Not a Fight Challenge, Then a Confession

"Don't leave after school. I'll be waiting for you in the little woods behind the school."

Generally speaking, there were two ways to interpret that sentence.

The first was that they had bad blood, and the other person had thrown down a threat:

"Don't you dare leave after school, brat! I'll be waiting for you in the woods!"

That meant they were calling people out for a fight. Usually, both sides would trade threats, then each bring a vanload of people to meet in the woods and beat the hell out of each other. Whoever won became the boss.

Jiang Yubai thought it over carefully. All he had done was drink from Lin Jianxia's cup, and he had not even touched the rim.

Surely... that was not enough to make her so angry that she wanted someone to beat him up, right?

If she was not calling him out for a fight, then the other possibility...

After school, a beautiful girl, blushing, little woods.

Put those words together, and something definitely felt off...

Muttering to himself inwardly, Jiang Yubai slung his backpack over his shoulder and followed the path into the woods, his feet crunching over the fallen leaves.

They called it a little forest, but it was really just a small grove beside the school's back hill.

The trees were not particularly dense, and the school had not pruned the area much. They had only built two pavilions and an arched corridor thickly covered in ivy.

With its quiet surroundings, backed by hills and facing water, this place had gradually become a favorite hidden corner for young couples.

The moment he passed through the arched corridor, Jiang Yubai spotted Lin Jianxia in one of the pavilions.

The girl was still dressed in that neat blue-and-white school uniform. Her legs were pressed together, her backpack hugged to her chest as she sat quietly on the stone bench.

Her high ponytail swayed behind her as she turned sideways to gaze beyond the pavilion. Her delicate profile was bathed in the mottled evening light, making her look like a painting.

Without realizing it, Jiang Yubai softened his footsteps. He stopped beside the arched corridor and openly admired her.

You know what, you really do—

She really was pretty.

Even in that loose blue-and-white tracksuit, even sitting there quietly like that, her vibrant youthful beauty still came rushing at him.

After thoroughly feasting his eyes, Jiang Yubai finally stepped forward in satisfaction.

Only when he got closer did he realize that while Lin Jianxia was looking at the distant scenery, her eyes were unfocused. She was clearly lost in thought.

What was she thinking about? I'm already this close, and she hasn't reacted at all?

Jiang Yubai rubbed his chin, a mischievous idea rising in his mind.

He had originally planned to reach out and pinch the girl's soft cheek, but halfway through, he paused. Instead, he pulled out his draft notebook and gently poked her face with one corner of it.

"—!!!"

Lin Jianxia sprang up like a startled deer. Her chest rose and fell slightly, her lips parted, but no sound came out. She only stared blankly at him.

So dedicated? She got scared and still didn't make a sound.

Seeing her look over, Jiang Yubai greeted her very warmly.

"Hello, hello~"

Lin Jianxia bit her lower lip and glared at him, a faint flush spreading across her cheeks. It was hard to tell whether she was angry or embarrassed.

Unfortunately, that look had no real intimidation factor for Jiang Yubai.

Acting completely at ease, he sat down on the stone bench and shrugged. "So... why exactly did you ask me here? You even insisted on talking in the woods."

Lin Jianxia looked at him for several more seconds, then silently sat down beside him.

She pressed her lips together, her gaze falling on the draft notebook in Jiang Yubai's hand. For some reason, her expression became conflicted.

Seeing that she neither spoke nor wrote, merely sitting there in that strangely bashful manner, Jiang Yubai frowned suspiciously.

"Say, Lin Tingwan, could it be that your sister has finally fallen for me and sent you to test the waters?"

He rubbed his chin, sounding regretful.

"Sigh... I knew it. A charming guy like me really shouldn't get too close to your sister."

"Unfortunately, I'm devoted to studying and have no interest in romance. In the end, I'll only break her heart."

Lin Jianxia had clearly not expected to hear such an utterly shameless statement before she had even said anything. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Jiang Yubai was still sitting there with his eyes closed, rubbing his chin with a regretful expression, when the draft notebook in his hand was suddenly snatched away with a swish.

The instant he opened his eyes, the notebook smacked straight into his head.

"Damn, what are you doing? A gentleman uses his words, not his fists!"

Jiang Yubai hurriedly raised his hand to block, but the girl opposite him bit her lip and refused to let up. She was obviously furious.

After taking several more hits to the head, he finally grabbed Lin Jianxia's wrist.

Her wrist was slightly cool and smooth to the touch, like a piece of fine white jade.

But Jiang Yubai had no mood to savor the sensation. He merely stared at the girl glaring at him in utter confusion—

No, had Lin Jianxia gone crazy today?

Why was she not pretending at all anymore?

He tested the waters. "Say, Lin Tingwan, why are you... so different from how you act at home?"

At those words, the anger on Lin Jianxia's face froze slightly, and even her struggles weakened.

She pressed her lips together and shook her wrist, signaling for Jiang Yubai to let go.

Jiang Yubai was not about to let go. What if she gave him another couple of hard whacks?

"Promise you won't hit me first."

Lin Jianxia stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded faintly.

Once she nodded, Jiang Yubai subtly scooted a few inches away before slowly releasing her hand.

After all, while the woods were fairly secluded, it was not some deserted wilderness. Students still passed by on the nearby path.

With the two of them in this position, anyone who did not know better might think he was trying to do something to her.

If a classmate really saw him gripping Lin Jianxia's wrist in a pavilion in the woods, then embellished the story a little, he would not be able to explain himself even with a thousand mouths.

The moment she felt the force around her wrist loosen, Lin Jianxia yanked her hand back with a swish. She rubbed her reddened wrist and shot him another vicious glare.

Jiang Yubai shrugged helplessly.

"So why did you call me here? What exactly do you want to say?"

"Don't tell me it's just the two of us, a lone man and woman in this little pavilion, and you're suddenly going to pull out a math paper and ask me to explain some problems?"

Lin Jianxia turned a deaf ear to his nonsense. She lowered her eyes and remained silent for several seconds, as though she had finally made up her mind.

She pulled out a gel pen from her bag, flipped open the draft notebook, and scribbled several lines before holding it out to him.

Jiang Yubai took it and saw five neat words written on the page:

"I am Lin Jianxia."

After confirming again and again that he had not misread it, his head filled with question marks.

What did that mean?

Why had Lin Jianxia suddenly introduced herself? Why was she no longer afraid of him finding out?

He had not even teased her enough yet... no, he had not even joked with her enough yet!

Looking at the girl before him, whose ears had turned bright red and who bit her lower lip rather than look at him, Jiang Yubai clung to his last sliver of hope and tested her.

"Say, Lin Tingwan, why are you lying to me? How could you possibly be your own sister?"

At those words, Lin Jianxia drew in a deep breath. Shame and anger colored her voice, making it even softer.

"Bastard... you know now, don't you?"