Little Sweetheart

At the end of January, the final exams loomed.

After the midterms, Xia Zhijun had systematically tutored Gu Siyi, focusing on her weaknesses. Gu Siyi noticed a significant decrease in the number of mistakes she made on practice problems and felt much more confident about the finals.

Now, it wasn't just Gu Siyi studying hard; Zheng Peipei had also become serious.

This was partly due to the studious atmosphere among her friends, but another important reason was… the final exam scores were directly related to whether she could enjoy a pleasant Spring Festival at home and receive the New Year's money she desired.

Even Lu Jiaye, the perennial slacker, had started studying diligently because of Zheng Peipei's newfound dedication.

If Zheng Peipei's grades soared while his remained at the bottom, there would be a class divide between them.

He didn't aspire to score exceptionally high, just enough to keep pace with Zheng Peipei.

Thus, the initial two-person study group of Xia Zhijun and Gu Siyi steadily expanded.

First, Zheng Peipei joined, followed by Lu Jiaye. After Su Han heard about it, he joined too. Then… Zhang Xinyi, Xiang Li, and Zhou Xiao also participated, ultimately forming a grand eight-person study group.

Xia Zhijun's initial plan of supplementing the tutoring sessions with playful breaks—twirling earlobes, stealing little kisses—completely evaporated under the watchful eyes of their peers.

It became as dull as a regular class. If it weren't for the need to tutor Gu Siyi, he would have wanted to quit every minute.

Before entering high school, he never would have imagined that his most important and arduous task would be tutoring a student with a weak foundation, and ultimately ensuring she got into the same university as him.

Of course, as long as they could attend university together, any amount of time and effort spent on tutoring was worthwhile.

Lu Jiaye, as the underachiever of the study group, often drifted off and daydreamed. Whenever he couldn't sit still any longer, he would go out to buy hot drinks for everyone, both as a breather for himself and a treat for the group. Sometimes, while out on these errands, he would be tempted to detour to the basketball court or the dormitory. When his willpower faltered, he would think of Zheng Peipei, grit his teeth, and return to the study room.

Amidst the heavy burden of schoolwork, PE class was the relaxation Gu Siyi looked forward to the most.

With the arrival of winter, the PE activities changed accordingly.

This time, the teacher took everyone to the ice rink for ice skating. The students cheered with excitement.

Lu Jiaye leaned close to Xia Zhijun and whispered, "Ice skating, huh? The perfect opportunity for hand-holding."

Every winter, everyone eagerly anticipated ice skating class because it was a legitimate chance to hold hands with the opposite sex.

Zheng Peipei asked Gu Siyi, "Siyi, can you skate?"

Gu Siyi smiled. "What do you think?"

Zheng Peipei sensed the aura of a champion. Right, Gu Siyi was a sports star; there probably wasn't a sport she couldn't do.

At the ice rink, they encountered Class 8, who shared the same PE class. People from both classes greeted each other.

Gu Siyi accidentally spotted Lu Ming in the crowd, then quickly turned away, pretending not to see him.

Ever since her father had told her she didn't need to bother with him, she no longer felt obligated to entertain him just because their families were business partners.

She had Xia Zhijun to thank for saying what she herself felt awkward expressing.

The PE teacher distributed ice skates and explained the safety precautions.

Those who knew how to skate could go ahead, while those who didn't could learn from him.

Lu Jiaye, Su Han, and Zhou Xiao put on their skates and entered the rink. After putting on her skates, Gu Siyi also joined them.

The rink was large, the ice smooth and emanating a cold air.

Gu Siyi wore fleece-lined leggings and a black base layer, topped with a red, fleece-lined hooded denim jacket.

Knowing they were going ice skating, she had brought earplugs. She connected her phone to them and started playing music, gliding on the ice while listening to her favorite songs. Her mind, burdened by studies, felt completely free at this moment. It was exhilarating and liberating.

