Little Sweetheart

Gu Siyi said to Zheng Peipei, "Ask Lu Jiaye why the Top Student isn't in our class."

Zheng Peipei nodded and immediately took out her phone to send Lu Jiaye a WeChat message.

Zheng Peipei: "Why didn't I see the Top Student in the class list?"

Lu Jiaye: "It's normal that you didn't see him."

Zheng Peipei: "What's going on? Did he transfer?"

Lu Jiaye: "You can't apply normal logic to the Top Student [smirk]"

Zheng Peipei: "Get lost, stop keeping me in suspense! What happened to him?"

Lu Jiaye: "The Top Student skipped a grade to the senior year. He's our senior now."

Zheng Peipei: "Wow…"

Lu Jiaye: "Awesome, right?"

Zheng Peipei: "Awesome to the point of tears!"

Zheng Peipei and Gu Siyi had already reached the cafeteria. They got their meals and found an empty corner to eat and chat.

Zheng Peipei told Gu Siyi the news she just received.

Gu Siyi was stunned for a few seconds and said, "He's that amazing…"

Zheng Peipei: "Yeah! That's how amazing he is! That's the Top Student for you!"

Thankfully, he didn't transfer… Knowing that he had skipped a grade, Gu Siyi felt a sense of relief.

Although they weren't in the same class, nor the same grade, at least they were still in the same school.

There would still be opportunities to catch a glimpse of him, right?

Half of the students in Gu Siyi's new class were from her original class who chose science, and the other half were from other classes. The environment was relatively familiar.

On the first day of school, the homeroom teacher called roll, and the students responded one by one, allowing everyone to get to know each other.

When the name "Lu Ming" was called, the homeroom teacher paused, as if just remembering something, and explained, "Lu Ming has transferred." After that, she continued calling roll.

Zhou Xiao snorted lightly when he heard this.

Lu Ming had been badly beaten by Xia Zhijun during the summer vacation. The Lu family couldn't do anything to Xia Zhijun and didn't want to make an enemy of the Xia family. After much deliberation, they forced Lu Ming to transfer to a school in another city.

Lu Ming had been keeping an eye on Gu Siyi and Xia Zhijun. Humiliated by Xia Zhijun several times, he harbored resentment, not to mention his feelings for Gu Siyi never faded. When Zhang Yin transferred to their class and became friends with that group, Lu Ming, out of curiosity, had someone investigate Zhang Yin's background. This investigation only fueled his anger. Xia Zhijun was juggling a wealthy young miss and a humble Gu Siyi?

He waited patiently for an opportunity, and finally, after obtaining photos taken by Xu Na over a long period, he put his plan into action.

His original plan was to expose Xia Zhijun and Gu Siyi's relationship, forcing them to break up under external pressure, so that he could be in the same class as Gu Siyi when they were divided into classes in their second year. Who knew that he himself would be swallowed by the whirlpool?

The Lu family was deeply worried about his escalating conflict with the young master of the Xia family, and despite his objections, they forced him to withdraw from school and study in another city.

Regarding the gossip that circulated at the end of last semester, the school downplayed it, claiming that Gu Siyi was the Xia family's goddaughter and Xia Zhijun's godsister, which was why they were close. It was sibling affection.

In their second year, the workload increased, and the difficulty of math, physics, and chemistry also significantly rose.

Gu Siyi devoted herself to her studies. Fortunately, her classmates were tactful and didn't come to ask about the gossip.

However, there were always moments every day, even when the classroom was full of people, when she would look around, not see the person she wanted to see, and suddenly feel the emptiness around her…

Gu Siyi's new deskmate was a quiet, studious girl. Their relationship was neutral; they didn't interfere with each other.

Coincidentally, Zhang Yin was assigned to the seat in front of Gu Siyi. They would occasionally discuss problems, and their relationship was quite good.

A week after school started, on Friday evening, Zheng Peipei returned to the dormitory and excitedly told Gu Siyi, "Tomorrow afternoon, the senior year is having a college entrance exam mobilization meeting."

"Oh…" Gu Siyi responded indifferently while studying.

"I heard that the Top Student who skipped a grade will be giving a speech as an outstanding student representative."

Gu Siyi's heart skipped a beat, and her pen paused.

