Xue Jiao was momentarily stunned. The large black umbrella above their heads was spacious enough to cover both of them entirely.
Snowflakes drifted down one by one, yet most of the umbrella shielded Xue Jiao, so she didn’t see a single snowflake land on her. Even when the wind blew gently, not a single flake managed to slip onto her.
The cashmere shawl was warm, wrapping snugly around half her body.
Standing close under the same umbrella, the two remained silent, the atmosphere growing slightly awkward. Xue Jiao tightened the shawl around her, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes.
Lin Zhihua had never held any particular fondness for snowy days before, but starting from this day, he found himself beginning to like them.
Snowflakes… and Xue Jiao.
Perhaps this was what they called "love me, love my dog."
The wind picked up slightly, and Lin Zhihua shifted the umbrella closer to Xue Jiao, ensuring she wouldn’t be touched by the snow.
"You—"
"That—"
They spoke at the same time, then both paused.
After a moment, Lin Zhihua smiled softly. "What is it? Are you cold?"
Xue Jiao shook her head earnestly. "No, I’m dressed warmly."
She truly wasn’t cold. She had worn a down jacket today, which provided excellent insulation, and now with the shawl Lin had given her, her neck, half her face, and even her ears were completely wrapped up. The cold couldn’t reach her at all.
"This shawl…" Xue Jiao hesitated. Why would Lin Zhihua keep a shawl on hand?
"When I came to pick you up, the weather looked like it might snow, so I prepared the shawl and umbrella. Do you like it?" His voice was soft, laced with gentleness.
Xue Jiao touched the warm shawl, once again struck by how genuinely kind Lin Zhihua was to her.
Was he naturally this considerate, or…?
"Why are you so good to me?" Xue Jiao stopped walking, curiosity coloring her tone.
Her large, dark eyes stared directly at him, filled with confusion. The snow fell heavier now, and the dim glow of the streetlights reflected off the snowflakes, brightening the sky slightly. The girl tilted her head up, her clear, innocent gaze unwavering.
Lin Zhihua forced a smile, swallowing the bitterness in his throat. The fact that she could ask such a question meant she was still oblivious.
"Because… you’re someone I’ve taught…"
He reached out and ruffled her hair lightly, his touch restrained, suppressing all the emotions and unspoken words. He gave her only a calm, composed smile.
Xue Jiao blinked her large eyes, her expression lighting up with sudden understanding.
So it wasn’t just her who saw him as a mentor—he also saw her as his student…
A sincere, heartfelt smile spread across her face, radiating gratitude.
Outside, the snow fell heavier. This might be the last heavy snowfall of the winter. Beneath the black umbrella, a man and a woman exchanged smiles.
One smile was genuine and warm, from the depths of her heart.
The other was forced, masking all the bitterness he swallowed down.
——
Lin Zhihua escorted Xue Jiao to the hotel entrance.
"Then… I’ll go in now?" Xue Jiao took the insulated food container from him.
Lin Zhihua nodded, smiling. "Go ahead."
Xue Jiao turned with a smile and walked toward the lobby doors. Before stepping inside, she glanced back—Lin Zhihua was still standing there.
She grinned, raised her hand, and waved vigorously before disappearing from sight.
Lin Zhihua stood frozen for a long moment before finally lifting his hand stiffly, waving back, then lowering it just as stiffly.
When he turned to leave, he didn’t bother with the umbrella, letting the snowflakes cling to him one after another. His silhouette was solitary and desolate against the snowy backdrop.
Xue Jiao hadn’t realized his feelings yet.
But he would wait.
One year, two years, even five—as long as she was still here, he would wait.Lin Yinyin returned home with a pale face and collapsed onto the sofa.
Her parents, Lin Sheng and Xu Jiaohong, were talking with worried expressions. Seeing her in such a state, they glared at her angrily.
Lin Sheng said, "Lin Yinyin! Did you go out and waste money again today? Let me tell you, our small, struggling company no longer has the backing of the Lin family. Bankruptcy is just around the corner!"
Lin Yinyin stared blankly at the ceiling.
Lin Sheng shook his head, both angry and helpless.
Xu Jiaohong also slumped onto the sofa, listlessly asking, "Is there any way to save our company?"
Lin Sheng shook his head. "It's beyond saving. Our company, like all the other branch companies of the Lin family, is just a small business that relied on the Lin conglomerate. Now that the Lin family has withdrawn its support, we’ve actually lasted longer than most..."
"If only we hadn’t gone that day when the old man confronted Zhihua..." Xu Jiaohong couldn’t help but mutter.
