#ChildhoodSweethearts #SchoolLife #HE #ModernEra #Romance #WarmStory
The dismissal bell had rung a while ago, but Lexin was still lying motionless on her desk.
Jiang Yuan kicked the leg of her desk and said, "Xin Jie, aren't you leaving? Ba Ge must be waiting for you by now."
Lexin glared at him for using such a street-smart nickname, then turned her head to continue daydreaming.
After a long pause, she muttered gloomily, "Jiang Yuan, how about you and I start dating?"
Jiang Yuan staggered, nearly knocking over the books on the desk. "Xin Jie, if Ba Ge hears this, who will help me with the key points during study sessions? Don't get me into trouble!"
Lexin sat up and rolled her eyes. "Can't you be a bit more ambitious?"
"I really can't," Jiang Yuan admitted quickly. "Besides, if no one helps me with key points and I fail my exams, my mom will beat me so badly that even my dad won't recognize me."
"The thing is, if I compete with Ba Ge for you, just look at the two of us—whether it's strength, intelligence, or looks, do you think I have any chance of winning?"
Lexin scrutinized him for a moment, then sighed and asked, "Do you think Zhou Sheng and I are a good match?"
"Xin Jie, next time just ask directly, don't beat around the bush—you nearly scared me to death," Jiang Yuan said, patting his chest exaggeratedly. "How could you not be a good match? One guy, one girl; one top student, one slacker; childhood sweethearts who grew up together—you're like a real-life idol drama! If you two aren't a good match, even the Song-Song couple would have to break up."
Lexin was speechless, thinking to herself that she must have lost her mind to ask advice from someone so unserious.
After dawdling a bit longer, they finally left the classroom, walking slowly.
When they spotted Zhou Sheng in the distance, tall and leaning against the back of his bike in the bike shed, Jiang Yuan said, "Xin Jie, don't overthink it. You're Ba Ge's first love, even if you two break up, he'll be thinking about you for the rest of his life."
Lexin glared at him. "You talk as if he isn't my first love. You're suggesting I kill the enemy by sacrificing a thousand of my own."
Jiang Yuan grinned slyly. "Xin Jie, with our friendship, of course I'm on your side. Just look at Ba Ge's long legs, broad shoulders, narrow waist, that high-class, abstinent face—he's the epitome of perfection!"
"Good thing he's still a student in uniform. Just wait until after high school—then you'll see, all sorts of older sisters, younger sisters, aunts, and even housewives will be after him like wolves."
"Do you really want to let this duck slip away?"
"Get lost! I'll tell Zhou Sheng you're saying things unfit for kids."
"No, no, no, Ba Ge would kill me."
Lexin ignored him, but her eyes couldn't help drifting towards the bike shed, taking in Zhou Sheng from head to toe just as Jiang Yuan had described.
As a certified looks-connoisseur, she couldn't deny that Zhou Sheng was flawless. But the more she looked, the more restless she felt.
Jiang Yuan greeted Zhou Sheng, "Ba Ge, I've safely delivered Xin Jie."
Zhou Sheng nodded, his gaze falling on Lexin, but she avoided his eyes and shoved Jiang Yuan. "Stop calling him Ba Ge all the time, it's getting old. Keep it up and he'll turn into a bug."
"How could my Ba Ge be a bug?"
Jiang Yuan responded in a tongue-twister, "I just don't want to call him the top student like everyone else. It's too impersonal, doesn't show our connection."
Lexin looked at him with disdain. "Do we even have a connection?"
They had grown up playing together, so teasing each other was just part of their routine.
Jiang Yuan didn't mind, grinning, "Even if it's pure, unadulterated revolutionary friendship, if Ba Ge gets jealous, I'll drop it immediately."
Lexin, tired of dealing with this fence-sitter, pushed Zhou Sheng to head home.
Zhou Sheng glanced at her, then lowered his head to unlock the bike while Jiang Yuan fetched his own.
Zhou Sheng and Lexin headed in the same direction; he would give her a ride home. Jiang Yuan went the opposite way, and the three of them parted at the school gate.
