The night study session felt long, but for Ye QiuXue, it was particularly frustrating.
Not to mention the pressure she had been under lately—she had only been away from school for a short while, yet someone who had always lagged behind her had, seemingly overnight, surged ahead as if they’d experienced some sudden enlightenment.
What was even more absurd was that she’d heard the other person hadn't changed anything about their usual habits—yet their grades had skyrocketed.
It made Ye QiuXue feel like she had just encountered a ghost.
Being first place wasn’t the most important thing to her, but it still mattered.
On one hand, she wanted to prove that even in the capital, she wasn’t any worse than others. On the other, she had already secured her scholarship, and after this semester, she would be returning to her previous school.
The school had been trying to persuade her to stay, though, and the offers were quite tempting.
Not only would she receive a meal subsidy, but even her off-campus housing expenses could be reimbursed.
This meant that as long as she stayed, she basically wouldn’t have to spend any money.
But apart from that, there was another thing troubling Ye QiuXue.
She put down her pen and occasionally glanced toward the classroom door.
A male student standing near the entrance gave her a bright smile, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Ye QiuXue quickly lowered her head, refusing to make eye contact.
Lately, more and more guys have been bothering her. Even though she had made it clear she wasn’t interested, some of them seemed to believe in the power of persistence, tirelessly trying to win her over with their so-called kindness.
Some of the wealthier ones even offered her a monthly allowance to be their girlfriend, flaunting their wealth like it was some grand gesture.
What could she even say to that?
Ye QiuXue felt like no matter what she said, they wouldn’t listen anyway.
It was as if the boys at this school clung stubbornly to their own ideas—perhaps they’d succeeded in the past and assumed the same tactics would work on her.
Just thinking about how a few of them would try to block her after school gave Ye QiuXue a headache.
Walking down the hallway, she could feel the judgmental gazes of others. Worse still, some girls had already started resenting her, whispering insults behind her back.
She hadn’t imagined it, either—she’d overheard them in the bathroom by chance.
And honestly, she didn’t even want to recall the nasty things they’d said.
When the dismissal bell rang, Ye QiuXue packed up her belongings and remained seated for a moment.
She suddenly remembered what HuMing had said to her yesterday—that he would meet her today.
Of course, she had taken it as a joke.
After all, she didn’t even know if HuMing was in the capital, let alone how he would know when she finished class.
But right now, she really wanted to see him.
At the very least, when she was with HuMing, her mind always felt at ease.
Maybe it was something about him—an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Lost in thought for a while, Ye QiuXue finally gathered her things and headed out of the school building.
But just as she stepped out of the classroom, a few boys turned around, their faces lighting up.
Before they could say anything, Ye QiuXue’s expression turned cold.
“Stop right there. I’m going home alone. And please don’t wait for me outside my classroom anymore. If you have that much free time, why not focus on improving your grades instead?”
“Come on, QiuXue, that’s no fun. I might not be good at studying, but my family has connections. I’ll never have to worry about food or money, so why waste time on something I’m not good at?”
One of the boys grinned cheekily, clearly not taking Ye QiuXue’s words seriously.
Little did he know, this was exactly the kind of person Ye QiuXue despised the most.
The other boys also watched her expectantly, but seeing how they refused to back off, she quickened her pace toward the school gate.
On the way, they followed alongside her, asking what she liked, whether she wanted a new designer bag, and if she had plans for the weekend.
Their voices buzzed in her ears like flies, making her head ache.
But all of that was soon overshadowed by something else.
As she stepped outside the school, she caught sight of a figure leaning casually against a tree in the distance.
Several girls surrounded him, seemingly asking for his contact information.
But the boy just waved a hand dismissively, turning them down.
That didn’t deter them, though—they clung to him, trying to get closer.
At first, Ye QiuXue didn’t think much of it.
But as she walked forward, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
The boys trailing behind her also halted, following her gaze.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Who’s this pretty boy from another school invading our territory now?”
“Eh, who cares? As long as he’s not here for QiuXue. Not that it’d matter—no way she knows him.”
They had their reasons for saying that.
Ever since Ye QiuXue transferred here, they’d looked into her background—she was alone in the capital.
So logically, she shouldn’t have any friends here.
If she did, they would’ve shown up by now.
That was precisely why they kept pursuing her.
After all, even someone like Ye QiuXue was still a girl, and girls needed a sense of security.
How many long-distance relationships had fallen apart because the girl was swayed by someone closer to her?
But none of them noticed the subtle change in Ye QiuXue’s expression.
At first, she didn’t care.
But the longer she stared at the boy under the tree, the more familiar he seemed.
She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him carefully.
She even pulled out her glasses to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.
And then, as if sensing her gaze, the boy looked up.
He was surprised at first, but soon, a smile spread across his face.
Without hesitation, he began walking toward her.
Under the streetlights, his features became clear as day.
Ye QiuXue stood frozen in place, completely still, as if she had turned to stone.
The moment she saw that face, she even doubted her own eyes.
‘How could he be here? When did he come to the capital?’
A memory suddenly surfaced—her conversation with him from yesterday.
‘He said, ‘See you tomorrow.’ So this was what he meant?’
Stopping right in front of her, the boy raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“President, you sure took your time with night study. Made me wait forever.”
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