"Would staying away have made a difference?" Lin Sheng shot her a glare and sighed. "Even those who didn’t go—if they were of no use to the Lin family, Lin Zhihua would have cut them off all the same!"
"How can Lin Zhihua be so ruthless?" Xu Jiaohong pursed her lips, then suddenly suggested, "What if we go back to W City? We still have some connections there from back in the day..."
"What’s the point of going back? Without Lin Zhihua’s influence, no one will give us the time of day. But it’s true we could return—living in the capital is too expensive. We could sell this house and figure things out back in W City."
"Go back?!" Lin Yinyin, who had been silent until now, suddenly jumped up.
"None of your business," Lin Sheng snapped, his patience with his increasingly disappointing daughter wearing thin.
"I refuse to go back!" Lin Yinyin widened her eyes.
She had worked so hard to build her glamorous life in the capital—there was no way she was returning to W City!
"You don’t get a say in this!"
Lin Yinyin glared, then blurted out, "Third Uncle has a woman now! You guys offended him because you thought he had health issues, and now our family is ruined. But guess what? Third Uncle is perfectly fine!"
Lin Sheng and Xu Jiaohong ignored Lin Yinyin’s complaints, their attention entirely seized by—
"Your Third Uncle has a woman?!"
Their voices were filled with shock, as if they’d just heard something utterly unbelievable.
"Yeah, today he took her to eat at Wu Liu Alley. She looked like some young girl—Third Uncle even held an umbrella for her and wrapped a scarf around her..."
"Really?!" Lin Sheng pressed, his eyes widening.
"Why would I lie? It wasn’t just me who saw it!" Lin Yinyin fumed. If she hadn’t run into Third Uncle, she would’ve definitely settled the score with that girl!
Lin Sheng slumped back onto the sofa, defeated. "So Lao San is fine after all..."
Then what was the point of siding with Lin Zhitang and offending him?
Xu Jiaohong, however, brightened. "Husband, this could be our chance!"
"Huh?" Lin Sheng looked at her, puzzled.
"Third Brother hasn’t let a single woman near him all these years. If this woman is with him now... she might very well become the future mistress of the Lin family!"
"And then?" Lin Sheng still didn’t follow.
"Uncle and Aunt were sent abroad by Third Brother, weren’t they? That girl is young. If we reach out to her first and work through her..." Xu Jiaohong’s eyes gleamed.
Lin Sheng frowned slightly. He was still afraid of Lin Zhihua and didn’t dare scheme against him or those close to him...Xu Jiaohong continued, "Husband, this is our only chance. Can you bear to go back in disgrace? Yinyin said she's just a young girl, easy to control since she's so young. We're not harming her, just building a good relationship with her."
Lin Sheng gritted his teeth. "Fine!"
"What do you mean? We have to suck up to that little vixen?!" Lin Yinyin widened her eyes as if hearing some absurd fantasy.
But no one paid her any attention.
Lin Sheng instead glared at her. "Let me make this clear—stop calling her names! If you mess this up for us, you can suffer the consequences alone!"
Lin Yinyin: "..."
Once the couple made their decision, they began investigating in the capital city. But... they found no leads.
Xue Jiao had already returned to W City, so naturally, Lin Sheng and his wife couldn't find her in the capital. After searching for nearly half a month without seeing Lin Zhihua interact with any women, they had no choice but to return and berate Lin Yinyin. Furious, Lin Yinyin cursed Xue Jiao, who had already left.
"That vixen really knows how to hide!"
——
When Xue Jiao and the others returned to No. 7 High School, the vice principal and the head of the math department personally welcomed them back.
Their achievements were not just their own honor but also the school's pride!
Especially Cheng Mingze and Xue Jiao—they had made it to the final round of the competition!
Coinciding with Monday's flag-raising ceremony, the principal lavished praise on the students who had earned accolades and distributed bonuses through the math department.
Xue Jiao didn’t know how much Cheng Mingze received, but she got three thousand yuan—not a huge sum, but it was money she had earned herself.
She carefully stored the money in a box, deciding to buy a gift for Lin Zhihua the next time she went to the capital.
Most of Xue Jiao’s success could be attributed to Lin Zhihua.
Calling him her mentor was no exaggeration.
As the class bell rang, Yin Fang walked in with a bright smile.
"First, let's congratulate Gu Xue Jiao!" The usually stern teacher beamed as she clapped her hands, leading the applause.
"Clap clap clap—" The students below erupted in enthusiastic applause, all eyes turning to Xue Jiao.
