Chapter 19 Chapter 19 (V Three-in-One)

Wednesday.

Early in the morning, when Ren Li arrived at school, she saw a busy scene.

The students gathered nervously around the blackboard, unsure what to read. Zhang Xintong hadn't arrived yet. Ren Li put down her schoolbag and subconsciously glanced at Wen Shuo, who had also entered the room, hoping to get some useful information from him.

Wen Shuo said casually: "The results are out."

Ren Li: "Oh... huh?!"

A series of huge exclamation marks flashed through her mind. After being stunned for a second, she joined the group checking the grades in front of the blackboard.

Wen Shuo, never one to join in on such commotion, dumped his backpack on the table and began to count his math homework. When he finished, he saw Ren Li walking back from the front, looking rather dejected, with the words "I didn't do well on the test" practically written all over her face.

Is it really that bad? Wen Shuo wondered.

Ren Li silently returned to her desk. Wen Shuo, usually fearless, felt the oppressive pressure of the eve of a storm for the first time. He even quietly moved his books, which had crossed the line, back to his desk, fearing Ren Li might be offended.

A little later, Zhang Xintong arrived. She went around to the front of the classroom and, after looking at the grades, she also looked unhappy.

"Good morning, Lili." She greeted Ren Li and finally asked the question that Wen Shuo was concerned about. "I forgot to look carefully just now. How did you do on your monthly exam?"

Ren Liqiang cheered up and replied, "Not very ideal, only ranked around 60th in the whole grade."

"Sixty..." Zhang Xintong looked at Ren Li in disbelief. "Huh? You mean sixty for the entire grade?"

Ren Li nodded, then recalled the words that had caused Zhang Xintong to misunderstand her, and quickly added, "It's actually not that bad."

Zhang Xintong couldn't hide her envy. "That's great! In the whole class, I'm in the top five, right?"

"No, ninth." Speaking of ranking, Ren Li began to feel disappointed again. "Actually, when I was in the Affiliated High School, I usually ranked second in the class. As expected, there are so many excellent people in No. 4 High School."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wen Shuo turned his head at the right time.

To be honest, Wen Shuo seemed quite shocked, so much so that a hint of surprise appeared on his face, which had been cold and aloof for thousands of years.

Zhang Xintong seemed relieved. "So, Lili, you've always been such a great person. If I have any questions from now on, can I ask you?"

Ren Li's eyes curved up: "No problem, I'm always on standby to serve you."

"That's great..."

The two of them started talking about those topics between girls again, chattering endlessly, and Wen Shuo turned his head away silently.

He thought to himself, fortunately, it turns out that Ren Li is not too bad.

-

After the monthly exam, the tense atmosphere of senior year finally overwhelmed us.

If Ren Li felt good about herself when she was in the Affiliated Middle School, then in the No. 4 Middle School, a key school in the city, she felt the gap between people for the first time.

There was a seemingly insurmountable chasm between second and ninth place. Ren Li knew that was a fact she couldn't change no matter how hard she tried. Some people had high IQs, and learning seemed effortless. They only needed half the effort to reach heights others couldn't reach.

This world has always been unfair. Ren Li understands that to get the desired results, she needs to work harder than others.

Perhaps the tension of senior year in high school had finally arrived. These days, Ren Li was surprised to find that Wen Shuo had even begun to take the initiative to attend evening self-study classes, so she could see him on the school bus every day after school.

A busy and fulfilling week is quickly coming to an end.

On Friday, before dinner, the Chinese teacher announced the evening study schedule. She decided not to assign any homework, instead dedicating the entire evening to reading and her own writing practice. The announcement sent the entire classroom into a frenzy.

Ren Li also felt the joyful atmosphere. She loved reading, so she skipped dinner and took the initiative to sign up for the voluntary labor of moving books to the library.

Tang Xiaoyun was the Chinese class representative for Class 17, so she was in charge of organizing this event. Perhaps due to some mis-coordination, three boys had been scheduled to attend, but by the time Ren Li and she had finished counting the books checked out in the library, they hadn't shown up yet.

