The atmosphere froze for a moment.
The second Lin Tiao spoke, she realized what she had said. Unfortunately, the words "puppy love" had already been uttered, loud and clear.
Her lips parted slightly, and she looked at the boy’s incredulous expression. Her heart gave a sudden throb, and she instinctively denied it, saying, "No, I didn't—I was just saying it casually."
The answer sounded unconvincing. Jiang Yan stayed silent, not saying a word for a long time, and his eyes were complicated as he looked at her.
Under his stare, Lin Tiao felt her heart tighten. She fought the urge to spill everything and continued explaining, "You have to believe me. I’m really not in puppy love or anything."
As she spoke, she held up three fingers, prepared to make a more persuasive vow. "I swear, if I’m in puppy love, then I..."
But even that didn’t sound quite right.
Though she wasn’t in puppy love now, who knew what might happen later? Did she really have to wait until after high school graduation to talk to him about her feelings?
That was obviously impossible.
Her sudden pause pushed Jiang Yan's already simmering anger to a new peak.
He bit the inside of his cheek, withdrew his gaze silently, and looked down. He pulled a new test paper from his drawer, grabbed a pen, and gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Lin Tiao felt completely wronged.
All she’d done was accidentally reveal her thoughts on puppy love, without even starting anything, and somehow managed to make him angry.
The thing was, she couldn’t even figure out why he was so angry. Even if she were to be in puppy love, it would be with him—who else could it be?
Her flirting skills were still at beginner level, and after a long time wondering why her crush was so angry, she couldn’t find an answer. Finally, she secretly took out her phone and logged onto that magical app.
After searching the whole forum without finding a post similar to her situation, Lin Tiao decided to make a post asking for advice.
She registered as a user in the flirting forum, checked the posting guidelines with the forum assistant, and then typed out her current situation with Jiang Yan in full.
A few minutes later, she posted her first question on the app:
"Why is my crush so angry after learning I want a puppy love?"
The app had a unique feature: for a new user’s first post, it would be automatically pinned to the homepage for a day, allowing it to get quality responses.
In no time, replies poured in.
1. "If your crush doesn’t like you, I’ll livestream eating dirt."
2. "Ah, the sweet jealousy of youth!"
3. "Are you sure this isn’t mutual love?"
User 50 replied, "If he reacted like that, it means one of two things: first, he likes you and is jealous, so he’s angry. Second, he’s a good student, truly against puppy love, and against others’ puppy love too (though that seems unlikely)."
51. "Agree with the one above."
52. "Oh, how lovely school romance is! I’ll dig a hole here and wait for updates."
Her post quickly met the requirements for automatic pinning, staying at the top of the flirting forum, and attracted a flood of onlookers.
The app also allowed unlimited edits and updates to the original post.
After reading the replies, Lin Tiao updated her post.
Original Poster: So, how can I be sure if he likes me?
1. "Just go for it! Tell him right now, ‘I like you, and I want to be in puppy love with you!’"
2. "Honestly, all that’s left is for someone to break the tension. If you won’t, I will!"
3. "Oh, the envy is real!"
4. "Ahhhhhh, OP, please update us no matter what happens!"
5. "Which school are you at? If all else fails, I’ll fly over and help you confess."
The forum’s lively and curious users quickly filled up the replies, urging her to keep them updated on the outcome.
Lin Tiao lowered her head, scrolling through the replies, when a girl from her class knocked on her desk. "Lin Tiao, Mr. Yu is calling you to the office."
The girl was seventh in their class for the recent exam, just ahead of Lin Tiao. She looked up and turned off her phone. "Alright, thanks."
"No problem."
After the girl left, Lin Tiao unlocked her phone and left a new message at the bottom of her post.
Original Poster: Teacher called me over, everyone, please stay tuned for updates!
Soon, a reply came:
"Alright, go on. I’ll be here waiting with my lemonade."
Lin Tiao couldn't hold back a chuckle, but it quickly faded.
She glanced at Jiang Yan beside her. He sat slightly hunched, his neck and back forming a clean, straight line, his side profile sharp and defined. His long lashes lowered, and the hand gripping the pen moved only occasionally.
She looked at him for a while, but he didn’t look up.
With a quiet sigh in her heart, she put away her phone and left the classroom.