Zheng Peipei and Xia Zhijun, neither of whom knew how to skate, sat in the resting area by the side of the rink.

Zheng Peipei looked at Xia Zhijun with a hint of surprise. "Heh, so even geniuses have things they can't do?"

Xia Zhijun's gaze followed Gu Siyi on the rink, and he remained silent.

The nightmare of being taken away from an ice rink and kidnapped years ago made him never want to return to such a place, let alone skate.

He had always skipped ice skating class in the past. Today, seeing the joyful expression on Gu Siyi's face, he forced himself to come along.

…Just to accompany her.

Zheng Peipei's gaze shifted to the graceful Gu Siyi gliding swiftly across the ice, so youthful and radiant.

It was a feeling that couldn't be described simply as "beautiful." She was too vibrant, too dazzling, exuding energy from head to toe.

As she was admiring Gu Siyi, she saw Lu Ming approach her. "Oh my god, Top Student, someone's after your girl!"

Xia Zhijun's face instantly darkened.

On the rink, Lu Ming skated up to Gu Siyi and said with a grin, "Little Siyi, let me guide you."

His skating skills were more proficient. He skated backward, facing Gu Siyi as he moved alongside her.

On the ice rink, holding hands between opposite genders was common. Even classmates who weren't usually close might extend an invitation to hold hands. He naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity.

Gu Siyi put on a stern face and ignored him, moving to the side. He immediately blocked her path again.

"Let me hold your hand…" He tried to take her hand, but Gu Siyi immediately put both hands in her pockets, giving him no chance.

Lu Ming was helpless, but his heart had already been toughened by Gu Siyi's repeated rejections. "Then I'll just stay by your side, okay?"

"You're so annoying! Get out of the way!" Gu Siyi retorted and skated directly towards the edge of the rink.

Arriving in front of Zheng Peipei and Xia Zhijun, she asked, "Why aren't you guys skating?"

Zheng Peipei said, "I don't know how. I'm afraid of falling."

Gu Siyi replied, "You can hold onto the railing and go slowly. You won't fall if you're careful."

Zheng Peipei looked towards the rink and saw a student who didn't know how to skate asking Su Han for help. Su Han held the student's hand and helped them up.

She immediately stood up and said, "Let's go! What's there to be afraid of!"

She went to get skates and change. Gu Siyi tugged on Xia Zhijun's sleeve and asked, "You don't know how to skate either?"

"Mm." Xia Zhijun responded.

Gu Siyi was stunned, mirroring Zheng Peipei's incredulous reaction. The top student actually had something he couldn't do?

"Will you guide me?"

"…Huh?"

"If you will, I'll try. If not, then I won't."

Gu Siyi felt a little embarrassed, but she didn't want Xia Zhijun to sit on the sidelines bored. Torn between the two feelings, she chose the latter and nodded. "Okay, I promise I won't let you fall."

Zheng Peipei, having changed into her skates, walked to the edge of the rink and wailed, "Siyi, I'm scared to go in! Come save me!"

Gu Siyi went to her side and led her onto the ice. "Hold onto the railing and go slowly…"

Lu Jiaye, skating around, came to their side. Gu Siyi quickly said, "Don't go. Stay here and keep Peipei company."

"Happy to oblige." Lu Jiaye beamed.

After the Christmas Eve incident, his relationship with Zheng Peipei had thawed. However, due to his agreement with Su Han, and his fear that Zheng Peipei would cut him off again, he remained obedient and didn't initiate any conversations with her.

"Siyi, don't go! Don't leave me!" Zheng Peipei wailed.

"I need to go check on the Top Student…"

"Go, go. I'll be fine here with Lu Jiaye." Lu Jiaye urged her on.

When Gu Siyi returned, Xia Zhijun had just finished putting on his skates. As he stood up, Gu Siyi sensed his unsteadiness and quickly grabbed his hand.

