Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 60

“I’m not too tired, Mom. You don’t need to worry about me. I know how to balance everything.”

“That’s good. I just don’t want you to feel too pressured with the college entrance exams coming up.”

“I’m really fine.”

Ye Ningyu didn’t notice the deep, bittersweet look in her mother’s eyes that day.

After putting down her school bag, she went to boil some hot water.

A little while later, Ye Ningyu returned, carrying a basin of warm water to wash Chen Lan’s feet.

“Mom, the weather’s been getting better these past few days, and it’s not so cold outside anymore. How about this weekend, I take you out for a walk? It’s been so long since you’ve gone out.”

“Don’t worry about me, child. I can go for a walk with Aunt Wang. You should spend your weekends unwinding with your friends instead.”

“H-she’s still busy studying… I’ll take you out, Mom. No need to trouble Aunt Wang.”

Little Ye lowered her head, her cheeks blushing slightly.

Chen Lan had no idea that the “good friend” her daughter was referring to was actually a boy.

As she watched her daughter patiently washing her feet, Chen Lan’s heart swelled with a sense of deep longing and reluctance.

She wiped away a tear that had crept from her eye and subtly covered the corner of a plastic bag poking out from underneath the blanket.

“My Little Yu is such a thoughtful girl. Having a daughter like you is truly a blessing from my past life.”

“Oh, Mom, it’s nothing. Once I finish my college entrance exams and receive the scholarship, not only will we be able to treat your illness, but I’ll take you on a trip to Beijing to have fun!”

“Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”

—

After helping her mother wash her feet and setting aside the medicine she needed to take before bed, Ye Ningyu returned to her own room.

She opened her wardrobe, which contained just a few articles of clothing.

“Hmm… I think I kept it somewhere around here.”

Before long, Ye Ningyu pulled out a piece of clothing and held it against her body to check the fit.

It was a dress that a kind older sister who worked in Shanghai had given her back when she still lived in Sichuan.

Back then, she had been younger and smaller. Since the dress hadn’t fit at the time, she had carefully preserved it and never worn it.

“Hmmph!”

After putting the dress on and standing in front of the mirror, her cheeks puffed up, and a blush spread across her face.

“So… so embarrassing!”

She quickly took the dress off and hesitated for a moment, but before going to bed, she neatly folded the dress and placed it together with her school uniform.

—

Friday morning was entirely devoted to science lessons, and Xia Tian paid close attention.

The second mock exams were coming up soon.

Thanks to a month of studying with Little Ye, Xia Tian’s science scores had improved significantly.

He now regularly scored over 150 points on practice tests, leaving him only 30 points away from his goal.

But despite his progress, Xia Tian still hadn’t figured out why, in his previous life, Ye Ningyu hadn’t ended up going to Tsinghua University.

At lunchtime, Xia Tian quickly slipped away, completely missing the fact that Little Ye was trying to call out to him.

After finding a secluded spot in the school restroom, Xia Tian took out his phone.

His screen saver had already been changed to the photo he had taken with Little Ye the night before. He chuckled to himself as he noticed the way she had slightly tilted her head in the picture, her eyes filled with a soft gaze directed at him.

Then, Xia Tian dialed the number of the Heartbreak Museum’s manager, also known as the curator.

With the curator in place, Xia Tian could stay informed about the museum’s operations at any time.

“Hey, has the museum officially opened now? How’s the turnout?”

“Boss, it’s a hit! We’re absolutely packed! The museum opened right at noon, but people started lining up to buy tickets as early as 10 a.m.!”

“Oh, that was expected. Just make sure to keep security tight and maintain order—no stampedes or anything like that.”

“Don’t worry, boss. I’ve got things under control. You just focus on your studies!”

Hearing Tang Hao say that made Xia Tian pause for a moment and feel a bit awkward.

When Tang Hao had first applied for the job, he’d assumed the owner of the Heartbreak Museum must be a mature, middle-aged man.

It wasn’t until he met Xia Tian that he realized his boss was actually a high school student.

Not only that, but Xia Tian was just months away from taking his college entrance exams.

Is this what the world’s come to now? Even high school seniors are starting businesses?

Tang Hao had initially planned to leave the job. After all, working for a high school kid didn’t seem like it had much of a future.

But… Xia Tian was willing to pay more than generously.

And who could say no to money?

If you can’t go along with it, just ask for a pay raise…

“Ahem, don’t forget to verify the free tickets for people who gathered 99 likes, but make sure they don’t get in for free without limits. Keep it restricted to the first 50 people each day.”

