"This teaching building has a really hidden spot," Xia Yan said.

"Not even Mu Feng or Xiang Guan know about it. I learned this secret from a senior."

*Senior?* (The girl tensed.)

Remembering how girls flocked to him after class like sparrows to a feeder, Hua Xin snorted inwardly.

*If my Niu Niu were still here, how could Xia Yan ever be this popular?*

*Ding!* The elevator doors slid open.

"Follow me." Xia Yan winked at the helmet-cradling girl and led the way.

Her eyes locked onto the food bags in his hands.

*Hungry 🤤*

*Wanted Xia Yan’s big meal to fill her tiny stomach 😋*

Left turn. Right turn. Left again. Right again.

The top floor—usually reserved for teacher gatherings—was deserted. Only footsteps and rustling plastic bags echoed in the empty corridor.

Xia Yan reached the far end and climbed a narrow staircase.

These steps led to the rooftop. The right-side door lock was broken, making access easy.

*Sounded exactly like those anime spots where couples meet or feelings deepen.*

*But they were just two guys. Future bros, maybe.*

The unlocked door swung open smoothly.

"Hey, Hua Xin," Xia Yan closed it gently behind her, smiling. "Look up?"

"Huh? Where is this..."

The girl snapped back to reality. Her pupils shrank.

She stepped forward instinctively toward the mesh barrier.

The playground. Roads. Trees. Blue sky. White clouds. Endless city buildings. Distant streams of traffic humming like insects.

*So this is what "seeing far from a height" really means.*

*(So beautiful...)*

*(Is the outside world really like this...?)*

Unable to tear her gaze away, she placed her helmet down and pressed her pale hands against the netting. Her breath hitched—vertigo made her dizzy, her brain conjuring phantom falls to the pavement below. She was terrified of heights.

Yet her eyes still sparkled as she drank in the world.

This was nothing like the pitch-black room she’d known, or videos on a screen.

"Our school building’s tall enough to see most of the district," Xia Yan said, settling against the mesh. He opened the food containers. Fragrant steam swirled toward her on the breeze. "Pretty breathtaking, right? No one disturbs you here. I’ve kept this as my secret base."

"Here. Bigger portion’s yours." He handed her a container with a grin.

"Thank you." Hua Xin’s voice was soft, polite.

She carefully carried the food to a spot slightly away from him, sat against the barrier, and set it down.

*(Eat. Just eat...)*

Turning her back, she pulled off her mask. A delicate, stunning face emerged, eyes glowing with pure bliss.

*Seeing this view. Eating real food...*

*Like free dumplings falling from heaven! 😭*

Sweat-dampened strands of hair clung to her temples under the hood.

*Chomp.*

She reverently placed a piece of tangcu paigu (sweet-sour pork ribs) in her mouth.

Tangy-sweet sauce burst over tender meat. The deep satisfaction of real protein, paired with fluffy, separate grains of steamed rice...

*Plop. Plop.*

Tears dripped into her rice before she knew it. She spat out the bone and wiped her eyes gently.

*(Delicious...)*

*(Really delicious.)*

*(Just like that time’s tangcu paigu...)*

The tears wouldn’t stop. They slid down her cheeks, some landing in her rice. She ate the other dishes while crying, avoiding the tangcu paigu entirely.

"Hey, Hua Xin," Xia Yan set down his chopsticks, watching her back. His tone held no mockery. "What should I call you? Hua Hua? Xin Xin? Feels kinda unmanly for a guy. Your call."

"..."

Her cheeks bulged like a hamster’s. She swallowed hastily, licked her lips, and hesitated.

"Xin."

"Just call me Xin."

"Got it, Xin-ge."

"*Ge* meaning ‘older brother’?"

The title caught her off guard. *This guy’s way too familiar...*

*Right. Bros naturally love each other. Calling each other ‘ge’ is normal. Must be my irresistible charm (tsundere mode).*

She stuffed her mouth with rice and braised pork belly, dodging the nickname issue.

*Food first.*

Chopsticks flew again.

"Hmm..." Xia Yan paused. "You can’t keep calling me ‘Class Rep’ either, Xin Xin."

"*Xin Xin*?!"

*(Chew chew chew.)*

*(You said ‘Xin Xin’ wasn’t manly! I let you call me ‘Xin-ge’ and you still do this!)*

*(I’ll bite you.)*

She viciously crunched into a piece of guobao rou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork), imagining it was tiny Xia Yan.

*Though the crispy, sweet perfection was nothing like him.*

"Call me Xia Yan in public," he said, a smile playing on his lips. "But privately... ‘Xiao Shui’?"

"My grandpa’s nickname for me. Weird, right? A fire-name guy stuck with ‘Water’..."

"Only you and my grandparents know this."

True. But he was weaving a secret—just between them—to shore up their fragile new friendship.

Many bonds began with shared secrets.

"Xiao Shui?"

Hua Xin set down her now-empty container—save for the untouched tangcu paigu—and repeated it softly.

*Some shrimp-headed guy online was called ‘Shui’ too, wasn’t he?*

The thought vanished. Millions shared names. Millions named Zhang Wei. This sunny, popular guy could never be like that perverted shrimp-head.

She pulled her mask back on and returned to Xia Yan, plastic container in hand.

"You finished already? That was minutes..."

"Uh, should we head to the activity hall then..."

Xia Yan stood hesitantly, stunned by her speed. His eyes flicked to her slender frame. *How could someone so small devour a construction worker’s meal?*

"Aren’t you eating anymore?"

Hua Xin wasn’t afraid. She stared at his half-full containers.

"Not very hungry... already full."

Xia Yan turned his head away, voice tight. He understood what she was asking.

She silently gathered his leftovers, sealed the containers, and placed them in her black plastic bag. Feeling their weight, she looked up at him, hopeful: "Can I have these?"

"I don’t mind."

Xia Yan kept his face averted, gazing at the skyline. His eyes glistened.

*Why did she look so happy—so eager—about eating his scraps?*

After a long pause, he forced lightness into his voice:

"I was worried *you’d* mind *me*."

"Never. This place makes great food."