I'm thirsty.

Qin Wan was concentrating on her homework when she suddenly felt someone bump her elbow. She turned her head in confusion.

"Then... this Coke is for you?" Qin Wan took out the Coke that Qiao Muzhi had given her.

Qiao Muzhi glanced at it indifferently, his brows furrowing slightly. "This is a gift for you!"

Qin Wan: "Then... what do you want to do?"

"I don't want to drink Coke anymore. Go get me some hot water," Qiao Muzhi said with a sour face.

"A cup." Qin Wan didn't refuse, but instead reached out her hand to him.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Muzhi paused.

Are you kidding me? Would the dignified Third Young Master of the Qiao family bring a cup to school?

"No," Qiao Muzhi said matter-of-factly.

Qin Wan looked slightly bewildered. "...Then what should we do?"

"Go and buy it for me," Qiao Muzhi ordered, frowning.

"……All right."

As she spoke, Qin Wan was about to get up, but as soon as she moved, she frowned slightly and instinctively covered her stomach.

Seeing this, Qiao Muzhi suddenly felt a sense of irritation.

Before Qin Wan could take a step, a long, strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm and forcibly pulled her down to sit.

Qin Wan almost cried out in surprise, a flash of panic crossing her eyes.

"W-what's wrong?"

Qiao Muzhi frowned and stared at her for a while, then said, "Never mind, I don't need you. I'll go buy it myself."

Without giving Qin Wan a chance to ask further questions, Qiao Muzhi got up and strode away.

Watching his departing figure, Qin Wan's lips curled slightly, and a faint smile flashed in her eyes.

She has a bad temper, but she's quite thoughtful.

-

With a "bang," a glass water bottle suddenly appeared in front of Qin Wan, who was concentrating on taking notes.

"What is this?" Qin Wan looked up at Qiao Muzhi with a puzzled expression.

Qiao Muzhi glanced at her indifferently, "The supermarket is having a promotion, buy one get one free."

Qin Wan: "...Thank you."

"How much is the water bottle? How about I transfer half to you?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Muzhi frowned and glared at Qin Wan with displeasure. "What? In your eyes, would I, Qiao Muzhi, be short of a few dollars?"

"That's not what I meant..." Qin Wan explained, feigning panic.

"So you think I'm stingy?"

"No, no," Qin Wan shook her head repeatedly.

"So you think I'm trying to scam you out of your money?" Qiao Muzhi raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes, asking with a dangerous look.

"No, no, I really didn't mean that." Qin Wan looked panicked and waved her hands repeatedly, trying to explain herself.

"I just feel it's not right to take advantage of you like this..." As she spoke, Qin Wan subconsciously glanced at the kettle and cola on the table.

"You've already given me two things, but I haven't given you anything in return..." Qin Wan said, looking downcast.

Qiao Muzhi frowned and gave her a strange look. "What do you mean, 'give it to you'? Are you overthinking this?"

"I can't finish drinking all the Coke I buy."

"The water bottles are buy one get one free."

After saying that, Qiao Muzhi didn't want to waste any more words with Qin Wan, so he slumped onto the table and ignored her.

Seeing his awkward reaction, Qin Wan smiled faintly, her eyebrows curving upwards.

Stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside.

Why not give away the cola you can't finish?

Why not give the kettle away if it's buy one get one free?

Moreover, this glass kettle wasn't empty; it was filled with hot water.

The warmth that touched her skin brought a gentle smile to Qin Wan's eyes.

She's quite good at taking care of people.

She simply covered her stomach casually.

And Mingchen only mentioned it briefly on the phone.

Just as Qin Wan opened the glass water bottle to take a sip, a crisp "thump" sound caught her attention.

Qin Wan looked down in confusion and saw that a small, wrapped piece of brown sugar had appeared on the table at some point.

"What is this?" Qin Wan looked at Qiao Muzhi in confusion.

However, Qiao Muzhi had his back to her, looking as if he was already asleep.

It was as if the appearance of this piece of brown sugar had nothing to do with him...

Qin Wan: "..."

After unwrapping the packaging, I put the brown sugar into the warm water in the kettle, tightened the lid, and gently shook it.

"Thanks."

A soft voice of gratitude came from Qin Wan.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Muzhi remained asleep on the table, seemingly oblivious to everything, showing no reaction whatsoever.

[Qiao Muzhi's favorability increased by 2, current favorability is 37.]

Qin Wan's red lips curved slightly as she opened the glass lid and took small sips of the warm brown sugar water.

As Qin Wan drank the brown sugar water, her pale face gradually regained some color.

During a break in class, Qin Wan was listening attentively and taking notes when suddenly a gaze fell on her face.

She instinctively turned her head to look, but only saw a familiar, furry back of a head.

Qin Wan: "..."

"Qiao Muzhi? Are you awake?" Qin Wan asked tentatively.

"..."

No one responded for a long time.

Qin Wan's gaze lingered on him for a second before finally returning to the podium to continue listening attentively to the teacher's explanation.

They're quite sensitive.

The reaction was quite quick.

They weren't as stupid as they looked.

Qiao Muzhi looked at the bright sky outside the window, his thin lips slightly pursed, and he thought to himself.

[Qiao Muzhi's favorability increased by 1, current favorability is 38.]

After a day of classes, Qin Wan and Qiao Muzhi had almost no further interaction.

As soon as school was over, Qiao Muzhi led a group of his underlings away lazily.

Qin Wan packed her things and slowly walked behind them...

"Brother Qiao? Why do I feel like the school beauty is following you?"

Qiao Muzhi's underlings would occasionally glance back at Qin Wan, then huddle up to Qiao Muzhi and whisper among themselves.

Qiao Muzhi glanced indifferently at Qin Wan behind him, his face expressionless.

"There's only one road from our classroom to the school gate. What? Do people have to take a longer route to avoid me?" Qiao Muzhi said, kicking his talkative underling next to him.

"Just focus on your own path and stop talking nonsense."

The little brother grimaced in pain, then pitifully shut his mouth and said no more.

At the school gate.

Qin Wan took a taxi home.

After watching her get into the car, Qiao Muzhi raised an eyebrow and looked at his underling beside him.

"They're following me?"

The younger brother gave an embarrassed smile and said obsequiously, "Brother, I was wrong."

"I will never talk nonsense again."

"Mainly because Qin, the school beauty, is really pretty, and she kept following behind us..."

"Among our group, you're the only one who's exceptionally handsome, Brother Qiao. Plus, School Beauty Qin has indeed stared at your back several times, so I misunderstood..."

Upon hearing his younger brother's words, Qiao Muzhi was momentarily stunned.

"Qin Wan is staring at my back?" Qiao Muzhi asked in surprise.

As if afraid that Qiao Muzhi wouldn't believe him or that he would think he was lying, Zhou Cheng, the younger brother, quickly pointed to the sky.

I swear!

"I absolutely did not lie!"

"If anything I just said is a lie to Brother Qiao, then my brother will be alone for the rest of his life, never finding a girlfriend or a wife!"

"..." Qiao Muzhi's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

The other underlings around him quickly retreated, keeping their distance from Zhou Cheng, fearing they would be the next to suffer.

[Qiao Muzhi's favorability increased by 2, current favorability is 40.]