Lin Sitian suddenly began to study hard.

Young love is so simple. When you like someone, you want to become excellent for him or her. The most direct way to become excellent is to get good grades. When you grow up, you will know that there is no more direct path to success than when you are a student - just do well in the exams.

Lin Sitian had not yet realized what her attitude towards Zhou Sheng was. She just wanted to be better and not look like a joke when she stood next to him. Zhou Sheng gave her confidence that day, making her feel that as long as she made up her mind and took action, she would soon catch up. So she made a schedule, copied a lot of notes, bought several reference books, listened to English on the way home, and read questions 24 hours a day except when she was sleeping and even when she went to the toilet.

As the saying goes, everything has its limits. She couldn't hold on for more than a week.

The last straw that broke the camel's back came from the results of the small test.

Lin Sitian looked at the big 78 on the test paper, which was only 5 points higher than last time. The one question she got right was a multiple-choice question.

It just so happened that it was the same type of question that Zhou Sheng taught her.

Lin Sitian lay in his arms as the math representative handed Zhou Sheng's paper to the table. Lin Sitian looked up and saw that it was still a full score of 150.

Lovers can betray you, friends can cheat on you, but not math, because math is not good. Other subjects have some subjective answers, but math is not. Zhou Sheng can not only solve problems, but also solve them in different ways.

Totally different from her.

Zhou Sheng just came back from outside the classroom. He walked to the table, took a look at the test paper, and put it in the drawer. Seeing her lying on the side listlessly, he asked her casually, "Did you get the test paper?"

In math class, we have to review the papers, and sometimes the teacher will accidentally mix the papers with those of other classes. If you don’t get them, you have to go to the office early to ask.

Lin Sitian did not answer, but turned around and hid the math test paper under her arm more tightly.

She doesn't want to study anymore.

I won’t do well in the exam anyway.

She is just stupid anyway.

The ugly duckling turned into a white swan because it was originally a swan. Lin Sitian was not cut out for studying.

Who is Zhou Sheng? He is so smart that all teachers praise him. How could she have the delusion that she can catch up with him?

Lin Sitian's shoulders were shaking because she was crying in her arms.

She cried very carefully, not wanting to be discovered. The classroom was bustling with people, but she heard Zhou Sheng sitting down.

He is rummaging through his schoolbag.

The bell rang and the teacher will be here soon.

Lin Sitian's fingers were still on her arms, and something was stuffed into her fingertips.

She was stunned for a moment, and the texture of her fingertips made her realize that it was a tissue.

"It's time for class, Lin Sitian." Zhou Sheng didn't look at her, but stared at the text in the book, as if talking to himself.

The bitter feeling in her chest became even stronger. Lin Sitian's fingers poked out like a little hamster, tightly grasped the paper towel, dragged it back into the hole, and hid her body. In the following days, Lin Sitian began to completely mess up.

She thought she had realized the true meaning of studying, and she returned to her old ways, even worse than before. Sometimes during class, Lin Sitian would play with her phone under the drawer, either reading novels or watching TV series on APP. She would disappear after class, and after school she would pack her schoolbag and go to Student Street to eat.

Lin Sitian's parents are divorced. Her father, who is her guardian, is a construction contractor who is often away from home, but he gives her enough money. There is only a grandmother who loves to play mahjong to take care of her at home, so no one usually takes care of her studies.

The midterm exam was coming up soon, but her scores in two small tests dropped sharply. The teacher couldn't stand it anymore, so he called her to the office and had a talk with her. He told Lin Sitian that if she continued to be playful, he would consider talking to her parents, and then he called Zhou Sheng as well.

Lin Sitian didn’t know what the teacher said to Zhou Sheng, whether it was about her. When Zhou Sheng came back, his expression was calm, but she was curious and her heart was itching.

But she would not ask him, she had already determined that she and Zhou Sheng were not from the same world.

After school, it was her and Zhou Sheng's turn to clean the house.

Lin Sitian swept the floor perfunctorily because her mind was entirely on Zhou Sheng who was wiping the blackboard.

Just because she didn't want to think about it didn't mean she wouldn't think about it. Lin Sitian felt a little disgusted with herself for having no self-control. She lowered her head and sighed, but couldn't help but ask, "Zhou Sheng."

The boy turned sideways when she called his name.

"Today, what the teacher said to you, is it related to me?"

Zhou Sheng put down the blackboard eraser and asked, "Do you want to hear it?"

It's really about her.

Lin Sitian couldn't help but feel a little nervous. If the teacher was just talking to her, why did he also look for Zhou Sheng?

"Nothing, he just asked about your studies."

"Then you..." In fact, Lin Sitian had nothing to worry about. Her teacher knew very well how she usually behaved. It would not make any difference what Zhou Sheng said.

"I'd say it's about the same as before." This was a very tactful statement, neither good nor bad, following the facts and slightly embellishing them - she was obviously more decadent.

"oh."

“Then he asked me if I had ever tutored you.”

"Oh, of course..."

"I said no."

Obviously, he had tried to explain the questions to her after that time, but she didn't listen much.

