Xia Zhen’s hand, which had been resting lightly on the boy’s abdomen, gradually began to warm beneath her palm. Feeling the faint tension in his stomach muscles, she lowered her voice and whispered softly, “Wait a moment.” Before he could respond, she slipped out of his arms. She hurried to the door, gently pushing it closed so no one would disturb them, then quickly ran back to his side.
The moment she returned, Lu Jin opened his arms to her without a word. Xia Zhen immediately nestled back against him, as though that place had always belonged to her. She climbed onto his lap with natural ease, settling herself comfortably. Her hand returned to the spot on his stomach that had been aching, and she began to rub it slowly, her touch light and careful.
“How about I make you something to eat?” she suggested softly.For a moment, the boy said nothing.Lu Jin’s face was usually sharp and distant, the kind of cold handsomeness that made people hesitate before approaching him. Yet at that moment, something in his expression softened almost imperceptibly.
“Can you cook?” he asked. Xia Zhen’s cheeks immediately flushed pink.“I can learn,” she protested, puffing her cheeks slightly in embarrassment. “Don’t look down on me!”Her hands continued to move gently against his stomach.Those hands were pale, delicate, and smooth—so flawless that not even the faintest callus could be found. They were clearly the hands of a girl who had grown up well protected, a young lady who had never needed to worry about chores or labor.
Lu Jin quietly reached out and smoothed the strands of hair that had fallen loose around her face.“You don’t need to learn things like that,” he said calmly.Xia Zhen frowned at him, clearly dissatisfied. “You don’t believe me?” she asked, her voice carrying a trace of grievance.“No,” he replied.
His eyes narrowed faintly, though there was no mockery in them.“I know how to do those things.”For a moment, Xia Zhen’s heart felt unexpectedly sweet.The words filled her with a strange warmth, like a quiet reassurance. But after enjoying that little burst of pride for only a second, worry quickly replaced it.
“But you look like you’re not feeling well,” she said, studying his face carefully.“I’m much better now,” Lu Jin replied. “It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”Xia Zhen narrowed her eyes suspiciously.Seeing that look, Lu Jin sighed softly, both helpless and amused.“Really,” he said gently. “I’m not lying to you.”Xia Zhen pursed her lips. In truth, she had already guessed the reason behind his stomachache.
The meals prepared by the Lu family never suited his tastes. Worse still, they were often heavy with oil and salt—food that was difficult on the stomach and unhealthy in the long run.She had noticed it long ago. Every day at school, when Lu Jin ate alone, he barely touched his food. Sometimes he ate so little that it was comparable to a cat’s portion.
If someone lived like that for long enough, stomach problems were almost inevitable. What Xia Zhen didn’t know was that ever since he had met her, Lu Jin’s stomachaches had become far less frequent. Perhaps it was because she always hovered around him with such warmth. Perhaps it was because her presence chased away the quiet emptiness he used to carry. At that moment, he wrapped his arms around the girl in his lap again.
Her body radiated warmth like a small heater, comforting and soft.Lu Jin rested his chin lightly against the top of her head and slowly stroked her hair.“If I really feel uncomfortable,” he said quietly, “I’ll tell you, Zhenzhen. I won’t hide it from you.” Xia Zhen lifted her head and looked at him.Her expression still carried a hint of doubt. Perhaps it was because Lu Jin had always been someone who kept everything to himself. He rarely shared his thoughts, and because of that, his words didn’t always feel completely convincing.Seeing her suspicious gaze, Lu Jin smiled faintly.
Then, as if remembering something important, his eyes brightened slightly. “This morning,” he said, “I could move my legs.” As expected, Xia Zhen’s attention shifted instantly.Her eyes widened in surprise.“Really?”He nodded. “Even now,” he continued calmly, “when you’re sitting on my lap… I can still feel it.”The moment Xia Zhen heard that, she instinctively tried to stand up.
But before she could move, Lu Jin’s arm tightened around her waist, holding her firmly in place.She looked at him anxiously.“Your legs will get tired,” she said.“Not at all,” Lu Jin replied softly. “You’re very light.”That was the truth.In fact, he liked feeling her weight. When she sat there like this, it made him feel no different from an ordinary person. Even though he had only managed to move his legs slightly that morning, it had been enough to fill him with excitement.
For the first time in a long while, hope had stirred inside him.Because of that, he hadn’t cared at all about the sarcastic remarks thrown at him by the Lu family earlier that day. None of it mattered.All he had wanted was to see her.But while Xia Zhen had been secretly observing the situation in the Lu household from afar, Lu Jin had also been quietly paying attention to hers.He knew someone had visited her house.
