Currently, Zhu Yaya is the most discussed topic on the school forum. Overnight, her QQ received hundreds of friend requests. Moreover, she, who had never been in a relationship before, actually received quite a few love letters. A group of top students also started surrounding her after class, bringing their questions.
Because of this, Zhu Yaya no longer had time to go upstairs to Class 17, Grade 12 to keep an eye on Xu Chun. However, she secretly brought her phone to school to message Li Hao, venting to him and trying to gather some intel about the male and female leads.
As soon as Li Hao saw the QQ message, he made a "tsk tsk" sound and handed his phone to Yan Heng to see.
Yan Heng frowned tightly, snatched Li Hao's phone, and typed a few words in reply.
Zhu Yaya looked at Li Hao's reply.
"High school students shouldn't date?"
This... how does this sound like something Yan Heng would say?
Zhu Yaya locked her screen and ignored it, continuing to explain problems to the classmate beside her.
Li Hao, having retrieved his phone, sighed with feeling. "No wonder the junior hasn't been coming up to find me to hang out lately."
"Helping classmates with problems can help develop her problem-solving skills," Yan Heng said, appearing calm on the surface, but he felt somewhat unsettled inside. More and more people were seeing her shine. Could it be that she...?
What Zhu Yaya didn't know was that because of her, the female lead Xu Chun, who was originally supposed to shine brilliantly during the monthly exams in the novel's plot, was now completely overshadowed by her spotlight.
Yesterday, after Zhu Yaya went home with a thousand yuan, Zhu Jianjun was overjoyed, repeatedly saying his daughter was promising and could earn money now. Zhao Jing even unusually allowed him to have a little drink. He ended up drinking himself into a state. Zhu Yaya gave Zhao Jing a hand, helping clean up the mess. The next day, she got up early again. She had originally planned to take a break during the morning class intervals, but she never expected so many people would come asking questions.
Fortunately, the second class in the morning was P.E. Zhu Yaya found a random excuse to ask the P.E. teacher for leave and went back to the classroom to sleep. After waking up, she finally felt somewhat refreshed.
Then, she reached into her backpack inside the desk drawer but didn't feel the familiar fruit box.
Zhu Yaya: !!! She forgot to bring the fruit box!
However, recalling the intervals between the previous five tasks, she comforted herself inwardly. Maybe no task would be triggered today. Thinking she might get a little break today, she started planning in her mind. After school this afternoon, she wouldn't go tail Xu Chun. She'd ask Xu Baoying to go check out the kittens at the newly opened cat cafe near the school. Or go to the library.
Zhu Yaya suddenly felt a wave of relief.
There were still ten minutes left before class ended. She thought about it and felt that since she wasn't going to the West District today, she'd better inform her "big brother," reporting her underling's schedule. So she went up to the fourth floor.
Class 17, Grade 12 was having physics class. The teacher on the podium was lecturing listlessly, and the students below were listening drowsily. Zhu Yaya secretly glanced towards the back row. Sure enough, Yan Heng was just like before, sleeping with his head buried in the crook of his arm.
She couldn't help but wonder to herself, just how late does Yan Heng work at his part-time job at night? Why does he always sleep during daytime classes?
It was still class time, and the hallway was empty. Feeling a bit awkward standing there, she headed to the girls' restroom, thinking she'd use it and wait for class to end.
The restroom was unusually quiet during class, and the stall doors provided poor soundproofing. Standing by the sinks before she even entered a stall, Zhu Yaya overheard a male student outside speaking on the phone in an arrogant tone.
"Hah, you think I'm afraid of you? Come at me, all of you! I'll take you on one by one!"
Zhu Yaya understood. So it was someone arranging a fight. She quietly eavesdropped, thinking if she could hear the location, she could report it. After all, fighting is bad. Young people are impulsive and prone to unexpected situations.
Sure enough, the boy mentioned the fight location: in the West District, in a small corner not far from the road where Yan Heng and Xu Chun walk home.
The more Zhu Yaya listened, the more familiar the boy's voice sounded. She later realized it was the male lead, Murong Beichen's, raspy voice.
She remembered. In the novel "The Domineering Him, The Pure Love," there was an important plot point like this. It was the turning point where Murong Beichen's feelings for Xu Chun underwent a qualitative change. Murong Beichen arranged to fight a group after school one afternoon. Outnumbered, he was surrounded and beaten by a bunch of troublemakers.
Later, Xu Chun appeared. How could someone as righteous as her ignore such a situation! So, she bravely charged forward. But she was just a delicate girl with no strength to tie up a chicken. How could she possibly save Murong Beichen? She got beaten up too. Murong Beichen shielded Xu Chun in his arms, deeply moved by her courageous act, and fell deeply in love with her.
Zhu Yaya's heart sank. It couldn't be today, could it? Please no, she didn't bring any watermelon.
And then, Zhu Yaya once again heard Teacher Li Lihong's voice ring in her mind.
"Congratulations on successfully unlocking the sixth task. Please pass by the small alley on Wutong Street in the West District of the capital today at 5:50 PM, act as an indifferent passerby, witness the turning point in Murong Beichen's feelings for Xu Chun, and successfully spectate."
Zhu Yaya felt the urge to spit blood.
After class, she floated into Class 17, Grade 12 looking utterly lifeless and sat down in the empty seat next to Yan Heng.
Seeing this, Li Hao asked her what was wrong.
Zhu Yaya pulled at her face despairingly. "I want to eat watermelon."
"Watermelon?" Li Hao adjusted his glasses. "It's deep autumn now, not watermelon season. Where would you find watermelon for sale? Maybe try buying it online?"
"No, I want it now." Zhu Yaya gloomily rested her chin on the desk.
"I've noticed you really like eating watermelon!" Li Hao remarked.
"I need watermelon! Without watermelon, I'll die!" Zhu Yaya slumped on the desk, her face bitter.
Li Hao thought she was just being spoiled and found this side of Zhu Yaya quite cute. He just smiled and didn't take it seriously, not realizing Zhu Yaya was actually telling the truth.
Yan Heng looked at the low-spirited Zhu Yaya, lost in thought.
Zhu Yaya felt she wouldn't be happy all day. Time in class seemed to pass extremely slowly. She wished she could get out of class immediately, dash out, and search for watermelon.
Finally, after what felt like forever, class ended, only for her to be stopped by a few boys wanting to be friends. After righteously refusing them, she felt time was passing too quickly again. Just a slight delay, and more time had slipped away.
This time, she didn't follow Xu Chun first. Instead, she went to the fruit shops near the school building to look for watermelon.
Li Hao was right. The fruit shop owners all shook their heads when they heard she wanted to buy watermelon, indicating they didn't have any. Having almost given up hope, Zhu Yaya ran to the fruit shop where she had bought watermelon before—the very place where Yan Heng had once worked part-time.
As soon as she entered the shop, she actually saw watermelons. Not many, but they were real watermelons.
Zhu Yaya: !!! She felt like she was about to cry from being moved! Finally, a place selling watermelon! What a treasure of a little shop!
Considering her limited strength, she only bought one small watermelon, paid, and then hurried happily towards the West District.
Xu Chun must have left quite a while before her. Catching up by bus now was definitely out of the question. Besides, with all its stops and starts, the bus was painfully slow.
Zhu Yaya glanced at her watch. The time displayed was inching closer and closer to the appointed hour. Gritting her teeth, she made a decision and hailed a taxi, heading for Wutong Street in the West District of the capital.
