Having Enjoyed Being a Bad Girl in Childhood, Now Want to Vanish Gracefully (Two-in-One)

After school at night, the sky was dotted with stars.

Shen Nian swaggered behind Xia Yanchun, twirling his keys around his finger and puckering his lips to whistle.

But he wasn’t very good at it—most attempts just produced a hissing sound, with only the occasional sharp whistle slipping through.

Come on, Micro Light, where’s the skill boost? Why isn’t my proficiency leveling up?

"Stop whistling. You look like a creep," Xia Yanchun said, fiddling with the straps of her backpack without turning around.

"What’s the big deal? It’s normal for guys to whistle. And how is whistling creepy?"

"Stereotype alert. Only troublemakers whistle."

"So everyone who whistles is a troublemaker? That’s not just stereotyping—it’s a blanket insult to all guys who whistle. You’re just swinging the feminist bat now. Unbelievable. Starting today, you’re banned from Xiaohongshu, and you owe me two hundred bucks plus two leg pics daily."

"Don’t pin labels on me. I just think whistling at people is rude, like something a delinquent would do," Xia Yanchun said, smoothing her hair.

Target has rejected your label and ignored your nonsense. Entering untargetable state.

"I wasn’t whistling at you. Can’t I even practice?"

"And what’ll you do once you’ve mastered it? Hmm, so hard to guess." Xia Yanchun couldn’t be bothered to call him out—how many times had he whistled at her in class already? And he still claimed he wasn’t aiming it at her.

Shen Nian grinned. Chunbao’s got me pegged.

Catching up to Xia Yanchun before they even left the school gates, he couldn’t resist reaching out to tuck the loose strands of hair behind her ear, watching her little ponytail sway.

"You’re like one of those kids who thought smoking was cool and tried to copy adults. Now you’ve moved on to whistling. Next up? College rap battles."

"Wow, just making stuff up now. When did I ever try smoking?"

"If your parents smoked, you’d have picked it up for sure."

"Keep talking nonsense and I’ll punch you into a cream puff."

Shen Nian playfully jabbed Xia Yanchun’s arm with his fist. The softness felt oddly satisfying, so he did it again.

Bro, why are you so soft and sweet-smelling?

After hitting puberty, their physical contact had dwindled, and what remained was carefully measured.

But Shen Nian was determined to reclaim what he’d lost. Xia Yanchun owed him.

Holding hands, hugging, sleeping side by side… the list was endless. They were barely scratching the surface now.

You had your fun being the bad girl back then. Think you can just ghost me now?

You can’t have it all.

"What do you mean, ‘punch me into a cream puff’?" Xia Yanchun frowned. "You’re gonna make me explode like a bug under a slipper?"

"Just joking. You know, like when you smack a roach and it goes splat."

"Ugh, gross. I hope you dream of Guangdong twin-tails tonight!"

Shen Nian cleared his throat, suddenly wary of Xia Yanchun digging deeper. Best not to push the joke further.

Chunbao’s not clueless, but she’s not that knowledgeable either. Let’s keep it that way.

Outside the school gates, Xia Yanchun waited while Shen Nian wheeled out his scooter. He pulled up beside her with a lazy "whoosh" of his whistle.

"Hop on."

"Sure, you weren’t whistling at me…"

"Yep, totally was. Deal with it." Shen Nian shot back, punctuating it with another whistle.

Xia Yanchun rolled her eyes—Girls, what do you do when your arch-nemesis is a certified dumbass?

She stepped onto the scooter, settling in as it hummed to life. Her freshly washed hair fluttered in the autumn breeze, combed gently by the wind.

Her small hands gripped Shen Nian’s shoulders, then slid down slightly as she absentmindedly squeezed his arm. The more she pinched, the more she noticed—Shen Nian had gotten solid.

Watching your rival improve in every way while you stayed stagnant? Worst. Feeling. Ever.

But even if she wanted to match his progress, where would she start? School alone drained her time and energy. Meanwhile, Shen Nian somehow had stamina to spare, carving out an hour daily for workouts…

Peeking at him through the rearview mirror, her dark almond eyes traced his profile. Dude’s basically a walking motivational poster now.

"Giving me a massage back there?" Shen Nian glanced at the mirror.

"No!" Xia Yanchun pursed her lips. "Hey… what time do you usually sleep?"

"Two a.m. to five a.m. If it rains, three to six."

"I’m serious. Stop joking."

"Sometimes I crash right after showering, sleep till five, then work out. Five and a half hours max." He could’ve lied about the three-to-six bit—it was exaggerated—but her skepticism was expected.

"How are you not exhausted? You don’t even nap!"

And he never dozed off in class…

"People are built different. Once, in a fit of rage, I downed three bowls of rice. You? Two max. Same with sleep—five hours works for me, while some need ten."

"Why didn’t you say that before? You used to sleep through classes!"

"Because I stayed up late back then. Now? Discipline. Fixed schedule, workouts, studying. I’m scary productive."

