Category: Green Tea Villainess Fails

Chapter 111: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Ten

Beautiful people always attract more attention, especially when that person was also the girlfriend of Qin Ai, the most popular girl in school.

News of Zuo Bian’s upcoming birthday spread throughout the class. Her birthday was in two days, on a Sunday, and many students suggested throwing her a birthday party.

Before Zuo Bian could even respond, they had already decided on the location.

Everyone was talking at once, giving their opinions. Qin Ai’s head was starting to hurt.

It was her girlfriend’s birthday, why were these people so involved? She was about to tell them to quiet down when she saw Zuo Bian’s face.

Zuo Bian was listening to their discussion with a longing expression. Qin Ai changed her mind. Maybe it was good to have a lively party.

“Let’s have it at my house, it’s bigger,” Zuo Bian said.

“Don’t worry, sister-in-law, we’ll make sure your birthday party is amazing!” Liu Liu declared, his face flushed with excitement.

The other students chimed in, their enthusiasm echoing Liu Liu’s.

Students at this age loved excitement. Anything besides studying could ignite their passion.

Qin Ai wasn’t short of money. Since everyone had decided to celebrate Zuo Bian’s birthday together, they might as well do it properly. She declared that she would cover all the expenses, they didn’t need to worry about the cost.

After school on Friday, a large group of students went to the mall to buy party supplies. They were chattering excitedly, their voices blending together, but Zuo Bian didn’t find it annoying at all. She was happy.

She had always yearned for a real student life, to study and hang out with friends.

Undeniably, no matter how good her adult life was, it couldn’t make up for the things she had missed out on.

At seventeen or eighteen, these teenagers were on the cusp of adulthood but hadn’t yet entered the harsh realities of society. They were naive, innocent, their faces always lit up with bright smiles. They were childish and idealistic, their actions driven by passion.

Qin Ai at this age was no different. She might not have thought about her future with Zuo Bian, but she was pouring all her heart and soul into this relationship.

Zuo Bian and Qin Ai were walking at the back of the group. Zuo Bian turned to look at Qin Ai, and their eyes met.

Zuo Bian smiled at Qin Ai and tightened her grip on her hand.

She had wanted to be a real student, to have classmates to study with, and to meet a younger Qin Ai.

All these wishes had come true. Zuo Bian was truly grateful to 555.

She would cherish the memories of her time here, never forgetting them.

The package’s duration was almost over. Zuo Bian should have left this time period three days ago, but 555 had used points to extend it. She could stay until her birthday.

Honestly, Zuo Bian was reluctant to leave this version of Qin Ai, but she didn’t belong here. She had to return to her own world. The Qin Ai in her world was waiting for her.

Noticing Zuo Bian’s distraction, Qin Ai squeezed her hand.

“What are you thinking about? You’re only allowed to think about me.” Qin Ai was possessive.

Zuo Bian smiled. “I was thinking about you, Qin Ai.”

She loved Qin Ai, no matter her age.

Qin Ai, flustered by Zuo Bian’s straightforwardness, pulled her behind a shelf, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to them.

“Your birthday is the day after tomorrow anyway, so let me have an advance payment. Just one kiss, one kiss.” Qin Ai held up a finger, her gaze fixed on Zuo Bian’s lips, predatory.

No matter the time period, a person’s true nature rarely changed. The adult Qin Ai was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, while the seventeen-year-old Qin Ai was a wolf who openly displayed her dominance and possessiveness.

This wolf, seeing her beloved girl, couldn’t control her desires: greed, lust, possessiveness. She wanted to devour her whole, but she was also afraid of consuming her completely. So she carefully held her close, occasionally taking a nibble, the faint sweetness momentarily satisfying her.

“Then hurry up,” Zuo Bian said, not resisting Qin Ai’s request this time.

Qin Ai’s eyes lit up, and she cupped Zuo Bian’s face, lunging forward.

The word “lunge” wasn’t an exaggeration. Qin Ai was too excited and didn’t control her strength. Her kissing technique was nonexistent, and her teeth accidentally bumped against Zuo Bian’s lips.

Zuo Bian, caught off guard by Qin Ai’s forceful lunge, leaned back. Qin Ai, unable to stop herself, crashed into the shelf along with Zuo Bian.

Instinctively, they both tried to protect each other as they fell.

Bang—Crash—

The shelf hit the wall, and the items on it tumbled to the floor.

There was no need to worry about their secret kiss being discovered now. Everyone was staring at them, their attention drawn by the commotion.

“Boss, sister-in-law, what happened?” Liu Liu and a group of students rushed over to help them up.

Qin Ai was mortified. Could she tell them that she had tried to kiss her girlfriend and accidentally knocked over a shelf? It sounded ridiculous.

Zuo Bian quickly came up with an excuse. “Qin Ai and I were arguing about how many ways there are to solve that math problem from this morning, and we accidentally bumped into the shelf.”

However, one look at Zuo Bian’s slightly bleeding lip and Qin Ai’s awkward expression, which she was trying to hide with a nonchalant facade, and everyone knew that wasn’t what happened.

But there was no need to state the obvious. A knowing glance was enough.

So they all nodded, pretending to believe them.

After helping them up, a few boys straightened the shelf, and others picked up the fallen items. Jiang Yuandong had already gone to apologize to the staff.

Qin Ai examined Zuo Bian’s hands and arms, asking if she was hurt.

Zuo Bian shook her head, saying that only her lip hurt a little.

Qin Ai hesitated, then muttered, “Sorry.”

Zuo Bian quickly kissed Qin Ai on the lips and smiled. “It’s okay, I got my kiss now.”

Liu Liu, still picking up items, shook his head and sighed. “The dog food is strong with this one.”

Jiang Yuandong returned after apologizing. Qin Ai said, “I’ll cover the damages.”

“The shelf isn’t broken, but several boxes of chocolates were crushed,” Liu Liu said, peeking over from the shelf where he was restocking the items.

Qin Ai said, “Then buy them all.”

With so many people, there were many opinions. One person wanted to buy this, another person wanted to buy that. Qin Ai, however, believed that her girlfriend shouldn’t lack anything. So she declared, “Buy everything!”

They bought a mountain of things, more than they could possibly use, but it was better to have too much than too little.

The cashier’s hand was cramping from scanning so many barcodes. The customers waiting in line were dumbfounded, forgetting to switch to another checkout counter.

On Zuo Bian’s birthday, her parents were overjoyed to learn that her classmates were coming over to celebrate with her.

Due to her health issues, Zuo Bian had rarely interacted with her peers and had no friends. Now that she had made so many friends, Du Yundong and Zuo Yan were happy for her.

They even sent several cars to pick up Zuo Bian’s classmates. The students knew that Zuo Bian’s family was wealthy, but they didn’t know they were this wealthy.

The lawn in the garden was bigger than their school’s sports field, and it took more than ten minutes to drive from the gate to the main house.

The towering mansion exuded an air of sophistication and wealth. Not to mention the luxurious cars, the well-trained bodyguards, and the attentive maids. It was a world built on money.

The teenagers were amazed. It wasn’t that they were inexperienced, it was that they had never seen anything like this before. Even TV dramas wouldn’t dare to portray such extravagance.

However, they still decided to set up the birthday party themselves. After all, it was their way of celebrating Zuo Bian’s birthday. It wouldn’t be meaningful if they let others do it for them.

At first, they were clumsy and made many mistakes. The result was far from what they had envisioned, but in the end, it looked decent.

Qin Ai, as the “Boss,” naturally didn’t do any work. She touched the beautifully wrapped gift box. She had imagined this moment countless times, but now that the day had come, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Zuo Bian, the birthday girl, was getting ready and wouldn’t appear so soon.

Even as her girlfriend, Qin Ai was still barred from entering the dressing room. Zuo Bian’s mother had said she wanted to surprise everyone. Unable to see her girlfriend, Qin Ai felt restless.

Bored but unwilling to play with her phone, Qin Ai finally “condescended” to do something.

She arranged the flowers on the long table into a heart shape.

After finishing, she nodded with satisfaction, admiring her masterpiece.

Liu Liu, who had just finished inflating 180 balloons, sat down to rest and saw the heart-shaped flower arrangement. He pointed at it and asked, “Boss, shouldn’t it be a different shape for a birthday?”

Qin Ai glanced at him. “Then what shape do you think it should be?”

Liu Liu was stumped. He didn’t know what shape it should be, so he mumbled that answering a question with a question was rude.

After arranging the flowers, Qin Ai was bored again. But she didn’t have much time to be idle.

Chang Wenyan and Lin Qingqing arrived with gifts. Although they knew that Qin Ai and Zuo Bian were together, they were still unwilling to give up.

They had to see Zuo Bian’s happiness with their own eyes, a happiness that was so obvious it was painful, before they could truly let go.

They were here to celebrate Zuo Bian’s birthday, so there was no need to turn them away. Chang Wenyan and Lin Qingqing greeted Qin Ai, who responded halfheartedly and then went back to playing with her phone.

She was usually aloof, so no one thought much of it.

Despite being arrogant, possessive, and petty, Qin Ai was a devoted girlfriend.

She loved her girlfriend unconditionally, treated her well, wasn’t interested in anyone else, wouldn’t let her girlfriend do any work, wouldn’t retaliate when scolded or hit, wouldn’t make her girlfriend angry, and always thought about her girlfriend. And most importantly, she maintained a distance from anyone who was interested in her! She wouldn’t let her girlfriend misunderstand!

Those who had girlfriends but didn’t keep their distance from admirers were scum.

So no matter how hard Lin Qingqing tried to strike up a conversation with Qin Ai, she only received perfunctory responses.

Only when someone shouted, “Sister-in-law is here!” did Qin Ai suddenly spring to life, jumping up from her chair.

 

Chapter 110: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Nine

Zuo Bian had noticed that Qin Ai had been acting strangely lately. She started being late for class and would sometimes skip class, disappearing without a trace.

When Zuo Bian asked her what she was up to, Qin Ai wouldn’t answer, just saying that girls were troublesome.