The pile of books was very heavy, and it would be difficult for two girls to carry them all back. Tang Xiaoyun left her phone in the classroom when she left, and Ren Li didn't save their phone numbers. Just as they were thinking about whether to go back and look for them, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Ren Li?"

She turned around subconsciously and saw Cheng Yuhang.

"Hey, hello." Ren Li greeted politely.

Cheng Yuhang's tone was quite pleasantly surprised: "I just saw that figure from a distance and it looked exactly like you. I didn't expect it to be you. Are you here to borrow a book?"

Ren Li nodded and pointed to the pile of books on the ground: "Well, our class has a reading class tonight."

Tang Xiaoyun, who was standing by, saw someone looking for Ren Li and thought it was someone she knew. She was also anxious about moving the books, so she asked, "Is this your friend? How about asking if they can help us move the books back?"

Her voice was quite loud, and it was hard for Cheng Yuhang not to hear it. He was worried that he would not have the opportunity to show off in front of Ren Li, so he naturally agreed very straightforwardly: "No problem, or I can call a few more boys to come, it will be faster if there are more people."

Tang Xiaoyun: "Okay, okay."

Ren Li felt like, in the blink of an eye, she'd inexplicably owed Cheng Yuhang a favor. But she felt like things didn't have to be so complicated. After all, the other guy wasn't from Class 17. If she was going to owe a favor to someone, it would be better to owe it to a boy from her own class.

"Or, let's call Wen Shuo." Ren Li saw Cheng Yuhang taking out his cell phone to call other people, and spoke in a hurry.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Tang Xiaoyun and Cheng Yuhang raised their heads at the same time, and their eyes fell on Ren Li.

Only then did she realize the outrageousness of her words. This was Wen Shuo. If he agreed, he would no longer be the Wen Shuo of No. 4 Middle School.

Sure enough, Cheng Yuhang was also obviously stunned after hearing this, but directly refusing was not the best solution, so he could only shake his phone: "Okay, then I'll call Wen Shuo first. But he probably isn't in school right now, so he may not be able to get through."

Cheng Yuhang was always polite in his words and deeds, giving people a sense of reliability and security. Sure enough, Tang Xiaoyun soon became interested in him.

While Cheng Yuhang was on the phone, she turned to Ren Li and asked, "What's his name? How did you two meet? It sounds like he's also very familiar with Wen Shuo."

Ren Li thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "His name is Cheng Yuhang. I remember he was in Class 13. He and Wen Shuo both took the same school bus, so they should be quite familiar with each other."

But speaking of this, Ren Li seemed to feel that she hadn't seen Cheng Guo Yuhang on the school bus for a while.

"Oh, I see." Tang Xiaoyun was still thinking about something. On the other side, Cheng Yuhang had already dialed Wen Shuo's number.

"Are you in school? Oh, well, I'm in the library now. Ren Li said you have a reading class tonight..."

Because they were quite far away, Ren Li couldn't hear clearly what Wen Shuo said on the other end of the phone. But she didn't know if it was her illusion, but after Cheng Yuhang said, "Ren Li said you will have a reading class tonight," his expression became a little tense.

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the library," Cheng Yuhang said, and hung up the phone. He quickly changed his tone back to a relaxed one, "Wen Shuo is at school. He said he'll be there soon."

Ren Li said thank you, then didn't know what to say. The three of them stood there awkwardly, guarding a pile of books. Cheng Yuhang wanted to talk to Ren Li more, but a girl suddenly came over and put her arm around him.

"I've borrowed the book, shall we go?"

Perhaps realizing that there were many people around, she silently moved her hand away.

She was not wearing a school uniform, her hair was long and draped over her shoulders, and she had makeup on her face that was not allowed in No. 4 Middle School. Her tone was a little impatient.

"Why don't you go back first? I have something to do. I need to help them move the books." Cheng Yuhang's tone became noticeably colder. The girl pouted and left in the end, although she was reluctant.

He turned his head and said: "Sorry, that was my friend just now."

