Chapter Summaries

At the banquet, Chi Ning grew suspicious of Qin Heng’s instinctive knowledge of his habits, then left without resolving the mystery. The next morning, he dodged paparazzi by climbing over the school wall and landed in the middle of a fight, where Qin Heng caught him.

• Chi Ning exchanged contact information with Gu Zhe and wondered why Qin Heng knew about his stomach and personal habits, while Qin Heng could not explain it.
• Chi Ning remembered Qin Heng caring for him at the hospital in his previous life, then left the banquet after noting that the attempt to steal the Chi family’s patent had been exposed.
• The next morning, Chi Ning saw paparazzi gathered outside his home and had Uncle Chen drive him to the school’s back wall instead.
• Chi Ning climbed over the wall and shouted to warn Qin Heng and the others during a seven-person fight below.
• Chi Ning landed on Yue Yaozong’s calf, dropped to his knees, and Qin Heng caught him as he slid downward.

Qin Heng and Yue Yaozong were brought before Wang Quan after a fight, where Chi Ning exposed that Yue Yaozong had been paid to spread rumors and arrange paparazzi at the school gate. Yue Yaozong finally identified the person who hired him as a student from Gangnan International High School.

• Qin Heng pulled Chi Ning back to his feet after their clothes tangled, and Chi Ning asked why Qin Heng, Yue Yaozong, and Zhang Qiuwen had been fighting.
• Class 18's homeroom teacher escorted the group to Wang Quan's office, where Chi Ning explained he had climbed over the wall to avoid reporters and accidentally encountered the fight.
• Qin Heng said he had confronted Yue Yaozong for slandering Chi Ning and bringing paparazzi to the school gate.
• Chi Ning challenged Yue Yaozong's claims and pointed out that his new jacket and other clues suggested someone had paid him to arrange the incident.
• Qin Heng apologized to Wang Quan and said Chi Ning's notes had inspired him to improve his studies, while Yue Yaozong stayed silent about who had paid him.
• Chi Ning threatened to sue Yue Yaozong and the person behind the scheme, and Yue Yaozong revealed that the person was a student from Gangnan International High School.

After exposing Sun Boxing’s scheme to use Yue Yaozong against them, Chi Ning and Qin Heng returned to school life, with Qin Heng worrying about his exam rank and Ye Xinran attempting to make conversation with Chi Ning. The chapter leaves Chi Ning watching Qin Heng excel at long jump before agreeing to tutor Class 2 in math for a KFC meal.

• Wang Quan learned Sun Boxing had paid Yue Yaozong to provoke Chi Ning and Qin Heng, assigned punishments, and told Chi Ning and Qin Heng to report future trouble to a teacher.
• Qin Heng asked Chi Ning how many places he might rise in the monthly exam, and Chi Ning estimated about fifty before encouraging him to keep studying.
• Ye Xinran asked Chi Ning about MBTI, but Chi Ning dismissed personality tests as entertainment and suggested Ye Xinran bring him questions he could not solve instead.
• Chi Ning noticed Qin Heng practicing long jump during Class 18’s PE lesson and watched him land a strong jump.
• The math teacher asked Chi Ning to explain difficult problems to Class 2 in exchange for KFC, and Chi Ning agreed while warning his classmates not to drink soda every day.

Chi Ning played a recording for Chi Baichuan and explained that Shen Minyi had encouraged Sun Boxing to steal the Chi family's research direction and materials. The Chi family invited Qin Heng and their associates to a backyard barbecue, where Chi Ning and Qin Heng worked together to bring out the skewers.

• Chi Ning left Qin Heng to study on his own and went home to speak with his father.
• Chi Ning played Chi Baichuan a recording of Yue Yaozong and Wang Quan, then explained Shen Minyi's connection to Sun Boxing and the theft plot.
• Chi Baichuan and Chen Mingxian grew furious about Shen Minyi, and Chen Mingxian arranged a barbecue gathering with their associates and Xu Jiahao's son.
• Chi Ning helped prepare the barbecue and struggled to move a trolley of skewers until Qin Heng joined him.
• Xu Jiahao and Qin Heng arrived, and President Lu later came to the backyard with fish he had caught.

