The bell for biology lab class rang in the afternoon silence, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the delicate balance in the laboratory.
Students poured in one after another, and the originally somewhat empty space was quickly filled with various sounds: the rustling of flipping through lab reports, the crisp sound of glassware colliding, and the low murmurs of small groups of people talking.
Yu Jiuyuan had already tidied up the experimental table for Yuan Xu and was now standing aside, watching him distribute the samples needed for the day in an orderly manner.
Her white school uniform skirt draped gently to her ankles, and sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting a soft golden rim on the ends of her hair. The lines of her profile were clean and gentle, making her look docile and quiet, as if she were just an ordinary student focused on her lesson.
"Xie, could you please pass me the dye?" The professor in charge of today's experiment pushed up his glasses and looked at Xie Zhecheng in the corner.
Xie Zhecheng stood up in response and smoothly picked up the bottle of reagent with the label.
His gait was almost rigidly upright, each step seemingly calculated precisely. As he passed Yu Jiuyuan, he brought with him a faint, cool scent, like that of a pine forest after a snowfall.
Yu Jiuyuan's gaze lingered for a moment on the hand holding the reagent bottle. It was a hand with distinct knuckles, neatly trimmed nails, and even the spaces between the fingers exuded meticulous cleanliness.
She suddenly turned slightly to the side, as if she had lost her footing, and let out a soft "ah". The dropper in her hand slipped and fell right onto the hem of Xie Zhecheng's lab coat.
The transparent liquid instantly spread out, leaving a small wet patch.
"I'm so sorry! Xie, I didn't mean to!" Yu Jiuyuan immediately bent down to pick it up, her face full of panic and apology, her eyes slightly red, looking guilty and helpless. "I was so careless..."
Several pairs of eyes turned to them, filled with curiosity and inquiry.
Xie Zhecheng stopped in his tracks.
He looked down at the damp stains on his hem, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. A clear displeasure flashed in his cold eyes, like an artist whose perfect order had been disrupted, feeling particularly uncomfortable with this sudden "flaw."
"It's alright." His voice was still cold, but he wasn't overly critical. He simply bent down, picked up the dropper, and placed it in the recycling bin next to him. His movements were still precise, as if he were just dealing with an insignificant piece of trash.
[System notification: Xie Zhecheng's favorability rating is 0, no change.]
Yu Jiuyuan understood. This kind of minor accident was probably just "trouble" for Xie Zhecheng, not enough to cause him any emotional fluctuation, let alone change his favorability towards her.
But she didn't give up. Instead, she took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket, stood on tiptoe to wipe him, and said with great sincerity, "I'm so sorry, this is waterproof. Maybe wiping it will help..."
Just as her fingertips were about to touch his clothes, Xie Zhecheng slightly turned his body to avoid it. "No need," he said, a hint of distance creeping into his voice. "I'm going to the restroom."
After saying that, he turned and left the laboratory. His back was still straight, but his steps seemed to be faster than before, as if he was fleeing something.
Watching his figure disappear through the doorway, the apology on Yu Jiuyuan's face slowly faded, and a faint trace of contemplation flashed in her eyes.
Xie Zhecheng's aversion was stronger than she had anticipated, and this almost instinctive resistance, ironically, piqued her interest. It was like facing an extremely complex equation; the more difficult it was to solve, the more it fueled her desire to conquer it.
"He doesn't seem too happy." Yuan Xu's voice rang out from the side. He had just finished distributing samples and was looking towards the door with a slight frown and a hint of confusion in his voice.
In his world, emotions are often linked to experimental results and data fluctuations, so Xie Zhecheng's pure and unreasonable rejection is somewhat difficult for him to understand.
Yu Jiuyuan turned her head, her face now bearing that slightly aggrieved expression again, and said softly, "It's all my fault for being so careless... Did I cause trouble for Xie?"
“It’s none of your business.” Yuan Xu immediately shook his head, his tone firm. “He’s always been like this.” He paused, then seemed to realize he had been too blunt, and added, “He’s cold to everyone.”
[System notification: Yuan Xu's favorability +2, current favorability 25.]
Yu Jiuyuan's eyes curved into a smile, as if comforted by his words, revealing a shallow dimple: "Thank you, Yuan Xu. You always speak up for me."
Her tone was sincere and gentle, like a feather lightly brushing against the heart.
Yuan Xu's ears started to burn again. He looked away somewhat awkwardly, lowered his head to organize the test tubes in his hands, and said in a lower voice, "It's just the truth."
Halfway through the experiment, Rong Shenghan suddenly appeared at the laboratory door.
He wasn't wearing a lab coat, so he obviously wasn't there for class. He just leaned against the door frame, his gaze sweeping around the room before finally settling on Yu Jiuyuan. He smiled and waved.
The professor and Rong Shenghan seemed quite familiar with each other; the professor simply smiled and nodded before continuing to instruct the students. The rules of Sheng Ying Academy always offered a degree of flexibility for the heirs of these top-tier wealthy families.
When Yu Jiuyuan saw him, a perfectly timed look of surprise flashed in her eyes. She then put down the pipette in her hand, walked up to him, and asked in a low voice, "Senior Rong, what brings you here?"
"I just came from the Academic Affairs Office and stopped by to take a look." Rong Shenghan's gaze fell on her fingertips, which were moistened with saline solution, and his eyes softened. "Was the experiment difficult? You seemed quite busy."
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