Ren Li quickly said: "It's okay, why don't we wait for Wen Shuo here, you can just take care of your business first."

"It's okay. I'll stay here with you for a while. How about I invite you to dinner next time? I didn't make it last time..."

Wen Shuo appeared when he said this.

He wasn't alone; he was accompanied by several male classmates. The scene suddenly became noisy, and Tang Xiaoyun was busy directing everyone to move things around. Soon, everyone received their own pile of books and walked out.

Cheng Yuhang was also very sensible. Since the books were not enough for several people to share, he chose to withdraw voluntarily.

"I can't help you much." He said to Ren Li.

"It's okay, thank you so much this time."

"Okay, then Brother Shuo, we'll see you tonight."

Cheng Yuhang left, and Ren Li was also given a small pile of books, but as soon as she got them, her share was taken away by Wen Shuo. Wen Shuo didn't say anything, so Ren Li had no choice but to follow him down the stairs in silence.

Going back to the classroom from the library required passing through a small square. The sun was setting, and the clouds in the sky were coated in a golden hue. Ren Li watched the sunset and the evening glow, and unknowingly fell behind the crowd. Also walking behind was Wen Shuo.

As they walked side by side, Ren Li stole a glance at Wen Shuo beside her. He had been in a low mood since a while ago—he didn't seem very happy. Well, having his plans disrupted and being suddenly called into the library to move books would surely upset anyone.

Just as he was thinking about it, Wen Shuo beside him suddenly said, "Did you make an appointment with Cheng Yuhang?"

Of course she wasn't. But Wen Shuo's tone sounded like he was questioning her, so Ren Li explained, "No. He came to borrow books and happened to meet her in the library."

Wen Shuo suddenly stopped and turned around: "Why do you always go and provoke him for no reason? Last time it was at the mall, and this time it was at the library. Do you really like asking people from other classes for help?"

Ren Li gave up having dinner today and came to the library just to do voluntary work for everyone. She didn't expect Wen Shuo to come up and start scolding her indiscriminately, which made her a little angry.

But she didn't know how to argue with others. Her face turned red, and in the end she could only say: "I didn't."

They started arguing after just a few sentences. Ren Li didn't want to bother with Wen Shuo anymore, so she turned around and left.

Evening self-study, reading class. The Chinese teacher praised the students who helped move books. Ren Li sat at her desk, silently arguing with Wen Shuo, deliberately turning her head away from him. Even her favorite reading class seemed to have lost interest.

How could he think that of me?

Ren Li thought.

I opened the notebook on the table and saw a big red circle around the date of next Tuesday on the calendar front page - that was the day to change seats.

Ren Li supported his head, feeling bored. He picked up the pen and circled the date again.

Now, she can finally separate from Wen Shuo.

*

Reading class was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of pages. During a break, Zhang Xintong stole a book from somewhere and secretly hid it in his oversized school uniform. He didn't turn around until he was back in his seat, looking mysterious.

With a gleam in her eyes, she took it out from under the table, revealing a corner of the cover, and asked in a low voice, "Lili, look what good stuff I borrowed."

Curious, Ren Li reached out and took the book from Zhang Xintong. The title, "Only Deeply in Love with You," was written on the front cover, with a dense line of small print below. Ren Li glanced at it and saw only words like "Marriage First, Love Later," "Wealthy Family," "Movie Actor x Good Girl," and so on. Turning the page, she found no publication information at all. She flipped through two pages curiously, then suddenly, as if struck by electricity, slammed the book shut.

Ren Li: “What is this?!”

Zhang Xintong: "The notebook."

Ren Li looked puzzled: "What is a notebook?"

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and coupled with her abnormal behavior just now, Wen Shuo couldn't help but look over here twice.

Zhang Xintong raised her hand to her lips and quickly made a silencing gesture: "Shh, keep your voice down. But, Lili, you haven't seen this before, have you?"

Ren Li shook her head.

Zhang Xintong held his forehead with his hand: "What about online novels?"

Ren Li shook her head again.

Zhang Xintong finally gave up hope: "What about romance novels? I mean the officially published ones. You must have read them."

