On the podium, Yang Ting was explaining the English exam paper from the second joint exam. Most students were listening intently to the lecture.
Except... for two individuals in one particular spot.
Ning Xi lowered her head, looking at the lemon candy on the desk. Her eyes flickered with surprise, and soon, a sweet smile appeared on her face, the innocence in her dimples enough to tug at anyone's heartstrings.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Ye Fan unwrapped the candy and brought it to Ning Xi's mouth. "Open up."
"I—I'll do it myself..."
"Are you eating or not?"
"I am!"
Seeing Ye Fan about to withdraw his hand, Ning Xi no longer hesitated. She opened her mouth and took the lemon candy in, the tangy sweetness instantly overpowering the bitterness in her mouth.
The corners of her eyes curved slightly, and a faint hint of joy and happiness appeared on her somewhat pale face.
Warmth glimmered in Ye Fan's eyes. He gently squeezed Ning Xi's delicate hand with his left hand. Compared to the morning, there was already a bit more warmth.
"There are still nearly ten minutes left until class ends. Rest your head down for a while and take a break."
"...Okay."
Ning Xi obediently laid her head on the desk, her watery, bright eyes staring at Ye Fan, turning and turning.
Feeling Ning Xi's gaze, Ye Fan smiled faintly and asked in a low voice, "Why are you staring at me like that? Are you mesmerized by your brother's charm? Don't fall in love with me; I'm just a legend!"
"Today… I really want to thank you."
Instead of responding to Ye Fan's teasing, Ning Xi's eyes carried a trace of something unusual as her soft, sweet voice echoed. "While you were away, Teacher Yang already announced the scores for the second joint exam."
"And?"
"They're the same as last time?"
"Yes."
Ning Xi nodded lightly. "If nothing unexpected happens, the two of us should still be ranked in the top 100 nationally. Just now, the teacher said that after class, she wanted us to go to her office. I think she's going to inform us of our scores individually."
As she spoke, her tone brimmed with delight.
Ye Fan's medicine was bitter, but its effects were incredibly effective.
It hadn't been long since she drank it, yet her abdomen already felt warm. The excruciating pain she'd experienced earlier had subsided significantly.
In just a short while, her heavy body felt much lighter.
Amid her surprise, she also felt a stronger sense of reliance.
Being taken care of… felt so good.
"Grades don't matter. What's important is that you're feeling better."
Ye Fan caught all the changes in the girl's expression. Seeing the furrow in her brow finally smooth out, the heavy weight in his heart was finally lifted.
His simple words carried boundless care and attention.
In terms of feelings, Ning Xi was relatively pure.
But being pure didn't mean she was oblivious.
She lightly bit her lip, sweetness spreading through her mouth, but more importantly, her heart.
"Ye Fan, why did you come to the capital for school?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing this question, Ye Fan looked surprised and smiled as he asked, "Why do you suddenly ask that?"
"No reason."
Propping herself up, Ning Xi rested her delicate hand under her chin and softly murmured, "I'm just curious. Normally, people wouldn't choose to go to a completely unfamiliar place for school. Besides, your parents aren't based in the capital. Logically speaking, staying in Linhai for school would've been the best choice."
"Xiao Xi."
"Hmm?"
Ye Fan's deep eyes flickered with various images. He spoke with a trace of recollection, "I came to the capital for one person."
Hearing this, the girl's heart instantly became restless.
Could it be… for me?
No way!
Definitely not!!!
Before Ye Fan came to the capital, the two of them didn't even know each other. It was impossible for Ye Fan to have come for her.
After hesitating for a moment, her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to ask for clarification.
"Can you tell me? If it's inconvenient, just pretend I didn't ask."
"It's not inconvenient."
Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, his thin lips moving slightly. "This person is very important to me—extremely important. She is my everything."
"Who is this person?"
"Far away in the heavens, yet close before my eyes."
"..."
Ning Xi was stunned for several seconds before she finally reacted. A fiery blush rose on her cheeks as she scolded, "Nonsense! You didn't even know me before coming to the capital. Go fool someone else with that story!"
In response, Ye Fan merely smiled without a word.
"Ding—"
The ringing of the class bell interrupted Ning Xi's intention to probe further. Suppressing the doubts in her heart, she gave Ye Fan a long look before turning her attention to the podium.
"Class dismissed."
Yang Ting picked up the exam papers, glanced briefly at Ye Fan and Ning Xi, cast a glance toward the door, and then walked out of the classroom.
"Are you feeling any better now?"
Ye Fan wasn't in a rush. He said, "If you're still not feeling well, I'll go by myself. You stay here and rest."
"No, I'm fine now."
Ning Xi smiled brightly, her once-pale face now showing a touch of vitality. She shoved a thermos into Ye Fan's hand and said, "Your medicine is really effective."
"It's not that my medicine is good. It's that you weren't seeing the right doctor."
Ye Fan placed the thermos into his bag and said gently, "Your body tends toward being cold and weak, and since you don't exercise often, it leads to pain…"
The word "pain" had just left his mouth when Ning Xi, her face flushed, kicked Ye Fan lightly. "Teacher Yang is still waiting for us. Let's go quickly!"
Talking about menstrual cramps in the classroom was way too embarrassing!
Seeing her reaction, Ye Fan's eyes glimmered with understanding. He nodded slightly, stood up, and moved aside to let Ning Xi go first.
After leaving the classroom, they saw Yang Ting leaning against the railing in the hallway.
Yang Ting noticed her two star students. She gave Ye Fan a playful look and said with a hint of sarcasm, "You and Xiao Xi seemed to have a great time chatting during class, huh?"
Ning Xi was momentarily stunned and hurriedly explained, "Teacher Yang, it's not what you think. We—"
"Teacher, do you have any evidence?"
Before Ning Xi could finish, Ye Fan interrupted her. "Without evidence, you can't accuse us. This is an era where evidence matters. Xiao Xi and I were paying close attention during class."
"Heh, I…"
Yang Ting rolled up her sleeves. "Fine. Since you say that, tell me: why is the last multiple-choice question in the second section of the English paper marked as 'select all'?"
"All the options are correct, so of course you select all."
"..."
Hearing Ye Fan's response, Yang Ting was left dumbfounded.
The answer… was correct…
But—
It was just so infuriating!
What a waste of a question!!!
"Forget it, I don't want to argue with you."
Yang Ting gave Ye Fan a glare before pulling Ning Xi along. As they walked, she said, "Xiao Xi, don't learn from Ye Fan. This guy is too annoying!"
Ning Xi gave a polite smile, glanced back at Ye Fan trailing behind them, and softly said, "Teacher, actually, Ye Fan is a really good person. My grades improved so much thanks to his tutoring."
Yang Ting: "…"
Great.
The most obedient student had completely taken Ye Fan's side.
What a self-inflicted humiliation!