Xu Lingwei was hunched over his desk, the glow of his tablet casting a soft light on his face as he worked through his assignment. The room was quiet except for the occasional scratch of his stylus against the screen.
A sudden knock at the door broke his concentration. He sighed, stretching his stiff shoulders before standing up to open it.
The sight before him made him pause.
Hua Rong stood there, dressed in a long, elegantly colored skirt that flowed softly around her legs and a neatly fitted shirt. Her hair was tied back for once, revealing the delicate curve of her neck, and—was she wearing makeup? The faint blush on her cheeks and the subtle gloss on her lips were unusual for her, yet they suited her more than he expected.
Xu Lingwei's eyes flickered to the shopping bags in her hands. "Did you go somewhere?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Yup," she murmured, voice drowsy.
Her eyelids fluttered as if they were too heavy to keep open, and she swayed slightly. He leaned in, narrowing his eyes. "Did you drink?"
"Nope!" she responded, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. She kicked off her shoes and made a beeline for the bed, letting out a sigh as she collapsed onto it ''I'm just tired''.
Xu Lingwei blinked in disbelief. "That's my bed!" he said, watching as she buried herself into his blankets without a second thought. The shopping bags slipped from her hands, their contents scattering onto the floor.
Ignoring his protest, she curled up, hugging the pillow close.
He walked over and crouched beside the bed, reaching for her hand to pull her up. "Come on, don't just take over my bed."
Eyes still closed, she swatted lazily at his hand. "Don't disturb me."
He let out an exasperated sigh. "But you're in my bed!" he reminded her, pulling at her wrist gently.
To his surprise, instead of resisting, she suddenly tugged him closer. His breath hitched as she nuzzled into the sheets, inhaling deeply before murmuring, "It smells like you… I like it."
His entire body froze.
His heart slammed against his ribcage, heat creeping up his neck to his ears. He was certain his face was burning, but he couldn't focus on that—not when she had just casually said something that sent his thoughts spiraling.
Xu Lingwei let go of her hand, swallowing hard. She had already drifted off, her breathing soft and even. He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat.
Slumping against the edge of the bed, he glanced at her peaceful sleeping face and sighed in quiet relief. Good. She was asleep.
.....
"So, your tests will be in two weeks. I've given you the schedule and syllabus—make sure to study properly!"Teacher Jiayi announced, her sharp gaze sweeping across the class. She gathered her notes and strode toward the door, pausing just long enough to glance at Hua Rong with a smirk before leaving.
Hua Rong barely noticed. Her focus was entirely on the routine in her hands. 20,000 points. If she excelled in this test, she would earn them in one go.
As she calculated her study plan in her head, a familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"So, how's the syllabus? Think you'll ace it?" Lin Zeyan asked, leaning against her desk with an easy smile.
"I have to," she replied simply, determination in her voice.
Lin Zeyan chuckled. "Then, how about we study together? It'll be productive."
Hua Rong considered it, tapping her fingers against the edge of her book. Before she could respond, another presence approached from behind Lin Zeyan.
"Are you guys talking about group study?" Zhou Yifen's voice was smooth, his light blond hair catching the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. His amber eyes gleamed with curiosity, and even the standard school uniform—a dark blue jacket over a white shirt and white pants—suited him effortlessly.
"Not exactly," Lin Zeyan admitted.
Zhou Yifen didn't seem fazed. "Well, if you are, count me in."
Hua Rong exhaled. "Fine," she said, standing up and grabbing her books.
Just as she was about to leave, Zhou Yifen called after her. "Hey, Hua Rong!"
She hesitated, glancing back. "Can we talk?"
There was something in his tone—careful, almost hesitant. After a moment, she nodded.
They walked out of the classroom together, making their way down the quiet corridor before stepping outside. The evening breeze was crisp, rustling through the trees as they stopped near an empty bench in the courtyard.
Zhou Yifen studied her for a second before speaking. "Can you tell me how you lost all your points?" He held up a hand as if to stop her from shutting him down immediately. "I don't want to judge you, but… you had the highest score. Then, suddenly, it dropped to zero. If you tell me, I can avoid making the same mistakes."
Hua Rong had expected this question. Ever since that day, she had seen it in his eyes—the silent curiosity, the unspoken questions.
She looked away. "I lost them because of my own stupidity. Knowing won't help you."
Zhou Yifen watched her carefully. Hua Rong was a model student, yet the fact that she was in this academy at all still unsettled him. He had even managed to obtain footage of that day from Dinhua students—the day the fight broke out between her and those girls. But even after watching it closely, it was hard to reconcile that version of Hua Rong with the person in front of him now.
