The water-delivering boy was named Xu Ting.
Since Lin Zhexia frequently visited Class 1 to find Chi Yao and often appeared during PE class, he and Lin Zhexia were somewhat acquainted.
Lin Zhexia invited Chen Lin to sit down as well, then said: “I’ll go get some soup.”
Chen Lin stood up too: “I…”
Lin Zhexia: “No need, I’ll get some for you.”
Chen Lin had wanted to go with her.
Because after Lin Zhexia left, she was left alone facing the two boys, mainly facing Chi Yao.
Chen Lin held her chopsticks, silently eating.
She didn’t dare speak to Chi Yao.
Although she had closely followed and gossiped about him on the first day of school.
But throughout this half-semester, she discovered that Chi Yao was difficult to get along with.
Initially, she had introduced herself: “I, I’m Chen Lin, Xiaxia’s deskmate.”
Chi Yao had merely responded with an “Mm.”
Then the two had nothing to say to each other.
She saw Lin Zhexia speaking naturally with Chi Yao, but when it came to herself, she couldn’t even manage a single exchange.
So in Chen Lin’s eyes, Chi Yao maintained strong boundaries, was cold, and difficult to approach.
It seemed only her classmate surnamed Lin could chat with him unselfconsciously, even childishly argue with him.
Lin Zhexia returned with the soup, unable to eat quietly.
She casually picked out the cauliflower she disliked and placed it on Chi Yao’s plate: “You’re still growing, eat more.”
Chi Yao: “If you don’t want me to flip this tray onto your head, take it back.”
Lin Zhexia: “What this young master has given away cannot be taken back.”
“Oh, thank you, Young Master Lin,” Chi Yao put down his chopsticks and turned his head. “Young Master Lin, that chicken leg in your bowl looks nice, give it to me too.”
Lin Zhexia: “…That’s not happening.”
Chi Yao: “Didn’t expect Young Master Lin to be so stingy.”
Lin Zhexia: “…”
Halfway through the meal, they suddenly began discussing midterm exam results.
Xu Ting: “This midterm was quite difficult.”
Lin Zhexia deeply agreed: “Indeed.”
Xu Ting pointed at Chi Yao across the table and continued complaining: “I asked him to highlight key points for me, but he completely refused—”
This was something Lin Zhexia couldn’t agree with.
Xu Ting: “Why aren’t you saying anything, Young Master Lin? Don’t you think he’s cold-hearted?”
“Because he highlighted points for me,” Lin Zhexia said. “I can’t comfortably join the conversation.”
Xu Ting: “…”
What, was he being bullied for not having a childhood friend?
Lin Zhexia encouraged: “Some results will probably be released this afternoon. Don’t be afraid; bravely face it, no matter how badly you did.”
Lin Zhexia’s guess was correct—some results were indeed released that afternoon.
The Chinese, Math, and English test papers were distributed in batches.
This midterm, Lin Zhexia’s performance remained stable, consistently ranking among the top in her class.
But Chen Lin’s results weren’t so ideal; she barely passed each subject.
From the afternoon onward, Lin Zhexia noticed that her expression didn’t seem right.
“You should spend less time on your phone,” Lin Zhexia thought it was because of her grades, and comforted her. “These questions aren’t that difficult. Just spend some time reviewing the key concepts.”
Chen Lin stared vacantly at the desk, responding in a somewhat lost manner.
But even when class began, Chen Lin remained distracted.
The last class was Math. During the lesson, the math teacher called her name several times: “Chen Lin—what’s going on with you? With these grades, and you’re still not paying attention in class.”
“Stand up,” the math teacher said. “Which problem was I just explaining?”
Chen Lin stammered, unable to answer.
Lin Zhexia whispered “problem three,” but it was too late.
Math teacher: “Stand for the remainder of the class.”
Chen Lin remained standing until the bell rang.
It wasn’t until the dismissal bell sounded, after Lin Zhexia finished her cleaning duties and was about to go to Class 1 to find Chi Yao to go home together, that Chen Lin finally broke down and grabbed Lin Zhexia: “Um… after school, could you walk with me?”