"Hey, Ba Ge!" Jiang Yuan suddenly called out. Zhou Sheng stopped to listen.
"You're so good at studying, you must be great at gaming too, right? How about taking me for a few rounds sometime? I'm stuck in the Bronze rank, and my teammates are laughing their heads off."
Zhou Sheng said nothing, but Lexin, gloating, replied, "You might as well stay in Bronze. Your Ba Ge doesn't play games."
Seeing Jiang Yuan's look of despair, Lexin laughed and urged Zhou Sheng to get moving.
After riding for a while, now far from the school, Zhou Sheng asked softly, "What's bothering you?"
Lexin knew she couldn't hide even the smallest emotion from him, but she didn't want to talk about it. So, she changed the subject, "Why don't you play games?"
"I don't need games to get a thrill," Zhou Sheng replied.
"Mitchell's marshmallow experiment shows that people need to learn self-control and delay gratification to be successful."
"Games are the opposite—they reward you instantly. Killing a monster gets you an upgrade; it's instant gratification."
"This triggers dopamine release, making people addicted."
"I can endure and wait, so I strive for success in real life, where it's earned over time."
Staring at his back, Lexin mentally rolled her eyes at his top-student answer and curiously asked, "Then what triggers your dopamine now?"
"Grades."
Just as Lexin was about to say "figures," Zhou Sheng added, "And you."
Le Xin casually remarked, "I'm not doing too badly, am I? My grades are on par with yours."
Zhou Sheng turned to glance at her, then suddenly hit the brakes. With one long leg on the ground, he brought the bike to a smooth stop.
Le Xin, caught off guard, bumped into his back. It didn't really hurt, but she still complained, "What are you doing? You should at least give me a heads-up before stopping."
Zhou Sheng turned around, his eyes locking onto hers, and said slowly, "If you keep missing the hints in my words, it won't be just a bump next time."
Le Xin dreaded making eye contact with him. His eyes were simply too captivating—dark pupils, long lashes, and a gaze so deep it seemed to hold both calm and chaos, making one want to explore, only to get lost in it.
After a long pause, she finally snapped out of it and asked blankly, "What do you mean?"
Zhou Sheng's eyes remained fixed on hers. "Dopamine, C8H11NO2, is a chemical secreted by the brain that controls emotions. It's linked to feelings and desires, transmitting excitement and happiness. Understand?"
Le Xin, hearing his straightforward explanation, felt as though he was practically equating her with desires. She quickly nodded and said, "Got it, got it."
"What exactly did you get?" Zhou Sheng raised an eyebrow, clearly not letting her off the hook.
Le Xin steeled herself and confessed, "You're flirting with me."
Seeing that Zhou Sheng's expression was darkening, Le Xin felt a surge of satisfaction and added, "Don't look at me with those fiery eyes—I'm afraid you'll roast me alive."
Zhou Sheng, noticing her feigned ignorance and refusal to respond directly, scoffed, "Don't worry. If you turn to ash, I'll bury you in my heart. I won't let you die without a place to rest."
"Is this what they call a straight-A student's love confession?"
"Hmph!"
"Oh."
Le Xin and Zhou Sheng were childhood friends.
Zhou Sheng moved into Le Xin's neighborhood when he was seven years old. His parents were busy with work, so they sent him to live with his grandparents.
At the time, Le Xin was the leader of the kids in the neighborhood. The other children loved playing with her, but Zhou Sheng, the new kid, always seemed indifferent to her.
So, Le Xin made it a point to challenge him. The more he avoided playing with her, the more she chased him around the neighborhood.
One time, Zhou Sheng got a toy gun that Le Xin desperately wanted to play with. She offered all her best toys in exchange, but he stubbornly refused to let her touch it.
Frustrated, Le Xin pushed him down and took the toy by force.
Instead of crying or causing a fuss, Zhou Sheng followed her home and tattled to her parents, right in front of her.
As a result, she got a spanking and had to give up her newest toy.