Zuo Bian, feeling wronged, tried to recall if she had done anything to annoy Qin Ai, but she couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong.

Unable to get an answer from Qin Ai, she went to ask Jiang Yuandong and Liu Liu, who were close to Qin Ai.

Jiang Yuandong shook her head frantically, claiming she didn’t know anything.

Liu Liu, however, smirked mysteriously. “Sister-in-law, it’s a surprise, you shouldn’t ask.”

Seeing their reactions, Zuo Bian was certain that Qin Ai was hiding something from her, but it wasn’t anything bad.

Reassured, she stopped trying to pry.

==============

Two weeks before Zuo Bian’s birthday, Qin Ai finally finished knitting the first three characters of her nine-character message. She had gotten the hang of it now, and it wouldn’t be difficult to finish the remaining six characters in the next two weeks.

To knit a special scarf for her beloved girlfriend, Qin Ai had put in a lot of effort.

She had to keep it a secret from Zuo Bian to make it a surprise, and it was her first time doing such delicate work. If Zuo Bian didn’t give her a kiss after receiving the gift, it would be unacceptable.

Another week passed, and Zuo Bian’s birthday was approaching. She finally realized that Qin Ai might be preparing a birthday gift for her.

She tugged at Qin Ai’s sleeve, her eyes filled with anticipation. “Qin Ai, my birthday is next week. Have you prepared a gift for me?”

Qin Ai’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression neutral. She feigned surprise.

“Your birthday is next week? A gift? You don’t need anything, so I’m not getting you anything.”

Qin Ai’s thoughts were easy to read. Zuo Bian knew that Qin Ai at this age was a tsundere, so she didn’t take her words seriously.

But she wanted to tease Qin Ai. She lowered her head, her expression dejected. “So your girlfriend doesn’t get a birthday gift? Why do other girlfriends get gifts…”

Qin Ai immediately panicked. She coughed and added, “I’m not prepared now, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to prepare anything. Don’t cry, I can’t stand seeing girls cry.”

“Really?” Zuo Bian looked up, her eyes glistening with tears.

Qin Ai’s heart melted. She raised three fingers. “Really, I swear.”

Zuo Bian finally smiled. “Then I’ll be waiting for your gift.”

Qin Ai sighed in relief, then realized she had been trying to tease Zuo Bian, but she ended up comforting her instead.

She pinched Zuo Bian’s nose. “Tell me, are you messing with me again?”

Zuo Bian couldn’t hold back her laughter, exposing herself.

“I knew you weren’t as innocent as you look. I have to punish you. Kiss me, or I’ll kiss you.” Qin Ai held Zuo Bian’s chin, her eyes predatory.

They were sitting in a corner at the back of the classroom, and no one was paying attention to them. Except for their deskmates.

The same scene replayed. Zuo Bian pushed Qin Ai’s arm away. “Qin Ai, there are other people here.”

Qin Ai felt frustrated. She clicked her tongue and glared at Jiang Yuandong and Liu Liu.

Jiang Yuandong and Liu Liu shivered. This time, they weren’t intentionally trying to be third wheels, they were studying.

They hadn’t done well in the midterm exams, and if they didn’t work hard, they would be punished after the next monthly exam.

They felt wronged, being glared at by Qin Ai.

Even though their deskmates weren’t talking, the romantic atmosphere was ruined.

Qin Ai took out a math worksheet and started working on the problems furiously.

Ever since she started dating Zuo Bian, she had developed a habit of doing math problems whenever she was in a bad mood. Her position as the top student in their grade was even more secure now, even Zuo Bian’s hard work couldn’t shake her.

Seeing Qin Ai doing math problems, Liu Liu, emboldened, asked her for help with a problem. Qin Ai, still in a bad mood, glared at him, and he quickly retreated.

Qin Ai had a bad temper, while Zuo Bian was gentle. “It’s okay, you can ask me,” she said to Liu Liu.

“Really? You’re so nice, sister-in-law.” Liu Liu’s eyes lit up, and he moved closer to Zuo Bian.

Jiang Yuandong, adjusting her glasses, looked at him enviously.

However, before Zuo Bian could even see the problem Liu Liu wanted to ask about, Qin Ai snatched the worksheet from his hand.

“If you have any questions, just ask me.” She pulled Liu Liu closer by his collar.

Liu Liu looked at Zuo Bian and Qin Ai, then nodded knowingly.

However, his smile quickly disappeared as Qin Ai started scolding him while explaining the problem.

“Why are you so stupid? You’re wasting air sitting here! You’re making the air around you stupid! If you can’t solve this problem within five minutes, jump out the window! And if you’re lucky enough to survive, don’t tell anyone you know me. Even a guinea pig is smarter than you. I’m embarrassed to be associated with you.”

Because Zuo Bian was present, Qin Ai’s words were slightly toned down, but she still scolded Liu Liu mercilessly.

This was the legendary preferential treatment. Liu Liu felt that every word Qin Ai said was from the heart. When she had taught Zuo Bian how to solve problems before, she had also scolded her, but there was a difference between yelling “idiot” in an angry voice and saying “silly girl” in an exasperated but affectionate tone.

After this incident, not only did Liu Liu give up on asking them for help, but Jiang Yuandong also abandoned the idea.

Asking either of them for help would only end badly. Asking Qin Ai would result in being scolded, and asking Zuo Bian would make Qin Ai even angrier.

So they went to ask the class representative for help. The class representative was the nicest.

With the two human light bulbs gone, Qin Ai went back to whispering in Zuo Bian’s ear.

An ordinary, innocent girl would have blushed and shyly told her to stop.

But Zuo Bian wasn’t an ordinary girl. She was extraordinary.

“Qin Ai, don’t get too close, you’re blocking my view.” She pushed Qin Ai’s arm away while looking at her textbook.

Qin Ai’s face darkened, and she reluctantly moved back.

Bad mood? Time to do more math problems!

======================

Zuo Bian left for school a bit later than usual today. Her mother had wrapped a thick scarf around her neck before letting her leave.

Zuo Bian wasn’t actually that afraid of the cold. She might look delicate, but she was healthy. But to reassure her mother, she didn’t refuse.

She got out of the car. The school gate was crowded with students eating breakfast. The dean of students, standing guard by the gate, scanned the students with hawk-like eyes.

Five minutes before the bell, some students started eating their breakfast quickly, taking large bites of steaming hot buns, their mouths burning, and fanning themselves frantically.

It was officially winter now, and the temperature had dropped to around zero degrees Celsius. Most students were wearing winter clothes, except for a few fashion-conscious individuals who were still walking around in thin clothes.

Qin Ai was one of them. She wasn’t afraid of the cold and was only wearing two layers. She was beautiful, her figure tall and slender, and her black pants and leather jacket made her stand out in the crowd.

Zuo Bian spotted Qin Ai among the sea of students, her eyes lighting up. She ran towards her. “Qin Ai!”

Qin Ai turned around, hearing her voice. Zuo Bian was running too fast and bumped into Qin Ai’s arms.

“So happy to see me?” Qin Ai pinched Zuo Bian’s cheek, but it was more like a gentle caress.

Zuo Bian smiled brightly, then she noticed that Qin Ai wasn’t wearing much.

She had a base layer and a thin black jacket that offered little warmth. She looked cool and stylish, but her exposed hands were cold, indicating that she wasn’t as immune to the cold as she seemed.

Zuo Bian took Qin Ai’s hand in hers, trying to warm it up with her own body heat.

“Qin Ai, your hands are so cold.”

Qin Ai felt a warmth spreading from her fingertips and palm to her heart. She could barely contain her smile.

“It’s not that my hands are cold, it’s that yours are too warm.” She tried to pull her hand back.

However, she wasn’t using much force. She just wanted to act tough.

To her surprise, Zuo Bian actually let go.

“I am a bit warm. Qin Ai, let me put my scarf on you.” Zuo Bian took off her scarf, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped it around Qin Ai’s neck.

Qin Ai instinctively grabbed the end of the scarf. It was still warm from Zuo Bian’s body, carrying her scent.

It was soft, fluffy, and had a faint, sweet fragrance.

Qin Ai wanted to bury her nose in it and inhale Zuo Bian’s scent, but she held back, remembering her pride.

“Why are you giving it to me? I’m not cold at all.”

Zuo Bian smiled. “But I’m warm. The scarf is making me hot, and my bag is full of books, there’s no space for it. Qin Ai, can you keep it for me?”

Her voice was soft and alluring, making Qin Ai’s heart melt. She mumbled in agreement.

They walked towards the school building, their shoulders brushing against each other. Qin Ai saw a couple in front of them, clinging to each other like conjoined twins. She scoffed, then grabbed Zuo Bian’s hand.

“Hold my hand. You’re my girlfriend, it’s only natural for me to hold your hand.” She swung their intertwined hands.

Zuo Bian smiled and said, “Okay.”

Qin Ai, who usually dressed in a cool and rebellious style, suddenly wearing a beige scarf, looked incredibly out of place. But she was in a good mood.

Who else could make Qin Ai so happy? Everyone wondered. The Qin Ai who had vowed to stay single forever was gone, replaced by a love-struck girl who couldn’t stop showing off her affection.

Chapter 109: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Eight

Zuo Bian leaned towards the window, her eyes darting around. “I really didn’t. If you keep asking, I won’t let you kiss me anymore.”

Qin Ai clicked her tongue and moved back.

“You’re taking advantage of my feelings for you.”

Zuo Bian quickly glanced at Qin Ai, then looked away. “You finally admitted it, you like me.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I like you.”

Those were sweet words, but Qin Ai’s tone was tinged with annoyance.

Zuo Bian didn’t care about her tone, only the meaning behind the words. Her smile widened.

After physics class, Zuo Bian was stumped by a challenging extra credit problem. As usual, she asked Qin Ai for help.

This time, Qin Ai played hard to get. “I told you before, there’s a price to pay if you want me to teach you. What can you offer me?”

“I don’t know what I can give you, Qin Ai. How about some candy?” Zuo Bian took out a few colorful candies from her pocket.

Qin Ai cleared her throat. “Candy is too sweet, I don’t like it. One kiss, one problem.”

