Suspected Early Romance!

Li Mu Yang left.

He left after proving to all his classmates that he hadn't cheated, and after Teacher Zhao Mingzhu apologized to him.

"I don't accept it."

This was his counterattack, his roar of unwillingness.

He needed an apology because only an apology from her would prove she had been wrong.

But he couldn't accept that apology—he had harbored hope and dreams, wanting to perform well in front of his teacher and classmates who often mocked and ridiculed him. He wanted to tell them that he wasn't incapable, that he wasn't born a failure, that he wanted to learn and could learn—

And what treatment did he receive in return?

Accused of cheating!

As he had said, this was an attempt to destroy him.

How many once innocent and simple youths had their lives ruined by a single word from a teacher, pushing them to extremes?

Li Mu Yang had been gone for a long time, yet the classroom remained in deathly silence.

Teacher Zhao Mingzhu's face was a mask of distress as she stared in the direction Li Mu Yang had left, lost in thought for a long time.

This student's actions were undoubtedly a slap in her face, and at the same time, a profound lesson in her life—a bloody, unforgettable lesson.

As she looked out the door, all the students in the classroom were looking at her.

Their feelings were complex; some sympathized with Li Mu Yang, while others sided with Zhao Mingzhu. Teacher Zhao apologized, so why is Li Mu Yang still being difficult?

They felt they had grasped something, but when they tried to think it through, the thought slipped away like a slippery fish into the vast sea of their minds, impossible to trace.

Years later, when they recalled this moment, they would truly understand what they had witnessed on that ordinary day.

It was a magnificent transformation, a rebirth of the soul.

When Zhao Mingzhu turned to face the classroom, all the students nervously lowered their heads, pretending to be working on their exams.

However, their turbulent emotions refused to settle.

Zhao Mingzhu opened her mouth to say something, but her words seemed to be choked back by an unseen force.

"Work on your exams," Teacher Zhao said to the students.

Cui Xiaoxin put her brush back into its case and walked towards the podium with her exam paper.

Zhao Mingzhu looked at Cui Xiaoxin with a smile, saying, "Have you checked it? You can't be careless."

"I've checked it," Cui Xiaoxin replied, turning to walk out of the classroom.

Her frame was delicate, and in the bright sunlight, her fair skin appeared almost translucent.

"Cui Xiaoxin—" Zhao Mingzhu called out urgently. "You forgot to write your name."

Cui Xiaoxin didn't turn around and said, "Teacher Zhao, just write whoever you think answered the exam."

"—"

The time was right, the sun was strong.

Li Mu Yang and Cui Xiaoxin walked side-by-side under the shade of the campus trees. The chirping of cicadas rose and fell, as if accompanying their footsteps.

"You shouldn't have come out," Li Mu Yang said, breaking the silence between them. "The Literary Examination is approaching, and everyone is in their final sprint—"

"I told you, I'm ready," Cui Xiaoxin replied, her voice clear and crisp.

"It's always good to learn more. The teachers will definitely be highlighting exam topics during this time. If you're not here, won't you miss those questions? If my situation delays your Literary Examination—"

"Impossible," Cui Xiaoxin interrupted Li Mu Yang decisively. "I will definitely get into Xifeng University."

Li Mu Yang grinned, genuinely happy for his friend. "So confident, it seems you really are prepared."

"I don't like cramming at the last minute," Cui Xiaoxin said. "There are too many uncertainties, and it makes me feel very insecure—" She paused, then turned her head to look at Li Mu Yang walking beside her. "But, you're an exception."

"Hm?"

"Li Mu Yang, you must know how astonishing your progress is. I was shocked when I was tutoring you. It's understandable that Teacher Zhao had her suspicions today—but I still don't like her behavior. And her words were truly venomous."

