Chapter 33

Using an eraser to coax someone might seem childish for kindergarten kids, but for male high schoolers, it was just right.

Lu Ping keenly sensed that after Shen Yuze caught the eraser, the chill that had lingered around him melted away layer by layer.

He knew it—making friends meant being open and honest. Any conflicts should be brought out into the open rather than stewed over in silence, right?

These days, even marriages followed the marriage law. Of course, friendships had to adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles!

Lu Ping watched eagerly as Shen Yuze toyed with the eraser, waiting for him to fill in the remaining two blank rules. But instead, Shen Yuze pocketed the eraser with his “masterpiece” on it!

Lu Ping was baffled. “Why are you putting it away? Aren’t you going to fill them in?”

Shen Yuze glanced at him sidelong with his peripheral vision and drawled, “Would Aladdin use up all his wishes the moment he got the genie lamp?”

Lu Ping: “!!!”

He realized: Though the “Desk Mate Rules” were meant to bind both of them, if Shen Yuze exploited loopholes and wrote two rules targeted at Lu Ping, wouldn’t Lu Ping just be handing him free wins?

The thought made Lu Ping’s head spin. He reached out to snatch the eraser back.

Shen Yuze wasn’t about to let him succeed. “Once a gift is given, there’s no taking it back.”

“Who said it was a gift? It’s just an eraser with some writing on it.” Lu Ping was stubborn. “I need to use the eraser right now. You can’t steal your desk mate’s stationery, can you?”

One was shameless, the other even more so. Around that tiny eraser, they launched into a fierce “battle” between the desks.

Young Hero Lu unleashed the One Yang Finger technique. Young Hero Shen dodged sideways, letting the strike miss. Seeing his first attack fail, Young Hero Lu formed his fingers into a sword and unleashed the peerless Six Meridians Divine Sword. Young Hero Shen, ever steady and never underestimating foes, thrust both palms forward in “Twin Dragons Fetch Water,” blocking the Six Meridians assault. He turned defense into offense, his Ice Palms weaving an airtight defense that forced Young Hero Lu into steady retreat.

The two young heroes tangled endlessly, shaking the desk and chairs beneath them.

Just as the battle raged hottest, a thunderous roar erupted from the other end of the classroom—”Lu Ping, Shen Yuze, are you two done yet?! Can’t you pay attention in class? Instead of listening, you’re poking each other. Did you skip kindergarten or what?”

There on the distant podium, the Chinese teacher—no, not Grandmaster Yideng—slammed down her lesson plan, her face ashen.

In that instant, all the young heroes, Six Meridians Divine Swords, and Ice Palms vanished into thin air. Lu Ping and Shen Yuze sat rigidly in the back row, their four hands still tangled in a ridiculous pose.

The whole class turned as one, gazes filled with curiosity and schadenfreude landing on them.

Shen Yuze: “…”

Lu Ping: “…”

Both withdrew their hands at once and sat properly.

The Chinese teacher wasn’t done venting. “How many times have I said it? I see everything from the podium, no matter your little tricks below. Some girl kept checking her mirror, fussing with her bangs—left part, right part, middle part. I was getting anxious for her; I wanted to go down and do it myself. And some boy, just listen if you’re listening—why stroke those few chin hairs while you do? I thought you were briefing Zhuge Liang on intel! Xiao Wusun, with just three whiskers you’re already showing off? I’ll suggest to your homeroom teacher that we shave them all off!”

Though she didn’t name names, everyone in the class knew who she meant. They burst into giggles.

Lu Ping couldn’t hold back. His pursed lips trembled, and he let out a “pfft” of laughter.

That laugh ignited the teacher’s fury. “Lu Ping, what’s so funny? Think I can’t see you? The others fussing with bangs or whiskers at least aren’t bothering anyone. But you and your desk mate Shen Yuze? Poking each other back and forth—are you practicing kung fu or flirting?”

