While waiting, Sunny Xu rested his head on the railing, enjoying the feeling of bathing in the sunlight and the gentle breeze. He squinted down at the flower beds clustered below and the tall, lush magnolia trees.

After coming out of the office, Seigetsu Zhu followed suit and leaned over.

He subconsciously turned to look at her; just then, Seigetsu Zhu's gaze also looked over. When the two met eyes, Sunny Xu suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.

Yes, he had chatted with Seigetsu Zhu like this once before.

On the evening of the campus invasion incident, he was supposed to participate in a study group with the class leader. However, he was called to the office midway because of his relationship with Starry Lin, suspected by the head teacher. However, the situation was the opposite of this time. That time, it was Seigetsu Zhu waiting for him in the corridor.

After that, the two leaned on the railing and talked about early love.

Although it was only two weeks ago, at this moment, it felt like a long time ago.

The intense sunlight falling on his head made Sunny Xu's consciousness hazy for a moment, and he asked softly.

"Thank you for what?"

"Many things." Seigetsu Zhu counted seriously, "Thank you for arriving in time to stop Sun Xiaofang from spreading the rumor of a teacher-student romance, thank you for not letting the situation escalate, and thank you for waiting for me here... By the way, where is Lin?"

"She's different from me, she went back first."

That girl is not the patient type, so once the problem is solved, she wouldn't have the patience to stay here.

Moreover—Sunny Xu thought, Starry Lin probably still holds a grudge against Seigetsu Zhu for not coming to see her after they agreed to be friends.

Seigetsu Zhu asked into the wind that was coming towards them.

"So, Xu, you didn't leave with her, you must have something to say to me, right?"

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Sunny Xu looked at the girl's calm face, hesitated for a moment, didn't answer the question, and instead couldn't help but ask:

"Seigetsu Zhu, what were you doing just now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You refused Teacher Yang, didn't you?"

Teacher Yang is the head of the grade, one of the oldest teachers in the school, and a respected special-grade teacher.

They were just talking about the follow-up to the conversation this morning, and Sunny Xu heard it clearly from the outside.

"Yes. It's because the teachers wanted me to give a speech under the flag next Monday as a student representative, and the theme is 'refusing early love.' I think it's troublesome, and I wanted to refuse... After all, time is limited, so I tried to explain the situation to Teacher Yang as soon as possible, hoping they could find someone else to replace me, that's all."

"...Why do you want to refuse?"

Seigetsu Zhu blinked.

"I said it's because I think it's troublesome... Ah, Xu, do you think I refused because I want to date? Hehe, do you really think so?"

No, you just said "because I can't guarantee" so clearly, I heard it very clearly from outside!

But faced with the girl's teasing words, after a moment of silence, Sunny Xu still shook his head gently.

"I don't think Seigetsu is the type to date early."

"That's absolutely right."

Seigetsu Zhu clapped her hands in approval.

"But even so, I still hate it when others restrict what I can and cannot do. Especially recently, whenever I hear someone ask me to do this and that, I get very impatient."

Sunny Xu nodded silently, indicating that he understood.

"Okay, Xu, you look like you have something on your mind, just say it. Why are you waiting for me here?"

"...I just feel a little scared."

If Sun Xiaofang really says that in front of everyone, Seigetsu Zhu's school life will definitely be affected.

Perhaps when Teacher Yang's situation is announced later, everyone will know that there was no such thing, but the stain left by the dirty water cannot be easily removed.

"Seigetsu Zhu, are you being a little reckless? I know it's not good to say this, but Sun Xiaofang... really looks like the type to act out of desperation."

"Actually, I think it's just right."

Seigetsu Zhu looked at the vast blue sky in front of her, reached out to smooth her wind-blown hair, and smiled lightly.

"If the rumor spreads, 'Seigetsu Zhu' in everyone's mind will be a downright bad girl. In this way, I and Starry Lin, who is treated differently by everyone, will just be a perfect match, right? People at school, whether they are teachers or students, will feel sorry for us... But, let them look! I don't care at all."

Sunny Xu was dumbfounded, almost thinking he had misheard.

He had thought before that Seigetsu Zhu's personality was somewhat complicated, not as straightforward as Starry, and sometimes he couldn't understand what she was thinking... Now, it seems that thinking like this can only mean that he is still too young.

—He really doesn't understand Seigetsu Zhu's thoughts at all!

"...Well, even if you want to get along with Starry, you don't need to go to such lengths."

Sunny Xu swallowed hard.

If Starry Lin heard this, she probably wouldn't be touched by Seigetsu Zhu's feelings, but would be at a loss, or even scared."Actually, that's true. A teacher-student relationship is too extreme," Zhu Qingyue said seriously. "Why not just casually date a male classmate? With the image I've established in everyone's minds, just telling them that I'm in a relationship will be enough to shock them."

Casually date a male classmate...

Sunny Xu was speechless.

"I was just kidding, can't you tell?" Zhu Qingyue covered her lips, laughing lightly.

"Even if I were to find someone, I would definitely choose someone reliable that I know, like—"

"No, let's stop this joke right here," Sunny Xu said seriously. He really wished he hadn't heard those words, so that the image of the class monitor in his mind wouldn't continue to deteriorate.

But in response to his reaction, Zhu Qingyue seemed even happier.

"Confronting her face to face also has another reason, which is that I hope to give Sun Xiaofang a chance," she continued. "After all, in the eyes of others, we are still considered friends, right? As a friend, I naturally hope that she can realize her mistake. If Sun Xiaofang can accept my proposal and apologize on her own after calming down, I feel that I can accept her again without any hard feelings..."