At a family barbecue, Chi Baichuan discussed Chongning’s stalled research project and devised a test to find out whether Old Sun was leaking data to Shen Zongze. Chi Ning praised Qin Heng’s cooking, remembering how good Qin Heng had been in his previous life and questioning the suspicions he once held about him.

• Chi Ning listened as Old Sun and Chi Baichuan discussed Old Sun’s son and Chi Ning gave a vague answer about what people his age liked.
• Qin Heng grilled sausages and chicken wings, and Chi Ning defended him when President Lu suggested making him cook the fish too.
• Chi Baichuan toasted his colleagues, discussed the new drug’s progress, and warned that Shen Zongze might retaliate.
• Chi Baichuan instructed his colleagues to test Shen Zongze and protect the project data by giving Old Sun a discarded plan to replace the real one.
• Chi Baichuan tried to discourage Qin Heng from getting closer to Chi Ning, but Qin Heng said Chi Ning had been helping him study and taking care of him.
• Chi Ning praised Qin Heng’s foil-wrapped glass noodles and remembered that he had once doubted Qin Heng’s kindness and motives.

At the Chi family gathering, Chi Ning reflected on his growing closeness with Qin Heng and wondered whether Qin Heng had ever lied to him. Their charged interaction left Chi Ning questioning what Qin Heng had almost said and what he might feel for him.

• Chi Ning praised Qin Heng's cooking, prompting a playful exchange between Qin Heng and Chi Baichuan about Chi Ning looking after Qin Heng.
• Chi Ning asked Qin Heng whether he had ever lied to him, then dismissed the question before Qin Heng could answer.
• As the gathering wound down, President Lu teased Qin Heng about finding someone to date, and Chi Ning felt relieved when Qin Heng said he was not thinking about that.
• Chi Ning became flustered when he caught Qin Heng staring at him, while Chi Yang watched without intervening.
• Qin Heng pulled Chi Ning closer and wiped the corner of his mouth, leaving Chi Ning shaken before Qin Heng turned to take the last egg from the brazier.

Chi Ning questioned whether his new life was real after Qin Heng’s strange behavior, while Qin Heng dreamed of caring for a sickly Chi Ning and confessing his love. Qin Heng woke unsettled and sought Chi Ning out at school, bringing him a stuffed flatbread.

• Qin Heng prepared a hot egg for Chi Ning, and his repeated claim that he had never lied to him made Chi Ning fear that his life might be a dream.
• Chi Ning reassured himself that unfamiliar people and places proved his world was real, then left Qin Heng after joking about his past-life lies.
• Qin Heng dreamed of caring for a frail Chi Ning in the hospital and confessing that he liked him, but Chi Ning rejected him.
• Qin Heng woke distressed by the dream, made egg burgers and flatbread, and rushed to school.
• Qin Heng called Chi Ning out of class and led him to the rooftop, where Chi Ning noticed the scallion-scented stuffed flatbread.

After the monthly exams, Chi Ning gave Qin Heng handwritten study materials as his gift and encouraged him to aim for Gangnan University. Qin Heng accepted the gift and promised to get into the same university as Chi Ning.

• Qin Heng brought Chi Ning a lavish dinner after the final exam, and Chi Ning said he would give him a gift at home.
• Chi Ning went to the lab to work while Qin Heng studied and secretly watched him from the stairway.
• Qin Heng reflected that Chi Ning’s encouragement had inspired many students in Class 18 to study harder.
• Chi Ning came to the study room, explained difficult material to Qin Heng, and suggested he could even attend A University in the capital.
• Chi Ning gave Qin Heng his handmade, handwritten study guides as a thank-you gift.
• Qin Heng asked whether Chi Ning wanted them to attend the same university, and Chi Ning agreed; Qin Heng vowed to get into Gangnan University.

