To Hold Hands Intertwined with Her

A few boys and girls were still in the classroom, looking for someone to compare answers with, like little birds chirping with their mouths open.

Xia Yanchun was the mother bird, handing them test papers to check. Before each comparison, she would remind them that her answers weren't all correct, patiently repeating this every time.

That's just how top students are.

No. 2 High School was also one of the top-ranked schools in the province. Most new policies issued by the education bureau were piloted at No. 1 and No. 2 High Schools, under strict supervision. There were no elite classes or Olympiad classes assigned based on grades, which also resulted in a mixed bag of students in every class.

There were top students like Xia Yanchun, and there were also those who had given up on themselves, like Huang Chen.

However, due to the high admission threshold, even the average students in a class wouldn't have scores that were too low. Take a mid-level student from here and put them in a lower-ranked school, and they might even become a top student—better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Plus, Class 11's average score was already very high. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the most impressive class in Ci'nan No. 2 High School. Shen Nian's previous score of 550 really wasn't anything special in this class.

Many people with scores around that level loved comparing answers after exams. Even though they knew it was somewhat pointless, they couldn't resist checking.

Shen Nian rarely compared answers. In the past, he didn't want to study; now he had studied too much and was quite confident in himself.

Doesn't anyone think I'm terrifyingly strong just by sitting here?

Shen Nian rubbed his nose, thinking about swapping his chair for a white plastic patio chair.

As the bell was about to ring, people in the classroom gradually left until only Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun remained.

"Everyone's gone. Hurry up and take out your phone to show me," Xia Yanchun said, patting her behind as she stood up, crossing her arms and looking at Shen Nian from the aisle.

"Really want to see?"

"Hah, that '4 AM wake-up' wasn't a lie, was it?"

"Of course not. I'll show you, alright?" Shen Nian wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead, carefully took out his phone, and glanced at Xia Yanchun again. "Really want to see?"

"Ah, you! So it was a lie after all!"

"Didn't lie. Come look."

He turned on the phone, which had been hidden in his bag for a peek. Xia Yanchun walked around the desk, sneakily poking her little head over.

The app showed Shen Nian's exercise records. His last workout really did start a little after 4 AM.

The record lasted a full two hours—he really had exercised from 4 to 6 AM!

Xia Yanchun shot a glance at Shen Nian. "Then why did you look so guilty just now?"

"For your benefit."

"...Fine, you win. Then you should get some sleep quickly. You absolutely must take this nap, or you'll be dead tired this afternoon." Before Shen Nian could reply, Xia Yanchun poked his shoulder repeatedly with her index finger. "You have to sleep. No more energy drinks either. Drink it after you wake up to perk up. Drinking it now will make it hard to fall asleep."

"I'm not even sleepy. Three or four hours is plenty."

"That's what everyone who dies from overwork thinks. Go to sleep."

Shen Nian broke into a cold sweat. Why did this feel like a mother supervising her son's nap?

If people didn't know better, they'd think they were playing house and he had to play the son again.

"Fine, I'll sleep. You sleep too. I can wake up on time; I'll call you then."

"I'll sleep if I get sleepy later," Xia Yanchun replied offhandedly.

She wasn't sleepy at all right now. Plus, she'd just drunk a lot of energy drink; she really hadn't planned on napping at noon.

Watching Shen Nian pull a few books from his desk to stack into a pillow, Xia Yanchun went back to her seat, got her little pink pillow, and smacked it onto Shen Nian's head. "You can borrow this."

"Whoa, you're this nice? I'm moved to tears."

"If you drool on it, you're dead," Xia Yanchun huffed.

Giving Shen Nian the little pillow made everything even.

Shen Nian not sleeping well last night had nothing to do with her. He better not try to blame her. She had just sent a funny picture. It was his own fault for overthinking and not sleeping properly, waking up at four and then not going back to sleep.

After Shen Nian arranged the little pillow and rested his head on it, he realized just how comfortable the little thing was.

Even if it hadn't been washed since the start of school, the pillow was still clean. It had close contact with the girl every day and even smelled nice.

A "well-loved" pillow was here now; could other things be far behind? Yanchun is the best.

Shen Nian inwardly let out a storm of appreciative sighs.

"Don't rub your face oil on my pillow!"

"I'm not sweaty; it's clean, okay?"

"Don't rub it anyway. I'd be grossed out."

"..." Shen Nian readjusted the pillow, quietly lay down on it, and patted the empty spot next to him. "Sit. Chat with me."

"What's left to talk about when we chat every day?" Even as she said this, Xia Yanchun still took a book to sit on and sat down.

"If there's nothing to chat about, then just stay with me until I fall asleep."

"Then you better fall asleep fast."

"How can I control that? How about you tell me a story?"

"Are you a child? Should I curse at you a couple of times instead?"

"You're no fun."

"Hah."

The classroom was very quiet. The window, originally closed, had been opened by someone during the exam, making the room quite chilly. Sitting in Shen Nian's spot, Xia Yanchun liked to tuck her hands into her sleeves, puffing the sleeves out round, and cover her mouth with them to blow warm air.

Only Shen Nian knew she had picked this up from the non-mainstream trends of the past, and it had gradually become a habit. Doing this in winter would make her hands warm.

Xia Yanchun's hair was fluffy, and her style was normal. Even this action, most common during the non-mainstream era, seemed sweet on Xia Yanchun—a sugary, sweet-style girl, with levels of sweetness that were off the charts.

"So cold."

Xia Yanchun muttered to herself, closed the window leaving only a crack for air, then went to close the front and back doors to stop the draft.

Not knowing when Shen Nian would fall asleep, she just kept sitting beside him. She picked at her nails for a bit, rummaged through Shen Nian's desk drawer, and finally went through his backpack, openly "stealing" an Alpenliebe lollipop from him.

"Did you get my permission? That's theft!"

"Was it theft when you ate my 'Peanut Big Shot' snacks?"

"So what, so what, so what?"

"...You're truly invincible, Shen Nian."

Shen Nian grinned, freeing one hand to brush aside the hair on both sides of her face, tucking every strand behind her ears, revealing the girl's most delicate features.

He put two fingers down on the desk, turning them into little legs, and said with a smile, "Let me show you something fun."

Xia Yanchun, with the lollipop in her mouth, watched his two 'legs' walk step by step towards her, then hook around her finger, slowly pulling it back like a trophy. She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Saw that coming from a mile away. Boring little trick. Don't make your Sister Chun laugh. Do you really think her tolerance is your flirting skill?

"Is this fun?"

"Yep."

Shen Nian grinned cheekily, generously accepting the girl's tolerance as his own skill. He tapped his fingertip against hers, then glanced up at the girl who had already started looking away.

He hesitated for half a second, then gently slid his fingers between Xia Yanchun's, slowly interlocking them.

He wanted to interlace their fingers.

He was going to interlace their fingers.

When he looked up again, Xia Yanchun's almond-shaped eyes had already fallen on him. Shen Nian blinked, then slowly tightened his grip a bit more. Not a sliver of air could fit between their palms, and the girl's fingers spread slightly because of his tightening grip.

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