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Six periods. Speechless in capital letters. That was how Song Yu felt right now.

Having read all of Gentle Control, he certainly wasn't completely ignorant about things between men. He had simply never imagined that his innocent friendship with Xie Sui would be twisted into this.

The dedicated shipping thread blew up for ages.

Everyone went from disbelief to gleeful amusement. Once they finished laughing, they started calling out to Song Yu right there in the thread.

[Brother Yu, what a rare guest, what a rare guest, what a rare guest!]

[How did the exam go, baby? Do you know how worried we were about your grades a while ago? qaq]

[We were so scared you and God Xie would end up at opposite ends of the rankings. That would be too heartbreaking.]

[How did you do, Brother Yu! Don't end up too far from God Xie on the rankings!]

As the person involved, Song Yu didn't feel much once his speechlessness passed. After all, he knew he was straight. An upright person had no reason to fear a crooked shadow.

Eyes lowered, he scrolled through casually. The moment he saw someone asking about his grades, his attention shifted.

[Your Husband Brother Yu: Pretty well.]

He changed the subject so quickly that all the girls in the thread who had been on tenterhooks let out long sighs of relief.

Once the awkwardness passed, they poured their enthusiasm into Song Yu's grades again.

After all, his grades alone had stirred up who knew how many bloody storms on the forum over the past few days.

People who had once been waiting to laugh at him were now praying to Buddha and burning incense for him. The entire forum was nervously, excitedly praying for him to get good grades. He was the only person in the history of No. 1 High School to receive such treatment.

[Can Brother Yu make the top hundred?]

[I heard God Xie tutored you one-on-one. You'll definitely be fine, right, Brother Yu?]

[Don't let God Xie down.]

Song Yu had been in a decent mood since the exam ended. The night was gentle. He frowned slightly and replied.

[I won't let him down.]

His words were completely unlike his usual style. Who knew how many girls froze, then beamed like flowers in front of their phones.

[...So good.]

[Okay, we believe you won't let him down.]

[If you make the top hundred, we'll send God Xie an honorary banner-with "Saving lives and healing the wounded" on it.]

[Hahahahahahahahaha!]

The corners of Song Yu's lips curled up, and he laughed too.

He still remembered his first visit to this forum. Back then, he had thought that perhaps this was what Xie Sui's high school life should have been like: bright, lively, the center of everyone's attention.

And now?

He had achieved half of that, at least. Although Xie Sui still barely interacted with other people, he had received a great deal of kindness.

Setting his phone aside, Song Yu closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Only this time.

He had another dream about Xie Sui.

With the previous two dreams to prepare him, Song Yu was fairly calm this time.

There was a continuation to that banquet from last time.

An endless night, a fine drizzle.

A tall man stepped out of a car, dressed in a black suit, his bearing cold and aloof. His hair was slightly long, and an exquisite watch circled his wrist.

The person beside him stepped forward and opened a black umbrella for him.

The man walked steadily up the steps.

Inside the estate, red roses climbed the wrought-iron gate, and the fine rain dampened the lawn.

The night was hazy, the rainy air misty.

Beneath the umbrella's edge, the man's stern facial contours showed, his lips pressed into a line, his distant heartlessness woven into his bearing.

"Handsome, isn't he?"

In a bedroom on the third floor, unlike the noisy, bustling main hall, everything was quiet and cool. From the window, there was a clear view of the garden.

The speaker was a woman in a nude-colored couture gown, her black curls like seaweed. She was dressed with extraordinary elegance, yet kept stuffing potato chips into her mouth without the slightest concern for appearances.

She spoke as she ate. "He's the one the Xie family only acknowledged a few years ago. So young, and he's already starting to take over Xie Group from his father. Seriously impressive."

Beside her, a young man withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "Sure, he's handsome. And what does that have to do with you?"

The woman muttered, "Why wouldn't it have anything to do with me? Maybe we'll fall in love at first sight in a minute, and before you know it, he'll be your brother-in-law."

The young man scoffed. "That would really take some doing."

"...Are you asking for a beating?"

"Wake up. You're older than him."

"Age isn't a problem."

"But he doesn't look like he'd like your type."

"Where did you get that conclusion?"

"A man's intuition."

"You've never even dated anyone. What damn intuition do you have?"

"But I just understand him." The young man's lips curved in a smile. His skin was sickly pale, his eyes very light, and there was a crystal-like fragility to him. Amusement rippled through his eyes. "Come to think of it, we probably met as children. He probably doesn't remember, though."

"You met?"

"Yeah, when I was five. Mom took me to an estate outside the city to recuperate. Aunt Xu happened to be living nearby, so we played together for a while."

"Aunt Xu..." the woman murmured, then sighed almost inaudibly. "She must have fallen out with both the Xu and Xie families by then."

Shaking her head, she left those old matters aside and asked.