Chi Ning learned that Qin Heng had hired Zhang Qiuwen a private teacher and finally heard why Qin Heng had hidden Xu Jiahao's gambling-industry connections from him. After another month passed, Wang Quan announced that Classes One and Two would stop receiving monthly exam difficulty questionnaires.

• Chi Ning saw that Qin Heng had risen to 928th place in the monthly exam, and told him to keep working toward getting into Gangnan.
• Chi Ning teased Qin Heng about using Xu Jiahao's dealer equipment to eavesdrop on his birthday, and Zhang Qiuwen revealed that Qin Heng had hired him a private teacher.
• Qin Heng explained that Xu Jiahao had mainly shifted to real estate and investment, and admitted he had feared Chi Ning would judge him for his connection to gambling.
• Chi Ning reassured Qin Heng that he cared about whether Qin Heng broke the law, then returned with him to check on the laboratory cultures.
• After another month and the second monthly exam, Wang Quan announced that Classes One and Two would no longer receive monthly exam difficulty questionnaires.

Chi Ning learned that Sun Boxing had helped Shen Minyi steal laboratory materials, but Chi Baichuan had replaced them with fake data, and Old Sun chose to leave Yangcheng with his son. As the Shen Family publicly promoted its supposed new medicine, Ye Xinran told Chi Ning he was going to be guaranteed admission.

• Wang Quan held a sports meet lottery, and Chi Ning drew shot put while Li Qiuhe drew the 5,000 meters.
• Chi Ning returned home and learned that Old Sun was troubled because Sun Boxing had stolen laboratory materials for Shen Minyi.
• Chi Baichuan explained that the stolen materials were fake and warned Old Sun that Shen Minyi might blame Sun Boxing if he used them to apply for a patent.
• Old Sun decided to take Sun Boxing abroad and resign from the laboratory, and Chi Baichuan agreed to part on good terms.
• Chi Ning laughed at the thought of Shen Minyi discovering that the fake materials described a skincare product for rubbing on feet.
• Chi Ning read news of the Shen Family promoting its new medicine, and Ye Xinran told him he was going to be guaranteed admission.

Ye Xinran told Chi Ning he was leaving for Capital University of Science and Technology, while Qin Heng grew jealous over Chi Ning's attention to Ye Xinran. Before the sports meet, Wang Quan asked Chi Ning to lead Class 1 in the opening ceremony.

• Ye Xinran told Chi Ning he had been accepted by Capital University of Science and Technology and would leave school the next day; Chi Ning congratulated him and gave him a commemorative fountain pen.
• Qin Heng ate the frozen bayberries he had intended to share with Chi Ning after seeing Chi Ning give Ye Xinran a gift and let him ruffle his hair.
• Qin Heng refused Chi Ning's request for bayberries until Chi Ning called him Brother Heng, then gave him the bag and invited him to dinner after the sports meet.
• Qin Heng recognized that Shen Minyi had stolen information from Chi Ning's house and guessed that Chi Ning's side had already switched it.
• Before the sports meet's opening ceremony, Wang Quan asked Chi Ning to carry Class 1's sign and lead the class out.

Chi Ning reluctantly carried Class 1’s sign at the sports-meet opening ceremony while reporters eyed him and Qin Heng as potential gossip. When a reporter tried to bait Li Qiuhe and a Class 2 girl into making claims about Chi Ning, they challenged his questions and unauthorized photography.

• Wang Quan persuaded Chi Ning to carry Class 1’s heavy sign, gave him an oversized outfit, and pinned the shorts to keep them up.
• Chi Ning held the sign through the opening ceremony as Qin Heng watched him from Class 18’s formation.
• Reporters secretly photographed Chi Ning and Qin Heng and discussed paying students to uncover gossip about Chi Ning.
• Li Qiuhe collected classmates’ requests for practice papers, and Chi Ning asked him to bring back a copy of Medical Anthropology.
• A reporter photographed Li Qiuhe and a Class 2 girl, suggested they were secretly dating, and tried to draw Li Qiuhe into criticizing Chi Ning.
• Li Qiuhe defended Chi Ning, while the girl challenged the reporter’s unauthorized interview and demanded that he return their photos.

