"What do you mean by 'other thoughts'?" she asked hesitantly.
"That depends on you," he replied cryptically.
"Then... could we perhaps start as friends?"
"I haven't agreed to accept your apology yet."
"Then... what must I do for you to forgive me?"
Su Ning had never experienced anything like this before. For her, it was an unfamiliar and unsettling sensation.
As she waited for Zhou Yi's response, she studied him closely.
By now, she was certain that his previous demeanor had all been an act. Lili's suspicions had been correct.
This composed and steady Zhou Yi was his true self.
"I don't know either," he admitted, his brow furrowing slightly. "This is the first time I've dealt with something like this. To forgive you so easily... my heart won't allow it."
Zhou Yi feigned a troubled expression, deftly pushing the burden back onto Su Ning.
Her eyes dimmed as she murmured, "I understand. Let me think about it. I'll find a way to make it up to you."
At first, she had only wanted to repay the person who had saved her life. Being kinder to Zhou Yi seemed like the least she could do.
If she had saved someone and been treated the way she had treated Zhou Yi, she would have felt utterly disheartened. Friendship would have been out of the question.
Su Ning stubbornly convinced herself that she simply wanted to be friends with Zhou Yi. When it came to matters of the heart, she was practically clueless.
Zhou Yi wasn't in a hurry. He had all the time in the world.
"There's no rush," he thought to himself. "I can wait."
"Alright," he said aloud, his tone light. "Since we've cleared things up, let's head back to the classroom. Lunch break is almost over."
"Okay," Su Ning replied softly.
She followed Zhou Yi into the classroom, their entrance drawing curious glances from their classmates.
As lunchtime approached, most students had already settled into their seats, and the air buzzed with gossip.
"Wow, so the rumors on the forum are true? Su Ning and Zhou Yi have something going on?"
"I heard there was quite the scene in the cafeteria—three girls fighting over one guy. Must've been dramatic. Too bad I missed it."
"Didn't Su Ning insult Zhou Yi before the break? She acted like she looked down on him."
"Zhou Yi's completely transformed now. Haven't you seen the girls on the forum calling him their 'god'? That face of his is seriously enviable."
"He's revealed his true colors now—background, talent, everything. His old self was just an act. Who wouldn't fall for him like this?"
The class had concocted a plausible explanation for Zhou Yi's dramatic change.
Zhou Yi must be a hidden powerhouse!
The rumors were growing stronger by the day.
Whether it was his grades or his family background, they speculated, he had to be extraordinary.
Hadn't he already proven that this morning?
Without realizing it, Zhou Yi had achieved exactly what he wanted.
As soon as Su Ning returned to her seat, Zhang Lili and her deskmate Tao Shan couldn't contain their curiosity.
"Come on, Ningning, spill the beans! What's going on between you and Zhou Yi?"
"What was all that talk about saving someone during lunch? What happened?"
"Yeah, where did you two go afterward? What did you say?"
Their thirst for gossip was insatiable, and even the others around Su Ning perked up their ears, eager for her explanation.
But Su Ning didn't want to elaborate.
"It's nothing," she said coolly, flipping open her textbook. "Just a misunderstanding. It's resolved now."
Her icy goddess persona, the one everyone was familiar with, had returned.
Zhang Lili, disappointed at not getting the juicy details, began to whine.
"Aww, come on, Ningning, you're the best! Just give us a little hint~"
Tao Shan chimed in, joining the chorus of pleading.
They knew Su Ning well—her tough exterior masked a soft heart, one that couldn't resist when people fawned over her.
"Ningning, just a tiny bit, okay? Like, did Zhou Yi save you or something?"
Unable to withstand their relentless pestering, Su Ning finally nodded.
"Yes, that's what happened. But don't ask anything else."
The rest was too embarrassing for her to share.
Zhang Lili was thrilled upon learning this truth. A hero saving the beauty!
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that there was something between Su Ning and Zhou Yi. Otherwise, Su Ning wouldn't have reacted the way she did.
When Chu Han had appeared in the cafeteria, Su Ning's eyes had been filled with hostility. How could anyone claim she didn't feel something for Zhou Yi?