Chapter 13 is so close that even a call to stop won't stop it.

"Baby, you're finally back!"

At the end of the physical education class, Gao Hexin finally saw the girl who was late coming out of the teaching building and looked at her with concern.

"Yaoyao just told me she felt a little uncomfortable when she saw you. Are you feeling better now?"

Ning Jiu's forehead was still damp with sweat, and her almond-shaped eyes gave Gao Hexin a bright smile.

"Much better, don't worry."

Gao Hexin breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

They walked toward the assembled group, and happened to pass by the group of boys who were also assembling. Li Mingyuan's loud voice came from not far away.

"Berlin, why are you leaving right after the first match? I haven't even had a chance to play against you yet."

A boy next to him laughed and said, "You talk like you could beat him."

Li Mingyuan replied good-naturedly, "You won't know unless you compare."

Amidst good-natured laughter, Qiao Bolin walked into the line with a normal expression, letting Li Mingyuan put his arm around his.

"There's no water left, let's go back to the classroom to get some."

Upon hearing this, Li Mingyuan glanced at the full water glass in his hand and chuckled.

"You should have said so earlier, I could have had mine."

"......"

The sound gradually faded, and Gao Hexin realized something, turning to look at the girl on the other side.

"Did you run into Joe Bolin in the classroom too?"

The sunlight was intense, shining on Ning Jiu's skin, making it seem as if it were glowing with a layer of crystal light.

“I just happened to run into him,” Ning Jiu said. “He was the one who changed my water. He’s such a…”

Recalling the scene from a few minutes ago, the boy approached her step by step, pressing her against the water dispenser. Her long legs were slightly bent as she struggled, her clothes were rubbed into alluring wrinkles, and a burning sensation spread.

Ning Jiu's smile deepened.

"He is such a polite person."

"Berlin, after PE class comes physics class. After Lao Liu's class, do you want to check out the clubs?"

On their way back to the classroom from the playground, Li Mingyuan and Qiao Bolin, like good buddies, sidled up to each other.

"I heard that the student council, Model United Nations, and dance club have been having a lot of activities lately, it's quite lively."

Unlike other middle schools in Jiangcheng, club activities are only lively at the beginning of the school year, and are practically just for show at other times.

As the best high school in Jiangcheng, Jianglan Experimental School is committed to the all-round development of students in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics and labor. Students in grades 10 and 11 can choose to study in the evening. Club activities are also in full swing. Every time the clubs showcase their talents at the club culture festival and the school sports meet, they are a sight to behold.

Li Mingyuan's sudden mention of club activities also revealed his own hidden agenda.

The goddess Song Yunhe is the president of the dance club. Recently, the dance club has been rehearsing a new dance for the opening performance of the school sports meet, and he can take this opportunity to watch the goddess dance up close.

But I'm still too cowardly. I don't dare to go alone. I need to persuade a few of my buddies to go together.

Thinking this, Li Mingyuan became even more enthusiastic in his presentation, rambling on and on, only to realize that Qiao Bolin seemed to be completely...

I wasn't listening.

After physical education class, the students were exhausted. Some were lying on their desks panting, while others were desperately drinking water.

Qiao Bolin organized the notes he needed for the next class. The noisy surroundings filtered past his ears, while Gao Hexin's distinctive voice assaulted his eardrums.

"Xiao Jiu, do you also like playing this game character?" Gao Hexin asked with delight when he noticed the game character keychain on Ning Jiu's backpack. "We can play together next time, and I'll play support and heal you!"

Ning Jiu was preparing the workbooks she would take home after school, and answered after glancing at them.

"It's alright, I only play it occasionally."

"I remember that game had a lot of playable characters," Gao Hexin said, kneading the keychain. "So, why do you like playing it?"

"So, why me?"

His tall, slender figure completely enveloped the girl, and the sunlight was cut into two shades of light and shadow by his straight nose.

Qiao Bolin's calm eyes reflected her gentle face as he asked the first question after the silence.

Just as every question has a corresponding answer, this was indeed the first thing that came to Qiao Bolin's mind when he heard Ning Jiu say those words.

Perhaps because she hadn't expected him to remain so calm at this moment, Ning Jiu's mischievous teasing mood dissipated somewhat after he seriously raised his question.

"Why."

She thought about it for a while, following his train of thought, and found that she couldn't explain it clearly either.

"Maybe it's because I like to see people show different expressions, and your expressions are always so monotonous that they're boring, so I want to see you show some funny emotions."

Ningjiu said.