"He also asked me if I was influenced by you."

"'If a person doesn't have the heart to study, no matter how much you help him, it will be useless'——" Zhou Sheng turned around completely, stood on the podium, and looked at her steadily, "He said so."

Lin Sitian lowered her head. The evening sun shone through the window lattice and fell into the classroom, covering her like a layer of golden gauze. She stood alone between the desks and chairs, pinching the seam of her school uniform awkwardly.

"He said that he would consider reassigning a seat for me so that no one would be held back and there would be other students who needed me more."

Lin Sitian suddenly raised her head and looked at him, a trace of panic flashing across her eyes.

"How...how did you respond to him?"

Zhou Sheng is leaving.

Her desk mate is going to become someone else's desk mate.

The sour feeling expanded infinitely, filling her chest. Lin Sitian felt that talking to him now was like the last time they would see each other.

This feeling is disgusting.

"I said—" Zhou Sheng looked at her, "Lin Sitian."

"Huh?"

"Have you ever thought about studying hard?"

Thought about it.

That is, give up.

Youth is a fleeting thing, and she realized that the world is a dangerous place and the gap between people is as big as a chasm. She was not cut out for it, so she gave up.

"It's not difficult, just take your time."

——It’s not difficult.

——He said that again.

But when he said "it's not difficult", he was not lying to her, she really learned it.

The extinguished fire began to flicker faintly.

"If..." Lin Sitian asked in a low voice, "If I want to study hard, are you willing to help me?"

Zhou Sheng smiled, and at that moment his smile was exactly the same as the day he gave the lecture.

It's so beautiful and touching.

"I do." It becomes much easier when studying becomes a matter for two people.

This statement has been verified both positively and negatively in Lin Sitian and Zhou Sheng.

Of course, Zhou Sheng didn't mind. Any academic difficulty was a challenge for him. What's more, the sense of accomplishment of raising a baby bird by himself could not be given by simply solving problems.

Lin Sitian's schedule has no effect on Zhou Sheng. Zhou Sheng arranges more goals for her.

"Ten questions, give them to me in the afternoon."

"Ten questions? There's only ten minutes between classes."

"That's not enough?"

Lin Sitian shut up angrily.

Or maybe…

"Have you finished memorizing the 30 words I marked for you yesterday?" Zhou Sheng asked as soon as he came to the classroom in the morning.

Lin Sitian nodded unconfidently.

"Well, take out your notebook and I'll check it for you."

"Can I take another look?"

"Look."

Lin Sitian was overjoyed and hurried to get her textbook.

"If you get the answer wrong after reading it, copy the word 30 times, if you don't read it, copy it 10 times."

——No such thing.

When it was time to go home from school, the classmates left one after another, and in the end only the two of them were left in the classroom.

To be honest, Lin Sitian quite enjoyed this kind of time, even though it was accompanied by a sea of ​​questions. But the person sitting next to her was Zhou Sheng, and the empty classroom became full.

The sky was rolling with fiery clouds, a dazzling golden pink color. The evening breeze quietly slipped into the classroom, leaving only traces on the fluttering curtains. Lin Sitian took a deep breath. The air was filled with the smell of firewood. I wonder which family still burns firewood.

The classroom was already very dark, and a whistle was blown on the playground. It was the janitor cleaning the school.

"All correct." Zhou Sheng finished correcting her last question and curled his lips in satisfaction, "You were great today."

"That's because the teacher teaches well." No matter how dumb a student is, if he has such a dedicated teacher who is full of patience and teaches him one question after another in different ways, if he makes no progress at all, then it really is a question of whether the student himself is putting in the effort.

“No, it’s because you studied hard.” Maybe it was because of the sunset, but Zhou Sheng’s ears were a little red.

He started packing his things: "Let's go home."

Lin Sitian hadn't moved yet. She lay on her folded arms, looking up at Zhou Sheng.

"Little teacher, can I have a reward?"

Zhou Sheng stopped moving: "What do you want?"

Lin Sitian's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she stared at Zhou Sheng for a long time, which made Zhou Sheng nervous. He reached out and pressed her head: "Hurry up and tell me."

"Can you take your glasses off?"

Because of the viewing angle, Zhou Sheng couldn't see her eyes. He could only see Lin Sitian's moving lips, opening and closing.

Zhou Sheng pulled his hand back and subconsciously covered his lips. A muffled voice came out from between his fingers: "...What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, just want to take a look." Lin Sitian smiled, "Okay."

It’s not “OK”, it’s “Okay”.

The blush on Zhou Sheng's ears seemed to climb up his cheeks, as if the fiery clouds in the sky had fallen on his face.

He hasn't agreed yet, but he doesn't seem to be saying no either.

Lin Sitian was a man of action. Before he could react, she reached out and raised her hand to climb onto his glasses frame.

Pause for two seconds.

The afterglow of the setting sun disappeared from the treetops, and Zhou Sheng's facial features fell into dimness. Only a dark box with golden lines remained in the classroom. Looking from outside the door, there were only two figures inside.

She was waiting for Zhou Sheng to reject him if he didn't like it.