—
Inside the classroom.
After she left, Jiang Yan released his pen, leaned back on Hu Hanghang’s desk, feeling a surge of frustration and restlessness.
Hu Hanghang poked his head over from behind. "Yan, Class Sixteen invited us for a game. Wanna go?"
That afternoon had only three classes, with the last period being self-study, usually dedicated to weekly announcements from their homeroom teacher. Mr. Yu loved to lecture, but when given a designated time for it, he often didn’t have much to say and let them have some free time instead.
Hu Hanghang had already arranged the game and hadn’t planned to invite Jiang Yan. But Class Sixteen insisted, saying their class wouldn’t stand a chance without him.
Jiang Yan shoved the test paper back in the drawer, took off his school jacket, tossed it on the desk, and stood up, his mood not particularly high. "Let’s go."
—
In the office, Lin Tiao stood up straight, eyes on the trinkets on Mr. Yu's desk, with a face full of determination to admit her mistake. "Mr. Yu, I know my performance dropped this time. I’ve seriously reflected on it, don’t worry—I’ll bring my score back up next time."
Mr. Yu thought Jiang Yan and Lin Tiao made an amusing pair of desk mates—one always eager to praise herself, the other quick to admit their faults.
He once again felt his decision to pair them up had been brilliant.
"Lin Tiao, a single failure doesn’t mean anything. As long as you recognize your shortcomings and actively work on them, it's all good," Mr. Yu Bing Shan said, adding more hot water to his teacup and speaking earnestly, "Failure is the mother of success. I have faith in you."
Lin Tiao lifted her head, looking resolute. "Thank you, Mr. Yu, for believing in me. I’ll definitely work harder on the next test."
"Good, I believe in you."
"Since you trust me, and I also trust myself, does that mean I can go back now?" Lin Tiao asked tentatively.
Mr. Yu chuckled, "No rush; I have a few other things I'd like to discuss with you."
Standing there, Lin Tiao twisted her fingers in her clothing, unsure what else Mr. Yu could possibly want to discuss, but she politely nodded. "What would you like to talk about, Mr. Yu?"
"Well..." Before calling her in, Mr. Yu had looked up some articles online about how teachers should handle students’ puppy love, but none seemed to fit his approach. For a moment, he was at a loss for how to proceed. "Nothing much—I just wanted to ask you..."
As he spoke, he suddenly found himself at a loss for words, and Lin Tiao looked at him, puzzled.
After a brief pause, he gave up. "Forget it; it's nothing important. Go back to the classroom, and have Cheng Song come here."
"Okay, goodbye, Mr. Yu."
As soon as she left the office, Mr. Yu leaned over to the window, watching her pull out her phone from her pocket with an absorbed expression, leaving him with a lingering sense of concern.
The moment she left the office, Lin Tiao eagerly opened her app, surprised to find her post pinned to the main forum, with replies numbering in the thousands.
She scrolled through the responses while walking back to the classroom, only to find her deskmate’s seat empty when she returned. His blue-and-white school uniform was thrown haphazardly on the desk, with one sleeve hanging onto the floor.
She leaned over, picked it up, and patted Xu Huanhuan's shoulder, asking quietly, "Huanhuan, have you seen my deskmate?"
"He went to play basketball, I think." Xu Huanhuan munched on her candy, crunching loudly. "I heard Hu Hanghang ask him to join, and then they both left together."
Lin Tiao pursed her lips slightly. "Got it. Thanks."
"No problem. What did Mr. Yu want to talk about?" Xu Huanhuan had also dropped in the rankings on the recent test and felt uneasy about her potential meeting with Mr. Yu.
"Not much, just some test-related stuff. I didn't do as well this time, so Mr. Yu asked me to be more mindful in the future."
"You call that not doing well? If I dropped from the top twenty to the thirties, would I have to call in my parents to discuss it?"
Seeing her friend's worried expression, Lin Tiao couldn’t help but laugh a little, comforting her. "Don’t worry. Mr. Yu isn’t the type to call in parents; he just chats."
"Let’s hope so."
—
Lunchtime passed quickly. Half of the class had already met with Mr. Yu, with the remaining half scheduled during the afternoon study period.
As the bell rang, Jiang Yan still hadn’t returned.