In reality, Xia Zhijun had good balance. After the initial unfamiliarity passed, he could steady himself. However, he held Gu Siyi's hand and walked with her to the edge of the rink.

Stepping onto the ice, Xia Zhijun again felt that strong sense of instability. He held onto the railing while Gu Siyi held his other hand.

Xia Zhijun steadied himself on the ice, turned to look at Gu Siyi, and was met with her sweet smile. Holding one of his hands with both of hers, she helped him maintain his balance. "Try letting go of the railing."

Xia Zhijun looked at her small dimples, exhaled softly, and slowly let go of the railing.

It was just a mental block, a reluctance to engage in this activity. But if he really wanted to learn, he could master it quickly.

Gu Siyi held his hand and slowly moved alongside him, guiding him forward while offering encouragement. "Go slowly at first, get a feel for it… Don't be nervous, just maintain your balance…"

Several classmates looked at them, including students from Class 8.

Her attitude towards Lu Ming and her attitude towards Xia Zhijun were worlds apart.

Lu Ming's friends silently offered him their condolences, not daring to tease him.

"I can feel you're tense… Don't be nervous, your balance is good… Don't be afraid…" Gu Siyi's voice was soft and gentle, as if coaxing a child.

Xia Zhijun's entire weight rested on one hand. Glancing down, he saw her delicate cheeks and upturned nose.

He looked up, meeting her gaze, and she gave him an encouraging smile, her dimples appearing.

Xia Zhijun felt a warm current flowing through him, a sense of inexplicable security slowly seeping into his soul, which had been bound by nightmares.

His tension gradually eased, and his balance improved. Guided by Gu Siyi, he was able to move forward slowly.

Gu Siyi let go of one of his hands, holding it with just one of hers, their palms touching. She would sometimes loosen her grip, sometimes tighten it, adjusting her pace to match his rhythm. After half a lap, they were able to skate forward hand-in-hand at a steady pace.

Meanwhile, Zheng Peipei was still struggling, moving forward with difficulty while holding onto the railing and being supported by Lu Jiaye.

When Gu Siyi and Xia Zhijun skated past them hand-in-hand, she stared.

"They're both beginners, how did he learn so fast?"

"Who said you were so clumsy? Not only clumsy, but also timid." Lu Jiaye teased.

"What did you say?" Zheng Peipei glared at him.

Lu Jiaye immediately realized he had almost spoken out of turn and said with a conciliatory smile, "You're more cautious, learning slower means you'll learn better. No need to compare yourself to Zhijun."

Just then, Su Han came over and said to Zheng Peipei, "Let me teach you."

Zheng Peipei was still a little upset that he had held another girl's hand earlier and snorted softly. "No thanks. You're so popular, there are plenty of girls who want you to teach them. I can't compete."

Su Han: "…"

The little man in Lu Jiaye's heart struck a triumphant pose.

Su Han chuckled. "That's because I didn't know you wanted to skate. If I had known, I would have saved all my time for you. Is it too late to make amends now?"

Zheng Peipei seized the opportunity. "Sure, anyway, this idiot has been teaching me for ages, and I still can't get it. Maybe a change of teacher will help."

Lu Jiaye: "…???"

Zheng Peipei said to Lu Jiaye, "Go play by yourself. I'll learn with Su Han."

Su Han said to Lu Jiaye, "We can each teach her for a while and see how it goes."

"…!!!" Lu Jiaye was speechless, but he had no way to monopolize Zheng Peipei. He could only sulk and watch as Su Han took Zheng Peipei's hand and taught her how to skate.

Xia Zhijun and Gu Siyi became more and more in sync. Their speed went from a snail's pace to a steady speed, and finally, they accelerated.

"Wow, Gu Siyi and Xia Zhijun look so good together!"

"They look so pleasing to the eye skating hand-in-hand."

"I used to think no one was good enough for Xia Zhijun, but seeing Gu Siyi by his side, they actually seem quite suitable…"

"I wonder what their relationship really is… It's such a mystery…"

Lu Ming became increasingly bored as he skated, eventually stopping at the edge of the rink. He overheard the students gossiping, which further annoyed him.

