Conversation

"How were your monthly test results?"

On Friday morning during breakfast, Ye Shuang asked the two girls about their performance.

"Uh..." Tang Keke responded after a moment, speaking earnestly, "Yuyou and Xiaotao both did really well."

Ye Shuang: "..."

"What about you?"

"Ah, I’m still working hard, okay?" Tang Keke giggled, scratching her head.

"Keke is at the bottom," Bai Yuyou chimed in.

"W-what bottom?! I’m just slightly below average!"

As the two girls started bickering, Ye Shuang could only sigh in amusement. But when he heard Xiaotao’s name, he paused in thought...

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Xiaotao since the school sports meet—he’d mostly been staying in the infirmary, and even during lunch breaks, he hadn’t run into Tao Xiaotao.

"Xiaotao did well on the test?"

"Yeah! She got first place in the department—super impressive," Keke added enthusiastically. "Even the teachers were praising her."

"They said she’s well-behaved and studies hard."

"That girl really is diligent," Ye Shuang agreed. It was just a shame her family situation wasn’t great—otherwise, she could have had an even bigger stage to shine on.

He planned to get her into Chen Qin’s company after graduation. With her character and abilities, she’d be a great asset with just a bit of polishing.

"Alright, finish breakfast and head to school."

"Got it!"

After the girls left, Ye Shuang settled in with Yi Wan and started typing away on his keyboard.

"Meow."

"Yi Wan, you really need to lose some weight."

"Meow!"

When Ye Shuang arrived at the school, he unexpectedly ran into a familiar face—

"Ah, Doctor Ye, good morning." Xiaotao hadn’t expected to bump into him in the hallway and greeted him with a smile.

The petite girl gave off an oddly mature vibe.

[Character: Xiaotao

A girl with incredible willpower and adaptability. You could call her the ultimate survivor.]

Survivor, my foot...

"You look much better lately. Does your stomach still hurt?" Ye Shuang rarely saw her, so he took the chance to ask.

"No, it doesn’t hurt anymore," Xiaotao replied.

"I heard from Keke and the others that you ranked first in the department for the monthly test. That’s amazing."

"It was just luck. There are so many talented students in the department," Xiaotao said modestly, scratching her head with a shy laugh. "Hehe."

"Barely passing is luck. Getting first place? That’s skill," Ye Shuang chuckled.

Somewhere in a classroom, a certain girl sneezed.

"I just want to live up to your trust by studying hard," Xiaotao said earnestly.

"Trust? That’s putting it a bit dramatically..." Ye Shuang felt a little embarrassed, but then he checked the time.

"Oh, it’s getting late. Don’t you have class? I should go."

"Mm."

As Ye Shuang hurried off, Xiaotao watched his retreating figure for a moment longer.

She cared about him.

Not in a romantic way—her feelings were more of respect and gratitude toward someone who had been kind to her. The more she learned and experienced, the more she admired people like him.

And when she spoke to him just now, she hadn’t hidden her emotions at all.

To Xiaotao, whether at school or outside, she was always her true self—just adapting her demeanor to the situation.

She’d learned that from her mother. It wasn’t hard.

"I need to study hard today, or Mom will get angry tonight."

Shaking her head, Xiaotao walked toward the dimly lit staircase.

Ye Shuang’s figure disappeared around the sunlit hallway corner.

...

"Oi—you’re way too late today. Being late for work means a pay cut, you know?" The moment Ye Shuang stepped into the infirmary, a short-haired girl shot him a look of disdain.

"Late? It’s not even work hours yet," Ye Shuang checked the time. Sure, he’d chatted with Xiaotao, but he wasn’t late.

"Tch, trying to cut it close? Your professionalism as a school doctor is slipping."

Ye Shuang: "..."

Says the one who acts nothing like a student. Look at how well-behaved and hardworking Xiaotao is.

Of course, he wouldn’t say that to An Shiyu—unless he wanted her to instantly scissor-lock his neck. This fish had a petty streak.

"No games today?" Ye Shuang sat down and noticed, for once, that An Shiyu’s monitor only displayed a wallpaper.

"Gaming burnout."

"Never heard of it."

"Just don’t feel like playing anything," An Shiyu slumped lazily. "Finished all the ones I liked, and the popular ones I bought are just collecting dust. No motivation."

"The best part is buying games, not playing them."

Ye Shuang: "..."

This girl’s just played too much, huh?

"Hey old man, let’s sneak out." An Shiyu suddenly suggested.

"Who was just lecturing me about professionalism?"

"Wasn’t it you?"

"Bull."

Ye Shuang glanced at her and said, "You’re not fully recovered yet. Just stay put and play games. I’ll join you for some co-op when I’m free."

"You’re weirdly good at telling us apart. Do your eyes just scan and compare our bodies 24/7?" An Shiyu seemed to realize that Ye Shuang could always distinguish between the two of them effortlessly.

"Who’s scanning you 24/7?" Ye Shuang deadpanned.

"Then how do you explain it?"

"No comment." Ye Shuang grumbled, turning back to his paperwork.

"Eh—" An Shiyu slid down in her seat, pressing a stocking-clad foot against Ye Shuang’s stomach. "Spill it."

"Nope."

"Mean." An Shiyu suddenly paused, wiggling her toes against his stomach as if noticing something odd.

"Old man... your belly’s gone."

"It’s called losing weight." After all his recent workouts, his once-soft stomach now showed faint muscle definition. Ye Shuang grabbed her foot to move it away but froze mid-motion.

The pose wasn’t exactly graceful—holding her stockinged calf up like this meant her skirt offered a clear view. Thankfully, the tights covered most of it, leaving only a hint of underwear color visible.

Purple.

"Wow, finally showing your true colors, huh, old man?" An Shiyu lazily pulled out her phone, the screen displaying three digits.

"Wait, it wasn’t on purpose!"