The partition between their seats in the car remained down. As time wore on, Jiang Yi began to doubt the reality of that moment–the racing heartbeat, his confession. Had it been genuine, or had he simply been toying with her?

The uncertainty gnawed at her, until she finally realized she was overthinking it.

The last week of the semester arrived. Grades ten and eleven prepared for finals, while the seniors geared up for entrance exams. After the last afternoon exam, Jiang Yi returned to her classroom to pack her books and belongings.

The school's grading system was incredibly efficient. Except for Chinese, which took a little longer, scores for other subjects were available almost immediately. Students who’d gotten wind of the results were already discussing them.

“I heard someone got a perfect score in math.”

“Zhong Cheng?”

Jiang Yi paused, her ears perking up.

“Yeah, apparently only one person in the entire grade solved the last problem.”

“Duh, what’s new? It’d be weirder if he didn’t get a perfect score!”

“What about the other subjects?”

“Well, well, take a guess.”

“Perfect score in physics, minus two in chemistry, minus three in biology.”

“The papers are all graded. A friend of mine helped the teacher sort them. They were shocked by the scores, then saw the name: Zhong Cheng.”

“A perfect score in physics too?”

Jiang Yi listened intently, pretending to pack her books, though anyone could see her distraction.

Qin Feifei was definitely anyone.

“Zhong Cheng is amazing.”

Jiang Yi snapped back to attention, the chatter about scores fading into the background.

“Yeah,” Jiang Yi agreed, “He really is amazing.”

He truly was. Nothing seemed to challenge him. He effortlessly solved problems that left her stumped.

As if on cue, someone passed by the window. Sensing a presence, she glanced up, her eyes meeting Zhong Cheng’s.

Their gazes locked for two seconds before she quietly looked away.

Oblivious, Qin Feifei continued chattering beside Jiang Yi, eventually circling back to the exams.

“Yiyi, how do you think you did?”

Jiang Yi hesitated. “Okay, I guess.”

But she knew she’d bombed.

And bombed she had.

On Wednesday, the graded papers were returned. By the afternoon, the scores and rankings were finalized and posted on the class bulletin board. A crowd quickly gathered.

“Huh? Jiang Yi isn’t first in the class?”

“The study god Chen is back on top.” 

Since Jiang Yi's arrival in October, she'd claimed the top spot, consistently ranking in the top five of her grade for three months. Naturally, she’d attracted attention. Now, having fallen from grace, the spotlight remained, albeit with a different focus.

Qin Feifei hadn’t reached the front of the crowd yet, but she’d already overheard the whispers. She looked at Jiang Yi with concern. 

“Yiyi…” This exam hadn't been particularly difficult. Even Qin Feifei had improved, her score and ranking higher than last time.

Jiang Yi offered a smile. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

Despite her words, Jiang Yi couldn't help but analyze the reasons for her failure. Last month, Zhong Lin and Qin Zezhou had consumed much of her time. Then there was the emotional rollercoaster with Zhong Cheng–the apprehension, the excitement, the anxiety–all of which had disrupted her studies. She hadn't reviewed thoroughly, and her calculations and analysis during the exam had been less than rigorous.

Her conclusion: she needed to refocus and dedicate herself entirely to her studies.

In the car, Zhong Cheng noticed Jiang Yi scooting away from him. He glanced at her; she deliberately avoided his gaze.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Jiang Yi was surprised he’d spoken.

“Nothing,” she shook her head. Zhong Cheng didn't press further.

When the car stopped, Jiang Yi rushed upstairs, grabbed her textbooks, and started working on practice problems. She came down briefly for dinner, then hurried back to her room, seemingly avoiding even a glance at Zhong Cheng.

At the dinner table, Zhong Cheng was now alone. He looked at Jiang Yi’s empty chair, his expression unreadable.

As Jiang Yi wrestled with a particularly challenging problem, the doorbell rang.

She opened the door to find Zhong Cheng standing there.

“Is something the matter?” she asked, her tone cool.

Zhong Cheng placed a finger on the door, pushing it open further. Jiang Yi stumbled back slightly as he slipped inside. With an air of casual confidence, he walked toward her desk.

Jiang Yi stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Finally, she closed the door with a huff and returned to her desk. “So, is there something you wanted?” she repeated.

Zhong Cheng looked up. “Are you mad at me?”