Also celibate. Not telling you that, though.

Sound logic. Buy it and stop interrogating me.

Xia Yanchun seemed convinced—or at least she dropped it, her fingers still idly kneading his arm.

What else could she do? Facts were facts: Shen Nian was energetic, buzzing around like an overcharged battery while she barely kept her eyes open.

"Feels like we’re growing apart," Shen Nian said suddenly.

"Huh?"

Xia Yanchun raised an eyebrow. What ‘growing apart’? I’m literally right behind you!

"Back when I rode a bike, you’d let me hold you. Now? Just shoulder grips. Love’s dead, I guess." He sighed dramatically.

"There was never any love."

"Cool. My scooter doesn’t transport heartless women. Walk home. Don’t make me dump you on the curb."

"You dare!"

……

Mid-October, twenty-degree weather—Xia Yanchun was already bundled in her school jacket.

Unlike No. 1 High’s black-and-red uniforms, No. 2 High’s were classic blue-and-white, complete with an emblem on the left chest. Zipped up, it was practically a cocoon.

Shen Nian and Chen Dong used to call it a "body bag," refusing to zip theirs for the sake of style over warmth.

Guys generally handled cold better, and while Xia Yanchun had hers fully fastened, Shen Nian let his flap open in the wind.

"Not cold?"

"Meh. It’s whatever."

"Sure, Mr. Tough Guy." Xia Yanchun side-eyed him.

Shen Nian chuckled. Chunbao, all wrapped up and scowling, was kinda cute.

At seven in the morning, the school was nearly empty except for a few students cleaning their assigned areas. Everyone else was already in their classrooms studying.

Most students in the class had brought jackets since the weather had turned cooler, and neither air conditioning nor fans were needed anymore.

Extreme heat or cold tends to make people drowsy, but this weather was just right—the classroom felt unusually lively, hardly fitting for a senior year atmosphere.

As Shen Nian passed by Xia Yanchun’s seat, he glanced at Li Shiyan, who was shivering. Both were wearing jackets, but while Xia Yanchun seemed perfectly fine, Li Shiyan looked like she’d been thrown into an ice cellar.

See? People’s constitutions really do differ.

The petite girl was just too fragile—soft in personality, and now it turned out her body was weak too. Kicking her felt like kicking cotton—not only was it amusing, but it made him want to do it again.

What a sinful thought. Shen Nian reflected on it briefly, then decided he’d dare to do it next time anyway.

It wasn’t until after morning reading that he found out the petite girl had caught a cold and had even asked Xia Yanchun to buy her some medicine during lunch break.

The school did have an infirmary, but it was rarely open, and most students didn’t even know where it was located.

During the long break, Shen Nian took the time to visit the math teacher’s office to pick up the study plan he’d asked for earlier.

The math teacher was thorough—he’d already printed it out, detailing everything: where to start reviewing, how to build foundational knowledge, and what to focus on at each stage.

Too bad Shen Nian was already loyal to Teacher Yan and couldn’t pledge allegiance to the math teacher too.

Back in the classroom, Shen Nian found Chen Qiuyu at the front and dropped a stack of study materials on her desk. "Got these from the teacher. If you want to improve, memorize this and follow the steps. It’s pretty clear—if you don’t understand anything, just come find me at the back."

Chen Qiuyu was overjoyed. "So if I master this, I’ll improve?"

"Less talking, more studying."

"Okay, thank you, Shen Nian!"

Shen Nian smiled. He’d just asked the teacher for a study plan—if anyone deserved thanks, it was the teacher. But since Chen Qiuyu had said it, he saw no reason to refuse and accepted it graciously.

Hopefully, Chen Qiuyu would take the hint and next time they went fishing, she’d swipe some bait from the old fisherman so he wouldn’t have to make his own.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen the old fisherman in a while.

Shen Nian rubbed his chin. Did the old man really think he had eyes for his daughter?

He glanced at Chen Qiuyu again... Ugh, better not think about it. Best to just look at Xia Yanchun in the distance instead.

Sometimes, beauty couldn’t overshadow personality—Chen Qiuyu was proof of that.

Whether she improved or not depended on whether she could commit to studying seriously. After all, two thousand bucks was on the line. If she couldn’t, he’d figure something out.

He’d dragged Chen Qiuyu to a passing grade once—he could do it again.

...Lunch break.

Xia Yanchun had promised to buy medicine for Li Shiyan, so she skipped the cafeteria and dragged Shen Nian out of school with her after class.

She wouldn’t have needed him, but he had a ride.

Little brothers were free labor—Shen Yue had said so, and Xia Yanchun had taken it to heart.

"You never think of me unless you need something," Shen Nian teased as he waited on his bike, watching Xia Yanchun emerge from the pharmacy with a small box of cold medicine.

"What, didn’t you promise to chauffeur me? If you can’t even take me to buy medicine, how can you call us ‘best friends forever’?"