"The first and second years don't have classes. Many people are excitedly saying they're going to watch the school heartthrob. Should we go too?"

"I don't know…" Gu Siyi hesitated.

Their matter had just subsided. Wouldn't it be too conspicuous to specifically go see him in such a public setting and cause trouble again?

"What's wrong with that? Breaking up doesn't mean you become strangers. You're still schoolmates," Zheng Peipei said.

But fearing she might trigger Gu Siyi's sadness, she quickly added, "It's okay. It's up to you. If you don't want to go, we can go shopping."

"…" Gu Siyi seemed silent, but her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't focus on the problems in front of her.

The next day, the girls slept in and after lunch, Zheng Peipei asked Gu Siyi if she wanted to go shopping. Gu Siyi asked, "What time does that mobilization meeting start?"

"From 2 pm to 4 pm. According to the schedule, the Top Student should be giving his speech around 2:30 pm," Zheng Peipei said thoughtfully.

"Then how about we go watch first and then go shopping? I also need to buy some books."

"Sure," Zheng Peipei nodded. She knew Gu Siyi couldn't resist.

At 2 pm, they went to the grand auditorium where the mobilization meeting was being held.

As expected, many younger students came to admire him. The school didn't stop them; it was a good thing for them to experience the intense pre-exam atmosphere in advance.

The younger students, without assigned seats, found places to stand at the back or in the aisles.

Gu Siyi and Zheng Peipei stood at the very back.

The auditorium was packed with people. The stage was brightly lit, while the area below was dimly lit.

When the host announced that the outstanding student representative, Xia Zhijun, would be giving a speech, Gu Siyi's heart leaped to her throat. She suddenly tightened her grip on Zheng Peipei's hand.

Xia Zhijun walked onto the stage amidst warm applause.

In his blue and white school uniform, with his tall and elegant figure and his incredibly handsome face, he caused a stir below.

Gu Siyi and Xia Zhijun, one on the stage and the other at the very back of the auditorium, were separated by a considerable distance, so far that the large slogans hanging on the stage were unclear. But she could clearly see that young man.

It had been almost two months since they last saw each other…

The last time they met was during the summer vacation. He suddenly appeared outside her apartment complex, covered in dust, and suddenly hugged her, his eyes dark, bright, and his hot breath brushing against her ear.

But when she traveled so far to see him, he said words that broke her heart…

Zheng Peipei said, "It's too far here. Let's move forward a bit…"

Zheng Peipei pulled Gu Siyi's hand, leading her forward, wanting her to see her beloved more clearly.

On the center of the stage, Xia Zhijun was still giving his speech, a bilingual speech in both Chinese and English, the entire time without notes, his expression calm and collected.

He wasn't showing off, nor was he being overly passionate or trying to rouse the crowd.

He seemed calm and serene, unlike a typical senior student, but this feeling was very comfortable for everyone.

And his looks and temperament made the students extremely comfortable.

Zheng Peipei pulled Gu Siyi to the aisle not far from the stage and stood there watching Xia Zhijun's speech.

They were much closer now; she didn't need to rely on her imagination and could clearly see his face.

He stood in front of the floor microphone, tall and slender, elegant and distinguished.

Gu Siyi looked at his face, at him, almost greedily, unwilling to even blink.

As if in response, the speaker on stage glanced over the audience, his gaze sweeping over their area.

Gu Siyi's heart skipped a beat, and then she laughed at herself. The area below the stage was dim, with so many heads and so many eyes; he definitely couldn't see her.

Xia Zhijun finished his speech, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

The new first-year girls whispered excitedly among themselves, "I've heard before that Longxing's school heartthrob, Xia Zhijun, is super handsome. He truly lives up to his reputation…"

"It's such a pity. He's already a senior. He'll be going to university in a year. We only have one year to feast our eyes on him."

"The next batch of juniors won't have the chance to witness the school heartthrob's charm. We can still see him, so let's be content."

Gu Siyi's gaze followed the figure walking down from the stage.

He was coming down this aisle. Gu Siyi: "…"

The distance between them was getting closer and closer. Gu Siyi froze, not knowing what to do.

The lighting was dim. Gu Siyi stepped back and leaned against the wall. The people standing here automatically moved aside to make way for Xia Zhijun coming down from the stage.