Zuo Bian didn’t hesitate for long. She leaned forward and pecked Qin Ai’s cheek.

“Is that okay now?”

However, Qin Ai, pushing her luck, refused to teach her and even questioned, “Now I suspect you’re only with me because you want me to help you with your homework, not because you like me.”

Zuo Bian was stunned. She stared at Qin Ai for a moment, then asked, “Qin Ai, why would you think that?”

“Why else would you agree to kiss me so easily? I’m starting to doubt your feelings for me.” Qin Ai narrowed her eyes, her gaze dangerous.

Zuo Bian was confused. She didn’t understand why Qin Ai would doubt her feelings.

“Would I ever like anyone else besides you?” Her eyes were filled with innocence.

Qin Ai placed her hand on the wall behind Zuo Bian, leaning closer, trapping Zuo Bian against the wall.

“Me or your studies, who do you love more?” There was a hint of annoyance in Qin Ai’s eyes, as if she was saying, “Am I even less important than your studies?”

Zuo Bian suddenly chuckled. “Of course it’s you.”

“I don’t believe you, prove it to me.”

Jiang Yuandong and Liu Liu, who were sitting in front of them, covered their mouths to stifle their laughter, their expressions suggesting they were enjoying the show.

Zuo Bian pushed Qin Ai’s chest, her hand briefly touching her soft breast before quickly retracting. “Qin Ai, there are other people here.”

Only then did Qin Ai remember that they were still in the classroom. She glared at Jiang Yuandong and Liu Liu, her teeth grinding audibly.

“Why are there always people around to disturb me?”

Liu Liu suddenly slapped his thigh. “Ah! I just remembered Chang Wenyan was looking for me last class. Oh no, I almost forgot.”

“I haven’t returned the book I borrowed from Xiao Lin yet, I need to return it to her quickly.” Jiang Yuandong said, picking up her biology textbook.

The two of them, who had been enjoying the drama just moments ago, quickly left the classroom. However, the atmosphere had already been disrupted.

Qin Ai flipped through her textbook impatiently, unable to focus. She caught Zuo Bian trying to suppress her laughter out of the corner of her eye.

“What are you laughing at? Do you think I’m funny?” She couldn’t help but pinch Zuo Bian’s cheek.

Zuo Bian’s skin was fair and smooth, like porcelain. It was even softer than tofu.

Qin Ai had wanted to pinch Zuo Bian’s cheek as punishment for laughing at her, but her hand softened as soon as it touched Zuo Bian’s skin.

She couldn’t bear to leave a mark on such a beautiful face.

It seemed like she had forgotten who had said Zuo Bian was “nothing special” when they first met.

Ever since they officially started dating, Qin Ai’s tardiness and early departures had significantly decreased. Or rather, she was almost never late or absent anymore.

After all, her girlfriend was her deskmate. Being late or leaving early meant seeing Zuo Bian less, which wasn’t worth it. So she chose to be a “good student.”

Of course, such a mundane routine wasn’t suitable for Qin Ai. One day, she finally couldn’t take it anymore.

Why couldn’t she kiss her girlfriend? It was unbearable!

It was Saturday, and Qin Ai, using the excuse of needing help with her homework, took Zuo Bian to her room with ulterior motives.

If their story was on an R-rated website, the rest of the afternoon would be filled with passionate scenes. But unfortunately, their story was on Jinjiang.

A website where characters didn’t have body parts below the neck. So the result could only be…

“Ah—”

“Qin Ai, are you okay?” Zuo Bian rushed off the bed and helped Qin Ai up, worried.

Qin Ai had been pushed off the bed by Zuo Bian. Thankfully, the floor was carpeted, and she wasn’t injured.

But being physically unharmed didn’t mean she was okay. Her pride was shattered, beyond repair.

“Qin Ai, why aren’t you saying anything? Did you hurt yourself? I’m sorry, I didn’t control my strength. How about you push me off the bed too? I’m not afraid of pain.”

Qin Ai was in a state of despair. She waved her hand dismissively and stood up, her expression complex.

“I’m fine. Let’s do our homework. You haven’t finished your chemistry worksheet yet.”

What to do when things get awkward? The best solution was to pretend nothing had happened, acting as natural as possible.

No matter how embarrassed she felt, Qin Ai maintained a calm facade.

Of course, it was all an act. When Zuo Bian asked her for help with a problem on the worksheet, Qin Ai froze, as if she had been petrified. Zuo Bian called her name several times before she finally reacted.

“Qin Ai, what’s wrong? Are you tired?” Zuo Bian looked at her with concern.

Seeing that Qin Ai didn’t respond immediately, Zuo Bian’s expression turned strange.

“Qin Ai, were you up late last night watching adult videos? That’s not good for you, you need to control yourself.”

Zuo Bian had clearly misunderstood something, and Qin Ai didn’t appreciate it.

“What are you thinking about? Be careful, or I’ll bully you.” Qin Ai pretended to flick Zuo Bian’s forehead.

Zuo Bian raised a book to shield her face. After a moment of silence, she peeked out cautiously, only to be caught by Qin Ai.

“If you don’t start working on your homework, I’m going to do something else.”

Qin Ai flicked Zuo Bian’s forehead. Zuo Bian’s skin was delicate, and a red mark appeared. But she didn’t feel any pain. “Oh,” she said obediently and lowered her head, continuing to work on her worksheet.

After spending so much time as a high school student, Zuo Bian had absorbed most of the knowledge. She was also intelligent, and most of the problems weren’t difficult for her. Within an hour, she had finished the entire worksheet.

“Qin Ai, I’m done.” She smiled brightly, showing Qin Ai her completed worksheet.

Qin Ai glanced at it, then pulled out a stack of textbooks and workbooks from under the table.

“Midterm exams are coming up soon. Do all of these, it’ll definitely help your grades.”

“Thank you! You’re so good to me, Qin Ai.” Zuo Bian picked up a book titled “Classic Math Problems and Variations for High School” and started reading.

Qin Ai had thought, since Zuo Bian loved studying so much, she would let her study to her heart’s content. That way, she wouldn’t have any energy left to act cute and complain about wanting to rest.

Unfortunately, the cute and clingy behavior she had imagined never happened.

Qin Ai watched from the side, her eyes getting tired, but Zuo Bian was still going strong, finding joy in solving problems, her excitement growing with each completed problem.

“Qin Ai, you should share these good things with me sooner next time.” Zuo Bian didn’t even look up as she wrote down the answers.

Qin Ai facepalmed, realizing she had created trouble for herself again. It had been like this when they first met, and now it was the same during their “date” at home.

She spent the entire afternoon watching Zuo Bian do her homework. She had dinner with Zuo Bian and then drove her home.

Their reviews of the date:

Qin Ai: A complete failure.

Zuo Bian: It was fun, a very fulfilling afternoon.

Qin Ai: …

Although they weren’t perfectly in sync, their relationship was still sweet.

Of course, there were occasional attempts to sabotage their relationship, from Chang Wenyan, Lin Qingqing, and various insignificant bystanders. However, their actions, instead of affecting Zuo Bian and Qin Ai’s relationship, only intensified Qin Ai’s possessiveness.

Why were so many people trying to ruin her relationship with her girlfriend? Were they trying to steal Zuo Bian from her?

That’s right, Qin Ai had labeled everyone who was interested in Zuo Bian as a threat. In her eyes, Zuo Bian was perfect, and these people had ulterior motives, harboring secret desires for her girlfriend.

Zuo Bian, on the other hand, was still clueless. She didn’t even realize what was happening before Qin Ai had already dealt with everything.

When she asked about it later, Qin Ai would just say, “Nothing happened,” and their sweet school life would continue as if nothing had happened.

Time passed, and the day Qin Ai had been looking forward to, Zuo Bian’s eighteenth birthday, was approaching.

Qin Ai had started preparing a birthday gift for Zuo Bian a month in advance, but she was struggling to decide what to give her.

Zuo Bian came from a wealthy family and didn’t lack anything. Her family had already bought her everything she wanted.

The most important thing about a gift was the thought behind it. Zuo Bian’s birthday was in winter, so Qin Ai decided to knit a scarf for her.

A simple scarf wasn’t enough to express her feelings, so Qin Ai decided to knit a message into it.

—She would knit the words “Qin Ai and Zuo Bian, together forever” into the scarf.

Nine characters, symbolizing longevity, it was perfect.

The gift was decided, now she just needed to act.

It turned out that theory and practice were very different. For Qin Ai, learning to play the piano and dating Zuo Bian had already consumed all her patience.

After throwing the yarn and knitting needles back onto the table for the forty-fifth time, she picked them up again, determined to start over.

After a week, Qin Ai’s progress was as follows: She had wasted three balls of yarn and had finally knitted the left half of the character “Qin.”

Although the knitting needles were made of wood, they still had sharp ends. After knitting for so long, her fingers were numb. She wondered why she was the one doing this seemingly wifely task.

But then she remembered Zuo Bian’s longing gaze as she confessed how envious she was of those who received hand-knitted scarves from their girlfriends. Qin Ai sighed helplessly. “I owe her this much.”

Chapter 108: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Seven

“Why are you so sensitive? I was just joking. Don’t cry.” Qin Ai was good at racing and fighting, but she had never comforted anyone before.

Zuo Bian wasn’t really going to cry. She just wanted to scare Qin Ai, who was always being contradictory. But seeing Qin Ai’s panicked expression, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

Her laughter changed the atmosphere. Qin Ai pinched Zuo Bian’s cheek, exasperated. “Is it fun to play with me?”

Zuo Bian’s cheek was stretched out of shape. “No, it’s not fun,” she mumbled.

Seeing the redness on Zuo Bian’s fair cheek, Qin Ai realized that even though she hadn’t used much force, it looked like she had been bullying Zuo Bian.

“Fine, you’re so delicate. I’m going to have a headache being with you.” To Qin Ai, these words meant that she had agreed to be Zuo Bian’s girlfriend.

Zuo Bian said, “No, we can’t be together until we’re adults. Qin Ai, you said we can’t date.”