Ren Li still shook her head.

Zhang Xintong: …

Zhang Xintong wondered how strict Ren Li's upbringing must have been, which is why she had such pure thoughts. She couldn't believe there was actually someone in their senior year of high school who had never read a romance novel!

Seeing her look of shock, Ren Li pointed to the classics on the table and tried to make amends: "But I have read many classics, both domestic and foreign, even essays, philosophy, history... I have really read a lot of books."

Zhang Xintong sighed: "Lili, I think I should find you some novels to read. You need to cultivate yourself first, otherwise how will you find a boyfriend in the future?"

After she finished speaking, Wen Shuo beside her suddenly sat up straight for no apparent reason.

Before Zhang Xintong could even turn around to find a romance novel for Ren Li, a magazine fell from the sky and landed right in front of her. The pages flipped open, revealing a pair of scantily clad models. Ren Li, already irritated by the "unsightly" words in Zhang Xintong's "notebook," was practically jumping out of her skin.

At the same time, Zhou Qi's voice rang in his ears: "Brother Shuo, I'll pass the newly arrived magazine to you first."

Zhang Xintong and Ren Li turned their heads in unison, and Zhang Xintong was furious: "Zhou Qi——"

She called Zhou Qi's name quite loudly, but luckily the classroom was so noisy that no one noticed. Zhang Xintong rushed forward and launched into a barrage of insults, from "How dare you read these things?" to "I'm going to tell Auntie," with the latter pleading for mercy, from "Don't you also read those pornographic novels?" to "Zhang Xintong, you'll never get married if you're so violent," finally ending with repeated pleas for mercy.

Although Ren Li had seen this scene countless times, she was still shocked every time she saw it. She was amazed at Zhang Xintong's "fighting power" and worried about Zhou Qi. After her attention was diverted for a moment, when she regained her composure, her eyes suddenly fell back on the open magazine on the table.

This thing was like a hot potato. Ren Li didn't know what to do with it. Should she give it to Wen Shuo or return it to Zhou Qi? But why would a boy want to look at these things? It was really shameless...

Just as she was thinking about it, the magazine was taken away. Ren Li turned around and saw Wen Shuo holding the magazine in his hand, then calmly flipped through two pages.

Ren Li: ...

She inexplicably recalled the day when she first came to No. 4 Middle School, when she took out a magazine from Wen Shuo's desk hole. Coincidentally, the blushing and heart-pounding descriptions she had just seen in the notebook emerged in her mind, and her face turned red instantly.

She hurriedly turned her face away and frantically flipped through the literary classics on the table, trying to erase the previous paragraph from her mind.

But once the idea started, it was unstoppable. The image of Wen Shuo's abs and his exposed upper body that she had seen on the basketball court last time suddenly surfaced in her mind...

Ren Li felt that she was finished.

Perhaps her reaction was too intense. Wen Shuo turned his head and saw Ren Li's red ears. He suddenly sneered in his heart, and the idea of deliberately provoking Ren Li popped up in his mind again.

He didn't usually like reading magazines, but today he deliberately read for a long time in front of Ren Li.

Finally, school was over, and Ren Li packed up her things to leave. Even though Zhou Qi had been lectured by Zhang Xintong, he ran over to Wen Shuo's desk after school and put his arm around his shoulder as he was about to leave. "Boss, what do you think? I'm being nice, right? This issue of the magazine is simply excellent."

Wen Shuo said "oh" lightly, then seemed to remember something and asked, "I recently downloaded some new stuff. If you want to see it, I'll send it to you when I get back."

Zhou Qi: “Okay!”

Ren Li kept her head down the whole time, pretending not to hear. After tonight, she felt that she needed to reshape her three views again.

Why do boys like to watch this kind of stuff?!

Ren Li said "Huh", looked in the direction where Wen Shuo left with disgust, and finally decided to go home.

-

The first Saturday after the monthly exam was not very relaxing. It was not until she returned home on Friday night that Ren Li realized that she had to meet Wen Shuo the next day.

