Another Monday rolled around before I knew it. As usual, I arrived at the classroom fifteen minutes before morning self-study began. He Wei was already there, just a tad earlier. He nudged my back. "Old Wu, did you wrap up the goddess Wanrou situation?"

Truth was, I wasn’t sure if it counted as "wrapped up." That day, the creepy coach and I had only fought to a draw. I had no clue if he’d give up. But to calm my buddy down, I flashed an ‘OK’ sign. "All set! Don’t worry."

"Phew, thank goodness." He Wei’s chubby face lit up with that mysterious, eternal-backup smile. His nose twitched slightly, unnoticed.

He was definitely sniffing my so-called "virgin scent" again. Since he didn’t say it out loud, I couldn’t be bothered to call him out. Let him sniff—it wouldn’t cost me a thing.

Just then, Xu Wanrou appeared at the classroom door. Almost every guy in class stole glances her way. But she didn’t head to her seat. Instead, she walked straight to my desk and greeted me warmly. "Morning, Tongtong!"

"T-T-T-T-Tongtong?!" He Wei gaped at me, his usually tiny eyes bulging like copper bells.

After our intimate "date" the other day, I naturally returned the greeting. "Morning, Sister Wanrou."

"S-S-S-S-Sister Wanrou?!" His eyeballs nearly popped out.

It wasn’t just He Wei. Many boys stared over in utter shock. Xu Wanrou was famously icy toward guys—ripping up love letters was small stuff. She’d tossed bouquets straight into trash cans and forwarded confession texts to teachers. Yet this aloof class beauty was suddenly cozying up to some ordinary loser like me. No wonder they were dumbfounded.

After greeting me, Xu Wanrou still didn’t leave. She kept chatting by my desk. "Tongtong, why didn’t you reply to my messages all day yesterday?"

"Huh? I thought I did." I pulled out my phone, puzzled. The reply hadn’t sent—my phone was dead from unpaid bills. Awkward.

Xu Wanrou didn’t mind at all. She giggled softly. "Silly Tongtong, you didn’t even notice your phone died? Recharge it soon, okay?"

"Got it, Sister Wanrou."

He Wei, watching his bro chat so intimately with his goddess, felt a storm of emotions. He finally choked out, "Uh, Old Wu… are you two… dating?"

The class erupted. First, the school banned dating, especially for seniors—any romance was strictly underground. Second, the ice-queen class rep? Snatched by some nobody like him? Even quiet Chen Jiayi up front turned around, curious.

"Hehehe…" Xu Wanrou laughed brightly, amused by the misunderstanding. "Dating? No way! Tongtong’s actually a gi—"

I shot up from my chair like lightning and clamped a hand over her mouth. Hey! What about our secret? You were supposed to keep it! Turns out women’s promises aren’t reliable either.

Seeing my reproachful glare, Xu Wanrou’s big eyes filled with apology. I loosened my grip. She quickly corrected herself. "Tongtong’s just my ordinary friend. You guys are overthinking it."

The class beauty had spoken. Many boys sighed in relief, though some still glared at me, digging for secrets.

Honestly, I’d prefer Xu Wanrou pretend not to know me at school. Hippo—that’s He Wei—was head-over-heels for her. If that idiot got the wrong idea, I’d lose my only decent friend. Even if he was a total dork.

Senior year schedules were packed, with teachers always running over. Breaks were short. Only lunch offered real downtime. And next month, evening self-study would make things even busier.

Well, it was senior year. College would be better. Most students told themselves that—including me.

The lunch bell finally rang. Boys bolted out first to beat the cafeteria lines. Girls strolled in small groups, more graceful. Hippo and I were lazy types, usually walking mid-crowd while rating girls from other classes.

But as I stepped out this time, Xu Wanrou bounced over with a radiant smile. "Tongtong, eat with us today! I need a favor."

I hesitated. She’d only invited me, not Hippo. Ditching my bro felt uncool. Luckily, Xu Wanrou caught my worry. Her face turned icy. She pulled cash from her wallet and thrust it at him. "You. Run to Wuse Tang outside campus. Get three milk teas. Fast."

Wuse Tang was a popular shop, but far from the gate. Round-trip took twenty minutes—even with no queue. A big test for chubby, lazy Hippo. Yet love-struck, he obeyed without hesitation, sprinting out of sight.

With the extra fly swatted away, Xu Wanrou switched back to a cute smile. She grabbed my hand. "Tongtong, this is my bestie, Gu Yanting. Same class—you know her, right?"

We’d been together over two years, split into cliques. Hippo and I were one pair; Xu Wanrou and Gu Yanting another. Gu Yanting wasn’t as stunning as Xu Wanrou, but sweet-faced. Together, they drew endless stares from the boys.

Now, Gu Yanting stared at our clasped hands, shocked. "Wanrou… are you and Wu Tong… dating?"

Xu Wanrou looked confused. "Tingting, what are you talking about?"

"But you’re holding hands…"

True—only couples did that. Xu Wanrou finally got it and burst out laughing. "Silly! I meant to hold your hand, Tingting. My mistake."

Gu Yanting accepted it half-heartedly, but kept sneaking curious glances at me.