And the fact that she had lost everything yet refused to explain? That revealed more about her than she realized.
Meanwhile, in Hua Rong's mind, she was cursing Xu Lingwei. It all started because of him. The deductions, the warnings, the downward spiral. But she wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Zhou Yifen studied her for a moment longer before nodding. "Alright. Fine."
.....
The library was packed. The upcoming exams had turned the usually quiet space into a battlefield of frantic studying—students hunched over textbooks, whispering notes to each other, flipping through pages like their lives depended on it.
Hua Rong barely paid attention to any of it. She just wanted to grab a book and get out.
But the moment she stepped toward the bookshelves, she froze.
Xu Lingwei.
He was sitting at a table with Xu Wenhan.
Her stomach twisted. Oh, come on. She hadn't had the courage to face him after what happened this morning.
She swallowed hard, the memory flashing in her mind.
Like every other morning, she had woken up to the sound of her alarm. But instead of the usual routine, she had been met with something very wrong.
Xu Lingwei was next to her bed. Asleep.
At first, she thought she was hallucinating. But then, her eyes darted to something else—the shopping bags she had brought back last night were on his bed instead of hers.
And then it hit her.
She wasn't in her own bed.
She was in his.
What the—?!
Panic had shot through her as she scrambled up, her mind racing. Did I… sleepwalk again?! That had to be it. It wasn't the first time she wandered when she was exhausted. But out of all places, why did she end up in his bed?!
Her ears burned as she realized something even worse—what if I said something weird in my sleep?!
Xu Lingwei had still been asleep when she fled the room, leaving before he could wake up and—God forbid—bring up whatever nonsense she might have said.
And now, here he was.
Nope. I'm not dealing with this today.
She turned on her heel, intending to escape. But before she could, a voice called out—way too loudly.
"Hey, Hua Rong! What are you doing here?"
She flinched and turned to find Han Xinyung, a student from Section B—the same as Xu Lingwei.
"Shh!" she waved her hands frantically, signaling him to lower his voice.
Han Xinyung frowned. "What? Are you hiding from someone?"
She hesitated. But before she could stop him, he leaned past her and—of course—spotted Xu Lingwei and Xu Wenhan.
A slow, knowing grin spread across his face. "Ohhh. You're hiding from Xu Lingwei."
"No!" she hissed, but it was too late.
Across the room, Xu Lingwei and Xu Wenhan turned in their direction.
Panic seized her. She needed an excuse. Now.
"I was hiding from Xu Wenhan!" she blurted.
Xu Wenhan blinked in confusion. "What? Why?"
Han Xinyung turned to him, completely missing the desperation in her expression. "Wait… were you bullying her?" he asked with fake seriousness.
Xu Wenhan scoffed. "I didn't do anything!"
But Hua Rong wasn't paying attention to their banter. Her focus was locked on Xu Lingwei.
He was avoiding her gaze.
Her heart stuttered. Oh no. Does he remember something?
"Hua Rong, say something!" Xu Wenhan demanded.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she cleared her throat and turned away. "I was just here to get some books, okay?" she said quickly, grabbing a random one from the shelf.
Xu Wenhan folded his arms. "I heard you're aiming for first place in the test."
She froze mid-motion, then straightened. "Yeah. I am."
"Why?" Han Xinyung asked.
She slid the book back in place and turned fully to them. "Because I want to leave this place as soon as possible."
That time, Xu Lingwei's head snapped toward her.
His reaction caught her off guard. His expression was unreadable, but his fists clenched slightly at his sides.
Then he spoke.
"Why?"
His voice wasn't loud, but there was something about the way he said it that made her pause.
"What?" she asked, frowning.
His jaw tensed. "What problem do you have with this place?"
Han Xinyung looked between them, raising an eyebrow. Well, that was… intense.
But Hua Rong wasn't in the mood for whatever weird thing was happening. She scoffed. "It has nothing to do with you."
She moved past him, but before she could take another step—
"I won't let you."
She stopped.
Slowly, she turned to face him again. "What?"
Xu Lingwei's lips curled into a smirk. But it wasn't his usual cocky one—there was something different about it.
"Do you really think everything will always go your way?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
And then, with a calm, almost taunting voice, he added—
"And don't forget—I still hold a grudge against you."
Any hesitation she had before vanished.
Her expression turned cold. "Tch. Should've known you'd say something like that."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.
But even as she left, she could feel Xu Lingwei's eyes lingering on her.
And for some reason, her heart wouldn't stop beating a little faster.