AS CH 1

Chapter 1

In class, Lü Chenyue always chose the same seat—the last row by the window, tucked away in the farthest corner. All three years of high school, that had never changed.

His classmates often talked about him behind his back:

“Freak, weirdo, creepy, antisocial, always expressionless, like he thinks he’s better than everyone else…”

“Such a shame—he’s so good-looking, but that cold attitude is just unbearable.”

“No wonder he doesn’t have a single friend…”

But Lü Chenyue couldn’t care less about what they said. He continued doing everything on his own, just as he liked—quietly minding his own business, sitting in his seat alone, gazing out the window, letting the breeze blow past as he spaced out.

“Lü Chenyue, you’re the only one in class who hasn’t handed in the English quiz correction homework from the other day. When exactly are you planning to submit it?” Class monitor Xu Wenhao stood before him with a stern face and a serious tone, disrupting the peace of the moment.

“I’m not even planning to take the college entrance exam,” Lü Chenyue replied lazily, shooting him a sidelong glance. His voice was cold—like winter frost.

Their brief exchange quickly drew the attention of everyone in class, and heads started turning their way.

“Why is it always him?”

“Even if he’s not going to college, homework is still homework!”

“Yeah, what, are the rest of us just idiots for doing it?”

“Seriously! Does he think we’re all fools? This is so unfair!”

Every time something like this happened, the class would gather to whisper and mutter their usual complaints. Even if they spoke softly, their sharp words floated through the classroom, and every one of them reached Lü Chenyue’s ears.

“So what you’re saying is—you didn’t even write it at all?” Xu Wenhao frowned, his tone laced with irritation. Honestly, if it weren’t for his duties as class monitor, he wouldn’t waste another second on this guy.

If not for the responsibility of managing every student in the class, he’d want nothing to do with someone like Lü Chenyue.

“That’s right,” Lü Chenyue replied with a mocking little laugh, his tone light and just a touch provocative as he looked at the person in front of him.

Just then, the bell signaling the next period rang. With a cold expression, Xu Wenhao ordered firmly, “Stay after school today and finish it then.” And without another word, he turned and walked back to his seat.

Lü Chenyue acted like nothing had happened. He cast a glance at Xu Wenhao’s back, then turned to look outside again. As for whatever the teacher was saying at the front of the class—he had absolutely no interest. Once again, he retreated into his own little world.

The school day had finally come to an end. Students were packing up their bags to leave, and Lü Chenyue also began putting away the textbooks and pen pouch he used to decorate his desk.

Just as he was done and getting up to leave, Xu Wenhao walked over at exactly the right moment to block his way.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Xu Wenhao asked coldly, standing right in front of him.

“Can’t you tell? I’m going home.” Lü Chenyue glanced lazily at him, clearly unwilling to waste another second on this.

“And your homework?” Xu Wenhao’s tone hardened. As the class monitor, he had every obligation to manage the students—and if Lü Chenyue wouldn’t cooperate nicely, he wouldn’t mind using a little force. “You’re not going home until it’s finished.”

Lü Chenyue didn’t reply. He simply walked past Xu Wenhao and headed toward the classroom door.

As they brushed past each other, Xu Wenhao instinctively reached out and grabbed Lü Chenyue’s wrist—and only then did he realize just how thin it was. Although his build was different from the girls in class, compared to most of the boys, he was clearly much more slender.

“How long are you planning to hold onto my hand?” Lü Chenyue’s face darkened as he glared at him in irritation.

His voice snapped Xu Wenhao out of his thoughts. Realizing he was still gripping Lü Chenyue’s wrist, a strange jolt shot through his chest. He quickly let go and rubbed his nose awkwardly to cover his flustered reaction.

“Anyway, you’re not leaving until you finish it,” Xu Wenhao said flatly. “I’ll stay until you’re done.” With that, he turned and sat at the desk next to Lü Chenyue’s, pulling out the chair and taking a seat.

There were many ways to deal with someone like Lü Chenyue. Sooner or later, one of them would work—he could wait.

Lü Chenyue couldn’t believe Xu Wenhao was being this persistent.

He turned and glared at him, muttering under his breath, then reluctantly walked back to his seat. His every movement was loud and irritable—it was clear how impatient he was.

He still had things to do later and didn’t have time to waste arguing with Xu Wenhao. Left with no choice, he had to listen and get it over with. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could leave—and avoid being pestered again.

He pulled out his English quiz, notebook, and pen from his bag, then quietly began copying the corrections.

Since they were about to enter their final year of high school, some teachers would randomly hand out surprise quizzes. If a student got questions wrong, they were expected to copy both the question and the correct answer three times to reinforce the material.

As Lü Chenyue sat quietly, head lowered, working on his homework, Xu Wenhao found himself staring. It was the first time he had ever looked at him this closely.

He had always known that Lü Chenyue gave off an unapproachable vibe. His attitude, his words, his eyes—everything about him was cold.

But because he had never taken a real look, he hadn’t realized—this boy beside him was not only thin, but his features looked like they’d been carved from ice. His pale complexion, his delicate facial structure—he looked soft at first glance, yet distant, as if cloaked in snow and utterly out of reach.

Then Xu Wenhao remembered how thin that wrist had felt. It was no wonder Lü Chenyue always wore oversized school uniforms—it was to hide just how slight his frame really was.

Looking at Lü Chenyue’s fair, smooth profile, Xu Wenhao thought: Someone who looked like that should’ve been the most popular person in the class. And yet, this boy always chose to isolate himself in a corner, never willing to mix with others.

Xu Wenhao just couldn’t understand it.

Lü Chenyue’s aloof personality had made him a target of the class’s gossip, and eventually, even Xu Wenhao had started to feel a kind of aversion toward him—a feeling he couldn’t quite explain himself. Maybe that was why, every time he spoke to Lü Chenyue, his tone was always so harsh.

But just moments ago, when their eyes met, Xu Wenhao had noticed something he hadn’t before—a small mole beneath Lü Chenyue’s left eye. It caught his gaze and refused to let go.

Wait, what?!

Snapping out of it, he scratched his head and looked away—he had zoned out while staring at him?!

Flustered, Xu Wenhao quickly got up and went to the restroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face, hoping to wash away the agitation.

After taking a moment to compose himself, he headed back to the classroom.

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Lü Chenyue packing up his things again.

Xu Wenhao sighed, then walked over.

“You done already?”

Lü Chenyue shoved the notebook into Xu Wenhao’s hands and said coldly,  “It’s done. Can I go now?” Not waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out without another word.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Did Xu Wenhao really think he hadn’t noticed?

While he was copying the assignment, Xu Wenhao had been secretly watching him. Wasn’t he supposed to dislike him? So why did he keep staring like that?

It made Lü Chenyue feel incredibly uncomfortable.

As soon as he stepped out of the school gates, he boarded a bus. Before arriving at his destination, he stopped by a fast food restaurant and went straight to the restroom.

When he came out, he had already changed out of his school uniform and into casual clothes.

(To be continued…)