Truly worthy of being the person who, at the freshman entrance ceremony in their first year of high school, had made her fall in love at first sight, and whom she had liked for a full three years.

Her eye for people was really good.

At this moment, Chen Jinghua suddenly changed the subject and said, “In this joint exam, besides Bai Jiangxin, there’s another student I want to especially name.”

“—Xiang Di.”

Xiang Di didn’t react at all; she only heard the homeroom teacher call her name.

“Huh?”

Being called out by the homeroom teacher in front of everyone, she immediately received the gaze of the entire class. The girl’s face heated up at once, her body stiff, her confusion visible to the naked eye.

Why was her name suddenly being called?

Had she done something wrong?

Fortunately, it wasn’t a bad thing. Chen Jinghua directly praised her for making great progress in this joint exam.

After praising her, Chen Jinghua continued, “So this just goes to show that some individuals in our class—after doing poorly on a single exam, they start shouting that they don’t want to study anymore. With such poor stress resistance, how are you supposed to get into college? Look at Xiang Di; her mentality is much steadier than yours. The Gaokao—half of it tests your real ability, how much you’ve truly learned over these three years, and the other half tests your mentality, understand? You’re in senior year now, there isn’t much time left. After class, go ask others for advice, ask how they usually relieve study pressure.”

Being publicly praised by the homeroom teacher, although she was secretly pleased, was honestly quite embarrassing. Xiang Di felt a little flushed. Her deskmate, Liang Qianqian, quietly gave her a thumbs-up. “Awesome.”

“But Xiang Di, you still need to put in more effort in chemistry,” Chen Jinghua continued. “I looked over your paper; you got several basic questions wrong. Next time, be more careful.”

There was nothing to be done about it, chemistry really wasn’t Xiang Di’s strong suit. She nodded obediently, indicating that she would definitely work harder next time.

Seeing how humble and well-behaved she was, Chen Jinghua was satisfied and, in a gentle tone, told her to sit down.

After finishing his remarks, Chen Jinghua began going over the exam paper. Xiang Di was still immersed in her tense yet excited emotions, unable to come back to herself.

Just now, the teacher had praised her in front of the entire class.

Bai Jiangxin… he must have heard it too, right?

Now he should know what her name was, right? He must have an impression of her now, right?

Maybe he would even think to himself that she was also an outstanding, good student, and look at her with a bit of newfound respect.

Those chemical formulas on the chemistry paper that she hated memorizing the most seemed, at this moment, to become cute.

Just thinking about these things made Xiang Di feel so happy—today was another blissful day.

─── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ───

When one class ended and Chen Jinghua had just left, several girls ran over to ask Xiang Di for advice on how she usually relieved stress.

Someone actually came to ask for advice. Facing the expectant looks of the girls, Xiang Di hesitated for a moment.

Not wanting to disappoint them, she could only talk about some normal ways of relieving stress, such as going out for a walk and getting some fresh air when studying got tiring, looking at the scenery outside, and giving her eyes and brain a break.

Xiang Di said, “When you’re feeling anxious, having a sweet milk tea can be pretty useful.”

She wasn’t just saying that casually—there was scientific evidence for it. Sweet foods could stimulate the brain to secrete neurotransmitters like dopamine, which helped regulate emotions.

The girls all agreed with this method. After all, everyone loved milk tea. Snacks weren’t allowed in class, but drinking something was fine. One of the girls asked, “Then do you have a milk tea you recommend?”

Xiang Di said, “Cheese foam Four Seasons Spring.”

“Cold or hot? How much sugar? Any add-ons?”

The study meeting instantly turned into a milk tea meeting. When Ye Minjia and Bai Jiangxin passed by, the girls were still enthusiastically discussing it.

After leaving the classroom, Ye Minjia casually suggested to Bai Jiangxin, “Wanna go buy a milk tea?”

Bai Jiangxin lifted his eyes slightly.

Ye Minjia said, “Are you going or not? I’ll treat.”

He suddenly proposing milk tea was clearly because he had heard the girls’ conversation.

