Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 71

Ye Ningyu sat on the “Bear Big” kiddie ride, covering her mouth as she giggled.

Meanwhile, Xia Tian sat in the narrow seat of the “Bear Two” ride, his expression full of surprise as the ride shook him up and down.

“Holy crap, I have to admit…”

“This thing is seriously fun!”

“Hey, boss! Exchange another five yuan for coins!”

—

After finishing up with the kiddie rides, the rain had stopped.

Xia Tian rode his bike, taking Ye Ningyu to the intersection near her apartment complex.

As they said their goodbyes at the corner, Xia Tian couldn’t resist reaching out and giving Ye Ningyu’s cheek a light pinch.

“I’ve noticed something—do you even use skincare products? Your skin is so well-maintained, softer than people who use skincare all year round. Too fun to pinch.”

“Mm…”

Ye Ningyu blushed slightly as her soft skin turned a little red from Xia Tian’s pinch. But she didn’t react much—she just looked at him quietly, her eyes calm and untroubled.

Suddenly, Ye Ningyu spoke softly:

“Xia Tian… do you really like staring at chests?”

“Huh?! Hey, hey, hey! Have you turned to the dark side now? Accusing me out of nowhere?”

“B-but today… you looked at mine twelve times… No, wait, it was thirteen times.”

Xia Tian’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression shifted awkwardly.

Was this girl secretly an elite observer in a special ops unit or something? She’d even managed to count how many times he sneaked a glance at her chest?

“Ahem, it’s already ten o’clock. You should head back before your mom starts worrying.”

“Okay… Good night, Xia Tian. Be careful biking home; the roads are slippery.”

“Got it.”

Xia Tian watched until Ye Ningyu had safely reached her apartment and her room light turned on before he felt at ease and got back on his bike to head home.

This had been the happiest day Xia Tian and Ye Ningyu had shared since his rebirth.

The quiet night air was damp from the rain, and in Xia Tian’s mind, Ye Ningyu was like a solitary plum blossom blooming amidst the cold, exuding a faint sense of loneliness.

As he biked down the rain-soaked streets, the streetlights flickered, and his young heart burned with emotion.

—

After washing up, Ye Ningyu sat at her desk and pulled out her pink diary.

April 22, Friday, Light Rain.

Today I went to Xia Tian’s Heartbreak Museum with him. I saw a lot of quotes I’d never read before, and they were all Xia Tian’s original work.

Xia Tian is really amazing. He built such a creative museum entirely through his own efforts.

I feel like the distance between us is growing… Xia Tian, you’re moving so fast—I wish I could keep up with you.

Xia Tian also treated me to lots of snacks I’d never tried before, but it seems like he can’t handle spicy food very well (=￣w￣=)

Oh, and he seems to like looking at chests… He looked at mine thirteen times today.

Life has been really great lately. If I could stay with Xia Tian like this forever, I’d be so happy.

After finishing her entry, Ye Ningyu put her diary away and locked it.

Before going to bed, she hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone and logged onto QQ to quietly update her status.

“By your side, swayed by you.”

—

The countdown to the college entrance exams had entered its final forty days.

The local education bureau had issued a notice requiring all high school seniors in Beian to attend extra classes on Sundays, continuing until the exams.

As a result, students now had only one day off per week.

On Saturday evening during self-study, Xia Tian and Ye Ningyu sat together, quietly working on their assignments.

Since the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, most of the students were whispering to each other.

The students who had gone to the Heartbreak Museum with Xu Yuan and Chen Jiayi the previous night were eagerly sharing what had happened with the rest of the class.

“You guys wouldn’t believe how cool Xia Tian was last night. Qiao Shaoxuan tried to show off by lying and saying the museum curator was his uncle, but then the tables turned big time—Xia Tian exposed everything!”

“After that, Xia Tian had the curator throw Qiao Shaoxuan out of the museum. And get this—we found out that Xia Tian is actually the real owner of the Heartbreak Museum!”

“What?! No way—Xia Tian owns the Heartbreak Museum? That’s crazy!”

“It’s 100% true. There were ten of us, and we all saw it. If you don’t believe me, ask Xu Yuan, Chen Jiayi, or even Li Huihui.”

“Wow, Xia Tian was hiding that he’s a rich second-generation kid all along, and now he’s finally come clean?”

“Not exactly. When Xia Tian left, he was with a rich young woman, super hot and beautiful. We think the reason Xia Tian’s living so well is because she’s his sugar mommy. The museum is probably a gift from her.”

“Whoa… I’m so jealous, man. Who said looks can’t get you far in life? Let them say that to my face, and I’ll knock them out!”

