Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 37

Xu Yuan firmly believed that even though she had often thrown away the breakfasts Xia Tian had bought for her in the past, at least she hadn’t given them away to someone else.

But Xia Tian had taken the breakfast she had gone out of her way to buy for him and given it to someone else!

That was unforgivable!

What Xu Yuan didn’t realize was that in about ten years’ time, her way of thinking and behavior would have a nickname—Little Princess Syndrome.

These “Little Princesses” could shake the online world with just a few dramatic words, dominating discussions with their overblown reactions…

Next to her, Chen Jiayi, seeing how upset her best friend was, couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire to rush over to Xia Tian and slap him across the face.

“Don’t be sad, Little Yuan. Even though Xia Tian’s actions are infuriating, you can’t give up yet. I think he’s doing this to get back at you for always throwing away his breakfasts before. He’s probably trying to get revenge. You need to be patient, or all your efforts will have been for nothing!”

“Tomorrow is the mock exam, and given his academic abilities, if he takes the test on his own, he’s bound to fail. But you saw the seating chart earlier, right? You two are in the same exam room, and your seats are right next to each other—front and back.”

“When you finish your exam, just place your answer sheet in the top right corner of your desk so that Xia Tian can see it. If he does well in the exam because of that, I guarantee he’ll be so moved he’ll forget all his grievances!”

“That way, he’ll be able to redeem himself in front of you and the whole class!”

Chen Jiayi, ever the crafty mastermind, laid out her plan.

Once again, she perfectly defused Xu Yuan’s anger toward Xia Tian with flawless logic.

Too bad Xia Tian didn’t know about this. Otherwise, he would have laughed himself to death on the spot.

You really have to hand it to Chen Jiayi—her internal drama was on another level…

Xu Yuan rubbed her reddened eyes and glanced back at Xia Tian, who was happily chatting with Ye Ningyu.

“Jiayi, do you really think this will work? Ye Ningyu is the top student in the entire grade. Wouldn’t Xia Tian rather cheat off her than me?”

“Of course it’ll work! I’ve already checked—Ye Ningyu isn’t in the same exam room as you two. Even if Xia Tian wanted to copy her, he wouldn’t be able to!”

“But… what about you? If he does well on the exam, he won’t be able to mock you.”

Chen Jiayi put on a self-sacrificing expression, as if she were ready to nobly lay down her life for a cause.

“It’s fine. You’re my best friend. What’s a little embarrassment for me if it means you’ll be happy?”

“Jiayi, thank you so much… I’ll give it a shot tomorrow. I really hope Xia Tian takes the chance I’m giving him.”

Xu Yuan looked at Chen Jiayi with gratitude, her eyes brimming with tears.

Not long after, she gazed out the window, feeling a sense of loss.

Xu Yuan realized that the arrogance and unshakable confidence she once had in front of Xia Tian had quietly disappeared.

“Did I lose it when Xia Tian started acting cold toward me?”

“No, maybe it was the day I saw Ye Ningyu in the park… But no, Ye Ningyu isn’t as pretty as me. Xia Tian doesn’t like her. So why do I feel so unsure of myself because of her?”

Xu Yuan shook her head, feeling like she was in a strange state of mind.

The mock exam was tomorrow, and here she was, distracted by thoughts of Xia Tian. What was wrong with her?

She tried to push her thoughts of Xia Tian away and decided to focus on doing another practice test.

But after solving a few problems, her mind drifted back to all the memories she and Xia Tian had shared…

—

It was almost the end of evening self-study.

Xia Tian stretched after Ye Ningyu finished explaining the last science problem to him.

“Teacher Ye, your way of explaining things is just so clear. Even the teachers don’t explain things this well in class!”

Hearing Xia Tian’s praise, Ye Ningyu’s face flushed with embarrassment, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

“N-No… It’s probably just because teachers have to cover things in a general way. When I explain things to you, I include the strategies I’ve picked up from doing practice problems.”

“Hehe, well, I prefer Teacher Ye’s ‘general’ explanations.”

“O-Okay…”

Looking at how adorable Little Ye was becoming, Xia Tian had the overwhelming urge to cup her face in his hands and give her a kiss.

But then something occurred to him, and he quickly asked,

“Wait a minute! Little Ye, how old are you now?”

Ye Ningyu blinked, surprised by the sudden question. “I’m 18… but my birthday isn’t until next month, April 29th.”

What the heck?!

She’s still a minor?!

Xia Tian felt a wave of panic wash over him.