"Or perhaps I'm interested in psychology, and you'd be the perfect subject for my experiment."

She expressed her thoughts in a seemingly genuine yet feigned manner.

"Whatever the reason, I've thought this way about you for a long time."

The wind blew past the boy's temples, revealing his handsome forehead and well-defined eyebrows and eyes.

Suddenly, Qiao Bolin took a step forward. Ning Jiu was not expected to get so close and almost bumped into his chest.

He had just returned from playing basketball, but there was no trace of sweat or body odor on him.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, flowing down her smooth cheeks and past the small mole next to her Adam's apple. The tips of her ears were slightly red from the heat, adding a touch of sexiness rarely seen on ordinary days.

A familiar yet unfamiliar aggressiveness appeared in Qiao Bolin. Ning Jiu reflexively took a step back, her lower back braced against the water dispenser, before she remembered to stop him.

"Wait, Joe Bolin, shouldn't we...?"

They're too close.

"You see, you don't like me treating you like this either, do you?"

His cold words interrupted Ning Jiu before she could finish speaking, his tone completely at odds with the burning sensation in her chest.

Ning Jiu paused as she pressed against his chest, her words trailing off.

"Do you know that if you make too many jokes, some people will take them seriously?"

Qiao Bolin bent down, his powerful arm muscles brushing against the cuff of her school uniform, and Ning Jiu unconsciously flinched.

It's so hot.

Qiao Bolin observed Ning Jiu's reaction.

"We'll call a halt later, in case it gets out of control."

Her hair swept across her high brow bone, and her cool voice carried a hint of heat.

For example, like this.

He was still approaching, his vibrant aura reaching her collarbone. Ning Jiu could clearly hear the pounding of her own heartbeat, almost surging through her veins to the point where the two touched.

Thump, thump.

At the critical moment when he reached the threshold, his aura suddenly drifted away.

Before Ning Jiu could react, she felt the feeling of being restrained disappear, and the two returned to their normal distance.

I heard Qiao Bolin's clear and firm voice in my ear.

"So Ning wine, this won't do."

This was the first time in all the time she had known him that she had heard Qiao Bailin so clearly reject someone.

He said.

Ningjiu, that won't do.

"Hopefully this is the last time we discuss this unpleasant topic."

After confirming one last time that Ning Jiu showed no signs of discomfort, Qiao Bolin looked away, just as he would with any other classmate.

"If you're really not feeling well, you can actually take a day off."

After saying this, his expression remained calm, as if they had only bumped into each other briefly in the classroom, and he turned and left.

The final bell rang, pulling Ning Jiu back from her thoughts.

In physics class, Ning Jiu watched Lao Liu passionately solve a problem on the blackboard. Both methods had their merits, but Ning Jiu preferred the more challenging one.

There's no reason, I just like it.

But from another perspective—

Having no reason is a reason in itself, isn't it?

He twirled the black pen in his hand, the ink pen brushing against the paper with a hissing sound.

So between her and Joe Bolin.

That was a complete rejection.

Or should we completely...break up?

Ning Jiu didn't think being rejected was anything shameful.

It could even be said that when she said those words, she probably already anticipated how Qiao Bolin would react.

As she expected, the outcome was as predicted.

It's a bug-level issue, and it's really difficult to deal with.

After correcting the last major question, Ning Jiu looked back at the blackboard and inadvertently met Lao Liu's gaze. She had a bad feeling in her heart.

The next second—

"Come on, Ning Jiu, you did it using the second method. Explain your problem-solving process to everyone!"

Sure enough, you can't make eye contact with the teacher during class.

Ning Jiu stood up, recalled her thought process for solving the problem, and then summarized it based on the methods Lao Liu had taught in class. Lao Liu smiled and asked her to sit down.

“Okay, Ning Jiu is right. The characteristic of this method is that the steps are direct and effortless, you can jump more and it is easy to get points, but you can’t get all of them. Fortunately, you can get all of them next time after you changed it.” He circled around and said, “I remember that quite a few students did it using the first method. Tell us what you were thinking.”

After looking around and no one raised their hand, Lao Liu still chose the top student as usual.

"Berlin, I remember you did it using the first method, tell me about it."

The upright young man stood up and began to explain his thoughts line by line.

“Very good,” Lao Liu was very satisfied with the progress, which was faster than expected. “The first method is our usual approach, which requires step by step to reach the result. Most students give up halfway through. The reason why Qiao Bolin scored more points than you is that he knew his method was correct, so he persisted until the result.”