"Hi~" Zheng Peipei greeted Xia Zhijun. Xia Zhijun looked over and nodded in response.

Gu Siyi, standing next to Zheng Peipei, didn't speak, her eyelashes fluttering as she stared at him getting closer and closer. As they passed each other, her hand was suddenly grasped… Gu Siyi's heart pounded! Her fingertips trembled!

It was just for a second, then he let go. It was so quick, as if it was an accidental touch.

He continued walking, circled halfway around, and returned to his seat.

Gu Siyi didn't dare to breathe for a long time, as if afraid that the lingering warmth on her hand would disappear. After a long while, she finally took a deep breath.

The sudden sweetness made her eyes sting with tears. Hold back, don't cry.

After Xia Zhijun's speech, the two of them had no reason to stay, so they left the auditorium.

They hailed a taxi and headed downtown. Gu Siyi held her right hand with her left, staring blankly at her hand.

Zheng Peipei put her arm around Gu Siyi's shoulder and said, "Cheer up. Look, your boyfriend is still so handsome and charming, still the male god of the entire school."

"He's no longer…" Gu Siyi bit her lip, not continuing, her heart extremely resistant to the fact of their breakup.

Zheng Peipei patted her shoulder and comforted her, "It will be okay. Everything will be okay."

Gu Siyi went to the bookstore and bought a pile of study materials. Zheng Peipei was dumbfounded, "Is it that hard for you science students?"

After paying, Gu Siyi carried the large bag of books and said with determination, "Now that I don't have the Top Student to tutor me, I have to work twice as hard."

"That's right, your private tutor who cooked for you is gone…" Zheng Peipei sighed, "Knowing this, you might as well have come and studied liberal arts with us."

"It's okay," Gu Siyi said, "I don't regret my choice."

Zheng Peipei nodded, "I can only cheer you on morally!"

Gu Siyi kept her word. In her first year, she needed Xia Zhijun to keep an eye on her to stay focused on her studies. Now, she didn't need anyone to push her; there was a force in her heart constantly driving her forward. She raced against time to study, not daring to slack off. The only exception… was when she thought of him every day; she would let her mind wander.

Time passed day by day, and there was less than a month until the midterms.

Before class that afternoon, Zhou Xiao came to her side and handed her a booklet, saying, "Practice problems, do them well."

Gu Siyi took it. It was an exercise book made of A4 paper, and the problems inside were handwritten. The handwriting was all too familiar… The characters were strong and powerful, the numbers elegant and flowing, and the formulas neat and tidy.

The booklet was divided into three sections: math, physics, and chemistry. At the end of each section were the solutions to these problems.

He was in his senior year, yet he still found time to compile an exercise book for a second-year student…

Gu Siyi flipped through the exercise book, her emotions surging like a stormy sea, unable to calm down for a long time.

After receiving the Top Student's notes, Gu Siyi diligently practiced the types of problems in the exercise book, feeling that it was much more useful than those messy supplementary books. He seemed to be able to anticipate where she would struggle and where she was prone to making mistakes.

As Gu Siyi worked through the exercise book, she felt like she was back in the days when he was tutoring her, and her heart was filled with sweetness while she practiced.

The midterm exams arrived as scheduled, and Gu Siyi gave it her all.

The results came out, and she ranked in the twenties in her class, over two hundred in the grade.

The competition in the science class was more intense, and coupled with her initial inefficiency, her performance hadn't improved compared to her first year but had declined instead.

She had pushed herself too hard, desperately hoping to do well, but the results were disappointing. Gu Siyi's mentality was a little shaken.

Her mind was a mess, and she didn't know how to face herself.

A week after the exams, the honor roll for the top 100 students in each grade was posted.

The most sensational event was that Xia Zhijun, who had skipped from the first year to the third year, still held the top spot in the grade with an absolutely leading score.

A group of people gathered in front of the honor roll, admiring and worshipping the Top Student.

"My god, is Xia Zhijun a god? How can he be so amazing?"

"What else? Did you think the Top Student title was fake?"

"He just skipped a grade, and he already took first place… crushing all the seniors!"

"I'm truly convinced. Does his IQ have no limit??"