If I kiss her now, wouldn’t that count as… three years in jail at the minimum?!

Immediately, Xia Tian felt cold sweat running down his back.

“Phew, good thing I held back and didn’t do anything. I’ll just have to wait. Once her birthday passes next month… heh heh!”

Unaware of the internal battle Xia Tian was waging, Ye Ningyu looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, completely oblivious to his mental turmoil.

—

The bell rang, signaling the end of evening self-study.

As usual, Xia Tian grabbed his bike and waited by the school gate for Ye Ningyu.

While he was waiting, Xu Yuan and Chen Jiayi walked out together and spotted him.

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to approach him.

“Xia Tian, did you give the breakfast I bought for you to Ma Dongguai?”

Xia Tian’s expression remained calm as he responded with just a single word, “Yeah.”

Hearing his answer, Xu Yuan’s eyes filled with tears again. “Why? Why did you do that? Were you mad at me for something that happened at the park?”

Xia Tian noticed Ye Ningyu coming out of the school, pushing her bicycle. Without paying much attention to Xu Yuan, he casually replied, “Guess,” and then walked over to greet Little Ye with a smile.

—

On the way to take Ye Ningyu home, Xia Tian glanced over at her, noticing how she had hidden her face behind her collar again. He raised an eyebrow.

“Little Ye, almost everyone in class, including Mr. Wang, doesn’t believe I can rank in the top 20 on this exam. So, how about if I get into the top 20, you do me a favor?”

“W-What kind of favor?”

“Don’t worry about what it is for now. Just tell me, will you agree or not? Even if you don’t, that’s fine. I won’t force you, and I won’t hold it against you.”

“B-But Xia Tian, why are you holding a knife to your neck?”

Xia Tian glanced down at his hand, seeing the small toy knife he had pulled out. With a playful smirk, he turned away dramatically.

“I won’t tell you. But if you don’t agree, I’ll… I’ll slice it down! But I’m not threatening you—I’m not forcing you or anything!”

“O-Okay, okay! Please don’t put the knife to your neck. It’s dangerous!”

“So, do you agree or not?”

“Mm… Okay, I agree.”

Pleased with her response, Xia Tian put away the fake spring knife, grinning inwardly.

This thing was just a cheap toy he’d bought for 50 cents outside the school gate. It couldn’t hurt anyone.

Little Ye is so gullible. She actually believed it.

“She probably doesn’t think I’ll make it into the top 20. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed so easily.”

Xia Tian was pretty confident about his math and English, though. Aside from Chinese, he could almost guarantee full marks in the other subjects.

If he got into the top 20, he planned to ask Little Ye to stop hiding her face behind her collar. It would be a big step toward helping her overcome her shyness.

—

“Alright, it’s getting windy tonight, so I won’t keep you outside chatting. We don’t want you catching a cold. Once I get home, let’s QQ love~”

Xia Tian waved his phone at Ye Ningyu with a grin.

“QQ… QQ love? What does that mean?”

“It just means staying in touch over QQ.”

“Oh… okay.”

Ye Ningyu nodded, though she didn’t seem entirely convinced.

Something about “QQ love” didn’t sound quite right…

“Well, go on home. I’ll talk to you when I get back. QQ love!”

“Haha, okay!”

She’s just too cute.

So sweet and innocent!

Once Xia Tian saw the light go on in Ye Ningyu’s room, his smile faded slightly.

“Little Ye, I hope you stay this innocent and happy forever. I owe you so much—your tears are something I can never repay.”

—

Back at Ye Ningyu’s house.

“Little Yu, isn’t your mock exam tomorrow?”

“Yes, Mom, but don’t worry. I’ll do well for sure.”

“I know you will. You’ve always been great at studying.”

Chen Lan smiled warmly. Her daughter’s academic achievements had always been a source of pride for her.

Before that terrible incident, their family had been the envy of everyone around them.

But after that… everything changed.

“By the way, Little Yu, you seem to be in a much better mood when you come home lately.”

“I-I do?”

Ye Ningyu’s heart skipped a beat, and she panicked internally.

Could her mom tell that Xia Tian had been walking her home? Was it that obvious?

“Yep, I figured it must be because you made a new friend. I was just at the window earlier, and I saw your friend downstairs. She’s pretty tall.”

In an instant, Ye Ningyu’s mind went blank.

Tall?

That must’ve been Xia Tian!

She had never expected her mom to see them saying goodbye!

How was she supposed to explain this?!

“M-Mom, you… you saw it?!”

“Yes, I saw it.”