Nothing else happened that afternoon.

Xu Wenxi didn’t invite him into her car—and Lu Huai let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She seemed busy lately, though he had no idea what occupied her.

Maybe Li Xin was right: at her age, she was already handling family affairs. Of course, she wouldn’t bother updating *him*. To her, he was just a dispensable “toy.”

She’d play with him when pleased; if she spared him hardship when annoyed, he’d count himself lucky.

Lu Huai secretly hoped she’d get so busy she’d forget the whole incident—and forget he ever existed. That would be ideal.

But how likely was that? He knew. Which made these calm moments all the more precious.

Before, he’d felt his life slipping away—less diligent than some, less vibrant than others. Now, every second felt vital.

Precious time to gather strength and overturn that tyrannical rule.

Efforts he could make… were still few.

A drop in the bucket beat having nothing at all.

“Hey, your girlfriend not picking you up?”

Li Xin clapped Lu Huai’s shoulder at the school gate, voice laced with sarcasm and a hint of jealousy.

Lu Huai blinked.

“What girlfriend…”

“Xu Wenxi.”

“I told you, it’s not like that…”

“I’ve always felt you’re the type to play dumb to catch the tiger,” Li Xin said, eyeing him skeptically.

Lu Huai sighed. “Do I *look* like I have that potential?”

Li Xin nodded firmly. “Absolutely! You seem like a background character—yet romantic stories with beauties keep happening. A wealthy heiress silently invites you into her car. Isn’t that playing dumb to catch the tiger? Or… is this just *your* daily life?!”

Lu Huai almost wanted to humblebrag: *“Yep. My daily life—as a socially anxious guy constantly harassed by beauties.”*

But he genuinely didn’t feel that way.

Li Xin had no clue how precarious and nerve-wracking his reality was.

He wasn’t just a student anymore—he was fighting for his family’s future. Wait… what’s “warrior” in English? *Warrior!*

Too tired to explain, Lu Huai pointed weakly at the roadside convenience store.

“Soda? My treat…”

“Bro, let’s go!”

Just like that, the topic vanished. Lu Huai felt oddly satisfied—he’d just tasted capitalism’s “charms.”

*Money talks.*

Sipping the season’s refreshing soda with Li Xin, he watched classmates buy loose cigarettes at the counter.

What was the point? Heavy smokers wouldn’t be satisfied; light smokers trying to “flex” with loose sticks? That just backfired.

Li Xin ignored them, even when acquaintances joked with him.

“Damn, she’s stunning. Dating her would make high school worth it.”

Lu Huai questioned his friend’s life goals.

Was high school *really* for dating one girl? Shouldn’t it be for studying hard, getting into a good university, changing your fate?

…He didn’t believe that himself.

Just sour grapes—resentment from knowing he’d never have that chance.

Who *wouldn’t* want a sweet, bone-deep youthful romance at their peak?

That’s why real-life winners were so infuriating.

Especially when *you* weren’t the winner.

“What do you think? I’d give her 95.”

Lu Huai instinctively followed Li Xin’s gaze—then looked away fast.

“Not bad…”

Li Xin gaped. “‘Not bad’? Did you set Xu Wenxi as your baseline? She’s the *ceiling*! Wealth, status, looks, figure, grace—ordinary girls don’t have this! Lu Huai, your standards are broken!”

Lu Huai avoided the direction entirely, eyes drifting vaguely—even to Li Xin’s soda bottle.

“Done drinking? Let’s go…”

Li Xin stayed put. “Rushing? Look longer! Hey—she’s glancing this way! Want me to get her number? So beautiful… a seductress, a femme fatale…”

Lu Huai wanted to hide behind him.

If age hadn’t made it ridiculous, he’d have turned into an ostrich. Speechless.

Li Xin murmured with barely moving lips, like a ventriloquist:

“She’s coming! Damn—I’m unprepared… ‘The moon is beautiful tonight’? Too forward? No moon… She’s here! Heart racing…”

Silence.

Then a voice: “Haven’t headed home yet?”

Li Xin looked up. Her face was pure, flawless—beautiful even with slightly furrowed brows.

Like a painting. The campus beauty from every youth novel.

A red rose. A white moonlight.

“Classmate… do we know each other?” he blurted.

Her gaze shifted to his face, faintly puzzled. “Hm?”

Then to his side: “Is this your classmate?”

A chill ran down Li Xin’s spine. Reason returned.

He turned—cheeks flushed, ears reddening… *Lu Huai?!* Since when was he a girl?!

“Y-yes… my classmate, Li Xin…” Lu Huai whispered.

Li Xin stumbled back against the counter, staring in disbelief at the two framed together.

“Oh…” The girl nodded, turning to him with polite distance. “Hello. I’m Yan Ningning, Lu Huai’s friend.”

“You’re *Yan Ningning*?!”

“You know me?”

“Ninety-five—ah, no! I’ve *heard* of you! Friends, huh…”

Li Xin’s world tilted. What was happening to *Lu Huai*?!

The more he learned about this boy… the more defeated he felt.

Yan Ningning smiled. “Right, Lu Huai?”

Lu Huai’s flushed face, reddening ears—adorably flustered. Wait… *what*?

“Y-yes…”

Li Xin nodded slowly. “Oh… I see. What a coincidence.”

“Heading back?” Yan Ningning asked Lu Huai, no interest in lingering.

Lu Huai hesitated. “Why don’t… you go ahead first…?”

*What?! What a clueless guy!* Li Xin winced.

But Yan Ningning just smiled. “Avoiding me?”

“N-no…”

“Then let’s go. Are we not on the same route?”

“O-okay…”

*What divine dialogue is this?!*

Still dazed, Li Xin saw a blushing Lu Huai whisper: “We’ll go first…”

Li Xin snatched his half-finished soda. “O-oh! Sure! Be safe! See you tomorrow! Bye!”

“Okay…”

Watching their silhouettes fade into the sunset—beautiful as a light novel illustration—Li Xin felt wistful yet relieved. He sipped soda like it was liquor.

Suddenly, he yelled: “LU HUAI!!”

The boy turned, startled.

“No more 95! FIFTY-NINE! FAILING GRADE!!”

“…”

They left.

Li Xin sighed deeply. “A girl who belongs to someone else only gets 59 points, Lu Huai. Damn you!!”

…

“Your classmate’s… odd,” Yan Ningning said cheerfully, walking beside Lu Huai away from the crowd.

Lu Huai pretended to watch the road—really, he just couldn’t look at her too long.

“He’s a good person…” he murmured. He wouldn’t speak ill of Li Xin, who’d never looked down on him.

Yan Ningning laughed. “Obviously. Would I be friends with someone who wasn’t?”

“Huh?”

She tilted her head; her ponytail swayed, releasing a faint shampoo scent.

“So *I’m* a good person too!”

*Is she handing herself a “nice guy” card?* Lu Huai mentally facepalmed.

“You’re both great…”

“My ‘good’ is totally different,” she muttered, pouting slightly.

The inexperienced boy searched for words—when something flashed at the edge of his vision.

Instinct kicked in. He grabbed her arm.

“Wait…!”

A car roared past, reckless and oblivious.

Heart pounding, breath ragged, he turned to her. “Are you okay?”

His worry was utterly genuine.

In that moment, only one thought existed: *protect her*.

Then he saw her flushed face—

Like evening glow on melting spring snow. Pure. Untouchable.

Beautiful beyond words.

Lu Huai let go, bitterness rising.

The more radiant she was… the more impossible his hopes felt.

Right?