The words “flirting” sent the class into uproarious laughter.

Boys and girls alike grinned ear to ear, pointing at Lu Ping and Shen Yuze while whispering.

High schoolers this age loved a good commotion. Real couple or not, same-sex or opposite, if there was drama, they watched for free.

Lu Ping, usually on the class fringes, felt his fragile pride crumbling under all those eyes. Shen Yuze beside him stayed utterly calm, as if he weren’t the one being called out.

Lu Ping stammered a protest. “Teacher, Shen Yuze and I… that’s not flirting. You used the wrong idiom.”

“Am I the Chinese teacher or are you? If not flirting, then what?”

“Uh, we were… fighting.”

“Lu Ping,” the Chinese teacher adjusted her beer-bottle-bottom-thick glasses and said with heartfelt disappointment, “You have the nerve to admit it? This is a crucial Chinese class, and instead of listening, you’re fighting your desk mate? If you want to fight so bad, why not go outside?”

Before Lu Ping could reply, Shen Yuze, who had been silently seated beside him, suddenly stood from behind the desk.

Already tall, he drew every eye in the class the moment he rose.

Lu Ping: “…Shen Yuze, what are you doing?”

“The teacher said it herself.” Shen Yuze raised a brow, hands in his pockets as he palmed the contentious eraser. “Let us go outside and fight.”

With that, he shot Lu Ping a look and strode out of the classroom first.

The Chinese teacher: “…”

The whole class: “…”

Lu Ping: “…”

Lu Ping was so mortified he covered his face, wishing he could vanish on the spot.

Who could tell him why his desk mate was so impossible?!

…

School gossip spread faster than a flu virus. By the end of the day, every sophomore knew: Shen Yuze got kicked out of class for “flirting” with his desk mate, ordered to stand as punishment!

The “flirting” partner in question, Lu Ping: “…”

No one took the rumor seriously; it was just for fun. If Lu Ping insisted on clearing it up, he’d seem overly defensive.

Besides, Shen Yuze’s biggest rumored flame was Senior Meng. They were a perfect match—talent and beauty, swan and peacock. Whenever they walked side by side down the hall, classmates stole glances. Once they vanished into the teachers’ office, the speculation erupted: “How far along are they?” “Confessed yet?” “Insider info—they’re totally dating!”

Chen Miaomiao, ever one to stir the pot, ran over to interview Lu Ping. “Lu Ping, as Shen Yuze’s one-day rumor fling, what do you think about him getting so close with Senior Meng?”

“You’re all so bored,” Lu Ping said righteously. “First, I wasn’t flirting with Shen Yuze. Second, Shen Yuze and Senior Meng are just working together—no dating.”

“You sure? Did Shen Yuze tell you himself?”

“Uh…” Lu Ping faltered. He couldn’t tell Chen Miaomiao that Shen Yuze still hadn’t memorized Meng Xin’s name. With her big-mouth tendencies, it’d spread like wildfire. If it reached Senior Meng’s ears distorted, it’d hurt her pride. So he mumbled, “Anyway, Shen Yuze’s focused on the competition—nothing else.”

Chen Miaomiao snarked, “You sound like his agent, all official speak. The idol I stanned before, his agent always said, ‘Our XX is focused on work right now, no personal matters.'”

Lu Ping lifted his chin. “Isn’t that good? So career-driven!”

“It was good.” Chen Miaomiao pulled a long face. “Until he imploded—not dating, but sleeping with fans!”

Lu Ping: “…I don’t think Shen Yuze would sleep with fans.”

Because Shen Yuze’s biggest fan was Lu Ping himself.

“Don’t speak too soon.” Chen Miaomiao struck a dramatic pose, patting Lu Ping’s shoulder. “Lu Ping, you’re his desk mate, not him. Who knows what’s really in his head?”

Admittedly, Chen Miaomiao’s scandal preview left Lu Ping uneasy.