Tomorrow is the first make-up class day.

As soon as she finished washing up and went to bed, she saw a series of message reminders pop up in her hand, from the [Saturday Tutoring Team] group chat. She was so upset that she wanted to cry but had no tears. She silently pulled the quilt over her head.

It was all her fault for being so enthusiastic a few days ago, thinking she could do something meaningful to help everyone. But she hadn't expected that one day she would not want to see Wen Shuo anymore.

There was no point in avoiding it. Ren Li pulled herself together and opened the group chat to take a look. It had started with Zhang Xintong reminding them to study together tomorrow. Then Zhou Qi joined in, and it gradually devolved into a daily barrage of banter between the two. Later, Wen Shuo seemed to join in, too, and started chatting with Zhou Qi about things unrelated to study.

This "study group" has apparently turned into a chat group. Ren Li wondered if she sent a message in the group at this time: "Please be conscious and don't post anything unrelated to study in the study group", would she be kicked out of the group chat?

The answer is yes, so she didn't dare to do that. So she marked the group chat as "Do Not Disturb" and went about her business. Of course, in order not to be late tomorrow, she even set an alarm to remind herself to get up early.

But it turned out that she couldn't hide anything in her heart. Early on Saturday morning, before the alarm clock rang, Ren Li woke up first.

Since I can't sleep, I might as well get up early. Lin Yuan was drinking coffee outside. Seeing Ren Li strolling out in her pajamas at this time, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "It's Saturday today, don't you want to sleep in a little longer?"

"Mom, what are we having for breakfast this morning?" Ren Li said casually, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"I didn't make breakfast, I thought you were going to sleep in. Just grab something to eat. There's bread and milk in the fridge." Lin Yuan put down the coffee cup. "Why are you up so early? I have to go out today."

Ren Li was rummaging through the refrigerator when Lin Yuan asked her this. She suddenly hesitated and said, "Well, I made an appointment with my classmates to go to the cram school together. The location is at the bookstore in front."

Lin Yuan casually asked, "Is it with a boy or a girl?"

Ren Li was a little nervous: "There are several of our classmates, both boys and girls. Zhang Xintong is also going, and I'm mainly going to accompany her."

Lin Yuan still understands her daughter. Ren Li is not good at lying, so today's tutoring is real and it is also true that there are boys.

But she wouldn't interfere too much with Ren Li's weekend plans. She stood up to heat milk for Ren Li, then suddenly seemed to remember something: "Why don't you wear that white dress today? I bought you last time. It looks good on you."

Ren Li usually wore a school uniform to school and rarely had the chance to wear anything else. But Lin Yuan thought girls her age were the most beautiful. Furthermore, Ren Li looked very similar to Lin Yuan, and every time she looked at her, it was like seeing herself in the past. So, as if to make up for past regrets, she always liked to buy Ren Li beautiful dresses—even though Ren Li didn't often get the chance to wear them.

Ren Lixin said that she was really going to study today, not to attend a social gathering, so there was no need to dress so nicely. But when she finished her bread and went to the bedroom to pack up her things, Lin Yuan had already taken out the dress and placed it in a conspicuous place on her bed.

The dress was pure white, with a round neckline, a ribbon, and intricately crafted lace. It looked very substantial. Ren Li didn't know when Lin Yuan had bought it for her, so she put it on. She looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't have her usual school uniform, and she even felt a little strange.

She didn't wear her hair in a ponytail today, letting it cascade freely over her shoulders. To complement the gentle elegance of her white dress, she casually took a white pearl hairpin from the drawer and pinned it to one side of her hair. After staring at it for a while, Ren Li felt that it was indeed a bit strange for her to be staring at the mirror in a daze, so she quickly shook her head and turned to pack her schoolbag.

At the same time, a few kilometers away is the lakeside community.

In the bathroom, Wen Shuo leaned his hands on the sink, staring blankly at himself in the mirror. Water dripped silently down his black hair onto the carpet at his feet. He tilted his head, his gaze falling on the neatly hung clothes in the cloakroom beside him.

