Still Need to Give It a Lick

A few people were chatting and laughing.

Li Shiyan deliberately waited for Shen Nian to sit down before seating herself far away from him. She sat properly with her legs together and happily started her meal.

It was a huge, full bowl. Just the meat and vegetables alone were enough to make her full.

"Xiaochun, do you want some meat? It feels like the auntie at your window gave so little, while the ones at ours gave a lot."

"No need, it's fine to just eat a little." Xia Yanchun's appetite had never been big; sometimes she even asked the auntie to give her less rice.

Back when they ate instant noodles, she would only eat the noodles herself, using the broth to control Shen Nian—she wouldn't let him have a sip unless he called her 'big sister' five times.

The facts proved she was a really good big sister; she would even leave a mouthful of broth for Shen Nian when she had food. Shen Nian, on the other hand, never saved any for her when he ate instant noodles. Such a bad little brother.

Because Shen Nian never saved any for her, she would wait until he finished preparing the noodles and then rush to steal a couple of bites.

I made the noodles for you, and you still want to eat them? Nothing that good comes for free.

She wasn't sitting opposite Shen Nian. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Nian eating and laughing with other girls from their class, but she didn't really mind.

She knew Shen Nian had always been good at getting along with girls. Feeling jealous was even more impossible. They had just come to eat together; chatting was completely normal...

Shen Nian's table manners weren't great at all—he wolfed his food down. With an appetite for two, before you knew it, he had already finished half.

And he still says he's not a food bucket.

"By the way, Shen Nian, how are you so good at studying? You used to be around the same score as me, but now you're almost surpassing the class monitor!"

"You can be like me, sleep at two and wake up at five. Guaranteed to be strong."

"That... sounds like you'd keel over after a few days of studying." The girl's mouth twitched, then she asked, "You're not actually sleeping only three hours a day, are you?"

"You actually believe that? Just blowing off steam. If I really did that, my body wouldn't be able to take it."

"I knew it. How could anyone sleep so little in a day?"

Shen Nian smiled without speaking. He really did sleep at two and wake up at five every day, and that's what he told people too. But he always said it in a joking tone, so almost no one believed him.

It was too counter-intuitive.

"So how did you study then?"

"Hmm... having the teacher help customize a study plan, asking teachers for materials, asking classmates when you don't understand... it's best to find someone to supervise you. I asked the class monitor to supervise me."

Several girls looked at Xia Yanchun.

Xia Yanchun lowered her head, somewhat embarrassed. "It's nothing, really. I just... just told him a couple more times to study hard, that's all..."

"Ohhh—Class monitor, supervise me too, please! I also want to score seven hundred!"

Shen Nian grinned, showing his teeth. "Actually, what I said earlier isn't important. The most important thing is that an apple hit me, and I became smart."

"You're Newton too?"

"Quack quack."

After dinner, the other girls went back to their dormitories to shower since it was on the way. Shen Nian pulled Xia Yanchun into the small shop.

"I finished the water I had. Buying a drink to rinse my mouth is fine, right?"

"Buy it, buy it." Xia Yanchun stood in front of the refrigerator and picked out a large bottle of AD Calcium Milk for him. "Buy this one."

"You take it. I'll drink this."

"I mean you drink this. I'm not drinking."

"?" Shen Nian gave her a sidelong glance. "I don't even like this stuff, and it's expensive."

"I like it."

"If you like it, you buy it. Isn't it one bottle per person?"

"That's too wasteful..." Xia Yanchun leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I only want a sip. You buy it, and I'll just have a sip. Buying one bottle is just right."

"You little rascal, Xia Yanchun."

Shen Nian sighed, really having no way to deal with Chunbao.

Since she had already spoken into his ear like that, what else was there to say? They could just share the drink.

The drinks were all at room temperature. Once out of the shop, Xia Yanchun immediately unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

Shen Nian boiled water for her to drink every day, changing the flavors and varieties. It had been a long time since she had any beverages.

"Ah..."

Xia Yanchun screwed the cap back on, held the bottle behind her back, and deliberately walked a stretch with Shen Nian. Only when they reached the corner of the staircase did she secretly slip the drink to Shen Nian.

Shen Nian finished the remaining large amount before they even reached the classroom.

Xia Yanchun glanced at his stomach. If she hadn't felt it herself, who would have thought that beneath those three layers of clothes were eight-pack abs?

