Yu Wan could only explain it to him again.
Lu Jingcheng nodded. “Then you keep an eye on him, see if he dares to leave any questions blank in the remaining exams, especially subjective ones.”
Ye Qingyang: ……
“Lu Jingcheng, that’s too much! You don’t leave blanks yourself, so why do you forbid me? How is that fair?”
He pushed him lightly. “Enough, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
Of course, Yu Wan still earnestly reminded him, “Mm, Ye Qingyang, you mustn’t leave blanks.”
Ye Qingyang: ……
Lu Jingcheng was satisfied. “Let’s go eat.”
It wasn’t until they left the classroom and Yu Wan was gone that Ye Qingyang teased him. “What’s with you? You forbid me from talking to Yu Wan, yet you keep chatting with her nonstop, even letting her supervise me. Do you think that’s appropriate?”
Lu Jingcheng glanced at him sideways. “Jealous?”
Ye Qingyang was speechless. “It’s your double standard. You can leave blanks, I can’t. Why?”
“Because my grades are better than yours,” Lu Jingcheng said arrogantly. “If you can beat me, then you can boss me around.”
Ye Qingyang looked at him. “If I beat you in the exam, then you follow my rules—no leaving blanks whether you know the answer or not. And when I make you write assignments, you can’t leave them blank either.”
“Fine.” Lu Jingcheng didn’t believe Ye Qingyang could actually surpass him. “As long as you rank higher than me this time, I’ll follow your lead in studies. If not, you follow me.”
“No problem.”
“Deal,” Lu Jingcheng said.
“Deal.”
Ye Qingyang smiled. “You’re done for, Lu Jingcheng.”
The two of them ate together, then rested briefly in the dorm before heading to the exam hall to start their math test.
Ye Qingyang planned to score slightly higher than Lu Jingcheng, so he ambitiously wrote a couple more of the big problems beyond the multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. He avoided making the multiple-choice answers too perfect, fearing the teacher would suspect he had copied. After calculating roughly, he stopped and leaned back to rest.
The exam hall was full of struggling students for whom math was a nightmare, so many had given up and were sleeping instead. The invigilator didn’t say anything, just propped his head up, feeling sleepy himself.
Yu Wan finished her last question and looked up to find Ye Qingyang asleep. She worried but couldn’t speak, wishing she could kick him awake. Did he finish the questions? Or did he just not know them?
She poked her chin with her pen, trying to understand his mindset. Was he hopeless? Or did he want to study but simply had no method, accepting his poor results?
She couldn’t figure it out, so she continued with her own paper.
When the bell rang, Ye Qingyang finally woke up, stretching comfortably, waiting for the teacher to collect his answer sheet.
Lu Jingcheng had submitted his early and, seeing Ye Qingyang so relaxed, immediately knew he hadn’t taken it seriously.
Once the sheets were collected, Lu Jingcheng walked in and asked Yu Wan, “Was he just sleeping?”
Yu Wan: …
Ye Qingyang boldly said, “I finished it.”
“Did you leave blanks again?”
Ye Qingyang defended himself, “I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t do it. I can’t just guess that X equals √5.”
Lu Jingcheng: ……
Yu Wan nodded in agreement. “Math isn’t something you can just guess; leaving blanks is normal.”
Lu Jingcheng glared at her. “You’re betraying me? This morning you said no blanks. Was that you?”
Yu Wan: ……
“Well, math and Chinese are different,” she said gently. “If you want, I can stay a little later tonight to help you review science and English. Do you want that?”
Lu Jingcheng thought he didn’t need it, but Ye Qingyang did.
Ye Qingyang thought Lu Jingcheng didn’t need it, but Lu Jingcheng had to.
So they both nodded, pointing at the other. “You mainly help him review.”
They looked at each other in displeasure. “Mainly you.”
Lu Jingcheng: “Look at your grades. Who do you think mainly needs it?”
Ye Qingyang: “Of course you. Yu Wan isn’t my heroine, so I don’t need her help for love. But you? Go ahead and push forward for love!”
Yu Wan, seeing them about to bicker again, quickly said, “It’s okay, I’ll help both of you. You each have room to improve.”
Lu Jingcheng: “You mean our poor grades, right?”
Ye Qingyang: “Otherwise? Oh, of course I’m not bad—only you are!”
