Chapter 13

Tianxin packed up her calligraphy workbook and pen. "The probability of us sparking together is just as likely as not, so there's nothing impossible. A fifty-fifty chance is still a chance," she said.

Zhuting shrugged, "He's not my type."

Tianxin couldn't deny that sometimes the person you like isn't exactly what you envisioned.

While Zhuyan was absorbed in watching a drama, Zhuting found it boring. Studying and reading weren't her style, so when she saw Tianxin sitting on the bed, she had an idea. "Tianxin, we haven't gone out to play since school started. How about we go out? It's important to balance work and rest, right?" The dormitory was too boring, and she really wanted to go out and see something.

Tianxin thought about it and decided that since she needed to go out to buy ink anyway, it would be a good idea to go out and explore. There were plenty of places to have fun around the school. "Okay, Zhuyan, do you want to come with us?" Tianxin asked. Zhuyan took off her headphones, looked at Tianxin, and Tianxin repeated the question.

Zhuyan smiled, "I've been watching dramas for too long. Going out will be a good way to relax." There weren't many entertainment activities for students living near the school. On weekends, they either did homework, read books, or slept. At most, they played basketball or badminton. Some students chose to go out and have fun.

Neither Tianxin nor Zhuyan knew the way, but Zhuting had already figured it out. Her brother had taken her out to play around the area before, so she was quite familiar with it. Tianxin and Zhuyan had only been to the square, and they hadn't been anywhere else.

The square was crowded with people. The three of them went to a snack stall. There were countless snack streets on the road that led to it, and it was particularly lively at night. During the day, there were more people selling fruits, but at night, it was the world of barbecues, takoyaki, and other delicacies.

"I'm telling you, the snacks in Jiangcheng are truly unique. I've almost tried them all. I'll recommend some to you another day," Zhuting said excitedly as they walked. Tianxin couldn't help but feel a little envious. She wished she could eat whatever she wanted, but in the past, she had to be restrained when it came to food. She rarely had barbecue.

"Zhuting, you're a foodie, a real one," Zhuyan chuckled.

Zhuting cut back, "What's wrong with being a foodie? It's about enjoying life to the fullest while we're still alive."

The two of them started arguing, but Tianxin followed behind them. They were cousins, and they could bicker with each other in just a few words. Fate was truly mysterious.

When Qiyue arrived, Yan Heng was playing League of Legends. Yan Heng only opened the door for him and had already pushed to the high ground by the time he came back. His teammates were scolding him, but it was of no use. The crystal was still pushed, and Yan Heng was reported. Yan Heng didn't care and logged out of the game.

Qi Yue looked at the house and thought that it was much simpler than the villa he used to live in. However, since he lived alone, the house was more than enough for him. Qi Yue had only visited once since he moved in. "Are you used to living alone?" he asked.

Yan Heng leaned back on his chair. "Living alone in a big villa or a small apartment, what's the difference?"

"How is your insomnia? What did the doctor say?" Qi Yue was still worried about Yan Heng's insomnia. Yan Heng was a little annoyed, "It's the same as before," clearly not wanting to talk about it further.

Qi Yue didn't dare to ask any more. He knew that Yan Heng was very resistant, even to his care. "Let's do some math problems. The loser treats," Yan Heng nodded.

"Is math okay?" Qi Yue took out a few sets of math problems. "I can do them all. You draw first." The questions were randomized, and they had to do the set they picked.

Qi Yue randomly picked one. "Is high school math okay?" Yan Heng didn't study high school math, so if he won, it wouldn't be a real victory. Yan Heng took the remaining one. "You came to me to practice, not to compete," Yan Heng said with his eyes downcast, taking out a pen.

"Half an hour, the one with the most points wins, okay?" Yan Heng was ready, and Qi Yue looked at him calmly. They sat side by side and began to work on the problems.

Half an hour later, Qi Yue couldn't be sure if he could finish the problems. They used to set a time limit of fifty minutes, but Yan Heng had now shortened it by twenty minutes. What was he thinking?

Qi Yue began to work on the problems seriously. After half an hour, they exchanged papers. As Qi Yue checked Yan Heng's answers, he was shocked to see how terrifying Yan Heng's self-learning ability was.

"You've been slacking off a lot, no wonder you lost to someone else even after I left," Yan Heng put down Qi Yue's paper. "Do you want me to tutor you? It's charged hourly," Yan Heng raised his eyebrows with an arrogant tone. Qi Yue felt like punching someone, but Yan Heng was thinking of his Tianxin, how she would say the same thing with a smile on her face.

"Snap out of it, what are you daydreaming about? If you're treating, then treat. I don't give credit," Yan Heng's mouth curled up.

Qi Yue sighed and took out his wallet. "You still need me. Let me practice with you, and remember to treat me. I won't run a tab," Yan Heng reminded him. Qi Yue felt like he wanted to punch someone again, but Yan Heng was still Yan Heng, and his level was still above everyone else in their school.

"I need to focus. Let's get started."

Yan Heng was feeling restless, he pulled out a half-smoked cigarette from his pocket and reached for a lighter from the table. Qi Yue looked a bit worried; Yan Heng never used to smoke, and now his addiction was really distressing. "Can you smoke less? Don't you know about your health?" Qi Yue couldn't help but fret. It was his fate to worry about Yan Heng.

