Inside the restroom…  

Lin Beixing leaned her slender arms against either side of the sink, her eyes locked firmly on her own reflection in the mirror.  

Because of the lie Lu Yu had told last night, she’d been forced to wear long pants to school today.  

Although Lin Beixing naturally had cold hands and feet, in summer she was no different from anyone else—she still felt the heat just like everyone else did.  

She scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed it onto her face, then shook her head gently with her eyes closed.  

In the mirror, her bangs were slightly damp, and droplets clung to her long, fluttering lashes before falling in tiny beads.  

“What’s wrong, Xiaoxing? You seem off today… Did you stay up late again last night solving problems?”  

Among girls, going to the restroom together was practically a ritual. As Lin Beixing’s best friend, Lan Xi always came running from the neighboring class within half a minute of receiving Lin Beixing’s call, ready to accompany her to the restroom.  

But this morning, Lin Beixing hadn’t come to use the restroom—her troubled expression had Lan Xi deeply worried.  

“Didn’t I already tell you yesterday to balance work and rest? You don’t have to push yourself this hard. Just talk to your mom. The pressure of senior year is intense enough—she shouldn’t keep pushing you like this.”  

Lan Xi sighed, still trying to reason with her misguided best friend.  

“It’s not about that…”  

Although what Lan Xi mentioned did bother her, Lin Beixing’s mind was elsewhere right now.  

She shook her head and continued, “Lan, there’s something I want to tell you…”  

Lin Beixing had many acquaintances, but Lan Xi was her only true confidante—the only person she’d ever share her deepest thoughts with.  

Lan Xi nodded solemnly. “Go ahead.”  

“I think he’s hiding something.”  

“Who?”  

“Lu… Lu Yu.”  

“Him?!” Lan Xi exclaimed in surprise. “I think you’re the one with issues! Yesterday you walked into school all cozy and lovey-dovey with him, and when I asked you about it, you refused to tell me anything! I’ve been your best friend since we were kids! You won’t even tell me, yet today you suddenly say there’s something off about him?!”  

Lan Xi was practically bristling—her short stature somehow made her irritation even more endearing.  

But she quickly softened her tone.  

“Alright, alright… Tell me. What’s wrong? In what way?”  

Truth be told, Lan Xi was a huge gossip at heart.  

Getting to hear juicy details about her own best friend? She was all ears.  

“…I saw his grades.”  

“Academic grades?”  

“Yeah…”  

“Where did you see them?”  

“In his desk… I accidentally saw some middle school test papers that fell out…”  

Lin Beixing’s voice was barely above a whisper.  

Lan Xi’s ears perked up—something felt off.  

Why would anyone carry middle school papers into their final year of high school? That made no sense.  

But she brushed the thought aside and said,  

“Didn’t I tell you ages ago that there’s something special about Lu Yu?”  

“When?” Lin Beixing couldn’t recall.  

Lan Xi sighed. “Right after we enrolled! Don’t you remember? He was the freshman representative at the opening ceremony! Oh wait—you didn’t even attend the ceremony.”  

“So… you’re really starting to care about him now?” Lan Xi asked, eyes gleaming.  

“No! I just… I want to understand… after all, his current grades…”  

She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew Lu Yu ranked dead last in the entire grade—he was infamous.  

Jiangshui No.1 High didn’t have many handsome underachievers, and Lu Yu was the only one.  

Watching her best friend fumble and deny it so desperately, Lan Xi rolled her eyes.  

“If you like him, just say so! Your taste is spot-on—I totally approve.”  

“And honestly, if you told me right now you wanted to start dating, I’d cheer you on with both hands! Honestly, Beixing, I wish you’d follow your heart for once and do something you actually enjoy, instead of burying yourself in textbooks every day. You’ll turn into a bookworm!”  

“It’s not like that…” Lin Beixing instinctively protested, glancing between Lan Xi’s reflection and her own clear eyes in the mirror.  

“I just feel that, as class monitor, if a classmate is struggling, it’s my duty to help resolve things…”  

“Sure, sure—whatever you say. I’m not forcing you to admit anything. A little shyness is cute,” Lan Xi teased, deliberately ignoring her protest.  

Lin Beixing’s cheeks flushed crimson.  

“Lan Xi!”  

Lan Xi waved her off. She knew Lin Beixing was easily flustered, so she decided not to press further.  

The conversation circled back to the original topic.  

“If you really want to know why he suddenly started slacking off, it might be tough. Lu Yu’s famously icy—he hardly talks to anyone, let alone opens up. Even our homeroom teacher probably has no idea why a top student suddenly plummeted to the bottom.”  

“But…” Lan Xi tapped her chin, sizing up her friend with a mischievous glint in her eye.  

“You could just ask him yourself—if he’s willing to talk, that is.”  

Ding-ding-ding!

Just then, the shrill ring of the class bell echoed from the speaker above the restroom.  

Lin Beixing quickly wiped her face dry and hurriedly pulled Lan Xi back toward the classroom.  

They parted ways at the classroom doors—Lin Beixing in Senior 3, Class 5; Lan Xi in Class 6.  

“Go get ‘em, Beixing! If you have more questions, you know where to find me. I’ve got your back.”  

Lan Xi grinned slyly and stretched her neck to peek into the back row of the classroom.  

Lu Yu had just returned to his seat, pen and notebook in hand. Lan Xi shot Lin Beixing a meaningful look.  

“Remember,” she said, giving Lin Beixing’s shoulder a firm pat, “if you want to ask someone personal questions, you’ve got to build some rapport first.”  

Then, just before the teacher entered, she darted off.  

Lin Beixing rushed to her seat and quickly arranged her textbooks, ready for class.  

Before the second half of the morning began, she glanced back toward Lu Yu’s direction.  

He was propped up on one hand, lost in thought.  

Lu Yu had always been sharp-eyed. Despite the distance between them, the moment Lin Beixing turned to look, his gaze instantly caught hers.  

“Hm?”  

A silent exchange passed between them across the aisle.