The following day, I made a sincere effort to persuade myself that the tutoring arrangement was only a passing nightmare.Perhaps a week or two. After a while, Zhou Mingyu would grow bored, realize I had no chance, and resume his ideal life.
However, he was there when I entered the library annexe once more. Already sitting, notebook open, pen neatly arranged next to it, like a general getting ready for combat.
In the doorway, I came to a complete stop.
With suspicion, I remarked, "You're early."
"You're running late," he said, looking at his watch.
My mouth fell open. "We haven't even reached the hour yet!"
"To prepare, you should arrive ten minutes early."
I moaned and dragged myself to the seat on the other side of him. "You're amazing. Do you get up every morning just to harass me?
"No," he said calmly as he slid a pile of practice sheets in my direction. "That is merely an adverse consequence."
In horror, I gazed at the stack. It had a thick consistency. incredibly thick. Like, "destroy your plans for the weekend."
"You are crazy."
"Complete the first three."
"You mean today?"
He gave me a look that clearly translated to: Do I look like I'm joking?
I began to scribble after whispering a prayer for my suffering soul.
We spent the next thirty minutes in an odd rhythm. Under my breath, I curse, erase, and moan. He fixed every error I made with surgical composure.
To my eternal disgrace, it was functioning. In fact, things that had seemed like complete gibberish before were beginning to make sense to me.
However, I was about to rejoice over my minor triumph when the door creaked open.
As they peered inside, a group of students whispered loudly enough for everyone on the floor to hear.
"Is Lin Chen studying there?"
"With Mingyu Zhou?"
"Certainly not. When did they start talking at all?
My ears were burning. I jumped up in my chair. "Hey! This is a confidential—
Before I could say anything more, Zhou Mingyu's quiet yet piercing voice interrupted.
"Is there anything you need?"
Like deer in headlights, the group froze without moving. "Uh—n-no, we were just… passing by!" one of them stumbled. The door slammed behind them as they scurried off.
I let out a groan and lowered my head into my hands. Fantastic. The entire school will now believe that I blackmailed or bought your tutoring services.
Zhou Mingyu appeared unconcerned. He opened his notebook and turned a page. "It makes no difference."
"That's easy for you to say!" I shed tears. "You are the indestructible genius." Anything people say about you will be believed. Myself? They'll believe that I'm I don't know, luring you in for clarification or something!
This was the first time his pen hesitated. He raised his head, steadily bringing his eyes to mine.
"Would that really be that bad?"
I had a brain explosion.
"What just happened—what just happened—" I almost threw my chair over when I spluttered.
His eyes remained fixed. It doesn't alter reality when people make assumptions.
"That isn't the purpose!" I gave a little yelp. Do you wish for others to believe that we're— I burned my ears as I thrashed pointlessly.
He interrupted by slipping another practice sheet in my direction and saying, "Focus." There was a glint of amusement in his eyes, but his expression remained as composed as ever.
I stared at him in amazement. Was I being teased by him?
By lunchtime, my brain was dragging itself like a corpse across the campus.s fried, my hand was cramping from all the scribbling, and worst of all, rumors were already spreading.
As soon as IQiao Rui sat down at the cafeteria table and leaned across it, her eyes wide. Lin Chen," he hissed. "Is that accurate?
I shoved a dIn my mouth, umpling. "Depends. What's 'it'?"
"That you'vebeen... discreetlyeeting Zhou Mingyu. within the library.
I choked, nearly inhaling the dumpling. "Wh—who told"You that?" "Everyone," Qiao Rui said, eyes practically sparkling with gossip energy. "I've heard that he personally set aside the study space for the two of you."
"That's a li"E!" I exclaimed immediately.diately. "I'm not even sure how to book rooms!"
Qiao Rui slaput his hands on the table and said, "So it is whatrue! You and him have been skulking around together!
"Not sneaking! Learning!
Researching is a euphemism."
I groaned, buburying my face in my arms. "Death me right now."."
But of courseFate was unforgiving. This is becauseht then, Zhou Mingyu walked into the cafeteria.
The entire plAce shifted. Dialogues dipped, eyes turned, and even the lunch ladies behind the counter straightened. Zhou Mingyu had that effect, as if he were bent by gravity.
And where didIs he walking straight?oward me.
QRui's Iaojaw dropped. "Not at all."
"DI wouldn't sayit," I begged.
"No way," he repeated, holding onto his tray as though it were the Holy Grail. Zhou Mingyu stopped at our table, his gaze flicking briefly to Qiao Rui before landing on me. "You left your notes behind."
He set a neatHe had neat annotations on a pile of papers on the table, and my sloppy handwriting was staring up at me in an ugly way. "Youed these all the way here?" With weakness, I asked.
"You'll need The cafeter said, "Then, without waiting for gratitude, he walked away."ia erupted in whispers.
Qiao Rui slowLin Chen turned to face me with wide eyes. Be honest. Are you—are you in a relationship with the best student?
I slammed my place your head on the table. "For the ladiest time—NO!"
That night, bBack in the dorm, I was lying in bed looking through my phone. As it turned out, the campus forum was buzzing.
[Anonymous]: In the library today, I saw Lin Chen and Zhou Mingyu alone. For HOURS.
[Bookworm9]8]: Heard they're study partners now. The lucky bastard.
[GossipQuee[]: Would you please be our study partners? all know what that means. (ء° לʖ С°)
[TopStudentFan]: Zhou Mingy: Unfeasibleu doesn't have time for distractions.
I groaned, Putting my phone down, this was apiraling out of control.
"Lin Chen."
I came close to jumping out of my skin. Standing at the open dorm window with one hand on the frame, Zhou Mingyu maintained his composed demeanor.
"Wha—what the helAre you not knocking? like normal people?!" I gave a little yelp.
"You wThere weren't anyswering your messages."
"What messages?!"I frantically looked formy phone. As it turned out, I had three of his unread texts sitting in my inbox.
[Zhou Mingyu]: LiBryan. 7 a.m. tomorrow.
[Zhou Mingyu]: Don't be late.
[Zhou Mingyu]: Bring coffee, and I looked in horror.ied. "Seven in the morning?"
Hisgaze didn'twaver. "If at all possible, earlier."
"You're a demon," I moaned, and he cocked his head.ad slightly, eyes glinting in the dim dorm light.
"Then you'd betterfollow along." With that, he turned and left, as silent as he'd arrived.
I collapsed onto mMy heart thumping in my bed for reasons I wouldn't admit; rumors were already spreading like wildfire. Furthermore, Zhou Mingyu constantly pulls me into his orbit.
Things were only going to get worse.