Oof, counterattack successful.

Usually, Shen Nian was the one throwing around the "best friends forever" line to get close, but now Xia Yanchun was using it against him to get favors.

Shen Nian had to admire it. He turned his head. "So, does that mean you’re admitting we’re best friends forever now?"

"Not yet. Don’t get ahead of yourself."

"Playing hard to get, huh? You’re treating me like one of the fish in your pond."

Xia Yanchun hummed dismissively. She’d let Shen Nian say whatever he wanted—she wasn’t admitting anything.

She wasn’t some master manipulator; she just knew how to handle Shen Nian after all this time. It was experience.

That, and a few tips from Shen Yue.

She and Shen Nian had been through enough to know each other inside out—how else could she have kept him in check for so long?

"Let’s go, we’ll grab takeout and eat in the classroom."

"No, I’ll stall just to annoy you."

"Shiyan needs her medicine!"

Xia Yanchun climbed onto the bike, resting her hands on his shoulders. The sickly girl was waiting in the classroom—she needed the medicine so she could take it with hot water before heading back to the dorm to rest.

Shen Nian had no choice but to start the bike. If the petite girl’s cold got worse, their future trio hangouts would be ruined.

They rode in silence until they neared the school gate. Then, Xia Yanchun suddenly leaned in, lowering her voice near his ear.

"You said you’d stall, but you still drove. Shen Nian, you’re not very honest, are you~?"

"Damn it—" Shen Nian laughed in frustration. "Think you can act smug just because we’re near school? I’ll take you to No. 1 High and make you walk back."

He pretended to turn the bike, and Xia Yanchun’s bravado instantly crumbled. She patted his shoulder urgently. "Don’t! Shiyan’s waiting!"

"She’s your bestie, not mine."

"Hey!"

"Still feeling cocky?"

"Ugh, don’t drag her into our fights..."

"Keep talking and the petite girl will freeze to death."

"Fine, fine! Just park already, we’re almost there!"

Shen Nian grinned. Xia Yanchun had her ways with him, but he had his own tricks too.

He hadn’t survived this long without learning a thing or two—otherwise, Xia Yanchun would’ve tamed him ages ago.

He was the wind she couldn’t control.

Once Xia Yanchun backed down, Shen Nian stopped teasing and parked the bike. Xia Yanchun rushed off, leaving her helmet on the seat and not waiting for him.

Really treating him like a rideshare driver, huh?

Shen Nian carried the takeout and strolled up the stairs at a leisurely pace, exchanging a few playful words with some girls from his class along the way. They laughed in response.

"Hey... don’t you think Shen Nian’s gotten better-looking?" one of the girls wondered after they’d passed.

"Now that you mention it, kinda?"

"Oho, do you two have a crush on him or something?"

"Stop making things up! I’d stare at any good-looking guy on the street."

"Hahaha..."

The girls headed off to eat, while Shen Nian reached the classroom to find the windows and doors shut, leaving only two girls inside.

Li Shiyan was filling her cup with hot water, steam rising as she took a small sip before mixing in the cold medicine and stirring.

Shen Nian chuckled. "You caught a cold at just 20°C? You really need to exercise more."

"Hmph~" Li Shiyan, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly mustered the audacity to give Shen Nian the cold shoulder, pursing her lips stubbornly and ignoring him while occasionally letting out a soft, defiant snort.

"What’s with all the huffing? I’m the one who drove out to get your medicine," Shen Nian retorted.

"R-really?" Li Shiyan stopped her sniffling at once, turning to Xia Yanchun for confirmation.

Xia Yanchun nodded, and Li Shiyan immediately wilted, stammering incoherently before finally mumbling a sheepish, "Sorry..."

"Nothing to apologize for. Take the medicine, sleep it off, and you’ll be fine," Shen Nian waved it off, secretly amused by the little drama queen.

Xia Yanchun crossed her arms, baffled by Shen Nian’s audacity. Who was the one constantly teasing Li Shiyan, after all? Hard to say.

Drowsiness soon set in after taking the meds, and after a brief chat with Xia Yanchun, Li Shiyan wobbled back to the dorm like a sleepy kitten. Xia Yanchun, meanwhile, finally got around to eating her meal.

Two different takeout boxes—this time, her treat, since she’d dragged Shen Nian along as her chauffeur. It’d be rude not to compensate him.

"Chunbao, here’s some of my food for you," Shen Nian said, squeezing into Li Shiyan’s vacated seat and cracking open his box.

Xia Yanchun’s big eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise (30%), delight (30%), satisfaction (30%), and a dash of "well, obviously" (10%). Her mood fluffed up like a tiny sparrow perched on a twig.

She gave a haughty little hum, tilting her chin up. "Took you long enough to offer. About time you learned some manners."

"Here, don’t mention it," Shen Nian replied, plopping a single minced garlic clove onto her plate.

What?

A calf is still a cow, and minced garlic still counts as a dish, right?

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