You like me?

Sakura burst into tears, "Xia Mu, just tell me what you want to do. Please stop keeping me on edge like this."

Right now, she just wanted Xia Mu to get it over with; as long as the request wasn't too outrageous, she would accept it.

Xia Mu took out his phone, tapping the screen with his finger as he replied, "I have things to do today. I'll find you tomorrow."

He had spent a month grooming Kushida and had accumulated quite a few skill points, so there was no need to rush.

It was just that his last attempt at Hypnosis seemed to have made Kushida doubt her own identity, so her calibration value had been hovering around thirty, neither rising nor falling.

She wasn't even that kind-hearted anymore; she had even snapped on the spot once when a girl annoyed her too much.

Although she apologized, it still damaged her image as the little angel Kushida.

Xia Mu wondered what it would look like if Kushida were to completely unleash her true self in the future.

"To, tomorrow?" Sakura whispered, a terrifying thought suddenly crossing her mind.

She could knock Xia Mu unconscious and take her camera back. Even if he spread rumors about her later, she could just flatly deny everything.

This thought only flashed through her mind for a second before she shook her head and dismissed it.

If she did that, wouldn't she become a bad person herself?

She should just wait and see what Xia Mu actually wanted to do.

While Sakura was lost in her wild thoughts, Xia Mu finished what he was doing and returned the camera to her.

"All right, now let's add each other's contact information."

Throughout the entire process, Sakura was like a frightened little hamster, letting Xia Mu do whatever he pleased.

"OK."

After adding his contact info, Xia Mu shook his phone, "See you tomorrow. Don't you dare stand me up; I have your photos on my phone, after all."

He had just transferred the photos from the camera to his phone via Bluetooth.

With that said, he walked off in the direction of the library.

In fact, Sakura could have just denied everything and insisted that Xia Mu had photoshopped the images, since they weren't the original files.

The other students wouldn't have cared much anyway.

Xia Mu had naturally considered this, but given Sakura's personality, she would never do such a thing, which was why he felt comfortable returning the camera to her.

Watching Xia Mu's retreating back, Sakura felt a bit at a loss, "Xia Mu is really a strange person..."

No, he's a strange bad guy!

Sakura added silently in her heart.

Xia Mu left and arrived at the library as usual.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Walking toward the spot where the two of them usually sat, Xia Mu apologized in a low voice.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'm used to it anyway."

Shiina waved her hand, signaling for Xia Mu to sit down, and said half-jokingly, "Don't tell me you were off on a date with some girl again?"

Hearing this, Xia Mu stumbled mid-sit, nearly falling over.

A woman's intuition really is accurate.

"Oh?"

Shiina noticed Xia Mu's loss of composure, "Looks like I guessed right again."

"It wasn't a date, just a normal conversation."

Xia Mu replied, sitting down and opening the book Shiina had prepared for him today.

Kokoro by Natsume Soseki.

This was a return gift for the sugary-sweet Dragon Clan that Xia Mu had recommended to her last time.

And Kokoro was more or less the same; it told a complex, triangular story about two tenants who were like brothers, both falling in love with their landlord's daughter. One of them, full of superiority, believed he would definitely marry the girl, while the other used underhanded means to marry her first, turning them into bitter enemies.

"Is that so?" Shiina glanced at Xia Mu sideways.

"Of course, heaven is my witness." Xia Mu glanced at Shiina's flawless, long white legs and replied.

It was truly a feast for the eyes.

"Hmm, you don't seem worried at all." Shiina had thought that after the Class D results came out today, Xia Mu would be hit hard.

However, after spending a month together, she had gradually come to understand Xia Mu.

It seemed he was always calm and composed, possessing a profound sense of having everything under his control.

But as for exactly why, she wasn't really sure; she just had that feeling.

He even seemed to have a thorough understanding of her, knowing her little secrets.

"What do I have to worry about? I didn't fail." Xia Mu shrugged.

He knew Shiina was talking about the points for Class D.

"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself?" Shiina Hiyori smiled. "If you're short on points, you can come to me. I can offer you some friendly support."

"Sure, then you're treating me to dinner tonight."

"Wow, Xia Mu, you really don't hold back at all." Shiina couldn't help but reach out and poke Xia Mu's cheek with her index finger. "As expected, you're incredibly thick-skinned!"

Xia Mu didn't back down either; he reached out and grabbed her soft, slender fingers. "What, are you trying to go back on your word?"

"If you do, I'll have to label you as someone who doesn't keep their promises."

Feeling the warmth radiating from Xia Mu's palm, Shiina blushed and struggled to pull her hand back. "No way, I always keep my word."

"Mhm, I hope so."

"Otherwise, I'll draw a little turtle on your face~"

Xia Mu traced a shape in the air over Shiina's face, grinning as he spoke.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Shiina bit her lip. "Then I'll turn you into a clown!"

"Don't do that, a Goblin would be more like it." Xia Mu would rather be self-deprecating than be a clown.

Is that something an ordinary person can just pull off?

"Know you're afraid now? Then you're not allowed to provoke me!"

Shiina reached out and pinched Xia Mu's thigh hard, only then withdrawing her gaze with satisfaction.

For some reason, a honey-like sweetness welled up in her heart, and the corners of her mouth couldn't stop curling upward.

"Xi-Xia Mu."

Shiina's hair swayed gently in the breeze blowing in from the window.

"Hmm?" Xia Mu turned his head and discovered that Shiina's face had turned even more beautiful than the sunset clouds in the sky.

"Are we... being too intimate?" Shiina gathered her courage to voice the question that had been lingering in her heart.

Wasn't this feeling she had when she was with Xia Mu just like the descriptions of love in novels?

As long as she was with him, she felt wonderful.

Everything she did with him made her happy; she just wanted to tease him and watch him get flustered.

However, Xia Mu's next response left Shiina at a loss for how to react.

"Not at all, we're just good friends." Xia Mu replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"G-good friends?"

Shiina blinked her jewel-like eyes. "Do good friends read, eat, mess around, take walks, go to movies, talk about life, and discuss the world together every single day?"

"I guess so." Xia Mu replied, sounding a bit uncertain.

Looking at Shiina's downcast face, Xia Mu exclaimed, "You wouldn't happen to be in love with me, would you?"