As the final bell signaling the end of school rang out, Hua Qi—who’d been wrestling with a problem—immediately turned to Chi Yuzhou and asked:

"Yuzhou, if you ever take a girl you like out for a meal, what would you bring her to eat?"

Hearing this, Chi Yuzhou, tidying his things, replied without hesitation:

"It depends on who holds the initiative."

"What initiative?"

"You say you’re treating her, then let her guess the meal—or pick what I want."

"How does guessing tie into initiative?"

Chi Yuzhou glanced at Hua Qi and explained steadily:

"If you hand her the initiative, take her wherever she guesses."

"Oh! And if you don’t want to give it up?"

Hua Qi’s face lit with understanding. Chi Yuzhou continued:

"Then keep making her guess until she lands on grilled fish."

"? Why grilled fish?"

"Because I’m footing the bill."

"Haha, fair enough."

Chi Yuzhou didn’t ask what Hua Qi had gleaned. Instead, he gave an encouraging nod and added:

"Initiative matters."

Hua Qi seemed to absorb this, then quickly packed up and left first.

...

Most classmates had cleared out, leaving only Chi Yuzhou and the girl seated ahead of him.

Golden twilight spilled through the window, draping the classroom in a soft, gilded veil.

Alone, Chi Yuzhou quietly tackled his homework.

He only wandered out when assignments were light and the weather cooperated—always heading to the tavern by a set time.

Manager Heng Li hadn’t fixed his hours or scolded him for tardiness.

Truly a kind boss.

By the time Chi Yuzhou finished his Chinese homework at a leisurely pace, the front-seat girl had vanished unnoticed. He was the last one left.

Unsurprised, he faced the breeze drifting through the window. Today felt satisfying.

Badminton had been more fun than expected.

Oh... he still hadn’t replied to Xiao Yingwan about tutoring.

Not really his fault.

Xiao Yingwan usually kept to herself in class. Only close friends dared approach her.

As an invisible edge character like him, initiating contact would spark pointless gossip.

Before Chi Yuzhou could ponder how to tell her, a cool voice cut through the quiet at the doorway:

"Knew you’d still be here."

Xiao Yingwan—who should’ve left—had returned.

Their eyes locked. Without preamble, she asked directly:

"Chi Yuzhou, have you decided?"

Her footsteps neared as she spoke. After a pause, Chi Yuzhou laid out his grades honestly:

"My math scores are poor. I just didn’t study hard before. Tutoring me as an apology will exhaust you."

"No problem."

Xiao Yingwan shook her head beside his desk, then asked:

"How about tutoring after school? Works for you?"

"Yeah. I’m free then."

Chi Yuzhou nodded. Xiao Yingwan pulled the front chair over, spun it around, and faced him.

Up close, the golden light gilded her striking features. Chi Yuzhou noticed every detail—even her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

He’d seen many beautiful women in the human world. Some rivaled the Snow Maiden’s allure.

If he hadn’t witnessed Xiao Yingwan’s heatstroke in the warehouse, he might suspect she belonged to a Snow Maiden clan from another village.

Oh. She’s human. No issue.

He wasn’t worried she’d uncover his secret at this range.

After all, even Hua Qi—his long-time desk mate—only discovered it by accident outside school.

What could tutoring reveal? Better to test Xiao Yingwan’s patience first.

Silently, Chi Yuzhou produced the math test scored fourteen out of a hundred.

Twenty minutes later.

"You... didn’t absorb a single lesson in class, did you..."

Xiao Yingwan rubbed her forehead, pointing out problems on the paper.

She realized his few correct answers were pure luck on multiple-choice questions.

Suddenly, "a long road ahead" made perfect sense.

Yet Chi Yuzhou’s laid-back aura remained untouched by her frustration. For a moment, she doubted her own charm.

"Let’s wrap up for today. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a mini-test to gauge your level."

"Sure."

Watching Xiao Yingwan stand, Chi Yuzhou felt a flicker of helplessness.

He hated being stared at like an idiot.

In the corridor, Xiao Yingwan glanced back. Chi Yuzhou hadn’t moved to walk her out.

Did even walking together in this near-empty campus stress him too much?

If so, it wasn’t his fault.

Blame her overwhelming charm.

The distant twilight still glowed beautifully. At the school gate, Xiao Yingwan was soon picked up by a black car.

Chi Yuzhou didn’t linger either. He headed straight for the tavern.

...

Around seven, teachers still on campus began floor checks.

Guanmingxue was on duty today.

Her task: patrol assigned floors, usher lingering students home. Nothing more.

After inspecting several empty classrooms, her phone buzzed. Seeing her mom’s call again, she answered:

"Hey, Mom?"

"You messaged about moving to that apartment? Why the sudden switch?"

"...Just need a change of scenery."

"Fine. Since you’ll be closer, handle its issues and rent collection too."

"Got it. Send tenant details later."

The call ended as Guanmingxue reached her Grade 11 Class 3 classroom. Empty.

The window stood open, curtains dancing in the breeze.

Her thoughts circled that small figure.

That morning, she’d tried to bump into him near his brother’s place. No luck—his car sat parked for ages, no sign of him.

She’d wait until his next visit...

Heh. Once she moved near that room, she’d never miss him.