No insiders, let's have some spicy talk.

Having found ten thousand reasons for herself, Xia Yanchun straightened her back.

Shen Nian looked at her skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "So you're saying you're an expert on this?"

"What... what's it to you? There's plenty of info online, you know. You come across it occasionally. You think Xiaohongshu is completely useless?"

"Isn't it full of brain-dead posts?"

"That's just a stereotype. With so many users, of course there's all kinds of posts. Lots of girls use Xiaohongshu, okay? You can find tons of travel guides, some legit educational content, or recipes for food, lots of things."

Shen Nian briefly suspected Haji Chun (Xia Yanchun) was getting paid for promotion.

But it was true that Haji Chun often browsed Xiaohongshu. Shen Nian had seen her phone; her Xiaohongshu content was pretty wholesome. She even posted some study experience shares herself, though sadly the likes were only in the double digits, with hardly any comments.

"You say that like you know better. So how did you come to understand it then?" Xia Yanchun counter-attacked.

"Uh... this kind of thing... you just sort of figure it out naturally."

"Pfft." Xia Yanchun was almost embarrassed to call him out on his bluff.

Step by step, Xia Yanchun walked carefully, avoiding the cracks between the paving tiles. Soon they were out of the bamboo grove. With the rustling of bamboo leaves gone from her ears, she immediately scurried ahead of Shen Nian, making him follow behind.

"Why walk so fast?"

"Come on, let's go."

"..."

The school also had a small lake, but it was quite far from the classrooms. Xia Yanchun wasn't planning to go there anymore.

How much more comfortable to return to the classroom early and curl up in her seat.

With plenty of time, Li Shiyan also came to the classroom quite early, her hair loose and still damp from washing. The school didn't allow hair dryers, so she could only wait for it to air-dry naturally in the classroom.

At this time every day, the classroom would become fragrant, sometimes overwhelmingly so with the mix of scents.

With so many people and prying eyes around, Shen Nian had no choice but to hang out with Chen Dong and Ma Mingfan by the corridor railing.

"Hit us with some spicy banter," Chen Dong said mysteriously.

Shen Nian took a deep breath. "Let me ask you guys a question. Do you think the sun is male or female?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? Even more out there than asking why people eat with their mouths," Ma Mingfan complained.

Chen Dong felt this bastard was subtly making fun of him. With conclusive evidence, amidst the joking, he'd already given Ma Mingfan's backside two slaps.

"I've touched my temples, and I've also been directly irradiated by the sun..."

Chen Dong: ?

Ma Mingfan: ?

Bro, is this something a human being can say?

Shen Nian wasn't this unhinged in freshman or sophomore year either. Does getting better grades really make you more... divine?

If a weasel spirit came seeking validation and saw Shen Nian, it would probably just kowtow three times frantically. Never seen someone this close to godhood before.

Chen Dong felt Shen Nian wouldn't be able to eat zongzi or sticky rice chicken anymore in the future.

"That question of yours is too out there. Can we have some racy jokes about white stockings and lolis instead?" Ma Mingfan cleared his throat and asked.

"That doesn't fit your persona. Shouldn't it be some Southern Dynasty-style racy joke?" Shen Nian stroked his chin, puzzled.

"Even though I'm a proper guy, I think Southern Dynasty-style jokes are good too. Hit me."

"You really want one? I don't have any. How about tanned skin and outdoor hot dancing?"

"You bastard, is this about square dancing in the park again? Shen Nian, I'm gonna make you fly in a minute!"

The stars of the weirdo constellation were twinkling.

Chen Dong gave a helpless smile. Among the three of them, he was apparently the only human.

The guys' topics were a bit vulgar, more or less. After all, there wasn't much else to talk about, and there were location restrictions. Otherwise, they'd definitely have started a historical roast session.

Back in the classroom, Shen Nian ran into Li Shiyan, who was holding her water cup.

"Washing your cup?"

Li Shiyan nodded her little head. "Mhm."

"Let me ask you a question. Is the sun male or female? Give me the answer before evening self-study ends, or I'll have someone scold you."

"?!"

Shen Nian walked past her and sat back in his seat.

Li Shiyan was dumbfounded. She complained the whole way to the bathroom. After washing her cup gloomily, looking at her wet hands and the water-stained cup, a crazy idea took root in her mind...

Shen Nian was so mean, always scaring her. She had to teach him a lesson, let him know she wasn't some cotton ball anyone could scare!

