Chapter Summaries

Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia raced against each other in the girls’ 4×100-meter relay, with Wen Zhixia narrowly finishing ahead of Lin Meng Qiu. Both girls stumbled after the finish, and Chen Shi'an caught them in his arms as their supporters rushed over.

• Chen Shi'an checked on Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia as their teams prepared for the girls’ relay.
• Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia discovered they were both running the fourth leg, and Wen Zhixia asked whether Chen Shi'an had given Lin Meng Qiu her bamboo hairpin.
• Qiu Yufu and Yao Jingyan ran the third leg nearly side by side and handed the batons to Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia.
• Wen Zhixia pulled ahead on the final straight, but Lin Meng Qiu closed the gap before Wen Zhixia finished second in the heat by about half a meter.
• Chen Shi'an caught Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu when they stumbled past the finish line, leaving both girls flustered.

After Sports Day’s morning events, Chen Shi'an celebrated with his classmates and agreed to join Lin Meng Qiu and Little Cicada for hot pot the next evening. In the afternoon, he won the school’s Chinese chess tournament by defeating Mr. Zeng in the championship match.

• Class Five’s boys’ relay team advanced to the final and broke the Sports Day record, while the girls’ relay teams missed the final.
• Xu Zihan treated Chen Shi'an and a crowd of classmates to a lively celebration lunch, and Chen Shi'an felt a sense of belonging among them.
• Chen Shi'an invited Lin Meng Qiu to hot pot with Sister Wanyin and Little Cicada the following evening, and Lin Meng Qiu agreed.
• Chen Shi'an entered the Chinese chess tournament and rapidly advanced to the championship match against Mr. Zeng.
• Chen Shi'an defeated Mr. Zeng after a long game and won the Chinese chess set, while Class Five cheered for its first championship.

After Sports Day, Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu played Flip Chess during evening study until Teacher Ye let the class watch Zootopia. The movie left Lin Meng Qiu sitting close to Chen Shi'an, flustered when their arms touched.

• Chen Shi'an taught Zheng Yining, Xie Mengxuan, and Lin Meng Qiu how to play Flip Chess, and Lin Meng Qiu beat him with a lucky run of pieces.
• Teacher Ye arrived to find the class playing and joking instead of studying, then agreed to show them a movie.
• The class cheered as Teacher Ye set up the projector and chose Zootopia with English subtitles.
• Chen Shi'an shared snacks with Lin Meng Qiu, who enjoyed them while watching the film.
• Lin Meng Qiu moved her chair closer to Chen Shi'an until their arms touched, then blushed when he invited her to move closer.

After Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia shared snacks and talked about appearing on the news, Wen Zhixia wondered whether Li Wanyin’s gift of an expensive phone meant her feelings for him had changed. Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin later discussed his Sports Day events and shared a late-night meal, where he took a photo of her; Li Wanyin denied cutting her hair especially to cheer him on.

• Chen Shi'an shared spicy strips with Wen Zhixia, and they watched the news interview they had appeared in together and liked her Moments post about it.
• Wen Zhixia noticed Chen Shi'an’s new phone and learned Li Wanyin had given it to him, prompting her to wonder whether Li Wanyin had developed feelings for him.
• Chen Shi'an told Wen Zhixia to get up early so they could walk to school with Li Wanyin and Lin Meng Qiu after Sports Day.
• Chen Shi'an helped Li Wanyin close her milk-tea stall, and they ate noodles while discussing his Chinese chess win and the events he would compete in the next day.
• Chen Shi'an took a photo of Li Wanyin by the West River, and she asked him to send her the original before denying that she had cut her hair for his Sports Day.

Li Wanyin visited Yunqi No. 1 High School to cheer Chen Shi'an on during Sports Day, bringing milk tea for him and his classmates. She warmly greeted Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia, while the students gossiped about her relationship with Chen Shi'an.

• Chen Shi'an's classmates talked about his TV appearance, and he asked Lin Meng Qiu whether she had seen the clip.
• Li Wanyin arrived at school with Fat Ink and two bags of milk tea, registering as Chen Shi'an's cousin at the gate.
• While waiting for Sports Day to begin, Li Wanyin looked at the Honor Roll and admired Lin Meng Qiu's and Wen Zhixia's rankings.
• Students noticed Li Wanyin's appearance and watched as Chen Shi'an greeted her before going to lead morning exercises.
• Li Wanyin gave Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia milk tea and reminded them about their hot pot gathering that evening.