But Yu Wan wasn’t harsh; she smiled softly. “Everyone has times when their grades aren’t great. Good character matters too. I appreciate what you’ve done before, so I believe if you want to learn, you can. Maybe the teaching method wasn’t suitable before, which is why your grades weren’t good.”
Ye Qingyang couldn’t help but think: truly the heroine—beautiful and kind. Lu Jingcheng, you need to try!
Lu Jingcheng also thought her words were pleasant. “Alright, where do you want to help us review? Our dorm has a study room, or we could go to one nearby?”
Yu Wan worried about appearing with both Lu Jingcheng and Ye Qingyang at the school dorm study room, so she chose a nearby public study room.
Lu Jingcheng had no objection. They grabbed the necessary books and worksheets from the dorm and went to the study room.
Yu Wan reviewed with them, highlighting key points and frequently tested types, even noting common answers to make it easier to guess.
Lu Jingcheng supervised Ye Qingyang the entire time. “Remember this. Do well tomorrow.”
Ye Qingyang handed the pen back. “You should remember too!”
“Both of you remember,” Yu Wan insisted. “Every point counts.”
Ye Qingyang sighed. Even being a struggling student was exhausting—so much note-taking. Was it too late for him to shed his “disguised” identity now?
Yu Wan helped them review until 9 p.m., then Lu Jingcheng and Ye Qingyang sent her home.
Ye Qingyang had thought about subtly assisting Lu Jingcheng with Yu Wan, but after considering the poor outcomes of previous attempts, he decided to wait until Lu Jingcheng developed feelings before helping.
They returned to the dorm, reviewed a bit more, then washed up and slept.
The next day before exams, Yu Wan brought her science and math notes, saying to Ye Qingyang, “Copy these if you want. They’re complete. Look first, then ask me questions if needed.”
Ye Qingyang didn’t take them. Lu Jingcheng did, noting the neatness and completeness. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll return them Monday,” Lu Jingcheng said.
Yu Wan nodded, smiling.
Ye Qingyang thought the progression was good—visible interaction between the hero and heroine increasing.
Once Lu Jingcheng returned to his exam hall, Ye Qingyang texted him: 【I’m not going, you can return them yourself.】
Lu Jingcheng replied: 【I’ll go then.】
Ye Qingyang was satisfied. Come on, Little Orange, seize every chance with the heroine!
That afternoon, Lu Jingcheng copied Yu Wan’s notes for Ye Qingyang, carefully bound them, and said, “Study well.”
“Don’t understand? Ask Yu Wan?” Ye Qingyang teased.
Lu Jingcheng didn’t want to. He would never accept her help if not for supervising Ye Qingyang.
“Not getting it? I’ll hire tutors for you.”
Ye Qingyang: … “Never mind!”
Lu Jingcheng smirked, proud of himself.
Monday, Lu Jingcheng returned the notes to Yu Wan in Class One.
They were openly friendly, no avoidance, but rumors spread quickly.
“Did you see? Lu Jingcheng was talking to Yu Wan from Class One. Since when do they interact?”
“Oh my, he even waited outside Class One for her!”
“Is it true they’re together?”
Girls ran to gossip, posting on the school forum: “The love-and-drama between Class One’s Yu Wan and campus idol Lu Jingcheng!”
Main post: “I heard they’re together? They were outside Class One, whispering sweet nothings?”
1L: Clickbait. I came ready for gossip, but got nothing.
2L: OP bold, Lu Jingcheng dares?
3L: OP about to be targeted by Little Orange’s guard squad.
4L: Little Orange??? Lu Jingcheng? Don’t scare me.
5L: Yep, that’s what his fans say.
6L: So scary.
7L: Fake, not together, post deleted.
Everyone: ????
Ye Qingyang had no idea Lu Jingcheng returning notes sparked rumors about them being a couple.
He was staring in disbelief at the plot of the last 50 chapters he’d just received.
Yes, the last 50 chapters finally arrived—but they completely defied his expectations, leaving him stunned.
Because the novel ended with a BE—bad ending!
Lu Jingcheng and Yu Wan ended up together, but tragically!
Author’s note: Yangyang looked at Chengcheng: “Your wife is gone.”
Chengcheng looked at Yangyang: “She’s still here!”
Thanks to: Fenghua Zhengmao, Qingqian, 32031874, Xian Chang, Queyue, and all the little angels who dropped ‘landmines’. Love you!