At the end of the class, he took a picture of the two very different methods on the blackboard for comparison and sent it to the class group.

"The two methods are suitable for different situations and different people. Students, remember to take a good look at them after school."

Finally, get out of class ended, and Gao Hexin's howling echoed in my ears. I quickly packed my things and prepared to rush out of the classroom.

"Sweet Wine, I have a club activity today, so I probably can't leave campus with you. Goodbye, Marseille~"

Seeing that she was really in a hurry, Ning Jiu quickly said it was okay. She packed her schoolbag and just left the classroom when she accidentally bumped into a figure in the corridor.

"Hey, 'Sweet Wine,' watch where you're going."

The playful tone made it clear who it was even without looking up. Ning Jiu took a step to the side, just in time to avoid Cai Liming's hand that was about to help her up.

Xiao Cai's expression clearly betrayed his growing unease.

"You won't let me touch you? So arrogant," Cai Liming chuckled, walking beside Ning Jiu like a persistent pest. "How do you get home after school? Does someone pick you up?"

Ning Jiu didn't answer, so he continued to ask.

"Take the bus? Or ride a bike? Should I have my mom take you?"

As the crowd surged after school, Cai Liming relentlessly pursued her. Ning Jiu felt that the distance between them had narrowed, and the kind smile on her face couldn't help but fade a little.

"unnecessary."

“Why not?” Cai Liming took Ning Jiu’s refusal as embarrassment. “Although my mother’s car is a Maserati, you may not have ridden in one before, but don’t be shy. Practice makes perfect, and you can do it often in the future…”

"I said I don't need it." Ning Jiu stopped abruptly, narrowing her eyes. "Cai, are you deaf?"

"......"

As the two passed under the locust tree, upbeat dance music played from a record player, adding a touch of dynamism to their ordinary after-school day.

Cai Liming was surprised by Ning Jiu's tone, which was completely inconsistent with her appearance, but the latter looked through him towards the direction behind her.

It was a dance club activity. Several students were rehearsing some kind of dance next to their own record player. There were many people watching around, and quite a few fans were waving light sticks. The atmosphere was really good.

There were both boys and girls dancing. As the rhythm slowed down, Ning Jiu looked from left to right and saw a familiar face.

Song Yunhe.

Unlike when I first saw her at the beginning of the school year, when she looked pure and beautiful in her school uniform.

Now she's changed into a red bodysuit and black hot pants, showing off her great figure. Standing in the center, she moves to the rhythm and enjoys the music, which is very captivating.

Ning Jiu glanced at it, wanting to look away, but caught sight of a more familiar figure beside her.

The boy pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head, revealing his entire forehead. His bold and unrestrained eyebrows and eyes shone brightly in the sunlight, and the ends of his hair swayed over his straight nose. His dance moves were crisp and skillful.

......

Wen Yi is showing off again.

Clearly, many girls fell for this. When the song ended, enthusiastic applause erupted. Ning Jiu even spotted a light board with "Wen Yi" engraved on it.

Because of Ning Xuan's phone call yesterday, she gets annoyed whenever she sees him now.

Ning Jiu rolled her eyes at Wen Yi without any attempt to hide it. She thought he wouldn't see it, but before the next song even started its intro, he jumped off the stage and walked straight towards her.

Cai Liming was still preoccupied with how to turn the tide, completely unaware that the cheering crowd had suddenly fallen silent.

"Look at Song Yunhe, she truly deserves to be called the goddess of Jianglan Experimental School. Not only is she prettier than you and has a better personality, but she's also better at singing and dancing than you," he said through gritted teeth. "Unlike some two-faced person who looks innocent but then—"

"What do you mean by 'as soon as you open your mouth'?"

Cai Liming was interrupted before he could finish his rant.

Wen Yi forcefully pushed Cai Liming's shoulder aside and stood naturally next to Ning Jiu, seemingly oblivious to the many eyes that were looking at him.

"Are you talking about yourself? You look stupid, but you're so sarcastic the moment you open your mouth."

As he spoke, he deliberately mimicked Cai Liming's smirking expression, which was quite infuriating.

"I can smell your bad breath from that far away. Can you treat it before you speak? Otherwise, you're polluting the environment."

Someone nearby couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Cai Liming's face turned red and then pale after Wen Yi's words. His good student image prevented him from saying anything openly insulting, but his competitive spirit as a boy made him unable to swallow his anger.

"No, who are you?"

His gaze lingered between Ning Jiu and Wen Yi.

A cute and obedient girl, and a wild and unruly boy.