Of course, if he had such a beautiful and lovable girl at home, he wouldn’t leave her alone either. Yet what he had never expected… was that this girl would be even more eager to see him than he was to see her. No one had ever cared for him so openly before. The feeling was unfamiliar. Strange.
New.And somehow… dangerously addictive. Xia Zhen suddenly straightened in his arms and leaned closer to his face.
“Lu Jin,” she asked softly, “does it still hurt?” He had intended to shake his head.But when he saw her face so close to his, those clear eyes filled with concern…He changed his mind.“It still hurts a little,” he admitted. Xia Zhen immediately frowned.“Then I’ll rub it a bit more for you.”Her hand resumed its gentle motion.Rubbing would create warmth, and warmth would ease the discomfort in his stomach.At least, that was what she believed.
The funny thing was that she had never been this attentive during class. Lu Jin felt his throat tighten slightly.His mouth suddenly felt a little dry.“Zhenzhen,” he called softly.
“Hm?”
“Give me a kiss,” he murmured, “and it won’t hurt anymore.”For a moment, Xia Zhen froze. Then she burst into laughter.“Lu Jin,” she teased, “you’ve become a little naughty lately.” Lu Jin looked faintly uncomfortable at being exposed so directly.Still, he stubbornly held her gaze, refusing to look away. Under that unwavering stare, Xia Zhen suddenly felt her face grow hot.Flustered, she simply lifted her chin and closed her eyes.
The gesture made her look unbelievably obedient—like a quiet girl patiently waiting.She felt his hand rise. His fingers, slightly cool, gently cupped her cheek.His breath drew closer.Closer.
Until the warmth of his skin brushed against hers.The moment their lips touched, a faint sweetness lingered in the air.It was the delicate, youthful scent of first affection—soft and tender, yet strangely stirring.The sensation sent a subtle tremor through her heart.
—
Recently, the atmosphere in Class 1 of the senior year had become unusually tense.The monthly exam was approaching.Even though some students often appeared carefree or unreliable, they were all ambitious in their studies. After all, this was the top class in the entire grade.
During math class, the class’s top student, Su Nuo, was standing at the blackboard.He had just finished solving an extremely difficult problem.
The classroom erupted in cheers and applause.The middle-aged math teacher smiled broadly.“I gave this problem to both classes,” he announced proudly, “and only Su Nuo solved it. Everyone should learn from him!”Su Nuo remained calm and composed.Perhaps he had heard so much praise from teachers over the years that he had already grown accustomed to it.
Compliments and criticism alike barely stirred him now.Meanwhile, in the corner of the fourth row group, things were unusually quiet.Xia Zhen leaned slightly toward Lu Jin’s desk. Her eyes fell on the notebook in front of him.The page was filled with dense calculations.She looked up at the blackboard again.Although the method written there was different…The final answer was exactly the same.
While the rest of the class applauded Su Nuo, Xia Zhen clapped as well.But she leaned closer to Lu Jin and whispered softly,“Lu Jin… you’re amazing.”Lu Jin calmly reached out and steadied her shoulder.“Sit properly.”Xia Zhen shot him a resentful look before reluctantly sitting up straight.
Not far away, the math class representative (a student responsible for helping the teacher with math class tasks in Chinese classrooms) clicked his tongue twice.“This Lu Jin is really hopeless,” he muttered. “If a goddess threw herself at me like that, I’d be laughing even in my dreams.”
His deskmate didn’t respond.The math representative nudged her arm.“Am I wrong?”The language arts class representative (another student assistant role in Chinese classrooms) didn’t even glance at him.
She spoke flatly, unable to hide the contempt in her tone.“You don’t understand anything.”On the podium, the teacher continued explaining the problem.Aside from a few students who occasionally drifted off in thought, most of the class was listening attentively.Lu Jin sat upright, his gaze focused on the lesson.Beside him, Xia Zhen rested her chin on her hand and stared at the teacher with obvious boredom.Yet no one noticed something happening beneath the desk.Hidden from view, the boy’s hand had quietly found the girl’s.
His fingers wrapped tightly around hers.A silent warmth passed between them.This was their little secret.
At lunch time Xia Zhen finished her meal in the cafeteria earlier than usual and hurried back to the classroom. The corridor was quiet at this hour, most students still lingering over lunch.The moment she entered the classroom, she dragged her chair across the floor and squeezed herself closer to the boy beside her.When Lu Jin turned to look at her, she lifted her chin confidently and said, “There’s no one in the classroom right now.”Which meant she could sit close to him as much as she liked.