Qin Ai facepalmed. She wished she could travel back in time and slap herself for saying those stupid things.

“Forget it, it’s useless trying to reason with a stubborn person like you. I’m taking you home.” She started the motorcycle.

Zuo Bian hugged her waist again. They didn’t speak, but the silence was filled with unspoken emotions.

Qin Ai’s mind was still in turmoil. She had been too impulsive. What had she done?

She had already taken a step back, but Zuo Bian had actually rejected her. Who else did Zuo Bian want to be with if not her?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She instinctively wanted to speed up, but she remembered Zuo Bian sitting behind her. She only had one helmet, and she was wearing it.

She clicked her tongue, thinking how troublesome love was.

Qin Ai dropped Zuo Bian off at her house. As Zuo Bian got off the motorcycle, Qin Ai stared at her, her gaze filled with hints.

Shouldn’t there be a goodbye kiss?

Of course, Zuo Bian was completely oblivious to Qin Ai’s hints. She waved goodbye cheerfully.

Qin Ai watched as Zuo Bian’s figure disappeared from sight, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

Realizing she was smiling, she quickly wiped it off and sped away on her motorcycle.

She returned home and went straight to her room after dinner.

Her textbooks and homework were spread out on the table, but Qin Ai wasn’t in the mood to study today. She rummaged through her things and finally found a white envelope.

Yes, Qin Ai might seem like she didn’t pay attention in class or do her homework, but she actually studied and did her homework at home.

And this envelope…

An hour later, Qin Ai looked at the pink envelope, the letter inside filled with cheesy lines, and thought she must be crazy.

Why else would she be writing a love letter to Zuo Bian?

She stared at the letter, wanting to crumple it up and throw it away, but she kept it.

==================

The next day, Zuo Bian arrived at school early. She took out the homework she had done at home.

As soon as she sat down, she noticed the other students staring at her. The gazes came from all directions, curious and probing, but they were trying to be discreet.

She looked around, and the gazes vanished instantly. They were either chatting, rushing to finish their homework, or pretending to be busy. It was as if her feeling of being watched was just her imagination.

However, when she reached into her desk drawer to get her Chinese textbook, the gazes returned. Zuo Bian was puzzled.

At that moment, Liu Liu entered the classroom, a bun in his mouth. Zuo Bian waved at him.

“Liu Liu, do you know what’s going on? Why is everyone staring at me?” She lowered her voice when she said the last part.

Liu Liu said, “Oh, you mean that, sister-in-law? It’s because you’re Boss’s girlfriend now. Everyone thinks it’s amazing and wants to take a look. But Boss gets jealous easily, so they can only sneak glances.”

Hearing this, Zuo Bian chuckled. “So that’s why. Thank you, Liu Liu.”

Liu Liu waved his hand dismissively. “No problem, sister-in-law. Just spend more time with Boss. She’s been a handful lately, I can’t handle her.”

He had wanted to go out for hotpot with a bunch of friends yesterday, but Qin Ai had called him to go confront those boys. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, all the tables were booked. He had been sad about it for several minutes.

“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian nodded.

Ever since she became Qin Ai’s deskmate, Qin Ai had rarely been late for class. But today, she was late again.

The bell had already rung when Qin Ai finally sauntered into the classroom.

The Chinese teacher glanced at her and sighed, shaking her head. Qin Ai was too carefree. But she didn’t really cause any trouble, apart from being late, leaving early, and sleeping in class. So even though Qin Ai was blatantly late, the teacher turned a blind eye.

“Come in.”

Qin Ai, a bag slung over her shoulder, walked in casually.

Zuo Bian looked up, her eyes following Qin Ai’s every move.

Qin Ai plopped down in her seat and tossed her bag, which contained only a couple of books, onto the desk. She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a pink envelope, tossing it onto Zuo Bian’s desk.

Zuo Bian caught it without even seeing what it was. The students in front of and beside them craned their necks, trying to get a peek.

“What’s this?” Zuo Bian held the thin envelope. She knew it was a love letter, but she wanted to hear it from Qin Ai.

Qin Ai casually picked up a book and started reading. The students were reading aloud from their textbooks, but Qin Ai’s voice was still clear to Zuo Bian.

“Read it if you want.”

If Zuo Bian had looked closely, she would have seen the blush on Qin Ai’s ears. She was embarrassed.

Zuo Bian smiled and opened the pink envelope, her heart filled with anticipation and nervousness.

She didn’t feel anything when she received love letters from others, but this one was different. It was from Qin Ai.

Even though they were already married with children in their original world and had confessed their love for each other, this pure and sincere expression of affection from a young Qin Ai still made Zuo Bian’s heart flutter.

Seventeen was Qin Ai’s most beautiful age. Her father and grandfather were still alive, and she was carefree and unrestrained. She hadn’t entered the harsh realities of society yet, she wasn’t forced to grow up, and she didn’t overthink things like her adult self. Many of her choices were immature, even childish.

But that was precisely why Zuo Bian cherished it even more.

She wanted to treasure this feeling, to reciprocate it with equal fervor.

It was Qin Ai’s first time writing a love letter, and the result was far from perfect. Her handwriting was messy and difficult to decipher, and the content was typical Qin Ai.

[I thought you were just average-looking when I first saw you, but somehow, the more I see you, the more pleasing you are to the eye.

I’ve always thought dating was troublesome, and I still do. You’re so delicate, I just need to say a few harsh words, and you’re on the verge of tears. I’ve never met anyone as troublesome as you, but I can’t just ignore you.

You must have cursed me, or why would I suddenly think of you when you’re not around? It’s annoying, but I can’t get rid of your image.

Since I can’t stop thinking about you, I might as well be with you. You like me, and I… guess I like you too. Besides, you said those embarrassing things in front of everyone when we first met. Who else do you want to be with if not me?

You even hugged my waist. No one has ever touched my waist except for my mom. You have to take responsibility, for the rest of your life, you hear me?

Qin Ai.]

No one else would write a love letter like this. This wasn’t a confession, it was practically forcing the other person to be with them. Only Qin Ai would write something like this.

Even though the letter was blunt and lacked sweet talk, it was already a big step for Qin Ai.

Zuo Bian chuckled as she read it. She nudged Qin Ai’s arm gently, smiling. “Qin Ai, I know you like me.”

Qin Ai’s face flushed red as her feelings were exposed. But she still tried to act tough. “That’s because you liked me first, so I started liking you.”

“I already liked you before I came here. I came here for you, to see you.” Zuo Bian smiled, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

Qin Ai’s heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. At that moment, she couldn’t think straight. She just wanted to kiss Zuo Bian.

Zuo Bian suddenly glanced in a certain direction and sat up straight, looking at Qin Ai intently. “Qin Ai, the teacher is coming.”

Qin Ai followed her gaze and saw the Chinese teacher walking towards them. Her expression darkened.

Why had she said those things?

She flipped through her textbook, her mood sour, but she couldn’t focus on a single word.

The news of Qin Ai and Zuo Bian’s relationship had spread throughout the school thanks to that gossipy boy. Almost everyone knew they were dating now.

It should be a happy occasion, but Qin Ai’s face was gloomy. The other students didn’t dare to ask, they just pretended they didn’t exist.

Some speculated that Zuo Bian had cheated on Qin Ai, otherwise why would Qin Ai be so angry?

No one dared to approach her, except for Zuo Bian. Seeing her low spirits, Zuo Bian didn’t avoid her, but leaned closer.

“Qin Ai, Qin Ai, are you angry?”

Qin Ai turned to look at Zuo Bian. She had instinctively wanted to tell her to leave her alone, but seeing Zuo Bian’s beautiful face, she couldn’t say a word.

Her anger inexplicably dissipated. “It’s nothing, I’m just calculating how many months until your eighteenth birthday.”

Zuo Bian blushed. “Qin Ai, you’re so dirty.”

No matter her age, Qin Ai’s mind was always full of inappropriate thoughts.

Realizing what Zuo Bian meant, Qin Ai’s face also turned red. She looked around and lowered her voice. “I just said ‘eighteen,’ what are you thinking about?”

Zuo Bian buried her face in her arms, only her sparkling eyes visible. “See? That’s what you meant.”

Qin Ai felt wronged. She had been single for seventeen years, and this was her first relationship. She had even been rejected when she tried to kiss her girlfriend, and now she was being accused of having dirty thoughts.

But Qin Ai wasn’t a saint. She also leaned forward, facing Zuo Bian, and said with mock anger, “Since you’ve said that, wouldn’t it be a loss if I didn’t make it come true?”

Zuo Bian blinked. “Qin Ai, I’m only seventeen.”

“Damn it!” Qin Ai cursed, cupping Zuo Bian’s face and kissing her cheek.

“A kiss on the cheek is okay, right?”

Zuo Bian smiled. “If it’s just a kiss on the cheek, you can kiss me as many times as you want.”

Qin Ai felt a strange frustration, a mix of excitement and annoyance.

Love was truly troublesome.

A gust of wind blew through the classroom, the untied curtains billowing, momentarily concealing the two girls in the last row.

Zuo Bian leaned forward and kissed Qin Ai’s lips. When the wind subsided, and the curtains fell back into place, she sat up straight, pretending to be engrossed in her textbook, but her gaze, fixed on the table of contents, betrayed her nervousness.

Qin Ai was still stunned. After a moment, she touched her lips, savoring the lingering sensation of the kiss.

It was a light and fleeting kiss, like a butterfly landing on her lips for a brief moment. She reached out to catch it, but the butterfly had already flown away.

“Did you just steal a kiss from me?” Qin Ai asked mischievously.

Zuo Bian, of course, denied it. “No, I didn’t.”

“Really?” Qin Ai leaned closer, her face inches away from Zuo Bian’s.

Chapter 107: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Six

“So free? Not doing your homework anymore?” Qin Ai asked, her tone dismissive, but there was a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The new student had been so enthusiastic when they first met, and now she was responding to other people’s feelings. Qin Ai pursed her lips, not even realizing how jealous she felt.

Zuo Bian looked up and smiled. “They put effort into writing me letters, I think it’s only polite to respond.”

