bei Yao likely stemmed more from Pei Chuan.
"Feifei, what does it feel like to like someone?"
The topic shifted too abruptly. Seeing the confusion in Bei Yao’s eyes, Chen Feifei’s heart skipped a beat—could it be? Had the school belle finally awakened and started wondering what it feels like to like someone?
Who could it be? Ooh, Chen Feifei felt as if she had already caught a glimpse of a budding piece of gossip. Could it be Han Zhen, the handsome class heartthrob from Class One?
Inside, Chen Feifei was dancing with excitement, but she suppressed her emotions and said calmly, "I’m not sure either, but I suppose it might mean always wanting to see him, feeling happy when you do, and wondering what he’s up to when you don’t. Why, do you think you like someone?"
Bei Yao thought carefully, then blushed and whispered a name into Chen Feifei’s ear.
Chen Feifei was thunderstruck: "N-no, listen to me, how could it be him? What I just described might not necessarily be liking someone—it could just be nervousness or something else."
Chen Feifei rambled incoherently for a while, then covered her face: "Do you even know what kind of person he is? According to previous posts, he’s not exactly a good guy."
As they walked back toward Sixth High School together, the sky was an endless expanse of black. Bei Yao retorted, "He’s actually quite good. I’ve known him for over ten years."
"That could just be the care that comes from growing up together. I have a childhood friend too, and I get excited every time I see him after being away at school for a while, but I don’t like him that way."
Bei Yao grew a bit confused by Chen Feifei’s reasoning.
Seizing the opportunity, Chen Feifei pressed on: "See? It’s probably just the bond from spending so much time together—perfectly normal. That’s not what liking someone is."
Chen Feifei didn’t like Pei Chuan. Unlike the uninformed Bei Yao, she had been browsing forums and online posts since freshman year. There had been several threads about Pei Chuan—rumors and descriptions of him.
He was cold and arrogant, and he’d probably had several girlfriends already. Could he possibly be sincere with Bei Yao? He might be no different from Ding Wenxiang.
Moreover, there had been rumors about his family background—pretending to be something he wasn’t despite having no money. His character was questionable.
Most importantly, those gossip threads about Pei Chuan were always deleted completely within a short time. This showed he was not someone to be trifled with—a petty and vindictive young man.
Seeing that Bei Yao was seriously considering her words, Chen Feifei gritted her teeth and delivered another heavy blow: "He probably just sees you as his little childhood friend."
Was that really it?
~
Little secrets of adolescence are like tiny planted seeds—each time you think of them, they grow an inch taller.
After Christmas, time flew by, and soon the unified exams for the second year of high school arrived.
The final exams were still mixed among First, Third, and Sixth High Schools. The principals of First and Third High had once been classmates and maintained a very good relationship. The idea of mixing exams between the two schools was proposed by the principal of First High, as the future college entrance exam would involve competition not just city-wide but nationwide. Knowing their school’s standing in advance couldn’t hurt.Later, this examination model was retained. After some consideration, the principal of Sixth High School also requested to participate, making C City's exams the most unique model. Every year during final exams, First, Third, and Sixth High Schools would take mixed examinations, and by the time of the senior year mock exams, they were unified every time.
On the day the results were released, a major incident spread.
Someone from Third High School had cheated.
The standard answers had been leaked, and someone from Third High School scored full marks in Mathematics and Science.
In the past, this would have been impossible.
In previous exams, no one had ever achieved full marks in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. It was January 2008, and Third High School had not yet installed surveillance cameras in the classrooms. However, the perfect score papers seemed to serve as ironclad evidence.
Because it was a joint exam, First, Third, and Sixth High Schools all learned about the incident.
When Bei Yao returned from the restroom, she overheard someone saying, "The Honor Roll has been posted, but the first-place name was immediately removed. I heard it was because of cheating."
"Really?"
"Of course! Have you ever seen anyone score full marks in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology?"
"Who is it? How bold to cheat in a joint exam where the penalties are the strictest."
"Pei Chuan from Third High School. Have you heard of him?"
Bei Yao looked up and immediately ran downstairs. Sure enough, the long Honor Roll was displayed, praising the top 200 students from the three schools and separately counting how many students from each school made it into the top 200.
Her gaze fell on the first place—the name had been blotted out with black ink.
The Honor Roll was a computer-generated ranking, but the ink represented a human-declared stain.
As Bei Yao stared at the ink blot and listened to the onlookers pointing and gossiping about the first-place student, she felt a surge of anger that was hard to suppress for the first time.
Why did scoring full marks in Mathematics and Science automatically mean he had cheated?
If the discussions were this intense at their Sixth High School, what about at Third High School?
Third High School's rule for cheating in joint exams was probation.
Bei Yao refused to believe Pei Chuan had cheated. She had known since childhood how smart he was—he could grasp concepts even before the teacher taught them. Sometimes, he could solve problems that even the teachers found difficult with just a glance.
