Page 18

"Your beautiful soul shines, too, Host~" A-Deng said suddenly.

Shen Baili said, "You're... a little strange."

She turned toward the podium and spoke with easy confidence. "I know I'm pretty. If you want to compliment me, you can tell me to my face. That would make me even happier."

"Thank you."

Everyone looked at Shen Baili. Qiao Yi called out, "Shen Baili, you're so pretty!"

Her classmates joined in with good-natured cheers.

"You're gorgeous!"

"Your skin is so fair, and your eyes sparkle."

"I love your confidence, Shen Baili."

The hushed atmosphere from moments ago turned cheerful at once.

Shen Baili was delighted and accepted the compliments openly.

She actually agreed with the system. She had not only a beautiful face but an interesting soul, too.

She stepped down from the podium and took Qiao Yi to find seats.

Qiao Yi noticed that her ears had turned red as well.

"Are you shy, too?"

"Yeah," Shen Baili admitted. She pointed across the room. "Can we sit there?"

Qiao Yi had no objection and followed her, then spoke up. "Baili, I'd like the window seat."

"Sure," Shen Baili said.

"I'd like a window seat too, so I'll find somewhere else to sit."

There was only one pair of adjacent seats left by a window. If they both wanted one, they would have to sit apart.

Shen Baili respected what Qiao Yi wanted, but she would not deny herself, either.

Qiao Yi happened to be the same way. Otherwise, she would not have said what she wanted so readily. "Okay."

Zhu Zhitao overheard them and called out, "Shen Baili, be my deskmate."

"I'll sit on the aisle." She moved over, offering the window seat.

Having a gorgeous deskmate was far more exciting than sitting by the window.

"Thank you," Shen Baili said.

Qiao Yi sat in front of them. Zhu Zhitao struck up a conversation as if they were already friends. "Shen Baili, you're so cool."

As an introvert, she envied how calmly Shen Baili had stood at the podium. A beauty who knew she was beautiful was just too cool.

She had liked Shen Baili at first sight. Shen Baili had exactly the face she imagined for the heroine of her ideal novel.

"Thank you. Your eyes are beautiful," Shen Baili said. She had an eye for beauty herself.

Zhu Zhitao cupped her cheeks. "A beautiful girl complimented me!"

"I'm so happy I could faint."

Shen Baili and Qiao Yi stared at her in surprise.

"She gets this dramatic whenever she sees a pretty girl. She must faint at least ten times a day."

All three looked up. Sang Fang pushed up her glasses and looked at Qiao Yi. "Hi. Is this seat taken?"

"No." Qiao Yi shook her head.

"Sang Fang!" Zhu Zhitao protested. "You're embarrassing me again!"

"Let me keep a little dignity in front of Baili."

"Hi, I'm Sang Fang. It's nice to meet you," Sang Fang said.

"We were deskmates in middle school."

Only then did Zhu Zhitao remember she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Seeing a pretty girl made me forget my own name."

"I'm Zhu Zhitao. You can call me Taotao. I hope we can be good friends."

Qiao Yi and Shen Baili answered together, "Nice to meet you."

Zhu Zhitao looked between them. "Did you two know each other before?"

"We just met," Shen Baili said with a smile.

Qiao Yi nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Wow, what a coincidence," Zhu Zhitao exclaimed. "And we were meant to meet too, hehe."

"Yeah, we were," Shen Baili said.

They were all such lively, sweet girls.

So this is high school?

Warmth filled Shen Baili's chest, as comforting as sunshine.

"Oh, right, I brought some fruit. Want some?" Zhu Zhitao pulled a lunch box from her desk. Inside were cut apples, strawberries, and large green jujubes.

"A pick, please. Thanks," Sang Fang said without hesitation.

Zhu Zhitao handed them out one by one. "Good thing my dad packed plenty so I could share with my classmates."

"Your dad's so nice," Qiao Yi said as she ate a strawberry.

Shen Baili took some chocolate from her schoolbag. "I have chocolate. Want some?"

Zhu Zhitao answered instantly. "Chocolate is my favorite!!"

Smiling, Shen Baili handed her some. Zhu Zhitao unwrapped a piece and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened with delight. "It's so good," she said around the chocolate.

"Where did you buy it?"

Sang Fang had just unwrapped hers. She put it in her mouth, then nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"My mom and I made it together. If you like it, I'll bring more tomorrow."

"I love it!!!!" Zhu Zhitao said.

"Baili, you're the best."

Qiao Yi gently poked Shen Baili's arm. Shen Baili turned to her with a smile and asked softly, "What is it?"

Qiao Yi looked a little embarrassed. "Could I have a piece of chocolate?"

She had turned it down earlier, only to ask for some now. It was embarrassing, but Shen Baili had made the chocolate herself.

Qiao Yi did not like sweets, but she wanted to try it.

"Of course." Shen Baili handed her a piece. "You don't have to be so polite with me."

Qiao Yi nodded. "Mm-hmm."

She ate the chocolate. It was not as cloyingly sweet as she had expected; it had a refreshing hint of lemon. Her eyes lit up. "It's really good."

"Then have some more," Shen Baili said happily.

Qiao Yi ate two more pieces. She could not bear to throw away the wrappers and carefully tucked them into her notebook.

Shen Baili saw her do it and was touched.

No one disliked seeing a gift from the heart treasured and cared for.

Zhu Zhitao noticed too. "Wow, I'm keeping mine as bookmarks."

She put her wrappers away, then looked at Sang Fang.

Sang Fang understood at once. She had no interest in collecting bookmarks. "Here."