"I really want to kneel down and sing 'Conquer' to him, ying ying ying…"

Gu Siyi, wearing a mask, stood in front of the honor roll, looking at the top name in the senior year - Xia Zhijun.

Her gaze lingered on the name, unable to tear away.

The people beside her were all discussing him, expressing their admiration and awe.

In a key high school, good looks alone couldn't win the hearts of all students. But when someone possessed both stunning looks and terrifying ability, no matter what type of student, they couldn't resist.

After Xia Zhijun entered his senior year, he always kept to himself, without any close female companions, which led to an endless stream of people writing him letters and sending him gifts like bees to honey. Even though he didn't even open them and just threw them in the trash, it couldn't stop everyone's excitement and anticipation. What if he noticed them? What if?

On the day Gu Siyi was on duty, she was responsible for locking up last.

Everyone had left the classroom. Alone in the bright classroom, she suddenly didn't want to leave.

She returned to her seat, took out her test paper, and continued to correct her mistakes.

"So stupid… How could I get this wrong…"

"Careless again…"

She reviewed and reflected on herself as she looked.

But when she saw a wrong answer, for some reason, she just couldn't figure it out.

She felt very anxious, not knowing why, desperately trying to solve it, but she just couldn't…

Just as she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, a palm rested on her head. Gu Siyi looked up in a daze.

The person she had been longing for day and night, stood in the afterglow of the setting sun, stood before her… Gu Siyi didn't dare to blink, staring at him blankly.

"Can't solve it?" Xia Zhijun glanced at the test paper under her hand and sat down in the seat next to her. It was still that lazy yet gentle feeling. He took the pen from her hand and circled a few key conditions on the problem…

Gu Siyi looked at him so close, at the short hair on his forehead, the high bridge of his nose, and his thin, moist lips. Even his scent was the familiar, pleasant smell.

"What are you spacing out for? Look here." He gently nudged her head, his pen pointing to the formula he had written.

But Gu Siyi didn't want to look at the problem; she just wanted to look at him, not wanting to move her gaze away for even a second.

He simply put down his pen and slowly leaned closer, reaching out to cup her chin. They got closer and closer, and her heartbeat grew faster and faster, as if it was about to explode—

"…!!!" Gu Siyi suddenly sat up.

The empty classroom, nothing there. The sky was already dark, the moon and stars reflected in the unlit classroom.

She slowly turned her head, looking at the test paper spread out on the desk. There were some messy lines on the paper, clearly from when she had dozed off…

She had stayed up too late last night and had fallen asleep while doing the problems…

A dream, his appearance was just a dream.

But that dream was so real, so warm. It made her so surprised and happy.

Suddenly waking up, she fell into a huge emptiness, her heart aching as if being pulled apart.

Why was it just a dream…

Excessive longing made her fragile and vulnerable, and she buried her face in the desk and cried muffled sobs.

She had endured for too long and finally cried because of this omnipresent longing.

After a while, she composed herself, left the classroom, and returned to the dormitory.

No one was in the dormitory. She sat at the desk and picked up her phone, uncontrollably… dialing his number.

Soon, the call was connected, and a low voice came, "Hello?"

"I… I have a problem I can't solve…"

"Mm." He responded softly.

"Can you teach me?" she asked cautiously.

"Wait a minute." Xia Zhijun sat down at his desk, picked up a pen and paper, and said again, "Read the problem to me."

But Gu Siyi felt that she couldn't speak properly anymore, and quickly said, "I'll take a picture for you."

"Okay."

Gu Siyi hung up the phone, took a picture of the problem, and sent it to him via text message.

During the summer vacation, to stop herself from contacting him, she had blocked him on WeChat.

Soon, Xia Zhijun called her back and explained the problem step by step.

Gu Siyi listened silently, responding softly from time to time.

She was a little scared, afraid that she was still dreaming, and lightly pinched her arm. It hurt!

She gasped, and Xia Zhijun on the other end heard it and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I accidentally bumped into something…" she said casually.

He sighed softly and continued to explain the problem.

After explaining the problem, Gu Siyi still didn't want to hang up, and Xia Zhijun didn't hang up either, waiting for her to hang up first.

Gu Siyi said, "I… I did very poorly on the midterms… I'm so stupid…"

Xia Zhijun said gently, "It's okay."

