Chapter 26
The laughter instantly punctured Tong Yao's embarrassment. Her face immediately turned cold, and her tone carried a hint of retaliation: "Heh, I saw everything that day in the infirmary, why didn't you do that then?"
Lin Li's trembling shoulders suddenly froze. The infirmary!
He had completely forgotten that day when he was wiping his sweat in the infirmary, shirtless, and she saw him.
"I didn't see everything..." he blushed and stubbornly argued, "I... I was definitely still wearing my pants!"
The next second, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, catching the key information, and the blush on his face was quickly replaced by a sly smile:
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about that day. You remember it so clearly..."
He raised his head with a smile, took a step closer, and stared intently at her. "Tong Yao, you wouldn't happen to... like me, would you?"
"Lin Li, I've noticed that you have a really big face," Tong Yao commented expressionlessly, trying to build a defense with calmness.
Lin Li, however, began to feign ignorance: "Do I have a big face? Everyone compliments me on my small face!"
As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and used his two index fingers to make a frame, seriously measuring the width of his face.
After demonstrating his own gesture, he held the same width as his index finger and stretched it towards Tong Yao's face, intending to do the same.
A fingertip inadvertently poked Tong Yao's soft cheek.
Both of them were stunned for a moment.
Lin Li silently felt the delicate warmth from her fingertips. Tong Yao's face seemed much smaller than hers, so how come it was wider than hers when compared like this?
"Well, it seems you have a bigger face." He still chose to annoy Tong Yao.
"When you moved your hand away, you pulled it back in," Tong Yao calmly pointed out, exposing his little trick.
Really? Lin Li, still not believing it, gestured at the air a couple more times and found that... it did indeed unconsciously pull inward.
Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and came up with an "absolutely fair" method.
He held his hands upright, pressed them against his cheekbones, and then proudly announced, "That way I won't lose control!"
As he spoke, he lowered his head, maintaining this comical posture, and moved closer to Tong Yao's face, wanting to use this "standard ruler" to measure whose face was bigger.
...
The distance was instantly shortened.
So close that I could see her slightly trembling eyelashes, so close that I could feel each other's warm breath.
Both of them were stunned by this sudden, almost zero-distance contact.
Lin Li stood frozen in place, her hands raised, only then belatedly realizing how ambiguous her posture was—it was just like the scene in an idol drama where the male lead cups the female lead's face before a kiss…
His gaze involuntarily fell on Tong Yao's rosy lips, which were so close to his own, and his mind went blank.
The next second, he saw Tong Yao... slowly close her eyes.
Long eyelashes drooped down like butterfly wings, casting a faint shadow on her eyelids.
Could it be...?
A surge of heat rushed to Lin Li's head, his heart pounded wildly, and as if possessed, he pouted slightly and uncontrollably moved closer to that soft spot...
What do you want to do?
A cold, slightly mocking voice suddenly rang out, like a bucket of cold water being poured over someone's head.
Tong Yao opened her eyes, her gaze clear and calm, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever.
Lin Li jolted back as if struck by lightning, her cheeks instantly turning bright red, the redness spreading down to her neck.
"I...you..." He stammered, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.
"You just...you weren't trying to kiss me—"
"Ah!" Before he could finish the last word, he was interrupted by Lin Li's exaggerated shout. He jumped up in panic, "No! I didn't! Absolutely not!" His voice was so loud that it seemed as if he wanted to announce it to the world, trying to cover up his guilt with the volume.
Tong Yao looked at him leisurely, a playful smile curving her lips: "I haven't finished speaking yet, what 'kiss'? You already know there's 'no'?"
"I...you..." Lin Li stammered for a long time, feeling like she couldn't clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River. All her intelligence and language skills seemed to have run away at this moment.
Finally, filled with shame and indignation, he blurted out, "I...I'm not talking to you anymore!"
After saying that, he ran away like a lit firecracker, without looking back, his back view revealing his disheveled state.
Tong Yao crossed her arms and watched the figure flee in a panic, almost moving in unison, until he disappeared around the corner of the teaching building. Only then did she slowly lower her arms.
As her tense shoulders relaxed, she couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth. Her fingertips were icy cold, but the cheeks she touched were burning hot.
