Sleeping happened once, and then it would happen again.
This was Shen Jianxi's conclusion when she fell asleep in Yuan Ming's class for the second time.
She found that she only felt drowsy in Yuan Ming's class, as if there was some sort of magic to it.
Yuan Ming's class today was the last one. For the first three periods, including morning reading, her eyes were wide open like brass bells. But as soon as Yuan Ming started speaking, drowsiness would overwhelm her.
Let alone Yuan Ming, Shen Jianxi herself felt that she was being a little too targeted.
She gave Yuan Ming, who was staring at her, an awkward but polite smile. Yuan Ming returned her smile, but this smile made Shen Jianxi's back shiver a little.
As expected, in the next second, Yuan Ming's 'friendly' voice rang out: "Classmate Jianxi, please stand up and tell us about this test paper. Teacher feels that Classmate Jianxi's eyes always reveal the word 'wisdom'."
Shen Jianxi: "..." No, she didn't believe it. Su Dan Novel Network
Whether she believed it or not, standing up was inevitable.
She held up the test paper and began to explain from the first question, her voice filled with a sense of no longer caring about life.
By the time the last question was explained, her classmates' gazes had shifted. Their initial thoughts of 'little cutie is sleepy, so cute' turned into 'little cutie is actually studying well,' and finally, only the words "This boss is amazing!" remained in their minds.
Yuan Ming's tone was now genuinely friendly, "Classmate Jianxi, please sit down. You explained it very well, very thoroughly."
He didn't mention her sleeping. Shen Jianxi's heart ignited with a flame of hope. So, perhaps in the future...
"It's just that you shouldn't sleep anymore from now on."
"Splash!" A basin of cold water extinguished the flame in her heart. Shen Jianxi gritted her teeth, thinking it a shame Yuan Ming wasn't a professional water-quencher.
The class passed quickly. As soon as the bell rang, everyone rushed to the cafeteria. Shen Jianxi had taken leave yesterday and skipped class the day before, so this scene was new to her. She sat stunned on her bench, unsure of what to do.
"Hey bro, why aren't you eating? The good stuff will be gone if you're late." Shen Jianxi knew it was Xie Shu without even turning around.
There were only the two of them left in the classroom. She couldn't be bothered to pretend, so she glanced sideways and said, "Don't call me bro, call me dad. Have you forgotten? My good son."
Xie Shu fell silent. He regretted it. He truly regretted it. Why had he been so cheeky that day?
Seeing that she had quelled Xie Shu's arrogance, Shen Jianxi finally stood up and said, "Didn't you say yesterday you found a place? Let's go, I'll teach you at noon."
Xie Shu's excitement shot up to the sky when he heard this. Forgetting his earlier gloom, he pulled Shen Jianxi and ran out.
"77, can you shake off the person watching me?"
"Yes, host. I can make him disoriented for a short period. You can leave during that time."
"Will it cause them any physical harm?" Although she wanted to sneak away, she didn't want to harm innocent people.
"Don't worry, host, it won't."
"Okay." While 77 was taking action, the two of them went to the school's rooftop.
This was the place Xie Shu had mentioned. Shen Jianxi wondered how he got the key to the rooftop door.
"Come on! Don't pity me because I'm a delicate flower. Train me to your heart's content!" Xie Shu stood tall, his expression extremely serious.
Shen Jianxi looked at him speechlessly. Delicate flower? A delicate flower over 1.8 meters tall? That would be a man-eating plant!
Following his words, Shen Jianxi didn't hold back during the subsequent training. By the time it was over, Xie Shu was lying on the ground, unable to get up.
Xie Shu finally realized how lightly Shen Jianxi had hit him that day.
He was wrong. He shouldn't have gloated at those colorful-haired guys when they first met. Truly, you don't know how much pain a punch can cause until it lands on you.
However, he was even more confident in her as a coach. She was indeed a good teacher.
77: "Beep! Favorability +5. Xie Shu's current favorability is 28."
Shen Jianxi: "..."
Could this be the legendary masochist?
*
The next few days were much calmer, with the same routine each day.
At home, Shen Jianxi avoided Song Duanli and left early, returning late.
At school, she was busy teaching Xie Shu at noon. With her efforts, Xie Shu's favorability had reached 35, and the two had officially become good friends.
At the same time, the wounds on her hands were increasing. Whenever anyone asked, she said she had accidentally cut herself.
Beneath the calm, her unusual behavior drew more attention from Song Duanli. Thanks to 77, he still hadn't discovered her contact with Xie Shu.
However, Song Duanli's daily reports on her activities had changed from once a day to twice a day.
As a result, the number of people secretly watching her had increased from one to two, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
"Okay, you may go," Ah K said after reporting as usual and leaving. Song Duanli sat in his chair and heard the door outside open and close softly, knowing that Shen Jianxi had returned.
All the lights outside were already off, and the entire villa was silent.
He turned off the light in his study, sitting in the dimly lit room like a lurking beast.
Footsteps grew closer. They paused as they passed the study. Song Duanli propped his chin with his hands, staring at the door expressionlessly.
Outside the door, Shen Jianxi watched the broadcast of the situation inside from 77 and smiled silently. She placed her hand on the doorknob, deliberately making a sound, and watched Song Duanli's body tense up on the screen, as if he were ready to strike his prey at any moment.
Trying to catch her?
Not in this lifetime!
Her expression was icy cold, yet her voice carried the pain of unrequited love and struggle, "Brother Duanli, I really want to call you that, but you hate me."
"I still don't know what I did to make you detest me so much."
"But I like you."
"I started liking you after that day."
"It's strange, isn't it? You hate me so much, yet I like you so much."
"I thought that by avoiding you these past few days, this feeling would lessen, but I didn't expect it to grow deeper."
...
Outside, Shen Jianxi continued to pour out her heart, interspersed with declarations of love.
Inside, Song Duanli froze in place, disbelief etched on his face.
"If you knew my feelings, you would surely chase me away, Brother Duanli."
"I only dare to say these things when you're not here, in the study where I spend the most time with you."
"I really like you so much." The bitterness in her final sentence caused Song Duanli, who was about to open the door, to freeze.
After saying her last sentence, she turned and left, giving Song Duanli time to react.
Listening to the receding footsteps outside, Song Duanli's heart was filled with complex emotions, his eyes unreadable.
77: "Beep! Favorability +10. Song Duanli's current favorability is 5."
This time, Shen Jianxi was genuinely about to cry. Her favorability had finally turned positive. It had been so difficult.
Only when she heard the sound of the door closing at the end of the corridor did Song Duanli emerge. His expression was unreadable, and no one could tell what he was thinking. Finally, only the man's sigh dissipated into the darkness.