Chapter Summaries

Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia met for a badminton rematch during PE, with Chen Shi'an refereeing. After agreeing to play to twenty-one with the loser doing twenty sit-ups, the two began their match.

• Teacher Wan reviewed Class Five's sports meet registrations, and Xu Zihan tried to nominate his friends for events before they stopped him.
• Chen Shi'an noticed Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia had brought badminton rackets and learned they had arranged a singles match at noon.
• Wen Zhixia challenged Lin Meng Qiu to a rematch after losing their previous game, and Lin Meng Qiu accepted.
• Lin Meng Qiu proposed that the loser do twenty sit-ups, and Wen Zhixia agreed to play to twenty-one, winning by two points and switching ends at eleven.
• Chen Shi'an refereed the match and flicked the shuttlecock onto Wen Zhixia's side to determine the first serve.

Lin Meng Qiu came from behind to beat Wen Zhixia in a badminton match, then watched as Wen Zhixia’s sit-up forfeit brought her closer to Chen Shi'an. The chapter ended with Lin Meng Qiu wondering why winning felt like losing.

• Wen Zhixia took an early lead with powerful smashes, but Lin Meng Qiu found her rhythm and narrowed the gap before the first half ended.
• Wen Zhixia extended her lead in the second half, but Lin Meng Qiu used controlled shots to exhaust her and draw the score level.
• Lin Meng Qiu saved match point and won 23–21 after returning Wen Zhixia’s final smash into the back corner.
• Wen Zhixia accepted her bet and completed twenty sit-ups while Chen Shi'an held her legs and counted.
• Wen Zhixia asked Chen Shi'an to help her up, and Lin Meng Qiu watched their hands clasp as she felt that her victory had somehow become a loss.

After PE, Lin Meng Qiu let Chen Shi'an wipe sweat from her neck and back, then helped refill his water. During biology class, Chen Shi'an asked about using the school laboratories to try the experiments he had studied, and Lin Meng Qiu told him to ask her father, Principal Lin; the chapter ended with them starting cleaning duty and agreeing to eat together.

• After losing their badminton match, Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia returned to class, where Lin Meng Qiu agreed to let Chen Shi'an wipe sweat from her neck and back.
• Lin Meng Qiu refilled Chen Shi'an's cup with his preferred lukewarm water after he finished drinking.
• During biology class, Chen Shi'an asked Lin Meng Qiu where the laboratories were and said he wanted to conduct experiments after finishing the books.
• Lin Meng Qiu told Chen Shi'an to ask her father, Principal Lin, if he wanted to use a laboratory.
• After class, Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu took brooms for cleaning duty, and Lin Meng Qiu agreed to eat with him afterward.

Lin Meng Qiu and Chen Shi'an finished cleaning together and arranged to practice for Sports Day, then Chen Shi'an accepted her invitation to eat takeaway in her dorm. As they reached Room 406, they ran into Teacher Zhuang, who learned that Chen Shi'an was there to see Lin Meng Qiu's room.

• Lin Meng Qiu and Chen Shi'an discussed practicing for their Sports Day events, including the Three-Legged Race and Back-to-Back Ball Relay.
• They took their time carrying rubbish along the camphor-tree path, then went to Cafeteria No. 2 for takeaway.
• Chen Shi'an suggested eating in Lin Meng Qiu's dorm, and she agreed to let him see her room.
• Lin Meng Qiu and Chen Shi'an headed to Room 406 in the Teachers' Dormitory with their food.
• Teacher Zhuang came out of Room 403 and was surprised to find Chen Shi'an accompanying Lin Meng Qiu.

Chen Shi'an visited Lin Meng Qiu’s studio, shared lunch with her, and waited while she showered. He helped dry her hair with magical power, then teased her into chasing him as they rushed to evening study.

• Lin Meng Qiu showed Chen Shi'an around her studio, where he noticed her messy bed and laundry before she tidied them up.
• Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu ate lunch together, and he took some of her rice using her chopsticks.
• Chen Shi'an asked to use Lin Meng Qiu’s computer and practiced basic computer skills while she showered.
• With little time before evening study, Chen Shi'an used a warm towel to dry Lin Meng Qiu’s hair quickly.
• Chen Shi'an carried out the trash and ran ahead after teasing Lin Meng Qiu about thanking him, leaving her to chase him as Teacher Zhuang watched.

