Chen Bing knew that Shang Yunmiao looked uneasy because his words had been rather distant. So, he immediately put on a nonchalant expression and said, "No, I was just joking. How could a silly girl like you be any better than me?"

That makes sense now. Shang Yunmiao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled gently at Chen Bing. Her two adorable dimples appeared, blooming along with her fair and chubby cheeks for Chen Bing to see.

Xiao Shang's skin was truly fair, like pear blossoms in full bloom in spring—a vibrant and healthy white. However, today, describing her face as a peach blossom might be more fitting, because Chen Bing had unusually discovered two red dots resembling flower stamens on the girl's face.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Bing realized that the two little pimples were actually acne.

Yes, it's already December 2018, and in less than a month, it will be Shang Yunmiao's fourteenth birthday. According to rural people, that's equivalent to fifteen years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning). Getting a couple of pimples is a minor thing, both unexpected and reasonable.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Even the usually outgoing Shang Yunmiao felt quite embarrassed when Chen Bing suddenly leaned closer and stared at her. She quickly glanced around, then lowered her head and asked tentatively, secretly pleased with herself.

Originally, Chen Bing wanted to make a joke, saying that Xiao Shang had a pretty face, but after thinking about it, she decided to tell the truth about her discovery.

"There are two pimples."

Upon hearing this, Shang Yunmiao was startled. She then borrowed a small mirror from Zhang Xinyu and carefully examined her face.

"Really, really..." Shang Yunmiao's face was full of sadness. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but she was afraid of touching something that might cause a problem.

Shang Yunmiao, who has excellent genes and pays great attention to hygiene, rarely gets pimples. Now that two obvious pimples have suddenly appeared on her face, the young girl can't help but feel a little frustrated.

After returning the mirror to Zhang Xinyu, Shang Yunmiao refused to turn her head to face Chen Bing again. She thought that she would find a mask to wear when she got home and would show it to Chen Bing when her acne was gone.

If Chen Bing knew what Shang Yunmiao was thinking at that moment, he would be greatly disappointed. In his eyes, the two red dots on Shang Yunmiao's cheeks were as beautiful as white clouds adorning a blue sky. What a pity it was that he couldn't take a few more glances at them while they were still there!

Back to Chen Bing's efforts to persuade Shang Yunmiao, he saw that the little girl was very stubborn and refused to raise her head no matter what he said, so he could only sigh and give up. Anyway, there would be plenty of opportunities after school.

With this mindset, Chen Bing endured another class period, and before she knew it, it was time for the last ten-minute break in the afternoon before the short self-study session.

After the bell rang, Chen Bing, who had intended to take out a novel to read, was called out of the classroom by Song Ze. It seemed that he had recently had a minor conflict with Wen Xin and was currently feeling down, so Chen Bing was happy to offer him some advice.

So the two boys strolled around the school building corridor while discussing topics such as love, puberty, studies, and girls.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at a place where the boys in my class often gathered after class. It was located on a closed window sill extending from the corridor of the teaching building. Because of its relatively remote location, few students from other classes would come here except for those from Class 1 of Grade 8.

Although it's rather remote, the scenery here is absolutely stunning. Facing the fields to the west, you can often see beautiful fiery clouds at sunset. But it's winter now, and it's already dark.

It's dark now, so be it. Every now and then, Chen Bing and Song Ze would glance at the dark sky and lean against the window, enjoying the evening breeze, chatting about everything related to life.

Just as Chen Bing was getting into the conversation, he noticed several unfamiliar girls who were slowly approaching and pointing at the area.

Without giving it much thought, Chen Bing only paid a brief look before refocusing on chatting with Song Ze.

But reality isn't a game. Most of the time, events don't wait for you to notice them before they're triggered. They often come knocking on your door unexpectedly, giving you a little ripple in your life.

"Um... excuse me."

Upon hearing the gentle female voice, Chen Bing turned to look at the short-haired girl beside her. She seemed to have been chosen by the crowd, looking slightly uncomfortable, but she still tried to appear calm as she looked at her.

"Me?"

"Um... could you please leave your QQ number and name? A girl in my class wants to know."

I glanced at the group of girls following behind her. Judging from the expressions on their faces, most of them were there to watch the excitement.

Chen Bing wasn't narcissistic, but he wasn't stupid either. If he couldn't see through this situation, then he could only be faking it.

Yes, judging from the current situation, it seems that Chen Xiaoshuai has been confessed to. He wasn't the only one who noticed this; Song Ze and the other boys in the class also realized it.

"wok!"

A confession! How novel! Although the person involved wasn't there in person, it still happened right before our eyes. Let's enjoy this spectacle!

Some of the kinder-hearted students couldn't bear to be the only ones watching the drama unfold, so they rushed back to the classroom as fast as they could and loudly spread the news about what had happened to Chen Bing, calling on their friends and other onlookers to come and join them.

Before they even arrived at the scene, the drama had already ended.

Here's what happened: Just as some of the boys realized what was happening and ran back to the classroom to warn the girl, Chen Bing politely declined the girl's request.

Just kidding, I'm a good man, okay? If I just casually handed over my name and contact information, Xiao Shang would be devastated if he found out.

Thanks to his own excellence, Chen Bing has experienced many confessions of love since childhood, but he has always resolutely rejected them without exception.

However, considering that it wasn't the person in question, and that they came to ask in person, we should still be mindful of their words out of respect.

Thinking of this, Chen Bing put on a relatively gentle expression and said directly to the girl, "If she wants to know, she should come herself."

After saying that, Chen Bing didn't wait for the girl's reaction. She called Song Ze and headed towards the classroom. On the way, they ran into the classmates who had come to watch the commotion.

Before Chen Bing could explain, a classmate who had been watching the commotion from the beginning stepped forward and explained what had just happened.

After learning what had happened, while everyone admired Chen Bing's manly qualities, they couldn't help but feel a little envious. The boys wished they could be as outstanding as Chen Bing, while the girls were relieved that their class's best resources hadn't been snatched away by other classes.