Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 97

Seeing Ye Ningyu’s excitement, Xia Tian was momentarily stunned.

It was the first time he had seen Little Ye so excited—not in his previous life, nor since his rebirth.

And her joy… was just because of a few hairpins?

“As long as you like them. There’s another gift for you tonight when you get home, but I’m not telling you what it is yet.”

“Oh! I… I also have a gift for you.”

Ye Ningyu nodded obediently, shyly pulling out a small, delicate box from her desk.

Xia Tian raised an eyebrow.

This girl was truly insistent. He had told her not to spend money on gifts, but she still did.

When he opened the box, he was surprised to find a brown wallet inside.

“I… I noticed you always carry your money loosely in your pockets, so I thought I’d get you this.”

Little Ye spoke hesitantly, subconsciously burying her face in her collar again.

But soon, she mustered the courage to ask softly, “D-do you like it?”

Xia Tian smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“As long as it’s from you, I’ll like it.”

He hadn’t expected Little Ye to give him a wallet, and it warmed his heart.

Just as he was about to put the wallet into his pocket, Little Ye tugged on his sleeve.

“Um… actually, there’s one more gift.”

“Another one?”

“Mm…”

After a moment of hesitation, Ye Ningyu quickly pulled out an item that was silver and red.

Xia Tian blinked before exclaiming, “What the… Taro Ultraman?!”

He stared at the toy in pure disbelief, his brain momentarily short-circuiting.

Seeing his reaction, Ye Ningyu’s face fell, and she asked nervously, “D-don’t you like it?”

“Hehe, like it? How could I not like it? ‘Men are always boys at heart, and Ultraman will always be our dream.'”

“Phew, that’s good to hear!”

Seeing Xia Tian’s enthusiasm, Ye Ningyu’s face lit up with a joyful smile.

Xia Tian glanced out of the corner of his eye at Li Jiahui, whose ears were visibly perked up at her desk in front of them.

He immediately understood.

Li Jiahui, you little rascal. Thanks for that!

—

Once morning reading started, Xia Tian remembered the breakfast he had brought from home.

“Let’s change things up today. This is breakfast my dad made himself. The eggs are a bit salty, but the century egg and pork congee is delicious.”

(TL Note: Century egg and pork congee is a traditional Chinese rice porridge made with preserved “century eggs” (eggs cured in a mixture of clay, ash, and salt) and seasoned minced pork.)

“U-Uncle made this… for me?”

Ye Ningyu’s face flushed red, her eyes full of surprise.

Xia Tian grinned.

“Of course. He made it just for you. Eat it while it’s hot.”

“T-that doesn’t seem right. Isn’t this actually for you? I… I’m not hungry today. Can I skip it?”

Xia Tian immediately put on a stern face.

“No, you can’t skip it! He made it especially for you. If you don’t believe me, you can come to my house next time and ask him yourself. If you don’t eat it, he’ll feel really hurt.”

“Don’t, don’t! I’ll eat it.”

Little Ye, flustered, quickly accepted the thermos.

In front of them, Li Jiahui bared her teeth in frustration, wishing she could grab Guan Yu’s blade and chop Xia Tian in half.

It was obvious the breakfast had been made for Xia Tian. He was just taking advantage of the fact that Little Ye wouldn’t actually confront his dad, so he shamelessly lied and said it was for her.

That shameless Xia Tian! Always bullying Ye Ningyu!

But knowing Xia Tian meant well, Li Jiahui just fumed silently.

“Sigh, Ye Ningyu, Ye Ningyu. Only you, this sweet little fool, would fall for such an obvious lie.”

What Li Jiahui didn’t understand, though, was love.

Little Ye might be naive, but she wasn’t stupid.

She could solve the trickiest math and physics problems—how could she not see through Xia Tian’s lie?

It was simply because she liked him that she was willing to let herself be deceived.

—

As the gaokao approached, most of the senior students were restless.

Their efficiency in studying had dropped significantly.

At this point, the teachers had stopped introducing new problem-solving methods.

