Chixing Yu only watched from a distance; he didn’t need to do anything extra for his slightly calmed emotions to be stirred again.
“Is there something else?”
Tong Sui asked, “Haven’t you had enough sleep on the sofa the past couple of days? You even took books down with you to study at night; how can you have the energy during the day?”
Her beautiful, round eyes looked away as she chastised him shyly, unable to suppress her concern for him, and warmth surged in Chixing Yu’s heart.
Tong Sui said, “You, you come back.”
Tong Sui was surprised and regretted her own words. However, before she could dwell on it, Chixing Yu had already closed the door and climbed back into bed.
“You…”
Tong Sui was taken aback by his speed, wondering if he had intentionally put on that act to win her sympathy.
Chixing Yu embraced her, the familiar warmth returning.
Tong Sui heard a soft laugh near her ear and turned her head; was Chixing Yu actually still smiling?
“What are you laughing at?” Tong Sui couldn’t understand.
Chixing Yu said quietly, “Suibao cares about me and doesn’t want me to sleep on the sofa.”
His voice, already soft, descended into a tone laced with an indescribable ambiguity.
Tong Sui’s face turned instantly red.
“You’re talking nonsense; I couldn’t care less about you.”
After saying that, Tong Sui buried herself under the covers, looking like a furry creature that had been poked, so adorably cute.
Chixing Yu lay down next to her.
Outside the small skylight, the stars seemed to shine even brighter than usual.
…
Early the next day.
Chixing Yu was awoken by the sound of his phone’s alarm. He quickly reached out to turn it off and then turned to look at Tong Sui on the bed.
Tong Sui had her eyes closed, most of her face buried in the covers, with just the tips of her ears peeking out, a faint pink hue adorning them as if the noise hadn’t disturbed her at all.
Chixing Yu leaned down and gently touched her ear.
Tong Sui lightly hummed, seemingly displeased with the disturbance.
Chixing Yu’s lips curved into a slight smile as he carefully got out of bed. After washing up, he grabbed his books and headed to the empty first-floor hall.
He settled onto the sofa and began attending an online class.
His private tutor was a teacher from a prestigious university, specifically sought out by the team coach, providing one-on-one instruction. The course content was redesigned to match Chixing Yu’s current level.
When he received such a request, the private tutor hesitated, as mastering the required knowledge to pass the entrance exam for University H in a year was an enormous task.
He had suggested lowering the goal to apply to a more average second-tier university, claiming it would lessen the pressure, and that if Chixing Yu really loved University H, he could pursue further studies later.
But Chixing Yu was insistent, as if University H held some kind of magical allure that he couldn’t resist.
“Did you finish yesterday’s exercises?” the teacher asked, already prepared for Chixing Yu’s blanks or incomplete work.
After all, these questions posed considerable challenges for a dropout who had no prior exposure to the subject matter, both in terms of quantity and difficulty.
“I finished.”
Chixing Yu opened his workbook, filled to the brim with writing.
He really had completed it.
The teacher went through the answers, and his expression changed slightly, “Did you write all of these by yourself?”
It was understandable for him to be suspicious, given the unusually high accuracy.
Chixing Yu’s mathematical thinking was impressively sharp.
During the subsequent lessons, Chixing Yu’s performance greatly exceeded the tutor’s expectations. The teaching method shifted from detailed breakdowns to a simpler overview, encouraging Chixing Yu to ask questions when he was confused.
When Zhong Yi came down yawning, the sight of Chixing Yu seated on the sofa instantly brightened his mood.
“You weren’t kicked out, were you?”
As he approached, he saw the stack of books and papers on the table.
“Pfft—” Zhong Yi laughed, picking up a paper, “You really are a little ghost, tackling middle school problems. Looks like your reality show stint counts as puppy love.”
Chixing Yu snatched it back angrily, “I’m an adult.”
Zhong Yi laughed even louder.
Zhou Siyuan, coming down from the upstairs, was drawn to the sound of laughter and naturally noticed Chixing Yu working on problems. He walked over and patted Zhong Yi on the shoulder.
“Balancing studies and filming must be exhausting; you, already graduated, shouldn’t disturb others.”
“Old alumnus?”
Zhong Yi was dumbfounded; he wasn’t an old alumnus, “I’m in the prime of my youth!”
Chixing Yu looked down and laughed, “You’re truly shameless.”
Zhong Yi’s face flushed with anger, but Zhou Siyuan quickly held him back, saying, “Alright, Little Zhong, could you lend me a hand in the kitchen?”
As the two moved away, Chixing Yu returned to his studies.
When Tong Sui finally woke up, it was already quite late. The warmth of Chixing Yu beside her was gone, and she was alone in the room. For a moment, she felt a little dazed until memories of last night began to clear up.
She indeed had drawn the same room as Chixing Yu.
After washing up, Tong Sui looked in the mirror at the red marks from her neck to collarbone, clearly visible against her fair skin, all marks left by Chixing Yu from last night.
She wasn’t yet confident enough to face the camera with those marks and quickly changed into a high-necked white sweater.
After wrapping herself in the sweater, Tong Sui went downstairs and spotted Chixing Yu.
He was focused on his work, seemingly unaware of her presence.
Recalling the events from last night, Tong Sui hesitated to face Chixing Yu.
Just as she considered slipping past and heading to the kitchen, Chixing Yu called out to her.
“Can you help me look at this problem?”
Tong Sui paused in her tracks. She had no reason to refuse such a request and obediently walked over to sit beside him. “Which problem?”