As the teacher left, the class representatives started collecting homework.
While passing my assignments forward, I casually turned my head and noticed something shiny under Liu Xiaoyu's desk.
"You brat, you didn't turn in your phone again."
Liu Xiaoyu never turns in his phone. Since the beginning of freshman year, I've seen him play happily, but the most incredible thing is that he's never been caught.
"What about you?" Liu Xiaoyu winked, a sly smile on his face, then pointed to the phone in my pocket.
"Mine was an accident; I'm not going to use it," I lowered my voice, terrified that anyone might hear I had a phone.
"I will," Liu Xiaoyu said cheerfully.
"Tch, you wait. Mistress Extinction will catch you sooner or later," I muttered.
Suddenly, I saw him straighten up, put his phone in his desk, and open a book.
"What are you—" I was about to ask him why he was acting so serious when I realized the surrounding silence was unnerving. I instantly felt trouble brewing.
"Lin Nan, are you very bored?" The moment I turned my head, the ferocious Mistress Extinction was already standing right in front of me.
"Are your test papers done? Have you memorized your vocabulary?" Since it was evening study hall, Mistress Extinction's voice wasn't loud, but it was low and menacing, losing none of its authority; in fact, it seemed to have more impact.
Under her authority, I immediately lowered my head, not daring to contradict her, and looked at the notebook on my desk, nervously fiddling with my pen. I couldn't even raise my head.
Mistress Extinction lectured me for a few minutes, then walked around the classroom a few times before leaving.
"How could you be so disloyal? You didn't even warn me that the teacher was here," I complained in a low voice to Liu Xiaoyu.
"You're too slow. You should have realized when you saw me put my phone away," Liu Xiaoyu chuckled, covering his mouth.
"Ugh..." I sighed. "We were talking together, why didn't she bother you?"
"I don't know. Maybe she just doesn't like you," Liu Xiaoyu opened a strange book on his desk and continued reading.
"That's probably it." I nodded. Mistress Extinction has disliked me for a long time, and after I groped her, it would be weird if she didn't target me.
The book Liu Xiaoyu was reading was thick and covered in strange symbols. I leaned closer, enjoying the faint, sweet, milky smell on him, and asked, "What are you reading?"
He seemed startled by my sudden closeness and gave me an exasperated look. Then he said, "This book is too advanced for you. Your most pressing task is to master your freshman and sophomore knowledge."
I watched the complex book for a moment, then looked at his clean profile and whispered, "I mean, Xiaoyu, you aren't really a genius, are you? Have you been faking being at the bottom of the class all this time?"
"Yes, I'm a genius," Liu Xiaoyu nodded, his face completely serious.
"Tch... I was just saying—" I started to retort, but before I could, he suddenly reached into his bag, pulled out an apple, and stuffed it into my mouth.
"Mmph..." My eyes widened, and I couldn't speak.
"Why are you so annoying today, asking so many questions? It's so bothersome. Stop talking quickly, or Mistress Extinction will scold you again," Liu Xiaoyu whispered, keeping my mouth sealed with the apple.
I instinctively grabbed his hand. This guy's hand is so fair and soft. Why is it so delicate? But before I could examine it, he pulled his hand back and glared at me.
I took the apple out of my mouth and put it on the desk. I wasn't brave enough to eat during study hall; if the old witch caught me, I'd be finished.
So, I kept silent and focused on reading, rethinking the concepts Liu Xiaoyu had just taught me.
By the time the class ended, I had mastered everything he had explained.
Crunch.
Liu Xiaoyu next to me took a bite of an apple, then put it down. As if remembering something, he got up and left.
Immersed in problem-solving, I reviewed the concepts again. I felt a surge of accomplishment from understanding the problems. Wanting a break, I casually reached for the apple next to me and took a bite. As I was eating, I noticed a second apple on my desk.
"Huh?" I paused, looking at the apple in my hand. Wasn't this one on Liu Xiaoyu's desk?
"Crap, I just ate this kid's spit." I suddenly realized it was Liu Xiaoyu's apple.
Whatever. We're both guys, so what. I put the half-eaten apple on his desk and continued eating.
A moment later, Liu Xiaoyu returned. He picked up the apple on his desk, took a bite, and then slowly stopped chewing. He noticed something was off.
Looking at the apple in his hand, his usually delicate eyebrows instantly furrowed. He took out a tissue, spat out the piece of apple, and glared at me with ill intent.
His murderous gaze made me feel uneasy. I slowed my chewing, my cheeks puffed out like a squirrel.
"What's wrong?" I mumbled.
"You switched my apple?" Liu Xiaoyu's tone was serious. His eyebrows were tightly squeezed together. His eyes, which were not black but a subtle azure blue upon closer inspection, shone under the light, radiating a cold intensity that indicated he was furious.
He has germophobia. I should have remembered that.
I swallowed the contents of my mouth with a gulp, lowering my head under his sharp gaze. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention when I grabbed it, and I ate yours. I was afraid you'd be mad, so I swapped mine back."
Seeing his face getting worse, I clasped my hands together and quickly apologized. "I didn't think you'd even notice that. Sorry!"
