Zhang Xunyue murmured a low apology and ran off sobbing.
He Siheng watched her back as she wiped her eyes and ran away, feeling a pang of sympathy for a fellow heartbroken soul.
He had just ended his own fruitless one-sided crush not long ago, so he understood that bitterness all too well.
He Siheng shook his head and sighed for the poor girl.
As he turned his gaze back to head into the classroom, he saw Tan Jing staring at him with an indescribably odd look in his eyes.
“You feel bad for her?” Tan Jing asked coolly.
“Of course I feel bad seeing such a pretty girl get rejected by some blind idiot.”
He Siheng took the opportunity to jab at him. “You’re really ruthless, rejecting her so bluntly like that.”
Tan Jing’s tone was indifferent. “Should I give her false hope and waste more of her time and feelings instead?”
He Siheng couldn’t argue with that. For someone you didn’t like, a clean and decisive rejection was actually the more respectful way.
“You’re right,” He Siheng said. “But I still think she’s pitiful.”
Someone like him, who had only ever been liked by others and never liked anyone back from childhood to now, couldn’t understand the pain of those in unrequited love.
Tan Jing looked at him with an inscrutable gaze. “So, you’d accept someone’s feelings just because you pity them?”
He Siheng thought for a moment. “Depends on the situation.”
“What situation?”
He Siheng was about to give an example when he turned and caught Tan Jing’s inexplicably thirsty-for-knowledge expression. He immediately shut his mouth.
What pit was this guy trying to dig for him now?
He Siheng was on full guard. “Why do you care?”
Tan Jing looked away casually. “Just scouting the enemy, that’s all.”
He Siheng’s face lit up with an “I knew you had no good intentions” look of realization.
He had no idea how this related to the exam, but…
“Forget it,” He Siheng sneered. “You’re definitely going to be my lackey!”
Back in the classroom.
He Siheng set down his backpack and pulled some books from his desk, only to fish out two boxes of cold medicine. He was stunned for a few seconds.
Plenty of people had slipped little gifts into his desk to show their affection before. His first thought went there.
“Confessions are so straightforward these days? Even sending cold medicine?” he muttered to himself.
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for his desk mate to hear.
Tan Jing gave him a subtle, odd glance. “Sending cold medicine means a confession how?”
He Siheng reflexively shot back, “Only you get cared for by the school flower girl—can’t I get some goodwill from someone else—”
Halfway through, he suddenly remembered the school flower girl’s conversation with Tan Jing earlier. The annoyance on his face turned to shock. “Don’t tell me this cold medicine is from you?”
“Relax,” Tan Jing said calmly. “This isn’t me confessing to you.”
He Siheng: “…”
He Siheng had never imagined it was actually from Tan Jing. His ingrained politeness made him want to say thanks on reflex, but since the giver was Tan Jing, he hesitated fiercely.
With an awkward expression, he mumbled, “Why’d you give me medicine?”
Tan Jing replied, “So you can stay healthy and take the exam.”
He Siheng: “Thanks…”
Tan Jing continued, “And lose to me fair and square.”
He Siheng: “…”
Like hell he’d thank him!
He Siheng couldn’t stomach the provocation. Even though his cold was better, he kept the medicine anyway. He curled his lip in a cold smile. “Me, lose to you? Looks like you’re still sleepwalking.”
Tan Jing smiled noncommittally, as if watching an amusing pufferfish—the more it puffed up in anger, the cuter it was.
He Siheng was full of wariness toward Tan Jing. Whether it was leaving the light on the night before the exam to mess with him or sending cold medicine like a declaration of war the next day, his biases made every action seem like Tan Jing’s psychological warfare.
During morning self-study on the third day of exams, Tan Jing suddenly said to him, “After the afternoon exam, don’t rush off to the internet cafe to slack.”
He Siheng was immediately defensive. “Why?”
“Got something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“After the exam.”
He Siheng’s appetite was whetted, and he grumbled, “Why can’t you say it now?”
Tan Jing didn’t even look at him, his eyes on his book. “No point saying it now.”
He Siheng clicked his tongue against his cheek. Psychological warfare—this was definitely more psychological warfare.
It was meant to make him obsess over what Tan Jing wanted to say all day, distracting him from the exam.
Anyone who cared lost.
He Siheng huffed lightly through his nose and fired back with his own medicine. “Perfect, I’ve got something to tell you this afternoon too.”
Tan Jing leisurely turned a page in his book and gave a faint “mm” in acknowledgment. “Meet in the classroom after the afternoon exam.”
He didn’t seem remotely hooked.
He Siheng tsked inwardly.
Why didn’t he ask one more question?
*
The last subject in the afternoon was math. He Siheng breezed through the questions and handed in his paper early, exiting the exam room.
The overall difficulty of this monthly exam was reasonable. Even his weaker subject, Chinese, hadn’t been too harsh on reading or essays. He felt confident about taking first place.
There were still about ten minutes until the official end of exams. He Siheng strolled leisurely toward the classroom. Passing by the third exam room where Tan Jing was, he paused in the corridor and glanced in through the window.
He didn’t spot Tan Jing, but there were a few empty desks inside.
He Siheng raised an eyebrow. Looked like the guy had handed in early too.
He turned to continue toward the classroom when two boys who had also finished early emerged from the third exam room. As soon as they stepped out, they started chattering.
“Damn, what’s up with Tan Jing this year? He skipped the last subject again?”
“Who knows? Geniuses gonna genius.”
“I’m so pissed—I bet in the group chat he’d get first. There goes my hundred yuan down the drain.”
“Even skipping a subject, he still makes Class 1. Having connections really is different.”
…
The two boys were so caught up in gossiping that they didn’t notice who they brushed past.
He Siheng stopped in place, the air pressure around him dropping dangerously low.
Tan Jing skipped the exam again? What did he mean by that? He didn’t take this competition seriously at all?
He Siheng pulled out his phone from his bag, seething with anger, and called Tan Jing.
The call connected, but before he could speak, Tan Jing’s voice came through first. “I’m at the pet hospital right now.”
Tan Jing paused, his voice barely audible. “Big King passed away.”
He Siheng froze, his anger vanishing in an instant.
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