“Who wrote them?” If anyone who knew Qin Ai well were present, they would have recognized the dangerous glint in her eyes.

Someone was about to suffer.

Zuo Bian hesitated. Qin Ai was losing her patience, she was annoyed.

“I’ll see for myself.” She snatched the love letters from under Zuo Bian’s hand, reading the names and smirking coldly.

She memorized the names of all the boys who had sent the letters. Zuo Bian looked at her, puzzled. Qin Ai tossed the letters back onto Zuo Bian’s desk, her tone sarcastic. “Their handwriting is atrocious, their grammar is terrible, some even copied cheesy lines from the internet. And you’re going to seriously respond to them? I advise you to save your time and do more math problems.”

Zuo Bian thought Qin Ai’s words made sense. She nodded, put the letters away, and took out her math worksheet.

Qin Ai’s expression softened slightly.

Jiang Yuandong and Liu Liu, who were sitting in front of them, listened silently, not daring to make a sound. Boss was in a bad mood, it was best not to get caught in the crossfire.

Zuo Bian had wanted to walk home with Qin Ai, but Qin Ai disappeared as soon as school ended.

Seeing that Jiang Yuandong was still there, Zuo Bian tapped her shoulder gently. “Jiang Yuandong, do you know where Qin Ai went in such a hurry?”

Jiang Yuandong adjusted her glasses. Based on her understanding of Qin Ai, she was probably going to confront those boys with Liu Liu.

She had only mentioned wanting to be the rebound guy, and Qin Ai had given her a terrifying look. Those who had dared to send Zuo Bian love letters were doomed.

However, Jiang Yuandong also knew that Qin Ai cared about her image, she wouldn’t tell Zuo Bian the truth. Telling on Boss was asking for trouble. So she said, “Boss… she was probably invited to a competition.”

“Oh, thank you, Jiang Yuandong.” Zuo Bian smiled at her and then packed her things, ready to go home.

Qin Ai loved racing, it was normal for her to go to a competition with her friends. Zuo Bian was curious to see what Qin Ai looked like on the racetrack, but it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to see it today.

===============

At that moment, Qin Ai, Liu Liu, and a few of her lackeys had cornered a boy against the wall. The boy smiled nervously. “Qin Jie, w-what’s going on? I didn’t bully anyone.”

Not only did Qin Ai beat up bullies from other schools, but she also occasionally taught a lesson to those who bullied the weak in their own school.

—Although she was currently acting like a bully herself.

“Think about what you’ve done recently.” Qin Ai crossed her arms, looking at the cowering boy.

The boy frantically searched his memories. “Ah!” he exclaimed, slapping his forehead. “Qin Jie, I won’t write love letters to your girlfriend anymore, I swear! To be honest, it was my twin brother who has a crush on her, it has nothing to do with me!”

Qin Ai wouldn’t believe his nonsense, but her goal wasn’t to punish him, but to warn him.

“I’ll let you off the hook this time, but if I catch you doing it again, you won’t be so lucky. And I know you’re a gossip, spread the word that Zuo Bian is my girlfriend.” She slammed her foot against the wall, tilting her head, her eyes dark.

The terrified boy nodded repeatedly. “Qin Jie, since you’ve spoken, I’ll do whatever it takes!”

Qin Ai retracted her leg and turned around, walking away.

Liu Liu and the others immediately followed. Liu Liu, emboldened, asked, “Boss, didn’t you deny it before? How come she’s your girlfriend now?”

Qin Ai’s face had thickened, so she replied shamelessly, “People keep sending her love letters, it’s annoying.”

“Oh, I understand, I understand!” Liu Liu winked, clearly not believing her.

Qin Ai didn’t bother to explain, or rather, she couldn’t explain.

She walked towards her motorcycle, put on her helmet, and swung her leg over the seat.

She looked at her underlings and said, “You guys have fun today.”

The engine roared to life, and the motorcycle sped off, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

The strong wind carried the scorching heat of summer. Qin Ai enjoyed the feeling of freedom as she rode through the wind.

However, when she spotted a certain figure, she slowed down. She didn’t know what had come over her, but she whistled at Zuo Bian like a hooligan.

Zuo Bian instinctively turned around and smiled when she saw Qin Ai. “Qin Ai.”

“Are you walking home alone?” Qin Ai frowned.

Anyone would take a second glance at a beautiful girl like Zuo Bian. And wasn’t her skirt a bit too short? Her calves were exposed.

Zuo Bian replied, “Mm, I wanted to walk home today.”

Qin Ai propped one leg on the ground, her long legs even more prominent. “Get on.”

“Qin Ai, are you going to give me a ride home?” Zuo Bian looked at her with surprise.

Qin Ai deliberately put on a gruff voice. “Give you a ride home? I’m going to sell you. Do you dare to get on?”

Zuo Bian smiled, knowing she was joking.

“I’m not afraid.” She got on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around Qin Ai’s waist, her body pressed against Qin Ai’s back.

Qin Ai stiffened the moment she felt Zuo Bian’s touch. She didn’t understand why she was reacting so strongly.

“What’s wrong? Am I crowding you?” Zuo Bian tilted her head and asked.

Qin Ai coughed. “Nothing, hold on tight.”

“Mm.” Zuo Bian tightened her grip, her arms fully encircling Qin Ai’s waist.

The motorcycle sped off. The wind whipped against Qin Ai’s face, but it didn’t cool her down. Instead, she felt a strange heat rising in her chest, threatening to burst out.

She wanted to go faster, to shake off this inexplicable feeling, but she didn’t dare to go too fast, afraid of scaring the girl behind her.

Damn it! When did she become so hesitant?

“Qin Ai, Qin Ai…”

“What?” Qin Ai’s voice was stiff and unnatural.

Zuo Bian looked at the scenery passing by. “Do you not know where I live? This isn’t the way to my house.”

Qin Ai snorted. “I told you I was going to sell you, why would I take you home?”

“Can I sell myself to you? I’m easy to keep, just feed me and I’ll be happy.”

How could this girl be so adorable? Qin Ai felt like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She almost said “okay” without thinking.

“Who would buy you? You look delicate and high-maintenance, trying to trick me.” Her words contradicted her thoughts.

Zuo Bian chuckled, her body shaking with laughter. Qin Ai felt her face heating up for some reason.

“What are you laughing at?” Qin Ai was still a pure and innocent girl at this age, her actions far less calculated and manipulative than her adult self. In Zuo Bian’s eyes, she was naive and adorable.

Zuo Bian shook her head. “I’m laughing at your hypocrisy.”

“You better explain yourself clearly, or I’ll beat you up. I’m not afraid to hit a girl.”

“You might be complaining, but your eyes are saying you like me.” Zuo Bian nuzzled Qin Ai’s back with her cheek, a gesture filled with affection.

Qin Ai slowed down, her lips pursed. After a long silence, she finally said, “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“You really don’t like me?” Zuo Bian leaned forward, looking intently at Qin Ai’s profile.

This time, Qin Ai couldn’t bring herself to lie. “Why are you asking? Are you annoying? If you ask again, I’ll kiss you.”

Zuo Bian’s smile widened. She leaned closer to Qin Ai’s ear. “I know, you just want to kiss me. You know I’ll keep asking. Qin Ai, do you like me or not?”

Qin Ai suddenly stopped the motorcycle, put down the kickstand, and turned around, cupping Zuo Bian’s face and trying to kiss her.

But Zuo Bian dodged, and Qin Ai’s lips landed on her cheek.

Even just a kiss on the cheek made Qin Ai’s heart race. Young love was pure and passionate, untainted by other factors. It was a simple flutter of the heart.

Zuo Bian was also flustered. She touched the spot where Qin Ai had kissed her, her hand covering the blush that spread like a sunset across her cheek.

“Qin Ai, we can’t date.”

Qin Ai looked like she had been struck by lightning. She had almost forgotten that she had said those words to Zuo Bian.

“Tell me the truth, were you doing that on purpose?”

Deliberately teasing her, making her heart race, and then using her own words against her.

Zuo Bian shook her head innocently. “No, and you were mean to me before.”

Seeing the tears welling up in Zuo Bian’s eyes, Qin Ai panicked, not knowing what to do.

Chapter 106: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Five

Chang Wenyan was in the same grade as Qin Ai but not in the same class. He was a pure and innocent boy back then. Even a blind person could see that he had a crush on Qin Ai, but he refused to confess, afraid of ruining their friendship.

Liu Liu, as a bystander, could see right through him. He knew Chang Wenyan was here to see Qin Ai. But Qin Ai already had a beautiful girlfriend, how could he let Chang Wenyan interfere?

So, without letting Chang Wenyan speak, he slung his arm around his neck and dragged him to the sports field.

“Wenyan, you look exhausted, you must have been studying all night. That’s not good, you need to balance work and rest. Come on, let’s play basketball.”

“I need to find Qin—”

Liu Liu covered Chang Wenyan’s mouth with his hand, his laughter drowning out Chang Wenyan’s voice. “You need to exercise, I understand, I understand.”

=============

Not many students stayed in the classroom during breaks. Those who did were either catching up on sleep, finishing their homework, or playing on their phones. No one was paying attention to Qin Ai and Zuo Bian.

It had been a week since Zuo Bian transferred to their class. The rumors about the “pregnancy incident” had died down. After all, no one had actually seen the child.

Zuo Bian was scribbling on a piece of scratch paper, her head lowered, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her porcelain-like skin.

“You’re so stupid, you still can’t solve it after all this time?” Qin Ai said with mock disdain.

Zuo Bian finally looked up from the problem, her eyes filled with longing. “Qin Ai, so you know how to solve it?”

Qin Ai felt her face heating up as Zuo Bian stared at her. She pretended to look at the problem she had copied from the blackboard. “Of course I do.”

Zuo Bian excitedly leaned closer to Qin Ai, pushing her notebook towards her. “Can you teach me?”

Qin Ai tapped her fingers on the desk, not immediately agreeing. “I can, but—”

“Is there a condition? I’ll agree to anything.” Zuo Bian smiled, her eyes clear and innocent, seemingly unaware of how suggestive her words were.