Classes were mostly spent reviewing mistakes from past tests or letting students work on problems independently and seek help when stuck.

That afternoon, Xia Tian lazily rested his head on his desk.

Meanwhile, Little Ye was fully focused on her work.

The sunlight streaming through the window illuminated her face.

She kept her head down, her long, slightly curled lashes fluttering occasionally. Her side profile, backlit by the light, looked serene and beautiful.

If Xia Tian had to describe her beauty, he felt that even if he searched the entire dictionary, he wouldn’t find the right word.

He would rather use “Ye Ningyu” to define the beauty of the world.

“Ye Ningyu.”

“Mm?”

Little Ye blinked, surprised, and looked at Xia Tian.

Usually, he called her “Hey” or “Little Ye.” It was rare to hear him use her full name.

Xia Tian, still resting his head on the desk, reached out and smoothed down a rebellious strand of hair sticking up on her head.

“Which university do you want to go to?”

“T-Tsinghua, of course. You’ve asked this so many times already.”

Little Ye’s face fell slightly, looking a bit upset.

She felt as though Xia Tian hadn’t been listening to her. Otherwise, why would he keep asking the same question?

Xia Tian pretended not to notice her mood and continued.

“Have you ever considered Chang’an University? Or has any teacher or administrator suggested it to you?”

“Uh, no. Only Tsinghua or Peking University offer scholarships…”

“Huh. Do you have any impressions or opinions about Chang’an University?”

Little Ye shook her head, still confused by Xia Tian’s questions.

After several inquiries, Xia Tian realized she had no particular connection to Chang’an University.

This left him puzzled.

If that was the case, what had prompted her to choose Chang’an University in the end?

Frowning, he thought for a long time before concluding.

If there were no signs of it now, then something must have happened after the gaokao or during the college application process.

Still, Xia Tian was determined to figure it out.

Why Chang’an University specifically?

Just then, Little Ye blinked and asked.

“Xia Tian, do you really want to go to Chang’an University?”

“No. I want to go to the same school as you.”

“Oh, oh.”

Little Ye nodded obediently, burying her face back into her collar to continue her work.

But her eyes shimmered slightly.

—

During the last class of the afternoon, the sun slowly began to set.

The twilight outside the window resembled a delicate pink veil draped across the sky, muting the sunlight and painting the heavens with soft hues, reminiscent of a floral tapestry.

The students of Senior 3 (Class 6), having spent the afternoon on practice problems, took the opportunity during a break to glance out the window.

They were captivated by the view.

It was stunning, a beauty hard to forget.

“Wow, this is gorgeous!”

“I can’t believe high school is almost over. Remember how everything felt so new when we first started?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sigh… We used to dream of escaping this place, but now that it’s ending, it’s hard to leave.”

“Stop talking. Let’s just quietly enjoy the view!”

The chatter in the room was lively but not disruptive enough for the teacher to intervene.

Leaning on the podium, the teacher pretended to nap, letting the students appreciate the scenery.

Everyone knew:

Outside the window was the present beauty of the world.

On their desks lay their future.

Their heads were buried in a sea of problems, but above their heads stretched the horizon of tomorrow.

But for Xia Tian, the only beauty in his eyes was Ye Ningyu.

At that moment, Little Ye was also drawn to the view outside.

She leaned carefully on her desk, her almond-shaped eyes quietly gazing out the window.

This scene touched Xia Tian deeply.

He didn’t care whether class was in session or not. He immediately reached into his bag and pulled out his phone.

“Click!”

Just as Xia Tian snapped the picture, Little Ye turned her head slightly.

The photo captured her soft side profile perfectly against the pink-tinged sky outside.

Xia Tian glanced at the photo and smiled contentedly.

Years from now, he might forget how beautiful the sunset was that day.

But he would never forget how beautiful Little Ye looked in that moment.

Perhaps this was the youth he hadn’t properly cherished in his previous life.

Softly, Xia Tian murmured.

“Ye Ningyu, I like you.”