Xu Yuan and Chen Jiayi overheard their classmates’ conversations and instinctively turned to glance at Ye Ningyu, who was sitting quietly in her school uniform with her face tucked into her collar.

Little did the others know, the “rich young woman” they were gossiping about was actually the quiet and reserved Ye Ningyu, the invisible girl in their class.

As for Xia Tian, he sat at the back, casually working through his science problems with his legs crossed.

At midnight the night before, Tang Hao had sent him the final numbers for the day.

On the first day of opening, the museum’s total revenue was 41,200 yuan.

And today, since it was Saturday, by just half an hour ago, the revenue had already reached 40,500 yuan.

Based on Xia Tian’s predictions, they would easily break the 44,000 yuan mark by the end of the night.

In just two days, the total revenue was fast approaching 100,000 yuan.

Of course, these impressive numbers were largely thanks to Xia Tian’s earlier strategy of hiring promoters to generate a lot of anticipation online before the grand opening.

Under normal circumstances, a daily revenue of 10,000 yuan during weekdays would be considered very good.

But the visitors who had already experienced the museum were posting pictures and reviews online, generating even more buzz and attracting new customers.

“Factoring in the spike in traffic during the May Day holiday, I’m looking at monthly revenue between 350,000 and 500,000 yuan. After deducting maintenance costs and staff salaries, at least 300,000 yuan will end up in my pocket…”

“By the end of May, I should be able to pull in at least half a million yuan.”

Xia Tian’s mind was racing with calculations.

His first big payday since being reborn was finally within reach.

And just in time—right after the exams. With the money in hand, he would be able to pay for Ye Ningyu’s mom’s medical treatment.

Just before the end of self-study, Mr. Wang Qingshan entered the classroom to announce the schedule for the second mock exams.

“The second round of mock exams will take place next Friday and Saturday. After the exams, there will be a three-day break for the May Day holiday.”

“These exams will give you a pretty good idea of how you’ll score on the real thing. It’s even more important than the first mock exams.”

“So don’t stress out. After all, at this stage, everyone’s improving month by month. Just look at Xia Tian, who jumped from the bottom of the class to tenth place in the last mock exam.”

The class responded with a chorus of acknowledgment, and just then, the bell rang.

Xia Tian packed up his bag and patted Ye Ningyu on the shoulder. “I’ll wait for you at the bike shed. Hurry up, okay?”

“O-okay… I-I’ll be quick!”

Xia Tian chuckled, slinging his backpack over one shoulder with a bit of swagger as he whistled and walked out of the classroom.

Little did he know that Xu Yuan had been watching him the entire time.

“Jiayi, I’m counting on you to keep an eye on Ye Ningyu.”

“Don’t worry, Little Yuan. Go ahead and talk to Xia Tian—I’ll take care of things here.”

Xu Yuan nodded and immediately followed Xia Tian out of the classroom.

Meanwhile, Chen Jiayi pulled a worksheet from her bag and walked over to Ye Ningyu with a friendly smile.

“Ningyu, I’ve been struggling with this math problem all evening, and I just can’t figure it out. Could you help me out?”

Ye Ningyu was surprised. She glanced at the problem Chen Jiayi pointed to, and a look of concern crossed her face.

She had worked on that problem before, and it was really complex. It would take at least ten minutes to solve.

But Xia Tian was waiting for her at the bike shed, and she didn’t want to keep him waiting too long.

So, gathering her courage, Ye Ningyu tried to negotiate.

“C-Chen, Chen Jiayi… I can’t stay too late. Do you have QQ? Maybe we could add each other, and I’ll explain the problem to you over the phone when I get home?”

“Huh? But my parents don’t let me use my phone before the exams. This problem won’t take long at all, I promise. Come on, I’ll treat you to ice cream tomorrow as thanks!”

“But…”

“No buts! So, the first step is to find the reciprocal, and then…”

With her gentle nature, Ye Ningyu found it impossible to turn Chen Jiayi down.

She reluctantly pulled out some scratch paper and began explaining the problem as clearly and quickly as she could, hoping to finish soon so she could meet Xia Tian.

Meanwhile, Xia Tian stood waiting at the bike shed.

He kicked at a few small stones every now and then, bored.

Seeing a figure approaching, he called out, sounding a bit impatient, “Hey, you’re taking a while today. I’m gonna have to pinch your cheek as punishment.”

“Xia Tian, it’s me.”

The unfamiliar voice made Xia Tian look up sharply.

It wasn’t Ye Ningyu—it was Xu Yuan!

Xia Tian frowned, his expression turning cold as he stared at her.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Ye Ningyu?”