Precision Defense

Although the stains on the desk were wiped away, an invisible pressure lingered in the air. Yunxi could sense that the gazes directed at her from the competition class had become more complex—curiosity, scrutiny, and, more importantly, a cold, expectant waiting for her, this "connected" student, to slip up. This atmosphere highly overlapped with a fragment from his twenty-seventh reincarnation, when he chose to observe and wait, only for his small act of malice to eventually fester into irreparable damage.

She didn't back down; instead, she straightened her back, listened more attentively, and worked diligently. Shi Xu sat beside her, like a silent and steadfast support. Occasionally, when she encountered difficulties, he would write key hints on a scrap of paper and guide her, his fingertips lightly tapping, their eyes meeting in unspoken understanding. These hints were "shortcuts" he had summarized after watching her rack her brains countless times, the most suitable for her thought process.

Her stubbornness and focus acted like an invisible armor, keeping out malicious speculations. In several in-class quizzes, her scores remained consistently above average. Although she couldn't match top students like Shi Xu and Zhou Yu, it was enough to silence those waiting to see her fail.

However, the real test soon arrived. Over the weekend, the school organized an intensive mock training session, from morning till night, with a large number of questions and high difficulty. After several hours of highly concentrated mental activity, many people looked exhausted.

During the afternoon break, Yunxi felt a little dizzy, probably from overworking her brain and not sleeping well the night before. She got up to go to the restroom to wash her face and clear her head, but as soon as she reached the corner of the corridor, a stronger wave of dizziness hit her. She instinctively grabbed the wall for support, her face instantly turning pale. —This scene had three similar records in the timeline database, each leading to a different degree of unexpected events. His nerves tightened instantly.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice sounded from behind, carrying a hint of barely suppressed tension.

Yunxi turned around and saw that Shixu had followed her out at some point, frowning at her with worry in his eyes. He had followed her almost reflexively, his body acting faster than his brain could process.

"It's nothing, I might just have low blood sugar." Yunxi forced a smile, not wanting him to worry.

Shi Xu didn't speak, but reached out and touched her forehead, finding it cold and sweaty. His brows furrowed even more, and without a word, he grabbed her wrist and headed towards the school clinic. He couldn't take any more risks, especially such known and preventable ones.

"Hey, no need to go to the school clinic, I just need to rest for a bit..." Yunxi tried to break free, but he held her even tighter.

"Don't be reckless." His tone was firm and unwavering. This firmness stemmed from painful lessons of the past.

Upon arriving at the school clinic, the doctor examined her and confirmed that she was suffering from extreme fatigue and low blood sugar. He advised her to rest for a while and replenish her sugar levels. Shi Xu quietly went to the convenience store and bought chocolate and warm milk tea, placing them in her hands. The type and temperature of the food were proven to be the "optimal options" for quickly restoring her condition.

"Drink it." He said succinctly, but his tone left no room for refusal.

Yunxi held the warm milk tea in her hands and looked at Shixu, who was sitting on the chair next to her. Although he was expressionless, his eyes never left her. Her heart felt warm, and her discomfort seemed to have dissipated.

"Am I really useless?" she muttered softly, a little frustrated. "I couldn't even last half a day."

Shi Xu looked at her lowered head, paused for a moment, and then spoke, his voice low but clear: "No one can hold on forever. It's normal to rest when you're tired." This was a truth he had only truly learned and allowed himself to accept after fifty reincarnations.

He paused, then added, “You’re fine. Better than most people.” These “most people” included all the versions of “her” who had collapsed in different ways under different pressures in past reincarnations.

Yunxi looked up and met his earnest eyes, her cheeks flushing slightly. "...Thank you."

After resting in the school clinic for half an hour, Yunxi felt much better. When the two returned to the competition class, the afternoon classes had already begun. They quietly entered through the back door, which still attracted the attention of some people.

