"How could it be you?"

Jiang Yueming asked in astonishment. Hearing this, Xia He was displeased.

She puffed out her cheeks, her brows pressing down slightly to make an angry face, but it was too exaggerated—clearly a put-on.

"What? You're not happy to see me?"

"That's not it," Jiang Yueming scratched his head, "I mean, you're not even in our class. How would Old Zhou arrange for you to come tutor me?"

Xia He tapped her chin with her fingertip, thinking.

"Maybe because my Chinese grade is ranked first in our whole year."

"That impressive?"

Jiang Yueming felt this was somewhat overkill. Did someone of his level really need the top student of the entire grade to tutor him?

"Oh, why so many questions?" Xia He naturally sat down beside Jiang Yueming, very close to him. "Let's hurry up with the lesson. I want to go get bubble tea later."

Jiang Yueming blinked.

"Actually, you don't have to tutor me. If you have things to do, just go ahead."

Xia He shot him an annoyed glance.

"Are you dumb? I meant I want you to go with me. After bubble tea, we can grab a late-night snack... Mm, let's do hot pot. I haven't had it in ages."

Jiang Yueming looked at her matter-of-fact expression and suddenly realized that she had never intended to ask for his opinion.

"I don't have any money..."

"Big sis will treat you."

With that, she unceremoniously took his exam paper and spread it out on the desk.

"This essay here... this is an excerpt from Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk..."

Jiang Yueming rested his chin on his hand and listened, his gaze falling on the exam paper, his ears filled with Xia He's gentle voice.

But as he listened, a small twinge of regret arose in his heart.

‘If it were Wen Xiaoyu sitting here now, what would that be like? Would she teach just as gently, or would she be a bit colder? Would she sit as close as Xia He was, or keep a distant gap, pointing at the paper expressionlessly and saying, You got this question wrong? Probably... the latter.’

He secretly imagined that scene—Wen Xiaoyu sitting beside him, her two braided pigtails resting on her shoulders, her expression indifferent, occasionally glancing at him, then quickly looking away.

Tsk.

‘Actually, that wouldn't be bad either.’

"...Did you understand?"

Xia He's voice suddenly stopped. Jiang Yueming snapped back to attention.

"Uh... got it," he said guiltily.

He hadn't understood. Not a single word had gone in.

"Pay attention!"

After being scolded like that, Jiang Yueming stopped letting his mind wander and began focusing on the problem.

Gradually, however, he began to feel a bit uncomfortable.

He looked up and realized Xia He was leaning much too close to him, her hair almost brushing against his face.

If viewed from a distance, their posture would look like an embrace.

‘Wait a minute, was it necessary to be this close just to explain a question?’

His body stiffened slightly. Xia He didn't seem to notice, still earnestly pointing at the exam paper as she explained.

Her upper body leaned forward unconsciously. As the explanation deepened, that subtle, fragrant scent grew stronger and stronger. It wasn't perfume; it was her natural body scent.

That fragrance was like an orchid blooming in a secluded bamboo grove—intimate and alluring.

Jiang Yueming slowed his breathing, discreetly shifting backward to create a little distance. Inhaling such a scent made him feel like a pervert secretly sniffing someone else's aroma.

"Here, parallel structure is used, so based on the question..."

Xia He was very focused on her teaching. The small gap for respite that had just opened between them was immediately closed as she leaned back in.

Her slender fingers occasionally brushed against the back of Jiang Yueming's hand, tickling slightly.

Through the two layers of fabric, he could feel the soft sensation and warmth of the girl's shoulder. As the distance lessened, her voice seemed like whispers right against his ear.

Jiang Yueming awkwardly pulled away again, but it was futile. Half his butt was already hanging off the seat, with only the other half still on the chair.

‘Don't... you're practically sitting in my chair…’

"Ahem..." Jiang Yueming coughed twice. "Hold on, that's not how the teacher explained it. Look at my deskmate's exam paper; he got a pretty high score on this question."

He pointed to the desk compartment behind Xia He. Taking advantage of the moment she turned her head, he subtly and quickly shifted his chair a bit.

"I'm the top of the grade! I got full marks on this question," Xia He said, glancing back at him.

"Mm-hmm," Jiang Yueming was back fully in his seat, finally spared from maintaining a horse stance. "Alright, keep explaining."

Xia He looked at him strangely, then looked down at the newly created distance between them, and fell silent for a few seconds.

"What's wrong?"

"...Nothing."

Her tone was somewhat displeased. Jiang Yueming wondered if his doubting her top-grade credentials had upset her.

‘Then no matter what she says next, I'll just agree with her.’

Thinking this, Jiang Yueming focused his mind on the problem.

Xia He watched him for a moment, then resumed her explanation. But that scent still lingered in his nostrils. The classroom was empty, so why did Jiang Yueming still feel so cramped?

A few minutes later, Jiang Yueming's eye twitched. He couldn't help but open his mouth to question her.

"...Hold on, Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk is about love?"

"Mm-hmm."

Xia He nodded as if it were obvious. Jiang Yueming looked at her in disbelief.

"Huh? No... take another look."

"Exactly. It tells us to cherish our hard-won feelings, and not to let certain things become mere memories."

Xia He looked completely innocent, seemingly implying something else entirely.

Jiang Yueming was utterly bewildered. Did Lu Xun know that's what he was thinking when he wrote it?

"But... isn't it about his childhood?"

"More or less the same."

Jiang Yueming began to seriously doubt her Chinese proficiency. An answer like that would get you called to the office and have your identity as a human being questioned by the teacher.

‘That's how you interpret it?!’

He figured today's tutoring session should end here. Any more studying and his own Chinese grades would truly be beyond saving.

Xia He watched his dumbfounded expression and burst out laughing.

"Oh, come on, I was just teasing you."

Jiang Yueming paused.

"I just wanted to see if you would contradict me." Xia He rested her chin on her hands and looked at him. "Just now you kept nodding 'mm-hmm, mm-hmm' at everything I said. I thought you'd just keep 'mm-hmm'-ing forever."

Jiang Yueming opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. Xia He laughed even more happily.

"So you can contradict me after all."

"Of course I can. I'm not an idiot."

"I know you're not," Xia He's voice suddenly softened. "I thought maybe... you just didn't want to talk to me."

Xia He's eyes lowered, her long eyelashes fluttering with each blink. Suddenly, she seemed entirely deflated.

The mood shift was rather abrupt. Jiang Yueming didn't react in time.

He instinctively consoled her: "No, I just... I'm not very good at talking."

Xia He's head was slightly bowed, her eyes looking up at him from a somewhat upward angle. Jiang Yueming inexplicably felt as if he had seen this scene somewhere before.

Long, long ago, before a countless span of time, it seemed a similar scene had played out once.

Looking at those eyes, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart—as if he had forgotten something very important, or as if he had remembered something he shouldn't have.

Sss... my head's starting to hurt again.

What was going on? Lately, his condition seemed off.

"What's wrong?"

Xia He's voice suddenly drew close. Jiang Yueming opened his eyes. That flawless face was right before him, her eyes filled with concern.

Then her hand directly touched his face. Her warm palm pressed against his cheek. Jiang Yueming's entire body stiffened instantly.

"N-no, it's nothing."

"You don't look well..."

"A bit dizzy. I'll be fine after a moment."

"Is that so..."

After a moment, Jiang Yueming pulled away, and Xia He's hand slipped from his face.

"Let's stop here for today. I'm going to head home."

"Alright."

Xia He looked at her now-empty hand.

"I'll walk you back."