He called over one of his followers and whispered something in his ear.

The follower looked apprehensive and said in a low voice, "What if he beats me up…"

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Just do it."

The follower had no choice. With his boss's command, he had to take the risk.

Gu Siyi and Xia Zhijun were skating when a boy suddenly appeared from behind, skating at high speed. He bumped into Xia Zhijun from the side, his skate colliding with Xia Zhijun's.

Xia Zhijun instantly lost his balance. Gu Siyi quickly grabbed him, but the momentum was too strong. He fell backward, and she urgently said, "Don't worry about me!"

As always, in crucial moments, Gu Siyi never listened to him.

Only one thought filled her mind: Falling on the ice would hurt a lot; she had to protect him with all her might!

Gu Siyi pulled at Xia Zhijun, but her weight was no match for his. After struggling for a moment, she fell with him.

With a thud, Xia Zhijun landed on the ice—as he fell, his back hit the ice first, his arms tightly wrapped around Gu Siyi, cushioning her fall with his own body.

Everyone looked towards them. The boy who had bumped into them froze, apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

As everyone gathered around, he seized the opportunity and slipped away.

Classmates helped Gu Siyi up, and she, in turn, helped Xia Zhijun up, anxiously asking, "Does it hurt? Are you badly hurt? Should we go rest outside?"

Xia Zhijun recovered his senses and asked, "Are you okay?"

Gu Siyi: "I'm fine."

Xia Zhijun was relieved. "I'm fine too."

The collision wasn't a big deal for him, an athletic boy. The pain was within a tolerable range. As long as Gu Siyi was fine, he was fine.

Lu Jiaye, who had been idling nearby, saw the whole scene clearly. The boy could have avoided them but had deliberately bumped into Xia Zhijun.

Lu Jiaye quickly caught up to the boy from Class 8.

He kicked the boy from behind, catching him off guard. The boy fell onto the ice with a thud, his face hitting the ice hard.

Lu Jiaye put his hands in his pockets and said nonchalantly, "Sorry about that. I was trying to do a split on the ice and accidentally kicked you."

He then whistled and walked away casually.

This insincere act angered the boy from Class 8, who felt he had been deliberately targeted.

Several boys surrounded Lu Jiaye, but he wasn't afraid at all. Zhou Xiao arrived in time to back him up. Xia Zhijun let go of Gu Siyi's hand and skated over. Having fallen once, the tension within him had broken, and he felt more in control.

The boy who had just been helped up, seeing Xia Zhijun's icy glare, immediately cowered. Feeling guilty, he stammered, "Forget it, forget it… It was an accident…"

He didn't want to experience another group fight with the boys from Class 6. Especially with Xia Zhijun, who was protected by the school. If things escalated, his consequences would be far worse.

The PE teacher, sensing trouble, rushed over to mediate, and the potentially explosive situation dissipated.

Gu Siyi came to Xia Zhijun's side and asked, "Are you still hurt? Should we leave?"

"I'm fine. We can still skate for a while." Xia Zhijun took her hand and led her onto the rink.

He wanted to hold her hand, to show everyone. Especially to the person who had tried to hold her hand earlier.

Only he could hold Gu Siyi's hand.

That evening, during their study session, Gu Siyi brought Xia Zhijun some ointment for bruises.

Xia Zhijun said lightly, "I'm fine."

"But I'm worried. Just in case you need it?" Gu Siyi insisted.

"Alright, it's good that you care." Xia Zhijun smiled. "To encourage such behavior, I'll use it."

"…" Gu Siyi blushed slightly and fell silent.

The others studying nearby: …We clearly didn't know the Top Student well enough before.

Who's the master of flirting? Longxing's Top Student, Xia Zhijun.

The final exams arrived as scheduled amidst their group study sessions.

