The next morning, Xiaoxi still ignored me. She ate breakfast without a word, then brushed past me and walked off alone. I could only trail closely behind her.

At school, I’d planned to hand the item to Jiang Chen. But after thinking it over, Xia Tong had meant well. It’d be rude to make her take it back.

So I texted Xia Tong:

*Free at noon? Meet me on the rooftop if you can.*

Her reply came quickly:

*The rooftop’s crowded at noon. Come to Jiang Chen’s place instead. I’ll wait there.*

*Got it!* The rooftop wasn’t ideal anyway—I’d only chosen it because it was one of the few quiet spots at school. Xia Tong securing Jiang Chen’s place was perfect. Even if Fang Xuan kept tabs on Xia Tong, he couldn’t do anything there.

Speaking of Fang Xuan—he hadn’t approached me since last time. I doubted he was all talk. He was sharp-looking, academically solid, and his clothes hinted at a wealthy background. Guys like him usually had girls flocking to them. But Xia Tong? She was a wild card—completely unmoved by his charm. And with Jiang Chen watching Xia Tong even more closely than he did, I wasn’t worried about him pulling anything on campus.

Off-campus was another matter. Xia Tong usually walked to and from school alone, sometimes with Jiang Chen. That didn’t scream "rich kid"—shouldn’t she have a driver? Didn’t her family worry about her safety?

What I didn’t know: bodyguards shadowed Xia Tong beyond school grounds. Anyone foolish enough to harass her would likely spend the next day in the orthopedic ward.

"Ye Xi, Fang Yiyi—come with me!" Teacher Wang called after class. Fang Yiyi and I exchanged glances and followed.

"Here." Teacher Wang handed me a slip from her desk. "Ye Xi, fetch the newly arrived *Appreciation of Classical Poetry and Prose* from the administration office. Fang Yiyi, as class monitor, please help him—it’s quite a stack. Distribute them to the class afterward."

I took the slip. "Got it. See you later, teacher."

"Bye, teacher!" Fang Yiyi followed me out.

Being the homeroom teacher’s pet meant having two personal assistants: a subject rep and the class monitor. I’d thought the monitor did all the grunt work, but Teacher Wang relied on me more. Was this "female solidarity"?

The walk to the admin office was silent. Fang Yiyi was effortlessly sociable—even Zhou Qi chatted easily with her. Why did she clam up around me? I wondered if it was my lack of experience talking to girls. Xiaoxi was practically the only one I’d ever spoken to regularly. If Xia Tong hadn’t barged into my life, I’d probably still be that way.

At the admin office, while I handed over the slip, Fang Yiyi had already carried out half the books. I grabbed the remaining stack and hurried after her.

Watching her sway under the weight of her load while I held just a small pile, I felt guilty. I’d have dumped everything on Zhou Qi without hesitation! I sped up and blocked her path.

I set my books down and took half her stack.

"What are you doing?" Fang Yiyi blinked in surprise.

"Class monitor, why carry so much? Hauling books is my job. You’re just helping—people might think I’m bullying you." I rebundled both stacks and hoisted them. "Let’s go."

"It’s fine—" she started to argue.

"Seriously, you’re too stubborn. You take on everything. The whole class treats you like their nanny. Learn to say no sometimes!" I couldn’t fathom her eagerness to please.

"They trust me—that’s why they ask!" Her voice held innocent sincerity.

"Class monitor, I don’t get you at all. Are you some kind of [real good person]?"

"Um… Ye Xi?" Fang Yiyi hesitated.

I turned. "Yeah?"

"Stop calling me ‘class monitor.’ It’s been half a month—everyone else uses my name. It sounds weird when you say it."

"Sure. No problem. Fang Yiyi—looking forward to working together." I shrugged.

"Ah… same to you, Ye Xi!" She gave me a soft, fluttering smile.

"Can we go now? Class is about to start." I chuckled.

"Mm!" She surprised me by plucking a small stack from my arms. "You’re struggling too—this pile’s up to your chin! Drop the macho act. Girls can carry things too. Half each. Hurry, we’re late!" She strode ahead without looking back.

I watched her go, silent. Fang Yiyi was… oddly endearing.

---

At noon, I grabbed the jewelry bag to return it to Xia Tong at Jiang Chen’s place. I’d eat lunch later—carrying this made my stomach churn.

Inside Jiang Chen’s room:

"Jiang Chen-jie, just tell me what you bought! He’ll be here any second!" Xia Tong shook Jiang Chen’s arm.

"Then don’t ask me to pick gifts. Buy it yourself."

"I’ve never even met his sister! How would I know what to get? That’s why I came to you!" Xia Tong whined.

"Don’t worry about it. Just stay quiet when he arrives. I’ll handle the talking." Jiang Chen stroked Xia Tong’s hair. "You’ll thank me later."

"Ugh… fine. Don’t lie to me!" Xia Tong sighed but trusted her.

A knock sounded—I stood outside the door.