"Students, there are only 431 days left until the college entrance exams! Gu Xue Jiao has achieved outstanding results in the competition—results that qualify her for direct admission to top universities. Yet she hasn’t slacked off. Her weekends were spent taking exams, which we teachers permitted! But this morning, among the homework collected by the class representative, Gu Xue Jiao’s name was there!"
Yin Fang paused, her gaze sweeping coldly over the class before settling warmly back on Xue Jiao.
"Gu Xue Jiao is already so outstanding, yet she hasn’t stopped striving! But what about the rest of you? Ask yourselves honestly—have you put in the effort? Some of you..."
Yin Fang launched into her usual critique. Xue Jiao lowered her head, feeling the weight of everyone’s stares, and sighed inwardly.
Probably every teacher was like this—piling praise onto a favorite student while using them as an example to lecture others.
Resigned, Xue Jiao pulled out her English textbook and began studying.
Yi Tianyu’s gaze lingered on the girl beside him. She seemed no different from before.
Dressed in the simplest school uniform, her hair casually tied back, with only a few strands tucked behind her ears. Her clean, makeup-free face held nothing but focus.But Yi Tianyu once again felt the vast distance between them. She was like a towering mountain that had abruptly appeared in his life—and in his heart.
Admitted to a top university?
He was still Xue Jiao’s deskmate this year, but what about next year? The year after?
She would go to a top-tier university, while he… Would the gap between them only grow wider?
Would he just become an ordinary passerby in Xue Jiao’s life—just one of her many former deskmates? Would he fade into the long river of her memories, only to be mentioned occasionally when flipping through old photos with a casual, “Oh, this was my underachieving deskmate from high school”?
Yi Tianyu pressed a hand to his chest. For some reason, it ached with a sour, bitter feeling, and his eyes gradually grew moist.
The young Yi Tianyu didn’t understand this emotion. It wasn’t until many years later, when he painstakingly recalled every fragment of time spent with Xue Jiao, that he suddenly realized—
The reckless, arrogant Yi Tianyu, who once believed the sky was his limit and the earth his playground, could also meet someone who made him feel something called… inferiority.
As his mood sank to its lowest, two slender fingers suddenly appeared beside him, pressing down on a slip of paper.
Yi Tianyu reached out and slid the note toward him. It read—
Stop looking at me. Look at your book.
His head jerked up, and he saw Xue Jiao’s fingers already back on her textbook, scribbling away.
He turned away and picked up his own book, determined to focus.
From now on, he would pay even more attention in class. He’d practice basketball at noon and train harder at night.
The provincial basketball tournament was about to begin, and he had to earn his second-level athlete certification.
Xue Jiao was working hard, and so Yi Tianyu threw himself into his own efforts.
In those fleeting years of youth, meeting someone who inspired you to strive, to push yourself, to become better—that was a bittersweet yet hopeful flavor, a fragrance worth savoring for a lifetime.
Amid sweat and the glow of late-night lamps, early April quietly passed. Spring blossomed, and the provincial basketball tournament began.
“Bookworm, the first match is at the stadium against No. 3 High. Are you coming?” Yi Tianyu, still sweating from practice and wearing a vest under his jersey despite the lingering chill, asked.
His eyes darted around—here, there, everywhere—but never at Xue Jiao. He was clearly nervous but pretended to ask casually.
Xue Jiao tilted her head. “Against No. 3 High?”
“Yeah!” Yi Tianyu lifted his chin slightly. “They’re a bunch of amateurs. Don’t worry, I’ll crush them easily.”
“Pfft—” Xue Jiao couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re pretty cocky, huh?”
She then asked, “When’s the match?”
“Saturday morning—our game!” Yi Tianyu hurriedly replied.
“Saturday…” Xue Jiao rubbed her chin. “I’ll see.”
“What else do you have to do?! Why ‘I’ll see’?!” Yi Tianyu panicked.
Xue Jiao blinked blankly. “Saturday’s the day after tomorrow. How would I know if something comes up?”
Yi Tianyu: “…”
So. Frustrating.
This bookworm!
——
In the end, Xue Jiao did show up that day—and so did Cheng Mingze, who was also competing in the tournament.
It was only then that Xue Jiao remembered: in the original story, the male lead seemed to be an all-around prodigy—excellent in academics, sports, and even business ventures later on.
Her gaze couldn’t help but fill with envy…
As expected of the male lead, the world’s chosen one. Everything good just fell into his lap…Cheng Mingze tugged at his clothes, looking curious. "What's wrong? Is there something off about me?"
"Nothing..." Xue Jiao shook her head.
