Don’t just look at me, look at the book Chapter 3

Chapter 03

*

 The district exams come quickly, and the results are out fast.

Bai Xue loses her spot as top of the grade, and Chen Zifeng drops out of the top twenty.

Me? Chen Xiaofeng? I move up, taking Chen Zifeng’s old spot.

I go to gloat. “See? I told you to listen to me.”

Chen Zifeng asks, “Did those test papers actually help?”

“Nope, not a single question matched,” I say, pointing at the test. “Don’t change the subject. Why don’t you listen to me? Stop thinking about dating. Bai Xue doesn’t even want to talk to you today.”

“Bai Xue is just in a bad mood,” Chen Zifeng says, spinning his pen. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? It’s not you who got called in by the teacher. But you’re next.”

Chen Zifeng looks at me. “What do you want me to do?”

I know if I push too hard, he’ll stuff me in the trash can, so I say, “If you don’t keep your relationship secret, the teachers will call your parents, and Mom and Dad will know you’re corrupting a good girl. Then you’ll be sleeping on the street.”

“Secret relationship?” Chen Zifeng frowns.

“Trust me, it’s more fun that way.”

Chen Zifeng pinches my ear. “Who are you having a secret relationship with? Tell me.”

I point at my deskmate. “Him.”

My deskmate immediately drags his desk to the trash can.

The teacher yells at him to come back.

While I’m at it, I check on Lin Yuchen’s grades. He doesn’t have much room to drop, but he manages to move up to the middle of the pack, thanks to his physics and chemistry scores. The rest are still bad.

I’ll take the credit.

Doing practice papers really helps.

After the results, Bai Xue and I keep studying at night. The classroom is so quiet you could hear a pin drop, so when a paper ball lands on my desk, I jump.

I open it and immediately look at the window. Lin Yuchen is leaning on the railing, looking mysterious.

But let me say, his outline is very handsome.

After half a second of hesitation, I give up on my review and go to the hall.

He sees me, turns, and walks away.

We walk in single file, not too close, not too far, all the way to the rooftop.

Fang Meimei is there.

My face falls, but when I see Lin Yuchen’s calm expression, I understand.

When Lin Yuchen said, “I understand,” he meant he’d gotten the toughs to spill everything.

Since they’d been beaten, they told him the whole story.

So, Fang Meimei is exposed.

Lin Yuchen brought her here for me.

Fang Meimei is arrogant, but in front of Lin Yuchen, she keeps her head down.

When she sees me, she stiffens and tries to leave, but a glance at Lin Yuchen stops her.

“Handle it yourself. I won’t get involved in your drama,” Lin Yuchen says, then walks to the other side of the roof and puts on his headphones.

But he doesn’t leave, which makes me braver.

I finally get to confront Fang Meimei: “You hired people to go after my brother and Bai Xue. Explain yourself.”

“You believe anything those idiots say?” Fang Meimei hisses. “And who are you to get involved between me and Chen Zifeng?”

“I almost got beaten up! Of course I’m involved!” I put on my best tough-girl face. “Do you think breaking up Bai Xue and my brother will make him like you? Dream on. My brother likes smart girls, you know?”

Fang Meimei is stunned. “You—!”

“With your grades, you’ll never catch his eye.”

Fang Meimei is speechless.

After my big speech, I go to Lin Yuchen. “It’s handled. Let’s go.”

“That’s it?” Lin Yuchen gives me a look.

“What, did you expect us to pull each other’s hair?”

“Yeah.”

“No way. I’m already losing enough hair.”

Lin Yuchen’s lips twitch. After a while, he says, “I can tell.”

…Let’s just leave.

But Lin Yuchen won’t let me go. He blocks my way, his shadow falling over me, a faint smile on his lips. “You owe me another favor.”

I say seriously, “I can tutor you.”

“Being seen with me will ruin your reputation,” Lin Yuchen says, shaking his head. Then he takes off one of his headphones and offers it to me. “Listen to some music with me.”

“This isn’t being seen with you?”

Lin Yuchen leans down and says slowly, “Look around. Is anyone else on the roof?”

So, I’m stuck on the roof with Lin Yuchen.

But when I get back to the dorm, I realize I’ve accidentally taken both his headphones.

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