Chapter 32

The Second High School monthly exams were underway, and the campus was hushed. With the senior students scattered across classrooms in different buildings due to a shortage of space, Xu Xieyi had been assigned to the biology laboratory.

The lab was deathly silent, save for the sound of students hunched over their desks, scribbling away. At the front of the room, the proctor was Tu Gang, the English teacher from Class Five. He stood at the podium with his hands behind his back, glancing at the wall clock. There were only a few minutes left before the papers were to be collected.

Among the students were a few of his own. Xu Xieyi, sitting by the window in the second-to-last row, was one of them.

Tu Gang paced, casting a curious glance at Xu Xieyi. The English test this time was notoriously difficult, and most students were still scrambling to finish their essays, yet Xu Xieyi was already sitting there, having finished reviewing her entire paper. She had done well in the last monthly exam, but not this quickly.

As the deadline approached, the sound of papers being turned and pencil cases being packed grew louder. Soon, the bell rang. Tu Gang called for everyone to put down their pens and began collecting the papers one by one.

At the entrance to the building, students emerged in twos and threes, buzzing with discussion as they compared answers. Xu Xieyi met up with a few girls from her class at the stairs, and they walked out together.

"My reading comprehension answers are completely different from yours, Xuxu. It’s over, I’m definitely going to get so many wrong," Zhang Xiaoli lamented, clutching her paper with a miserable expression. "Ugh, I don't even have the appetite for dinner now."

Yang Bingbing chimed in, "Xuxu, how did you finish so fast? I had just started my essay when I glanced over and saw you had already put your pen down."

"I just happened to have reviewed those specific concepts, so I knew them," Xu Xieyi replied.

Having spent many years abroad, Lin Sheng was a far better tutor than any English teacher she had ever had. After all this time studying, it was the first time she had heard the correct pronunciation from him.

Zhang Xiaoli grabbed Xu Xieyi’s hands. "You’re a genius! Can you take me with you for the next review session? My parents are on my back all day, every day—the pressure is immense! These monthly exams have become my monthly torture, right up there with menstrual cramps!"

Her remark was so funny that it made Xu Xieyi burst into laughter. The other girls were curious too.

"Xuxu, you’ve improved so much in these two months."
"Do you have some secret to studying? Share it with us."
"Which cram school are you going to? Tell us!"

"Yeah, tell us!"

"Forget it, you guys," Yang Bingbing waved her hand dismissively. "Her dad is the one tutoring her!"

The main campus thoroughfare was crowded with students holding papers and pencil cases. Xu Xieyi and the girls were caught in the flow of the crowd.

"Wow! Your dad is that amazing?"
"Seriously."
"Why don't I have such an intellectual father?"

The girls spent their time complaining about their own parents—who pronounced "ABCD" like they were ordering takeout—while envying Xu Xieyi. Listening to them, Xu Xieyi felt incredibly awkward. *Brother Lin, I am so sorry about this.*

Down the shaded path ahead, Lin Sheng was leaning against a tree, waiting for her. He was wearing a black tracksuit with red trim. Passing teachers and students glanced at him repeatedly. Some men require time to appreciate, but Lin Sheng’s handsomeness was instant—striking, elegant, and tall. He was so attractive that he felt almost unreachable. A girl would need to be exceptionally confident to pursue such a man; otherwise, the lack of security would be overwhelming.

Lin Sheng glanced at his watch. It was nearly five. As students passed by, their chatter seemed so immature. Hearing them, he couldn't help but reflect on the fact that Xu Xieyi lived among this crowd, and he found himself self-deprecatingly wondering about his own taste.

Looking up, Xu Xieyi spotted him waiting and was startled. She quickly told her classmates, "Okay, okay, leave my dad alone! Stop talking about him."

"Then let's study together for the next monthly exam, okay?"

"Sure. No problem."

After agreeing, Xu Xieyi waved goodbye to them. Yang Bingbing held her back. "Aren't you going shopping with us tonight? It’s rare that we don't have evening self-study."

Zhang Xiaoli pulled Yang Bingbing’s hand away. "Come on, Brother Lin is already waiting. Don't be so clueless!"

"Exactly."

Another girl said to Xu Xieyi, "Go on, genius Xuxu, go find your Brother Lin. Look, he’s already smiling at you."

Xu Xieyi looked up. Across the crowd of a dozen meters, Lin Sheng’s gaze found her unerringly. Standing there, his dark, clear eyes softened, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Cars in the parking lot were starting up, leaving a faint scent of exhaust in the air. Xu Xieyi was sensitive to such smells.

As Lin Sheng fastened his seatbelt, he turned his head. "Bear with it for a moment, the smell will dissipate once the car gets moving."

"Okay."

Xu Xieyi held her breath and checked her watch. It was nearing five. "Brother Lin, where are you taking me?"

Lin Sheng stepped on the gas, glancing at her with a smile, saying nothing. He wasn't driving his usual Porsche today; he was in a large Jeep. Xu Xieyi had already guessed it—whenever he went out with Chu Yuefei and the others, he drove the Jeep. That circle of people tended to have a somewhat military style. This type of car was bulky and cool, quite different from the lifestyle of ordinary urban youths.

