One afternoon during a self-study period, Lu Yige picked up a Five-Three mathematics workbook and started grinding through problems.
Because many of the questions were overly familiar, she could practically solve them with her eyes closed. In ten minutes, she swept through three pages.
Sensing Jiang Yu's gaze, Lu Yige smiled at him.
What are you looking at? Never seen a top student do homework before?
Jiang Yu said, "You don't use scratch paper when you do problems?"
"I... have pretty strong mental calculation skills," Lu Yige replied.
If you'd done the same problem five or six times, you could too.
"Mm."
Mm what, mm. Not wanting to waste time on him, Lu Yige was just about to dive back into the sea of problems when Jiang Yu's cool, slightly magnetic voice sounded again.
"What university do you want to go to—or are you planning to study abroad?"
"What?" Lu Yige didn't understand why he was suddenly asking this.
"I mean..." Jiang Yu paused. "No matter where you go, I'll go with you."
He looked at her intently, as if trying to peer straight into her heart.
Lu Yige: ...
Alright, alright—you win. The Oscar for Best New Actor goes to you, and your cheesy pick-up line skills have improved as well.
Seeing that Lu Yige didn't react, Jiang Yu added, "With your grades, you should be able to get into a very good school. I'll work hard to keep up with you."
Lu Yige lowered her head. "Your grades are clearly better than mine."
Too modest, you fraud. In the novel, you scored thirty points higher than me on the college entrance exam—people like you are exactly what they call academic green-tea types.
Jiang Yu was about to say something when his phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled an old-fashioned phone out of his desk, glanced at it, then frowned deeply and walked out of the classroom.
Lu Yige: Something's up.
A moment later, he returned, grabbed the school jacket hanging on his desk, and left again.
Seeing this, Lu Yige replayed the plot in her head. It was late in the second semester of their second year of high school, close to finals—and Jiang Yu had specifically taken his jacket...
Well then. There was going to be a show.
Jiang Yu hurried to the school's piano room. Pushing the door open, he saw Jiang Nian half-slumped against the piano bench, clutching her stomach in pain.
"You're here," Jiang Nian said, forcing a smile. Her face was completely pale.
Jiang Yu tied his jacket around her waist and noticed a can of iced cola nearby.
"How many times have I told you not to drink cold things at times like this?" he said angrily.
Jiang Nian stuck out her tongue. "Got it, my guardian angel."
"Let's go to the infirmary. Can you still walk?"
"Carry me," she said. "Like when we were little."
Jiang Yu didn't return for the entire noon break. Lu Yige happily continued doing problems, her 100% accuracy rate filling her with pride. As expected of someone who had once scored full marks on the math portion of the college entrance exam.
What was Jiang Yu doing right now? Probably in the infirmary.
At this point, the male and female leads were still in their ambiguous stage. Although the entire school had already defaulted to them being a couple, the female lead—always the most oblivious person in the world—didn't think so herself. Whenever she ran into trouble, the first person she sought out was the second male lead.
And so, the whole school witnessed the school heartthrob carrying "Young Master Chi's girlfriend" to the infirmary.
Next up was the jealous male lead coming to pick a fight.
"You're not going to ask what I went to do?" Jiang Yu said as soon as he returned to his seat.
"Why should I ask?"
"You should ask."
Lu Yige put on the standard gentle, understanding smile. "If you don't say it, then I don't need to ask."
Jiang Yu fell silent. Just then, the gossiping voices of the two girls behind them rang out again at the worst possible moment.
"I heard Jiang Yu carried Jiang Nian to the infirmary."
"I told you—Jiang Yu definitely likes Nian Nian."
"But Jiang Nian already has someone!"
"Don't talk nonsense. I asked Nian Nian myself—she said she's not with Young Master Chi."
"They'll end up together sooner or later. Everyone knows that."
"Jiang Yu and Jiang Nian are childhood sweethearts."