In truth, Xue Jiao knew that while Cheng Mingze did have a sharp mind, he also worked extremely hard. No one's success was innate.
If even the male lead was putting in this much effort, how could she—a "supporting female character" who had met a tragic end in her past life—not strive just as hard?
With this thought, Xue Jiao pulled out her vocabulary notebook and began memorizing words as she walked.
Cheng Mingze: "..."
Just how did his little sister manage to be this diligent?
Because Cheng Mingze had a competition, the two arrived unusually early. Surprisingly, the gymnasium was already filled with many students, most of whom had come from No. 7 High and No. 3 High to cheer.
There were also scattered students from other schools. With so many present, the gymnasium was nearly full.
"Bookworm! Over here!!" Yi Tianyu's eyes lit up when he saw her enter the gymnasium. He suddenly jumped up and waved vigorously.
Xue Jiao: "..."
She and Cheng Mingze approached. The first row was reserved for the basketball team members and teachers.
"Sit here!" Yi Tianyu spread a jacket over the seat next to him, grinning from ear to ear.
Xue Jiao shook her head, picked up his jacket, tossed it back to him, and sat down. Cheng Mingze took the seat beside her.
"Bookworm, you came after all!"
He wanted to ask—Did you come to watch me play?
But his gaze flickered to Cheng Mingze beside her, and he swallowed the words.
Yi Tianyu didn’t get to say much more before the No. 3 High team entered, taking their seats opposite No. 7 High.
As they walked to the center of the court, someone whistled toward the No. 7 High side, and faintly, the word "beauty" could be heard.
Yi Tianyu and Cheng Mingze both turned to look, their expressions darkening simultaneously.
The whistle was undoubtedly directed at Xue Jiao!!!
Xue Jiao, however, paid no attention at all. Her eyes wandered curiously around the gym.
She hadn’t watched many basketball games before. Sitting courtside and preparing to watch intently was a first for her.
Soon, the game began.
Xue Jiao didn’t understand basketball well—she could only tell who scored and watched as the coach ran around, shouting hoarsely.
Behind her was the No. 7 High section. Every time their team scored, the crowd erupted with—
"Wahhh!! Aaaah!"
And every time No. 3 High scored, it was met with—
"Boo—"
The opposite side reacted in reverse.
Though Xue Jiao didn’t fully grasp the game, she could see that Cheng Mingze and Yi Tianyu scored the most points. They were the most impressive players on the court, both in skill and scoring.
Gradually, the cheers behind her became—
"Cheng Mingze! Go for it!"
"Yi Tianyu! Go for it!"
"Brother Mingze! You're amazing!"
"Brother Tianyu! You're amazing!"
...
The match held little suspense—No. 7 High maintained a commanding lead throughout.
Especially in the second half, when a boy from No. 3 High whistled at Xue Jiao as he ran past. After that, Yi Tianyu and Cheng Mingze relentlessly dominated No. 3 High, not allowing them a single point.
Yi Tianyu shone brilliantly in this game. He ran the entire court and, as if bursting with energy, even scored a three-pointer at the very end.
Even Xue Jiao was stunned.
From that far away... and it still went in?
When the game was declared over, the entire No. 7 High team rushed forward, lifting Yi Tianyu and Cheng Mingze onto their shoulders. They roared triumphantly, tossing them into the air."Hey beautiful, what's your name? Can I get your WeChat?" Though their team had lost, a baby-faced boy from Third High didn't seem upset at all. Instead, he crossed the entire court to approach Xue Jiao.
Xue Jiao: "..."
"What are you doing?! Haven't you had enough beating?!" Yi Tianyu struggled down from his teammate's back and shouted.
The baby-faced boy glanced at them both, then turned and ran away.
Yi Tianyu, sweating profusely and panting, rushed over: "What did he say to you?"
"He asked for my WeChat..."
Yi Tianyu's face darkened. "I know that guy. His surname is Wang. He's a notorious playboy who toys with girls. Don't be fooled by scum like him!"
Xue Jiao: "...Oh."
She didn't mention that the boy's jersey clearly displayed his surname—Sun.
——
After the basketball game, the school team planned to eat together. Despite the team's enthusiastic insistence that Xue Jiao join them, she declined.
Cheng Mingze called Uncle Xing to pick Xue Jiao up from the gymnasium. The group saw her off into the car before heading to dinner.
"Brother Ze, Brother Ze, is that your sister?" A teammate sidled up to Cheng Mingze.
For some reason, Cheng Mingze felt a twinge of pride, though he replied coolly, "Mm."
