Zhu Yaya: ...
It turned out she had been overthinking things. She was starting to suspect that Duan Zong had developed some sort of obsession with her after she rejected him. Could he have some kind of mental illness?
Zhu Yaya looked at Duan Zong with a doubtful expression. "Are you sick?"
Hearing this, Duan Zong chuckled. "That sounds familiar. Someone else once said the exact same thing to me."
They really were perfectly in sync!
It truly made him... quite envious.
Beneath Duan Zong's gentle smile lay a darkness and jealousy that Zhu Yaya couldn't catch.
Zhu Yaya had a sudden realization; apparently, she wasn't the only one who thought Duan Zong was out of his mind. No wonder he kept pestering her!
She gave him a look of pity, turned around, and headed back to the classroom.
Duan Zong stood at the back door of Class 1-1 for a moment, holding that large bouquet of undelivered roses with a helpless expression before leaving, which stirred up a wave of sympathy from several passing girls.
Zhu Yaya firmly believed that "if you aren't enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your mindset." As soon as the lunch bell rang, she was ready to bolt. The moment the teacher dismissed the class, she shot out like an arrow from a bow.
After getting her favorite dishes, Zhu Yaya nodded in satisfaction. However, when she spotted Yan Heng working his work-study job in the cafeteria, her heart began to ache. She was still thinking about the QQ message he had sent her.
Every time she started letting her imagination run wild about their relationship, Yan Heng would deliver a heavy blow, making her doubt her own judgment. Perhaps she really was overthinking it. Maybe Yan Heng just saw her as a friend, and his help was merely out of friendship or gratitude for her family's assistance.
But she didn't want his gratitude or his friendship.
Zhu Yaya carried her tray to a spot far away from Yan Heng and sat down to eat in silence. Usually, after finishing her meal, she would proactively take her tray over to find him and use the opportunity to chat for a bit.
Now, she didn't quite know how to face him. She left her tray on the table and walked away, intentionally avoiding him.
The cafeteria was crowded, but no matter how many people there were, Yan Heng’s eyes could instantly capture the figure of the girl he longed for. He watched her back as she gradually walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
Why didn't she come to find him like she used to?
Yan Heng thought of the photo Zhu Yaya had sent him. She had received so many chocolates. Was it because of that?
Yan Heng’s heart suddenly felt heavy and stifled. A cold aura surrounded him.
Perhaps it was for the best. He carried too many burdens; a good girl like her should stay far away from him. He didn't want her to become a second Mother Yan.
Zhu Yaya was already in a bad mood because of Yan Heng, but who could have guessed she would return to her classroom to find such a scene: the room was empty, and the books in her desk had been tossed all over the floor.
Who the hell did this?
Was there a thief stealing her things?
Zhu Yaya’s eyes widened like copper bells in anger. She rushed to check her belongings.
Her phone was there. Her fruit box was there. Not a single book was missing.
Only the chocolates she had received this morning were gone. Her handkerchief was missing, too.
What was going on?
Was this thief specifically targeting chocolate? Did they get tired and use her handkerchief to wipe away their sweat?
Zhu Yaya reported the incident to Xu Baoying and her homeroom teacher. The classroom surveillance cameras were usually turned off, and since no one was in the room at the time—and because Zhu Yaya hadn't lost anything truly valuable—the matter was eventually dropped.
Zhu Yaya didn't pay attention to a single class all afternoon. She was thinking about her lost items, but mostly, she was thinking about her relationship with Yan Heng.
Yan Heng was a total blockhead. Most of their interactions had been initiated by her, yet today, when she hadn't reached out all morning or through lunch, he remained completely indifferent.
Zhu Yaya decided this wouldn't do; she had to go on the offensive. If Yan Heng really just saw her as a friend or a benefactor, she would bury or completely erase her feelings and distance herself from him.
She decided that after completing her fifteenth task after school, she would test Yan Heng one more time.
On QQ, Li Hao sent her a message—a meme of a character shivering in fear.
Curious, Zhu Yaya typed out: "What's wrong?"
Li Hao replied instantly: "Boss Yan is in a terrible mood today for some reason. His face has been stone-cold all day. It's terrifying."
Zhu Yaya: ...Isn't Yan Heng's face always expressionless?
Then, her eyes lit up.
Li Hao said Yan Heng was in a bad mood! Could it be that he was jealous?!
The thought made every cell in her body tingle with excitement.
It was actually possible!
Yan Heng usually liked to keep everything bottled up inside; maybe he was secretly brooding and jealous.
That closet romantic!
The gloom she had felt earlier vanished, replaced by a sense of glee.
When school let out, Zhu Yaya’s teacher dismissed them right on time. she packed her things quickly and ran upstairs to Class 2-17.
She peeked through the back door, and the first person she saw was Yan Heng. He had his head down, writing something.
Then she saw Xu Chun, who was listening intently to the lecture. Murong Beichen's seat was empty, just like in the original story. It seemed he was preparing for his confession to Xu Chun.
Zhu Yaya went to the corridor railing and looked down. The scene below was the same as usual. So, what exactly had Murong Beichen prepared?
Zhu Yaya waited for another five or six minutes until Class 2-17 finally ended.
Everyone else rushed out of the classroom, including Li Hao. His eagerness to get home caused him to completely miss Zhu Yaya standing outside.
Only Xu Chun and Yan Heng were slowly packing their bags.
Zhu Yaya waited until almost everyone was gone before entering through the back door and walking over to Yan Heng. She intentionally cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem, Yan Heng!"
When Yan Heng saw her, his pupils constricted sharply, and he stared directly at her.
Zhu Yaya felt a bit flustered by his gaze. She pretended everything was normal, but she didn't dare look him in the eye, her gaze darting around. "Going home?"
"Okay." Yan Heng stopped staring. He looked away, his lashes drooping slightly as he lowered his head and quickened his movements. While he packed, Zhu Yaya took the fruit box out of her schoolbag and held it in her hand, waiting for the plot to begin before eating.
Xu Chun heard the brief exchange between Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng. She sighed inwardly and walked out ahead of them.
Zhu Yaya: Perfect, just as I intended.
Similar to their previous "stalking" sessions, Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng walked behind Xu Chun. Knowing she wanted to follow Xu Chun, Yan Heng slowed his pace to walk side-by-side with her.
Zhu Yaya stole a few glances at Yan Heng as they went downstairs. He was expressionless as always, making it impossible for her to guess what he was thinking. He didn't seem nearly as "scary" as Li Hao had described.
By the time they reached the first floor of the teaching building with Xu Pure, Murong Beichen was still nowhere to be seen. There were only a few scattered people downstairs. A few gardeners were trimming the shrubs in the flowerbeds with large shears, and several custodial ladies were busy cleaning.
Zhu Yaya wondered to herself, what was Murong Beichen up to? Why wasn't he here yet? The mission prompt clearly said it would happen downstairs at the teaching building!
Zhu Yaya looked around, trying to spot Murong Beichen. Just as she was feeling puzzled, one of the old men trimming the branches glanced toward the three of them and suddenly let out a long, loud whistle.
Out of nowhere, a young woman appeared, clutching a massive bouquet of Blue Enchantress roses. She walked straight up to Xu Pure and declared loudly, "Chun'er, I like you!"
Zhu Yaya stood there, jaw-dropped and completely stunned.
What kind of play was this?
Where was Murong Beichen?
Why on earth was a girl confessing her love to Xu Pure?!!!