They should have absolutely no connection.

After holding it in for a long time, Cai Liming finally managed to utter these words: "What gives you the right to speak up for her?"

"It's none of your business. I can speak for whomever I want, and it's none of your business who I want to criticize."

Cai Liming's level is far beyond that of Wen Yi, who was raised in bars from a young age and was used to all kinds of quarrels.

Wen Yi's thin lips curled slightly, and his words were utterly merciless.

"It's better than someone who thinks for a long time and then blurts out a sentence."

Ning Jiu was too lazy to listen to their debate. She left the center of the crowd and headed towards the school gate, but after taking only a few steps, she was pulled back by a strong force.

"Hey, Ning Jiu, I helped you and you didn't even say thank you," a deep male voice came from behind. "That's not very kind of you."

Although she was still some distance from the main gate, Ning Jiu spotted Yuan Liangjing's back as he waited in the crowd.

Her hand, which she had intended to shake off, suddenly stopped. She grabbed Wen Yi's hand and forcefully pulled him behind a locust tree.

As their skin touched, Wen Yi paused for a moment, then looked up and quickly met Ning Jiu's scrutinizing gaze.

"Didn't we agree yesterday to pretend we don't know each other at school? What are you up to now?"

Wen Yi countered, "You didn't tell me you were acting so well-behaved in front of your new classmates."

"......"

The locust tree branches and leaves intertwine, faintly revealing the golden glow of the setting sun at dusk.

The dance music stimulated his eardrums, and Ning Jiu gave a cold laugh, not dwelling on it too much.

More than that question, she wanted to know the answer to the next one.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to them, Ning Jiu took a few steps closer and suddenly grabbed his collar: "I'll ask you one last time, how did you come up with the idea of ​​coming to Jiangcheng?"

“We grew up together. Don’t tell me you just happened to transfer schools, and it just happened to be the same city and the same high school. Do you think I’d believe that?”

Their eyes met, and Wen Yi's pupils deeply reflected Ning Jiu's appearance.

"You should know better than I why I'm here—"

His eyelashes were clearly defined, and his classic peach blossom eyes sparkled with a captivating smile.

"I came here specifically to find you."

Eyes can deceive, but tone of voice cannot.

Ning Jiu could sense the coldness hidden in those words.

"Wen Yi, that matter is over. Those who should have been held accountable have been held accountable. What more do you want...?"

She also felt regret about the car accident involving Wen Xingxiang in Lingcheng.

However, this emotion stemmed from the fact that Wen Xingxiang was his uncle who had taken care of him since childhood, and he lamented the accident that occurred when the road changed for goods delivery in the Lingcheng mountain area.

"You think it can end so easily?"

"What?" Ning Jiu thought she had misheard.

“You think that matter is over? I haven’t,” his smile widened. “Ning Jiu, that matter is something I’m not getting over.”

The conversation ended there.

The cicadas' chirping was deafening.

Ning Jiu laughed in anger at Wen Yi's words and released her grip on his collar.

"If you hate me so much, and hate my dad so much, then why did you help me just now?"

“We should unite against external threats, and deal with our own affairs after the external problems are resolved,” Wen Yi raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what you taught me since I was little—”

"elder sister."

Even with his collar loosened, he still bent slightly, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips.

"Besides, isn't it more interesting for me to stay here like a time bomb, waiting for the right opportunity to expose your true colors to everyone, rather than letting others expose you?"

Okay, I can't spray this.

That's truly despicable.

"Wen Yi, you really are..."

Ning Jiu was so angry that her chest ached. "We've completely broken up now, haven't we?"

It's not a question, it's an affirmative statement.

Before Wen Yi could speak, she raised her hand and made a slapping motion at him again.

Wen Yi instinctively closed his eyes and didn't dodge.

The expected slap did not fall.

In the darkness, he heard the girl's helpless, soft curses.

"It's unbelievable, two people have fallen out in just one afternoon."

-

These past few days, half of the students in Class 8 of Grade 11 have been busy after class and after school.

Ning Jiu learned that the joint club culture festival between Jianglan Experimental School and the neighboring Linjiang International Middle School was coming soon.

"Last time, our Model UN team lost to Linjiang International by just 2 points," Gao Hexin said resolutely. "We absolutely cannot lose again this time!"

Ning Jiu was catching up on sleep at her desk when she heard her say that. She turned her head, and her soft hair brushed against the corner of the desk.

"Tsuruko, what position did you hold last time?"

"Representative of Venezuela".

Ning Jiu: "And what about this time?"

