"Chen Feng, is bullshit the only thing that comes out of your mouth?" Shen Yi said, his dark eyes fixed on Chen Feng like a wild beast’s.

He seemed to be looking through Chen Feng at someone else.

And yet, perhaps not.

An ugly look came over Chen Feng’s face.

Although he knew Shen Yi had a bad temper, the two of them had never clashed before.

Qin Jiao was startled, too. She hadn’t expected Shen Yi to defend her by lashing out at Chen Feng.

After all, at this point, Chen Feng and Shen Yi shouldn’t have had any conflicts yet.

Lin Nian, however, gave Shen Yi a wary look, then tugged on Chen Feng’s sleeve and said, "Alright, Ah Feng, let’s not bother them anymore."

"Lin Nian, can you stop being so two-faced? You talk about avoiding suspicion, but what are you doing grabbing Chen Feng’s sleeve right now? Don’t you get it yet? Don’t you understand why your and Chen Feng’s desks were separated, while I was made Shen Yi’s desk mate?"

Qin Jiao watched the changed expressions on Lin Nian’s and Chen Feng’s faces, a brilliant smile playing on her lips. "It’s because Shen Yi and I have a purely platonic relationship as classmates. That’s why it doesn’t matter if we’re desk mates or walk home together after school. But as for you two... heh. I don’t think I need to spell out what stage you’ve reached, do I?"

The moment Qin Jiao finished speaking, Chen Feng’s face turned beet red.

Their conversation had drawn the attention of several people nearby. In the end, Chen Feng and Lin Nian were the first to leave.

With the eyesores gone, Qin Jiao just wanted to get home early to help her mom and dad with some chores. Seeing her ride away on her bike, Shen Yi followed.

The two of them rode one after the other, about a bike’s length apart. Hearing the familiar sound of a bike behind her, Qin Jiao suddenly had a thought.

She slowed down, as if waiting for Shen Yi. In the darkness, the boy’s lips curved into a smile, and he pedaled a few times faster.

Just as Shen Yi pulled up to ride alongside her, Qin Jiao spoke up. "You were the one behind me last night, weren’t you?"

Shen Yi: "..."

He almost missed a pedal stroke.

He pursed his lips, not rushing to speak, but Qin Jiao took his silence as an admission. She let out a sigh of relief. "I’m glad it was you."

’I should have realized it sooner. We’re classmates, we get out of school around the same time, and we go the same way. The person behind me last night had to be Shen Yi.’

Qin Jiao gave a playful smile. "I was worried it was a bad guy."

Shen Yi’s mood was a roller coaster. He hadn’t said a single word, but his mind was already a whirlwind of emotions.

At the final corner, things felt a little sweet.

Just as he managed to compose himself, he heard Qin Jiao’s next words. "Shen Yi, you don’t have to wait for me after school tomorrow. I can get home by myself. It’s not far."

Shen Yi’s soaring mood fluttered and came crashing down.

"Why?" he asked.

"Ah, no reason. I just feel bad troubling you like this."

Shen Yi stared straight ahead, his eyes half-lidded, his voice soft. "Didn’t you just say it yourself? That we have a purely platonic relationship as classmates. So, what are you worried about?"

This time, it was Qin Jiao’s turn to almost miss a pedal stroke.

’Trying to talk to Shen Yi while riding a bike really is a dangerous thing.’

’The ride, which should have only taken ten or so minutes, was dragging on for what felt like an eternity. I know the Shen Yi before me isn’t the Shen Yi from my past life. I can’t argue with him; it’s better to be polite.’

So, for the next few minutes, she said nothing at all. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her apartment building.

She couldn’t wait to say to Shen Yi beside her, "Shen Yi, goodbye."

"Mm, goodbye."