"But the truth is, she only apologized in front of everyone after we 'forced her into a corner,'" Sunny Xu said, stealing a glance at Zhu Qingyue.

There seemed to be no signs of sadness or disappointment on the girl's face, but he didn't think he could guess Zhu Qingyue's thoughts based on her expression or demeanor.

"Yes, this way I can make a decision. I really can't continue to work hard to maintain good relationships with my classmates and be the obedient girl in the eyes of the adults, or even..."

Releasing her hands from the railing and stretching lazily, Zhu Qingyue let out a light "ha," as if she had expelled all the melancholy from her chest in one breath, and said to Sunny Xu:

"From now on, I've decided to be a bad girl."

"..."

Sunny Xu had indeed noticed that Zhu Qingyue's way of speaking and behavior were a bit different from before.

They hadn't had many opportunities to interact with each other in the past week, so Sunny Xu hadn't noticed; but when he talked to her face to face like this, he quickly noticed some subtle but very distinct changes in the girl.

At the moment, it was uncertain whether these changes were good or bad; Sunny Xu felt that he wasn't qualified to judge.

However, he felt that if they were friends, it was time to say...

"I support you."

"Thank you."

The girl smiled slightly and continued.

"Besides, whether in the past or now, I have no intention of dating anyone. I think the reason is clear to you."

"...Why?"

"Of course, because dating early will affect my studies!"

"Wait, that reason doesn't sound like a 'bad girl' at all!"

"When I say 'bad girl,' I mean not listening to adults, not being irresponsible to oneself," Zhu Qingyue explained earnestly, shaking her finger at him.

"Besides, I actually quite like studying. Because I can now ignore some things, I will pay more attention to other things than before... Oh, right."

As if she had remembered something, she put her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and carefully examined Sunny Xu's face.

"Sunny Xu, didn't you say that you see me as a goal to surpass? Since then, I've been very concerned about one thing..."

Her eyes, gazing at him, sparkled brightly, radiant.

"Do you really have the confidence to surpass me?"

"I do."

Sunny Xu answered without hesitation.

Zhu Qingyue's test papers were often used by teachers as examples to teach problem-solving methods; and taking this opportunity, he analyzed the two people's academic levels based on the previous exams.

There was no doubt that there was indeed a gap between the two.

And not just Sunny Xu, all the students who had been at the top of the class in previous report cards, those outstanding students, actually had an objective gap with Zhu Qingyue.

Otherwise, this girl wouldn't have been able to maintain her position as the top student in the school.

But if, just because there was a gap, they lost the determination to challenge before the battle even began, that would be a complete loss of the possibility of surpassing the other.

"...Very well, I can now answer your question from that day."

Zhu Qingyue put her hand to her mouth, coughed lightly, and then she revealed a smile several times more adorable than usual, her neat white teeth shining brightly in the afternoon sun.

"Sunny Xu, I accept your challenge!"

Sunny Xu was stunned for a moment, finally realizing the true meaning behind her words, and a happy expression appeared on his face.

Indeed, competing in studies with a friend was more interesting than early dating, wasn't it?

*

That evening.

It was Friday, and after the school bell rang, nearly an hour had passed. There were a few high school students carrying their backpacks and heading home, but it wasn't as lively as usual.

Sun Xiaofang walked home with her head down, silently.

But unlike usual, she wasn't alone, nor did she leave with her friends. Instead, she was accompanied by three young men.

Two of them were college students, and the other one seemed to have been working for a few years.

Before leaving school, Sun Xiaofang had called her cousin who was studying nearby, hoping that he could take her home.There was no other reason than the fact that today, at the request of Zhu Qingyue, she went on stage to tell the truth and apologize, only to be threatened by Starry Lin again.

Although the other party left after saying that, and never appeared in front of her again, Sun Xiaofang became more and more afraid.

Sun Xiaofang's courage shouldn't have been so small, but when she thought of the look in the long-haired girl's eyes, she felt a lingering fear.

Her cousin and his companions arrived late. But after seeing her relatives arrive, Sun Xiaofang breathed a sigh of relief.

"...Thank you all for today."

"It's nothing, it's on the way anyway, just right to see how Uncle is doing."

Her cousin smiled and waved his hand.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, your brother and I have a good relationship, and you're like a sister to me."

Although they said so, Sun Xiaofang's cousin's two companions looked a little strange. It was probably because when their friend asked them for help, he only said "to protect my sister, a high school girl," without describing her appearance or physique in detail.

The meaning conveyed in the eye contact between these two and Sun Xiaofang's cousin was nothing more than "Does your sister really need protection?"

Sun Xiaofang did not notice the silent conversation between them.

The girl just hung her head low and walked forward silently.

Not only was she worried that Starry Lin would really come to teach her a lesson as she threatened, but everything that happened today was a heavy memory for a young person of her age.

"By the way, Xiaofang, who was the one who threatened you? Is it really a girl? Did she say she was going to find someone?"

"...No."

Sun Xiaofang shook her head, her tone urgent.

"But she's enough on her own! She's very powerful, she knows martial arts, I've seen it with my own eyes—"

The men glanced at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, don't worry, we know what's going on."

"High school students nowadays are something else, even young girls are so arrogant..."

Sun Xiaofang closed her mouth.

She knew she had no evidence, and no matter what she said, they wouldn't believe her unless this group of people saw it with their own eyes.

But if she could, she certainly didn't want to have a real chance to encounter it.

Just as this thought crossed Sun Xiaofang's mind, a chilling sensation ran down her spine, as if she felt some kind of invisible monster passing by her side...