Lu Jin looked at her for a moment. The corners of his lips softened slightly, his expression carrying a hint of genuine helplessness—as if he had long accepted that resisting her was useless.Xia Zhen glanced at the lunchbox on his desk.Just as she expected.He had eaten mostly rice again. The side dishes were barely touched.Her brows knitted faintly.
Without saying anything, she rummaged through her bag and took out a pink, semi-transparent plastic box. She placed it gently on the desk between them.“My fruit for after lunch today is strawberries!” she announced proudly.Inside the box were several large strawberries, bright red and glossy, their tiny seeds glimmering like specks of gold. They looked plump, sweet, and incredibly tempting.
Xia Zhen pushed the box toward him.“Open it for me.”Lu Jin didn’t even glance at it. “Do it yourself.”
“I can’t open it.”He remained silent.Xia Zhen turned to look at him, her eyes suddenly becoming pitifully round and pleading. She didn’t blink, didn’t look away—just stared at him as if waiting patiently for him to surrender.Lu Jin held out for a few seconds.Then he sighed.He picked up the plastic box, easily popped open the lid, and handed it back to her.But Xia Zhen didn’t immediately take it.
Instead, she grabbed his hand lightly, steadying it, and began carefully examining every single strawberry inside the box.Lu Jin lowered his gaze to watch her.He doubted she was even this serious during class.After thoroughly inspecting them all, the young lady finally chose the biggest strawberry. She bit lightly into the pointed tip.The moment the juice burst across her tongue, her brows furrowed sharply.
Her entire face scrunched up as if she had just tasted something terribly unpleasant. Lu Jin watched her reaction with amusement.
“Sour?” he asked.
“Sour!” Xia Zhen nodded firmly.Without hesitation, she picked up another strawberry with her other hand and held it up to his lips.
“Super sour!”Lu Jin opened his mouth and took a bite. He chewed slowly.Then he said calmly, “It’s sweet.”Xia Zhen blinked.
“How is that possible?” she protested immediately. “It’s clearly sour! Did I just have bad luck and pick the only sour one?”Still unconvinced, she grabbed another strawberry and pushed it toward him again.
“This one is definitely sour.”Lu Jin looked at her quietly.She urged him impatiently, “Try it.”Unable to resist her insistence, he leaned forward and took a bite.After tasting it, he still said in the same calm tone, “It’s sweet.”Xia Zhen frowned in disbelief.
“I refuse to believe I’m that unlucky. Lu Jin, try again—”Before she could finish speaking, Lu Jin suddenly reached out.
He grabbed the girl’s other hand.Then, without hesitation, he leaned down and ate the half-eaten strawberry she was holding.Xia Zhen froze.
Her fingers remained suspended in midair, motionless.Her eyes widened slightly, filled with excitement… and a faint, nervous anticipation.
A thin trace of strawberry juice lingered at the corner of Lu Jin’s lips.He lifted his tongue and slowly licked it away.His pink tongue brushed lightly across his lips, moistening them. Against his pale skin, that small movement made his lips look unexpectedly sensual.Xia Zhen felt her breath hitch.All of a sudden, she realized—This boy looked incredibly sexy.Before she could react, Lu Jin lowered his head again.
He gently licked away the drop of juice that had trickled onto her fingertip.The moment his warm tongue touched her skin, Xia Zhen trembled slightly.A faint shiver ran up her arm.Lu Jin’s eyes curved lazily, like a cat basking in warm sunlight.
“Zhenzhen,” he murmured softly, “it’s sweet.”Was he talking about the strawberry—Or about her?Xia Zhen suddenly felt her mouth grow dry.Her heart began pounding wildly against her chest.This time, Lu Jin picked up a strawberry himself.He held it to her lips.Xia Zhen leaned forward and took a small bite.He asked quietly, “Is it sweet?”
Xia Zhen immediately covered her face with both hands.“Sweet,” she mumbled.Not just sweet.It was almost overwhelmingly sweet.Good heavens.How had she never realized before that this boy was so good at flirting?In truth, there hadn’t been a single sour strawberry in that box.
Lu Jin had known from the very beginning why she pretended they were sour.“Zhenzhen.”
“Hm?”Xia Zhen was chewing on another strawberry, her cheeks puffed slightly.Lu Jin suddenly thought she looked very much like a hamster storing food in its mouth.Unable to resist, he reached out and gently pinched her cheek.“I’ll be good to you,” he said softly.Xia Zhen glared at him.Who says something sweet like that while pinching someone’s cheeks?!