"Still the Venezuelan representative!"

Gao Hexin organized the speech drafts he had been rehearsing in front of him, his eyes filled with a desire to turn the tide.

“We’ll get back up from where we fell!” she said. “Last time, the Model UN president was from Linjiang, and the vote counting process wasn’t transparent, so there was suspicion of vote rigging. This time it’s different.”

She scoffed, "This time, our Academician Qiao is the Model UN chair. Let's see how the people from Linjiang can still show favoritism."

Upon hearing this name, Ning Jiu blinked almost imperceptibly.

She and Qiao Bolin hadn't spoken for over a week since their last PE class.

It's not a matter of one avoiding the other; neither of them had that much extra energy.

Since her last meeting with Wen Yi broke down, Ning Jiu has been paying the most attention to Yuan Liangjing, aside from her studies.

The latter was cleaning up the dishes left by customers when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine and goosebumps all over his body.

"Um, Sweet Wine, your uncle wants to discuss something with you," Yuan Liangjing said to Ning Jiu after washing the dishes. "Could you please stop looking at me like that—"

Why didn't you tell me that Ning Xuan had relapsed into his drinking in Lingcheng?

Well, this girl was just waiting for him to speak first before seizing the opportunity to ask him about it.

Yuan Liangjing suddenly turned around and exclaimed, "Oh dear, there are still a few bowls I forgot to wash..."

“Whether you’re doing this for my own good or for some other reason,” Ning Jiu’s voice came from behind, “let my dad come back first. Running away from reality all the time isn’t the solution.”

Ning Jiu hasn't told Yuan Liangjing about Wen Yi's matter yet. If his only goal in coming to Jiangcheng this time is her, she hopes it won't involve others.

Regardless, this week-long tug-of-war with Yuan Liangjing has been incredibly exhausting.

Adding to the two-hour commute, Ning Jiu felt sleepy and wanted to go to sleep after the class.

The Pareto principle (80/20 rule) shows that human energy is finite.

If you put too much of it in other places, your interest in other things will gradually fade.

After a short lunch break to recharge, Ning Jiu spread out the third set of Chinese language proficiency test papers.

A quick glance revealed that, because it was a past exam question, Ning Jiu had encountered three of the questions in the "53" practice materials.

Just as I was recalling the reference answers I had seen in the 53 exam, I heard Li Mingyuan's complaints behind me.

"Berlin, you promised Gao Hexin you'd go to Model UN, so why didn't you agree to go with me to see the dance club's performance—"

"Li Mingyuan, everyone knows what you're thinking."

Before Qiao Bolin could speak, Gao Hexin spoke up.

"If you want to see the goddess, just say so! Why drag her crush along?" she bluntly said. "That's typical Boiling Sheep behavior—"

etc.

Gao Hexin was halfway through his speech when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

What goddess...and god?

Damn it, what did I just say?

"Cough cough."

She coughed violently, deliberately avoiding the gazes of Qiao Bolin and Li Mingyuan. In her panic, she reached for her water glass, but accidentally knocked it over, spilling half the water onto her table, and the other half...

"Ahhh! Sweet wine, I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!"

Ning Jiu's desk was some distance from Gao Hexin's, but a lot of hot water from her cup still spilled onto the test paper.

Because the water had just been collected, some spilled onto Ning Jiu's hand as she held the pen, and the back of her hand almost immediately turned crimson.

Glug.

The water glass fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Gao Hexin reacted, stood up and wanted to go over, but felt the wind rush past her side.

I didn't feel anything when I was splashed with water, but then a burning pain spread.

Ning Jiu lowered her eyes, looking at the swollen back of her hand. After a moment of silence, just as she was about to say it was okay, she felt the pen being snatched from her hand.

His strength was great, but it didn't hurt. His fair and slender fingers carefully grasped the parts that weren't burned, checking her injury.

Everyone, including Ning Jiu, froze because of Qiao Bolin's actions.

"It's quite serious. You need to go to the bathroom and wash it with cold water first."

The moment Qiao Bolin spoke, Gao Hexin seemed to wake from a dream and wanted to take Ning Jiu to the restroom.

But as she walked to Ning Jiu's side, she glanced at the spot where the two were clasped together, and her movements suddenly became hesitant.

"Joe Bolin, will you take her, or—"

"I can go by myself."

The soft warmth of her fingertips was fleeting, and Ning Jiu shook off Qiao Bolin's hand without hesitation and walked towards the bathroom.

Gao Hexin: "......"