"Damn! Your family's genes are insane! She's so pretty! And she won first prize in the math competition, plus she's ranked first in her grade! Does your family mass-produce gods and goddesses?"
"Can I be reborn into your family?"
"Wow! I've heard about this too—the most legendary guy and girl in our school are these siblings!"
"My roommate even sent your sister a love letter, but never got a response."
"Brother Ze, you two are basically the school's prince and princess!"
...
Cheng Mingze frowned slightly at the mention of the love letter. Though he also believed Xue Jiao was the best, hearing others talk about her like this inexplicably irked him.
So, Cheng Mingze changed the subject.
Behind them, Yi Tianyu and Xi Junyang walked together, listening to the conversation.
Yi Tianyu couldn't help but scoff. "Him? The school prince? What about me?"
"Uh..." Xi Junyang scratched his head honestly. "Brother Yu, you're crazy handsome too, but you and Brother Ze have completely different styles—it's not comparable. Besides... he's an all-rounder with this godly aura."
Yi Tianyu pursed his lips but didn't argue further.
After all, this was Xue Jiao's brother... Well, he'd reluctantly consider him an older brother too.
Xi Junyang sighed. "Ever since Jiao Jiao won that math prize, her reputation as a goddess has spread across all the high schools in the city. They say she's stunningly beautiful with top-tier grades—a certified goddess. An old middle school buddy of mine has been dying to sneak a peek to see if she really looks as good as in photos."
"Photos?" Yi Tianyu looked puzzled.
Xi Junyang pulled out his phone and flipped to an image. "Here, look. It's the group photo from the awards ceremony. See Jiao Jiao? She's literally the brightest star in the frame."
It was a group photo of over fifty first-prize winners. As one of the few girls, Xue Jiao stood in the front row, visibly standing out from the rest. The photo was brutally realistic—most students looked like ordinary, slightly tanned teenagers in uniforms, but she somehow made the same uniform look elegant, her complexion fair and radiant.
Xi Junyang added, "Our Jiao Jiao really brings glory to Seventh High."
"Who's 'our Jiao Jiao'?! Since when do you call her Jiao Jiao? It's 'Miss Gu' to you!" Yi Tianyu suddenly flared up.Xi Junyang: "……" ???
——
Another match took place on Sunday, but Xue Jiao didn't attend again. She spent her time reviewing while listening to Lin Zhihua explain strategies for exam preparation.
After this math competition, she had come to realize just how remarkable Lin Zhihua truly was.
This man seemed genuinely capable of anything.
When Cheng Mingze returned, she found out they had won another match.
The next basketball game wouldn't be until the following Friday. On Monday, she and Cheng Mingze still carried their backpacks to school as usual.
By the time she reached the classroom, her seat was already surrounded by people—or more accurately, they were crowding around Yi Tianyu.
"Brother Yu, can our Seventh High take first place?"
"The sports school is so strong, can our school really win?"
"In the past, first place was always swept by the sports school!"
"Yeah, yeah."
...
Yi Tianyu was thoroughly annoyed by them. Noticing Xue Jiao at the edge of the crowd, he quickly shooed them away—
"You'll know when the results come out, won't you? Scram, all of you!"
Only after everyone had dispersed did Xue Jiao take her seat.
"Congratulations."
Yi Tianyu pressed a fist to his lips, feigning nonchalance. "Yeah, yeah, no big deal."
As Xue Jiao took out her books, Yi Tianyu also reached into his desk drawer—but instead of books, his fingers brushed against a stack of small, colorful envelopes.
Yi Tianyu: "..."
Xue Jiao, somewhat experienced in this matter, asked, "Love letters?"
"You know about these?! Have you gotten them before?" Yi Tianyu's voice rose sharply.
Xue Jiao shook her head. "No."
She had received plenty in her past life.
Strangely enough, she felt she was far more outstanding in this life than the last, yet she had somehow managed to avoid receiving any love letters...
She was slightly puzzled but didn't dwell on it.
Frankly, she'd rather not receive such things—they were just a hassle.
Xue Jiao quickly immersed herself in studying, while Yi Tianyu tossed all those pink envelopes away without even glancing at them.
Compared to the love letters he received, he cared more about—
At noon, nearly all the students had left for lunch.
Yi Tianyu wolfed down his meal and hurried back to the classroom. The first thing he did was bend over Xue Jiao's seat, reaching into her desk and pulling out several blue and pink letters—
"Damn it! Are they never gonna stop?! I just cleared out a bunch this morning, and now there's this many again?!"
Author's note:
Lin Zhihua: Utterly (well) shameless (done)!
Cheng Mingze: claps !!!
OpenNovel