From that moment, Le Xin knew he was someone she couldn't mess with. After that, she carefully avoided him and stopped trying to play with him.
But then, he and his grandmother came knocking on her door, asking if she could walk with him to and from school every day.
Le Xin wanted to refuse, but his grandmother's kind smile and the delicious snacks she brought made her agree without thinking.
Walking together wasn't a big deal, but whenever Le Xin decided to play and let Zhou Sheng walk home alone, even though the school was just ten minutes away, he would somehow get lost, wandering for hours before finally getting home. This earned Le Xin many scoldings from her parents.
Le Xin suspected he did it on purpose, but Zhou Sheng always wore an innocent expression.
After that, Le Xin could never shake Zhou Sheng off. From elementary to middle school, they were always in the same class.
No one knew how Zhou Sheng managed it, but they always ended up sitting next to each other—true desk buddies.
In the third year of middle school, Le Xin's friends introduced her to romance novels. She'd only just started reading when Zhou Sheng confiscated the book.
Le Xin panicked, "That's not mine! I have to return it!"
Zhou Sheng, tall and long-legged, held the book out of her reach. No matter how much she jumped, she couldn't grab it.
In her struggle, Le Xin lost her balance and nearly fell, but Zhou Sheng caught her, pulling her into his arms.
The scent of a teenage boy filled the air, and Le Xin's heart raced. She tried to pull away, but Zhou Sheng's hold tightened.
Forcing her to look up at him, his eyes were dangerous as he asked, "Am I not handsome enough? Not smart enough? Or is it that I haven't given you all my pocket money? How dare you think about other guys, huh?"
With the boy so close, their breaths mingling, Le Xin's face flushed. "What nonsense are you talking about? Let go of me…"
Even though they spent so much time together, they had never been this close before. Le Xin wasn't used to it.
But instead of letting go, Zhou Sheng leaned down and lightly bit her lip before saying, "Don't you know I claimed you a long time ago? Don't even think about anyone else—not even in a book."
And just like that, Zhou Sheng stole Le Xin's first kiss, along with her fluttering heart.
From that day on, when Le Xin saw her classmates swooning over domineering CEO types in romance novels, she felt a bit sorry for them. She wanted to tell them: in real life, your male lead is just a possessive freak like Zhou Sheng.
But Le Xin never responded directly to Zhou Sheng. At first, she was angry—angry that he never even bothered with the process of wooing her, treating her like his property from the start.
Later, when they entered high school, she heard about couples who broke up after the college entrance exams, each going their separate ways. This made her anxious, and she became even more unwilling to respond.
And so, the two of them were locked in a tug-of-war—Zhou Sheng was determined to win, while Le Xin kept retreating.
That day, they didn't say much else. They walked in silence all the way home and then went their separate ways.
After that, they continued going to and from school together every day, but Jiang Yuan, sharp as ever, noticed right away that something was off between them.
He didn't dare ask Zhou Sheng directly, and he was also worried about hurting Le Xin's feelings, leaving him caught in a dilemma.
After several days of this tense atmosphere, Jiang Yuan couldn't hold back any longer.
"Sister Xin, what's going on between you and the Boss? Internal conflicts should be resolved internally. Don't give outsiders a chance to take advantage."
As he spoke, Jiang Yuan patted Le Xin on the shoulder, gesturing for her to look at the building across the way.
Zhou Sheng was standing on the balcony, and beside him was Qiao Yan, the second-ranked student in the science track.
"That Qiao Yan has been eyeing the Boss for a while now."
"I know the Boss only has eyes for you, but with someone openly coveting him like that, don't you think you should go stake your claim?"
Jiang Yuan said this hoping to spark some fighting spirit in Le Xin, but to his surprise, she glanced over, said, "They look good together," and then turned back towards the classroom.
Just then, the bell rang for class, and Jiang Yuan followed her inside.
It was a self-study period, and since they were desk-mates, he lay down on the desk and continued, "Sister Xin, don't let others intimidate you and put yourself down!"
Le Xin buried her head in a pile of books, remaining silent.