Li Mingyuan: "......"

The two blinked, first looking at Ning Jiu's back, then turning to look at Qiao Bolin's expression.

The boy remained in the same posture, his thick eyelashes drooping, obscuring his expression.

The numbness and pain in my arm was stimulating my nerves, but fortunately there was still some time before class, enough time to rinse my arm with cold water.

Ning Jiu stretched out her arm, and her already fair skin turned a terrifying red under the stinging pain.

She watched expressionlessly as the white spray of water slammed against her arms. At first, it was a mix of pain and cold, but the burning sensation gradually subsided and became less unbearable.

While she was rinsing, Gao Hexin came in from the corridor. Ning Jiu nodded to her, and the former looked apologetic, just quietly watching Ning Jiu's forearm skin being rinsed by cold water.

Splash.

The sound of flowing water spread.

After a moment of silence, Gao Hexin decided to apologize again.

"Sweet wine, are you feeling unwell?" she asked sincerely. "I've already explained the situation to Lao Qin. If you're still not feeling well, I'll go with you to the infirmary—"

"No need." A soft voice interrupted Gao Hexin's words, Ning Jiu's eyes still fixed on the surging water. "I just checked, it's much better now."

Upon hearing this, Gao Hexin's eyebrows did not relax; instead, they tightened even more.

“Actually, sometimes,” she said slowly, probably organizing her thoughts, “I kind of wish you weren’t so obedient.”

The sound of the water hitting her voice finally caused Ning Jiu's expression to waver slightly, and she looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

There were only the two of them in the bathroom at that moment. Gao Hexin mustered up her courage, reorganized what she wanted to say, and continued.

“For example, if I hurt you today, you can directly blame me or tell me it hurts and not to do it again next time. Or, for example, a few days ago I had to participate in a club activity and couldn't leave the school with you. You can also tell me how you felt, like…” How to describe that feeling? “It makes me feel like we are really good friends and that we are closer.”

After saying that, Gao Hexin gave himself a self-affirmation.

"Yes, that's it."

"...Pfft."

The tap was turned off by the girl, and Ning Jiu smiled because of Gao Hexin, which was a little different from usual.

"Okay, I've learned it. I'll do it like this next time."

Although Ning Jiu's burns weren't serious, Gao Hexin still planned to go to the infirmary with her just in case.

By the time I got the burn ointment from the infirmary, the Chinese class had already started for ten minutes. The road was unusually quiet with few people around.

As Ning Jiu and Gao Hexin walked back to the teaching building with the ointment, the latter suddenly remembered something and curiously approached her.

"I just wanted to ask, I'm just curious," Ning Jiu said, the more she felt that Gao Hexin's words were not good. "Ahem, you and... Qiao Bolin."

Gao Hexin's eyes, bathed in sunlight, gleamed with a gossipy light.

"I hope our relationship hasn't deteriorated because of the start of the school year."

"......"

Ning Jiu really wanted to say that I was just messing with him, but after he clearly rejected me, we completely broke up.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he forced out a single sentence.

"He might not like me that much."

This statement itself isn't particularly noteworthy, and it's likely true. However, it's heartbreaking to hear such a cute and well-behaved girl say something like that in such a soft tone.

Gao Hexin already felt guilty towards Ning Jiu, and upon hearing this, his expression immediately changed.

“Of course I like it. How could anyone not like our sweet wine?” She thought for a moment and decided to explain for Qiao Bolin. “Qiao Bolin is a really nice person. I’ve basically never seen him lose his temper.”

Ning Jiu recalled the physical education class.

At that time, she must have angered him.

Looking back now, the way he looked when he was angry actually seemed quite...

I want to fuck him.

Gao Hexin, unaware of Ning Jiu's thoughts, continued, "But of course, I must admit that he's actually quite difficult to approach. What's that saying again? Oh right, he's someone you can only admire from afar, not someone you can get close to."

"But I don't think you should stop talking over this. Let me think of a way to get to know each other better..."

Ning Jiu originally just wanted to play the victim, but when she sensed that Gao Hexin was really trying to get her to get to know Qiao Bolin, she turned around to stop him.

"Tsuruko, you don't really need to—"

"How about this!" Gao Hexin snapped his fingers. "The Model UN is short of a chairperson's assistant. The job is to organize materials and keep track of time. If you're interested, you can come with me after school to listen to the Model UN rehearsals and chat with Qiao Xueshen."

Model United Nations, Chair Assistant.

This job sounds interesting.

Ning Jiu's words lingered in her throat.