What to wear to meet Ren Li? Wen Shuo had thought about this question countless times. Should he wear something formal or casual? Or, since she wouldn't care at all, he could just wear the white T-shirt he usually wore...

Coming back to his senses, Wen Shuo felt as if he was trapped in some strange circle of thoughts. After all, why did he care so much about Ren Li?

A nameless anger surged in his heart. Wen Shuo took the towel, dried his body, and finally pulled a white casual shirt from the hanger.

He didn't want Ren Li to think that he had prepared carefully, but at least he went there with sincerity.

*

On Saturday, Wen Shuo was the last one to arrive at the bookstore.

PAGEONE bookstore is on a street in the city center. Wen Shuo had actually never been to this bookstore before, so when he stepped into the four-story white building, he thought he had come to the wrong place.

Contrary to expectations, the shop was enormous, with a classic, modern decor. The first floor showcased domestic and international literary classics and various exhibitions, the second floor housed a children's area and handicrafts, and the third and fourth floors felt more like a quiet library, all in white: white floors and white bookshelves. Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting shadows across the room, and the playful light on the tables near the windows signaled a leisurely and relaxing morning.

Ding—a reminder sound came from the phone, coming from the study team.

Pear【@W We are on the fourth floor】

Wen Shuo climbed up the stairs and when he reached the fourth floor, he easily saw Ren Li.

He rarely saw Ren Li without her school uniform, so he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. At this moment, Ren Li also stood up and waved to him: "We are here."

She had a faint smile on her face, her whole body bathed in the morning sunshine, her skin glowing delicately in the sunlight.

Wen Shuo restrained his expression, walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite her.

"Good morning." Ren Li greeted him somewhat uncomfortably.

"Good morning." Wen Shuo replied.

"Boss, you're late today, treat us." Zhou Qi said from the side.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Xintong, who was sitting opposite him, tapped him on the head with a pen. "You should be the one treating us today, right? You're the worst student among us, aren't you?"

"But I don't need extra lessons." Zhou Qi fought back unwillingly.

…

The two of them started their daily quarrel again. Ren Li shook her head silently. Sure enough, these two people were definitely enemies in their previous life.

This was a study area that could accommodate four people. The white table was already cluttered with a lot of stuff. Textbooks, test papers, draft paper, even a laptop—a mess of everything. Wen Shuo cleared the area in front of him and pulled a stack of A4 paper from his bag.

"What is this?" Zhou Qi stretched his neck curiously, then blurted out, "Fuck, boss, you're not serious, are you?"

Ren Li and Zhang Xintong looked up at the same time, and saw that the A4 paper was filled with knowledge points, with pictures and texts marked with various colored highlighters. Coupled with Wen Shuo's handwriting that could be considered printed, it looked clear at a glance, and there was an indescribable sense of comfort.

Is this Wen Shuo's daily study notes? Ren Li thought, he even printed them in color...

Her thoughts were a little off, and Wen Shuo saw her dazed expression clearly.

It’s so easy to get distracted when studying, Wen Shuo thought, and then handed her a piece of information.

Ren Li finally came to his senses, reached out to take it, and held the stack of papers in his palm as if in worship.

Wen Shuo: ...

These weren't his usual study notes; his knowledge system was unique, stored entirely in his head, never needing to be written down. These were the impromptu knowledge framework maps he'd created last night, with key areas circled for the exam. He'd also taken photos of typical exam papers, printed them out, and sorted them out.

Ren Li looked at the knowledge points. The unpleasant incidents in the library yesterday had now been replaced by admiration. Ren Li decided to soften her attitude towards Wen Shuo a little today.

"These are some key knowledge points and typical questions that frequently appear in the science exams we've been reviewing recently," Wen Shuo said. "Everyone's learning situation is different, so there's no universal model. I can't improve everyone comprehensively in a short period of time. So let's just do our best. Practice typical question types. Zhou Qi should focus on the basics for the exam, Zhang Xintong should focus on comprehensive questions, and as for Ren Li..."