After a while, she quietly said,
"Jiang Yuan, you know me. I don't have big ambitions. As long as I have a few friends to hang out with, a job, and someone to love, that's enough for me."
"Whether it's settling for less or lacking drive, that's just what I want."
"But Zhou Sheng is different. He's ambitious, with clear goals."
"He has his sights set on the future, and I can't follow him there. I don't want him to clip his wings and stay grounded with me."
Jiang Yuan fiddled with his phone and tried to comfort her, "The Boss knows who you are. He must like you just as you are."
Le Xin gave a bitter smile and sighed,
"Isn't that how it always goes on TV? One person keeps moving forward, the other stays put. Eventually, they drift apart."
"I don't want to be dumped, nor do I want to be the one saying harsh words. It's better this way, just staying friends."
"No matter what happens in the future, at least we can still care for each other. Don't you think?"
"What do you mean? Why are you two so close? It's senior year, and you still have time to chat!"
The sudden interruption startled them both. They looked up to find the English teacher had entered the room at some point, likely planning to take over the self-study period to go over some questions or assign homework.
This English teacher was from the science classes and was temporarily covering a few lessons, so she wasn't familiar with the students.
Seeing Le Xin and Jiang Yuan whispering together, she assumed they were a couple and scolded them sternly,
"The exams are almost here, and you still aren't focusing."
"A girl should act like a girl, not cozying up to a boy like this. Do your parents know how you behave at school?"
Her words were harsh, and the frustration Le Xin had been holding in for days flared up.
She looked directly at the teacher, her tone sharp,
"What do you mean by 'a girl should act like a girl'? Can't boys and girls just talk together?"
"Or do you think boys should be lively and girls should be quiet, and that's the only way they're acting properly?"
"Teacher, I don't really care, but if you say that, aren't you just making things difficult for people? Tell me, how exactly should we act?"
Not only did Jiang Yuan fail to hold back his laughter, but the rest of the class joined in, erupting into laughter.
The English teacher's chest heaved with anger, and she pointed outside, "You, stand out there!"
Le Xin, without a word of apology, walked straight out, standing tall and unyielding.
When Zhou Sheng received Jiang Yuan's message, he hurried down from upstairs, but by the time he arrived, Le Xin was already sobbing uncontrollably.
It turned out that while Le Xin was standing outside, she recalled the scene of Zhou Sheng and Qiao Yan standing together during the break. Then she thought about how he was always like this, never comforting her, always waiting for her to give in first.
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and the tears just kept flowing. At first, she cried quietly, but soon she couldn't hold it in and ended up sitting on the ground, crying her heart out.
She wasn't the type to cry often—in fact, she could count the times she had cried on both hands.
But once she started, she couldn't stop.
When she cried hard, her head would start to feel dizzy, and her hands and feet would go numb, leaving her weak for a long time.
Zhou Sheng knew about this problem of hers, so he immediately picked her up and carried her to the infirmary.
Jiang Yuan quickly followed them.
At the infirmary, Zhou Sheng sat down on the bed with Le Xin in his arms. After signaling Jiang Yuan to take the school nurse out, he began to softly comfort her, wiping away her tears and gently massaging her arms to help her relax.
Le Xin cried in Zhou Sheng's arms for a little longer before she started to sniffle and curse him, though all she could come up with were "jerk" and "bastard."
Still feeling unsatisfied, she raised her hand to hit him.
Zhou Sheng didn't dodge, instead guiding her hand to land on the fleshier parts of his body so she wouldn't hurt herself.
The first time he saw her cry like this, he secretly swore that he would never let her cry this way again. But now, he had broken that promise.
He wished she would hit him harder, hoping it might ease the pain he felt in his heart.
"Jerk! Do you know I can't eat or sleep because of you? And yet you go and stand with someone else, just to make me mad on purpose!"
Le Xin buried her head in Zhou Sheng's chest, her voice thick with tears as she complained,
"Jiang Yuan keeps saying you're good to me, that you only have eyes for me. He doesn't know that you're bossy, unreasonable, petty, sarcastic, and you're always touching me, acting all lewd, pretending to be proper when you're just a scoundrel underneath!"