Ye Minjia had messed up in this joint exam, his ranking in the entire grade dropping by more than twenty places, getting him kicked straight out of the top fifty.

Once a person suffered a setback, they tended to place their hopes on some unreliable mystical methods.

Since his friend hadn’t done well, Bai Jiangxin didn’t want to pour cold water on him. In a flat tone, he said, “Let’s go.”

Although he didn’t believe that a mere cup of milk tea could have such miraculous effects.

The reason that girl called Xiang Di had improved so much this time was most likely because she had better study methods—she just wasn’t willing to share them with others.

Bai Jiangxin lightly glanced toward the classroom.

The girls were still animatedly discussing milk tea. Xiang Di sat among them and, all of a sudden, as if responding to some kind of summons, her gaze collided with Bai Jiangxin’s outside the classroom.

Her clear, round eyes widened instantly, concealing a hint of unspeakable guilt.

Oh my god—caught off guard by eye contact, her heart nearly stopped beating. Xiang Di hurriedly shifted her gaze away.

When she looked outside the classroom again, Bai Jiangxin was already gone.

That brief eye contact really had just been a coincidence. He hadn’t taken it to heart at all; she was the only one so nervous that her breathing stalled for a few seconds.

But fortunately, she had long since gotten used to this kind of disparity.

There was no helping it—this was what a secret crush was like, one moment heaven, the next moment hell.

Xiang Di’s expression changed only subtly, unnoticed by anyone else. This was a secret that belonged to her alone.

Actually, for her, the most effective way to relieve stress wasn’t drinking milk tea.

It was… something else.

But it was a bit perverted, so she couldn’t share it with others.

─── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ───

In order to verify whether drinking milk tea really worked, Liang Qianqian immediately decided to buy a cup during the noon break.

At noon, the milk tea shop was bustling. After finishing their meal, the shop was already packed with people.

The two girls squeezed their way inside with great difficulty. There were many people ahead lining up to order, and they thought to themselves that they would be waiting for quite a while.

In the crowd, Xiang Di suddenly fixed her gaze and saw a back she was all too familiar with.

Even though that back was wearing the same school uniform as everyone else, she could recognize it at a glance.

This was her special ability.

It was Bai Jiangxin.

Her heart started racing again. What a coincidence—this was already the second coincidence today.

He would never know that every coincidence involving him was one happy moment in her dull and exhausting senior year of high school. Even if it was only accidental, it didn’t stop Xiang Di’s mood from becoming buoyant at this very second.

The one with him was the class monitor, Ye Minjia. She wasn’t surprised.

Not only were the two desk mates, they were always together after class as well, like conjoined twins.

Xiang Di was simply dying of envy toward Ye Minjia. Beside her, Liang Qianqian sighed, “Oh my god, there are so many people.”

Xiang Di pressed her lips together, indicating that there was nothing to be done.

Liang Qianqian suddenly spoke up, “Hey, isn’t the person up there our class monitor? Ye Minjia!”

The boy turned around—it really was Ye Minjia.

Since they were girls from the same class, it was only right to look after them a bit. Ye Minjia fully displayed his social butterfly nature, and after getting the nods of agreement from the classmates behind, he let the two of them go ahead to order first.

“Thanks, classmate. Wishing you a 750² 750: The maximum possible score on the Gaokao. on the Gaokao.”

Liang Qianqian pulled Xiang Di forward. Xiang Di pressed her lips together and secretly smiled, thinking that she really was a lucky girl today.

Two girls suddenly squeezed in beside him, and Bai Jiangxin instinctively lowered his head.

Ye Minjia explained, “Girls from our class—let them order first.”

Bai Jiangxin gave a low hum, shifted slightly to the side, and signaled for the two girls to stand in front.

Liang Qianqian was very polite to Bai Jiangxin. “Thanks.”

She wasn’t very familiar with Bai Jiangxin—mainly because he was just too aloof.

Luckily Ye Minjia was there; otherwise, she definitely wouldn’t have dared ask Bai Jiangxin to help them cut in line.

