Chapter 60

Lin Miaomiao playfully winked at Deng Xiaoqi, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "See? I can do it."

Deng Xiaoqi raised her eyebrows, looking at Lin Miaomiao winking at her. She didn't realize that Miaomiao wasn't over it yet. She giggled as she looked at her.

Liang Yunshu, seated behind them, turned to see what Miaomiao was up to. "You look adorable like that, Miaomiao."

"Really?" Miaomiao beamed with pride, shooting Liang Yunshu a wink. "By the way, where's Xindi?" she inquired upon noticing her best friend's absence from Yunshu's side.

"She said she's going to call her parents to update them," Yunshu replied.

*Knock*

The trio turned their attention to the door. "Who's there? Come in," Lin Miaomiao called out.

A woman entered, her figure shrouded in a hood.

"Who are you looking for?" Lin Miaomiao asked.

With swift movements, the woman approached Yunshu, causing the trio to tense up. Miaomiao quickly rose to intervene.

In a sudden reveal, the woman removed her hood, exposing her identity to them.

Yunshu reacted instinctively, striking the mysterious intruder with her notebook. "Damn you, Haozi, you scared me," she exclaimed. "How did you get in here?"

Jiang Tianhao showed his clothes. "Dressed in disguise."

Lin Miaomiao and Deng Xiaoqi eyed Jiang Tianhao's outfit—a pink sweater with a hood paired with a skirt.

"Didn't Mama Wang recognize you?" Lin Miaomiao asked, her curiosity piqued.

"She couldn't. I took advantage of her glasses," he explained.

"And why are you here?" Liang Yunshu inquired.

"I'm looking for you," Jiang Tianhao replied to Liang Yunshu, unpacking the food he had brought from his bag. "Our chain store is at the school gate. Duck neck, pancake, crayfish, and chopsticks."

As Jiang Tianhao unveiled the array of dishes, Lin Miaomiao couldn't help but swallow nervously, eyeing each delicacy.

Liang Yunshu smiled at Jiang Tianhao's thoughtful gesture but felt a tinge of embarrassment due to the presence of others in the room.

"Let's eat this outside," Liang Yunshu suggested, feeling shy in front of Miaomiao and Xiaoqi.

"Wait, Miaomiao, this is for you," Jiang Tianhao said, handing her the braised chicken feet.

"Thank you, Haozi. I thought you forgot about your brother," Lin Miaomiao said, her smile widening as she opened the container and savored the aroma of the food.

Jiang Tianhao put the food back in the bag. Liang Yunshu stood up and pulled him out of the room.

Lin Miaomiao watched them leave the room and couldn't help but comment. "They look cute together," she said, then looked at Xiaoqi, who was still staring at the door. "Xiaoqi?"

Startled from her reverie, Xiaoqi replied, "He went to the girls' dorm," shaking her head.

Miaomiao picked up the chopsticks and began enjoying the boneless chicken feet. "He's quite intense, isn't he?" she mused, smiling. She felt content knowing that Jiang Tianhao had found someone who suited him. Glancing at Xiaoqi, she noticed her friend eyeing the food Haozi had delivered.

Suddenly, Lin Miaomiao remembered the paper from Qian Sanyi. Retrieving it from her bag, she announced, "Look, Qian Sanyi gave this to me."

Deng Xiaoqi's demeanor perked up at the mention of Qian Sanyi. Handing the paper to her, Lin Miaomiao watched as she eagerly unfolded it, only to furrow her brow in confusion.

"He said it's a kit, to be opened when I'm home," Lin Miaomiao explained, leaning back in her chair and resuming her meal.

"What is this?" Deng Xiaoqi scrutinized the paper.

Intrigued, Lin Miaomiao leaned in for a closer look. "He's scolding me."

"No, perhaps he's describing you," Deng Xiaoqi suggested.

Frustrated, Lin Miaomiao crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. "I told you he wasn't kind."

"Ah," Deng Xiaoqi exclaimed, flustered by Lin Miaomiao's action. She quickly rose to retrieve the discarded paper. "Sanyi drew it himself, and you crumpled it."