The asphalt road reflected the sunset, which was quite dazzling. Lin Sheng put on his sunglasses, his peripheral vision catching the girl beside him, who seemed a bit bored, her hands resting neatly on her knees as she watched the scenery.

Lin Sheng’s voice dropped low and soft: "Sweetheart?"

Xu Xieyi hadn't heard clearly. She turned her head, asking uncertainly, "Were you calling me, Brother Lin?"

The man’s nose bridge was high under his sunglasses, his lips curving. "Yes."

A breeze blew in through the gap in the car window. Xu Xieyi blinked, waiting for him to continue. Lin Sheng deliberately stayed silent, letting her stare at him in confusion. The wind tousled her bangs, and she occasionally tucked them behind her ears with her fair fingers.

Lin Sheng smiled inwardly. She was so obedient it made his heart itch.

When the silence had stretched just long enough, he finally spoke: "You’ve been saying you want to thank me for tutoring you, so how about doing your brother a favor tonight?"

"What favor? Just tell me, Brother Lin."

The car stopped at a red light. Lin Sheng took off his sunglasses, his dark eyes brimming with a smile. "I’m playing a game later. Can you promise to cheer for me?"

In the parking lot outside the gymnasium, seven or eight high-end cars were parked in a neat row next to the black Jeep. Passing drivers couldn't help but take a second look.

Inside the basketball court, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the floor filled the air. A friendly match was underway. The score on the board read 33 to 31. It was a close game.

Lin Sheng moved across the court in a black short-sleeved shirt, athletic shorts, and black knee pads. He stood out among the sweaty, rugged men—handsome and fresh. Playing on his team were Chu Yuefei, Xiao Yufeng, and Chen Xia. Their opponents were off-duty officers and faculty from the local sports academy—people they all knew.

The stands, which had been empty at first, were filling up with people coming to watch the handsome men play. Xu Xieyi sat at the edge of the first row, surrounded by fashionable women—most of them wearing makeup and short skirts. They were the partners of Chu Yuefei and his friends, or of the opposing team.

Xu Xieyi looked down at her plain school uniform and felt completely out of place.

Fu Xiaoyin sat beside her. Knowing she was Lin Sheng’s god-sister, she was very attentive, including Xu Xieyi in all her plans for snacks and drinks. Xu Xieyi thanked her politely.

"Sister Xieyi, aren't you going to cheer for your Brother Lin?" Fu Xiaoyin asked with a smile, testing the waters. She was perceptive; this was the second time Lin Sheng had brought Xu Xieyi out, and even if she was just a "sister," it seemed a bit strange.

"I just cheered," Xu Xieyi said earnestly.

"You did?" Fu Xiaoyin thought back, but she hadn't noticed.

"My voice is a bit quiet, it probably got drowned out."

Fu Xiaoyin laughed. "I see." She smoothed Xu Xieyi’s ponytail. "You're so well-behaved. No wonder Brother Lin dotes on you so much and takes you everywhere."

Fu Xiaoyin looked at the women nearby shouting their boyfriends' names and said to Xu Xieyi, "Look, the other brothers all brought the women they love most."

Lin Sheng got the ball and drove toward the basket; the stands erupted in cheers. Xu Xieyi’s voice wasn't loud, and her "Go Brother Lin" was quickly swallowed by the roar of the crowd. But just then, Lin Sheng turned back and gave her a brief, fleeting smile.

It was a crisp, clear look—sharp and direct. A subtle current of electricity shot down Xu Xieyi’s spine. She touched her chest, where her heart had skipped a beat.

In the row behind her, some of the women were chatting. "I hear surgeons have great stamina."

"Stamina... in what way?"
"Hey! Enough!" They laughed softly.

"Seriously, I kind of want to find a doctor for a boyfriend."
"Well, Mr. Lin is single. You should go for him."
"Oh, I wouldn't dare..." the woman retreated but looked eager. "Maybe... I'll just add him on WeChat first."

Xu Xieyi listened to them for a while until the half-time break. She quickly stood up, grabbed a dry towel, and headed down.

Lin Sheng’s temples were slick with sweat after the intense exercise, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. He walked toward the rest area with Chu Yuefei and the others, talking about the game. The men were drenched in sweat. Some rolled up their shirts to wipe their faces, or simply crossed their arms and took their shirts off, revealing muscular torsos.

Only Lin Sheng kept his shirt on. His sweat-dampened black collar and short hair made the skin at the base of his neck look pale, and the arms exposed by his short sleeves showed solid, defined lines.

Seeing Xu Xieyi approach, he unconsciously slowed his breathing.

"Brother Lin."

Xu Xieyi trotted over, holding the dry towel. Lin Sheng smiled faintly, took the towel, and wiped his sweat. "Thanks!"

They sat together on the bench. Nearby, others like Xixi and Meng Lu were giving water to their boyfriends, pairs in every direction. Xu Xieyi and Lin Sheng sat at the very end, separated from the others by several seats.

"I didn't hear your voice earlier. Were you slacking off?" Lin Sheng raised his eyelids, his expression unreadable.