When Chu Jingyi returned to the classroom, she immediately sensed something off about the atmosphere around An Baili. An Baili sat dazedly in her seat, textbook upside down—clearly not reading at all. Unable to resist, Chu Jingyi gently nudged her best friend’s shoulder. “Baili, are you okay?”

“…Just… a little sadness…”

“Really, just a tiny bit…”

An Baili wasn’t sure who she was talking to, but she repeated those words softly. She’d once been so confident her efforts would move Lu Li, win back her husband’s heart. Yet Lu Li remained cold and unyielding, as if he’d swallowed iron. She’d thought it was just a petty mood—surely he’d forgive her within a week or two. Even as he kept his distance, she stayed patient, believing he’d return.

But when Lu Li took the document, An Baili saw the flicker of joy in his eyes—and how he forcibly suppressed it. That wasn’t hopeful. It proved he’d decided this after deep thought. When a man speaks only reason, that’s when he’s most heartless.

Chu Jingyi glanced at Lu Li’s retreating back. *He’s the one who made Baili cry.* *Lu Li must have a superpower—the power to make girls shed tears.* Normally, she’d stop him for a lecture. Not today. She wouldn’t speak to him for a full month—even if he apologized! Justice for herself. Justice for Baili!

Deep down, the class monitor harbored a tiny fantasy: Lu Li would come apologize first. She’d rehearsed scenes in her head—mock him mercilessly, drag Baili along to see him grovel. *That’d cheer Baili up!*

*But… if he apologizes… should I ask about his girlfriend?*

Her thoughts slowed. *Ask?*

*Maybe… better not.* An inexplicable cowardice crept in. She instinctively avoided the answer. *Pretend not to know… we can stay friends, right?* Lu Li stood perfectly straight. *He lied to me—so how could he greet me so calmly just now?*

*Yeah… I still hate him.*

All morning, An Baili stayed absentminded, glued to her seat. Lu Li acted utterly normal—laughing, moving, as if oblivious to the two girls’ resentful gazes behind him. Each time the bell rang, Chu Jingyi lingered deliberately, giving him a chance. Class after class passed. No apology. No explanation. Instead, she’d stiffen her back whenever he neared, tense as an employee under inspection.

Lu Li shot the “silly goose” an amused glance. “Back hurt? Why keep stiffening up like that?”

Chu Jingyi kept her face cold. “Don’t talk to me!” Just teenage pride—but Lu Li actually nodded and said nothing more. At lunch, he ate alone, left alone, as if they didn’t exist.

Chu Jingyi’s heart grew colder, heavier. *Even just a “thank you”… why be so hateful?* She vowed: if he showed no remorse by afternoon, she’d ignore him all semester.

When dismissal bell rang, Lu Li sat leisurely, engrossed in *Chastity: The First Step to Success!*

An Baili had left early, burdened. Chu Jingyi stomped alone to Lu Li, arms crossed, silent glare locked on him.

“Monitor, something wrong?” Lu Li wore innocent confusion. Chu Jingyi ground her teeth.

She stayed stubbornly silent, channeling aloof TV heroines. Lu Li seemed oblivious to her “aura,” studying her like a rare creature. *How could a girl’s thin skin match his thick hide?* Pouting, she spun away. *He’s the most detestable person alive!*

Lu Li sensed the moment. He reached and gently caught her arm.

“What?!” The “silly goose’s” face flushed red—not shyness, pure anger.

“Jingyi, I almost forgot—I have something for you.”

*No way! Don’t want his stuff!*

Still fuming, she bared her teeth like a little tiger. “I don’t want your stuff!”

“Ta-da!” He pulled a mask from his bag—the monster mask from *White Saturday*.

Chu Jingyi instantly stilled, eyes sparkling. “So lifelike!”

*Heh. Just as expected of a little girl.* Gift-giving was an art: cater to tastes first, sentiment second. Only the clueless cared about price. A horror fan? Of course she’d adore it.

She played with the mask, laughing like a child—then snapped back, forcing sternness. “Why a mask? Looking down on me?” A jab at his past rejection of her computer gift.

“Thank you, Jingyi.” His smile softened, voice earnest. Sixteen was an age of wild dreams and helpless limits. Without Chu Jingyi, how would Secretary Long have used his connections to send him to Lingyue City? Her kindness upheld a boy’s dignity.

“What for…”

“Too much to list.” His eyes held depths she couldn’t grasp. She’d always seen Lu Li as a lone wanderer—wiser, kinder, brighter than her. Being his friend was her high school’s greatest joy.

He pulled more gifts from his desk. “Lingyue’s spicy dried meat. Souvenirs from the Six-Provinces Tournament…” Box after simply wrapped box appeared. Chu Jingyi’s stern mask cracked.

“What are you doing…”

“This trip… without you, Jingyi, I’d have missed my sister’s match.” More than a match—a turning point for Zou Yameng. Defeating He Ping, reaching the peak… he believed she’d earn a brighter future.

The ice on Chu Jingyi’s face melted. *He prepared these all along?* She opened the meat box—inside, a handwritten note, overly sentimental. She doubled over laughing.

“So *extra*… goosebumps~” Her displeasure gone, she gathered the gifts softly. “Were you… deliberately provoking me today?”

“Mm. You didn’t reply on WeChat for three days. Had me worried. I was upset too.” *A lie.* He’d eaten and slept soundly. He’d long read her temperament. This was just theater—“open honesty.”

Sure enough, she lowered her head. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have ignored you.”

Watching her bowed head, guilt pricked Lu Li. *Toying with an innocent girl.* He stayed silent, just gently patting her hair. Contrast was life’s oldest trick—knock down to lift up. He’d provoked her for this very shift. But seeing her fall like a trusting rabbit into his net… shame flooded him. Hope born from disappointment cuts deepest. That’s why she was so docile now.

“I hope you don’t mind the cheap gifts.” He ruffled the class monitor’s hair. She pushed his hand away gently; her blush had changed hue. “Can you tell me… what happened with my sister? Did she upset you?”

“…Liar. She’s your girlfriend, not your sister.”

“She *is* my sister.” Lu Li showed a photo: Zou Yameng, smiling beside him. “Zou Yameng. Six-Provinces contestant. My most important family. If she hurt you, I’ll apologize for her—scold me, hit me, okay?”

Chu Jingyi stared at the photo, long and quiet. “I thought you deceived me.”

“So… am I still a liar?”

The “silly goose” held his gaze.

“Not a liar. A bad guy.”

She renamed him: from “World’s Most Hated” to “World’s Number One Bad Guy.”

Chu Jingyi giggled, utterly unaware her face glowed with quiet, joyful light.