If Shen Nian ate that much every meal, how much exercise must he do daily to maintain his current physique?

Xia Yanchun was genuinely a bit curious.

"Is there something on my face?" Shen Nian wiped around his mouth—it was clean.

"How about I also get up early tomorrow to watch you work out?"

"What's this, so sudden."

"I just want to see. It's just getting up an hour earlier."

"You'd sacrifice your precious sleep time just to watch me work out? Who's the simp here?"

"I-I'm not! You are!" Xia Yanchun puffed up like an angry, hissing kitten.

He actually dared to call her a simp. Shen Nian was already asking for trouble. She needed to stew in a big, silent huff and make him guess why.

Shen Nian scratched his head. "Alright, fine. If you can get up early, then get up early. I'm not stopping you. Just so you know, I work out at the park. Don't freeze to death when the time comes."

"I won't. I'll wear a sweatshirt, okay?"

"Alright, alright. I yield."

Actually, it had been a long time since he last went to the park to exercise. He usually just worked out casually in his room. Going out for a run in the middle of winter and breathing in cold air was not pleasant at all.

Since Chunbao wanted to go, he'd reluctantly go exercise outside. After all, working out in the room was really boring without any equipment; he could only do things like push-ups on the floor. Very monotonous.

No teachers came for all three evening self-study sessions. Shen Nian worked on the newly bought science comprehensive practice book, and before he knew it, school was over.

Hmm, wrote twelve pages of the science practice book in one evening...

Goodness, a practice book costing thirty yuan—he could finish it all in just three nights, and that's without checking the answers at all.

For problem types he had done before, he could almost determine the solution just by glancing at them twice. The power of [Faint Light Training] was truly terrifying.

Shen Nian watched as Xia Yanchun packed her schoolbag. "Let's go."

"Mhm, mhm."

They rode the electric scooter home together, and Shen Nian took the chance to charge it.

In the elevator, Shen Nian openly took Chunbao's soft little hand.

The elevator doors opened. Shen Nian gently nudged her.

"If you really want to watch me work out tomorrow, you might as well join in. Your stamina isn't great; I could take you for a run for a bit."

"No way."

Xia Yanchun absolutely did not want to exercise, let alone in the morning. Sometimes after running 800 meters, she would feel dizzy and get a migraine a little later.

If a migraine started in the morning, she wouldn't be able to attend classes all day.

"So you're really just going to watch?"

"Is that not allowed?"

Shen Nian brushed aside her hair and gently tapped her nose. "Why wouldn't it be allowed? Getting up early just to see me—Chunbao being such a simp makes me a bit embarrassed."

"You're saying it again!" Xia Yanchun poked him repeatedly. "You're the simp."

"Simping for you."

"Get lost!"

"Chunbao."

Shen Nian bared his teeth in a grin, wrapping both his large hands around her and pulling her into his embrace. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the girl's fragrance, then gently sucked on her earlobe.

The sensitive spot was enveloped in warmth. Xia Yanchun shrank her neck, her eyes half-closed, as she patted his shoulder with a whimper. "Wh-what are you doing? That tickles!"

"That's just how a simp is."

"There's no one like you!"

Shouldn't a simp be fawning and begging for attention?!

Shen Nian was anything but well-behaved. Now he was staring straight into Xia Yanchun's almond-shaped eyes.

"Still think I'm a simp?"

Xia Yanchun's eyes fluttered, her ears still burning hot. She didn't dare look at Shen Nian, but she still had to stubbornly retort.

"I'm not, you are!"

"I didn't want to simp originally, but since I'm playing the part, I shouldn't do it for nothing."

Shen Nian leaned in closer. Xia Yanchun, frightened, squeezed her eyes shut, able to hear her own rapid heartbeat. Only when she felt a tickle in front of her lips did she slowly open her eyes.

...

Xia Yanchun pouted angrily, bumping her forehead against him to vent her frustration.

Shen Nian took the opportunity to ruffle her fluffy hair.

Xia Yanchun humphed, feeling like she'd been licked by a dog.

Her face was flushed pink. Her two hands came up to cover it, utterly embarrassed.

But she absolutely refused to show weakness to Shen Nian. Holding onto the thought that she shouldn't be the only one feeling shy, she imitated him, sticking out her tongue a little.

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