After evening study, Chen Shi'an walked and rode home with Wen Zhixia, who teased him, tickled him, and chose to sit backward on his bicycle. The chapter ended with Wen Zhixia singing “Back-to-Back Hug” as they rode together.

• Wen Zhixia complained that her muscles hurt from studying and asked Chen Shi'an for a massage, but she got too ticklish and started tickling him instead.
• Wen Zhixia chased Chen Shi'an to the bicycle shed and tickled him until he gave in, then joked that she and Xiao Yan often behaved that way too.
• At the school gates, Wen Zhixia sat backward on Chen Shi'an's bicycle and carried his backpack while he wore hers in front.
• Wen Zhixia told Chen Shi'an she had thought of Junjie's “Back-to-Back Hug,” then sang it as they rode.
• Chen Shi'an praised Wen Zhixia's singing, and she happily began singing again.

Li Wanyin and Chen Shi'an returned home after her milk tea stall closed, where they prepared medicinal tea and soaked her feet with mugwort. Li Wanyin eagerly agreed to attend his upcoming parent-teacher meeting, and the chapter ended with the household weighing themselves and Fat Ink secretly checking its own weight.

• Li Wanyin closed her busy milk tea stall at 10:30, and she and Chen Shi'an went home with Fat Ink.
• Chen Shi'an prepared medicinal tea for Li Wanyin, Zhi Xia, and Meng Qiu, while Li Wanyin soaked her feet in mugwort water and helped sew the tea bags.
• Chen Shi'an invited Li Wanyin to attend his upcoming parent-teacher meeting, and she enthusiastically agreed.
• Li Wanyin brought home a bathroom scale, and she and Chen Shi'an weighed themselves before Fat Ink evaded them.
• Fat Ink later stepped onto the scale alone and saw that it weighed 6.4 kilograms.

As Sports Day approached, Chen Shi'an practiced events with Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia while helping younger students fly kites on the Double Ninth Festival. The group turned to the Three-Legged Race, with Lin Meng Qiu preparing to tie herself to Chen Shi'an using the red rope he had brought.

• Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia discussed the Double Ninth Festival and their plans to practice Sports Day events after school.
• Chen Shi'an helped several Senior Year One girls launch their kites while Lin Meng Qiu ran laps on the track.
• Chen Shi'an joined Lin Meng Qiu for another lap, and Wen Zhixia and Yao Jingyan caught up with them.
• Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu stopped running and went to practice the Three-Legged Race with Chen Shi'an; Yao Jingyan declined to join them for dinner.
• Lin Meng Qiu asked Chen Shi'an for the rope she had requested, and he produced a sturdy coil of red nylon rope.

Chen Shi'an helped Wen Zhixia and Yao Jingyan tie their legs together before tying his leg to Lin Meng Qiu's for paired training. Lin Meng Qiu and Chen Shi'an gradually coordinated while jogging arm in arm, leaving Wen Zhixia jealous and determined to train with him herself.

• Chen Shi'an tied Wen Zhixia and Yao Jingyan's legs together, and the girls practiced walking in sync.
• Chen Shi'an tied his leg to Lin Meng Qiu's, and she nearly fell when they tried their first steps.
• Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu counted their steps together, then began practicing a jog.
• Chen Shi'an put his arm around Lin Meng Qiu's shoulder and asked her to hold his waist, helping them coordinate as they ran.
• Wen Zhixia watched Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu with jealousy and declared she would train with the Taoist next time.

Chen Shi'an’s rapid academic progress left Lin Meng Qiu worried about losing her lead, while the class received custom outfits designed by her and class emblems designed by Chen Shi'an. The chapter ended with Lin Meng Qiu trying on her outfit and Chen Shi'an comparing her to his junior sister.

• Chen Shi'an scored 686 on the Weekly Test, including full marks in math, and Lin Meng Qiu worried that he might overtake her in the upcoming Monthly Exam.
• Lin Meng Qiu added an hour to her daily studying as Chen Shi'an began catching up on Science Comprehensive.
• Qiu Yufu arranged for Senior Class Five to collect its custom outfits, which combined Lin Meng Qiu’s design with Chen Shi'an’s class emblem.
• Chen Shi'an trimmed loose threads from his outfit and persuaded Lin Meng Qiu to try hers on.
• Chen Shi'an told Lin Meng Qiu she looked like his junior sister, and she returned to reading in her new outfit.

On the eve of the Monthly Exam, Chen Shi'an learned where he would sit and shared playful moments with Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia. After Wen Zhixia promised him an outing if he came first in science, he went home and enjoyed chicken soup with Li Wanyin and Fat Ink.