Shi Xu seemed oblivious to the stares, pulling out a chair for Yun Xi and waiting for her to sit down before returning to his own seat. His actions silently defined his position, preventing any potential further criticism.

Over the next few hours, Yunxi felt her condition improve considerably. However, as she was engrossed in solving a complex geometry proof, Siyi, sitting diagonally in front of her, suddenly let out a soft sneer. Although he didn't speak, his ambiguous gaze swept over Yunxi, carrying undisguised contempt, as if to say, "Just as I expected." —The provocation escalated. Shixu's crisis assessment index instantly soared.

Yunxi tightened her grip on the pen, but didn't look up. She knew that any reaction she made at this moment would become ammunition for the other party's attack.

Just then, she heard a soft "snap" sound from beside her.

It was the sound of time closing the pen cap.

He raised his head, his gaze icy as he stared directly at Si Yi. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the suddenly quiet classroom:

"Si Yi, you've made a mistake with your auxiliary lines."

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Si Yi's draft paper. The problem was indeed difficult; Si Yi was struggling to solve it when Shi Xu pointed out her mistake in front of everyone. Her face flushed crimson, a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment on her face. Shi Xu's chosen method of intervention wasn't emotional accusation, but rather a decisive, rational attack. This was the most effective way to dismantle the opponent's offensive and establish unshakeable authority.

"The auxiliary line in the third quadrant should connect points E and F, not □□." Shi Xu's tone was completely calm, as if stating a very simple fact. "Your thinking was off from the very beginning." He accurately pointed out the root of the other party's error, like a programmer locating a critical bug.

Si Yi hurriedly looked down to check and, sure enough, discovered she had made a basic yet fatal mistake. Under Shi Xu's clear correction, her entire problem-solving framework collapsed. She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but under Shi Xu's all-knowing, icy gaze, she couldn't utter a single word. She could only lower her head in embarrassment and forcefully erase her previous steps.

The whole classroom was silent.

Everyone understood that Shi Xu wasn't simply discussing a problem. He was responding to Si Yi's provocation of Yun Xi in the most direct and overwhelming way, silently declaring his protection. This was the barrier he had built for her, called "Absolute Territory." Any malice attempting to cross that boundary would be instantly and precisely dismantled by him.

Yunxi stared blankly at Shixu's cold profile, his heart feeling as if it had been struck hard, a mixture of bitterness and burning sensation. He hadn't even said a harsh word to Siyi, but simply used his expertise to easily dismantle her arrogance, building an unassailable barrier for her.

Zhou Yu adjusted his glasses, a barely perceptible glint of understanding flashing in his eyes. He seemed to understand the meaning behind Shixu's "programmed precision defense" better than anyone else. Xu Yi, meanwhile, secretly gave Shixu a thumbs-up under the table.

From then on, no one dared to cast any strange glances at Yunxi. Shixu's actions firmly established Yunxi's unassailable position in this competition class.

When school was over, Shi Xu naturally picked up Yun Xi's schoolbag and walked out with her.

“Actually… you don’t have to do that,” Yunxi whispered, her heart filled with sweet joy.

"What?" Shi Xu looked straight ahead, his tone flat.

"It's just... pointing out Si Yi's mistakes." Yun Xi pursed her lips. "Wouldn't that offend her too much?"

Shi Xu stopped in his tracks, turned to look at her, his eyes deep: "She offended you first." His logic was simple and direct: the threat had been confirmed and must be eliminated.

He paused, his voice low and firm: "I will not allow anyone to make you suffer." This was not a love confession, but the core code of conduct he wrote down for himself at the beginning of his fifty-third cycle.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell into his eyes, igniting two steadfast yet gentle flames.

Yunxi looked at him, speechless. All her worries and anxieties vanished in his almost domineering words.

She knew that this once lonely iceberg was melting little by little for her, gathering into a warm river flowing only around her.

And this river possesses the power to withstand all storms. — This power originates from behind him, from that unknown abyss built by fifty cycles of despair.