Classroom entrance.
“Lin Qingya! Come out after class!”
The homeroom teacher shouted at the back door of the classroom.
“Ah?”
Lin Qingya sat in the middle of the classroom, stunned, not understanding what was going on.
“And you, Cheng Minghao! You too, come over after class!”
After speaking, the homeroom teacher gave an apologetic smile to the math teacher on the podium.
Then he left.
“Eh~ What’s up with those two?”
“They must’ve been caught kissing!”
“Ah?! That fast?”
“Of course! I saw it with my own eyes…”
Discussions spread throughout the classroom, and even rumors started flying.
Lin Qingya glanced at Cheng Minghao, who was in the third row at the front.
He turned to look back at her too.
Lin Qingya saw Cheng Minghao smile at her, as if telling her not to worry.
But just before the smile, Lin Qingya seemed to see Cheng Minghao frown slightly.
One in the third row, one in the fifth, just an aisle between them.
So Lin Qingya could see quite clearly.
After class.
In the teacher’s office.
Lin Qingya had become a regular here—just one class had passed, and she was back in the office.
“What are you two up to?!”
The homeroom teacher was exasperated, slapping a piece of paper onto the desk: “Look! Look! Who wrote this? Hm?”
“Chen Qing wrote it,” Lin Qingya muttered softly.
“Hmm?!”
The homeroom teacher was stunned, then glared at Lin Qingya.
Lin Qingya stepped back, while Cheng Minghao instinctively moved forward.
He naturally shielded Lin Qingya from the teacher’s gaze.
“Mm?”
The homeroom teacher’s eyes suddenly landed on Cheng Minghao, then shifted to where his and Lin Qingya’s hands unconsciously touched.
“What are you two doing?”
The homeroom teacher asked, eyes locked on their now separated fingertips.
Lin Qingya lowered her gaze, glancing at her left hand.
She saw her left hand was touching Cheng Minghao’s, almost holding tightly together.
“Oh!”
Lin Qingya explained, “It was an accident, just instinct.”
“An accident?!”
The homeroom teacher was dumbfounded.
Why did this explanation feel more like them flaunting their relationship?!
“Mm, right, right. Oh, wait, no, no, no!”
Lin Qingya panicked, seeing the teacher’s face turn ugly.
She thought quickly, forcing a smile.
“Teacher, you don’t look so good. Should I give you a shoulder massage? Haha~”
“Go away!”
The homeroom teacher waved her off, shooing her back.
“Don’t play that trick with me!”
He continued,
“Explain this first. Who wrote it? Who signed it?!”
While speaking, the homeroom teacher’s eyes turned to Lin Qingya.
“I…”
Lin Qingya barely got a word out.
“Teacher, I wrote it.”
Cheng Minghao took the blame without hesitation.
“You wrote it?”
The homeroom teacher asked.
Cheng Minghao nodded.
“No!”
This time Lin Qingya didn’t give Cheng Minghao a chance to take the blame or explain.
“I wrote it!”
She was talking about the guarantee letter on the desk, signed as Chen Qing.
Lin Qingya explained,
“I… didn’t want to be with him…”
“I wrote it.”
Cheng Minghao patted Lin Qingya’s head with his right hand, signaling her not to speak.
In front of Lin Qingya, he seemed mature, decisive, and responsible.
At least when it came to protecting his girl, he scored full marks.
It was just a small matter, so Cheng Minghao didn’t mind taking the blame.
But when they got back, he’d have to teach Lin Qingya a lesson to make her remember.
But why did Lin Qingya sign it as Chen Qing? Was it really just a joke?
Or was it because her handwriting looked similar, so she wrote Chen Qing’s name?
Cheng Minghao was puzzled, even confused.
After all, Lin Qingya had changed a lot recently.
But out of respect, he let it be.
He only needed to know that he liked her, and that was enough.
“No, that was really me…”
Lin Qingya grew anxious, even stomping her foot.
But before she could finish,
“Enough!”
The homeroom teacher shouted.
“You two are just feeding me dog food by acting like a married couple!”
He glanced outside the office.
Not seeing the dean or other leaders around, he relaxed.
The homeroom teacher issued a direct ultimatum:
“On the next Mock Exam, both of you must rank in the top twenty of the class. Your ranks must rise by five places!”
“Five places?!”
Lin Qingya was a little shocked, feeling like the sky was falling.
Originally, her grades were in the middle of the class.
