"Teacher Ye, come play with me just once!"
"No."
Ye Fan turned his head away. This was not the time to give in.
With the way Ning Xi was dressed today, if they went to a crowded place, she'd undoubtedly become the center of attention. Even with a mask, her sweet demeanor, coupled with a physique far beyond her age and the straight, jade-like legs under her short skirt, would draw far too much attention.
Too eye-catching!
His girl was for his eyes only.
Seeing that soft persuasion wasn't working, Ning Xi pouted, her face full of dissatisfaction. "If you won't come with me, I'll just go by myself!"
To gain her parents' approval, she'd already sweet-talked them last night, massaged their shoulders, and patted their backs.
She absolutely couldn't be stopped by Ye Fan now. Absolutely not!
"You're not allowed to go."
Hearing her frustrated declaration, Ye Fan turned his head, cupped Ning Xi's small face in his hands, and said, "Be good, or else..."
"I won't listen, I won't listen!"
Ning Xi grabbed Ye Fan's big hands and moved away, softly complaining, "You clearly said no touching before the college entrance exams, yet you keep breaking the rules!"
"Did I?"
Ye Fan denied it outright. "I didn't do anything just now."
"…"
Faced with Ye Fan's shamelessness, Ning Xi huffed in anger, her bright eyes glaring. "Anyway, I'm going to North Street. If you don't come, I'll go by myself!"
"Go ahead."
Ye Fan stood up, walked to the sofa across from her, and sat down, speaking lightly. "There are so many bad people out there these days. A pretty little girl like you should be extra careful. Who knows, you might get kidnapped and taken to some remote mountain forest."
"And then..."
"Shut up!"
Before Ye Fan could finish, Ning Xi stomped her foot angrily. "You're just trying to scare me. Fine, I won't go!"
"Now that's my good girl."
Hearing her reply, a rare smile appeared on Ye Fan's face. He waved his hand and said, "Later, play chess with me. Let's see if your skills have improved over the past few days."
"Fine, but you have to give me a ten-piece advantage."
"Xiao Xi, you're getting greedier and greedier."
"Of course! You always beat me."
Talking about this made Ning Xi mad. She waved her little fists and declared, "After the college entrance exams, I'll study properly with Teacher Gu. Then I'll make sure to settle the score with you!"
Ye Fan's expression turned strange, and he suggested, "How about just dreaming about it instead?"
"Huh?"
"In dreams, all of that can come true."
"…"
After relaxing, it was back to intense revision—just the normal rhythm for a senior year student.
After so much hard work, nobody wanted to make a mistake at the final step.
Especially in a place like Zhenhua, filled with top students, the intense study atmosphere left no room for leisure.
When everyone was focused on studying, even the most playful students wouldn't dare to slack off.
People like to follow the crowd. No one wants to stand out for the wrong reasons.
Unknowingly, time moved to the morning of May 14th. During this period, Ning Xi had been particularly diligent.
The reason was simple.
In the last joint exam, she was only one point behind the second-place scorer. After learning this, she worked tirelessly, constantly asking Ye Fan for challenging problems or practicing English listening exercises.
Her relentless attitude made even Ye Fan feel a bit distressed.
At school, as soon as Ye Fan entered the classroom, he looked toward his seat. As expected, Ning Xi was still practicing listening with her headphones on, her clear eyes tinged with red, a sign of another sleepless night.
As he passed the front row, Su Ke and Luo Yumeng stopped him.
"Something up?"
"Ye Fan, don't you feel sorry for Xiao Xi?"
Su Ke glanced at Ning Xi hesitantly and lowered her voice. "The past few days, she's been like someone possessed. All she does is study. It's honestly worrying. Studying is important, but not like this."
"If this continues, Xiao Xi's body won't hold up. You need to talk to her."
Luo Yumeng nodded in agreement. "Exactly. She won't listen to us, but maybe she'll listen to you."
"Alright, leave it to me."
Ye Fan nodded slightly and walked to his seat. Without a word, he took Ning Xi's headphones off and placed a carton of milk in her hand. "Drink this first."
Ning Xi frowned in displeasure. "Brother, can't you let me finish this round first?"
"Be good. Drink the milk first."
Ye Fan glanced around the room. Seeing everyone absorbed in their books, he gently tapped Ning Xi's delicate nose and said softly, "Didn't you want to go to North Street recently? We're not having class this afternoon, so I'll take you."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
Ning Xi's eyes lit up, but she quickly dimmed. "No, I can't. I already have a study schedule for the afternoon."
She frowned and glared at Ye Fan. "It's your fault. We could've gone last weekend, but you didn't let me. Now there's no time."
She didn't mind Ye Fan's affectionate gestures; her mind was entirely on her studies.
"Study schedule? Canceled."
Ye Fan declared overbearingly, "Xiao Xi, your afternoon is mine. You must come with me to North Street."
"…"
Ning Xi's delicate hand trembled mid-note-taking. She shook her head and refused. "No way. I really don't have time. Tomorrow's the joint exam. I need to stay focused. I did so well in the last one; I can't mess up this time."
"Objection overruled."
Ye Fan ignored her protests. "You've been acting possessed lately."
He raised her MP4 player. "This is confiscated. You'll get it back after the exams."
"That's so unfair…"
Ning Xi pouted, deeply dissatisfied with Ye Fan's decision.
She already had a clear goal for tomorrow's exam.
Top three, aiming for second!
As for first?
She never dreamed of it. As long as Ye Fan was around, no one could take first place from him.
This, Ning Xi knew well.
"Xiao Xi."
"What?"
"I like you."
"…"
At that moment, Ning Xi's mind went blank. She stared at Ye Fan, her ears replaying the words like a broken recorder.
"I like you. I like you..."
Sunlight spilled over her hair, softening her cuteness with an air of purity. Her clear eyes reflected astonishment, shyness, surprise, and a hint of...
"What are you doing?!"
After a full half-minute, Ning Xi's face flushed red like a cherry, and she lowered her head, too shy to meet Ye Fan's gaze. Her heartbeat skyrocketed.
"Nothing."
Leaning closer, Ye Fan whispered in a voice only they could hear, "I like you. Very, very much."