"I know what I'm doing. This addiction won't go away easily," Yan Heng replied indifferently. It seemed like smoking had become a part of him. He felt uncomfortable all over his body if he didn't smoke, as if something was missing. He also enjoyed this kind of indulgence, numbing his nerves.

"Why can't you think about yourself, Yan Heng? Can't you just be good?" Qi Yue scratched his head in frustration. He was filled with helplessness.

"I don't care," Yan Heng replied with a faint smile. Qi Yue shook his head. "Can your body handle playing basketball?"

"I'm not a waste," Yan Heng sneered. The two of them went to the park to play basketball.

The summer night was warm, even the occasional breeze carried some heat. Zhu Ting pulled the two of them, saying, "I'm so tired. We've been playing for so long, and I'm hungry. Let's find a place to eat."

Tianxin's feet were a bit uncomfortable, "But what should we eat?" She reminded herself mentally to remember to buy ink.

"Let's have spicy hot pot, how about that?" Zhu Yan suggested. Even the canteen didn't have spicy hot pot, and she had been wanting to eat it for a long time. This time, she was going to enjoy it.

Tianxin's eyes lit up, "What do you think, Zhu Ting?" She also wanted to have spicy hot pot. Zhu Ting clapped her hands, "Let's go to the dry spicy hot pot place, it's really good on the square."

The three of them quickly agreed and walked off in high spirits.

After playing basketball, Yan Heng and Qi Yue lay on the grass and rested. "Hey, let's go eat," Qi Yue nudged Yan Heng's arm. Yan Heng gave him a slap on the arm, "You treat."

"Do I look like a person who doesn't keep his word? It's just a meal, as if I'm going to run away," Qi Yue grumbled. Yan Heng looked up at the night sky, "Let's go for spicy hot pot."

Qi Yue frowned. Yan Heng had a stomach problem and couldn't handle spicy food. "Can we go somewhere else? Your stomach can't handle it."

Yan Heng was silent. Qi Yue knew he couldn't persuade him, so he had to compromise. He was so arrogant and unreasonable, relying on the fact that he was fearless and had no fear.

"There's a dry spicy hot pot place on the square that's not very spicy. Let's go," Qi Yue stood up.

The two of them walked through the bustling streets. The park was not far from the square; it only took them a little over ten minutes to walk there.

Yan Heng didn't expect to see her while having a meal. As soon as he entered, he saw Tianxin sitting by the window with her roommate. Her gaze was gentle as she looked outside, and in the noisy restaurant, his eyes only saw her.

Qi Yue quietly watched and couldn't help but feel a sense of destiny. Tianxin had seen enough of the outside and turned her head to see Yan Heng staring at her intently. She blurted out his name and Zhu Ting and Zhu Yan laughed. "Where did Yan Heng come from? Tianxin, are you lovesick?" Tianxin smiled at Yan Heng. Yan Heng felt a little embarrassed and didn't know how to greet her. "What a coincidence" was too perfunctory, "So you also come here to eat," was too deliberate, "So you also like to eat this, that's great, I like it too," sounded like nonsense and was hard to say. Qi Yue stepped forward, "The three beautiful ladies are really destined to meet. Jiang is a good student." He had heard about the incident last time. "It's quite fated," Zhu Ting and Zhu Yan looked mischievously at Tianxin. Tianxin looked at Yan Heng and couldn't help but feel a sense of distance. Yan Heng sat at the table on Tianxin's right side and stole glances at her from time to time. Qi Yue couldn't stand it anymore. High intelligence doesn't always equate to high emotional intelligence. Yan Heng was a typical example. His embarrassed expression made him feel uneasy. "Does it matter if you eat this?" "No, it's not spicy." "Uh-huh." Then there was silence. A high school student who came here to eat also saw Yan Heng and Qi Yue, and became excited. Yan Heng had the urge to flip the table over. The noise in his ears made him annoyed. Seeing Yan Heng's impatience, Qi Yue started chatting with Tianxin and Zhu Ting. Zhu Ting looked infatuated. The school grass of No. 1 High School, whom she rarely saw, was not only handsome but also able to hold a conversation. Yan Heng listened quietly to Tianxin's voice, and his mood gradually improved. He listened quietly, and only answered when Tianxin occasionally asked him a question. After Qi Yue and Yan Heng finished eating, the three girls had not finished yet. Yan Heng went to pay the bill, and Qi Yue followed behind him. "Hey, you can't find a girlfriend like this. Girls don't like introverts." Yan Heng didn't speak, ready to pay the bill. Qi Yue grabbed Yan Heng's arm. "Today, I'm treating you, so you don't have to pay." Qi Yue's smile was inscrutable. "No, you can owe me this one, and you can pay next time," Yan Heng said, without hesitation, paying for himself and the three girls. Qi Yue tutted. This person was too hypocritical, really worthy of disdain. When Tianxin and her friends paid, the waiter told them that the bill had been paid. They all knew it was either Yan Heng or Qi Yue who paid. Zhu Ting and Zhu Yan asked Tianxin to return the money to them, but Qi Yue managed to weasel his way out with various excuses, so the three of them gave up.