At 7:15 in the morning, Mu Xinrong's bicycle rolled over the last sycamore leaf. Golden-green spots of light danced across his washed-out school uniform, and the milk carton in the basket made a slight clatter as the bicycle jolted.
He rode this tree-lined path leading to Quanxin High School for three years, from junior high school to high school. The distance between each tree and every depression in the road were engraved in his memory.
"jingle--"
The crisp sound of the car bell startled the sparrows in the treetops. Mu Xinrong stopped at the intersection and habitually took out the mint candy from his trouser pocket.
As soon as I opened the aluminum candy box, I heard the sound of tires crushing gravel behind me, accompanied by a faint smell of cedar perfume.
"Mu Xinrong."
The cold voice fell wrapped in the morning mist. When Mu Xinrong turned around, Chao Youye's bicycle was slowly sliding to his side.
The boy's school uniform tie hung loosely around his neck, revealing his delicate collarbone. His cuffs were rolled up two inches, and he wore a silver watch on his wrist - it was a limited edition watch given to him by his father, the group's president, on his birthday last year.
"Mr. Chao isn't riding in a Rolls-Royce today?" Mu Xinrong raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Chao Youye's mount. The handcrafted titanium alloy frame gleamed coldly in the morning light, and the carvings on the handlebars were several times more intricate than those on ordinary bicycles.
"In no mood."
Chao Youye held the handlebars with one hand and took out a black velvet bag from the side pocket of her schoolbag with the other hand. "This is for you."
Mu Xinrong opened the package and found a dark blue notebook inside with a golden laurel pattern embossed on the cover.
Turning to the first page, one can see "To Xinrong: Let's conquer Mathematical Olympiad together in the new school year" written in pen on the title page, and signed with Chao Youye's unique cursive signature.
"I saw it in Ginza last week and thought it would be good for memorizing formulas," Chao Youye said casually, her fingertips stroking the carvings on the handlebars. "Don't refuse. I asked my secretary to buy two copies."
Mu Xinrong shook his head helplessly. He knew what Chao Youye's "two books" meant—this wealthy young master always had a way of giving expensive gifts in the most natural way, making them impossible to refuse.
He stuffed the notebook into the bicycle basket and noticed that the second button of Chao Youye's school uniform was loose. He reached out to help him button it up: "Young Master Ye, your image is about to collapse again."
Chao Youye slapped his hand away, but the tips of her ears turned slightly red: "What do you care?"
As the two rode side by side, Mu Xinrong could smell the faint scent of cedar on Chao Youye. This scent reminded him of the first time Chao Youye took him to her villa in the third year of junior high school, and the refreshing scent of the cedar potted plants by the swimming pool in the heavy rain.
Only then did he realize that in the life of a rich young master, even the air has a smell.
The classroom of Grade 2 (5) is on the third floor of the teaching building. From the window, you can see the cherry trees beside the playground.
When Chao Youye stepped into the classroom at the bell for morning reading, Zhang Xuanhua, the math representative, was writing "Hand in math homework" on the blackboard. The chalk words were so strong that they could be seen through the back of the paper. The last stroke landed heavily on the blackboard, making a harsh "squeaking" sound.
"It's over." Chao Youye slumped in the chair, forehead resting on the table, and said in a muffled voice, "I fell asleep after writing the third question last night."
Mu Xinrong took out the homework book from his schoolbag. There was a sticky note on the cover with the words "Solution 2 to Question 8 is easier" written on it in red pen.
Chao Youye's eyes lit up and she reached out to grab it, but Mu Xinrong held her wrist: "Let's make a deal first, no copying allowed."
"When did I copy?" Chao Youye raised an eyebrow and tapped the homework book with his fingertips. "I just borrowed the ideas. Besides..."
He suddenly leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Last time, when you helped me with my physics notes, I asked the kitchen to make you a cheesecake as a thank you gift. You really enjoyed it."
Mu Xinrong's ears felt hot as he thought of the beautifully packaged gold velvet gift box. The cake inside was indeed the most delicate cake he had ever tasted.
He loosened his grip and flipped open his textbook: "This won't happen again."
Chao Youye smiled triumphantly, grabbed a pen and began to write furiously. His handwriting was much more sloppy than Mu Xinrong's, but it had the elegant curves unique to the children of wealthy families. Even the auxiliary lines looked like he was signing calligraphy.
Mu Xinrong looked at him frowning and biting the pen, and suddenly remembered that when he was in junior high school, Chao Youye secretly copied an entire book of calligraphy in order to learn his handwriting.
"Xinrong, I don't know how to do this problem. Can you teach me?"
A sweet female voice interrupted his thoughts. Mu Xinrong looked up and saw a girl from Class 3 standing by her desk, the bow on her ponytail trembling slightly with her breathing. Her homework book was spread out on the table, and question 10 was circled with a large question mark in red pen.
"Okay, look here..." Mu Xinrong took the pen and began to draw a diagram on the draft paper. His voice was gentle and clear, like a spring stream, breaking down each step into the most understandable language.
The girl was listening intently and unconsciously moved closer, with the ends of her hair brushing against the back of Mu Xinrong's hand.
"So the law of cosines is used here, right?" She pointed at the draft paper, her eyes shining.
"Yes, remember to take the square root after substituting the numbers." Mu Xinrong nodded with a smile, and suddenly heard a "tsk" sound from the side.
Chao Youye leaned back in her chair, her pen spinning rapidly. The formula on the draft paper reflected in her purple pupils, but a disdainful arc played at the corner of her mouth: "It takes ten minutes to explain the cosine theorem, but this problem can be solved in three seconds using the vector method."
The girl's face flushed red, and she twisted her bow with her fingers, feeling lost. Mu Xinrong gently kicked Chao Youye's chair: "Don't be so mean."
"I'm just telling the truth." Chao Youye spread his hands and tapped the tip of his pen on his homework book. "Besides, someone hasn't finished copying their homework yet. Do you have time to meddle in other people's business?"
Only then did the girl notice the homework book in front of Chao Youye, and the words on it were not even half written.
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