After her last-minute cramming, Zheng Peipei felt as though she had grasped the true meaning of learning. Her confidence soared. Seeing that she was in the same exam room as Xia Zhijun, she didn't even think about asking him to go easy on her. If he wasn't willing, she might as well rely on herself.

On the first day of exams, Xia Zhijun, Zheng Peipei, and Gu Siyi were all in the same room.

Xia Zhijun sat in the front, while Gu Siyi sat further back.

As the invigilator handed out the exam papers, Gu Siyi looked at Xia Zhijun's back and silently prayed: Top Student, bless me, let me perform exceptionally well!

During the math exam in the afternoon, she encountered a difficult problem. She looked up at Xia Zhijun's back, pondering…

She kept recalling the methods he had taught her for analyzing similar problems.

Somehow, looking at his figure seemed to make it easier to remember his patient instruction… After watching for a while, Gu Siyi actually figured out the solution and buried her head back down, continuing to write furiously.

The invigilator, passing by Xia Zhijun, couldn't help but glance at his paper. Seeing that he had finished, the teacher said, "You can hand in your paper."

Xia Zhijun said, "I'd like to check it over again."

"Good." The teacher nodded approvingly. A good exam attitude, not arrogant or careless.

Xia Zhijun rested his head on one hand, twirling a pen in the other, his gaze unfocused, staring at some point in the void.

His mind wandered, and he inexplicably thought of the first time Gu Siyi had taken the initiative to kiss him. He couldn't help but smile silently.

Gu Siyi, watching Xia Zhijun from behind, saw him sitting there calmly and knew he had finished.

This fueled her determination even more. She racked her brains, concentrating on the exam questions. For the last big question, which she couldn't solve, she wrote down all the steps she could, hoping to get partial credit for the correct steps even if she guessed the answer wrong.

After three days of final exams, there were three more days of school left. Teachers handed out the exam papers and went over the answers.

On the last day, the scores for each subject were released, along with the class rankings.

Their homeroom teacher entered the classroom with a stack of ranking lists and award certificates, ready to hold the last class meeting of the semester.

As the ranking lists were distributed, Gu Siyi first looked for the first place: Xia Zhijun. His overall rank in the grade was also first.

Good, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

Ever since she became friends with the Top Student, she felt even more pressure than he did, constantly afraid he might fall from first place.

Gu Siyi continued to scan the list, and her own name suddenly caught her eye—

Tenth place! She was actually tenth in the class? And one hundredth in the entire grade!

…Gu Siyi stared at her ranking, clutching her rapidly beating heart, almost fainting from happiness.

She hadn't expected that her decent scores in each subject would result in such a high ranking.

"Amazing, Siyi! You're tenth! Top universities are beckoning!"

"Unexpected, so unexpected…" Gu Siyi grinned foolishly.

"I really admire the Top Student. Not only is he a great student himself, but he also has a talent for teaching."

"I admire him too…"

"Look at you, so happy you could hang a bottle of oil from the corners of your mouth."

"…" Gu Siyi covered her face with her hands and continued to smile.

Gu Siyi knew in her heart that her improved grades were entirely thanks to Xia Zhijun.

His one-on-one tutoring, targeted error correction, and guidance in avoiding flawed thinking patterns had been invaluable. He made sure she understood every concept she struggled with. She couldn't slack off even if she wanted to; he knew her knowledge gaps better than she did herself. There was no way to bluff her way through, so she could only diligently follow his lead.

He didn't let her do tricky or unusual problems, nor did he allow her to neglect any subjects. He focused on exam-oriented questions and told her that mastering 80% of the content was sufficient for the current stage.

This time, when the exam papers were returned, the most significant improvement compared to the midterms was the near elimination of careless mistakes.

Lu Jiaye leaned over and said to Gu Siyi, "Congratulations, congratulations! Successfully made it into the top ten."

