Lin Shu had eaten too much this morning. Coupled with his supremely sleep-inducing English class, drowsiness washed over him like a tide. He bobbed his head like a nodding doll for half the lesson before finally slumping face-first onto his desk. Maybe the stacked textbooks hid him well. Maybe the teacher had seen but couldn’t be bothered. Either way, it was a comfortable nap.

Sleeping in class always felt like getting away with something—probably like slacking off at work.

"Lazy pig, time to wake up. Class is starting." Su Nuan tugged his hair.

Another break-time awakening courtesy of Su Nuan.

"Oh, I need to hand in my math homework." Lin Shu instinctively reached into his desk drawer.

"I didn’t wake you since you were sleeping so soundly. I took your homework myself." Su Nuan rubbed the red imprint on his forehead. "Second period’s about to start. It’s homeroom teacher’s class—we should show some respect. We’re already on her watchlist."

Lin Shu noticed many boys napping at their desks. *What did they all do last night?*

He paid close attention this lesson. Though not a crucial subject, he copied every word the homeroom teacher wrote on the board—useful or not—into his notebook. It gave him a quiet satisfaction. Occasionally, his eyes met Su Nuan’s when she glanced back. She’d smile faintly before turning toward the blackboard again.

The bell rang, followed immediately by the assembly march blaring over the speakers.

"Lin Shu, Su Nuan—come to my office." The homeroom teacher gathered her materials.

Classmates wore smug, *serves-you-right* expressions. Lin Shu and Su Nuan weren’t the only couple in class. The first pair had gotten together right after military training—a lightning-fast romance. This school year had seen many breakups and makeups, constant bickering.

But it was different with Su Nuan. She was a top student dating Lin Shu, whose grades hovered in the lower-middle tier. To the teachers, it looked like he was dragging her down. Like she was throwing her future away.

Lin Shu braced for scolding. Su Nuan, however, clenched her tiny fists, eyes sparkling with excitement. They walked behind the teacher, keeping a careful distance.

"This is my first time being called to the office for *doing something bad*."

"Me? Only a few times."

"So it *has* happened? With who?" Su Nuan puffed her cheeks, tugging his sleeve.

"My dad. In middle school, my grades dropped badly. The teacher wanted to call my parents, but I didn’t want to trouble them. I kept it hidden... until the homeroom teacher called him directly."

"Did he hit you?"

"No. He thought it was because of the divorce. He felt guilty. Never yelled or hit me."

"I... didn’t know that."

"Few people did. I don’t talk about it. Besides, we barely knew each other back then."

"Yeah. We were total strangers."

Su Nuan jabbed Lin Shu’s back with her elbow and darted ahead. He was baffled by her sudden mood shift but was getting used to her unpredictability.

Familiar teachers in the office watched them with amused interest. The homeroom teacher flipped open the parent contact log. "Classmates say you two are dating?"

"Mm-hmm." Su Nuan nodded obediently. "But we haven’t disturbed others’ studies. Please don’t worry—we know our limits. If my grades drop too much next exam, or if Lin Shu’s don’t improve, we’ll break up."

Su Nuan flipped the script with this ultimatum, leaving the teacher speechless. Her words carried weight.

"As long as you’re aware. You’re young. Studying is your priority. Don’t put the cart before the horse. I won’t inform your parents... *for now*. Not until the next monthly exam results."

"Thank you, teacher." They chorused.

"If there’s nothing else, we’ll head back."

Su Nuan turned and left first. Lin Shu followed silently.

"*Kids these days...*" The teacher sighed behind them.

"*Yes!*" Su Nuan flashed a tiny victory sign.

The students below had just formed sloppy, crooked lines on the field. They could still make it to assembly—but why bother? Skipping calisthenics felt pretty great.

"Would your dad oppose teenage dating?"

"He’s hands-off. Probably wouldn’t care. What about yours?"

"Do you have the guts to elope with me?"

"That’s extreme! We’re not even—"

"*Shh.*" Su Nuan pressed a finger to his lips. "Bury this secret deep. To fool others, you must fool yourself first. Luckily, your grades have *plenty* of room to improve."

"But I already told my sister."

"*Tsk.* Hopeless sister-complex. Go marry your sister then. Why not make her your girlfriend?"

"I *tried*. Gu Chuchu didn’t believe me. What could I do?"

The classroom was empty. They leaned against the corridor railing, soaking in the sun, watching students do calisthenics below. The middle school section had only six classes. Gu Chuchu stood right at the front of the first row—always the lead exerciser, probably seated first since kindergarten.

"Don’t look at her. Look at *me*." Su Nuan pinched Lin Shu’s chin, turning his face toward hers.

Their eyes locked. A faint blush spread across Su Nuan’s cheeks. She bit her lower lip lightly, then turned his face sideways. The air grew awkward.

"That breakfast feast must’ve cost a fortune. How much? I’ll transfer you the money."

Lin Shu had eaten most of it. Being fed made him uneasy—*he who eats another’s bread becomes their debtor*.

"No need. Money ruins feelings. I’m not short on cash. If you really want to repay me... treat me to lunch."

"What do you want for lunch?"

*Please don’t say some fancy restaurant. I’ve barely saved enough for my sister and me.*

"What do *you* usually eat?" Su Nuan countered.

"I just... cook something quick at my dad’s shop kitchen."

"Then I’ll eat whatever you eat."

"You’re serious? What if we run into my dad?"

Lin Shu had never brought a girl to his home or shop.

"Just say I’m your girlfriend. He agreed, right?"

"That was just my guess! What if he *doesn’t* agree?"

"Then I’ll have no choice but to drag you to a fancy steakhouse. I haven’t had real steak in ages."