With over forty students, she hovered around 25th place.
To rise by five places meant she had to enter the top twenty.
He even wanted her to become an outstanding student in the teens.
Barely enough to get out of the middle ranks.
But the ‘system’ inside Lin Qingya wasn’t ‘Lin Qingya’—it was ‘Chen Qing.’
Chen Qing’s grades were in the thirties, so their seat was toward the back.
Having Chen Qing reach a spot that even Lin Qingya couldn’t was quite a challenge.
“Five places? I’ll do my best.”
Cheng Minghao also frowned slightly.
He was sixth in the class.
Rising five spots would make him first.
The homeroom teacher was giving him a lot of credit.
Class first wasn’t easy to achieve.
It depended on luck.
But the teacher’s condition, the punishment, required rising five places—he’d have to secure first.
However, along with the pressure, the homeroom teacher also offered a benefit and some news.
He explained:
“I’ve already discussed your application for the University Direct Pass Scholarship Quota with the relevant teacher. That teacher also agreed to give you an opportunity.”
“So, if you want the University Direct Pass Scholarship Quota, you have to get good grades as well.”
The homeroom teacher offered some comfort and a reminder:
“So, it’s pressure and punishment, but also a reminder—not to get distracted by your little thoughts.You need to make progress, consolidate, and sprint to the end! Understood?”
Cheng Minghao and Lin Qingya exchanged glances, then smiled bitterly.
Originally, it was a reward, a side mission they could take or not.
Now, after a little punishment, it had become the main mission.
At least for the time being, neither of them had time for romance.
“Okay, teacher, I understand.”
Cheng Minghao responded.
“Mm…”
The homeroom teacher nodded, then looked at Lin Qingya.
“I—I understand too, but I might not succeed…”
Lin Qingya stammered.
If it were something else, she’d have confidence.
But with academics, she’d fallen a bit behind.
Not too much, but her grades were only average.
Aiming for the top twenty would be extremely difficult.
“Alright, go back. You must complete it, or else… both of you will be held back! You can’t take the college entrance exam, and you’ll repeat a year. Go!”
The homeroom teacher threatened.
“Ah?! I…”
Lin Qingya looked at Cheng Minghao, eyes pleading for help.
Her grades weren’t good, but she didn’t want to suffer through senior year again.
Seeing other students living freely in university while she couldn’t even lift bricks on a construction site and was still stuck in class…
It was too depressing.
Too envious.
“Go back,”
The homeroom teacher waved them off.
“Figure out how to improve your grades yourselves. I have work to do.”
“…”
Lin Qingya and Cheng Minghao exchanged looks, then left the office together.
Still holding hands, of course.
“Hey! Hands… hey!”
The homeroom teacher slumped in his chair, completely exhausted.
Lin Qingya was puzzled.
She held Cheng Minghao’s left hand with her right and looked back curiously.
“Hands? Is there a problem?”
“Does the teacher feel unwell? Should I buy you some sports drinks to help you recover?”
She continued.
Cheng Minghao glanced at their intertwined hands, hesitated, then smiled silently and held on tighter.
His tighter grip made Lin Qingya turn back.
She looked at Cheng Minghao, then tightened her hold as well.
When both hands were clasped and gripping her boyfriend’s arm, Lin Qingya suddenly realized, blushed, and ‘let go’ of Cheng Minghao’s arm, running off.
She was so embarrassed she could die.
But since Cheng Minghao held tightly, she ended up dragging him off with her.
At noon, after school.
Cheng Minghao brought Lin Qingya home for lunch.
Cheng Minghao said:
“We need to work harder from now on. Are you okay with your studies?”
“No!”
Lin Qingya gritted her teeth.
“Not only not okay, it’s really bad!”
“Really bad?”
Cheng Minghao was puzzled, then nodded.
“Alright, come stay in my room then…”
The word ‘stay’ was said softly.
Cheng Minghao added,
“Forget it, I’ll go to your room to help you study.”
“My room?”
Lin Qingya was stunned.
Then she thought of something and hurriedly shook her head.
“No, no way, you can’t come to my room.”
“Huh? Why?”
Cheng Minghao was confused.
Why couldn’t he go to Lin Qingya’s room?
He’d even helped find the property certificate in her room before, seeing everything.
There was nothing embarrassing there.
It wasn’t like his bedroom, which was filled with pictures of Lin Qingya.
Filled with Cheng Minghao’s fantasies about her.