Gu Siyi said again, "Without you, I can't even study well… I'm so dumb…"

Xia Zhijun said gently again, "It's okay."

Gu Siyi said, "I saw it, you got first place in the grade… Congratulations…"

Xia Zhijun was silent for a few seconds and said, "I really want to give you all my scores and talent, as long as you're not sad."

"I just had a dream… I dreamed…"

"Hmm?"

"I dreamed that I got a zero on the test…" Gu Siyi's voice choked, "What if my grades get worse and worse…"

"I said, it's okay. It's okay even if you get a zero."

"But I don't want to be so far away from you…" she cried, "I don't want to be so far away from you…"

There was silence on the other end for a long time. Xia Zhijun suddenly said, "If you cry again, I'll get a zero with you."

Gu Siyi was stunned, speechless.

Xia Zhijun said again, "Come downstairs, I have something for you."

"…What?" Gu Siyi asked suspiciously.

"You'll know when you come down."

At this moment, Gu Siyi didn't care about appearances anymore; she just wanted to see him, very much, very much.

So, she went downstairs.

Xia Zhijun was waiting in the shade of a tree. Gu Siyi hurried over, and he handed her a bag he was carrying.

"It's all scrap paper. Tear it up if you're not happy."

Gu Siyi took it blankly.

Xia Zhijun raised his hand, as if wanting to pat her head, but he put his hand down again and said, "I'm leaving."

Gu Siyi returned to the dormitory and opened the bag to see stacks of certificates and awards.

A notification sound. Xia Zhijun sent a text message:

"I don't need you to have good grades. It doesn't matter if you can get into a good university or not. As long as you wait for me."

While Gu Siyi was still processing this, he sent another one:

"If you cry because of bad grades, I'll get a zero with you on the finals. I'm not joking."

Gu Siyi quickly replied: "Don't you dare!"

"Are you crying?"

"No! I swear I'm not crying!"

Gu Siyi was completely controlled by Xia Zhijun. Inexplicably, the sadness in her heart faded away.

As if as long as he was still there, still coaxing and caring for her, there was nothing worth being sad about.

The next day, Gu Siyi took a picture of Xia Zhijun's name at the top of the senior year honor roll.

She didn't give up on herself, but adjusted her mentality and continued to work hard. When she felt tired or sleepy, she would take out her phone and look at it.

Looking at this outstanding young man could give her endless energy to keep working hard.

For the first time, as a poor student, she sincerely fell in love with studying. Because whenever she studied, she felt closer to him.

Whether intentionally or not, after that time, their chances of encountering each other increased.

Sometimes they would meet in the cafeteria, sometimes in the library, sometimes in the study room. Although it was just a brief exchange of glances, Gu Siyi was extremely satisfied.

When the final exams arrived, her emotions weren't as tense as they were during the midterms.

Before the exam, she specifically sent a text message to Xia Zhijun: "I'm very well prepared! You have to do well too! First place belongs to the Top Student!"

Xia Zhijun replied: "Okay."

When the final scores came out, Gu Siyi's ranking had advanced ten places in her class and seventy places in the grade.

Xia Zhijun maintained his legendary status as the Top Student, achieving the highest score in the city on the city-wide final exam.

But the school's expectations for Xia Zhijun were no longer limited to this. During the winter break, he joined the national training team to compete in international competitions.

On the day school ended for the break, when Gu Zhiyuan and his wife came to pick up Gu Siyi, they saw the posted honor roll.

Of course, they also saw Xia Zhijun's name in first place for the senior year.

Gu Zhiyuan: "This child is too outstanding."

Xu Jiahui nodded: "Yes, he's exceptionally bright."

During her winter break at home, Gu Siyi took the initiative to ask her parents if she could hire a tutor.

Her parents didn't really want their daughter to work so hard, but seeing her so motivated and proactive, they were very cooperative and spent a considerable amount of money to hire someone to come to their home to tutor her. The tutoring stopped for a few days during the Lunar New Year.

On New Year's Eve, she received a message from Xia Zhijun: "How long are you going to keep me blocked?"

URGENT: Our Google Ads account was blocked due to violations. We'd deeply appreciate your support through donations to help us continue our work. Or we won't be able to continue the translations.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

Love what you read?