Different Paths, Same Destination

The morning sun spilled into the Class D classroom. For the first time, Horikita Suzune did not sit alone at her desk reading quietly as usual; instead, she took the initiative to sit beside Wang Meiyu, and the two were engaged in a low-voiced conversation.

Seeing this, Kushida Kikyo, who had just walked into the classroom, paused slightly. Her face still wore that flawless, sweet smile, but deep down, she felt a sharp, stinging sensation of bitterness and discomfort.

Horikita Suzune was actually taking the initiative to get along with someone in the class? Had that cold, lone wolf who always kept people at arm's length really turned over a new leaf?

It was... truly unsettling.

Kushida Kikyo thought coldly to herself, a flicker of imperceptible gloom flashing in her eyes. However, she quickly adjusted her expression and returned to her seat as if nothing were the matter.

In reality, Horikita Suzune had come prepared; she wanted to use Wang Meiyu to probe for information about Wu Qiao.

After all, within this class, the two often used Chinese for "encrypted communication," and their relationship appeared much closer than that of ordinary classmates.

If she could dig up some intelligence on Wu Qiao from Wang Meiyu, perhaps she could find a breakthrough to end the stalemate.

However, as the conversation deepened, Horikita Suzune's expression gradually became somewhat subtle.

"So, you two usually chat about... just these things?" Horikita Suzune looked at the gentle-natured girl before her, unable to help but confirm once more.

Wang Meiyu nodded and replied with a smile, "Yeah, Wu-kun and I spend most of our time talking about cooking. I tried making that braised pork recipe he recommended last time over the weekend, and it was super delicious! And just daily trifles, like which supermarket has a sale, or complaining about the weather today..."

Horikita Suzune was silent for a moment before pressing further, "Then... what about studies? Has he mentioned any special plans or his thoughts on the class?"

"Oh, studies, huh." Wang Meiyu tilted her head, recalling, "We haven't talked about studies these past few days. We discussed a few problems occasionally before, but we haven't really talked about it since."

Horikita Suzune felt a wave of helplessness. In other words, she hadn't managed to extract a single piece of important intelligence regarding Wu Qiao.

The "encrypted communication" between these two was truly encrypted in the literal sense, because the content was so mundane—so mundane that it had absolutely no strategic value.

"I see... Thank you, Wang-san." Horikita Suzune thanked her politely, then stood up and walked back to her seat.

She gazed at the bright sunlight outside the window, feeling a deep sense of frustration for the first time. She had thought that as long as she was willing to lower her guard and reach out to others, she would eventually gather useful information.

Yet the reality was that neither Ayanokoji Kiyoha, who remained stuck at ten o'clock, nor this seemingly approachable Wang Meiyu, could provide her with even a single effective clue about Wu Qiao.

"This person... where exactly does he hide his true self?" Horikita Suzune murmured softly, her brows slightly furrowed. She knew that to truly understand Wu Qiao, this kind of roundabout approach was clearly not going to work.

At noon, Kushida Kikyo looked at the message Wu Qiao had sent to her phone screen, a flash of surprise in her eyes; he had actually taken the initiative to ask her out.

When she arrived at the agreed spot and sat down, before she could even offer a greeting, she saw Wu Qiao raise a digital camera, point the lens at her, and "click."

Facing the sudden sound of the shutter, Kushida Kikyo was not angry; instead, she immediately adjusted her posture, her face blooming with that signature, flawless, sweet smile. Resting her chin on one hand, she said with an easy laugh, "If you want to take pictures, I can be your model anytime."

However, Wu Qiao shook his head. While looking down to check the photos in the camera, he said flatly, "It's not for photography; it's for documentation. Alright, enough fooling around, let's talk business."

With that, he took out his personal terminal, his fingers sliding rapidly across the screen. With a crisp "ding," Kushida Kikyo's phone screen lit up, showing she had received a transfer of exactly 30,000 private points.

Kushida Kikyo was slightly stunned, her gaze shifting from the phone screen to the calm-faced boy opposite her.

"Go find the upperclassmen and buy their freshman-year quizzes and midterm exam papers." Wu Qiao's tone was devoid of any ripples, as if he were assigning a task as mundane as could be.

"Buy... past papers?" Kushida Kikyo blinked, a rare trace of astonishment appearing on that face which always wore a perfect smile. She hadn't expected that Wu Qiao had gone to such lengths to call her out and provide such a large sum of money, only for this purpose.

"They are archival papers." Wu Qiao corrected her, picked up the water glass in front of him for a sip, and looked at her with deep eyes, "Though, they are all about the same."

Kushida Kikyo blinked, a flash of understanding crossing those eyes that were always filled with gentle smiles. She tucked her phone into her pocket and asked, "Understood, should I distribute them to everyone?"

Wu Qiao nodded slightly, his gaze resting calmly on her, his tone revealing a certainty of someone in control.

"Yes, but distribute them three days before the exam." He paused, a clear awareness of the class's current state showing in his eyes, "Lest they get the answers early and lose all motivation to study, slacking off on even the most basic review."

Hearing this arrangement, Kushida Kikyo couldn't help but chuckle. She rested her chin on her hand, leaned forward slightly, and examined the boy before her with a gaze that was part teasing and part probing: "Wu-kun really goes to great lengths. You have to help everyone pass while also preventing them from being lazy; the balance between the two is not easy to strike."

Facing her banter, Wu Qiao's expression did not change in the slightest. He took a sip from his glass and spat out four words flatly: "Necessary action."

There was no extra embellishment, nor any hint of self-aggrandizement. In Wu Qiao's logic, this was merely a cost that had to be paid to keep the collective of Class D functioning.

Kushida Kikyo watched his unflappable demeanor, and that strange feeling in her heart surged once again.

This person... he clearly did the most thoughtful things, yet he used the coldest logic to package himself, refusing to acknowledge his own kindness and disdaining to enjoy the grateful gazes of others.

What an interesting person.

She sighed inwardly, though the smile on her face became even sweeter and more captivating.

"Don't worry, Wu-kun. Since I've taken your money, I will definitely get it done beautifully. Those upperclassmen are very susceptible to my methods, after all."

Wu Qiao nodded, saying no more. He knew Kushida Kikyo had the ability and the social finesse to accomplish this.

The conversation between the two ended there. Kushida Kikyo stood up, smoothed her skirt, and waved at Wu Qiao: "Then I'll be going now, enjoy your meal, Wu-kun."

Watching her retreating back, Wu Qiao looked down at the photo he had just taken on the camera. The girl in the photo was smiling perfectly. But he knew what kind of complex and real soul was hidden beneath that sweet shell.

"Different paths, but the same destination," he whispered to himself, then tucked the camera back into his pocket.

For the current Class D, whether it was Horikita Suzune's idealistic persistence or Kushida Kikyo's dual personality, both were pawns that could be utilized.

And he, he only needed to string these scattered pieces together to lead this class out of the quagmire.