Sumimasen!

Feng Yijiu suddenly had a rather unsettling thought while reflecting on her post-puberty changes.

Herself… right now… at the very least, biologically speaking… maybe, possibly, she was… a girl?

This… Feng Yijiu felt a chill creep down her spine the more she dwelled on it. Even the sparse, fine hairs on her arms stood slightly on end.

*Young man, you’ve really backed yourself into a corner!*

She subtly shifted her eyes toward Li Hao beside her.

He seemed perfectly normal.

“Phew… I was just scaring myself,” Feng Yijiu sighed in relief—only for Li Hao’s gaze to dart furtively toward her at that exact moment.

Their eyes met.

Li Hao immediately looked away, straightened his posture, and buried himself deeply in his studies.

From Feng Yijiu’s perspective, his image slowly, gradually overlapped with that of a small, curly-furred canine deity—seemingly harmless, yet ever ready to draw its sword.

But wait… wasn’t this guy into Wenyao? Feng Yijiu felt a flicker of confusion. His feelings for Zhou Wenyao didn’t feel fake at all.

She took a slow breath. She’d talk to Li Hao over lunch. Some dead ends were better abandoned early.

She was a crooked tree meant solely for a Jiao Zhongqing. Still, for the sake of the friendship between their fathers, she owed this blockhead a hand.

Zhou Wenyao was such a wonderful girl. Though Feng Yijiu would feel a twinge of regret if this wooden-headed guy “ruined” her, she had to admit—his taste was spot-on.

*Young man… she’s the one worth chasing!*

As Feng Yijiu mentally rehearsed her lunchtime talk, her homework pace slowed noticeably. Still, she kept roughly even with Li Hao—though she remained slightly faster.

“Lunch?” At 11:30 AM, Feng Yijiu set down her pen, glanced at Li Hao, then picked up her phone.

Feng: Lunch? Less crowded now.

Muzi: Sure.

After leaving the library, Feng Yijiu’s lips parted a few times, words hovering but never forming.

Could she really slam the table and say, “No more pretending—I’m a girl, I’m coming clean”?

Meanwhile, Li Hao trailed silently behind, cheeks warm with embarrassment over being caught peeking at her study methods.

“Have you… made any plans about Zhou Wenyao lately?” Feng Yijiu began cautiously over lunch.

“Uh… no.” Li Hao blinked, genuinely confused. He shook his head—he didn’t even have her WeChat. A pretty failed simping attempt, honestly.

“Then don’t make me your rebound target after failing with Wenyao!” Feng Yijiu blurted out.

“Huh?!” Li Hao froze, face flushing crimson. “I—I’m not! That’s not it! I just… wanted to learn how you study. How you ace everything *and* have time for games and hobbies.”

“Really?” Feng Yijiu tilted her head.

“Really!” Li Hao nearly crossed his heart. “I’m not—ah, I mean, my feelings for Zhou Wenyao won’t change anytime soon!”

He meant it. He often wished someone would swoop in to “defeat demons and slay monsters,” but he knew he’d never be that hero.

He was just the poor sap getting relentlessly face-rolled by the prodigy beside him.

Feng Yijiu narrowed her eyes. She’d just heard something… significant.

But all her prepared arguments suddenly felt useless. Like gearing up to challenge a legendary swordsman on Mount Hua—only to find someone who’d topple from a single brick.

The tension drained from her. *Hmph. That’s all?*

*I’m holding four 2s and two jokers, ready for war… and you play a lone 3?*

“You should’ve just said so!” Feng Yijiu slapped her thigh. “Want to learn? I’ll teach you! I thought it was something serious!”

Li Hao watched her relax, feeling both bewildered and a little ashamed. *Was I judging her with petty suspicions?*

His focus shifted entirely to her willingness to share study tips—he no longer wondered what she’d considered such a “big deal.”

“The homework trick? The ‘hamburger method’.” Feng Yijiu gestured across the table. “Sort assignments into four types by difficulty and time needed.”

“A math test? Hard and time-consuming. Copying English vocab? Simple, perfect for fragmented moments.”

“When you finish something tough, slot in a light, mindless task to reset.”

“Simple tasks also work as warm-ups. Or just alternate: arts, science, arts, science. Hence—‘hamburger’.”

Li Hao nodded thoughtfully. Using liberal arts as mental breaks instead of scrolling? Brilliant time-saver.

“Next: use tiny gaps—five, ten minutes—to memorize vocab or classical passages.”

“For science? Solid practice volume deepens fundamentals. Time yourself. Analyze every mistake. Write explanations.” Feng Yijiu ticked points off her fingers. “Eh, you know—the usual.”

“Thank you,” Li Hao said earnestly.

“Pfft. Nothing. Real skill is actually *doing* it,” Feng Yijiu brushed it off.

Back in her previous life, a classmate had crafted color-coded notes worthy of lecture slides… only to quit within a week.

Studying was never meant to be a performance for others.