Facing the clear-cut yet indifferent eyes of the person she had a crush on, Xiang Di tried hard to steady her emotions and quietly stepped in front of him.

Inside the noisy milk tea shop, the four of them stood together, very close to one another. The line behind them didn’t know who suddenly shoved forward, and Xiang Di abruptly felt her back bump into a wall with warmth.

The milk tea shop was filled everywhere with sweet fragrances, yet that distinctly crisp and steady scent was stronger than any other sensation.

Her heartbeat thrown off balance, Xiang Di widened her eyes, not daring to move, nor daring to speak.

Bai Jiangxin’s cool voice sounded behind her.

“Sorry.”

Because of the pushing, he had accidentally bumped into Xiang Di, and the boy standing behind him had also accidentally run into him.

At the moment of contact, Bai Jiangxin clearly heard that boy cursing in his heart.

【Which idiot is squeezing forward—never had milk tea in his life?】

Then, he heard another voice. It wasn’t a complaint laced with vulgarities, but a very sweet, soft, and glutinous voice.

【He touched me he touched me!!!】

【We had physical contact!!!】

【What kind of amazing day is today!!! I’m so happy wuwuwu!! Thank you God Mom, thank you Buddha Dad, I’m willing to use my whole life to worship and support you—】

Why did it suddenly turn into singing?

His head was being noisily assaulted by this unfamiliar inner voice, yet the girl standing in front didn’t even turn her head. She only replied to him, “It’s fine.”

Her?

A trace of suspicion flickered across Bai Jiangxin’s face. He stepped back slightly, increasing the distance between himself and the girl in front.

The inner voice vanished instantly, leaving only the chattering conversations of others in the milk tea shop in his ears.

By now, it was their turn. Ye Minjia let the two girls order first.

Liang Qianqian naturally ordered the cheese foam that Xiang Di had recommended, while Xiang Di said, “You guys go first. I haven’t decided what to drink yet.”

“Alright.”

Ye Minjia also ordered the cheese foam, and even went for full sugar. Liang Qianqian kindly reminded him, “Class monitor, full sugar is really sweet.”

“It’s fine. Drinking something sweet once in a while helps relax.” Ye Minjia asked Bai Jiangxin, “What about you?”

Bai Jiangxin didn’t order cheese foam. He didn’t like the taste of cheese, too sweet and too cloying. He casually scanned the menu and ordered a cup of Honey Peach Four Seasons Spring.

To get Bai Jiangxin to come buy milk tea with him, Ye Minjia treated him to his drink. As a gentleman with fairly good family conditions, Ye Minjia had originally wanted to simply treat the two girls’ drinks as well, but the girls firmly refused.

There were simply too many people. After Ye Minjia paid, he immediately made room for those behind them in line.

As he walked out, Ye Minjia said, “Excuse us, excuse us.”

When turning around, even though the two of them tried their best to avoid others, the space was just that limited, and they still accidentally brushed against people.

Bai Jiangxin helplessly closed his eyes, yet he still couldn’t stop the various inner voices from drilling into his head.

The reason he disliked going into crowds was precisely because of this—once there was physical contact, it was impossible to avoid hearing other people’s thoughts.

The shop was already noisy to begin with. Under this double torment, Bai Jiangxin could only suppress the irritation in his heart and hurry to leave.

Amid the chaotic jumble of inner voices, when he accidentally bumped into someone again, he heard that inner voice once more.

This time, it wasn’t singing, nor was it worshipping anyone anymore.

Her tone was excited, buoyant, and mixed with a few traces of shyness.

【So he likes honey peach, ok ok, preference acquired! Another day full of gains~】

【Then I’m going to drink the same as my husband~】

Bai Jiangxin frowned again.

Husband? Him?

─── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ───

Author’s note:

Congratulations to our little darling on officially ending her secret crush in Chapter Two. Look at this pace—our girl is fierce, isn’t she? Little Bai must be scared to death, hahaha.

Even though our Xiao Bai is a cold, aloof school heartthrob, he’s actually a cold heartthrob with a very rich inner world -v-