—
The first class in the afternoon was always the hardest to stay awake through.Even though Teacher Wen, who taught Chinese literature, tried her best to make the lesson interesting, it didn’t change the fact that many students struggled to keep their eyes open.Xia Zhen also yawned quietly.
She propped her chin on one hand, her eyelids slowly drooping as sleep crept over her.But suddenly—
The hand holding hers tightened slightly.Xia Zhen’s eyes snapped open immediately.She straightened up in her seat, suddenly looking extremely attentive.Looking down, she noticed something.Someone had already written notes in her textbook.She turned to look at Lu Jin.Her eyes became slightly watery with emotion.But Lu Jin seemed completely unaware of her gaze.
He stared ahead at the teacher, his posture straight and focused—looking as if he hadn’t done anything special at all. Xia Zhen pouted slightly.
—
Originally, the Chinese class had been scheduled for the morning.However, because Teacher Wen had something to attend to earlier, she had swapped the class with the afternoon physics lesson.Recently, the class had written an essay assignment.
As was customary in many Chinese classrooms, Teacher Wen invited the students who had written the best essays to stand at the podium and read them aloud to the class.Naturally, the one standing on the podium now was once again the top student—
Su Nuo.After he finished reading his essay, Teacher Wen led the applause.She smiled warmly.
“Su Nuo’s essay is excellent. He focuses on small, seemingly ordinary details in daily life and uses them to reflect the social changes of the past ten years.”She continued praising him.“His writing doesn’t rely on fancy or flowery language, but it’s extremely engaging to read…”Teacher Wen’s compliments seemed endless.
Su Nuo, however, stood there calmly.It seemed that after hearing such praise so many times, he had grown accustomed to it.Neither praise nor criticism affected him much anymore.Xia Zhen, meanwhile, rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully.Was it just her imagination?
Why did Su Nuo seem a little… restrained while standing beside Teacher Wen?This boy—known throughout the school as the perfect top student—had reportedly never shown even a trace of nervousness while representing the school in district speech competitions.
Yet right now, standing beside Teacher Wen…He looked slightly stiff.Just then, Xia Zhen felt a subtle gaze fall on her.She paused briefly.Then she immediately lowered her eyes, no longer glancing toward the other boys.
Teacher Wen finally finished her praise.“Thank you for your wonderful sharing,” she said with a smile. “You may return to your seat.”Su Nuo nodded politely and walked back to his desk.Xia Zhen silently watched the teacher at the podium.
So I can’t look at men… but I can’t even look at women either?Teacher Wen was still quite young.
Although she hadn’t been teaching long, she was extremely capable and had always been one of the teachers the school valued and cultivated.
She wasn’t the type of breathtaking beauty that caught attention at first glance.But she had an exceptionally pleasant aura.Especially when she smiled gently—it made people feel comfortable and warm, as if a soft current of warmth could flow directly into their hearts.
Su Nuo was now listening to the lesson attentively.So attentively that he hadn’t even picked up his pen to write.For some reason, the whole scene looked a little… forced.Xia Zhen’s lips curved into a small smile.
—
After school, on the way home, Lu Jin heard Xia Zhen humming beside him. Her singing was slightly off-key, but she seemed completely unconcerned. Lu Jin didn’t mind at all. Instead, he asked gently, “You seem very happy today.” Xia Zhen grinned.“That’s because I discovered something very interesting.”
Seeing the mysterious look on her face, Lu Jin didn’t press her for details. But after a few seconds, she couldn’t hold back anymore. “Why aren’t you asking me what it is?” she complained. Lu Jin spoke slowly.
“Anything that makes you happy must be a good thing.”
“So I don’t need to ask.”Hearing that, Xia Zhen suddenly felt even happier.She hadn’t realized before that Lu Jin was actually quite good at making people feel happy.They soon arrived at their floor.
Xia Zhen pushed his wheelchair out of the elevator. She bent down slightly and smiled brightly at him.“Lu Jin, see you tonight.”Lu Jin’s lips curved faintly.“Okay,” he replied softly.Only after Xia Zhen went inside and her door closed did Lu Jin finally turn to head toward the Lu family’s apartment.
But just as he began moving forward—A voice sounded behind him. Warm. Friendly. Almost too friendly. “So your beautiful classmate is actually our neighbor, brother. ”Lu Jin’s gaze darkened slightly. He slowly turned around. Standing behind him was Lu Ci. Lu Ci smiled pleasantly. “Why didn’t you tell me about something like this, brother?”
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