"...I have no prior experience with Model UN. Is it too late for me to learn now?"

"Of course, baby!" Gao Hexin patted his chest and assured him, "With your strong learning ability, I guarantee you'll understand it after listening to the reports from representatives of various countries a few more times. The underlying logic is very simple."

As they walked and talked, Lao Qin's deep voice came through the classroom walls.

"This is the style of Shen Congwen's writing; there aren't many twists and turns," he said passionately. "But it's also difficult. The difficulty lies in making sure the characters he creates are as clear-headed as a mirror, so that their words, once on the tip of their tongues, become incredibly powerful. Look at the last sentence of the second paragraph..."

Ning Jiu and Gao Hexin reported their arrival to the classroom and saw that the other students had turned to the page of the text excerpted from "Border Town".

“Next, let’s discuss the next question,” his voice trailed off, “Everyone, look at question two on page seventy-six.”

Following Lao Qin's instructions, Ning Jiu traced the bottom right corner of the page with her fingertip.

2. Based on the excerpt from the text, explore what love is.

After glancing at the question, the crowd unsurprisingly became agitated.

Old Qin was clearly engrossed in explaining the text, and before even getting to the questions, he spoke at length about his past teaching experiences.

"You kids, don't think this is a simple problem. It's complicated. Back then, I had just started teaching and didn't have much experience. I had two boys and girls sitting in the first row—yes, those are the seats where Qianyi and Luo Yu are in our class now. Back then..."

As the saying goes, I'm completely unmoved by the teacher's lectures, but I'm all talk and no talk when the teacher is gossiping.

Ning Jiu keenly sensed that Gao Hexin and Li Mingyuan around her were paying much more attention.

Just as Lao Qin finished recounting his final story, the bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class. He looked dazed for a moment, then waved his hand.

"Tomorrow is Friday, the last Chinese class of the week. We'll continue with this question and continue discussing 'Border Town'."

After three more classes, when school was over, Gao Hexin warmly invited Ning Jiu to come to the Model United Nations conference room on the fifth floor.

When they arrived at the door, Gao Hexin looked down to find her keys, and Ning Jiu patted her on the shoulder.

"Tsuruko, the door seems to be open."

"Oh?" Gao Hexin paused in his search for the keys, then looked up. "Really?"

Upon opening the door, Qi Ruiheng was already seated in the Japanese delegation's seat, with Qiao Bolin sitting next to him, seemingly writing something.

"Wow, class monitor, Qiao Xue Shen, you guys are here so early!"

Gao Hexin greeted the two of them, and Qi Ruiheng looked at Ning Jiu curiously.

"Is Ningjiu coming too?"

"Yes, sweet wine helped me out by becoming the chairman's assistant."

Gao Hexin also walked to her representative's seat, put her backpack on the seat, and Ning Jiu sat next to her, doing her homework for a while before it started.

When Gao Hexin was doing his Chinese homework, something suddenly occurred to him, and he sighed.

The sound was quite loud, echoing in the quiet room. Ning Jiu turned to look at her.

"What's wrong?"

"You know, Lao Qin usually seems so serious, but every time he talks about this kind of prose, he can't help but reminisce about the past. Is this how people are when they get to this age?"

Qi Ruiheng took a sip of water and joined the conversation.

"The story he told this afternoon was quite inspiring; I guess he was trying to motivate us."

Two high school freshmen, whose grades were below average and whose families were not well-off, fell in love with each other and studied hard. In the end, one was admitted to Peking University and the other went to study in the UK.

Their names are still on the school's wall of outstanding alumni.

"Is it inspiring?" Gao Hexin was skeptical. "He spoke so passionately, but I couldn't really empathize with him."

Qi Ruiheng: "Why can't you empathize?"

“Because in my opinion, this is a pure bad ending,” Gao Hexin said. “We’re not even in the same country anymore, and we probably won’t keep in touch in the future. We were so deeply involved in each other’s youth, but now we’re going to be like strangers. How sad is that?”

With the atmosphere built up to this point, Qi Ruiheng was also somewhat saddened by Gao Hexin's words.

"I think whether it's a good ending or not depends on how you define it."

Qi Ruiheng and Gao Hexin looked at Ning Jiu, who had spoken.

"If we say that high school graduation is the end of the story, it does seem like a bad ending. But life is actually very long, and most of the time is after high school. Although they are temporarily separated, they have at least done their best, so it's not a bad ending?"

Qi Ruiheng was silent for a moment, then adjusted his glasses: "I quite agree. From our perspective, it seems like the story should end after the college entrance examination, but in reality, the end of life is still far away for us now."