Pumping herself up, Li Shiyan mustered all her courage.

Entering the classroom and seeing the towering, so-tall Shen Nian, she timidly shrank her neck again.

Hehe, splashing water on someone is very rude... better to just draw a little stick figure Shen Nian on scrap paper...

My stick figure is not without its merits either.

Li Shiyan decided to let the big bully Shen Nian gloat for now. Later on paper, Shen Nian would get what was coming to him.

Evening self-study.

After finishing two exercise booklets, Xia Yanchun stretched, her small hands slipping back into the hot water bottle on her lap.

Noticing Li Shiyan was writing and drawing with her head down, she curiously leaned over.

On the scrap paper was a little stick figure Shen Nian, with a three-tiered pile of poop on its head, several crooked arrows stuck in its body, and a pool of fire under its feet...

Shen Nian had it really rough in Li Shiyan's imagination, truly.

"Did Shen Nian scare you again?"

"Not really... He asked me a question, told me to give him the answer before evening self-study ends, or he'd get someone to scold me."

"What question? A math one?"

"No, no..." Li Shiyan leaned close to her ear. "He asked me if the sun is male or female."

Xia Yanchun: ...

After hearing it, Xia Yanchun herself took a pen and added two more three-tiered piles of poop on the little stick figure Shen Nian's head.

Anyone who could hear that question and resist drawing poop on Shen Nian's head was a saint.

...

The atmosphere during evening self-study was relatively relaxed. During the third period, Su Kexi came to hold a class meeting, talking about arrangements after the mock exams.

It was almost December. Later, there would be a New Year's Eve party, but unfortunately, the school didn't allow seniors to prepare performances, afraid it would waste too much study time.

Since certificates and scholarships had just been awarded for the midterms, there were no rewards for this round of mock exams.

As soon as evening self-study ended, the clever Li Shiyan quickly got up from her seat and dashed out of the classroom.

Let it be known beforehand, it wasn't because she was afraid of Shen Nian. She was just a bit sleepy—she almost started seeing zzZZs just now!

Just as Shen Nian finished packing his bag, a hot water bottle was tossed over.

"My bag's full. You carry it for me," Xia Yanchun stated matter-of-factly.

"Alright, alright, alright," Shen Nian readily agreed.

Riding the bus home together, without the hot water bottle, Xia Yanchun's small hands slithered like little snakes into Shen Nian's pockets, holding onto him in the unseen space.

When feeling mischievous, she'd also secretly slip her hand under his clothes and poke Shen Nian's side with her fingernail.

"Getting handsy. Are you feeling... springtime thoughts too?"

"You... get lost!" Xia Yanchun immediately retracted her hand from under his clothes, stuffing it back into his pocket, her face flushed pink. "One little touch and it's springtime thoughts? Then you must be having them every day!"

"Bet."

"Is that something to be proud of?"

"Bet."

"Bet bet bet your head off!"

Xia Yanchun huffed angrily, pinching her fingers to flick Shen Nian's ear.

They soon arrived at the residential complex.

At the complex's bike shed, after Shen Nian parked his bike, he turned and saw Xia Yanchun still puffing with anger. He couldn't help but smile.

Was it really worth staying mad this long?

Xia Yanchun seemed to have thought of something. She poked Shen Nian with her finger. "Turn around."

"What for..."

"Turn around."

Watching Shen Nian obediently turn his back, Xia Yanchun's expression instantly changed. She placed her hands on his shoulders, gave a little hop, and hung onto his back.

Shen Nian instinctively supported her legs. "What are you doing..."

"I'm angry. Your punishment is to carry me to the elevator."

"You think you can just go to the elevator? Nothing that good." Shen Nian hoisted her legs higher, settling her more comfortably on his back, and grinned. "How about I carry you around the whole residential complex?"

"No, don't! Let's just go back quickly. Someone might see us in a bit!" Xia Yanchun's large, dark eyes peered out from over his shoulder.

Being carried like a child at her age was so embarrassing!

Shen Nian paid her no mind and started walking toward the other apartment buildings with her on his back. "You knew someone might see us and still wanted me to carry you. Well, I'm not the one who's afraid of looking foolish."

"You... you!"

Xia Yanchun's face flushed red. Fortunately, it was the middle of the night and no one was around, or she would have died of shame!

Furious and flustered, she gave Shen Nian's ear a little bite.

Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for 3 million+ daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended you use sources from other big platforms.