• Qiu Yufu posted the exam seating chart, and Chen Shi'an learned he would take his exam in Senior Year One, Class One.
• Lin Meng Qiu told Chen Shi'an that her old chair had a missing corner, and he said he hoped to sit in her former place and someday take her top exam seat.
• Wen Zhixia told Chen Shi'an that her old desk had “Work hard” carved into it and promised him an outing if he came first in science; they sealed the promise with a pinky swear.
• Wen Zhixia tried on Chen Shi'an's class outfit, then rode behind him with her hands tucked into his jacket pockets to keep warm.
• Li Wanyin served Chen Shi'an silkie chicken soup before his exam, while Fat Ink waited for its share of the meat.

Chen Shi'an took the Chinese Monthly Exam at the desk Wen Zhixia once used and discovered that its paired chair had belonged to Lin Meng Qiu. After the exam, he told Wen Zhixia about the unlikely desk-and-chair pairing while they ate lunch.

• Lin Meng Qiu made Chen Shi'an hot tea and wished him luck before they went to their exam rooms.
• Chen Shi'an found Wen Zhixia's old desk and Lin Meng Qiu's chipped chair paired together in Senior Year One Class One.
• Chen Shi'an completed the difficult Chinese exam and estimated that he had scored between 140 and 145.
• Chen Shi'an bought lunch for Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu, then reassured Wen Zhixia after she worried that she had done badly.
• Wen Zhixia explained how Lin Meng Qiu had recognized her chipped chair, and Chen Shi'an told her that their old desk and chair had become a set.

Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu made a haunted-house bet tied to the math exam, and Chen Shi'an completed the difficult midterms with near-perfect estimated scores. The exams ended with him expecting at least 718 points and wondering how Lin Meng Qiu would fare.

• Lin Meng Qiu proposed that whoever lost the math exam would go to a haunted house with the other, and Chen Shi'an agreed.
• During the extended lunch break, Chen Shi'an napped while Lin Meng Qiu watched him before falling asleep herself.
• Chen Shi'an found the difficult math exam manageable and expected to score full marks.
• Chen Shi'an finished the challenging Science Comprehensive and estimated he would score at least 280.
• After the English exam ended the midterms, Chen Shi'an estimated his total score would be at least 718.

After the Monthly Exam, Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu practiced for the upcoming Sports Day, where his astonishing speed stunned their classmates and his playful antics left Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia laughing and competing for his attention.

• Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu joined their classmates to practice the relays before Yunqi No. 1 High School's Autumn Track and Field Sports Meet.
• During a practice race, Chen Shi'an sprinted past Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia so quickly that both girls stopped in astonishment.
• Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia tried the Back-to-Back Ball Relay without a ball, and he lifted her over his back before they fell onto the grass.
• Lin Meng Qiu pulled Chen Shi'an away to practice with her, but he lifted her in the same playful fashion, making her laugh and beg him to put her down.
• Yao Jingyan carried the jealous Wen Zhixia away from Chen Shi'an and promised to play with her instead.

Chen Shi'an had dinner with Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu, whose awkward attempt to copy Wen Zhixia’s casual food-sharing ended with her eating ginger and being laughed at. After Lin Meng Qiu learned she had won the class vote to carry the Sports Day sign, she secretly added extra tea leaves to Chen Shi'an’s cup to get back at him for teasing her.

• Chen Shi'an invited Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu to dinner, and the three ate together in the cafeteria.
• Wen Zhixia casually shared food with Chen Shi'an, prompting Lin Meng Qiu to awkwardly take a piece of ginger from his tray and eat it.
• Wen Zhixia laughed at Lin Meng Qiu, and the three left the cafeteria together after their meal.
• Qiu Yufu told Lin Meng Qiu that she had won the class vote to carry the Sports Day sign by one vote over Chen Shi'an.
• Lin Meng Qiu secretly added extra tea leaves to Chen Shi'an’s cup to punish him for laughing at her.

After the Monthly Exam, Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu read The Devotion of Suspect X together during evening study, then joined their classmates for a game of Who Is the Spy. Chen Shi'an tricked the others into voting out innocent players by describing his word, [butt], truthfully but misleadingly.