Qin Ai, of course, couldn’t help but think about it.

Zuo Bian’s lips were red and glossy, their shape full and inviting. They looked perfect for kissing—

No! Qin Ai slammed on the brakes in her mind, suppressing the thought.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll tell you when I’ve thought of one.” Qin Ai’s gaze darted around, her voice unsteady.

Zuo Bian, seemingly oblivious, moved her chair closer to Qin Ai.

“Then teach me how to solve this problem.”

Qin Ai glanced at the problem, took out a pen, and wrote down the solution on a piece of scratch paper, explaining it as she wrote.

Zuo Bian listened attentively, nodding, her arm brushing against Qin Ai’s.

The girl’s soft skin was only separated from hers by a thin layer of fabric. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted into Qin Ai’s nose, distracting her.

“Qin Ai, Qin Ai.” Zuo Bian waved her hand in front of Qin Ai’s face.

She had actually been spacing out while looking at the new student. Qin Ai felt embarrassed and looked away, her voice stiff. “I’ve already told you the solution, figure out the rest yourself.”

She wasn’t usually this “gentle” with her friends. It wasn’t that she liked the new student, she just didn’t want to scare the delicate girl with her harsh words.

“Oh, okay.” Zuo Bian obediently moved her notebook back and started solving the problem, following Qin Ai’s guidance.

The distance between them widened, and the girl’s faint fragrance faded. Qin Ai felt a strange sense of emptiness.

The days passed peacefully. 555 was surprised that Zuo Bian wasn’t in a hurry. Zuo Bian said she was working hard to get close to Qin Ai.

Look, she was always asking Qin Ai for help with her studies. Qin Ai was smart and excelled in her studies. Although she often called Zuo Bian stupid, she would always patiently teach her.

Zuo Bian achieved good results in their first monthly exam, ranking among the top fifty in their grade.

She was beautiful and smart. And after all this time, she and Qin Ai weren’t particularly close and hadn’t even gone on a date. Many people started to think that the rumors were false.

Zuo Bian had received several love letters in the past few days. It was her first time receiving love letters, so she read each one carefully. Not only did she read them, but she even planned to reply.

555, as a bystander, couldn’t help but admire its host’s strategy.

First, she made the first move, capturing the other person’s heart. Then she took a step back, subtly infiltrating the other person’s life like water. Within a month, Zuo Bian had successfully made Qin Ai accustomed to her presence. Now it was time to add fuel to the fire and catalyze their relationship.

For example, jealousy. Writing replies to love letters in front of Qin Ai was a blatant provocation!

Qin Ai also thought so.

However, the reason wasn’t as complicated as 555 and Qin Ai imagined. Zuo Bian was just following her heart, she wasn’t scheming.

Chapter 105: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Four

Qin Ai strode towards the school canteen, her aura commanding attention. The canteen was always crowded during breaks, with boys boisterously chatting and guzzling down drinks, and girls huddled together, sharing snacks and gossiping.

Qin Ai’s arrival didn’t cause much of a stir. People just couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

Although she was known as the school bully of A High, and her fighting skills were on par with the boys’, her fierceness was reserved for outsiders who came looking for trouble. So the students of A High were more in awe of her, even admiring her.

She was beautiful, had a great figure, excelled in her studies, and could fight. Although she usually seemed cold and aloof, she wasn’t a bad person. She had even helped girls who were being threatened by students from other schools.

But rumor had it that Qin Ai had a complicated relationship with the beautiful new student. Had the perpetually single Qin Ai finally found someone? And it was a pretty girl?

Several curious female students whispered amongst themselves, stealing glances at Qin Ai.

Qin Ai had been subjected to more intense scrutiny than usual today, and she was starting to feel numb. She opened the freezer and chose a lychee-flavored popsicle.

This particular popsicle was the least sweet one available at their school canteen. She didn’t like things that were too sweet, they made her feel sick.

After paying, she tore open the wrapper and took a bite of the popsicle.

The cool and slightly sweet flavor spread in her mouth, but she couldn’t taste any lychee.

The lychee popsicle, which she usually enjoyed, tasted bland today, as if something was missing.

She turned to find someone to talk to, but Jiang Yuandong was excitedly chatting with another student on her phone, and Liu Liu was still choosing ice cream.

Qin Ai swallowed her words and quickly finished the popsicle, but the coldness gave her a headache.

Liu Liu, holding a vanilla milk ice cream, ran up to Qin Ai. “Boss, why are you in such a hurry? Going back to the classroom to see the little beauty?”

Qin Ai’s headache intensified. She wanted to tell him to shut up, but her brain was throbbing, and she couldn’t speak.

Liu Liu took her silence as agreement and winked. “Hurry back after you’re done, Boss. Don’t keep the little beauty waiting.”

Qin Ai whacked him on the head and rolled her eyes, walking away.

As she approached the classroom, her steps unconsciously slowed down. Zuo Bian was sitting by the window, her head slightly lowered, her face bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun.

Her long, dark eyelashes shimmered, her gaze focused on her textbook.

She actually looked quite pretty…

“Sorry, sorry! Boss, you look scary…” A boy who had bumped into Qin Ai while messing around shrank back in fear.

Qin Ai smiled menacingly, grabbing him by the back of his neck.

“Qin Ai, class is about to start, why are you still outside?” Zuo Bian, noticing the commotion outside, leaned out the window and looked at Qin Ai.

Her delicate features, fair skin, and red lips were illuminated by the warm sunlight. The breeze ruffled her hair, creating a picture of youthful beauty.

Liu Liu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, chuckling. “Boss must be secretly watching you.”

Qin Ai shoved the boy she was holding towards Liu Liu and said coldly, “Liu Liu, if you say another word, I’ll tell Chang Wenyan that you stole his—”

“No, no, no! I’m scared of you, okay? I’ll shut up.” Liu Liu zipped his lips.

Qin Ai’s expression softened slightly. She would never admit that she had been staring at Zuo Bian.

Zuo Bian looked away, confused, and returned to her math problems.

The math representative had just brought a stack of worksheets, homework assigned by the math teacher. Most of the students groaned, complaining about more homework, but Zuo Bian’s eyes lit up as she eagerly started working on the problems.

After experiencing high school life firsthand, she found it surprisingly enjoyable.

Qin Ai entered the classroom and returned to her seat. Her new deskmate was still fully immersed in her studies, not sparing her a single glance.

Damn, she was actually studying.

==================

Zuo Bian officially began her high school life. Having Qin Ai as her deskmate motivated her to study even harder.

The person she liked was right beside her, how could she afford to be distracted and get bad grades? That would leave a bad impression on Qin Ai.

Whenever Qin Ai glanced at her, Zuo Bian would instinctively straighten her back and focus even more intently on the blackboard.

Qin Ai felt like she was going crazy. What was she doing? Why was she paying attention to this new student? It was just a fleeting infatuation, based solely on looks. She would give up as soon as things got a bit difficult.

It had been a week since Zuo Bian transferred to their class. Apart from the first day’s aggressive pursuit, she had been studying the entire time. Qin Ai, on the other hand, had started to unconsciously observe Zuo Bian.

This wasn’t a good sign. Or was this the new student’s strategy?

Playing hard to get?

Qin Ai looked at Zuo Bian with a complex expression. Zuo Bian, feeling her gaze, turned and smiled at her.

Every feature on Zuo Bian’s face seemed to be meticulously sculpted, her skin fair, her eyes clear. Her smile made Qin Ai’s heart flutter.

“What are you smiling about? Pay attention in class.”

“Oh.” Zuo Bian immediately stopped smiling and returned to her studies.

But her obedience made Qin Ai feel uncomfortable. “You’re so spineless, doing whatever I tell you to do,” she thought to herself.

That day, the physics teacher assigned a difficult problem. Although Zuo Bian had high school knowledge, this problem was beyond the scope of their current syllabus, stumping her.

After class, she was still frowning, trying to solve the problem. Qin Ai rested her chin on her hand, seemingly looking out the window, but her gaze kept drifting towards Zuo Bian.

Liu Liu, who was always full of energy and couldn’t sit still during breaks, turned around excitedly. “Boss, it’s a thirty-minute break, should we go play basketball on the court? If you go, those idiots from Class Five will definitely give us the court.”

Qin Ai wasn’t interested in playing basketball. She would rather go for a motorcycle ride.

“No, I’m not interested,” she said lazily.

Liu Liu’s eyes darted between Qin Ai and Zuo Bian, then he nodded knowingly. “Oh, okay, I understand. I won’t disturb you and sister-in-law.”

He was about to make a run for it.

“Get lost!” Qin Ai, “embarrassed and angry,” threw the 126th eraser of the week, hitting Liu Liu squarely on the back of the head.

The teacher was a chalk-waster, and Qin Ai was an eraser-waster. No one in the class needed to buy erasers, they just picked up the ones Qin Ai threw at Liu Liu.

Liu Liu, unfazed by the eraser attack, ran out of the classroom like a puppy released from its leash. He bumped into Chang Wenyan, who was looking for Qin Ai.

Chapter 104: Bonus – When We Were Young Part Three

The stack of textbooks for the second year of high school was quite high, almost half a meter tall.

Qin Ai glanced at the slender girl, her delicate arms seeming fragile, as if they could break with a slight force. She was about to offer to carry some of the books when she saw Zuo Bian effortlessly lift the entire stack.

Zuo Bian even bounced the books slightly and smiled at Qin Ai. “Let’s go, Qin Ai. Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Qin Ai masked her surprise and said casually, “Let’s go.”

If any other girl had tried to carry that stack of books, their arms would be trembling with the effort. But Zuo Bian seemed completely unfazed, as if it was nothing.

Qin Ai wondered if Zuo Bian was truly strong or just putting on a brave face. But since Zuo Bian didn’t ask for help, she didn’t offer.

While Qin Ai was taking Zuo Bian to get her textbooks, news of the beautiful new student who looked like a fairy spread like wildfire.

Of course, the rumor about the new student’s alleged scandalous relationship with Qin Ai, the school’s most popular girl, also spread.