"It's his pleasure if I tore it up," Lin Miaomiao muttered, expressing her disdain for Qian Sanyi.

"Wait, Miaomiao," Deng Xiaoqi said while looking at the paper again. She started changing its angle. "Sanyi isn't that childish."

"Not childish? Then who is? You don't know how he treats me," Lin Miaomiao said, remembering how Sanyi always annoyed her.

"Stop it, I think it means something," Deng Xiaoqi said seriously.

Lin Miaomiao moved closer to Deng Xiaoqi, who started changing the angle of the paper.

Deng Xiaoqi suddenly stopped as Lin Miaomiao prevented her from moving the paper.

"This angle looks like a math equation," Lin Miaomiao said. It reminded her of something Ye Bai taught her earlier, but it was a bit different. Lin Miaomiao stood up, took a notebook from her bag, and spread it on the table.

"Look, this is what Ye Bai taught me," Lin Miaomiao said.

Deng Xiaoqi began comparing the two, finding some similarities.

"Yeah, it looks the same but with a different problem. But why did Qian Sanyi give you this paper?" Deng Xiaoqi furrowed her eyebrows.

Lin Miaomiao shrugged, indicating she didn't know either.

...

Final Examination Day

Lin Miaomiao woke up early to wait for Ye Bai passing by. She didn't wait long because she quickly noticed Ye Bai approaching on his bicycle. She waved to him eagerly, catching his attention.

Ye Bai stopped his bicycle in front of Lin Miaomiao. "Why are you waiting here? We'll see each other in the classroom anyway," Ye Bai asked.

"You said you'd bring me breakfast, so of course I'm excited," Lin Miaomiao answered.

Ye Bai took the paper bag attached to the front of his bicycle. "Here's your breakfast, made by Mom," Ye Bai said with a smile.

Lin Miaomiao took the bag and began to open it. She grabbed a meat bun and took a bite. "Hmm!" Lin Miaomiao's eyes lit up with delight at the delicious food brought by Ye Bai. "Auntie Wu's cooking is really delicious," she said, taking another bite.

Ye Bai watched with contentment as Lin Miaomiao enjoyed her meal. Together, they strolled towards the bicycle parking area.

"Thanks again for breakfast, Xiaobai," Lin Miaomiao expressed her gratitude.

"As soon as this exam is over, it'll be Chinese New Year. Any plans for the vacation?" Ye Bai inquired, noticing Lin Miaomiao's focus on her food.

"Hmm? I haven't decided yet, but perhaps you could visit my house, or I could come to yours," Lin Miaomiao replied, her tone cheerful.

Ye Bai took out his handkerchief and wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth. "Will Auntie allow you?"

Lin Miaomiao shyly snatched the handkerchief and wiped her face. "I'm not sure, but we'll find out when the vacation comes."

...

One by one, the teacher handed out the test papers to the students. Lin Miaomiao eagerly glanced at her test paper, filled with confidence due to the tutoring Ye Bai had provided her in the past months.

As she flipped through the math test paper, she was surprised to find that the questions were exactly the same as the ones Qian Sanyi had given her. She looked at Deng Xiaoqi, who gave her a knowing look and a smile. Lin Miaomiao quickly answered the questions. In truth, even without using the kit Qian Sanyi had provided, she could have passed the exam. But its presence proved invaluable, sparing her the mental strain of overthinking and allowing her to maintain focus.

After handing in the last test paper, Lin Miaomiao quickly leaned back and lay down in her seat. "The exam today was intense but surprisingly relaxed. I feel like my mind was operating at lightning speed," she remarked, casting a grateful glance at Ye Bai, who was attentively massaging her shoulders. "Thank you, Xiaobai, for your unwavering dedication to teaching me," she expressed sincerely.

Ye Bai smiled at Lin Miaomiao. "You're welcome," he replied briefly.

...

As the vacation approached, the teachers handed out test questionnaires one by one for the upcoming 2nd semeter of 2nd year.

"Okay, students, remember, your work should be original and not copied from the internet. Good luck with your answers, and I wish you all a pleasant holiday. I'll see you after the break," their teacher announced before exiting the room.

"Ahhhhh," came the collective sigh of dissatisfaction from the students.

