After finishing the first day of exams, I slowly made my way to the back door of Class 4, Grade 1. Thanks to the reshuffling system after each test, I had no reason to visit Class 13. By the way, in my own Class 1, I didn’t know a single soul—not counting the minor characters, of course.
The moment I reached the back door, I became a giant panda under scrutiny. Envious and furious gazes shot at me repeatedly. Sure, envy isn’t entirely negative—but if it carried a hint of wanting to tear me apart, it wasn’t harmless anymore.
Normally, such stares wouldn’t be this frequent. But here, they magnified tenfold. The reason? My fake girlfriend was taking exams in this class. Someone like me should be content with just a childhood friend.
I hadn’t planned to wait for Xia Mo here. With Zixuan and my childhood friend Mengxiang constantly interfering, I’d barely reviewed at all. Failing was inevitable. My will to cram last-minute hadn’t died—I’d meant to spend the night buried in books. But now? That plan was ruined.
This trip had a bigger purpose: I needed to decipher what Xia Mo meant in her call two nights ago. So, I still had to play the fake boyfriend well. Today promised another grueling trial.
Peeking through the corridor window, I spotted Xia Mo in the first row by the window. She was packing her bag, pulling stationery from her desk drawer and stuffing it into her backpack.
I stood at the back door, peering inside. I knew it was rude. This easily misunderstood move drew disdainful stares. But I didn’t care—I was almost used to such looks, good or bad.
Xia Mo’s surroundings seemed oddly quiet. I’d expected fangirls and fanboys swarming her. Yet not a single one lingered. She should’ve topped the “Most Wanted Girlfriend” list. How pitiful—she had no friends. Well, excluding me, of course.
Maybe she didn’t know anyone here. My own circle had been scattered too. Let’s skip this pointless speculation.
Someone noticed me waiting. A girl by the front door kept glancing at me, then at Xia Mo inside, then back at me—sweat beading on her face. She cautiously approached Xia Mo but kept stepping back while explaining. Was she scared of Xia Mo? No reason to fear a popular goddess, right?
Xia Mo twisted her upper body, hands on two desks. She shot me a terrified gaze—then, in a heartbeat, it shifted to deep disappointment. Seriously, why such a drop from mountain peak to valley? Am I that disappointing to see?!
I almost turned and fled. But I’d come this far—leaving without a word would be awkward. I wouldn’t do anything to make my face burn.
The girl sighed meaninglessly, shook her head, and sped up packing. Once done, Xia Mo slowly stood, thanked the informant girl, and—
The girl’s face flushed crimson. She ducked her head, flustered, then dashed out the front door. What was with that random shyness? Did she awaken something weird?!
Xia Mo grabbed her bag and walked toward the back door—definitely not toward me. Countless eyes followed her. Some stared openly; others stole shy glances. Seriously—are you watching a red carpet walk? This was excessive!
I impressed myself. Five minutes in, and I’d already ranted this much. At this rate, it might spiral into nonstop verbal spam.
“I never expected a boyfriend like you—Mr. Heartbreaker?” Xia Mo called out a few steps away. Her sharp tongue was unchanged. Something good must’ve happened today for her to mock me right off the bat.
“You flirt freely outside. One stray cat shows up, and you’re so enchanted you forget your official girlfriend! Are you fickle or just stupid? Mr. Single-Celled Organism?” She didn’t stop to chat. It was a one-sided verbal assault as she passed me. I trailed behind, not quite walking side by side—she stayed a hair ahead.
“A single-celled organism like me can talk and walk? What a miracle! Must be overpowered, right?” Wait—why did this feel familiar? Where had I said it before? My brain doesn’t store trivial stuff.
“Self-aware, huh? But so shallow—I have a boyfriend like you. A stain on my life!” She halted, hand on her forehead, wearing exaggerated disappointment. Your acting’s amazing—waste not being an actor. But why a stain? I’ve done nothing! You chose me, remember?
I almost forgot why I walked with her. Not why I sought Xia Mo—but why were we a couple? Our paths shouldn’t overlap.
If I had to describe her, she was the sun—warm light touching every inch. Like that blushing girl earlier, she crafted a goddess image: aloof yet kind. And me? Some unknown creature in the unlit shadows.
Even my current treatment came from Xia Mo’s halo effect. Should I accept this? Being the boyfriend of a goddess—something that didn’t belong to me, clashing with my old life?
“I didn’t seek you out. Besides... the stalker’s been found. Zixuan promised to stop. Isn’t this relationship too forced—”
“Zixuan?! So you two got cozy? Calling her by name now—full of affection. In my four-day absence, you made progress, huh?” Her voice spiked sharp but cut off fast. She hated how I used Zixuan’s given name. For two-character names, surnames feel natural—I’d never call Xia Mo “Xiao Mo” either.
“Isn’t this normal?” I hadn’t realized we’d derailed. I meant the name itself, but Xia Mo’s delicate mind caught more—
“Normal? How dense! Mr. Harem Protagonist! This matters to girls!” She yelled hoarsely, ignoring stares. We’d barely left Class 4, yet her voice echoed down the hall.
“Must naming be so fussy? Two characters are convenient. Do you call three or four? Isn’t that troublesome?”
“Eh...” Her gaze went blank, then snapped back. She’d misunderstood. She scanned the area, lowered her voice, face flushing with shame. “W-well... yeah... call her whatever... just no more than the name...”
I missed her last words. They felt vital—I strained to remember but drew a blank.
“Drop that. What did you mean calling ‘Zixuan is dangerous’?”
“Exactly what it sounds like!”