His eyebrows knitted together, his blue pupils staring at me. His voice was cold, rising slightly in volume: "These two apples are different in size, weight, and shape. How could I not notice?"
I was dumbfounded. Who pays that much attention to an apple?
He said no more, simply tossing the rest of the apple directly into the trash bag. Then, he moved his chair, putting distance between us.
"Xiaoyu... I..." I tried to say something, but Liu Xiaoyu didn't give me a chance. His face was stone-cold, and he turned his body away, leaving me only the back of his head.
"Ugh..." I knew I was in trouble. This guy would be mad for days. Although he was usually kind, if I provoked him, he could ignore me for several days.
I lost my appetite, threw the remaining half of my apple into the trash, and sighed a few times.
A little later, I saw Liu Xiaoyu pack his things and walk out.
He was a day student, so he had more freedom; he could stay for evening study hall or leave. Liu Xiaoyu usually stayed, so leaving early meant I had genuinely angered him.
"Ugh, why does this guy act like a little girl?" I was annoyed. He had just helped me with my problems; why did I have to go and provoke him? I should have remembered his germophobia.
I shook off the distracting thoughts and continued studying until the evening class ended. I went back to the dorm, washed up, took care of my needs, and went to sleep.
The guy in the bunk above me was the annoying Wang Hua, who had patted my head earlier. If I didn't have such good sleep quality, I would never be able to sleep here. Fortunately, I was used to this idiot and could sleep through it.
For the next few days, I kept my phone off in my dorm room, untouched. I simply didn't have the guts to use it; if Mistress Extinction caught me, I'd be utterly finished.
Liu Xiaoyu continued to ignore me, acting completely aloof. I wrote him notes, but he just glanced at them and threw them in the trash. I was at my wit's end; I had so many homework problems I wanted to ask him, but he was still mad at me.
By Friday, I was tearing my hair out over a math problem. "Why is this so hard, ah..."
I felt this week had been incredibly productive; my brain was operating at high capacity almost all the time, except when I was sleeping.
"You're so slow," a voice beside me said.
"No, you are!" I shot back ungraciously. Who was he calling slow?
But I quickly realized who it was and looked up in surprise. "Liu Xiaoyu, you're talking to me?"
Liu Xiaoyu looked at me with distaste. "That problem is obvious at first glance. I've watched you think about it for almost half an hour."
"Tch..." I glared at him. "You're so arrogant. Prove it. Solve it for me in ten seconds."
"Then don't ask me," Liu Xiaoyu turned his head away again.
"Hey, help me out, Bro," I quickly apologized. The provocation trick hadn't worked.
"Hand it over," Liu Xiaoyu turned back, took my notebook, and began to explain the problem.
His explanation was excellent, and I understood it quickly. But I still had another doubt, so I asked him, "Brat, why did you suddenly start talking to me again? I thought you were going to ignore me forever."
"Yes, that's what I initially planned to do," Liu Xiaoyu replied, exasperated.
"Then why did you—"
"Because after observing you all week, I realized you were actually studying seriously. Although you're learning slowly and you're rather dim, you are making progress, unlike your previous attitude. I don't know what motivated you, but I always have a favorable impression of people who put in the effort. And watching you struggle for so long on such a simple problem—I just couldn't stand it anymore. You're so slow!" Liu Xiaoyu finally explained.
"Oh," I nodded, then realized he had just called me slow. "No, you're slow."
"Pffft..." Liu Xiaoyu covered his mouth and giggled. His laughter made my teeth itch, but I couldn't do anything about it. I still needed his help later.
"Do you know how to do physics problems?" I pulled out my physics textbook.
"Don't worry. There's nothing in high school that I can't solve," Liu Xiaoyu said confidently.
"Wow, big words," I scoffed and picked out a physics problem to test him.
He solved it quickly.
I didn't believe him and picked out another one. "What about this one?"
"It's so simple. Draw the force analysis diagram and use the right-hand rule. Where is your hand? Get your hand out. Why are you hiding it while you're working on problems?" Liu Xiaoyu held out his small hand in front of me to demonstrate. For some reason, I felt his hand was so soft and white, and I wanted to touch it.
"Hmm? What are you thinking about?" Liu Xiaoyu noticed my distraction and waved his small hand in front of my face.
I snapped back to reality. Damn it, I cursed myself internally. I'm not gay.
"Nothing..." I shook my head.
"Don't get distracted." Liu Xiaoyu shook a tiny fist at me as if threatening to hit me, then continued his explanation.
After he finished, my astonishment with this guy grew even more.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Seeing my adoring gaze, Liu Xiaoyu frowned slightly, moving his chair back, looking at me with distaste.
"You're amazing, Bro. You're my big brother from now on. My grades are entirely up to you," I almost lunged forward to hug his leg, but he quickly backed his chair up a few steps, which stopped me.
"It depends on my mood," Liu Xiaoyu said haughtily, crossing his legs and adopting a casual posture.
"Yes, yes, okay, Bro," I nodded, smiling broadly.
Liu Xiaoyu and I making up put me in a great mood, so I started preparing for class.
The last class was with the Old Witch. Once her class was over, I could go home, relax, and hit the gym. The thought alone was exhilarating.
However, something entirely unexpected happened during that final class.