"If I say I do?" Jiang Juan didn't lower his voice. Their conversation carried clearly to nearby students.
Everyone—boys and girls alike—leaned in with gossip-hungry eyes. Jiang Juan and Guyen were already campus celebrities, and recent rumors ran wild: some claimed they hated each other, others whispered about a love triangle, and the most absurd fans even shipped them purely for their looks. *Guess private schools really are lenient with students*, Jiang Juan thought dryly. *Too little homework, too much free time.*
Now face-to-face, they radiated mutual disdain exactly as rumored. Jiang Juan, usually polite and composed, rarely showed such sharp edges.
"What’s he doing? Picking a fight with Jiang Juan?" Zhang Ning squinted from across the room, catching only body language. "You’re awfully worried about Guyen. You gay or something?" Zhao Zhuoyang teased, still sore from yesterday’s argument.
"We’re brothers. Holding grudges overnight?" Zhang Ning shot back.
"Whatever. Guyen’s got this handled if it gets physical. C’mon, let’s snag window seats in the back—breeze makes for better naps." Hu Junjie shrugged, already moving.
"True." Zhang Ning nodded in agreement.
Zhao Zhuoyang ignored them, striding toward a front-row seat by the wall. Unlike Guyen and Zhang Ning, he actually attended lectures—the last shred of academic conscience in their dorm.
Guyen stared silently at Jiang Juan. Curious onlookers abandoned their seats to crowd the front rows, while others frantically texted friends on WeChat to live-caption the drama.
Guyen arched a brow, flashing a dazzling grin. He tossed his backpack onto the desk. "Oh? Then I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that."
Jiang Juan looked away, gaze drifting to the window as if he could see through the curtains to the world outside.
Then, as if nothing happened, one propped his chin on his elbow, lost in thought, while the other slowly pulled a U-shaped neck pillow from his bag, clipped it around his neck, and shut his eyes. Silence fell.
*Typical*, Jiang Juan thought, catching the movement from the corner of his eye. *Front-row seats are for when teachers need sacrificial lambs to answer impossible questions. What’s he even doing sleeping here?*
A moment later, Guyen shifted restlessly, tilting his head deeper into the pillow against the chairback.
"Don’t lean this way. You’re too close," Jiang Juan said, eyebrows slightly raised.
Guyen cracked one eye open, turning toward the voice. Still half-dreaming—Duke Zhou had nearly summoned him for chess—Jiang Juan’s features blurred in his sleepy haze.
"Xiao Juan," he murmured, voice thick and rough with exhaustion, "stop fussing. Let me sleep a bit longer."
A storm brewed in Jiang Juan’s lake-blue eyes. His expression darkened. "*What* did you say?"
Behind them, a girl who’d been watching intently twisted her pleated skirt under the desk, knuckles white with excitement. *Scandal!* her face screamed.
The icy tone sliced through Guyen’s drowsiness. *Shit. Mistook him for Xiao Juan.*
"Jiang," he corrected hastily, meeting Jiang Juan’s thunderous glare. "President Jiang. Sorry—I was half-asleep."
"Stay away from me."
"Right, right." Guyen scooted his chair sideways. He understood Jiang Juan’s aversion perfectly. After all, a girl’s soul lived inside his male body.
Jiang Juan was surprised by the easy retreat. *This doesn’t match his behavior in the discipline office. Does he need a favor?* He made a silent vow: *Whatever it is, I won’t help.* He turned away, ignoring Guyen as the other boy settled back to sleep.
Their silence loosened the tension. Whispers rippled through the classroom:
"They really do hate each other."
"What does Guyen even want with the Student Council president? Planning an after-school showdown?"
"Did you tell Chen Yu about this?"
"I was ready to break up a fight! Guyen looked ready to throw punches."
"Dude, I just blew 50 pulls on Genshin yesterday. Damn miHoYo..."
Fingers flew over phone screens. Boys texted:
*"Fight yet? Who won?"*
*"Nah. Boring."*
*"Damn. Missed out."*
Girls gushed:
*"Status update?? AHHH both are so hot—please don’t fight!"*
*"No fight. Actually... weirdly chill now?"*
*"Chill??"*
*"Yeah? Like... both acting totally casual?"*