• Lin Meng Qiu shared The Devotion of Suspect X with Chen Shi'an, and they read together through the first evening study period.
• Zheng Yining invited Chen Shi'an, Lin Meng Qiu, Xie Mengxuan, and Qiu Yufu to play Who Is the Spy, with the loser required to meow.
• Chen Shi'an and the others gave vague clues, then voted Xie Mengxuan out, but she revealed that she was an innocent civilian.
• In the second round, Lin Meng Qiu, Chen Shi'an, and Qiu Yufu gave clues that fit Lin Meng Qiu's word, [teeth].
• Chen Shi'an persuaded Lin Meng Qiu to vote Qiu Yufu out, but Qiu Yufu revealed that she had [teeth] too.
• The girls discovered Chen Shi'an's word was [butt], and they meowed after losing the game.

After his exams, Chen Shi'an shared a warm evening with Li Wanyin as they discussed his upcoming Sports Day, her successful milk-tea business, and her decision to leave her job. Li Wanyin gave him a new phone, and the chapter ended with them planning a hot-pot dinner after Sports Day.

• Chen Shi'an finished his exams and told Li Wanyin when his Sports Day events would take place, and she planned to attend on Saturday.
• Li Wanyin showed Chen Shi'an the milk-tea accounts and transferred him 3,675 yuan, refusing his offer to lower his share per cup.
• Li Wanyin gave Chen Shi'an a new phone and gave Fat Ink a ceramic bowl; they transferred their SIM cards from their old phones.
• Chen Shi'an massaged Li Wanyin, and she told him she had handed in her notice and would leave her job after a week of handing things over.
• Chen Shi'an supported Li Wanyin's decision, and they agreed to invite Zhi Xia and Meng Qiu for hot pot after Sports Day.

On Yunqi No. 1 High School’s Sports Day, Chen Shi'an rode Wen Zhixia to school and helped Lin Meng Qiu put her hair into a bun with his bamboo hairpin. The classmates gathered for the event, and the chapter left Lin Meng Qiu admiring her new hairstyle while Zheng Yining and Xie Mengxuan stopped themselves from asking Chen Shi'an for help.

• Chen Shi'an picked up Wen Zhixia on his bicycle, and she invited him to hot pot at her home after Sports Day.
• Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia arrived at school and saw the campus decorated for the opening of the Sports Day.
• Chen Shi'an offered to put Lin Meng Qiu's hair up, and she agreed after examining his bamboo hairpin.
• Chen Shi'an skillfully secured Lin Meng Qiu's hair in a bun, drawing praise from Zheng Yining and Xie Mengxuan.
• Lin Meng Qiu admired her new hairstyle in a mirror, and her cool look stopped Zheng Yining and Xie Mengxuan from asking Chen Shi'an for help.

Chen Shi'an and his classmates took part in Yunqi No. 1 High School’s autumn Sports Day opening ceremony, where a reporter interviewed him and the classes paraded before the guests. The opening ceremony ended with Principal Lin declaring Sports Day officially open.

• Chen Shi'an carried Class Five’s sign and met Wen Zhixia, who told him reporters had come to cover Sports Day.
• A reporter interviewed Chen Shi'an about his Taoist background, school life, class uniform, and goals for the event while Wen Zhixia stood beside him.
• Lin Meng Qiu arrived, and Chen Shi'an reassured her that her pinned-up hair would stay in place before she took the class sign.
• The school raised the flag, heard Principal Lin’s address, and began the class entrance parade, with Lin Meng Qiu leading Class Five.
• Class Five formed the character for five and shouted its slogan as Chen Shi'an waved to the officials; Wen Zhixia later led Class Eleven’s parade.
• After all the classes had entered, Principal Lin declared Yunqi No. 1 High School’s 2023 autumn Sports Day officially open.

During Sports Day, Chen Shi'an anchored Class Five’s boys’ 4×100-meter relay and overtook the field to win the heat in a new Sports Day record. Class Five celebrated his victory while Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia brought him drinks.

• Xu Zihan placed second in the boys’ 100-meter heat, and Class Five went to watch Liu Zhuoran compete in the long jump.
• Chen Shi'an joined Liu Zhuoran, Wang Yuze, and Xu Zihan for the boys’ 4×100-meter relay heat, with Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia waiting at the finish.
• Class Five fell to fifth place by the time Xu Zihan handed the baton to Chen Shi'an.
• Chen Shi'an accelerated past the other runners, overtook the sports student in first, and finished in 43.46 seconds to set a new Sports Day record.
• Class Five celebrated Chen Shi'an’s victory, and Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia each offered him a sports drink.