Chi Ning prepared for the shot put while Qin Heng watched over him and tried to understand why Chi Ning cared so much about proving he had not been scared in the past. As Chi Ning entered the throwing circle, Qin Heng sent snacks to Class 1 and withheld them from Class 18.

• The Class 2 monitor and Li Qiuhe brought Chi Ning his books, and Li Qiuhe saw Qin Heng cover Chi Ning's legs with his jacket.
• Qin Heng asked Chi Ning about his shot put event and teased him about once looking as if he had cried; Chi Ning insisted his red eyes had been caused by spicy food.
• Chi Ning realized he wanted Qin Heng, specifically, to believe him, then went to the shot put field after the announcement called his name.
• Yue Yaozong threw more than nine meters, and Qin Heng gave Zhang Qiuwen money to buy Chi Ning a mung bean smoothie and snacks.
• Chi Ning stepped into the throwing circle as students discussed his chances; Qin Heng told Zhang Qiuwen to give the snacks to Class 1 and leave Class 18 out.

Chi Ning won the shot put with a throw of 10.1 meters, and Qin Heng celebrated his success while inviting him to watch the basketball tournament. After Qin Heng left to play, Chi Ning found the sports meet dull without him and went to watch the games, where the students’ chaotic play entertained him.

• Chi Ning used his knowledge of projectile motion to win the shot put with a 10.1-meter throw, then gave Zhang Qiuwen his fountain pen and Qin Heng his notebook.
• Qin Heng gave Chi Ning a mung bean shake, accepted his explanation that he had cried because of the spice, and asked him to watch the basketball tournament.
• Chi Ning agreed to watch Qin Heng play in the finals, but after Qin Heng left, he found it difficult to focus on his book and realized the sports meet felt less enjoyable without him.
• Li Qiuhe reminded Chi Ning that their class had a basketball game, and Chi Ning left his book with him before heading to the court.
• Chi Ning watched the early basketball games as the PE teacher called out the students’ fouls and mishaps.

Chi Ning watched Qin Heng lead Class 18 to victory in the basketball final, then nearly fell from the railing before Qin Heng caught him. A call from Chi Yang revealed that Shen Minyi’s drug had launched with a changed formula and stated side effects, leaving Chi Ning asking whether it had been released without clinical trials.

• Chi Ning watched Qin Heng and Zhang Qiuwen help Class 18 take an early lead, then saw Qin Heng score the winning three-pointer against Class 15.
• Class 18 celebrated their victory, and Qin Heng declined the water offered by fans before taking off his jersey.
• Qin Heng caught Chi Ning when he lost his balance on the railing and warned him not to sit there again.
• Chi Yang called Chi Ning to report that Shen Minyi’s drug had launched, and Chi Ning asked whether it had gone through clinical trials.
• Chi Yang said the instructions disclosed side effects and that the formula had been altered, then asked why Chi Ning’s surroundings were so noisy.

Chi Ning and Qin Heng left school for hotpot, and a flustered Chi Ning ended up touching Qin Heng’s abs after asking whether he had them. The chapter left them at Gangnan Universal Entertainment Center, where Chi Ning stopped to buy a newspaper.

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng changed out of their clothes at school, and Chi Ning noticed red marks from an allergic reaction around his waist.
• Chi Ning invited Qin Heng to a Sichuan-style hotpot restaurant at Gangnan Universal Entertainment Center, and they took a taxi there.
• On the ride, Chi Ning became distracted by Qin Heng’s scent and blurted out a question about his abs when they got out.
• Qin Heng took Chi Ning’s hand and pressed it to his abdomen, and Chi Ning felt his muscles through his clothes before pulling away.
• Qin Heng asked when Chi Ning’s birthday was, and Chi Ning said he had turned seventeen in July and did not celebrate birthdays.
• At the entertainment center, Chi Ning spotted some newspapers and told Qin Heng to wait while he bought one.

