"Did Yuzhou know about the body found in the alley near the school?"

"I heard the ones who reported it were a couple from the next class. The corpse was apparently horrifying—they were completely terrified when they found it."

A body?

After hearing Hua Qi’s words, Chi Yuzhou’s mind instinctively conjured the two women he’d met in that alley days ago.

Could it be that coincidental?

Chi Yuzhou shook his head slightly, telling Hua Qi he’d just learned about it too.

No wonder the classroom felt so strange this morning—the whole class had been acting oddly. So something really had happened.

It seemed the human world wasn’t always safe either.

Seeing Chi Yuzhou’s natural ignorance of the matter, Hua Qi withdrew his gaze.

By the time school ended, Chi Yuzhou—whose afternoon focus had been decent—kept up with lessons he could follow. For the rest, he pulled out the notebook Xiao Yingwan had given him, scribbling notes alone.

Xiao Yingwan had even tucked extra problem sets into the notebook as examples, detailing every crucial point with meticulous care.

For the first time, Chi Yuzhou faintly felt the fullness of studying.

The more he experienced this, the clearer the gap between him and the current curriculum became.

The problems before him seemed so close, yet the moment he lifted his pen, they drifted away like the fading taste of a dreamt feast—distant and unreachable.

When the dismissal bell finally rang, the classroom atmosphere eased.

But before students could pack up, their homeroom teacher appeared at the door, herding everyone back to their seats.

Once order was restored, the math teacher—who was also their homeroom teacher—leaned on the podium, her expression stern. "Everyone, stay home as much as possible these next few days. Avoid wandering out at night unless absolutely necessary."

"As for why... just check the news lately. This’ll blow over soon. I hope you all have a quiet weekend and come back to school properly on Monday, understood?"

"Yes!" the class chorused. Satisfied, the teacher didn’t delay their departure any further.

Students left in groups, chatting openly about weekend plans—mostly daytime outings.

Soon, only a few remained.

When only Chi Yuzhou and Xiao Yingwan were left, she approached him before he could stand.

Xiao Yingwan sat in the seat facing him, flipping through the notebook to find prepared problems. She checked them thoroughly, then pulled out textbooks and exercise books. Her focused demeanor left no doubt: she genuinely wanted to teach him.

After reviewing Chi Yuzhou’s answers for gaps, Xiao Yingwan began today’s tutoring session.

All things considered, this was only their first proper study session.

Day one had been improvised with nothing on hand; day two used a test paper to gauge his level.

"Here, you could try a different approach—like applying the formula..." Her clear, cool voice carried no coldness.

Xiao Yingwan taught earnestly, sharing problem-solving tricks while subtly observing Chi Yuzhou’s expression. His bangs obscured most of his face; to see his eyes clearly, she’d need to lean closer.

But one thing was certain: he rarely looked at her.

From Chi Yuzhou’s attentive aura, it seemed her tutoring was purely academic to him.

He kept his head slightly lowered, all his focus on her explanations—as if any tutor would do, not specifically Xiao Yingwan.

Was that right? Truly right?

Since childhood, Xiao Yingwan had spent most of her time in her grandfather’s study, absorbing a scholarly grace that drew endless admirers.

Her frequent rejections had earned her labels like "aloof" or "Snow Maiden" among classmates.

To her, these proved her exceptional worth.

So why could Chi Yuzhou remain indifferent?

She’d never encountered this before—just mild curiosity.

Watching Chi Yuzhou’s half-hidden face, his calm aura seemed shadowed by the dim light.

Could he be... one of those otaku obsessed only with 2D characters?

Xiao Yingwan’s thoughts wandered as she taught steadily. Some classmates loudly declared fictional crushes, yet their eyes always darted away when meeting hers—never truly indifferent.

Seizing a pause while Chi Yuzhou worked on a problem, Xiao Yingwan suddenly spoke:

"Chi Yuzhou."

"Hmm?"

Noting the glimpse of his eyes through his bangs as he looked up, she recalled an overheard office conversation and pressed on: "Earlier... when the teacher said you live alone—what did that mean?"

"Literally."

"You sleep all day in class... are you working nights?"

"Yeah."

Chi Yuzhou kept his eyes on the problem, his tone flat. These surface truths didn’t matter if she knew them.

If she’d asked, he might’ve even mentioned his amnesia and vague memories of a "white moonlight"—just to prevent misunderstandings.

His reply made Xiao Yingwan pause briefly. Her impression of Chi Yuzhou sharpened instantly.

He often had no choice but to rest his head on the desk. He had no friends in class. Whatever his reasons for living alone, was he numbly accepting life’s harshness?

If so... she could help, even a little.

After all, she was exceptional.

Chi Yuzhou finished the problem, sliding the page toward her. "Could you check if it’s correct?"

"Sure, let me see."

As Chi Yuzhou glanced up, their eyes met.

? Was it his imagination?

Why did the competitive spark he’d seen in Xiao Yingwan’s gaze now seem mixed with pity?

What had this not-bad-looking, stubborn human thought of?

By the time Xiao Yingwan reviewed the problems, half an hour had slipped away.

After Chi Yuzhou suggested continuing Monday, Xiao Yingwan insisted on exchanging contact info.

He didn’t refuse. Bidding her goodbye, he headed straight for the small tavern.