Gao Hexin squinted, as if he could see a distant future.

"The road ahead after the college entrance exam is something I really can't imagine right now."

Thud.

The sound of a ballpoint pen being pressed rang out along with a sound coming from the doorway.

"Hi, George Polin! Long time no see!"

A tall boy walked in through the main gate, followed by four or five students who were chatting and laughing.

The boy, who had been silent for a long time, raised his eyes, straightened his posture, and pressed down on the pen in his hand before it bounced back up.

"Yuan Qi".

Yuan Qi greeted Qiao Bolin familiarly, and the men and women behind him also acted like old friends, chatting as they looked for their seats in the conference room.

Gao Hexin leaned close to Ning Jiu's ear and whispered.

"Most of these people are from Class 5 of the humanities experimental class. The first person to walk in is Yuan Qi, who ranked first in the humanities grade in the final exam last semester and served as the UAE representative for Model United Nations."

After the students from Class 5 arrived, many more people came one after another.

Once everyone had arrived, the Model United Nations officially began its first simulation meeting.

Ning Jiu was seated next to the podium, where she was tasked with organizing the documents submitted by all parties and keeping track of the time during the meeting, as Gao Hexin had instructed her to do that afternoon.

The process was somewhat boring, but fortunately, a lot could be learned. Ning Jiu tried to use the same thought process as absorbing textbook knowledge to adapt to the dense information and diverse viewpoints in front of her, but she still found it difficult.

As I was organizing the third set of documents, I heard Qiao Bolin's hushed voice in my ear.

"Ning Jiu, could you please check if there are any problems with what I just wrote down?"

Perhaps because of his low voice, Ning Jiu had to move slightly closer to him.

Qiao Bolin's warm breath landed right on her earlobe, sending a tingling, indescribable sensation through her. Ning Jiu's fine eyelashes trembled.

She took the manuscript he handed her and found it covered with notes and annotations, realizing what Qiao Bolin had been writing.

"What you wrote... is fine."

After reading it once, Ning Jiu slightly pursed her lips.

Could it be said that not only was there no problem, but it actually helped her clarify her thoughts?

It was just a mock meeting, but Qiao Bailin really takes everything very seriously.

"That's good," he replied softly, his handsome eyes turning to her. "Ning Jiu, about last time—"

"Um, the new student in Class 8? His name is Ning Jiu, right?"

The boy's voice interrupted her conversation with Qiao Bolin.

Ning Jiu looked over and saw Yuan Qi.

Yuan Qi's gaze lingered between the two for a moment before settling on Ning Jiu. He smiled and waved to her.

"You must be the AD (Assistant to the Chairperson) for this meeting. We're going to have a free consultation here, so could you keep track of the time?"

Ning Jiu took her phone and went to Yuan Qi's group to keep track of the time.

This group discussion lasted longer than the previous ones. Ning Jiu's legs were getting a little sore from standing there. Just as she was about to remind Yuan Qi that time was up, the latter seemed to remember something and snapped her fingers at her.

"AD, could you bring me my water bottle? It's on the seat where we were sitting in the previous group."

"......"

As Ning Jiu looked at Yuan Qi's smile, his portrait of him gradually became clearer.

Children raised in privileged families from a young age have a set of rules passed down from their parents regarding the balance between being bossy and maintaining politeness.

A polite demeanor masking arrogance, a smiling face concealing pride—having witnessed how her parents treated their subordinates, she treats anyone she considers inferior with a sense of entitlement and superiority.

Ning Jiu didn't say anything as she watched the surrounding gazes, some familiar and others amused. She simply took a water glass from the direction Yuan Qi pointed and handed it to him.

Just then, the consultation time was up. She put away her phone and sat back in her seat. A short while later, Yuan Qi's eyes met hers again.

"AD, you should be free after the meeting, right? Help us move some documents to Class 5 later, and I'll treat you to coffee."

His father's.

Ningjiu is almost out of stock.

She had just stood up when she felt someone grab her wrist.

Unlike his forceful manner at noon, he deliberately avoided her scalded skin, holding her hand loosely without applying force.

Ningjiu can break free anytime it wants.

Yuan Qi frowned slightly at Qiao Bolin's actions, but before she could say anything, the latter spoke first.

"unfortunately."

"The moment people around looked over," Qiao Bailin said.

"We just made an appointment."

-----------------------

Author's note: Berlin is about to be thoroughly slapped in the face by its past self, haha.

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