As Qin Ai and Zuo Bian walked back to the classroom, many students glanced at them curiously, their eyes filled with meaning, as if they had discovered something extraordinary.

Qin Ai, sharp as ever, noticed those gazes. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and glared at them, and the curious and gossipy looks instantly disappeared.

Zuo Bian, however, was oblivious to all of this. She was happy.

She had finally met the teenage Qin Ai, and they were even deskmates. She could see Qin Ai just by turning her head.

It was just that Qin Ai seemed a bit tsundere at this age. She clearly had feelings for Zuo Bian, but her words said the opposite.

Thinking this, Zuo Bian couldn’t help but glance at Qin Ai, who glared back at her.

She looked fierce, but also beautiful.

Zuo Bian smiled.

Seeing the girl smile instead of being scared after being glared at, Qin Ai felt a strange sensation, a ripple in her heart.

“What are you looking at? Are you coming back to the classroom or not?” Qin Ai spoke in her usual impatient tone, but perhaps subconsciously afraid of scaring Zuo Bian, she softened her voice slightly, making it sound more like a bluff.

“Oh.” Zuo Bian responded and turned her head back, no longer looking at Qin Ai.

Qin Ai followed behind her, looking sleepy. She yawned and suddenly noticed a few curious faces peeking at them.

They were almost back at the classroom. The students who had been gossiping excitedly were now staring at them intently.

One student whispered, “Boss isn’t being very chivalrous, making the new student carry so many books alone.”

Another student nodded in agreement. “Yeah, yeah, she even gave birth to Boss’s child, Boss is so heartless.”

“Shh, Boss is looking at us.”

While they were talking, Qin Ai and Zuo Bian arrived at the classroom door.

Qin Ai looked down at the students blocking the entrance, her voice cold. “What are you doing blocking the door? Are you guarding it?”

“Haha, we’ll move aside right away.” The students quickly stepped aside, smiling and gesturing for them to enter.

Qin Ai entered the classroom first. Zuo Bian followed behind, noticing the students’ nervous expressions. She smiled at them.

The students were smitten by her smile, clutching their chests and grinning foolishly.

Shortly after they returned to the classroom, the bell rang, and the students, who had been watching the drama unfold, returned to their seats.

Although Zuo Bian had attended school before, it was university, which was different from high school. To help her blend in, 555 had transferred high school knowledge to her.

However, she couldn’t fully digest the massive amount of information, so she still needed to pay attention in class.

Zuo Bian listened attentively during math class, taking notes diligently.

Qin Ai, surprisingly, wasn’t sleeping. She rested her chin on one hand, the other hand twirling a pen idly.

Based on Zuo Bian’s behavior, Qin Ai could tell that the new student definitely liked her. But why was she so focused on the lesson when the person she liked was sitting right beside her?

Shouldn’t she be drawing her portrait, writing her name, and stealing shy glances at her?

Qin Ai stopped twirling her pen, finding her own thoughts strange. It was just a new student. Judging by her delicate appearance, she wouldn’t be able to handle hardship. She would give up after a few rejections.

Bored, Qin Ai flipped open her comic book, but after reading a few pages, she couldn’t help but glance at Zuo Bian’s profile.

The girl’s pink lips were slightly pursed, she nodded along with the teacher’s explanation, clearly focused on the lesson.

The class ended, the teacher left, but Zuo Bian was still writing in her notebook.

Qin Ai glanced at her notebook and saw that she was solving math problems.

She never expected Zuo Bian to be so serious about studying, even seemingly ignoring her.

Zuo Bian finished writing the last step and suddenly noticed someone staring at her. She looked up and met Qin Ai’s complex gaze.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, puzzled.

Qin Ai looked away and stood up. “Nothing.”

Liu Liu and Jiang Yuandong, who were sitting in front of them, saw that Qin Ai seemed to be leaving the classroom and immediately followed her.

“Boss, are you going to the canteen? Take me with you.”

Jiang Yuandong pushed up her glasses. “Me too.”

“Whatever.” Qin Ai walked towards the door, Liu Liu and Jiang Yuandong trailing behind her.

In the eyes of the other students, Liu Liu and Jiang Yuandong were Qin Ai’s lackeys, so it wasn’t strange for them to follow her around.

However, even they, who were closest to Qin Ai, didn’t know when she had gotten a girlfriend, let alone gotten her pregnant. They were dying of curiosity.

Liu Liu tentatively asked, “Boss, what do you think of the new student? I think she’s pretty.”

Qin Ai glared at him, then said after a moment, “She’s okay, but not that great.”

Earlier, she had said “nothing special,” now it was “okay.”

Liu Liu was perceptive. He knew Qin Ai was just putting on a brave face, too embarrassed to admit that she liked the new student.

Jiang Yuandong said, “Qin Ai Jie, if you really don’t like the new student, can I pursue her? I don’t mind being the rebound guy.”

She smiled shyly. She had no resistance to beautiful girls, except for Qin Ai, whose personality she couldn’t handle.

Qin Ai suddenly stopped and said flatly, “What do you think?”

She didn’t show any obvious emotions, but Jiang Yuandong felt a chill down her spine. She forced a smile. “I think I’m not good enough for her with my looks.”

Qin Ai continued walking. “It’s good to be self-aware.”

Jiang Yuandong patted her chest, sighing in relief.

Liu Liu patted her shoulder sympathetically, then quickly caught up with Qin Ai.

“Boss, wait for me!”

Chapter 103: Side Story – When We Were Young Part Two

Qin Ai’s words made the surrounding classmates involuntarily take a light breath. “Sister, when did you go blind? She’s obviously super beautiful!”

However, who dared to contradict Qin Ai to her face? They only dared to think it in their hearts and then mouthed in agreement, “Yes, big sister is right!”

Just when everyone thought that the beautiful girl would get angry at being belittled, she instead grasped Qin Ai’s hand.”You’re more beautiful than me, you’ll definitely be the school flower,” Zuo Bian said with a smile, her eyes shining brightly, her gaze filled with ardent emotions.

Facing such a pair of pure and passionate eyes, Qin Ai felt as if her heart had been scalded, but her expression remained cold, and she snorted, “Hmph, you’re quite self-aware.”

Zuo Bian found Qin Ai’s hand cool and smooth, she couldn’t help but caress it a few more times, thinking how perfect Qin Ai was, even her hands were beautiful.

The surrounding students, however, were shocked. What was this new student doing? Daring to touch their Boss’s hand? Wasn’t she afraid of getting beaten up?

Several guys who had tried to get fresh with their Boss before had been badly beaten. But then they thought, if a beautiful girl with pure eyes was touching their hand, wouldn’t that be a win for them?

They also wanted their hands to be touched.

The intense gazes made Qin Ai realize that the new student was still holding her hand. She looked down at their intertwined hands.

The girl’s hand was slender and fair, soft and delicate. Her fingertips gently caressed Qin Ai’s hand, but there was no suggestive intent in her touch.

Zuo Bian also noticed the strange atmosphere. She followed Qin Ai’s gaze and saw their hands.

However, she didn’t seem to think anything was wrong. She even caressed Qin Ai’s hand a few more times, squeezing it gently.

“Let go,” Qin Ai said coldly.

But if she really wanted her to let go, why didn’t she just pull her hand back?

“Isn’t it normal for girls to hold hands?” Zuo Bian asked.

“But we’re not close.” Qin Ai tried to pull her hand away, but Zuo Bian tightened her grip.

“Then we can be friends. Qin Ai, let’s be friends, okay?”

“No.”

The repeated rejections seemed to trouble Zuo Bian. She frowned.

The surrounding students, who were silently observing the scene, also frowned. Who would have the heart to reject such a beautiful girl? Only their Boss was so heartless.

After a moment of thought, Zuo Bian spoke again. “If we can’t be friends, then let’s be sisters. I can be your sworn sister.”

After all, they had gone from sworn sisters to lovers in their original timeline. Doing it again wouldn’t be a problem. Zuo Bian’s thoughts were pure, and she didn’t realize how suggestive her words were.

A student who was drinking water spat it out upon hearing Zuo Bian’s words. His deskmate, who had been sprayed, wiped his face and immediately whacked the student on the head with an Oxford dictionary.

Qin Ai quickly withdrew her hand, placing it on the desk, leaning forward, her narrow eyes narrowed slightly. Her tone was ambiguous. “I think you might have misunderstood something.”

Zuo Bian blinked. “What misunderstanding?”

“I advise a pure and innocent girl like you to stay away from me. If I bully you to tears, I won’t comfort you.”

Qin Ai’s words echoed a memory from Zuo Bian’s past, her eyes shining brightly.

Zuo Bian had been with Qin Ai for a long time. She couldn’t help but feel close to Qin Ai, so without thinking, she threw herself into Qin Ai’s arms, hugging her tightly.

“Qin Ai, you’re lying, you would comfort me. You kept comforting me when I was giving birth…” Realizing what she had said, Zuo Bian quickly shut up, burying her face in Qin Ai’s chest.

Her ears were red with embarrassment. The other students knew what was going on.

Qin Ai’s body stiffened. This was the first time she had been this close to someone. And when did she get this girl pregnant?

That was everyone’s thought. Had the new beauty come to hold their Boss accountable? They even had a child together? No wonder she had transferred schools in her second year of high school.

After a moment of stunned silence, the classroom erupted in chatter.

“Wow, I never expected this. As expected of Boss, she picked such a beautiful wife. When will I be so lucky?”

“In your dreams! Look at how beautiful and hot our Boss is. A beauty like that wouldn’t even glance at you.”

“Damn! I’m jealous!”

“Sour grapes, Boss is so fierce, she already has a kid at seventeen.”

“This is crazy! Look at how innocent and delicate that girl is. She got knocked up by Boss at such a young age. If this gets out, Boss’s family might break her legs.”

“What’s there to be afraid of? They can just get married. Having such a beautiful wife is like winning the lottery.”

Qin Ai’s head was about to explode from all the noise. Unable to bear it any longer, she yelled, “Shut up!”

