Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 41

Dai Zihan stared at the essay that filled Xia Tian’s answer sheet, her expression tightening as she began to read through it.

“Hiss…”

By the time she finished, she couldn’t help but suck in a breath of surprise.

“This… Did Xia Tian really write this? When did his English improve so drastically?”

She gently placed the answer sheet back on Xia Tian’s desk.

Without waking him, she quietly returned to the podium, resuming her duty as if nothing had happened.

But the shock in her heart was undeniable.

After reading Xia Tian’s essay, she realized that not only had he used advanced grammar structures, but the vocabulary he employed was also incredibly sophisticated.

Even if she were to write the essay herself, she might not have been able to do it as well.

Ultimately, Dai Zihan decided not to wake Xia Tian because…

It was a perfect English paper.

—

The mock exams passed by in a blur.

After the final English exam, the students returned to their usual routine of evening self-study.

During this period, many girls with less resilience broke down. Some cried at their desks, burying their faces in their arms, devastated by how poorly they had performed.

Most students were filled with anxiety, discussing the difficulty of the exam questions.

“Ugh, I can’t believe the mock exam was so hard.”

“Yeah, especially the science section. It was insanely difficult! I’ve done past years’ college entrance exam questions, and they weren’t this bad. This was just cruel!”

“I normally score 200 on science, but this time… I’ll be lucky if I get 150. When I get home, my parents are definitely going to give me the ol’ mixed-gender smackdown.”

“I know, right? The difficulty level of those science questions was just inhuman. The person who came up with them must be insane!”

Hearing the class complain about how hard the science section was, Xia Tian scratched his head and looked over at Ye Ningyu.

“Little Ye, was the science section really that hard? Everyone seems to be saying so.”

“I-I didn’t think it was that hard… It seemed okay to me,” Little Ye blinked, answering honestly.

Hearing her say that, Xia Tian rubbed his chin and nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t think it was that difficult either. Why is everyone else saying it was?”

Just then, the class’s chemistry representative, Li Qianqian, who had been passing by, overheard their conversation. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at them.

“If Ye Ningyu didn’t think it was hard, it’s because, for someone at her level, all the questions probably feel the same. As for you, Xia Tian… I think it’s because your level is so low that you can’t tell if a question is easy or hard anymore.”

“Uh, do you ever stop talking? Mind your own business!” Xia Tian’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Li Qianqian wasn’t entirely wrong.

His skills in science were so poor that he couldn’t even gauge the difficulty of the exam properly.

But then, Ye Ningyu spoke up softly.

“Xia Tian, you don’t need to worry. Several of the big questions in physics and chemistry were ones I went over with you before. As long as you followed what I taught you, you should be fine.”

Pausing for a moment, Little Ye’s face turned red as she lowered her head, whispering, “You… you’re not as bad as Li Qianqian says you are.”

“I know. It’s all thanks to Teacher Ye’s guidance,” Xia Tian said with a warm smile, feeling a sense of comfort.

Little Ye really was comforting.

—

After evening self-study, it started to rain outside.

Many students hadn’t brought umbrellas and had no choice but to walk home in the rain.

“X-Xia Tian, it’s raining. You don’t need to walk me home tonight, okay? Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in the rain for too long.”

“No can do. Don’t ride your bike either—sit on the back, and I’ll pedal you home.”

“No… I don’t want you to get sick!”

Little Ye furrowed her brow, her tone surprisingly firm.

When it came to matters like this, she never backed down.

Xia Tian realized this about her and squinted, ready to enter “convincing mode.”

“You’re misunderstanding! Look, I can ride the bike faster, and you can hide under my jacket. I’ll get you home quickly, and then you can run upstairs and bring me an umbrella. That way, you’ll stay dry, and I won’t get too wet either. Isn’t that more efficient than us both getting soaked?”

“But…”

“Enough! The rain’s getting heavier. Hurry up and get on the bike, or we’ll both end up drenched!”

Little Ye pouted but knew she couldn’t argue with Xia Tian. So, she obediently climbed onto the bike.

Xia Tian took off his school jacket and handed it to her. “Use this to cover your head so you don’t catch a cold.”

“But… Aren’t you going to be cold while riding?”

“I’m a guy—I can handle it. If you catch a cold, you’ll probably pass it to me tomorrow, and I hate getting sick!”

“Okay…”

And so, Little Ye sat on the back seat, using Xia Tian’s jacket to shield her head from the rain.

She could smell the unique scent of his jacket and glanced at him, pedaling furiously in front of her.

A soft smile appeared on her face.

In this moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace, wishing time could freeze right here.

“Little Ye, there’s a puddle up ahead. Hold onto my waist so you don’t fall off,” Xia Tian called out.

He had expected Little Ye to hesitate, like she usually did, needing a bit of coaxing before she’d give in.

But this time, before he even finished speaking, he felt her arms wrap around his waist, warm and soft, with her breath brushing against his back as she clung tightly to him.

“At seven years old, I caught a cicada, thinking I’d captured the whole summer. At seventeen, I held your waist, thinking it would last forever.”