"Then you two have a connection. Want to change and go downstairs to catch up?"

The young man smiled. "Forget it. Just because I remember doesn't mean he does. Besides, he wasn't like this as a kid."

"Not like this? What was he like?"

"I don't want to say. Just listen to me. Don't go asking for a snub. He isn't interested in women with your extensive romantic history."

"...Hahahahaha. How embarrassing, having my own dear little brother think so much on my behalf."

The young man looked at her and said composedly, "It's fine. You should be embarrassed."

"Song Yu!"

The woman shouted in feigned anger, but couldn't keep it up for long before laughing again. She stood and tapped the young man's forehead with a fair finger. "I'm going to try anyway. Just watch me get his contact details! Hmph!"

The dream ended with him watching her leave, the corner of his mouth tugging helplessly.

When Song Yu woke the next day, he rubbed between his brows in frustration. What the hell? Was the system filling in the book's plot for him?

Was it afraid he would forget everything after reading it and fail to act out the details, so it was showing him things from Song Yu's perspective?

No wonder Xie Sui appeared every time he had this kind of dream.

During morning self-study in the classroom, Song Yu propped his English textbook up in front of him and kept turning to glance at Xie Sui.

Exercising the privileges of a study god, Xie Sui was sleeping.

Compared with the man he had glimpsed in his dream, the teenage boy's features were slightly youthful. Especially asleep, he lacked that dangerous sharpness. His lashes were long and black, his nose straight and high, his features refined and cool. His thin lips were tightly pressed together.

Letting his thoughts wander, Song Yu began recalling that question from the dream.

That conversation between "Song Yu" and "Song Wanying" in the dream-so what kind of girl did Xie Sui actually like?

With nothing better to do, he stared at Xie Sui's face and pondered the question for ages. Xie Sui probably liked gentle, innocent girls? He liked that type too. Ideally, she would have two dimples when she smiled, very little strength, and enjoy acting cute.

As he thought about it.

Song Yu's eyes met Xie Sui's.

Xie Sui's eyes were dark and deep, watching him quietly.

Embarrassed for a moment, Song Yu tried to salvage things. "You're awake."

Xie Sui pushed himself up against the desk and smiled, his voice slightly husky. "How could I keep sleeping with you staring at me like that?"

Song Yu said, "...Oh, I was bored, so I was counting your eyelashes for you."

Xie Sui tilted his head. "How many?"

Song Yu said, "Seeing you wake up startled me into forgetting."

Xie Sui curved his lips. Without exposing him, he opened his English textbook to the reading passage.

But Song Yu couldn't contain his curiosity and asked outright, "Xie Sui, is there a girl you like?"

Xie Sui's gaze fell on the first line of English. "Why do you ask?" he said mildly.

Song Yu said, "I'm curious! In the spirit of give-and-take, I'll tell you my type first. Gentle, pretty, kind, and ideally good at acting cute."

Before Xie Sui could speak.

Sharp-eared Ma Xiaoding had already heard everything and piped up, "Brother Yu, you might as well have said nothing. That's a textbook straight guy's half-assed answer. Why not just say you like blonde girls? All guys like blonde girls."

Song Yu turned around. "Shut up!"

Ma Xiaoding: "..."

He manually zipped his mouth shut.

Xie Sui repeated with a smile, "Gentle, pretty, kind, and good at acting cute, hmm?"

Song Yu listened carefully, confirmed there were no mistakes, and nodded. "Exactly."

Xie Sui's tone was very mild. "What a coincidence. We overlap a lot. I like someone kind, cute, and smart."

The brick he tossed out had indeed only brought back another brick.

Song Yu rolled his eyes. "That's way too half-assed."

Xie Sui glanced at him. "I'm serious."

Song Yu said, "So am I!"

Before they could finish their debate, their homeroom teacher, Teacher Cheng, came in. He set his insulated cup on the lectern, looking positively triumphant, his smile refusing to stop spreading, his whole face shining.

"Class, I have some good news."

"This was your first monthly exam in high school, and the grade administration took it very seriously. Everyone was eager to know their results, so the teachers grading the papers worked overtime yesterday and finished compiling all your results today. The rankings should already be up on the noticeboard."

"I haven't looked closely at everyone's results yet, but our class had the highest average in the grade. That's thanks to all your hard work lately. Every one of you deserves praise. Come on, give yourselves a round of applause first."

Teacher Cheng led the applause.

The Class 1 students, stunned by the news that the results were out, could only clap along.

Clap, clap, clap.

Teacher Cheng was brimming with enthusiasm. "Class monitor, set up a class chat later. Everyone can discuss what we should do for a class team-building activity."

At his words, the students' eyes lit up!

The whole class instantly erupted, their applause far more enthusiastic than before!

But Song Yu's mind was entirely on the news that the results were out. He was distracted for the whole lesson. Near the end of class, he fished out yesterday's coin and secretly started tossing it again. Heads meant good, tails meant bad.