"What's so good about you? There's nothing good about you at all! You're just going to abandon me someday..."
Listening to her ramble on and criticize him, Zhou Sheng knew she was finally calming down.
He gently patted her back and said,
"Your summary of me is pretty accurate. I hope you can apply this skill to your exams. With this ability to summarize the main points, you should have no trouble with those reading comprehension questions."
"But let's not count the last part."
Le Xin looked up at him, about to cry again. How could he be talking about exams at a time like this?
Seeing her pout, Zhou Sheng quickly hugged her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head and nuzzling her.
After a long moment, he finally said weakly, "Le Xin, I'm more scared than you are."
Zhou Sheng was naturally reserved, not particularly warm toward people or things. But once he considered something within his domain, he had to have absolute control over it.
This was especially true with Le Xin.
He had already restrained his feelings for her, thinking he was keeping it at a reasonable level.
But it turned out that she still thought he was overbearing. The only relief was that she didn't want to escape from him.
He had noticed her unusual behavior early on but pretended not to know. It wasn't that he didn't want to comfort her; he just wanted her to say it herself.
He hoped that in front of him, she would be completely open and unreserved, sharing all her thoughts—good or bad, fears or worries. Only this way would she develop a deeper dependence on him and absolute trust.
Le Xin asked incredulously, "What are you afraid of? You're so clever, you could probably sweet-talk me into anything. What do you have to be afraid of?"
Zhou Sheng took a deep breath and slowly said:
"Ah Xin, your world is filled with so many other things—food, drinks, fun, family, friends. They all occupy a place and take up your attention. But I only have you."
"I don't dare show you all of me—my possessiveness, my obsessions—because I'm afraid you might want to run away. That's something I'd be completely powerless to stop."
His voice trembled slightly, revealing a rare vulnerability.
He was always confident about everything, except for Le Xin.
She was like a kite in his hands—if he pulled the string too tight, he feared she wouldn't like it; if too loose, he feared she would fly away.
She was both his cautiousness and his sweet indulgence.
It was the first time Le Xin had seen this side of him—no longer strong or domineering, but like a weak little boy, evoking a tender affection.
"But Ah Xin, how could you ever think I would abandon you?" Zhou Sheng truly hadn't considered that she might think this way.
Le Xin now felt a bit self-conscious. His feelings for her had indeed never been hidden.
But she had been worrying about this for a long time, so she stubbornly said:
"You're good at everything—studying, sports, you look good. You're so dazzling. In the future, there'll definitely be more people around you. When you realize I have no ambition and I'm lazy, you'll surely want to leave me."
Zhou Sheng shook his head helplessly,
"I've known what you're like since we were kids."
"Have you forgotten what you used to say? You said your dream was to take things easy, to coast through life. I'm working hard to make your dream come true."
"By your own admission, you'd probably end up living off your parents or spending every penny you earn. With me supporting you, you can be happy for the rest of your life."
"It's because of you that I am the way I am. How could I ever leave you?"
Le Xin didn't expect him to remember her offhand remarks about her dreams, let alone that he had been considering their future together. She was deeply touched, though she pretended to be annoyed and said:
"You're looking down on me."
Zhou Sheng gently rubbed her head and said seriously:
"Le Xin, remember this: your place in my heart is irreplaceable. Don't ever have such a foolish thought that I might leave you."
"If you ever cry like this again because of that, don't blame me for punishing you, okay?"
His eyes were full of warning, but Le Xin wasn't afraid anymore. She hugged his neck and softly replied, "Got it."
"Now, let's talk about why you shared your feelings with Jiang Yuan but didn't tell me."
"Didn't I tell you that you should always talk to me first if anything's bothering you?"
Le Xin silently cursed Jiang Yuan as a traitor in her heart and whined, "Can't you just go easy on me?"
Zhou Sheng looked at her, his voice low as he said, "Ah Xin, I'm jealous."
With that, he leaned in and kissed her.
When Jiang Yuan pushed the door open, he caught the two of them kissing. Half-heartedly covering his eyes, he stifled a laugh and said, "I didn't see anything, really didn't… Should I leave so you can continue? Maybe I'll go chat with the school nurse for a bit?"
Le Xin, embarrassed, muttered "Annoying," and buried her head in Zhou Sheng's chest, playing the ostrich.
Zhou Sheng shot Jiang Yuan a cold glance.
Jiang Yuan immediately felt the displeasure from the top student and hurriedly tried to make amends, "To celebrate your reconciliation, I've decided to move my birthday party from next week to this week. I'll throw a proper reunion party for you two, how about it?"
Zhou Sheng responded coldly, "Not interested."
Jiang Yuan felt like crying and turned to Le Xin for help,
"Sister Xin, could you say something for me? I swear it wasn't intentional. Now that you two have made up, even if I don't get credit, I should at least get some recognition for my effort, right?"
Jiang Yuan had every reason to be nervous. Because he was close to Le Xin, whenever he got a bit too friendly, Zhou Sheng would make him pay dearly for it.
This time, having interrupted their kiss, who knew how much frustration Zhou Sheng was bottling up? There was no telling how harshly he might get back at him. Even the credit for recording what Le Xin said and sending it to Zhou Sheng might not be enough to balance the scales.
Le Xin felt a bit sorry for Jiang Yuan, hearing the pitiful tone in his voice.
But if she really spoke up for Jiang Yuan, she feared Zhou Sheng would get jealous, making things worse.
After some thought, she lifted her head and said, "Who told you to be such a chatterbox? So, for this birthday, don't expect any gifts from us."
"No problem, no gifts needed, no gifts needed," Jiang Yuan quickly agreed. "I'll cover the food and karaoke, the whole package."
Seeing Le Xin nod in agreement, and Zhou Sheng not saying anything, Jiang Yuan knew he had narrowly escaped.
To secure his peace of mind, he added some flattery,
"Since we were kids, I've always known Sister Xin and my Brother Sheng are a perfect match—what a handsome couple, truly made for each other."
"Now, let me ask, Brother Sheng, what do you like most about Sister Xin?"
Le Xin, leaning on Zhou Sheng's shoulder, perked up her ears, eager to hear the answer.
Sensing her interest, Zhou Sheng gently patted her before answering, "I like her good taste."
Jiang Yuan was puzzled, "Good taste?"
Le Xin was also confused, as Zhou Sheng often teased her for having poor taste.
"Yeah, good taste," Zhou Sheng said, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "For example, she chose me, not you."
"Hahahaha…" Le Xin couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"…" Jiang Yuan clutched his chest, "Not only are you two satisfied with torturing single people, but now you're also out to shame and crush us too?"
"No, we never mistreat animals."
Jiang Yuan continued to grumble about something, but Le Xin wasn't paying attention anymore because Zhou Sheng whispered softly in her ear, "I love everything about you."
Here's the translation:
---
**9**
Once Le Xin and Zhou Sheng had cleared things up, the tension between them completely vanished.
Early on the weekend, Le Xin got up to find him, planning to go shopping together to pick out a gift for Jiang Yuan.
Although they had said they wouldn't get Jiang Yuan anything, she felt it would be too awkward to show up empty-handed.
When she arrived, Zhou Sheng was still asleep, while his grandparents were getting ready to go out and buy groceries.
Zhou Sheng's parents were often so busy that they were hardly ever home, and since he didn't want to be apart from Le Xin, he simply stayed with his grandparents.
Le Xin quietly opened the door and entered the room, careful not to wake Zhou Sheng. She quietly lay by his bedside, watching him.
He had always been disciplined, waking up early to study even on weekends, so it was rare to see him still in bed. She wanted to let him sleep a little longer.
Zhou Sheng was undeniably handsome. Normally, he exuded an air of aloofness, but in his sleep, he perfectly embodied the serene beauty of a quiet young man.
The thought that this beautiful young man liked only her, that he was her boy, filled Le Xin with joy.
She raised her hand and gently traced the contours of his face in the air—his eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips.
Zhou Sheng squinted and mumbled, "A-Xin?"
Le Xin smiled, about to say "You're awake," but before she could, he suddenly pulled her close by the back of her head and kissed her firmly on the lips.
Le Xin glared at him, "It's early in the morning, and you're already being a rascal."
Zhou Sheng frowned, "Are you really talking? Is this for real?"
"What, you think it's fake!" Le Xin retorted, then had a thought and asked in surprise, "Were you dreaming about me?"
Zhou Sheng looked at her silently, swallowing hard, his body shifting slightly.
He had indeed dreamed about her, about doing unspeakable things with her. But when he woke up and found her right beside him, he had trouble distinguishing dream from reality.
Le Xin noticed he still seemed half-asleep, his eyes half-open, half-closed, his cheeks a bit flushed, and his entire demeanor radiating laziness.
She patted his hair, "You're cutest like this, so obedient, like a little puppy."
Zhou Sheng suddenly asked, "Where are Grandpa and Grandma?"
"They went out to buy groceries, why?"
Zhou Sheng didn't answer. He propped himself up slightly to check the door, confirming that it was closed.
Le Xin followed his gaze, but before she could react, he pulled her down onto the bed.
He held her tightly by the waist, pressing her against him.
"Yeah, there is something… I want to be a little naughty with you," Zhou Sheng's voice was a bit husky, "Do you still think I'm cute like this, hmm?"
Le Xin thought to herself how this guy always took any chance to get handsy with her.
She deliberately put on a stern face, intending to make him let go, but he just held her even closer.
"What do you have under the blanket? It's poking me."
Le Xin wriggled a bit, trying to reach under the blanket, but she heard Zhou Sheng let out a muffled groan and grab her hand, "Be good, don't move, I just want to hold you for a bit."
His voice was even huskier, as if he was trying hard to suppress something. Le Xin blinked, a bit confused.
When she finally realized what was happening, she angrily called out his name, then froze, too embarrassed to move.
Her heart was racing, her cheeks burning. Le Xin felt like she might be coming down with something.
After a while, she stammered, "Y-you… you better hold on. I… I'm not even 18 yet."
"The day you turn 17 is the last day you're 17. After that, you're 18. We've both already celebrated our 17th birthdays."
Le Xin wasn't sure what Zhou Sheng meant by this, so she hurriedly said, "No matter what you say, my mom said that as long as I haven't graduated from high school and haven't celebrated my 18th birthday, you're not allowed to do anything to me."
"Hahaha," Zhou Sheng couldn't help but laugh, "Auntie really knows me well."
Le Xin huffed, "My mom's worried you'll trick me."
Even with the blanket between them, she could clearly feel something was off with him. Worried he might lose control, she quickly changed the subject to distract him, "Let's go pick out a gift for Jiang Yuan later, okay?"
"No need. I've already marked the key points for the midterm exam. Just make a copy of the notes I gave you and give it to him—that's enough." Zhou Sheng rejected the idea outright, "And here you are, thinking about another guy at a time like this."
His tone was half-angry, half-sulky, and Le Xin wanted to laugh at how jealous he was. But she didn't dare, fearing she might provoke him. So she gently reassured him, "But the one I like is you."
Zhou Sheng was quite pleased with that and suddenly remembered something, asking, "Do you remember how you used to pin me down and take my toys when we were little?"
Le Xin said, "Of course I do. Back then, you were shorter than me, and even when I took your toys, you never cried or complained. I thought you were easy to bully."
Zhou Sheng chuckled softly, "Silly girl, when have you ever seen me lose? Even back then, I was thinking that someday, I'd pin you down just like that."
"But later on, I realized you had a short memory, so I waited for you to grow up. Now, in a situation like this, when I pin you down, it'll leave a lasting impression."
"You're something else. You were secretly planning a long-term revenge, weren't you?"
"No, it's a long and romantic revenge."
How wonderful that in the process, we came to love each other and will continue to do so for a long, long time.