The teacher smiled at the sight of the students' discontent before swiftly departing the room.

Deng Xiaoqi glanced at the sheets of paper on her desk. "One sheet for each subject, and six subjects."

"Ninety minutes for each subject, plus we have a Chinese composition. It would have been better if we hadn't gone on vacation," Lin Miaomiao stood up, voicing her frustration.

"And our mothers even enrolled us in cram school," Wang Di added, a hint of sadness evident as she scratched her head.

As the students voiced their discontent, History Teacher Tang Yuanming entered the classroom, a smile playing on his lips as he observed their desire to protest. Raising his hand, he gestured for them to calm down. "Take it easy, take it easy. As for the history homework, all you have to do is complete the vacation assignments given by all the teachers."

The students smiled and applauded upon hearing that there was no homework for the history subject. "Yeah!"

"This time, our class ranked first in grades. Thank you, students," Tang Yuanming expressed his happiness.

"In order to thank you," he raised a red envelope, "each person receives a big envelope."

"Wow," all the students exclaimed with joy, clapping their hands.

"Remember not to open it right away; go home and take your time," he instructed before departing.

Lin Miaomiao and Deng Xiaoqi quickly retrieved their red envelopes upon returning. Lin Miaomiao held two envelopes when she came back, handing one to Ye Bai. "Ye Bai, look, I'm so excited to see what's inside."

Ye Bai smiled knowingly; he already knew the contents of the envelope and understood that the students wouldn't be pleased with it.

Excitedly, everyone stood up after class to organize their belongings in the dormitory before heading home. With a long vacation ahead, they needed to bring all their belongings with them.

...

Qian Sanyi was riding his bike when he suddenly heard Lin Miaomiao and Deng Xiaoqi calling out to him, causing him to glance their way.

Breathless, the two approached. "Thank you," they both said simultaneously.

"Huh? For what?" Qian Sanyi asked.

"For the kit you gave us," Lin Miaomiao replied. "It helped a lot, especially here." She pulled Deng Xiaoqi to stand beside her.

"Thank you, Qian Sanyi," Deng Xiaoqi bowed slightly. "Thanks to the kit you gave Miaomiao, it greatly helped me improve my grades," she said.

"That's true," Lin Miaomiao stuck out her tongue. "I used up all my brain cells trying to teach you that equation, but you couldn't understand."

Qian Sanyi turned his attention to Miaomiao. "Do you now know how to solve the equation?"

Miaomiao nodded. "Ye Bai patiently explained it to me," she chuckled. "Nevertheless, thank you. With your assistance, I could focus less on thinking. Hopefully, you'll consider providing another kit for our future exam."

"It depends on my mood," Qian Sanyi replied before pedaling his bike away from the school.

"He's so handsome," Deng Xiaoqi said, gazing at Qian Sanyi's retreating figure.

Lin Miaomiao then pulled her. "Come on, Xiaoqi, my dad might be arriving to pick me up." Miaomiao invited her.

...

"Dad!" Lin Miaomiao's voice rang out, drawing the attention of her father and Ye Bai who stood waiting at the gate.

Approaching them, Lin Dawei greeted his daughter and reached for her suitcase. With Lin Miaomiao's second year of Senior Highschool coming to a close, they were preparing to bring all her belongings back home.

"Xiaobai, aren't you leaving yet?" Lin Miaomiao inquired, turning to Ye Bai.

Ye Bai stepped forward, presenting her with a bag filled with snacks. "This is my reward for you, for a successful final exam."

Gratefully, Lin Miaomiao accepted the bag. "Thank you, Xiaobai," she expressed with a smile.

Noticing Lin Dawei nearby, Lin Miaomiao quickly linked her arm with her father's. "See you later, Xiaobai. I'll message you when I get home."

"Of course," Ye Bai responded, glancing at Lin Dawei. "Uncle, I'm heading out as well. Take care on your way home." With that, Ye Bai bid his farewell.

Lin Dawei nodded in acknowledgment. "You too, take care on your way home."

With a final wave goodbye to Ye Bai, Lin Miaomiao and her father set off towards home, ready to enjoy the upcoming break.