The moment the bell rang.

He opened his hand.

Heads.

"Go, go, go, go!"

Song Yu grabbed Xie Sui and ran outside-with luck this good, maybe he had made the top ten in the grade.

The noticeboard was downstairs from the classrooms. A crowd had already gathered around it, but when they saw them, they voluntarily cleared a path.

Xie Sui followed behind, calm and unhurried. He was more interested in seeing Song Yu's results than his own.

Song Yu stood beneath the noticeboard and looked up. Sure enough, Xie Sui was in first place.

Out of a possible 750, his total was 748.

There were sharp intakes of breath and whispers all around them.

"God Xie really lives up to his name."

"Is that a score a human can get?"

Full marks in everything except Chinese, all neatly lined up.

Song Yu was much calmer than the people around him. With the protagonist's halo right there, he had to concede.

Completely unconcerned about his own results, Xie Sui asked beside him, "Have you found yourself?"

Song Yu started searching from hundredth place, his voice weak. "No." Moving upward line by line, he was, for once, a little nervous.

But Xie Sui smiled. "I've already found you."

Song Yu said, "Mm."

Xie Sui reached out and pointed to the first row of the second column, to the name right beside his.

"Eighty-first."

Song Yu looked up and stared for a long time. The thing he had been so fixated on was finally settled, and he smiled. His eyes were clear, brighter than the morning light.

[Rejoice, everyone! Brother Yu ranked eighty-first in the grade!]

Original post: Oh my god, that's seriously badass. Top hundred in the grade at Jingcheng No. 1 High School! He's really a study tyrant! Full marks in both math and physics! Fuck! I can't out-argue him, can't beat him in a fight, and can't even beat his grades. I'm going to shut myself away.

1: Aaaaaah, I'm so excited I've decided to have my mom set up two banquet tables at the village entrance tonight. Slaughter chickens and ducks, butcher pigs and cattle.

2: Haters, feeling that slap in the face? Hurry up and come out to get roasted!

3: Hahahahahahaha, upstairs, Brother Yu's monthly exam wasn't a satisfying face-slapping novel. It was a catastrophe of the century. From what I can see, the haters have all gone mad with joy.

15: God Xie deserves a lot of credit for Brother Yu doing so well. Of course, we should also thank everyone in Class 1, like me, for not disturbing him.

16: Makes sense. That's why I'm planning to put up five hundred as a reward for the Class 1 students.

If you're not satisfied, I'll add another hundred. If you are satisfied, pretend I didn't say anything.

17: Class 1 students: ????

18: Hahahahahahaha, this is sugar, right?

Wuwuwu, Brother Yu and God Xie are ranked side by side. Oh my god, what kind of destined connection is this? I will always stand in the place closest to you. It was destined from the first day we became deskmates.

19: Whew, this damn monthly exam is finally over.

Author's note: Thank you to the little angels who sent me overlord tickets or watered me with nutrient solution~

Thank you to the little angel who sent [rocket launchers]: Huaye v5, 1;

Thank you to the little angels who sent [land mines]: Nana nei, 2; Yanqie, Diyuan Xiaoqing, Bad at Math, 37514937, puma, The Server Is a Potato, demeter, Willow Fluff Across the River, Shuli Pukou, hehe, Shredded Pork with Green Peppers Without the Shreds, Duomin, Yuchen, 1 each;

Thank you to the little angels who watered me with [nutrient solution]:

The Neighbor's Little Scallion, 90 bottles; Yileite, 50 bottles; ray, 36 bottles; Autumn Maple in the Night Rain, 24 bottles; --, Once There Was a Mountain, harukaya, 20 bottles each; Summer Night Escape, 19 bottles; Muge, 14 bottles; Reporting to Your Majesty, Awuwuwuwuwuwu, Leaf-Eating Rabbit, alessa, Wolves Eat Carrots, 10 bottles each; Linlin Xunxun, 7 bottles; ♂Who Knows♀, Molinlin, Twelfth Lady, Su Wanzhen, Twilight over the Pond., Sakurai Momoko, Both Time and You Are Hard to Keep, 5 bottles each; Xuanxuan, Chenliang, 4 bottles each; Hehehe, ann, 3 bottles each; Xiaoyou, Formalin, Yahei, encounter_07, Eat All Across the World, Won't Change My Name Until I Top, clamz, 2 bottles each; Linai, Fenglan, Liu, Youli, What Can Ease My Worries, Only Getting Rich, Rain Like Brocade, Even Scorching Summer Is Cold (=^▽^=), Star-Filled Sky, Studying Makes Me Happy, wanly, Seven Nights, Hates Ginger, doyizi^, Lanlanlanlanlan, The Lumbar Disc Selling Answers, 1 bottle each;

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard!