As thoughts churned in Li Linhai's mind, anxiety swelled within him.
His gaze darted incessantly toward the door, his desire to see Ye Fan growing more desperate by the second.
Yet, the more he yearned for Ye Fan's appearance—
The more deafening the silence became.
Ye Fan never walked through that door.
Instead, the last person he wanted to see strolled in.
It was Chu Yi—unscathed, composed, and exuding effortless elegance as he stepped into the classroom.
There wasn't a single wound on his body.
As if all he had done was go out for a casual lunch.
Could it be... Ye Fan had deceived him?
The thought made Li Linhai tremble.
No. Impossible.
Ye Fan wouldn't lie to me.
I believe in him.
He'll show up soon.
He'll explain everything.
Clinging to this hope, Li Linhai comforted himself, desperately trying to make sense of Ye Fan's absence.
Eventually, he fell into a quiet daze.
By the doorway, Chu Yi observed Li Linhai's shifting emotions, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Your composure is commendable… for now.
But it's about time I draw the net closed.
Let's see how calm you remain when the trap springs.
With that, Chu Yi walked to his seat.
Beside him, Zhang Ting sat with her head bowed, her mood clearly subdued. She didn't spare Chu Yi a single glance, still caught in the emotional haze from earlier that morning.
On the other hand, Xia Yuehan, having learned of Chu Yi's exceptional mathematics skills, brimmed with curiosity. She peppered him with questions, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Chu Yi, of course, was thoroughly enjoying the friendly conversation with the class's stunning monitor.
But not far from their interaction, Zhang Ting lifted her delicate face, her eyes tinged with a flicker of jealousy.
...
Ding-ling-ling—
The bell rang.
From the back of the room, where he had spent the entire lesson absentminded and fidgeting, Li Linhai sprang to his feet.
He needed to clear his head.
He strode toward the restroom, hoping that a splash of cold water might calm his restless heart.
But the moment he stepped out of the classroom, a group nearby exchanged glances.
Zhang Xing and his cronies met each other's eyes, a knowing glint passing between them.
Moments later, they too stood up and silently followed him out.
Meanwhile, Chu Yi's lips curled slightly.
Turning to Xia Yuehan, who tilted her head as she listened intently to his explanation, he said softly, "Class monitor, I'll have to pause our little lesson. Something's come up."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Nature calls."
"You pervert! You're so annoying!" she exclaimed, blushing, swatting at him playfully.
Chu Yi chuckled but said no more.
Though Xia Yuehan's attitude toward him had grown increasingly warm, he knew full well—their relationship was no more than friendly, for now.
The system had only registered a favorability score of ten.
It wasn't lying.
So Chu Yi saw no reason to fawn over her needlessly.
On the contrary—over-eagerness would only cheapen his worth.
Courtship, after all, required a touch of counterplay.
Of course, such games were best played by those both handsome and wealthy.
...
At the sink, Li Linhai cupped cold water in his hands and splashed it onto his face.
Trying to shake the confusion, he took a deep breath and turned to leave.
But before he could exit the restroom—
Zhang Xing and his crew were already blocking the doorway.
"What… what do you want?"
Li Linhai's heart skipped a beat as he finally noticed them.
The class's resident bullies had formed a wall in front of him.
"Fatty," Huang Mao sneered, eyes glinting menacingly,
"Do you not realize you've already offended someone?"
At those words, a familiar, dashing figure flashed through Li Linhai's mind.
He suddenly understood.
He had crossed a line.
But given the current situation, he couldn't afford to admit it.
So, schooling his expression into forced calm, he replied,
"I don't know what you're talking about. I need to return to class."
Then, without waiting for a response, he made to push his way past them.