Chi Ning read a newspaper report about the Shen Family’s new foot cream and realized Shen Minyi had stolen the formula from the Chi family. As he explained the product’s benefits and risks to Qin Heng, he accidentally leaned on Qin Heng’s shoulder, then quickly sat upright again.

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng entered a hotpot restaurant and were seated in its semi-private “shy zone.”
• Qin Heng sat beside Chi Ning and prepared several dipping sauces for him while they waited for their food.
• Chi Ning read a newspaper praising the Shen Family’s foot cream and its supposed five years of research.
• Chi Ning and Qin Heng realized Shen Minyi had stolen the Chi family’s formula, and Chi Ning explained that the product could help users but might cause their symptoms to recur after they stopped using it.
• Chi Ning laughed and leaned against Qin Heng’s shoulder before noticing and quickly straightening up.

Chi Ning and Qin Heng went on an intimate hot pot outing, and Qin Heng took Chi Ning home afterward. The next day, Chi Ning returned to school as senior year grew busier, still contentedly reading extracurricular books.

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng ate hot pot together, and Qin Heng picked the duck meat from the bones for Chi Ning after he bit his tongue.
• Chi Ning rejected Qin Heng's offer to take him home, but Qin Heng insisted and drove him to the Chi Residence.
• Chi Yang and Chen Mingxian questioned Chi Ning about his outing, and Chi Yang realized he had secretly eaten hot pot with a man.
• Chi Ning showered, went to sleep, and woke the next morning to his family looking at him strangely.
• After the sports meet, senior year became tense, while Chi Ning kept reading extracurricular books and bundled himself up against the cold.

Chi Ning’s classmates celebrated Li Qiuhe’s early admission to S University, and several early-admitted students spent the final exams playing cards instead of sitting the tests. While helping grade papers afterward, Chi Ning recognized Qin Heng’s work and learned that he had scored highly despite missing part of a difficult problem.

• Wang Quan announced Li Qiuhe’s early admission to S University, and Li Qiuhe thanked Chi Ning for helping him prepare for the competition.
• Li Qiuhe decided to stay at school and help classmates, while Wang Quan announced that early-admitted students could not take the final exam.
• Chi Ning, Li Qiuhe, Wang Mianzhi, and another Class 2 student played cards in the teachers’ office during the exams.
• After the exams, Wang Quan recruited the early-admitted students to help science teachers grade papers.
• Chi Ning recognized Qin Heng’s handwriting on a math paper and asked Li Qiuhe to grade it; Li Qiuhe found that Qin Heng had missed only two parts of the final problem.

After Qin Heng rose to 55th place in the grade, he publicly said he wanted to attend the same university as someone, then joined Class 1 and sat beside Chi Ning. On the way to Tea River Lounge, Chi Ning found a report accusing Shen Group’s Jiu Pharmaceutical of selling unethical medicine, and read workers’ accounts of its harmful effects.

• Li Qiuhe and Wang Mianzhi discovered Qin Heng had scored 139 on his math test, missing points only on the final question.
• At the commendation ceremony, Qin Heng received the Honorary Improvement Award for placing 55th in the grade and said he wanted to attend the same university as someone.
• During seat selection, Li Qiuhe sat away from Qin Heng, leaving Chi Ning to take the seat beside him; Qin Heng welcomed Chi Ning with a rare smile.
• After classes ended, Chi Ning and Qin Heng planned to go to Tea River Lounge, while Chi Ning intended to play billiards nearby.
• In a taxi, Chi Ning spotted a newspaper report alleging Shen Group’s Jiu Pharmaceutical sold unethical medicine through medical insurance and read workers’ complaints about the product.