_
Lin Li rushed back to the classroom, slumped heavily into a chair, and gasped for breath, as if she had just experienced a life-or-death race.
Suddenly, the scene of Tong Yao closing her eyes reappeared in my mind with unparalleled clarity.
That quiet, waiting posture, those slightly trembling eyelashes...
He sat up abruptly, his pupils dilating in shock.
Only then did I realize that I had been tricked!
She did it on purpose! She deliberately closed her eyes to deceive him! She deliberately waited for him to embarrass himself!
"Damn it! Ughhhhh I'm so angry!" Lin Li howled in anger, completely disregarding her image, rolling around on the table with her head in her hands, lightly banging her forehead against the surface.
Tang Yue and Chen Yan, who were reading novels in the back row, were startled by the commotion. They looked up and exchanged a speechless glance.
Tang Yue closed the book and calmly stood up: "Let's go outside and see, this person has gone mad."
Chen Yan expressed her strong agreement.
With a soft "bang," the classroom door was considerately closed.
Lin Li was completely unaware of all this, still immersed in immense shame and indignation and the frustration of being "intellectually crushed".
He rolled around on the table, internally screaming:
hateful!
One day... one day I'll kiss you back! Oh no, I mean I'll get my revenge!
"Lin Li, are you crazy?"
After being beaten and dismissed, Li Jiahao went back to the classroom with Tang Yue and the others. He had been playing games all night and was catching up on sleep.
He had just fallen asleep when he was woken up by the noise Lin Li made.
Lin Li's frantic movements froze instantly.
He suddenly stood up: "I...I'm going to the restroom."
The door slammed shut behind Lin Li with a loud bang.
Li Jiahao rubbed his sleepy eyes, ignored it, and continued to lie down and fall asleep.
_
restroom.
Lin Li stood beside the urinal, and the sound of water running through the urinal ended.
Lin Li pulled up his pants.
A smile curved his lips.
Since you've ruined your persona and aren't the innocent and gentle Tong Yao I know anymore, then I'll ruin mine too!
Starting today, I'm changing my persona!
The aloof and academically gifted Lin Li is here!
_
then.
When Tong Yao returned to the classroom, she saw this scene.
Lin Li sat upright in his seat.
His back was ramrod straight.
He was wearing black-rimmed glasses that he had somehow gotten his hands on.
He was looking down, working on the exercises in his hands.
Even when Tong Yao sat down next to him, he only paused for a moment while holding his pen, without looking up, as if he were completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge.
Footsteps came from the front door, and Tang Yue and Chen Yan walked in chatting and laughing. Seeing his appearance, they greeted him in surprise: "Hi, Lin Li?"
Lin Li then raised her head, pushed up her glasses, nodded with a gesture so small it was almost imperceptible, and then lowered her head again.
Tang Yue and Chen Yan exchanged a knowing glance.
"This is insane."
After they left, Tong Yao quietly watched Lin Li's appearance, her face calm and composed, only raising an eyebrow with interest.
_
Over the next few days, Lin Li became completely immersed in his "role-playing".
He had that aloof demeanor completely under control, as if he were a different person.
Especially when responding to questions in class, his procedure is quite standard: first, he pushes up his black-rimmed glasses as if turning on some kind of switch, and then answers in an almost mechanical, calm and even tone, just like a sophisticated answering machine.
In the office
The math teacher and the language arts teacher surrounded the homeroom teacher, Liu Hongli, and asked, "What's gotten into Lin Li in your class lately?"
Liu Hongli shook her head: "I'm wondering the same thing. It's like he's a completely different person. But it's good. He's much more well-behaved. Teenagers are all like this. I guess he'll go back to normal in a few days."
The other two teachers nodded in agreement. "They are indeed much more well-behaved now, and they don't cause any trouble in class."
“Actually, maintaining this way isn’t bad.” Then the two teachers smiled at each other.
During break time.
Lin Li looked at the exercises in her hand with a serious and focused expression.
Tong Yao looked at the exercises in her hand with a serious and focused expression.
Tang Yue and Chen Yan watched from behind as the two giant icebergs sat side by side.
Then, Tang Yue nudged Chen Yan with her elbow and lowered her voice:
"I think I understand now."