He ran to find Shen Yuze and blurted, “Shen Yuze, give me the eraser back for now. I need it.”

“For what?”

“I want to change one rule—make the second one ‘Communicate any thoughts promptly.'”

Shen Yuze arched a brow. “Any thoughts?”

“Yeah.” Lu Ping thought, like… if Shen Yuze fell for someone, as his best friend, shouldn’t he know?

“No need to change it.” Shen Yuze smirked. “If you want to know my thoughts right now, I can tell you.”

“?” Lu Ping perked up. “Tell me, tell me!”

“My thought is: How much longer will this little mouse hold me up? I’m about to be late for speech coaching.”

Lu Ping: “…”

Lu Ping often felt like a pitiful, annoying little mouse, hiding in shadows. But hearing “little mouse” from Shen Yuze held no scorn—just a hint of… indulgence?

Had he misheard?

…

The dismissal bell rang. Lu Ping silently packed his bag, eyes drifting to the empty seat beside him.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the last two evening study halls saw Shen Yuze head to the English teacher’s office for speech competition coaching. Lu Ping had to get used to the empty space.

Studying alone had perks. He could spread worksheets everywhere without worrying about the “38th parallel”; shake his leg or prop his feet up without someone pressing his knee, telling him to sit straight.

Of course, the absence sometimes left him lonely—especially when doing English worksheets without answers.

Yeah, Shen Yuze was confirmed as his English tool.

Lu Ping dawdled packing but didn’t leave. Instead, he headed to the little garden behind the teaching building.

He hadn’t fed the stray cats by the back gate in days. How many mice had Zhaocai the black cat caught in his absence?

When Lu Ping reached the back gate, he spotted a slender, tall figure under a tree unexpectedly.

Jiaojiang No. 1 Middle School uniforms had colored stripes on the cuffs by grade. Hers marked her as a senior.

Lu Ping hadn’t expected anyone else in his and Zhaocai’s secret spot. Never great with people, he hesitated—should he slip away?

At that moment, the girl tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her full profile. Her features were exquisite—willow brows and almond eyes, her hair tied up in a high bun. Every gesture carried an innate elegance. Lu Ping recognized her; it was actually Senior Meng Xin!

She was, after all, the school flower acknowledged by all the boys in school. When Lu Ping clearly saw her face, he couldn’t help but let out an “ah.”

It was this sound that made Meng Xin lift her head and look in his direction.

Their eyes met. Meng Xin didn’t recognize him at all, and her face inevitably showed some wariness and awkwardness.

“Good day, Senior Meng,” Lu Ping quickly greeted her. “Sorry for disturbing you. I’ll leave right now.”

“It’s fine. This is the school’s little garden; anyone can use it.” Meng Xin was beautiful and kind-hearted as she explained, “I just wanted a quiet place to memorize some stuff. I didn’t expect anyone else to be here.”

Though it was their first meeting, Meng Xin didn’t put on any senior airs. She was approachable, her voice like a clear spring flowing through the mountains. She waved the few A4 sheets in her hand. Even from this distance, Lu Ping could see they were covered in dense English text. He guessed what Senior Meng was memorizing was the script for the speech competition hosting.

Meng Xin asked, “Are you here to study too?”

Lu Ping shook his head, unzipped his backpack, and took out two sausages. As he peeled them, he replied, “I’m here to feed the cat.”

The moment she heard there was a cat, the eyes of this furry-loving girl lit up. Forgetting the half-memorized materials, she asked expectantly, “There’s a cat on campus? What does it look like? How old is it?”

“It’s a black cat with snow-white paws that look great. It’s a greedy little mouth—I befriended it with a few snacks back then!” Lu Ping thought for a moment. “As for its age… I really don’t know. It shouldn’t be too old, though. Last year when I first met it, it was just a kitten, about half an arm’s length, with sparse fur and lots of eye gunk… Now it’s grown into a big one. Last time Shen Yuze came and tried to pick it up, he couldn’t on the first try.”

