Chapter 5: My New Desk Mate, I Look Forward to Your Guidance

The summer vacation had ended, and a week had already passed since the new semester began.

Xingyun Middle School.

Senior Three, Class One: the key class.

In the morning, Ji Shichu, dressed in the school’s blue-and-white uniform, arrived at the classroom.

Unlike usual, the classroom today was unusually noisy.

Many students were gathered around his desk, chirping away about something.

Ji Shichu frowned.

He had always kept to himself and had no friends at school; his classmates all avoided him whenever they could.

As he stood there in confusion, the crowd suddenly parted, and a girl’s figure came into view.

The next second—

“Chuchu~”

A voice like tinkling silver bells rang in his ears.

Ji Shichu’s breath caught!

His mind practically exploded on the spot!

Only Ying Zhiyao ever called him that!

At this moment, the girl was sitting beside his seat, winking at him!

One must know that when the girl left Ping Town, her eyes had not yet healed and had still been covered with gauze.

But now, she was looking at him!

What did that feel like?

Her almond-shaped eyes seemed filled with ripples of light, like the thin morning mist lingering among Ping Town’s mountains—soft and tender.

Her lashes were curled and lifted, like the wings of butterflies in flight.

Truly, a pair of extraordinarily beautiful eyes.

The girl wore the same blue-and-white uniform as he did, her hair tied into a ponytail, revealing her entire little face, pure and otherworldly.

Her skin was as delicate as a baby’s, fair and smooth, with a rosy flush blooming across her pale cheeks.

A few unruly strands of hair were still standing up at the crown of her head, making her look even more adorable.

Ji Shichu walked toward Ying Zhiyao, his heart pounding as if it might leap out of his chest.

He felt as though his steps were unsteady, and his gaze never left her for a single moment.

He stopped in front of the girl and looked straight at her, asking softly, “They’re healed?”

“Yes, they are.”

Those almond eyes curved into a smile, so beautiful it was almost blinding.

Ji Shichu was still somewhat dazed.

He watched as the girl rested her cheek on one hand, smiling at him with bright, happy eyes.

“Did you see the note I left for you?”

“Mm.” He had carefully put it away.

“Sorry. That night, my eyes suddenly felt wrong, and Aunt He couldn’t find your home’s landline number no matter how hard she tried. Since it was so late, I left without saying goodbye.”

In truth, Ying Zhiyao had other concerns as well, because she did not know when her eyes would recover.

When she first felt the sudden discomfort, she had even thought the condition had worsened.

She did not want Ji Shichu to worry, so she had only hurriedly left that note behind.

Naturally, Ji Shichu had thought of the words on the note, and of the disappointment he had felt at the time. A trace of complicated emotion still rose in his chest.

But he had never imagined that the girl’s “goodbye” had not meant farewell at all.

It meant they would meet again.

And look—here she was.

“How did you recognize me?”

As soon as he said that, Ji Shichu saw a flash of mischief pass through the girl’s eyes, like a clever little fox.

Then she extended her hand, and her soft, pink-and-white lips parted. “Then let me feel your face.”

Back when she had been blind, Ying Zhiyao had been curious about Ji Shichu’s appearance, so she had touched the boy’s face.

His eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth—she had felt every part of him.

Ji Shichu had indulged her without question.

So now, when he heard her speak, he did not think of anything at all, nor did he feel anything improper. He simply offered his face to her hand.

The entire class watched in silence: “…”

Then they saw the transfer student close her eyes again, her small hand beginning at Ji Shichu’s eyebrows.

“Mm, it is this eyebrow shape, and the contours of the eyes are right too. A high bridge of the nose, thin lips, and there’s a faint soap scent on him...”

As she spoke, Ying Zhiyao slowly opened her eyes and took the boy’s hand in both of hers.

“His hands are large, and warm, with fine calluses on the palms.”

But not ugly in the least.

Because she had played the violin since she was young, there was also a thin layer of callus on her own fingertips.

These were the marks of effort for both of them.

The girl tilted her little face up at the boy. “This is my Chuchu.”

In truth, she had watched the video and looked through the photos from her birthday over and over again, so the image of Chuchu had long been etched into her memory.

So as long as she saw Chuchu, she would recognize him at once.

Now, the boy was standing right before her, his hair soft and tousled, his dark eyes like black obsidian.

When those eyes looked at her, they held warmth and tenderness.

The boy was tall and handsome; even wearing only the blue-and-white school uniform, he could not hide his striking bearing and youthful grace.

The real Chuchu was even more handsome than in the photos and videos.

Exactly the kind of face she liked best.

Ji Shichu familiarly ruffled the top of Ying Zhiyao’s hair.

Then he saw her smile at him with exceptional sweetness. “Chuchu, from today on we’ll be classmates and deskmates. Please take care of me.”

Ji Shichu let out a soft sigh in his heart.

Ying Zhiyao had not only come back, but she had brought him such a huge surprise and shock.

He felt as though he had truly been completely at her mercy.

Ji Shichu sat back down in his seat. First he helped Ying Zhiyao carefully arrange her desk, and only then did he organize his own backpack.

Then he thought of how, back in kindergarten, the two of them had once been deskmates for half a day as well.

Unable to suppress the joy already overflowing in his heart, Ji Shichu’s lips lifted, and his deep, mellow voice slowly rang out:

“Deskmate, please take care of me.”

“Mm!”

The rest of the class was stunned senseless. Holy hell!

Not only had the cold genius calmly let the transfer student touch his face in front of everyone, he had also let her touch his hand.

And the key thing was, the genius could smile!

That genius who always looked as though no one should come near him, almost like a human block of ice, could actually smile!

And he looked insanely handsome while doing it?

Damn it. Just, damn it.

Wait—no!

That was not the point.

What had the beautiful transfer student just called the genius?

Chuchu?

The class all stared at their noses while keeping their minds on their own business: “…”

Mm, probably those two had known each other for a long time. They were just really close.

Yes, that must be it.

Perhaps because everyone’s gaze was far too intense, Ji Shichu found it difficult to ignore.

He let the smile fade, stretched out his long legs, folded his arms over his chest, and lifted his eyes to sweep across the room.

His expression had returned to its usual cool detachment, carrying a hint of distance.

Huh, so cold.

Everyone shivered and sneaked back to their seats, no longer daring to glance over here.

As for Ying Zhiyao, her eyes held only Ji Shichu; she had not remembered a single person who had been gathered around her earlier.

She leaned close to Ji Shichu’s ear and whispered.

“Chuchu.”

Ji Shichu leaned in a little as well. “Mm?”

“Did you miss me? You have to tell the truth.”

“…”

Ji Shichu did not answer directly. Instead, he smiled and asked, “What about you?”

“I did.” Ying Zhiyao did not hesitate in the slightest and nodded emphatically. “That’s why I transferred to Xingyun as fast as I could. I can’t be apart from Chuchu.”

Looking into the girl’s clear eyes, Ji Shichu lowered his gaze to hide a trace of something unusual in his expression.

“Chuchu~”

When he still did not answer, Ying Zhiyao called his name again in that soft, sweet voice.

Her little hand pinched the corner of his shirt and shook it. “Did you miss me?”

Ji Shichu’s fingers curled slightly, then relaxed.

When he looked up again, only calm remained in his eyes.

“Mm. I did.”