Xia XiaoXi yawned as she got out of the car.
She had stayed home yesterday to take care of some things, so she hadn't gone to school.
Even so, her family hoped she would take her studies here seriously. After all, it would save her the trouble of catching up when she returned later.
Not that it really mattered to her current identity---studying or not made little difference.
Stretching lazily, she noticed many students sneaking glances at her as she walked, though it wasn't nearly as overwhelming as the day before.
When she had first arrived at the school, the entire hallway had been so packed with onlookers that it was impossible to move.
"That can't really be Han HuMing, right?"
"Are you kidding? Han HuMing couldn't play basketball. This HuMing is like an ultimate upgrade of Han HuMing!"
Passing by a group of students, Xia XiaoXi caught snippets of their conversation.
She couldn't help but feel curious. Who was this HuMing they were talking about?
Had she missed some major gossip by skipping school yesterday?
Her imagination began to run wild as she thought about it.
When she returned to her classroom and took her seat, some classmates were busy studying while others chatted.
Most of their chatter revolved around that boy named HuMing.
"Who's this HuMing everyone's talking about?"
Xia XiaoXi suddenly butted into a conversation between two boys, just like she had done before.
The boys were startled at first but quickly spilled everything they knew to her.
Listening intently, Xia XiaoXi's mouth fell slightly open, and disbelief crept across her face.
During the lunch break, HuMing sat at his desk, closing the book before him.
The book was full of notes and key points, evidence of how he managed to achieve such high grades.
There was gym class in the afternoon, and HuMing planned to rest a bit.
Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out an eye mask, ready to put it on. But his movements suddenly stopped as he glanced toward the classroom door.
Someone stood outside, sneaking glances left and right like a thief.
However, the person's identity was far too conspicuous---students passing by greeted her instinctively, and out of politeness, she responded.
But when her gaze met HuMing's, her eyes widened, and a look of pure delight appeared on her face.
"So it is you! You're that missing student everyone talks about!"
Xia XiaoXi might not have been able to tell who was "HuMing" and who was "Han HuMing," but there was no mistaking that face.
"Too many people here. Let's find somewhere else to talk?"
HuMing glanced toward a gazebo not far away.
The two walked side by side across the campus.
Not far off, Han ShuYi, who had been planning to invite Xia XiaoXi to lunch, froze at the sight.
Clutching his meal card tightly, his eyes darkened as he stared at HuMing's back.
Xia XiaoXi had just met HuMing today, hadn't she? Why did they seem so close?
He already disliked this boy who looked exactly like Han HuMing. Now it seemed he truly was another Han HuMing, destined to be a thorn in his side!
Taking a deep breath, Han ShuYi turned and walked toward the cafeteria.
Meanwhile, at the gazebo, Xia XiaoXi sat across from HuMing. Both kept a measured distance between them.
Xia XiaoXi, however, was clearly fascinated, her curious gaze fixed on him as if she wanted to uncover all his secrets.
Resting her chin on her hand, she finally asked,
"So, everyone says you look exactly like someone named Han HuMing. Can you tell me---who are you?"
"Is it possible I'm not the person you think I am?" HuMing countered with a question of his own.
Xia XiaoXi waved her hand dismissively, immediately rejecting his response.
"I'm not like everyone else. I trust my instincts more than anything. Besides, the way you talk is exactly the same as when we met before. I'm one hundred percent sure---you're him!"
Humans are such peculiar creatures. Even when evidence is laid out plainly before them, they'll often choose to trust their intuition instead.
And Xia XiaoXi was the best of the bunch.
After all, her intuition had rarely led her astray over the years, solving countless problems, big and small.
So, she trusted her instincts more than ever.
Facing the "true heroine", HuMing suddenly felt like everything he had carefully planned crumbled to pieces in Xia XiaoXi's presence.
If Xia XiaoXi had grown closer to Han ShuYi now, it would have only been a matter of time before Han ShuYi started suspecting him.
Seeing HuMing fall into silence, Xia XiaoXi broke the awkward tension between them.
"Are you working on something super important? Like last time---you vanished the moment I turned around! You've got to be someone extraordinary!" Xia XiaoXi's face lit up with excitement, showing no hesitation despite HuMing's guarded demeanor.
To her, this felt more like an adventure than anything suspicious.
As a self-proclaimed otaku, running into something this thrilling felt as rare as planets colliding!
Besides, life at school had been far too dull. If helping this mysterious HuMing could spice things up, why not?
HuMing opened his mouth slightly, preparing to dissuade her, but he hadn't expected Xia XiaoXi to eagerly jump at the chance to get involved.
Her enthusiasm completely caught him off guard.
But since Xia XiaoXi had handed him this opportunity on a silver platter, it would be foolish not to take full advantage of it.
"Have you heard anything about Han HuMing?"
"Mm-hmm! My classmates told me all about it."
"I came back to uncover clues about my identity," HuMing said, his tone serious. "But for now, I can't be Han HuMing."
His gaze was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Xia XiaoXi nodded quickly, understanding the gravity of his words.
"Got it, got it! Leave it to me!"
"But, before we go any further, can you at least tell me your real name?"
"Just call me HuMing. That's my real name."
Xia XiaoXi nodded again, showing no intention of prying further. She didn't need to know everything about HuMing.
All she knew was that her school life was about to become much more exciting!
As lunchtime neared its end, Xia XiaoXi finally returned to her classroom from the gazebo.
However, some classmates had spotted her sitting with HuMing earlier, and rumors began to spread about how familiar they seemed with each other.
Han ShuYi overheard the chatter and immediately walked up to Xia XiaoXi, stopping in front of her desk.
"Xia XiaoXi, are you close with HuMing?"
Of course, Xia XiaoXi was aware of the complicated history between Han ShuYi and HuMing. Remembering HuMing's request for secrecy, she quickly nodded and replied with a smile.
"Yeah, we've known each other for ages!" She blinked her eyes innocently before adding, "Han ShuYi, I know you're concerned about HuMing's identity, but trust me---he's not the Han HuMing you're thinking of. After all, when I met him, that Han HuMing you're talking about hadn't even disappeared yet."