He seemed to pause deliberately for a moment, "Then let's improve the questions. Anyway, if you have any questions in class in the future, you can ask me directly."

Ren Li wondered, hadn't Wen Shuo previously taken the initiative to ask Teacher He to change seats? Now, had he forgotten about it?

Although she thought so, after a while, Ren Li looked through the materials in her hand and was shaken for the second time. She couldn't help but give Wen Shuo a thumbs up in her heart.

You are worthy of it, Wen Shuo.

The atmosphere was unusually quiet, and everyone took their seats and began to study. Twenty minutes later, as expected, Zhou Qi was the first to become restless.

He seemed to be bitten by something, twisting and turning on the stool, and went to the toilet twice in a row.

During this time, Zhang Xintong cast a somewhat contemptuous look at him, until the forty minutes barely passed and it was time for a break, and then he regained his energy.

Wen Shuo had just finished his homework, and then he was actually reading to kill time. When he got the second philosophy book from the bookshelf, he heard Ren Li ask:

"Xintong, what would you like to drink later? Coffee or tea?"

Before Zhang Xintong could speak, Zhou Qi raised his hand first and imitated her usual tone: "Lili, I'd like an iced Americano, thank you, hehe."

"You're asking for a fight. You can't call me Lili." Zhang Xintong rolled his eyes at him and said to Ren Li, "Then I want an iced Americano too, Lili."

"Okay." Ren Li looked up and met Wen Shuo's gaze. She suddenly became incoherent and gestured with her hands, "Would you like some coffee?"

"I'll go with you." Wen Shuo said.

This study area is run by the coffee shop in the library. Ren Li just found out that there is actually a minimum consumption fee to study here.

But considering that everyone came here on their own, she couldn't ask them to pay. In fact, even if there wasn't a minimum spending requirement, Ren Li would have bought everyone a drink. After all, she was quite happy that everyone came.

The two stood in front of the counter. After Ren Li ordered the two iced American coffees that Zhang Xintong and Zhou Qi had ordered, she started to have difficulty making decisions again.

After thinking for a while, she said to the waiter, "Another hot latte, please. Thank you."

"One more iced latte, thank you." Wen Shuo finally chose his own.

"The total is 120 yuan." The waiter worked on the ordering machine for a while, then picked up the barcode scanner and said, "Just scan the code here."

Ren Li was taking out her cell phone, but Wen Shuo was one step faster after all.

Seeing him scan the code, Ren Li felt a little uncomfortable at this moment, but if she insisted on paying back the money, wouldn’t it seem too stingy?

"I'll treat you today." Wen Shuo could see through her thoughts very well. "Do you want to pay me back again?"

"It's true. I'm embarrassed to ask you to come here so early in the morning to tutor everyone..."

She was being polite again, but Wen Shuo didn't want to hear it: "Then consider this as you owe me. You can treat me to a meal some other day."

Ren Li didn't know whether Wen Shuo meant eating alone or together. Although she was a little hesitant, she nodded gently: "Okay, no problem."

But the next second, Ren Li added: "How about today? After this, we can call Zhang Xintong and Zhou Qi and go grab something to eat. I'll treat you."

"No." Wen Shuo said, "I'll set the dinner time next time, just you and I."

Ren Li: ...

So Wen Shuo prepared me for so much yesterday because of the library incident, but today he acted like nothing happened. It seems I was the only one who was upset last night.

Thinking of this, a strange and ambiguous atmosphere suddenly arose in her heart. Ren Li turned around and looked at the clerk who was busy making coffee at the bar. She even began to pray in her heart that the coffee would be ready quickly.

She still wasn't used to being alone with Wen Shuo.

Fortunately, after waiting so long, the coffee was finally ready. The waitress brought four cups and asked, "Do you want to take it away?"

"No, thank you. Let's take it." Ren Li said. She and Wen Shuo took their own portion and gave some back to the other two.

Zhang Xintong was leaning over the table, deep in thought. Seeing the coffee coming, he finally perked up: "Thank you, Lili."

