Chapter 63: The Sixty-Third Day of Conquest - A Rich History of Unrequited Love

Bai Jiangxin swore that if she dared to utter a single word of disdain in her heart...

He immediately sabotaged her so-called abstinence plan in front of the whole class.

Fortunately, Xiang Di wasn't so obsequious to those in power and disdainful of those in power.

【ah? ? ? 】

[I'm in the top 15% of the district, and I look down on you, who's only sixth in the city? Am I crazy?]

Xiang Di: "No..."

Bai Jiangxin glanced at her, deciding that she had passed the test.

Xiang Di still wanted to discuss changing seats with him, but just then the class bell rang.

Chen Jinghua told everyone to pay attention in class, exchanged a smile with the teacher in charge of the class, and left with his thermos.

Xiang Di watched her homeroom teacher's departing figure with lingering reluctance, but if she told the teacher alone that there was no such thing, the teacher would definitely prioritize Bai Jiangxin's idea, so she had to persuade Bai Jiangxin first.

The teacher asked everyone to take out their mock exam papers, as this lesson would go over the exam papers. Xiang Di could only obediently attend class for the time being.

She finished the class absentmindedly, and when the bell rang, she was ready to speak, her mind full of prepared remarks.

At that very moment, Bai Jiangxin turned his head and looked at Ye Minjia, who was across the aisle from him: "Going to the restroom?"

Ye Minjia: "Let's go."

Bai Jiangxin returned from the restroom when the class bell rang again.

The teacher told everyone to study on their own during this class, and Xiang Di finally found an opportunity to quietly move over and look at Bai Jiangxin expectantly.

"that……"

"If it's about changing seats, then forget about it."

Bai Jiangxin kept his head down, writing on the exam paper, without even looking up.

Xiang Di was confused: "Why don't you want to change seats? When the teacher assigned us to be deskmates before, didn't you really want to change seats?"

Bai Jiangxin stopped writing, turned to look at her, and asked, "Can things be the same before and now?"

Xiang Di: "How is it different?"

Bai Jiangxin opened his lips, but seeing her bewildered almond-shaped eyes, he silently pursed his lips again.

"Think for yourself," he said in a deep voice.

[You make me think for myself again! What's the point of having you if you always make me figure everything out on my own!]

[Sixth in the city is impressive, huh? You speak like you're talking in riddles.]

Xiang Di complained inwardly.

Bai Jiangxin suddenly asked, "Why did you change seats?"

Xiang Di was thinking about quitting pornography, but she explained in a grand manner, "I just think that since we've already... well, you know, it's better to keep our distance for a while..."

She described it in a somewhat abstract way, but he's ranked sixth in the city, so he should definitely be able to understand it.

"I don't understand," Bai Jiangxin said. "Speak human language."

Xiang Di: "..."

Xiang Di took a deep breath and quickly glanced around. Everyone was engrossed in their work, and the teacher was playing on his phone on the podium. No one noticed them.

She moved the workbook she was holding closer to his desk, as if asking him for help with a problem. She covered her mouth with her hand as if trying to hide her embarrassment, and whispered, "I mean, if I sit next to you, I'm afraid you'll get distracted, after all, you and I... right?"

She was still too embarrassed to say it, so she touched her two thumbs together.

Looking at the two thumbs stuck together, which was quite a fitting image, Bai Jiangxin raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice, "Would I be so confident because you distract me?"

Xiang Di's face flushed, and she quickly denied it: "No, no, I got the subject wrong. I was afraid I would get distracted..."

"Oh," he replied curtly, then said slowly, "So you like me that much? Just being deskmates makes you so distracted."

Xiang Di: "..."

He said both good and bad things; is this the mindset of a top student?

I just really, really like you, but... no, no, I can't admit it. When it comes to feelings, whoever loves more deeply always loses...

She said with difficulty, "...Anyway, it's better for both of us not to be deskmates."

Bai Jiangxin glanced at her: "Then you'd be better off as Zhou Linxiao's deskmate?"

Xiang Di: "Huh?"

What does this have to do with Zhou Linxiao?

Bai Jiangxin coughed lightly and asked her, "What did you do on the mock exam this time? Tell me your score."

