At this point, Yuyang’s strategy with the other girls was to keep his distance. But when it came to Mo Sishi, he still hoped things would unfold the way they had in his previous life.

After all, before he was reborn, Yuyang had already chosen her. Even in this life, he had no intention of deliberately avoiding her.

No matter what, Yuyang wasn’t going to let this encounter pass him by. He didn’t want to, either.

Well... that was all for later. Going by the current timeline, he and Mo Sishi shouldn’t have had any real connection yet.

Come to think of it, Mo Sishi really knew how to keep to herself. It was already their second year of high school, and during her first year, she’d been almost completely on her own. She didn’t have a single friend in class.

Yuyang clearly remembered that the first time he and Sishi had a proper face-to-face conversation was probably in the school library.

But exactly when it happened, or what brought it about... who could remember that clearly?

But.

As luck would have it, Yuyang had never been one to stick to convention.

Did their first meeting really have to happen in the library?

Who said so?

Yuyang gave a couple of wry chuckles. Maybe Sishi didn’t remember a thing, but he already knew everything about her.

Ahem... I mean, he knew her inside and out!

So of course Yuyang knew exactly what to say at this stage to touch the softest part of her heart.

Taking advantage of the noisy classroom, Yuyang leaned forward in his seat.

Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and called softly to Mo Sishi.

“Mo Sishi? Mo Sishi?”

His voice was loud enough for her to hear.

“Huh?”

Mo Sishi didn’t react at first. She seemed to be checking and rechecking something, looking to her left and right to make sure there was no one else nearby. Only then did she slowly half-turn in her seat.

She pointed at herself in surprise. “Um... are you calling me?”

“There isn’t anyone else in our class named Mo Sishi, is there?” Yuyang shrugged helplessly.

Even after she’d confirmed that, Mo Sishi still seemed to hesitate for a long time.

At last, she asked in a timid voice, “C-Class Monitor, did you need something?”

Whoa, Sishi was this cautious early in her second year? And later she’d become so dazzling.

Actually, the first time Yuyang saw what she really looked like, he’d been amazed. Qifeng No. 1 High School had three girls so stunning they were almost unbelievable—all in the same place. That was something you might see once in a century.

Tang Qihuang in her third year, Mo Sishi in her second, and the last one in her first year... Heh, of course, that was his adorable little sister, Bai Yuxi.

Yuyang did his best not to show any unnecessary emotion.

Keeping his expression natural, he said, “It’s nothing, really. I just passed by your desk, Sishi, and your handwriting caught me off guard. Have you been practicing calligraphy for years?”

Pretending not to know was a skill in its own right.

But Mo Sishi only shook her head and replied simply, “N-No...”

Wait... You’ve been practicing calligraphy since you were little, and you’re saying you haven’t? Think you can fool me?

He didn’t call her out. Yuyang just smiled and said, “Oh, you haven’t studied it? Then that’s even more impressive. If there’s ever a calligraphy competition, I’m sure you’d win a prize just by entering!”

“Not at all...”

“All right, no need to be modest. I’ll leave it there for now. I have to go help the teacher get some class materials, so I won’t keep you from studying.”

Knowing when to stop—that was Yuyang’s way of balancing boldness with restraint.

Back when he and Sishi first met, she’d been doing her best to hide herself for various reasons. She just wanted to blend into the background and be invisible.

And yet, she desperately wanted praise and recognition.

Contradictory, right? But that really was how Mo Sishi felt. Yuyang understood her all too well.

Hopefully, all that praise just now would at least give them a foundation for talking normally in the future.

If he kept going, he might embarrass Mo Sishi, so Yuyang decided to leave it there.

He stood up, ready to go to the office and help the teacher get some documents. Being class monitor meant having the most work to do~

Taking the opportunity, Mo Sishi quickly turned back around and buried her head in her workbook.

Who knew what she was thinking.

The classroom was still noisy. It wouldn’t quiet down until the teacher arrived.

When Yuyang reached the front row, he noticed Lin Qingyu glaring at him with the furious look of a little tiger.

“?”

Yuyang paused. “Qingyu, what’s wrong now? I already apologized for making you late today. You can’t hold it against me forever.”

“What were you saying to her just now...?”

That was the first thing Lin Qingyu said, out of nowhere.

“Huh?”

“I said, what were you saying to the girl sitting in front of you just now?!”

“I-I didn’t say anything, Qingyu. Why are you so mad?”

How could she not be mad?

Qingyu had been reborn too. Of course she knew how much of a threat Mo Sishi was. She was Yuyang’s final choice.

She might not have the right to stop the two of them from meeting, but she couldn’t just watch herself lose all over again, could she?!

After taking a moment to calm down, she gave a little huff, folded her arms across her chest, and said nonchalantly,

“I’m just worried you’ll mess with her, that’s all. Yuyang, your only asset is that face of yours. That little girl sitting in front of you looks pretty guileless, so don’t go picking on an innocent kid!”

“I’m not some street thug...” Yuyang was at a loss. “I really didn’t say anything. I just said hello. Anyway, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go... Qingyu, what happened to your arm?”

Wait, why had Qingyu been keeping her right arm stretched straight down by her side this whole time?

She usually kept both arms on her desk.

At Yuyang’s question, Qingyu moved her arm back onto the desk, as if trying to act tough.

“I’m fine! Now go do whatever you’re supposed to do. Don’t come blaming me later for holding you up!”

“Don’t say anything.”

Without asking her permission, Yuyang grabbed her right arm.

“What are you doing?!”

“I said, don’t say anything.”

When Yuyang had touched her wrist just now, Loli Lin had clearly winced in pain.

So Yuyang carefully rolled her sleeve up a little, just enough to expose her wrist.

Thankfully, this little loli was only fierce with her words. As usual, she didn’t put up any resistance.

Then Yuyang looked down and saw a large patch of swelling and scrapes around her wrist.

The scrapes weren’t serious, but on Qingyu’s slender little wrist, they looked especially painful.

Yuyang frowned. “How did this happen?”

“Can we not talk about it...? It’s not important.” Qingyu didn’t seem to want to answer.

“No.” Yuyang’s tone was firm. “You’re hurt. How can I just let it go? What happened? Tell me the truth!”

Whoa... Whenever Yuyang got this serious, Qingyu couldn’t keep up her tsundere act!

“I...”

She hesitated for a long time. Finally, she covered her cheek with her other hand and had no choice but to tell him what had really happened.

“I... I walked out of the auditorium just now and tripped on the gravel path outside. I even hit that big pebble nearby! It’s all because you jinxed me! Happy now?! Ugh...”

Of course, Qingyu said it quietly. She’d be too embarrassed to announce something so humiliating out loud.

What did she mean, it was all because he’d jinxed her?

Yuyang thought carefully about what he’d said to Qingyu in the auditorium.

Hadn’t he told her to watch her step when she went outside, so she wouldn’t trip on flat ground?

“So you really did trip over nothing and take a nasty fall?!”