Hearing the familiar name, Meng Xin asked, “You know Shen Yuze?”

“Yeah.” Lu Ping scratched his head. “I’m his desk mate.”

“Ah, so you’re him. I’ve heard about you.” Meng Xin’s smile was genuine. “You’re the one who flirted with Shen Yuze during Chinese class and got kicked out by the teacher, right?”

Lu Ping forced a few words out through gritted teeth: “……………..We weren’t flirting.”

Why did even a senior in her senior year know about this gossip!

Meng Xin asked Lu Ping if he came here every day to feed the cat.

“No, only when I don’t have too many classes.” Lu Ping shrugged. “The food I can bring is limited, like sausages or jerky. But Zhaocai’s a fighter—it catches mice really well, so it never goes hungry!”

“It catches mice?” Meng Xin’s face immediately paled, her fingers trembling slightly.

Few girls weren’t afraid of mice.

The Lu Family, on the other hand, weren’t afraid of mice at all—not even Lu Ping’s little sister who had just started first grade. After all, their family was in the food business, with rat traps everywhere inside and out. Lu Ping had long developed a heart of steel; he could calmly dispose of a glue trap with a mouse on it without batting an eye.

What a coincidence—just as Meng Xin’s words fell, a rustling sound of leaves came from the old tree above their heads.

They looked up following the noise and saw a pitch-black cat, with only its four paws white like stepping on snow, emerging from between the leaves. And in its mouth was a squeaking mouse!

Cats hunted mice not just for food but sometimes as toys, so they wouldn’t always kill them right away. Instead, they’d carry them back to the nest or up a tree, play until bored, then chomp them down.

Lu Ping was used to the law of the jungle in this world and had no issue with cats eating mice.

Seeing the familiar two-legged creature, the black cat was especially excited. But the clever cat quickly noticed that the person standing with Lu Ping wasn’t the tall, handsome guy it had seen before, but an unfamiliar female human!

The highly vigilant cat immediately entered defense mode. It crouched low, arched its back, tail pointed straight to the sky, and its vertical pupils stared fixedly at the unexpected intruder.

Then—”Meow!”

With that meow, the mouse in Zhaocai’s mouth dropped right out! The still-living mouse, covered in cat saliva, did a 360° mid-air spin in the half-air, then squeaked straight toward Meng Xin!

Meng Xin watched wide-eyed as the mouse drew closer and closer, frozen in terror.

In this critical moment, Lu Ping rushed over. Without thinking, he shoved Senior Meng aside, then grabbed the janitor’s big broom nearby and slammed it down, pinning the mouse under it!

But the mouse was too sly. In no time, it slipped through a gap in the broom and scurried away. Lu Ping pressed the advantage, broom in hand, chasing after it fiercely.

“—Watch out!!” Meng Xin cried out in warning.

But her warning came a step too late. Lu Ping didn’t notice the puddle on the ground ahead. His foot stepped into it, and he slipped…

In that instant, the world seemed to switch to slow motion, accompanied by the tragic strains of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (“Fate”) playing in his ears. In Lu Ping’s eyes, countless shimmering water droplets sprayed into the air, refracting rainbows in the sunlight; the broom flew from his hand to the side, the little mouse escaped who-knows-where; the black cat meowed frantically in anxiety, leaping down from the treetop toward Lu Ping.

As for Lu Ping himself… in this excruciatingly slow rhythm, his whole body flew out horizontally in an exaggerated arc!

The next second, time resumed its normal speed: Lu Ping sprawled flat on his back, his tailbone slamming hard onto the bluestone pavement. Pain exploded, stars bursting before his eyes.

Before blacking out from the pain, a thought flashed through Lu Ping’s mind: He’d helped Shen Yuze protect his partner, Senior Meng. Shen Yuze would surely be thrilled when he found out, right?