How did we end up talking about mock exams again? The academic genius's thinking is really jumping around.

However, Xiang Di still obediently reported his grades to him.

After hearing her grades, he analyzed them for her and suggested which subjects she could improve in the remaining month.

“From now on, during your lunch break every day, you will spend half an hour doing chemistry problems. After you finish, I will check them and explain the mistakes to you. For other subjects, I will find some similar questions for you based on your error notebook to help you consolidate your knowledge. Once you have thoroughly mastered a question type, I will increase the difficulty.”

"In addition, during morning self-study every day, you must recite at least one English model essay to me, and after reciting it, write another one in imitation, as well as English vocabulary and phrases..."

Xiang Di was stunned and interrupted, "Wait, wait, wait, why are you suddenly making a study plan for me?"

Weren't they just discussing changing seats?

"Didn't you say that being deskmates is bad for you?" Bai Jiangxin said calmly. "Do as I say, and I'll supervise you. You can see whether it's good for you or not after the college entrance exam in a month."

Xiang Di was stunned.

Good heavens, is this the benefit of dating a genius?

She asked hesitantly, "Won't this interfere with your studies...?"

"Won't."

"Are you sure?" Xiang Di asked hesitantly. "I know you have good grades, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, the teacher on the podium suddenly tapped on the table.

"Some students, it's okay to discuss problems during self-study, but please keep your voices down and don't disturb other students."

The teacher didn't say anything to them, but Xiang Di kept quiet and chose to write him a note.

A piece of draft paper was pushed over, with her delicate and petite handwriting on it.

But you spend time supervising me and explaining problems to me every day, which will definitely reduce your own study time. If that affects your chances of getting first place (like this time you got sixth place, of course I don't mean sixth place is bad, sixth place is great!), I'll feel terrible >.<

It also included a small emoji.

Bai Jiangxin picked up her pen and replied on the next line.

He quickly pushed the draft paper back.

Above were his neat and elegant handwriting, containing only two sentences.

As long as you're by my side, I can win first place.

Although there were no explicit words written on the draft paper, and they were still seriously discussing their studies, Xiang Di still felt inexplicably ashamed of being discovered.

She wrote another sentence: "If you were my deskmate, would you do better on the test?"

He wrote a very short reply: "Hmm."

After thinking for a moment, I wrote down another sentence: "So don't change seats."

Then push it to her.

The draft paper wasn't pushed back; instead, she quietly folded it up and stuffed it into the book.

To commemorate our first time passing notes in class, I'm going to take this piece of paper home and keep it as a keepsake!

Bai Jiangxin pretended not to know about her little schemes and subtly curled her lips into a smile.

[Okay, okay, for my husband's sake, I'll make a small sacrifice. After all, life isn't always smooth sailing. Consider this a small hurdle in my grand plan to quit pornography. Xiang Di, if you can overcome this hurdle, you'll succeed at whatever you do in the future. Go for it!]

The corners of his lips that had been raised instantly smoothed out, and Bai Jiangxin's forehead twitched.

He kindly tutored her, and yet he became the one facing difficulties?

-

After being deskmates for a few days, Bai Jiangxin had a pretty good idea of ​​what she was thinking.

She was afraid that if she had too much desire for him during this month and couldn't get a complete release, it would affect her studies, so she decided to abstain from sex.

No wonder they suddenly changed their ways and went back to the right path.

Bai Jiangxin felt that this reason was plausible and didn't pursue it any further.

As long as she hasn't lost interest in him sexually, that's fine.

Xiang Di is indeed a person with strong execution skills.

She used to dream of being deskmates with the boy she had a crush on, but now that she's actually deskmates with Bai Jiangxin, she feels completely at peace.

One evening while eating in the cafeteria, even Liang Qianqian couldn't help but ask her, "Bao'er, these past few days you've been sitting next to Bai Jiangxin, haven't you been a little tempted?"

Xiang Di said, "No."

Liang Qianqian couldn't help but ask, "Did you really never quit drugs in your past life? That's Bai Jiangxin, and he even has feelings for you. How can you stay so calm?"

How could I possibly stay calm?