"When have I ever lied? Remember: stay quiet. Stand up straight. Look at you—where’s that proper young lady act? What’s so special about that guy anyway? Did he cast a spell on you?"

By the time I entered, Xia Tong sat primly on the sofa. She sprang up the moment she saw me, but I was startled to find Jiang Chen there too. Didn’t she eat lunch? Right—she’d never set foot in the cafeteria.

"Ye Xi," Xia Tong faced me directly, "did you give my gift to your sister yesterday?"

I handed her the bag. "I did. But I’m returning it now."

"What? She didn’t like it? That can’t be!" Xia Tong’s eyes darted to Jiang Chen, wide with feigned shock.

"No—Xiaoxi loved it. It’s just… not appropriate coming from you." I softened the rejection. *Forgive me, Xiaoxi. I told her you adored it. I had to protect your image.*

Jiang Chen rose and approached.

"Xia Tong misjudging a gift? Let me see." She took the box from Xia Tong and pulled out the four-leaf clover necklace.

To my surprise, Xia Tong looked genuinely awed. *Wasn’t this your purchase?*

"Oh? A four-leaf clover necklace!" Jiang Chen studied Xia Tong, then me. "This really isn’t suitable for Xia Tong to give your sister."

Xia Tong opened her mouth but fell silent at Jiang Chen’s look.

"But it’s not Xia Tong’s fault. She told me she’d wanted this exact necklace the moment she first saw it. No one ever bought it for her." Jiang Chen’s voice turned tender. "This piece means a lot to her. She just wanted your sister to have something beautiful."

"And you!" Jiang Chen turned on Xia Tong. "Why give him this? People might think you have a crush on his sister!"

Before Xia Tong could protest, Jiang Chen tossed the necklace to me. I fumbled it mid-air.

"Careful!" I snapped. "What if I’d dropped it?"

"But you didn’t." Jiang Chen arched a brow. "Since your sister doesn’t want it, we’ll find another gift. No wasting this—Ye Xi, put it on Xia Tong. She’s always loved it."

"Me? Put it on her?"

"Necklaces are tricky to fasten alone. Only two of us here—who else will do the honors? Me?"

I had no comeback. It was ridiculous logic. But Xia Tong’s eyes lit up. She stepped forward, lifting her long hair to expose the nape of her neck.

*Can’t you do it yourself? I’ve never done this before!*

"What are you waiting for?" Jiang Chen smirked. "She’s offering her neck. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to clasp a necklace. How tragic."

*Laughable!* I wouldn’t let Jiang Chen think I was incompetent. Xia Tong had put a bracelet on me once—this was payback. My hands trembled as they brushed her skin, catching her faint perfume. Cold sweat beaded on my brow. Finally, the chain settled against her graceful neck.

"Stunning! This necklace was made for our Xia Tong." Jiang Chen beamed. All I could see was Xia Tong’s curtain of hair.

Xia Tong’s fingers rose unconsciously, pressing the black onyx pendant. A smile she couldn’t suppress finally broke through. She shot Jiang Chen a grateful look. Jiang Chen gave a subtle nod.

Xia Tong wasn’t thrilled about owning the necklace—she could’ve bought it anytime. This was the first time a man—*the* man she liked—had fastened jewelry around her neck. Now she understood why Jiang Chen said she’d be grateful.

"Thank you," Xia Tong whispered to us both.

"Just doing my part," I assumed she meant me.

"Xia Tong’s happy, but your sister still needs a proper gift," Jiang Chen said. "How about this: bring her out Sunday. I’ll treat you all to a day out."

"No need. You’ve never even met her." I refused flatly. Xiaoxi and I were still in a cold war—I couldn’t drag her out. But I’d underestimated Jiang Chen’s audacity.

"Bring her out, and we’ll meet her then."

Just as the sports meet prep is almost done, I want to go out and relax! So it’s settled. I’ll notify you later—remember to bring your sister along.

Jiang Chen acted like he didn’t understand a word I said. Was I speaking dialect? Didn’t I already say I’m not going?

“If you’ve got nothing else, just leave! Don’t bother me here,” Jiang Chen snapped at me.

I’m used to this by now. One second he’s all sweet talk, the next he’s ordering me to pack up and scram. He never gives me a chance to speak, and I’m powerless to argue back.

Why does my head always ache so much every time I leave here? Walking out, I couldn’t help but reflect.

After I left, inside Jiang Chen smiled at Xia Tong and said, “Well? Even though he didn’t buy it, he did put it on for you. That counts as fulfilling most of your wish, right? Plus, I even tricked him into giving up a whole weekend for you.”

Xia Tong tucked the necklace back into her clothes. After a few seconds of silence, she lunged at Jiang Chen and hugged her like crazy.

“Amazing! Amazing! Thank you, Sister Jiang Chen! Ye Xi personally put this necklace on me!”

“I know, I know! Little Tong, drool! Don’t kiss me! Mind your image—the door isn’t even locked yet!” Jiang Chen pushed Xia Tong away with effort.