Li Mu Yang sighed softly. "Perhaps because of my appearance, I've never been liked. I originally thought if I performed well, Teacher Zhao would see me in a new light. If she had patted my shoulder in front of the whole class and said, 'Li Mu Yang, you're doing great'—and the classmates could have smiled at me, saying, 'Li Mu Yang, I didn't expect you to be so cunning.' I just wanted them to know that I'm the same as them, that I'm not an idiot, not just a pig who only knows how to sleep—"

Cui Xiaoxin remained silent.

She could understand Li Mu Yang's feelings at that moment.

He was, after all, just a child, and a 'poor' child at that. He envied other students for their nice clothes and fun toys. He finally had a day where he could show off his new toy to his classmates, wanting to tell them, Look, I have a toy too! But then, everyone accused him of stealing it. How could that child not be sad and upset?

After a long silence, Cui Xiaoxin asked, "What are your plans now?"

"I plan to study at home," Li Mu Yang said. "I've thought about it. Even if I stay in the classroom, I can't learn much more. If Teacher Zhao suspected me of cheating today, what if Teacher Chen and Teacher Jiang suspect me next time? Since that's the case, I might as well study peacefully at home and only come to school for the exam."

"Okay. I'll accompany you," Cui Xiaoxin said.

"What?"

"I admit, your learning ability is amazing. But how to learn, and what to learn, still requires someone to guide you—Your foundation is too weak, and it's impossible to catch up on all the previous knowledge points. I can only help you identify what you should focus on and what can be temporarily set aside during this month. That way, you can dedicate your limited time to the most important things."

"Classmate Cui Xiaoxin—"

"Don't be too touched," Cui Xiaoxin said. Her feet stood on the light patterns on the ground, and the embroidered shoes with peonies on them were dyed with countless specks of starlight. "I have my reasons for doing this."

"What?"

"It's just a hope that when I invite you to a grand opera next time, you won't cruelly refuse," Cui Xiaoxin said, her lips curving into a beautiful and charming arc.

"—"

Her father, Li Yan, took leave for Li Mu Yang from school. For reasons unknown, the school readily approved it.

Li Mu Yang stayed home to revise, and Cui Xiaoxin came to the Li family's small courtyard every day for one-on-one tutoring.

Li Sinian was the happiest. As soon as she got home from school, she would bring a plate of fruit and munch on it incessantly.

She was very unhappy with Li Mu Yang's behavior of being swayed by looks and neglecting his sister, because she had also exhausted herself trying to tutor Li Mu Yang and improve her brother's grades. But every time she spoke until her throat was dry, she would hear Li Mu Yang's snoring.

What she couldn't achieve, Cui Xiaoxin accomplished with ease. This made her doubt her own charm, and she often examined her face and figure in the bathroom mirror—her chest wasn't small either.

Every time Li Mu Yang's mother, Luo Qi, returned from the pastry shop, she would bring all sorts of pastries for Cui Xiaoxin. Seeing which kind Cui Xiaoxin liked to eat, she would bring more of it the next time.

While Luo Qi was cooking in the kitchen, her husband, Li Yan, walked in.

"You're back?" Luo Qi greeted her husband, but her gaze was fixed on the two children studying outside through the kitchen window, her eyes filled with a deep, unyielding gentle smile.

"Yes," Li Yan looked outside and said, "That girl is here again? This isn't early romance, is it?"

"If only it were early romance," Luo Qi sighed. "What a wonderful girl. Not only is she beautiful, but she also has a rare and excellent temperament, is good at studying, has a good personality, and is well-educated. She comes every day to help Mu Yang, yet she never stays for a simple meal at our house—if a girl like this isn't reserved early, I'm afraid there won't be anything left for our Mu Yang later, right?"

"But this kind of thing isn't up to us to decide, Mu Yang is after all—" Li Yan began.

"Shut up," Luo Qi glared fiercely at her husband, like a wolf protecting its cubs. "Li Mu Yang was my son before, and he will be my son in the future. They didn't want him before, and no one will ever snatch him away from me in the future."