*What kind of threat is that?*

"My cooking’s bad. I only make stuff for myself. You might hate it."

"How can I get used to it if I don’t try?"

"The ingredients there are all for fitness meals. Low-fat, low-calorie."

"Perfect. Low-calorie is like a siren song to girls—I can’t resist. You *will* cook for me, right?" Su Nuan turned his face back, leaning close. "*Right?*"

"...Yeah."

*Better not touch my savings.*

After calisthenics, the vice principal began his speech: "Recently, many students skip exercises by hiding in cafeterias, restrooms, classrooms..."

Today’s absentee count seemed high. Some class lines were noticeably shorter. The dean of discipline and grade supervisors started hunting stragglers in the teaching building.

"Hide!" Su Nuan grabbed Lin Shu’s hand and dashed into the classroom. She scanned the room—single desks offered no cover; the multimedia podium had no space beneath.

Thinking fast, they squeezed behind the back door. Su Nuan stood innermost, Lin Shu outermost, backs against the wall, hands brushing. Shutting the door would look suspicious. Anyone entering from the front would spot them instantly.

"Why not hide in the restroom? Pretend stomach trouble?"

"No way. It stinks."

"We could just say the homeroom teacher needed us. No need to hide."

*Why was Su Nuan hiding anyway?*

"Oh. Right. *Shh...*"

Footsteps approached. Closer. Right beside them.

They held their breath. Hearts hammered like startled deer. Somehow, their fingers had interlaced. They could almost feel each other’s pulse syncing through their palms.

This was the worst possible scenario. One wrong move, and they’d be caught red-handed. A scolding would be the *least* of their worries.

Suddenly, Su Nuan’s legs buckled. Her knees nearly slammed into the door. Lin Shu shot out his left foot to block her, his right hand pinning her firmly against the wall.

In the panic, he hadn’t chosen where to place his palm. It landed squarely on Su Nuan’s chest. Even through her uniform, he felt the softness.

Su Nuan trembled. Her ears burned crimson.

The dean’s footsteps faded. Before they could relax—more footsteps. They froze in place. After two or three minutes, the dean and supervisor dragged away several caught skippers for lecturing.

The vice principal finished his speech. The dismissal bell rang. The school erupted in chatter and thundering footsteps climbing the stairs.

Lin Shu finally unclenched his stiff limbs. Su Nuan swayed forward like a broken puppet, crashing headfirst toward the iron door. Lin Shu kicked it open, yanking her into his arms. He half-carried, half-dragged her dazed form to his seat, then scrambled back to his own just as classmates flooded in.

Faint indentations from Su Nuan’s grip lingered between his left fingers. His numb right hand clenched empty air, regaining feeling. *Definitely not reminiscing about the texture.*

It was an accident. But a fake boyfriend doing *that*? Would his hand get chopped off?

*Do fake couples really need to go this far?*

Lin Shu had never had a real girlfriend. He didn’t know the difference. He glanced at Su Nuan’s seat. She turned at that exact moment. Their eyes met—then both looked away sharply.

No time to dwell. Third period math began.

"Why so many missing math homework submissions today? Did none of you do it?" The math teacher’s face darkened. "Class rep, explain."

Su Nuan stood. "I don’t know. They just didn’t hand it in."

"List the names of those who didn’t submit by tomorrow."

"Understood."

"Sit. Open your books to page..."

Lin Shu finally realized—were the boys copying *him*? Napping during breaks. Skipping homework.

Su Nuan didn’t approach him during the next break. *She’s definitely mad.*

In the final minutes of the last class, students—especially boarding students eating at the cafeteria—fidgeted restlessly. Ready to bolt the second the bell rang. Arriving late meant queues and empty trays of the best dishes.

Too much noise might trigger the dreaded *teacher extends class* scenario. But the teacher surprised them, packing her thermos and leaving a minute early. Bold boarders sprinted out immediately.

When the dismissal bell chimed with its gentle melody, Lin Shu shouldered his bag and headed for the back door. Someone bumped his back hard. He planted his feet, stumbling only one step forward.

"Lin Xiao Shu! How dare you leave without me after school? Are you tired of living? Didn’t you promise lunch?" Su Nuan caught up, walking shoulder-to-shoulder down the stairs.

"Sorry. I thought you were too mad to eat."

"I *am* mad! I’ll turn my anger into appetite. Eat you bankrupt. Day two, and you’re already handsy—groping my chest, slapping my butt. What’s next? I don’t even dare imagine tomorrow."

"The chest thing was an accident! And you *asked* me to pat your butt!"

"Hmph. I don’t care. Just admit you touched me. And you looked like you were savoring it. Pervert. Though... I guess it makes sense since you’re obsessed with your sister."

"What’s wrong with a guy being a pervert?"

"From now on, after school, we’ll always go home together—leave the classroom together and walk out the school gate. Unless there’s an emergency or something important, you have to report it first. This is the absolute basics. Otherwise, people might doubt we’re really a couple. Got it?"

Something felt off, but Lin Shu couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

"Do you want to ride the bike?"

"No way!"

Su Nuan seemed to have a phobia of it.

"Then we’ll have to take the bus. We could take a taxi or call Didi, but that’s a bit wasteful. Though for you, such a small sum probably doesn’t matter."

"I want to take the bus. Come with me."

"Huh?"

"I don’t know the route. I don’t know which stop to get off at, and after that, I won’t know where to go."

"That makes sense."

Lin Shu pushed the bike he’d taken out back and locked it up. He really didn’t want to take the midday bus, but the young lady seemed eager to experience everyday life. He had no choice but to accompany her. After one ride, she probably wouldn’t want to again.