The person she had longed for for three years sat next to her every day. Just seeing him was a kind of happiness. She wanted to touch him and kiss him. Even if she accidentally bumped into his arm during class, her heart would still race.

However, she can now distinguish between what is important and what is most important at the moment, so she is trying her best to restrain herself from overthinking.

Moreover, over the past few days, she discovered that Bai Jiangxin was truly a perfect deskmate. He would explain problems to her, bring her breakfast, remind her what class the next period was, and help her find test papers. Whenever she couldn't help but daydream and the homeroom teacher came to check on her, he would immediately remind her to put her phone away.

She sometimes has trouble concentrating and often daydreams during class. He even took a special study period to keep a daily record of her activities.

The title is "A Lesson for Flute Players".

15:55 - Yawning.

15:56 - I ate half a pack of konjac snacks.

15:58 - It's too spicy, I'm drinking water.

15:59 - Take out the test paper.

16:05 - Frowning and biting the pen tip.

16:06 - Leg shaking.

16:08 - Playing with fingers.

16:10 - If you really can't write it, ask me.

16:15 - I understand, continue writing.

16:22 - Leg shaking.

16:25 - I finished the remaining half bag of konjac noodles.

16:27 - Chili oil dripped onto the exam paper, and I wiped it off.

16:29 - Search on your phone for "how to remove chili oil drips from paper".

16:30 - Playing on my phone, grinning like an idiot.

16:35 - Realizing that get out of class was almost over and I hadn't even finished a few problems, I slapped my forehead.

16:40 - get out of class ended, I drank too much water and went to the toilet.

Who would understand? Such beautiful handwriting, and he actually used it to record her such boring daily life.

However, after seeing what she had done during that self-study period, Xiang Di covered her forehead and never dared to daydream again during subsequent self-study periods, lest he be remembered and publicly punished.

Xiang Di couldn't tell Qianqian about this, so she lied and said, "What's there to be so upset about?"

Liang Qianqian sighed, "You're amazing. I wish I had half your willpower."

Xiang Di asked her what was wrong.

"What else could it be? It's all because of that bastard Ye Minjia. This time, the teacher rearranged our seating arrangement so we're deskmates again." Liang Qianqian looked distressed. "Isn't this just messing with me?"

Xiang Di didn't quite understand: "The class monitor has such good grades and is so caring. Isn't it a good thing that you're his deskmate?"

Liang Qianqian's tone was excited.

"What a load of crap! He was sitting next to me, and I was just staring at him. I couldn't learn anything."

Xiang Di blinked blankly, and Liang Qianqian instantly realized that she had just let something slip, and quickly covered her mouth.

"...You didn't hear anything just now, did you?"

Nonsense, she's not deaf.

Xiang Di chuckled dryly, "Yes, I didn't hear anything."

After dinner, Xiang Di returned to the classroom and sat down to work on the test paper that Bai Jiangxin had assigned her. She did two questions and occasionally turned her head to look at Ye Minjia and Liang Qianqian's table.

Ye Minjia was chatting with the boy behind her, and Liang Qianqian was chatting with the girl next to her; they weren't interacting.

[That's strange, they argue every day, how could Qianqian possibly like the class monitor?]

Bai Jiangxin, who was supervising her as she wrote the test paper, was speechless.

Instead of focusing on her exam, what was she rambling about about those two people?

Bai Jiangxin tapped on her desk: "Can you concentrate for a second?"

As a result of his knocking, Xiang Di completely lost interest in doing her test paper. She leaned over and asked him furtively what he thought of the class monitor and Qianqian.

"Not very good." Bai Jiangxin said calmly, "Instead of wondering if there's something fishy going on between them, you should do a couple more practice problems."

Xiang Di's eyes widened instantly: "You figured it out too?!"

Bai Jiangxin: "..."

I let it slip.

He could only nod reluctantly: "More or less."

Then Xiang Di completely stopped writing the test paper and started analyzing when the two of them started having an affair. Was it Qianqian who liked the class monitor, or was the class monitor also interested in Qianqian?

Bai Jiangxin has never been interested in other people's relationships, and said, "If you're so curious, why don't you just ask them directly?"

Xiang Di looked at him expectantly: "But it's not convenient for me to ask Qianqian. Could you help me ask the class monitor?"

