The words caused a moment of silence in the classroom, followed by raucous laughter.
Hu Qianhao, finally snapping back to reality, flushed crimson as he realized the foolishness of his statement.
Meanwhile, Wei Qinghua's face had turned ashen.
"Who are you going to be responsible for?" Wei Qinghua asked coldly.
"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!" Hu Qianhao forced a laugh. "Teacher Wei, I just had a dream, and when I woke up, I said something I shouldn't have."
"What did you dream about? Why don't you share it with us?" Wei Qinghua said.
"It's too embarrassing a dream, I'd rather not say," Hu Qianhao mumbled bashfully.
"Alright, bring your parents in tomorrow. I need to have a serious talk with them," Wei Qinghua waved his hand.
Hearing that his parents were to be summoned, Hu Qianhao shivered. "Teacher Wei, I was wrong! I promise to pay attention in class, please don't call my parents."
"Who's next?" Wei Qinghua ignored Hu Qianhao and scanned the classroom. "Is there really no one who can solve this simple problem?"
Silence filled the room. Then, a small hand slowly rose.
"Teacher Wei, I can do it."
All eyes turned to the girl who had raised her hand. It was An Ran. Wei Qinghua's expression softened slightly; he was fond of good students. An Ran had transferred from the First High School and was already an excellent student.
An Ran walked to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and swiftly wrote down the solution. She didn't pause once.
From his seat, Hu Qianhao gazed at An Ran's retreating back, somewhat entranced. "An Ran is solving the problem for me. I embarrassed her so much, and she's not blaming me at all. An Ran really likes me... I can't let her down!" Hu Qianhao vowed silently. He was determined to respond to An Ran's affection with fervor and passion.
In less than two minutes, An Ran had finished writing the answer.
Wei Qinghua looked at the solution, a smile appearing on his face. "Good, very good! All of you should learn from An Ran. Stop being idle and thinking about romance all day. Especially you, Hu Qianhao! Look at yourself, how can you possibly be worthy of someone like An Ran?"
Facing Wei Qinghua's scolding, Hu Qianhao puffed out his chest. He desperately wanted to retort, "How am I not worthy? Didn't you see An Ran come to my rescue?"
An Ran smiled and nodded at Hu Qianhao before returning to her seat. However, a question lingered in many minds: Was An Ran really dating Hu Qianhao? Otherwise, why would she step up to solve the problem when Hu Qianhao was spouting nonsense? And why wasn't An Ran angry? She even smiled and nodded at him. Many people were left speculating about various possibilities.
Meanwhile, Chen Lei felt a pang of discomfort. "An Ran, you're being foolish. We became deskmates first. What makes that Hu Qianhao kid worthy of you? It's like a delicate flower stuck in dung." Chen Lei clutched his chest, feeling suffocated. Could such a beautiful girl fall for Hu Qianhao? He wouldn't believe it even if it killed him.
After An Ran solved the problem, the atmosphere in the math class became much more relaxed and passed quickly.
As soon as the bell rang, Hu Qianhao went straight to An Ran. "An Ran, I have something to tell you. Can you come out with me for a moment?" Hu Qianhao said with determined eyes.
"Sure, I have something to tell you too," An Ran replied with a radiant smile. Her charming smile stunned Hu Qianhao for a moment. At the same time, his heart swelled with excitement. It seemed An Ran couldn't wait to confess her feelings to him! How could he let her do that? Confessions were a man's job. His newfound courage burned even brighter. Hu Qianhao decided he would confess first.
Watching Hu Qianhao and An Ran leave, discussions finally erupted in the classroom.
"Are these two really dating? Beauty and the beast?"
"Damn it, Hu Qianhao that kid deserves to be cursed. Seeing him date An Ran is worse than dying."
"Compared to my own failure, a classmate's success pains me even more."
"Stop talking! An Ran and Hu Qianhao can't be together! I don't believe it's true!"
"Whether you believe it or not won't change anything. Look, they're whispering secrets. They might have already held hands, hugged, and kissed."
"Ugh! Stop talking!"
Qiao Zixuan was also curious about this development. An Ran brought Wang Yue breakfast every day; how could she suddenly be dating Hu Qianhao? It seemed highly unlikely. So, she turned to Wang Yue for confirmation. "An Ran and Hu Qianhao, what's going on between them?"
Wang Yue shrugged innocently. "I have no idea."
"Ah, alright." Qiao Zixuan felt a bit disappointed. Actually, she had hoped An Ran and Hu Qianhao would get together, as it would mean one less competitor for her.
Meanwhile, outside the classroom, in a secluded corner, Hu Qianhao looked at the girl standing before him, her face radiant with a smile, and his heart pounded wildly. "Ah, this is the girl whose eyes are full of me. She's so beautiful," Hu Qianhao thought.
"What did you want to tell me?" An Ran asked with a smile.
"I..." Hu Qianhao took a deep breath, intending to confess, but the words stuck in his throat.
"What's wrong?" An Ran asked curiously.
"N-nothing," Hu Qianhao shook his head and then gritted his teeth. "An Ran, thank you for bringing me breakfast every day. And today, after I offended you, you still came out to help me. I'm very touched!"
"Hmm, and then?" An Ran asked with a smile.
"No girl has ever been so kind to me..." Hu Qianhao looked at An Ran, his gaze gradually firming. "An Ran, why are you so good to me?"
"Because we're classmates," An Ran replied, blinking her beautiful eyes.
"Just classmates?" Hu Qianhao looked into An Ran's eyes and asked the question that truly mattered. Hu Qianhao refused to believe it. If they were just classmates, why would An Ran be so kind to him and not others?
"It seems... not just classmates," An Ran said after a moment of thought.
"I knew it!" Hu Qianhao cheered silently! An Ran indeed had feelings for him!
"An Ran, I'm not good with words, I don't know how to say it, but if you ever need anything in the future, tell me. Anything at all, I'll go through fire and water for you, without hesitation!" Hu Qianhao said after thinking.
"Really, anything?" An Ran asked with a smile.
"Yes! Anything," Hu Qianhao nodded solemnly. His eyes were fixed on An Ran's lips, a hidden anticipation growing within him. Was she going to confess to him? But hadn't they agreed that he would confess first?
"Alright." An Ran seemed to make a big decision and then said solemnly, "Can you help me pursue Wang Yue?"