Final Exams Approaching

"Ughhhh— Aaahhhhhh—"

During the break, Tang Keke, who had been napping with her head on the desk, suddenly let out a groan. It wasn’t until the beautiful girl beside her—Bai Yuyou, who had been silently reading with an expressionless face—turned her head that Tang Keke slowly snapped out of it. Clutching her oversized backpack tightly, she muttered,

"D-damn it…"

"What’s wrong, Keke?" Bai Yuyou seemed puzzled. Tang Keke had been sleeping peacefully just moments ago, only to suddenly writhe in distress.

Was she hungry?

Bai Yuyou reached out and gently patted Tang Keke’s back.

"I… had a nightmare," Tang Keke said, her lips trembling.

"A nightmare…"

"I dreamed that I failed my exams and got held back… Then my parents begged Chen Qin to cook a few dishes and forced me to eat them. It was horrible." Tang Keke’s face was pale. Ever since that one dinner Chen Qin had prepared, she hadn’t been able to forget the taste.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw those dark, unidentifiable dishes.

It was terrifying.

The end of the world couldn’t be worse. If there really was a Demon King in this world, it would undoubtedly be Chen Qin, ruling the world with her dark culinary creations.

"Just pass, and it’ll be fine," Bai Yuyou said. She hadn’t found the food that terrifying—though for some reason, she couldn’t swallow it either.

"Yeah… I’ll sleep a bit more." Tang Keke exhaled slowly, calming herself down as she prepared to rest again.

Closing her eyes once more, she quickly drifted off.

"Ughhh— Aaahhh—"

"I dreamed I passed the exams and got rewarded with a meal cooked by Chen Qin!"

It seemed that Chen Qin’s cooking had left her with quite the… memorable experience (?)

……

School infirmary.

"Your throat’s a bit inflamed, but it’s not serious. Just take some medicine and drink plenty of water."

"Thank you, Doctor Ye."

Ye Shuang, dressed in his white coat, saw the student out before checking the time. His gaze then shifted to the corner, where An Shiyu was slacking off, playing video games.

"Exams are coming up. Shouldn’t you be studying?" he asked.

Lately, An Shiyu had been getting more and more brazen. First, she’d installed a gaming PC next to his desk. Now, she’d gone even further—placing a plush executive chair right in front of it, complete with an electric recline function and built-in massage.

Hearing Ye Shuang’s question, An Shiyu, sprawled lazily in her chair, squinted slightly. "Doesn’t matter. I’m second in the grade anyway."

"And first?"

"I just don’t feel like taking the top spot. Too flashy," An Shiyu said, rolling over lazily as she continued mashing buttons on her controller. "A true ninja must always remain hidden in the shadows."

Ye Shuang: "…"

"Got a blanket? My feet are cold."

"You think this is a hotel?" Ye Shuang muttered, but he still tossed a jacket over An Shiyu’s stocking-clad legs.

A moment later, An Shiyu began wriggling around in her chair like a restless eel.

"What are you doing?" Ye Shuang had barely sat down before giving her a strange look.

"Tch. This chair’s not comfortable," An Shiyu grumbled. Though luxurious at first, the chair had somehow lost its appeal over time.

A few seconds later, her head was dangling off the footrest while her legs were propped high against the backrest.

Her hair cascaded downward as she tilted her head back. "Ah, much better."

"Except now you can’t see the screen."

Ye Shuang stared at her, unsure where to even begin with this display. Still, he managed, "Hey, your underwear’s showing."

"You can see my panties through my stockings? Pervert as always, old man." An Shiyu replied flatly, continuing to play in that absurd position.

Ye Shuang: "…"

"Hey, old man, how about you hold the monitor for me while I play?"

"Not happening."

An Shiyu flopped like a dead fish before twisting her chair toward Ye Shuang—moments later, she plopped her head onto his lap.

Ye Shuang looked down at her, exasperated. "What… are you doing?"

"Gaming. Now I can see the screen. Good thing I installed that monitor arm."

"So why are you lying on me?"

"Because I want to," An Shiyu said matter-of-factly.

Ye Shuang: "…"

I don’t.

"If you keep this up, I’m turning off your monitor."

"Eh…" An Shiyu finally sat up sluggishly, turning to face him. "Old man, let’s go out."

Ye Shuang didn’t even glance up. "Go where?"

"Skydiving."

"Hard pass."

"Boring old man. You’ll die alone," An Shiyu declared.

"Thanks for the concern," Ye Shuang replied dryly, scribbling notes without missing a beat.

An Shiyu shifted into a seiza-like position, peering at his papers. "What’re you writing? Erotica?"

"Lemme see."

"It’s a serious novel," Ye Shuang said. "Exams are coming up. I’m preparing practice questions for Keke and the others, focusing on their weak areas."

An Shiyu studied his focused expression before suddenly saying, "Me too."

"I thought you didn’t need to study?"

An Shiyu flashed a thumbs-up. "I’ve developed intermittent amnesia. Might forget everything by exam day."

Why do you sound proud of that?!

"…" Ye Shuang sighed. "If you’re serious, why not join Yuyou and the others for study sessions?"

"Like a study group or something."

"Sounds fun," An Shiyu mused, resting her cheek on her hand. "Sleepover at your place?"

"Why not a café?" Ye Shuang suggested.

"What if we study late? Cafés close early, old man. You really don’t understand the passion of us diligent students."

"What part of you is diligent?!"

"If I weren’t diligent, how would I get top grades?" An Shiyu blinked innocently.

Ye Shuang found himself at a loss. Was he supposed to say it was because she was a genius with a photographic memory? That’d just inflate her ego even more.

"Fine, my place. Easier to stay over," he conceded, changing the subject.

Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Your grandfather reached out. Said not to bail on the agreement again."

An Shiyu paused before replying with a simple, "Oh."

"That’s it?" Ye Shuang asked.

"I heard you," she said.

Well, at least the message was delivered—even if he had no idea what it meant.