Chen Yan immediately leaned closer: "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Tang Yue gestured towards the two straight backs in the front row and whispered, "Knowing Lin Li as I do, they're just a young couple playing around—cosplay."
Chen Yan's mouth dropped open in a gossipy manner: "Really?"
Tang Yue suddenly stood up. "I'm going to have some fun."
She casually picked up the exercise book from the table, took a few steps to Lin Li's desk, and deliberately softened her tone:
"Lin Li, I just can't understand this problem. Can you explain it to me?" she said, pushing the book in front of him.
Lin Li didn't even look up. She simply stretched out two fingers, slowly pushed up her black-rimmed glasses, and then meticulously took the book.
He glanced down at the question, his brow furrowing slightly, before speaking in his carefully maintained, completely flat voice:
"This question tests the most basic concepts. I think you should think about it independently first, rather than directly seeking the answer."
After saying that, he handed the book back to Tang Yue, without even glancing at her once during the entire process.
Tang Yue kept a straight face, took the book, and quickly returned to her seat.
As soon as she sat down, she suddenly pulled the still dazed Chen Yan under the desk.
"puff--"
Hahahaha!
The two huddled in the cramped space under the table, their shoulders shaking wildly, suppressed yet unrestrained laughter escaping in muffled bursts, tears welling up in their eyes.
After laughing for an unknown amount of time, the two looked at each other again.
_
then.
Next break.
Chen Yan, clutching her workbook, sidled up to Tong Yao's desk, her face radiating eagerness for knowledge.
"Class monitor," she handed the booklet to Tong Yao, pointing to a problem with her finger, her tone utterly sincere, "I really have no idea how to solve this problem, could you explain it to me?"
Upon hearing this, Tong Yao looked up from her exercises. She first glanced at the question Chen Yan was pointing to, then her gaze subtly swept over the "aloof academic genius" sitting upright next to her, seemingly detached from the situation, and her lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Draw a picture."
She deliberately uttered two words concisely before lowering her head again.
Chen Yan was stunned for a moment, then seemed to have grasped some secret. Holding her workbook, she tried to tense her facial muscles and quickly returned to her seat.
As soon as he sat down, Tang Yue pulled him down.
The two of them once again shrank into the secret space under the desk.
"Pfft... drawing, drawing! Hahaha..." Chen Yan's low voice was full of suppressed laughter.
The two girls were laughing so hard under the table that they almost couldn't breathe.
Li Jiahao, just waking up from a deep sleep, rubbed his eyes groggily, and this was the scene that greeted him—
For some reason, Tang Yue and Chen Yan sat on the ground, leaning against the chair legs, laughing so hard they were shaking and tears were streaming down their faces.
He scratched his head, looking bewildered, and asked, "Tang Yue, Chen Yan, what are you two doing lying on the ground? Are you so happy to have found money?"
See here.
"Stop laughing!"
Tang Yue suppressed a smile and warned Chen Yan.
"When Lin Li sees this, he'll realize what's going on."
Chen Yan quickly pursed her lips.
The commotion here naturally did not escape Tong Yao's ears.
She slowed down noticeably when writing, her pen tip scribbling unconsciously on the draft paper.
Finally, she couldn't resist turning her head slightly and glancing at Lin Li beside her.
The guy seemed completely oblivious to this, sitting upright and engrossed in doing practice problems, looking completely absorbed in his studies.
However, just as Tong Yao's gaze lingered and her pen came to a complete stop, Lin Li seemed to receive some kind of signal, and his speed in solving problems suddenly increased even more.
Tong Yao felt she needed to go to the restroom.
First, he expressionlessly capped his pen, gently pushed the open workbook back to the center of the table, then stood up and walked straight to the door without looking to the side.
Until she was far away from the classroom.
"Pfft—"
A very soft, almost breathy laugh still escaped from her lips.
She raised her hand to gently cover her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly, her cool eyebrows curving into beautiful crescent moons.
Lin Li looks even more interesting now than before.
With these thoughts in mind, Tong Yao walked into the women's restroom at the end of the corridor with a lightness she herself was unaware of.
As soon as I reached the door, I heard a burst of suppressed laughter coming from inside.
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