"If it's inconvenient for you to ask Liang Qianqian, then it's inconvenient for me to ask Ye Minjia?"

“Okay…” Xiang Di rested her chin on her hand, suddenly looking troubled. “Sigh, if only I could know what they were thinking without having to ask.”

When faced with intractable problems in reality, people subconsciously expect some kind of superpower to appear.

"I wish I could read minds."

Bai Jiangxin paused for a moment.

Seeing her troubled expression, for reasons unknown, he suddenly asked softly, "If I could read minds, what would you do?"

Xiang Di looked at him: "Huh?"

"If you don't say anything, I can still tell what you're thinking. What would you do then?"

Xiang Di winked.

If he really could read minds and know what she was thinking...

Does that mean he knows every time she fantasizes about him?!

How terrifying! If he knew, she might as well die on the spot.

Xiang Di leaned back and gave him a stiff smile: "...I said mind reading was a joke, why are you taking it so seriously?"

She didn't answer his question directly, but Bai Jiangxin already knew the answer.

He didn't continue the topic, and lightly tapped the test paper with his finger: "Let's continue writing the test paper."

"oh."

Xiang Di picked up her pen, but her mind was still preoccupied with Ye Minjia and Liang Qianqian.

If things continue like this, she's doomed tonight.

Bai Jiangxin sighed and gave in anyway.

"I'll ask Ye Minjia about it after school."

Xiang Di's eyes lit up: "Really?!"

Bai Jiangxin: "If you focus on writing, I'll help you find out."

"Uh-huh!"

Xiang Di nodded obediently, immediately stopped thinking about anything else, and focused on writing the test paper.

-

Since Bai Jiangxin took over the responsibility of escorting Xiang Di home every night from Liang Qianqian, Liang Qianqian has been going home with another girl in her class.

But that girl asked to skip evening self-study today, so she'll have to go home alone.

After the bell rang for evening self-study, Liang Qianqian packed her schoolbag and prepared to leave.

Ye Minjia suddenly said, "Hey, wait a minute."

Liang Qianqian was confused: "Why would I wait for you?"

"Didn't Lin Jie take leave? Are you going home alone?" Ye Minjia said. "I'll take you."

Lin Jie was the girl who had been walking home with her every day during this period. Liang Qianqian was stunned, gripped her backpack strap tightly, and her heart suddenly started beating faster.

She wanted to tell him she didn't need him to take her, but her feet were stuck to the classroom floor tiles, and she couldn't move.

However, just as Ye Minjia finished packing, Bai Jiangxin came over and said that she wanted to go home with him today.

"Huh?" Ye Minjia was stunned. "Aren't you going to take Xiang Di home?"

Bai Jiangxin: "I won't see you off today, let's go."

Ye Minjia: "But I need to give Liang Qianqian a gift—"

"Qianqian, let's go home together today."

Xiang Di suddenly appeared out of nowhere and innocently took Liang Qianqian's arm.

How could Liang Qianqian possibly reject her best friend for Ye Minjia? That would be too obvious. So without saying a word, she left with Xiang Di.

Bai Jiangxin said, "She doesn't need you to take her anymore, come with me."

"...Alright then."

Ye Minjia gossiped about Bai Jiangxin the whole way, asking him why he didn't take Xiang Di home today, whether they had a fight, and whether he needed to help mediate.

Bai Jiangxin ignored him and just kept talking to himself.

"Believe me, really, buddy, I'm a relationship expert, super professional. When I was in junior high, several couples in my class would ask me to mediate when they broke up, and I always succeeded."

He was still talking even after they got on the subway. Bai Jiangxin was getting annoyed by him and, too lazy to waste words, asked him directly, "Do you like Liang Qianqian?"

"So you and Xiang Di... what?!"

His shout was so loud that the two tall, handsome students standing together were already eye-catching, and many people in the carriage turned their heads to look at him.

Ye Minjia quickly covered her mouth guiltily and whispered to Bai Jiangxin, "What did you just say?"

Bai Jiangxin: "I'm asking you if you like Liang Qianqian."