A fire burned inside Bei Yao, as if something she deeply valued had been casually slandered and trampled upon.
Soon, the punishment was announced: a major demerit.
This outcome left many dissatisfied: "Tch, what's this? I thought Third High School had strict penalties. Why wasn't he expelled? There might be others who got the answers too, making the entire top 200 questionable. With so many cheaters, where's the fairness in exams?"
"If you ask me, he should have been expelled. At the very least, he should have been put on probation. What's the point of a demerit?"
Even Chen Feifei said, "Yao Yao, where do you think he got the answers?"
Bei Yao stiffened her face. "He didn't cheat! He earned those scores with his own ability."
Chen Feifei thought, Damn, how can you believe that!
Chen Feifei really wanted to shake Bei Yao's unhappy little face and ask, Who is he? How could he possibly rank first across three schools?
"Yao Yao, it's not that I don't believe you, but full marks? One subject full marks is one thing, but he aced all four science subjects. If he were that capable, why didn't he perform well before? Last time, he didn't even make the top 200, and now he's suddenly first." Chen Feifei thought, Someone like him, who no one in school can control, should at least cheat more discreetly. Even copying to get into the top 100 would be better than this terrifying first place. How audacious!
Bei Yao froze.
Yes, why hadn't he performed well before, but now he ranked first?
For... what?She suddenly remembered the casual blessing she had given him on Christmas Eve.
What had she said?
Pei Chuan, Merry Christmas. Study hard.
~
In the Third High School grade director's office, Director Zhang said, "Tell me, who else did you give the answers to?"
The young man before him lowered his gaze, his dark eyes fixed on the name list.
Pei Chuan glanced coldly at the grade director, then turned and walked away.
Director Zhang, furious, shouted, "Go ahead! If you dare leave today, Third High won't have a place for you! In all my years of teaching, I've seen all kinds of students, but someone as lawless as you will only become scum in society. You've completely disgraced our school's reputation!"
Pei Chuan's homeroom teacher interjected, "Director Zhang!" That was too harsh.
Pei Chuan turned back, letting out a light scoff. "A director like you is worse than scum like me."
Director Zhang's chest heaved with anger. "Teacher Chen! Look, this is the student from your class. We've been lenient with him, only giving him a demerit, and this is the attitude he shows!"
Teacher Chen was also extremely frustrated, but her responsibility as a teacher compelled her to speak up. "The matter hasn't been fully investigated yet. Pei Chuan hasn't admitted to cheating, so it's not appropriate for you to say such things."
"Not cheating! How come I never knew your class had such a capable student? First place in the joint exam, full marks in math and science—do you really believe he's that good?"
Teacher Chen was at a loss for words. "At least let's investigate the matter properly. He was admitted to our school through recommendation, so his foundation and basics are guaranteed. He hasn't skipped classes recently and has been studying for finals. Let me go talk to him and get an explanation. Please don't report this conversation to the school administration just yet."
Director Zhang, his face dark, waved his hand dismissively.
The campus of Third High was blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Ji Wei, holding his books, asked hesitantly, "Brother Chuan, what are we going to do?"
Zheng Hang said, "I'll go talk to my mom. Don't worry, it's not a big deal."
Jin Ziyang winked and grinned. "Brother Chuan, where'd you get the connections? Full marks in math last time, full marks again this time—incredible. And to pull this off in a joint exam, you're the first! You're the man! Want a smoke?"
Jin Ziyang gave a thumbs-up.
Pei Chuan took the pack of cigarettes and, with a shooting motion, tossed it neatly into the trash can.
Jin Ziyang: "..."
Pei Chuan said, "I'm in a bad mood. Stop nagging."
In the afternoon, Teacher Chen approached the last desk in the classroom. "Pei Chuan, whether you cheated or not, you need to explain it clearly to the grade director. It's not that the teachers don't believe you, but you have to speak up for yourself."
The entire Class Nine turned around in unison, quietly watching Pei Chuan.
Pei Chuan said, "What is there to say?"
Teacher Chen replied, "For example, your grades were rarely passing before. Why did you do so well this time? If you didn't cheat, you need to explain the reason to the teachers."
Why?
The students held their breath.
Teacher Chen said helplessly, "This is a joint exam involving three schools, so it's not just about Third High. Think carefully—this is serious. Even if..." She glanced at Zheng Hang, remembering that his mother was the vice principal. If the school's reputation was tarnished, the vice principal couldn't just cover it up indefinitely. The main thing was for Pei Chuan to explain himself.
"If you cheated, admit it and correct your behavior in the future. If not, then explain the reason clearly so everyone can believe you."Pei Chuan tightened his grip on the pen.
His right hand had already healed, but the spot near his heart where she had leaned still held residual warmth.
Pei Chuan smiled indifferently: "If you think it's cheating, then it's cheating."
What sudden reason for doing well on the exam could there be?
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