Xia Zhijun looked at the ranking list, also quite satisfied. Given her foundation, achieving this score was a great performance. With more than two years left, with continued effort, further improvement wouldn't be difficult.

On the ranking list, Lu Jiaye remained in last place, and Zheng Peipei remained second to last.

It wasn't that they hadn't studied hard, but they had slacked off too much in the past. Even though their last-minute cramming had improved their scores somewhat, it wasn't enough to significantly boost their rankings among a group of high-achieving students. However, their overall grade rankings had improved, at least surpassing the slackers from other classes.

Zheng Peipei looked at her score and remained optimistic. "Anyway, my total score is higher, and my overall grade ranking has gone up. The most important thing is to be happy and content."

Gu Siyi said, "Work hard next semester, and you'll definitely continue to improve."

"No, no, the important thing is the second year of high school. The current rankings with science subjects included aren't accurate. I'm definitely choosing liberal arts."

"Oh…"

"What are you choosing? Science, right? The Top Student is definitely choosing science."

"I don't know…" Gu Siyi had always envisioned herself in liberal arts, but now, with Xia Zhijun in the picture, she wasn't so sure anymore.

The homeroom teacher gave everyone some time to look at the rankings and discuss freely. After a while, he tapped on the desk. "Quiet down."

He picked up the award certificates and gold-embossed honorary certificates and said, "Now, we'll begin the awards ceremony."

"This semester's Outstanding Student: Xia Zhijun."

Xia Zhijun stood up and, amidst applause, went to the podium to receive his award certificate and honorary certificate.

Gu Siyi clapped especially enthusiastically, her joy evident.

"Outstanding Class Leader: Zhang Kailun."

"Outstanding League Member: Su Han."

…These students went up to the podium to receive their awards one after another.

For the last award, the homeroom teacher said, "Most Improved Student: Gu Siyi."

Gu Siyi, who had been happily applauding for others, froze upon hearing her name.

The homeroom teacher continued, "Gu Siyi has made remarkable progress. Her middle school entrance exam score was among the lowest in our class…"

Oh god, teacher, please don't mention that. Save me some face.

"Of course, she transferred from another city, so the exam questions were different, making it incomparable. However, in the midterms, she ranked twentieth, and in the finals, she leaped to tenth place. This is a tremendous improvement in a highly competitive key high school. All the teachers have praised Gu Siyi's progress. I hope everyone can learn from Gu Siyi, continue to work hard, strive for self-improvement, and aim high."

The homeroom teacher's voice grew more impassioned. He had initially considered Gu Siyi a struggling student who would drag down the class average. Now, witnessing her remarkable turnaround, he was both surprised and genuinely impressed.

The homeroom teacher continued speaking, but Gu Siyi remained frozen in her seat until Zheng Peipei nudged her arm and said, "Go up and get your award."

As if waking from a dream, Gu Siyi stood up and walked towards the podium.

As the homeroom teacher handed her the award certificate and honorary certificate, he added, "Gu Siyi also performed exceptionally well in the sports meet, bringing honor to both the class and the school. In today's society, where well-rounded individuals are highly sought after, students shouldn't focus solely on grades. It's important to develop your overall qualities as well."

Gu Siyi accepted the certificates, her head lowered, and walked back to her seat.

Lu Jiaye leaned close to Xia Zhijun and whispered, "Look, Little Dimples is blushing. How cute is that? Blushing even when receiving an award, haha…"

Xia Zhijun pushed Lu Jiaye's head and scolded him softly, "Stop staring."

"…Whoa, so possessive!"

Returning to her seat, Gu Siyi felt like she was floating.

To actually receive an award related to academics in her lifetime…

She was on cloud nine.

After the class meeting, the semester officially ended.

Everyone chatted and laughed as they left the classroom. Downstairs, they saw the honor roll posted on the bulletin board.

The top 100 students from each grade were listed.

On the honor roll for first-year students, Xia Zhijun was first, and Gu Siyi was one hundredth, worlds apart.

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