"A childhood sweetheart can't beat someone who drops in from the sky. Jiang Nian even got jealous of the class beauty from Class Two last time. She just doesn't realize she already likes Young Master Chi."
Lu Yige felt these two classmates perfectly embodied the two warring fan factions of Nian Nian.
"You just want Jiang Nian and Young Master Chi together because you like Jiang Yu."
"Nonsense... I don't like him anymore. And you—don't you like Chi Yexuan?"
"Keep your voice down."
Lu Yige: ...
Lu Yige: Too late. I heard everything.
She considered chatting with them after class. There was also a gentle senior male third lead, you know—why not switch allegiances? Then you wouldn't have to fight every day and ruin friendships.
"I don't," Jiang Yu suddenly said.
Lu Yige looked puzzled. "Don't what?" Why did he always speak without context?
Jiang Yu lowered his head, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. "I don't like Jiang Nian. We grew up together, like family. I only see her as a younger sister..."
Lu Yige corrected him. "An older sister."
Jiang Yu: "..."
Jiang Yu: "How do you know? She's three days older than me."
Lu Yige: "I have a good memory. Really."
He paused, then decided to finish what he had started. "I only see her as family. I only... like you."
Lu Yige: Ugh. Say that again while looking me in the eye—does your conscience not hurt?
She blinked lightly, as if startled by his sudden confession, then pressed her lips together. "I know."
Jiang Yu glanced at her and then began listening attentively to the lecture.
Watching the teacher scribble on the blackboard, Lu Yige felt somewhat depressed. At this rate, after being reborn five years later, she could probably switch careers and become an actress.
Sure enough, as soon as class ended, the young master of the Chi family stormed into the experimental class.
Chi Yexuan grabbed Jiang Yu by the collar and snarled, "What do you mean by this? How many times have I warned you—stay away from Jiang Nian. She's my woman."
Lu Yige was struck dumb by the sheer embarrassment of that phrasing. She hadn't thought it sounded this cringeworthy when she read the novel.
Jiang Yu replied calmly, "I grew up with her. I can't stay away."
That sentence successfully enraged Chi Yexuan. Eyes bulging, he was just about to throw a punch when Jiang Nian rushed over and shoved him away.
"What are you to me? What right do you have to tell Xiao Yu to stay away from me? What right do you have to try to control my life?"
Chi Yexuan let her push him back. He crashed into Jiang Yu's desk, nearly knocking Lu Yige's cup to the floor as well.
Lu Yige was speechless. Even if you're the main characters, could you not do such an embarrassing play right in the classroom?
Chi Yexuan grabbed Jiang Nian's hand and gritted his teeth. "Do you really not understand, or are you pretending not to?"
With that, he pushed her down against Jiang Yu's desk and kissed her.
The first kiss of Nian Nian's male and female leads—achieved.
The second male lead was standing less than half a meter away, watching the entire scene.
Dog-blooded! Thrilling!
Lu Yige: seal applause gif.
This was the first major highlight of Nian Nian. When it was being serialized, countless childhood-sweetheart fans had their hearts shattered.
After that, despite his domineering ways, Chi Yexuan was at heart still a pure, inexperienced boy. After forcefully kissing the female lead, he chickened out, muttered an apology, and fled in disgrace, leaving behind a stunned classroom.
Lu Yige took a sip of water to steady herself. This was still just a minor move. Eight years later, when the male lead had grown into President Chi, that was when the real big plays would begin—though she wouldn't be lucky enough to witness them.
Jiang Nian took a full thirty seconds to react, then collapsed onto her desk and began to cry.
Jiang Yu watched her. His fist clenched, loosened, then clenched again. In the end, he didn't go over to her. Instead, he turned his head and met Lu Yige's gaze.
It was a look of probing curiosity, excitement, and something like complete understanding—a look that vanished in an instant, so quickly that Jiang Yu wondered if it had only been his imagination.
***
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