“Oh, and keep me updated on ticket sales through text. I need to keep track.”

Xia Tian felt a bit embarrassed himself.

Damn it, I’m running a business that pulls in tens of thousands a month, yet here I am being reminded to focus on my studies by my own employee? This is strange on so many levels.

“Got it, boss! I’ll keep you updated on everything!” Tang Hao reassured him.

After finishing the call with Tang Hao, Xia Tian didn’t waste any time. He immediately posted a pre-written review of a “Heartbreak Museum experience” on QQ Space and various online forums.

Soon after, the internet promoters he had hired swooped in to spread the posts.

Just like that, on the day of its grand opening, the Heartbreak Museum went viral all over again on QQ Space and the forums.

Anyone who had been on the fence about visiting suddenly saw rave reviews online.

They swiftly made up their minds to visit the museum that weekend.

After finishing all his tasks, Xia Tian patted himself on the back and headed back to the classroom.

Meanwhile, Tang Hao sent Xia Tian a text message every half hour.

“Boss, as of 1 p.m., we’ve sold 100 tickets in the first hour!”

“170 tickets now, boss!”

“Holy crap, boss! As of 2 p.m., we’ve sold 240 tickets!”

During the afternoon classes, Xia Tian discreetly glanced at the messages from Tang Hao under his desk, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

It seemed the Heartbreak Museum had met the goals he had set for it.

With the museum opening just before the weekend, ticket sales were certain to surpass 1,000 each day for the first three days.

After that, sales would level out during the weekdays.

But in a few days, the May Day holiday would arrive, and the crowds would surge again.

Xia Tian had timed the opening perfectly.

The second class on Friday afternoon was English, taught by Dai Zihan. She handed out a set of practice tests.

The classroom fell into a hushed silence as everyone focused on their papers. With the college entrance exams only 50 days away, no one was slacking off.

That is, except for Xia Tian, who wasn’t the least bit interested in the practice test. He rested his head on the desk, drifting in and out of sleep.

After all, he was a man who had passed the Cambridge Business English BEC exam!

Standing at the front of the classroom, Dai Zihan pursed her lips but chose not to wake Xia Tian.

“This guy… I never realized his talent for English. He really was just pretending all along.”

“To be honest, his English is even better than Ye Ningyu’s. This practice test is probably child’s play to him.”

She sighed to herself.

There wasn’t much she could say to Xia Tian. After all, when she first took over the class, she made a bold statement: “Anyone who can score a perfect mark in English won’t have to do homework or take practice tests.”

For the longest time, no one had managed to achieve that.

It wasn’t until senior year, when Ye Ningyu transferred, that someone finally scored full marks.

But now…

Xia Tian had joined the ranks of perfect scorers!

Meanwhile, Xia Tian was squirming restlessly in his seat, occasionally picking his nose.

Unable to sleep and having no interest in writing anything, he was growing increasingly uncomfortable under the warm afternoon sun.

Ye Ningyu noticed Xia Tian fidgeting and glanced at the teacher’s podium to make sure no one was watching them.

Then, she gently tapped Xia Tian’s arm with her pen.

“X-Xia Tian…”

Xia Tian assumed she was asking him to calm down and waved his hand lazily without even turning his head. “Alright, alright, I’ll keep it down.”

“That’s… not what I wanted to say.”

“Oh?”

Finally sitting up, Xia Tian turned to Ye Ningyu with a puzzled expression.

Ye Ningyu bit her lip, her face turning slightly pink. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Yesterday afternoon, I… I saw you looking at that girl downstairs… the one in the camisole…”

Xia Tian’s heart skipped a beat.

Oh no!

Little Ye, who rarely holds grudges, actually remembered that incident?

Is she… jealous?

“Ahem, what are you talking about? I wasn’t looking at any girl in a camisole!”

“Then… do you not like gray camisoles?”

“What are you talking about? That girl was clearly wearing a light pink one. I saw it very clearly—whoops!”

Xia Tian realized he had let something slip and immediately turned red with embarrassment.

He quickly changed the subject. “I’m not interested in other girls. But… if you were the one wearing a camisole, I’d be very interested!”

Ye Ningyu brushed her hair back and glanced around again, making sure no one was paying attention to the two of them.

Then, she edged a bit closer to Xia Tian.

Very quietly, she peeled back the corner of her school uniform’s collar.

Her face flushed as she whispered to him.

“Th-then, take a look…”