Li Wanyin visited Chen Shi'an at Yunqi No. 1 High School’s Sports Day and shared milk tea with his classmates. At Class Five’s Base Camp, Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia competed over who was closer to Black Cat, which fled to Li Wanyin when both tried to pet it.

• Li Wanyin watched Chen Shi'an lead the morning exercises, greeted Principal Lin, and brought milk tea to support him.
• Chen Shi'an took Li Wanyin to Class Five’s Base Camp, where his classmates welcomed her and Lin Meng Qiu offered her a seat and water.
• Black Cat arrived at the base camp, dodged the students, and settled beside Lin Meng Qiu, who fed it biscuits.
• Chen Shi'an handed out milk tea to classmates, then went to Class Eleven to bring drinks to Wen Zhixia and Xiao Yan.
• Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu argued over who knew Black Cat better and reached for it at the same time.
• Black Cat dodged them and ran to Li Wanyin, while both girls blamed the other for scaring it away.

Chen Shi'an led Class Five to victory in the 4 × 100-meter relay after his teammates fought back from last place to seventh. Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu celebrated together at the finish, then awkwardly broke apart.

• Chen Shi'an showed Li Wanyin around Sports Day with Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu, and they watched the finals together.
• Class Five gathered to cheer Chen Shi'an and his relay teammates, while Fat Ink jumped onto Chen Shi'an's shoulder for photos before running off.
• Liu Zhuoran, Wang Yuze, and Xu Zihan each ran their relay legs, bringing Class Five from last place to seventh before handing the baton to Chen Shi'an.
• Chen Shi'an overtook the other teams and crossed the finish line first, winning the relay for Class Five.
• Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu cheered and embraced in excitement, then quickly separated when they realized they were hugging.

Chen Shi'an dominated the Men's 3,000-Meter Run, pushing the other runners to their limits and setting a school record alongside three competitors. After the chaotic finish, he joined Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, Lin Meng Qiu, and Fat Ink to head for lunch.

• After the relay, Chen Shi'an reunited with Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu, who had taken photos of him.
• Chen Shi'an started the 3,000-meter race at the back, then surged ahead and set a punishing pace for the pack.
• As runners fell behind, withdrew, or threw up, Chen Shi'an maintained the lead and crossed the finish line in first place.
• The scoreboard showed that Chen Shi'an and three other runners had broken the school record, and Chen Shi'an helped the exhausted competitors recover.
• Li Wanyin checked on Chen Shi'an, who said he had once run over thirty kilometers, then he accepted water and gathered his friends and Fat Ink for lunch.

Chen Shi'an, Lin Meng Qiu, Wen Zhixia, and Li Wanyin shared lunch at school, then walked around campus and took photos together. Lin Meng Qiu learned that Li Wanyin had given Chen Shi'an an expensive new phone and suspected Wen Zhixia was letting her handle the rivalry with Li Wanyin.

• Lin Meng Qiu tried to pet Fat Ink in the cafeteria line, but the cat dodged her and ran off with Wen Zhixia when she offered it food.
• Chen Shi'an and the three girls ate lunch together, with Li Wanyin smoothing over the tension between Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu.
• Rather than nap before the afternoon events, Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu walked around Yunqi No. 1 High School.
• Li Wanyin photographed Chen Shi'an, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu by a fountain, and Chen Shi'an took pictures of Li Wanyin and Wen Zhixia.
• Lin Meng Qiu noticed Chen Shi'an had a new phone and learned that Li Wanyin had given it to him, prompting her to suspect Wen Zhixia was making her compete with Li Wanyin.

Chen Shi'an won the Three-Brick Step, then teamed up with Lin Meng Qiu for the Three-Legged Race and with her for the Back-to-Back Ball Carry. After Wen Zhixia and Yao Jingyan won the latter event, Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu paid off their bet by barking.

• Chen Shi'an mastered the Three-Brick Step during the race and finished first, breaking the event record.
• Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu challenged Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu to a Three-Legged Race bet, and Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu won, prompting Wen Zhixia to bark.
• Wen Zhixia challenged them again in the Back-to-Back Ball Carry, and she and Yao Jingyan won after both pairs had to restart when their balls fell.
• Chen Shi'an barked to honor the bet, then Lin Meng Qiu reluctantly barked as Wen Zhixia teased her.