Seeing that their Boss didn’t appreciate their gossiping, the students quickly shut up.

When the music teacher returned and saw the quiet classroom, she was pleased, praising them for being well-behaved.

Of course, they were quiet. Who would dare to be noisy and risk getting beaten up by their Boss?

The classroom might have been quiet, but their minds were racing. They couldn’t talk, but they could pass notes.

The music class ended, and the music teacher, satisfied, packed her things and left.

The class representative, who was supposed to take Zuo Bian to get her textbooks, shuffled over hesitantly.

“Um… Boss, you can take your wife to get the textbooks yourself. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to go with you.” She carefully observed Qin Ai’s expression.

Qin Ai glared at her, then looked at Zuo Bian, who was looking at her with pleading eyes. “Qin Ai, can you take me? I only want to go with you.”

Qin Ai finally relented, clicking her tongue in annoyance. She stood up and walked towards the door. Zuo Bian hesitated, unsure if she should follow.

Qin Ai stopped after taking a few steps and turned to look at Zuo Bian, her tone impatient. “I’m taking you, so hurry up and follow me.”

“Mm-hmm!” Zuo Bian’s face lit up with a smile, and she followed Qin Ai closely, like a little tail.

======================

As soon as Zuo Bian and Qin Ai left, the classroom erupted in chatter, everyone gossiping.

“I told you so! When has Boss ever been this patient? Their relationship must be what we think it is!”

“Maybe the new student is just trying to cling to her. Look at how beautiful Boss is, wouldn’t you want to date her?” The student looked around, but everyone shook their heads frantically, their faces filled with fear.

“No, no, that’s too scary.”

“I agree. Dating Boss is like risking your life. I want to live a few more years.”

“So, I’m telling you, the new student must have something going on with Boss. The child is probably real. I never expected Boss to be the first one among us to have a child. As expected of her!”

“Um… girls can’t get pregnant naturally, right?” The student who said this got a knock on the head.

“What are you thinking? Maybe our Boss has special abilities. She can get people pregnant without medical intervention. As expected of Boss!”

Zuo Bian and Qin Ai were unaware of the wild imaginations of their classmates.

Zuo Bian followed Qin Ai closely, her eyes glued to Qin Ai’s back.

Qin Ai noticed her gaze and suddenly stopped. Zuo Bian, lost in her admiration, bumped into Qin Ai’s back.

“Ugh…” She rubbed her forehead.

Qin Ai’s lips twitched slightly. “Do you know how much misunderstanding your words just caused?”

“I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing.”

Zuo Bian lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering. Qin Ai felt a warmth spread through her heart.

She crossed her arms, looking at Zuo Bian with a scrutinizing gaze. “Feeling guilty now?”

Zuo Bian looked up, her face flushed. “I can take responsibility for you!”

“Responsibility?” Qin Ai repeated the word, savoring it. But then she said, “I don’t know why you’re approaching me, but let me tell you, my family is strict, and my parents don’t allow me to date. So I advise you to focus on your studies. A good girl like you should stay away from a bad student like me.”

If those who knew Qin Ai well heard her words, they would laugh their heads off. None of it was true!

Strict family? Qin Ai’s parents wished she would date. All she cared about were motorcycles, video games, and the piano. They even suspected that she was asexual and might end up marrying a motorcycle.

As for being a “bad student,” Qin Ai was indeed popular at school and was called “Boss” by many, but she always ranked first in her exams. So whether she skipped class to go racing, read comics during class, or slept in, the teachers turned a blind eye.

However, Zuo Bian wasn’t discouraged by Qin Ai’s words. Her intuition told her that Qin Ai didn’t dislike her.

She grabbed Qin Ai’s hand, her expression serious. “Do you like good students? Then I’ll study hard. When you’re an adult, I promise I won’t date you.”

Qin Ai effortlessly withdrew her hand, her expression indifferent. “Oh, whatever. Do you still want to get your textbooks? Next class is math.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Qin Ai didn’t realize what a big hole she had just dug for herself.

She had said they couldn’t date, and Zuo Bian would take her words seriously.

Chapter 102: Side Story – When We Were Young

Before completing the mission, 555 had been a pauper. But after Zuo Bian and Qin Ai got married, it became a millionaire.

A whole 100,000 points! 555 felt like it was on top of the world! All it needed now was to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman.

But there was no rush. Systems had long lifespans, they had plenty of time. However, Zuo Bian was different. Human lifespans were limited.

So, with its newfound wealth, 555 wanted to help Zuo Bian fulfill a wish: to meet a younger Qin Ai.

“Xiao Bian, are you ready? The package is about to be activated.”

Zuo Bian nodded. “Mm, I’m ready.”

“Close your eyes.”

A pale golden vortex appeared before Zuo Bian, expanding and enveloping her. In the blink of an eye, it vanished.

555 muttered, “Qin Ai was a real rebel when she was younger. I hope Xiao Bian won’t be bullied.”

==================

Zuo Bian felt like she had been soaking in warm water for a long time. Everything was silent. Then, she heard voices.

“Xiao Bian, don’t be afraid. If anything happens at school, just call Mom and Dad.” Du Yundong’s voice was filled with concern.

Zuo Yan added, “Dad and Mom will visit you at school often.”

Zuo Bian was confused, but she quickly understood what was happening.

555 had spent 1,000 points to buy a special package for her. So, not only would she meet a younger Qin Ai, but she also had a legitimate identity in this time period.

Here, she was just a shy and innocent girl who had finally decided to go to school.

In this timeline, she and Qin Ai were the same age. And coincidentally, she had transferred to the same school and even the same class as Qin Ai.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a coincidence. After all, 555 had spent a lot of points, so the package was powerful.

The teacher led Zuo Bian to the classroom door. The noisy chatter inside quieted down.

The teacher entered the classroom and stood on the podium, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Class, we have a new student joining us today in Class Three. She’s a bit shy, so please be kind to her.”

Ms. Luo, the homeroom teacher, was gentle and always had a smile on her face, whether she was talking to good students or bad students. It seemed like there were no bad students in her eyes.

She would describe a rebellious girl as “tsundere” and someone caught smoking in the bathroom as “a little chuunibyou.” So no one believed her when she said the new student was “shy.”

The classroom erupted in boos. Ms. Luo didn’t mind. She smiled and beckoned Zuo Bian, who was standing at the door.

“Come in, Zuo Bian.”

A few students in the back row made a bet. “I bet she’s not what the teacher described. Shy? I think she’s probably a gloomy otaku who can’t even speak a word.”

A girl beside them rested her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with longing. “Maybe she’s a beautiful boy or a beautiful girl?”

“Hmph, don’t be delusional. There aren’t that many beautiful people in real life. We should be grateful that our school has Qin Jie, our goddess. Qin Jie, there’s an empty seat beside you. I bet the teacher will arrange for the new student to sit with you.”

Qin Ai, sitting in the last row, leaned back in her chair, a comic book covering her face. She mumbled in response, her voice indifferent. “Not interested.”

Zuo Bian hesitated, feeling nervous.

555 had told her that Qin Ai was in Class Three. Although she had seen photos of Qin Ai, photos were different from real life.

Would the teenage Qin Ai dislike someone like her? She fidgeted with her clothes nervously.

Some bold students started to heckle. “Is the new student too ugly to show her face?”

“Anyone who doesn’t show their face will be treated as a Qiao Biluo!” (A reference to a popular live streamer who used filters to hide her true appearance.)

Ms. Luo clapped her hands, silencing the class.

Zuo Bian slowly entered the classroom. She had been an actress, facing dozens of cameras, she shouldn’t be nervous. But perhaps it was because the person she liked was in the audience, her steps were clumsy.

As a teenager, Zuo Bian’s features were softer. She was wearing a light blue dress, her black hair cascading down her shoulders. She had no accessories, but she was the most radiant person in the room.

She stood beside Ms. Luo, a shy smile on her face. “Hello, everyone, my name is Zuo Bian, Zuo from left, Bian from side.”

This time, no one laughed. Instead, they gasped.

The new student was completely different from what they had imagined! She was indeed a shy girl, just like the teacher had said.

And her face and figure were stunning! The only person in their school who could compare to her was Qin Ai.

Everyone instinctively glanced at Qin Ai, who was still in the same position, a comic book covering her face, seemingly fast asleep, indifferent to everything happening around her.

It seemed like this year’s school beauty competition would finally be exciting. That was everyone’s thought.

Ms. Luo cleared her throat. “Now that you’ve met the new student, Zuo Bian, please take the empty seat beside Qin Ai. The class representative will bring you your textbooks later.”

“Thank you, teacher.” Zuo Bian’s face flushed with excitement.

She was naturally beautiful, and her smile was even more dazzling.

Her heart pounded as she walked down the aisle. She ignored the other students’ gazes, her eyes fixed on Qin Ai.

Sitting down beside Qin Ai, she greeted her softly.

“Hello, my name is Zuo Bian. We’re deskmates now.”

Qin Ai didn’t remove the comic book from her face. She just mumbled a response, its meaning unclear.

It was music class. After the homeroom teacher left, the music teacher arrived. The music room was being renovated, so the teacher played a few songs on the multimedia system, letting the students appreciate the beauty of music.

However, most students weren’t so well-behaved. They liked to chat and do other things during these non-core subjects. And with the arrival of a new student, they were even more restless.

Most of them were glancing at Zuo Bian. The two students sitting in front of Zuo Bian and Qin Ai were having a heated debate about whether Qin Ai or the new student would be the school beauty this year.

By the time the music teacher went to the bathroom, they were arguing so intensely that their faces were red, and their voices had risen.

Qin Ai, who had been trying to sleep through the constant chatter, was finally awakened. She removed the comic book from her face, picked up an eraser, and threw it accurately at the back of the head of the student who had said that Zuo Bian would definitely be the new school beauty.

“Shut up!” Her voice was hoarse from lack of sleep, her tone laced with annoyance.

The classroom instantly fell silent. Zuo Bian stared at Qin Ai’s face, which looked much younger now. Qin Ai smirked. “So you’re the new student. You’re nothing special.”