"I like her?! You must be kidding me." Ye Minjia curled her lips, her tone decisive. "She's not my type at all, okay? She's only 173cm tall, which is 12cm shorter than me. If she wears heels, she'll be the same height as me. Plus, she has a terrible temper. I like girls like Xiang Di, who have the cutest height difference with me, and I can pick them up with one hand, okay?"

Bai Jiangxin suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Who do you like?"

"Why are you in such a hurry? I said I like girls like Xiang Di, not that I like Xiang Di herself. I know the principle of not coveting a friend's wife. Don't worry, I'm a gentleman."

Bai Jiangxin frowned and glared at him.

Anyway, I've gotten the answer, so I can report back to someone.

He didn't say anything more, and took out his phone to send a message to Xiang Di.

On the contrary, Ye Minjia hesitated for a few moments after he asked a bombshell question and then fell silent. Finally, she scratched the back of her neck and couldn't help but ask him, "By the way, why did you suddenly ask me if I like Liang Qianqian?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the subway suddenly came to an emergency stop. Ye Minjia, unable to react in time, lunged at Bai Jiangxin.

Fortunately, Bai Jiangxin was able to stand firm and caught him in time.

The subway announcement quickly explained the reason for the sudden stop to the passengers. Ye Minjia, still clinging to Bai Jiangxin, said in a trembling voice, "Damn, that scared me to death..."

If I die here today, I won't be able to go to school tomorrow and I won't see Liang Qianqian again.

Ye Minjia stood up straight again and patted his shoulder gratefully: "Thanks, brother. It's good that you helped me."

Just as he was about to lower his hand, Bai Jiangxin suddenly grabbed his wrist, looked at him with a slightly complicated expression, and asked him again, "You really don't like Liang Qianqian?"

"...Why are you asking again? I've already told you she's not my type."

[Damn it, she's not even my type, how did I end up with her?]

[Damn, did this kid find out something? I thought I hid it pretty well...]

Ye Minjia said firmly, "Even if I remain a bachelor for the rest of my life, I will never be interested in Liang Qianqian."

Bai Jiangxin: "..."

Why are all the people around him saying one thing and meaning another?

-

After being bothered by Ye Minjia the whole way, I finally got some peace and quiet after getting off the subway.

How should he tell Xiang Di that Ye Minjia also has feelings for Liang Qianqian?

After all, Ye Minjia didn't tell him this himself; he only found out by overhearing his thoughts unintentionally.

I returned home with mixed feelings. My aunt greeted me warmly and said that the late-night snack was ready. My husband had just returned, so let's eat together.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Bai Jiangxin called out "Dad," and Bai Guang responded, inviting him to sit down and have some late-night snacks.

After asking about his son's recent studies, Bai Guang said, "I'll try to make time to visit your school next week for his coming-of-age ceremony."

Bai Jiangxin said, "There's no strict requirement for parents to attend the coming-of-age ceremony, so you don't need to force yourself."

"It's alright. I was just thinking of talking to your homeroom teacher about your college application. Do you have a target university in mind?"

Bai Jiangxin nodded. Since he was going to set a target university, with his grades, it would naturally be the top university.

Bai Guang then asked him, "Are you sure you want to go to university in China and not consider universities abroad?"

"If I had planned to go abroad, I wouldn't have gone to No. 14 Middle School in the first place."

Bai Guang smiled slightly: "Okay, it's good to stay in China. After you go to university, you can visit your grandfather often."

The father and son didn't speak again. Bai Guang still had work to do, so before going upstairs, he patted his son on the shoulder and said, "Go to bed early after you finish eating."

Bai Jiangxin has gradually become accustomed to the subtle physical contact between father and son.

He originally thought this was just another normal attempt by father and son to break the ice, but this time he didn't hear his father secretly rejoicing that his relationship with his son was slowly getting back on track.

[Xin'er has already decided to attend university in China, so Jiang Ruya shouldn't be able to take him with her.]

Upon hearing this name, Bai Jiangxin's brows furrowed, and he instantly looked up at his father.

Bai Guang: "What's wrong?"

"...Nothing's wrong," Bai Jiangxin said. "You should get some rest too."

After Bai Guang went upstairs, Bai Jiangxin sat alone in the restaurant. He hadn't finished his late-night snack, but he had lost his appetite.