Chen Shi'an helped Class Five win the Senior Year Two Class Tug-of-War championship, and the school held its Sports Day awards ceremony. The meet concluded with the winners receiving their awards and Principal Lin declaring the event over.

• Class Five drew Class Eleven as its first-round opponent, and Chen Shi'an joined the team alongside Lin Meng Qiu.
• Chen Shi'an controlled the tug-of-war and led Class Five to victory over Class Eleven, then helped the class defeat every opponent and claim the championship.
• Principal Lin presented medals and prizes to the Sports Day champions, including Chen Shi'an, Lin Meng Qiu, and Wen Zhixia.
• Lin Ming thanked the parents and athletes, declared Yunqi No. 1 High School's 2023 Autumn Track and Field Sports Meet concluded, and wished everyone a good weekend.

After the school sports event, Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu headed out for hot pot and stopped to replace Chen Shi'an’s worn shoes. Li Wanyin paid for his new pair by treating him like her little brother, leaving Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu wary of her advantage in their rivalry for his affection.

• Chen Shi'an offered Li Wanyin one of his prizes as thanks for cheering him on, and the group agreed to shop for hot pot ingredients together.
• Lin Meng Qiu noticed Chen Shi'an’s shoes were coming apart, so the group stopped at a shoe store on the way to the market.
• Chen Shi'an chose another pair of canvas shoes despite the girls suggesting other styles.
• Li Wanyin paid for Chen Shi'an’s shoes and called them a gift from his big sister, while Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu privately recognized her sibling act as a way to show affection without appearing romantically competitive.
• Chen Shi'an repaired his old shoes with glue, and the four left for the vegetable market with Li Wanyin carrying the old pair.

Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu bought ingredients for hot pot and prepared dinner together, with the two girls competing over chores and payments. As Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu learned more about Li Wanyin’s hard-working life and plans to sell milk tea full-time, they admired her while privately worrying about her feelings for Chen Shi'an.

• Li Wanyin chose a divided clear-and-spicy hot pot, and the group bought meat, vegetables, and a pot while Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu competed to pay.
• Chen Shi'an carried the groceries home until Li Wanyin and both girls divided the bags among themselves.
• Li Wanyin assigned Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu kitchen tasks, but they argued over who would cook the rice until Chen Shi'an took over.
• While preparing dinner, Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu asked Li Wanyin about her past, and she told them she had cooked for her family from a young age.
• Li Wanyin said she had resigned from her job and planned to sell milk tea full-time, while Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu praised her and privately worried about her feelings for Chen Shi'an.

Chen Shi'an harvested vegetables from his balcony garden and made fried rice and hot pot for Wen Zhixia, Lin Meng Qiu, and Li Wanyin. As they shared dinner and sampled one another’s dipping sauces, Fat Cat complained that he had been left out.

• Chen Shi'an picked scallions, cilantro, and tomatoes from his balcony garden and brought them into the kitchen.
• The girls tasted Chen Shi'an's tomatoes, and he prepared colorful mixed fried rice while Li Wanyin started the hot pot broth.
• Wen Zhixia, Lin Meng Qiu, and Li Wanyin eagerly ate the fried rice before sitting down to hot pot.
• Chen Shi'an cooked fatty beef for the girls, and they sampled his dipping sauce while Wen Zhixia also tried his sauce.
• Chen Shi'an offered meat dipped in his sauce to Lin Meng Qiu and Li Wanyin, while Fat Cat meowed for a share.

After dinner, Chen Shi'an took Lin Meng Qiu home, then rode with Wen Zhixia along the West River before returning home. Li Wanyin asked him for another back massage because her back was still sore.

• Chen Shi'an finished dinner while Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu cleaned the kitchen, and Li Wanyin told him to take Lin Meng Qiu home.
• Chen Shi'an lent Lin Meng Qiu his uniform jacket and took her home by bicycle; she hugged his waist during the ride and kept the jacket to wash.
• Wen Zhixia waited for Chen Shi'an, then rode with him along the West River and noticed Lin Meng Qiu's hair scent on his clothes.
• Chen Shi'an returned home and found Li Wanyin fresh from her shower; after he asked about her sore back, she agreed to another massage.

Chen Shi'an spent his day off cycling and helping Li Wanyin at her busy milk tea stall before Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu invited him to check their midterm results early. He picked up both girls on the way to school, where they each brought food to share with him.