Lin Tiao opened her English book on her desk, exited the forum, and sent him a WeChat message.
Class has started; when are you coming back?
After two consecutive English lessons, there was still no reply.
The weather had been getting colder recently, so Lin Tiao rarely drank cola anymore, preferring hot water from her own thermos. With a few minutes left until class, she tucked her phone into her pocket, got up, and went to refill her water.
The water room was at the end of the hallway, directly across from the stairs, with Class 16 next to it. It was bustling as students came and went, with girls lining up in pairs. Standing alone at the back of the line, holding her phone, she seemed somewhat isolated.
A group of boys’ voices grew louder as they approached from the stairwell. "Are you kidding me? That wasn’t basketball—I was just fetching balls."
"You can’t blame anyone but yourself for asking him to join us," one of the boys replied, wincing at the memory of the lunchtime game. He turned back to look at the boy trailing behind, "Yan, please don’t join us next time. We can’t handle the stress."
The boy had just returned from the court, damp with sweat, black hair plastered to his forehead, water droplets glistening at the corners of his eyes, his expression indifferent. Hearing this, he only lifted his eyelids slightly, smiling loosely.
They quickly climbed the flight of stairs, and one boy with a basketball in his arms stopped at the classroom door. "Jiang Yan, we’re out. Let’s play again next time."
"Play with who? You’ll be begging me to join again." One boy clapped his friend on the head, pushing him into the classroom.
Jiang Yan chuckled under his breath and pulled out his phone. His gaze wandered to the side and caught sight of Lin Tiao standing there.
His gaze paused.
The next moment.
Lin Tiao, having finished filling her water, turned around to see him. She stopped, but the girl behind her, not paying attention, bumped into her from behind.
Hot water splashed out from her cup, scalding the back of her hand. Startled, she lost her grip, and her thermos fell to the ground.
With a dull thud, the thermos tipped over, spilling hot water everywhere, splashing onto the girls nearby, who yelped in surprise.
"I'm so sorry," Lin Tiao apologized hastily.
The girl who had bumped her chimed in, "It’s not her fault—I accidentally bumped into her. Is everyone okay?"
Both had apologized, and since it was an accident, no one else made a fuss. "It’s alright; we’re bundled up anyway."
As the class bell rang, the crowd dispersed.
Just as Lin Tiao bent down to pick up her thermos, a pair of white sneakers appeared in her line of sight, and someone picked up the thermos before she could.
The hand reaching out was slender and fair, with prominent knuckles and a white wristband. His presence loomed over her.
She straightened up, and they found themselves standing unexpectedly close. Her line of sight was filled with the sharp line of his jaw. She took a small step back.
The boy lowered his gaze, his expression cold and distant. His tone was far from friendly. "Are you stupid or something?"
Lin Tiao felt a wave of unexplainable hurt and didn’t say a word. She reached out, snatching her thermos from his hand in a huff. Her exposed hand was marked with a large, red burn that stood out against her pale skin, making it look shockingly severe.
As she pulled her hand back, he suddenly caught her wrist, his warm palm pressing against her pulse.
Lin Tiao looked up, but the boy wasn’t looking at her; his eyes were fixed on the burn on her hand, his long lashes casting shadows, hiding any trace of his emotions.
She tried to pull her hand away.
Jiang Yan didn’t let go. Instead, he tightened his grip, and without realizing his strength, he accidentally pulled her forward. Her forehead bumped against his chin, and her arm pressed against his warm chest.
The unexpected closeness left both of them momentarily stunned.
Jiang Yan was the first to recover, tugging her by the wrist to the nearby sink. He turned on the faucet, and cool water rushed down, washing over her burned hand.
The water flowed, filling the silence.
Lin Tiao glanced up at him, her gaze curious and soft.
He was turned slightly, sunlight streaming through the window, casting dappled light across his face, illuminating the edges of his lashes with delicate flecks of light. His gaze was fixed intently on her hand, an unexpectedly serious expression on his face.
A long silence stretched between them.
Finally, as if realizing something, he looked up at her. His distant, detached gaze faltered slightly, and he reached over to turn off the faucet.
He looked at her for a moment, then sighed. He lifted his hand, his cool fingertips brushing gently at the corner of her eye. His voice was low and resigned. "I didn’t even say anything. Why are you crying?"
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