Jiang Ruya is his mother's name; there shouldn't be another person with that name.

She gave up custody of him back then, thinking he was a burden on her pursuit of freedom, leaving him with her father and leaving so decisively. She hadn't even contacted him for over ten years. Why is she coming back to take him away now?

He preferred to believe it was another woman with the same name.

Bai Jiangxin frowned, took out his phone, and searched for the name Jiang Ruya on the web.

Jiang Ruya's profile was clearly displayed on the encyclopedia, and the woman in the photo with cold and capable features was his mother.

Without the burden of family responsibilities, she has achieved great success over the years. She gave up her career as a clinical doctor and resolutely devoted herself to biological research. Today, she is an internationally renowned PhD in biological genetics.

His mother came from a family of doctors. His maternal grandfather and paternal grandfather were old friends who met in a military hospital. After they got married, they arranged for their children to be a couple. His mother and father's marriage was both an arranged marriage and a free love marriage.

Who knew this marriage would end up being such a mess?

Regardless of whether his relationship with his father can be repaired, he will never go with his mother, who once resented him as a burden.

-

The next morning, Xiang Di went to school early and pestered Bai Jiangxin to ask him about Ye Minjia's situation.

Bai Jiangxin didn't want to interfere in other people's relationships, nor did he want Xiang Di to interfere. If he knew that the two of them were interested in each other, this groundhog would be even more excited than the two of them.

In short, keep it a secret for now, and tell her the bombshell news after the college entrance exam. At that time, whether she wants to be a matchmaker or whatever, it's up to her.

“I asked him, and he said he didn’t like it,” Bai Jiangxin said.

"Ah..." Xiang Di was clearly disappointed by this answer. "How could that be? Qianqian is so beautiful, tall, and has a great figure..."

[The class monitor doesn't like Qianqian? Is the class monitor blind?]

Bai Jiangxin found her words of defending Liang Qianqian somewhat amusing: "Does being beautiful mean that everyone has to like her?"

Xiang Di pursed her lips: "Otherwise what?"

If you weren't handsome, I wouldn't have been interested in you. Human beings are inherently attracted to appearances; it's in our genes.

Bai Jiangxin's temple throbbed.

They really know how to find a plausible reason for being a sucker for good looks.

Xiang Di changed his mind again.

[Wait a minute, if Qianqian is so pretty, why did my husband fall for me instead of her? And there are so many beautiful girls at our school, why did he only choose me?]

Bai Jiangxin isn't obsessed with looks, nor does he like to remember faces. To be fair, Xiang Di is quite pretty, with almond-shaped eyes, an oval face, and a delicate and refined appearance. Her well-behaved demeanor appeals to straight men, otherwise Ye Minjia wouldn't have said he liked girls like her.

He initially had an impression of Xiang Di because this girl had a cute face, but inside she was a lewd and perverted woman, a serious case of hypocrisy.

Is there something special about me that made me catch my husband's attention?

Bai Jiangxin: "..."

Yes, your charm is undeniably risqué; you successfully caught my attention.

While she was still wondering why he had taken a liking to her, Bai Jiangxin tapped her on the forehead.

"Ah!" Xiang Di covered her forehead.

Bai Jiangxin asked her, "Don't worry about Ye Minjia for now. Tell me first, are you sure Liang Qianqian has feelings for Ye Minjia?"

Xiang Di: "It should be confirmed, right..."

"Should we be sure?" Bai Jiangxin curled her lips slightly. "So you didn't know at all? Liang Qianqian didn't tell you either?"

"How could she possibly tell me something like this..." Xiang Di pouted. "You don't understand unrequited love."

Bai Jiangxin raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance: "What, you know? You've had a crush on someone before?"

"...I, of course I don't understand, but I've read novels, so I know a little about the psychology of unrequited love."

[Just kidding, who knows more than me? I have a long history of unrequited love. From my first year of high school to my third, I never had a period of being single. When it comes to unrequited love, I'm a professional.]

Bai Jiangxin frowned slightly.

They became classmates in their senior year of high school, and she only had a crush on him for a year at most. What does she mean by saying that she had no "bottom line" from her freshman to senior year of high school?

So who did she have a crush on during her first and second years of high school?