• Chen Shi'an rode around the city with Fat Ink, then helped Li Wanyin at her West River stall and promised to take her sightseeing another day.
• Wen Zhixia called Chen Shi'an to suggest checking their midterm results early, and Lin Meng Qiu soon asked him to do the same.
• Chen Shi'an left the stall, changed into his school uniform, and picked up Wen Zhixia, who brought fried chicken wings from her mother.
• Chen Shi'an detoured to pick up Lin Meng Qiu, who had washed his uniform and brought soup to share at the cafeteria.
• Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu both grew jealous when they learned Chen Shi'an had picked up the other girl too.

Chen Shi'an, Lin Meng Qiu, Wen Zhixia, and their classmates went to the General Office to sneak an early look at their midterm results. Chen Shi'an scored 723 points and ranked first in the whole school, leaving Lin Meng Qiu stunned as she feared her reign among the top students had been toppled.

• Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu joined Wen Zhixia and their classmates to check their results early, and the group learned Chen Shi'an had estimated over 700 points.
• Wen Zhixia teased Lin Meng Qiu about her estimate, while Lin Meng Qiu worried Chen Shi'an might surpass her in the rankings.
• Teacher Liang let the students into the General Office, where they gathered around his computer to watch him scroll through the rankings.
• The group saw several Class Five students' results, including Xu Zihan's 600.5 points, Zheng Yining's 604 points, Xie Mengxuan's 606 points, and Qiu Yufu's 652 points.
• Teacher Liang revealed that Chen Shi'an had scored 723 points and ranked first in the whole school, shocking the girls and leaving Lin Meng Qiu reeling.

Chen Shi'an scored 723 and took first place from Lin Meng Qiu, leaving her crushed despite her own 710 points. After he coaxed her by praising her math and promising to accept a future challenge, she vowed to beat him and sprang up to reclaim the soup he had threatened to share with Wen Zhixia.

• The girls checked the science rankings and discovered Chen Shi'an had scored 723, while Lin Meng Qiu had scored 710 and lost her longtime first place.
• Wen Zhixia remained first in the arts rankings with 682 points, and the students learned the parent-teacher meeting would take place that weekend.
• As the group left the office, Lin Meng Qiu joined the others in joking that Chen Shi'an was to blame for their parents comparing them to him.
• Back in the classroom, Chen Shi'an laughed at Lin Meng Qiu's sulking, then cheered her by praising her score and reminding her that she had helped him learn math.
• Lin Meng Qiu challenged Chen Shi'an to a rematch and began studying, but she jumped up and snatched her soup when he threatened to share it with Wen Zhixia.

After Chen Shi'an’s exam success, Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia shared food with him and briefly found common ground. Their harmony ended when they argued over whether Chen Shi'an should switch to a liberal arts class, and he proposed studying humanities while staying in Class Five.

• Lin Meng Qiu reflected on losing to Chen Shi'an and joined him and Wen Zhixia for dinner in Cafeteria No. 2.
• Wen Zhixia shared her fried chicken wings with Lin Meng Qiu, who offered her chicken soup in return, and Chen Shi'an served the food to all three.
• Wen Zhixia asked whether Chen Shi'an still planned to pursue first place in liberal arts, prompting Lin Meng Qiu to learn that he intended to study humanities as well as science.
• Wen Zhixia urged Chen Shi'an to transfer to her Class Eleven, while Lin Meng Qiu insisted he stay in Class Five.
• Chen Shi'an reassured both girls that he would study humanities and take its exams without changing classes, and they objected to his plan.

Chen Shi'an’s 723-point monthly exam score put him ahead of Lin Meng Qiu, while his classmates marveled at his near-perfect papers. Lin Meng Qiu tried to keep him in Class Five, and Chen Shi'an reassured her that he wanted to keep sharing a desk with her.

• Chen Shi'an confirmed to his classmates that he had scored 723 and taken first place, leaving them stunned.
• Lin Meng Qiu lent Chen Shi'an an untouched advanced science workbook, then urged him to finish his science studies before pursuing humanities.
• When Chen Shi'an asked whether she did not want him to leave, Lin Meng Qiu could not answer, and he promised to stay in their class and keep sharing her desk.
• The exam results showed Chen Shi'an ranked first in the grade in Chinese, math, English, and science comprehensive, while Xu Zihan was relieved to have beaten Zhuo and others.
• Lin Meng Qiu examined Chen Shi'an’s papers and discovered that he had answered all three optional math questions correctly, then refused to let him inspect her papers.