Diagram, but just a little

"Hey."

The chubby teenager nudged his friend with his shoulder, shooting him meaningful glances.

The handsome boy glanced at his friend, then turned to look at the delicate girl standing not far away, his expression a mix of timidity and shyness, unable to muster the courage to approach her.

After psyching himself up for a while, just as he took a deep breath and prepared to greet her, the roaring sound of an engine grew louder in the distance.

Before anyone could react, a sleek, stylish motorcycle screeched to a halt by the roadside.

The rider yanked off his helmet, revealing a head of shoulder-length, dyed-blond hair in a rebellious style. With a cocky smirk, he whistled at the innocent-looking girl by the bus stop and leered,

"Hey, gorgeous."

"Where you headed?"

"Need a ride from your big bro?"

Out of nowhere, a troublemaker had appeared...

Wait, no.

More like a sleazy jerk!

After a brief moment of shock, the boy realized this was actually a golden opportunity.

Wasn’t this the classic setup from novels—the perfect chance to win the heroine’s heart?

A classic damsel-in-distress scenario?

Excitement bubbled up inside him.

Who would’ve thought I’d get to experience something like this!

Gorgeous girl!

Time to boost your affection points...

I’m coming to save you!!!

Rolling up his sleeves, he was about to shout like a righteous hero and stop the villain in his tracks—when the girl nodded in agreement. With a delighted smile, she skipped over to the blond guy, adorably hopped onto the footrest, and plopped onto the backseat of the motorcycle.

Wrapping her arms around the blond’s waist, she held on as he put his helmet back on, revved the engine, and sped off in a cloud of dust.

Left behind at the bus stop, the crowd stood dumbfounded—especially the boy, whose eyes lost all light, his expression utterly crushed, as if he might shatter into pieces at any moment...

...

After dropping Tang Manman off at the hospital entrance, Lin Yu planned to ride home and continue slogging through his studies.

"Lin Yu."

Tang Manman’s soft voice called out to him.

"Yeah?"

His motorcycle was already turned around, so he just craned his neck to look back at her.

"When my sister gets discharged, my mom wants to invite you over for a meal. Can you come?"

Her eyes held a hint of shyness, but mostly hopeful anticipation.

"Sure."

Lin Yu agreed without hesitation.

"I’m usually free on holidays. Just shoot me a message when it’s time."

"Mm-hmm."

Tang Manman nodded.

Lin Yu turned his head forward, about to leave, when he suddenly remembered Tang Qinqin.

Twisting his neck again—almost painfully this time—he asked,

"How’s your sister doing?"

"She’s almost fully recovered."

At the mention of her sister, Tang Manman’s eyes curved into happy crescents.

"The surgery went really well, and Qinqin’s been recovering smoothly too. The doctor said her condition shouldn’t flare up again—she’ll be just like a normal person."

"She should be discharged in about a month."

Lin Yu nodded.

That’s great.

Sure, that troublemaker had caused a lot of headaches, but at least things turned out alright, right?

Looking at Tang Manman—sunny, beautiful, and sweet—Lin Yu couldn’t help but grin.

And on top of that, he’d gotten himself an amazing almost-girlfriend out of it. Talk about a silver lining.

"Alright then."

"I’m off."

"Call me if you need anything."

He made a phone gesture with his hand, wiggling it near his ear.

Tang Manman waved gently.

"Bye."

"Be safe on the road."

"Got it."

...

...

Lin Yu’s senior year of high school wasn’t easy.

Especially in this class full of slackers.

In this classroom, students treated textbook knowledge like the plague—something to be avoided at all costs. The teachers, meanwhile, could barely stand the sight of these problem students.

Students didn’t study.

Teachers didn’t care.

Everyone just coasted along in silent agreement.

But Lin Yu didn’t want to coast!

He still wanted to push himself, to see if he could scrape his way into the same university as Tang Manman!

Sure, the odds were looking increasingly unrealistic as Tang Manman’s grades kept climbing.

But he wasn’t ready to give up yet!

What if a miracle happened?

Imagine the two of them strolling across campus together, hand in hand, showering all the single students with envy. Wouldn’t that be perfect?

Glancing around the classroom, taking in the rainbow of dyed hair and chaotic energy, Lin Yu sighed inwardly.

This really couldn’t go on.

He needed to find a way to switch classes.

Preferably to the fourth floor.

Where the former B-campus students studied.

At least there, the learning environment and teaching quality would be better.

Staying here with these human-sized koi fish?

By exam season, he’d literally be reduced to forwarding koi memes for luck!

Lin Yu wasn’t one to dawdle. The moment class ended, he marched straight to the teachers’ office to discuss transferring.

His homeroom teacher had a pretty good impression of Lin Yu.

After all, he’d seen firsthand how hard the boy had been working—his grades were skyrocketing like a rocket.

It was clear this kid was defying expectations, turning into a diligent student despite his delinquent looks.

Hearing Lin Yu’s ambitious request to switch classes, the teacher was thrilled, his face crinkling with smile lines.

"Alright."

"I’ll look into it for you."

"See if it’s possible."

"But our school’s never done this before."

"If it doesn’t work out, there’s not much I can do."

Lin Yu nodded, thanking him in advance.

"Got it."

"Thanks, teach."

The fifty-something teacher, his aging frame struggling slightly, gripped the armrests of his chair and started to rise—

Then paused.

Barely lifting off the seat, he sank back down and turned to Lin Yu, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.

"I heard you’ve been spending time with a girl from the fourth floor."

"This transfer request… it’s not because of her, is it?"

"Nope."

Lin Yu answered smoothly.

"I just want to study better."

Seeing the skepticism still lingering in the teacher’s eyes, Lin Yu doubled down.

"Don’t worry, sir."

"It’s definitely not about her."

"If anything, I’m afraid being in the same class would distract me."

"In fact—"

"Make sure to put me in a different class from her."

Convinced by Lin Yu’s firm tone, the teacher’s suspicion finally faded.

This time, he properly stood up and hurried out of the office, seemingly eager to inquire about the transfer immediately.

The moment the teacher left, Lin Yu slipped out after him.

Standing in the hallway, he sniffed lightly.

A twinge of regret pinched his heart.

Too bad.

He’d been seen through!

Deep down, Lin Yu still wished he could end up in Tang Manman’s class—better yet, as her desk mate.

Not that he was after her or anything...

...

Okay.

Maybe a little.

But what mattered even more was her academic performance. If he could become her deskmate and receive her tutoring for a while, his own grades would probably improve significantly, right?