Ren Li handed the remaining cup of coffee to Zhou Qi and clarified, "Wen Shuo treated me to it."

Zhou Qi couldn't help but give him a thumbs up: "Awesome!"

After such a long break, it was time to study again. Of the four, Ren Li was focused on her homework, Zhou Qi was slacking off, and Wen Shuo was reading. Perhaps only Zhang Xintong came for tutoring. After reading Wen Shuo's materials, she was unsure how to solve a few typical problems, so she asked Wen Shuo for help.

Fortunately, Wen Shuo came to tutor her sincerely, so he didn't put on airs and explained things to her patiently and seriously. Zhang Xintong was finally able to figure out the question that she had never been able to answer. For the first time, she truly experienced the benefits of having a top student tutoring her.

The morning flew by, and lunch was another headache. Zhou Qi preferred French fries, while Zhang Xintong wanted noodles. After several rounds of discussion, they couldn't reach a consensus. Ren Li remained silent, so Zhang Xintong suggested, "Since we can't choose, let Li Li decide."

"Me?" Ren Li waved her hand. "Goodbye, you know I have difficulty making choices."

Zhang Xintong: "It's okay, just say you support me."

Zhou Qi: "That's cheating."

Wen Shuo saw that Ren Li was struggling with her weird thoughts again, so he took the initiative to help her out: "Why don't we just eat at the buffet next door? You don't have to worry about what to eat anymore."

Zhou Qi quickly responded, "Okay, but isn't self-service very expensive?"

We had originally planned to order A for lunch today, but if it was a buffet, the shared cost would definitely not be at the level of a casual meal.

Wen Shuo: "I'll treat you to this meal."

Zhou Qi: “Okay!”

Ren Li:?!

The coffee just now, the buffet today... So, does Wen Shuo have so much pocket money?

She seemed to be starting to feel that Wen Shuo was a bit of a spendthrift.

Zhou Qi and Zhang Xintong were very happy. Everyone packed up and went downstairs. It was not until Ren Li followed them to the buffet restaurant that Wen Shuo mentioned that she suddenly felt that this meal was too luxurious.

This is a buffet in a five-star hotel. The cost per person is several hundred yuan, which is very expensive for students.

Wen Shuo checked the meal coupons at the restaurant entrance, and Ren Li discovered that he had quite a lot of cards, and was also a high-level member here.

They entered the restaurant, found a table for four, and then went to get their food. Ren Li, along with Zhang Xintong, finally asked the question she had always been curious about: "Xintong, is Wen Shuo's family very rich?"

Zhang Xintong thought for a moment and said, "That should be the case. I heard from Zhou Qi that Wen Shuo's parents both have companies. His father is currently abroad. Oh, and I heard that his grandfather worked in the municipal government before he retired. He was a very capable man."

After she finished speaking, she added, "So you don't have to always think about saving money for him. Look at the clothes Wen Shuo wears every day, each one costs tens of thousands of yuan. He doesn't lack that kind of money."

"Tens of thousands?" Ren Li felt that her worldview had been challenged once again. She even unconsciously glanced at Wen Shuo in the distance. What was the difference between the white shirt he was wearing and the ones that sold for a few hundred yuan outside?

Seeing Ren Li's surprise, Zhang Xintong said, "I thought you knew, Lili. The dress you're wearing today is also very expensive. I saw it when I passed by Galeries Lafayette before. It's a new model this year, but it looks even better on you."

Ren Li was completely taken aback by the fact that she was being eaten by a melon. She didn't even know how much the dress she was wearing cost. She only knew that she had worn this brand since she was a child, and Lin Yuan often bought it for her because she liked it.

As she was speaking, Wen Shuo, who was not far away, suddenly turned his head, and Ren Li quickly looked away from him.

Zhang Xintong continued, "Actually, I think you two are quite a good match. Why don't you just be together?"

Ren Li knew she was teasing her again and refused repeatedly: "Don't joke, how is it possible? I can't even hide from him."

"But Wen Shuo likes you. Don't you really know?" Zhang Xintong sighed, "This morning, his eyes never left you for a single moment."