"Erm... don't get worked up. Calm down. Calm down."

Jiang Fan stared at Lin Mengyao, who’d suddenly unleashed a barrage of shouts at him. He was genuinely startled this time.

*Holy crap. Did this woman just suffer a temporary glitch in her neural wiring?* He’d merely mentioned not planning to attend university much longer—why did she react like he’d stepped on a raw nerve? How his life turned out was none of her business.

"Look, if you’re mad about what I just said, I apologize. Let me be clear: I, Jiang Fan, absolutely do *not* look down on anyone grinding for the Gaokao. Seriously."

He assumed she’d taken his words as a veiled jab at hardworking students. But this time, he meant it. His choice stemmed from having survival skills beyond textbooks—if not for Mu Yuli and the system, he’d likely be cramming for exams like everyone else. He respected effort. Never thought himself superior, nor dismissed peers as bookworms. Most top graduates from No.1 High had bright futures; he wasn’t convinced he’d outshine them.

Lin Mengyao stayed silent, her eyes reddened, fixed on him with an unyielding stare. After a long pause, she sat back down and began grading the problems Jiang Fan had solved earlier.

A library staff member approached, but Lin Mengyao ignored them. Jiang Fan apologized awkwardly, promising no further outbursts before the staffer finally left.

Anna glanced between Jiang Fan’s pained expression and Lin Mengyao’s head bent over the papers.

*This little sister’s got real dedication.*

She figured Lin Mengyao was upset because she’d taken Teacher Shu’s request seriously. To Jiang Fan, it might seem like meddling—but to Anna, it was meaningful. Correcting his attitude despite knowing it’d be thankless? Her intentions were pure. Sticking to it would be admirable.

Intrigued, Anna dragged a chair over and joined their table. As Lin Mengyao graded in silence, Jiang Fan leaned toward Anna and whispered:

"Anna-jie... what do you think triggered her just now? I didn’t say anything *that* wrong. How did I step on her landmine?"

He’d met plenty of girls with bizarre logic. Though skilled with emotions, he wasn’t psychic—like now, baffled by Lin Mengyao’s sudden anger.

Was it his "lying flat" attitude? Or duty to Shu Yue’s request? Surely not some manga-style "never give up" speech?

*She doesn’t know my real battle isn’t in classrooms.* Mu Yuli stood in his way. Until he solved *that* problem, he wouldn’t even *see* next June’s Gaokao papers—let alone ace them.

"Probably pride and responsibility," Anna murmured, tapping her chin. "You missed it, but when you said you didn’t need tutoring? I saw the hurt flash in her eyes."

"She volunteered to help. Even if it was a teacher’s request, accepting it says a lot. And you kept acting like ‘I don’t need you.’ Anyone in her shoes would feel awful."

Jiang Fan had considered this. He knew his attitude toward her bordered on harsh—but their relationship was frosty at best. Her open hostility made it clear she disliked him.

*No way a single ice cream and a subway favor flipped her opinion. This isn’t a damn dating sim. If winning girls over was that easy, China wouldn’t have legions of chronically single men.*

He had no clue Lin Mengyao saw him as a symbol of "freedom." Had he known, he’d have lectured her on how "limitless freedom isn’t freedom at all."

*Joke’s on her. I was once ‘Wheelin’ Wildgoose’—nobody understands freedom like me.*

—*Except maybe Hajime Isayama.*

No brain was freer than his. Only someone that untethered could pull off such disastrous storytelling with a winning hand.

"Guess I didn’t expect such a strong reaction," Jiang Fan murmured, watching Lin Mengyao hunched over the papers. *Maybe I should apologize properly later?*

Her aunt was Xia Yining—that connection to Shu Yue was obvious. If he made Lin Mengyao cry, what would Shu Yue think? She’d gone out of her way to help him, and his reluctance *was* ungrateful. He wasn’t some rebellious teen itching to fight.

He realized his mistake. Regardless of his friction with Lin Mengyao, he owed her sincerity for Shu Yue’s sake. His passive retaliation had been excessive. Her barbs barely stung; his words always drew blood.

"Wait—Anna-jie," Jiang Fan suddenly remembered. "Why *are* you here today? And your outfit... did your friend find you?"

She wore a black crop top under a sleeveless vest, paired with slim cropped jeans. She looked absolutely fierce—beauty and swagger combined.

"Took you long enough to notice?" Anna wagged a finger playfully. "Low score, little bro. I dressed up *just* for this." She grinned. "Came with my bookworm friend. Reading at home’s boring, so I suggested we wander outside. Next thing I know—she drags me straight to this library. Unbelievable."

She pointed. "Over there."

Jiang Fan followed her gesture. The moment he saw her friend, his body jerked involuntarily.

*How could it be her?*