Zhan Jingrui soon went to the small meeting room where He Yao was being punished.
The door was closed, and she was standing alone in the unlit room.
Zhan Jingrui entered, and before he could ask why she was being punished, He Yao spoke first.
"Zhan Jingrui, if you take another step towards me, and provoke me today, don't even think about getting rid of me later. Think carefully."
He Yao seemed to be particularly good at understanding people's hearts.
The more she said this, the more Zhan Jingrui couldn't control himself.
He had been hesitating, conflicted, thinking about many things, and unsure of his next move.
Upon hearing her words, he suddenly made up his mind.
Zhan Jingrui stared into her eyes and took another step forward.
"I walked away, then what?"
He Yao met his gaze, one second, two seconds, three seconds...
Both their hearts pounded.
After three seconds, she stepped closer to him, until there was no space between them.
He Yao grabbed his clothes, advanced, smiled into his eyes as she had yesterday, and slowly tiptoed.
Zhan Jingrui lowered his head and kissed her. He Yao had an unforgettable birthday.
This day not only marked her growth and independence, but also her complete entry into another identity.
They were lost in each other in the house Zhan Jingrui bought. Later, He Yao asked him.
"Will you regret it?"
Zhan Jingrui didn't answer, but asked her instead, "Will you?"
He Yao's eyes sparkled. She leaned into his ear and said, "I'm too proud to regret it."
Everything was going well, and Zhan Jingrui's life seemed more complete than before.
The only thing that worried him was He Yao's grades.
Her foundation was too weak, and she had ranked last in the class in the last mock exam.
If she continued like this, let alone attending the same university, it would be a fantasy for her to even get into an ordinary undergraduate program.
Zhan Jingrui decided to help her improve her grades.
He started going out frequently, making excuses to his Uncle Tang and Aunt Tang that he was studying with classmates, and spending weekends at He Yao's apartment.
He Yao was quite smart, and with Zhan Jingrui's system of rewards and punishments, her grades improved rapidly.
After studying for an afternoon, Zhan Jingrui wanted to order takeout that evening, but He Yao disagreed.
"Let me cook for you. My uncle and aunt often work night shifts. When I lived with them, I often cooked for the whole family, so my cooking is excellent."
They went shopping for groceries together, pretending not to know each other well, each walking their own way.
When they returned home, He Yao earnestly washed and chopped vegetables in the kitchen, while Zhan Jingrui watched her from the kitchen doorway.
He discovered that He Yao suited his taste in every way.
She was beautiful, intelligent, and quiet.
And she was the type of quiet person who knew when to speak and when not to.
This was a high emotional intelligence driven by high intelligence. Zhan Jingrui could sense that she possessed keen observation skills.
He even felt that He Yao sometimes reflected the strengths of his mother, Jiang Nan Fang.
Except for her competence, she was a scaled-down version of Jiang Nan Fang in all other aspects.
With Zhan Jingrui's efforts, after another mock exam, He Yao's grades rose by more than thirty places.
Not only her classmates, but even the teachers suspected she had cheated.
Seeing her ranking, Zhan Jingrui was also happy. For the first time, he sent He Yao a WeChat message during class break.
He asked her what reward she wanted.
He Yao said she didn't want anything. "Can you save it? When I become as excellent as Chu Xi, then settle it with me."
Zhan Jingrui's grades had always been first in their year. Chu Xi, whom He Yao admired, had always been second.
She was not in the same class as them, but rumors about Chu Xi had always circulated in their grade.
Chu Xi's grandfather had made his fortune in the automobile industry. By his father's generation, not only had the family business flourished, but the company had long been listed, with a current market value of hundreds of billions.
Chu Xi was a true rich and beautiful girl, and what's more, she was very low-key. Everyone who had interacted with her said she was humble, gentle in temperament, like a noble white lily.
Not only did male classmates not dare to disturb her easily, but female classmates also considered her sacred and inviolable.
It was known that it was easy for a pretty girl to gain favor with the opposite sex, but difficult to gain a good reputation among her own sex.
Chu Xi was not only a goddess in the eyes of boys, but also in the eyes of girls, which showed how successful she was as a person.
It was not without reason that He Yao admired her. She had heard rumors about her from across schools when she was at No. 12 Middle School.
But in Zhan Jingrui's eyes, Chu Xi did not have such a great advantage.
His only understanding of her was seeing her name after his own name after each exam.
He had no desire to know more about her, nor was he interested in people with personalities like his own.
He just liked He Yao. He had been attracted to her at their first meeting.
It wasn't just her beauty; He Yao had a quiet stubbornness in her eyes, a silent, all-seeing indifference that he could feel.
Crucially, He Yao dared to be herself, whether you liked me or not, this is how I am. This was very consistent with the Zhan family's style and motto, and also with his two sisters' behavior.
While he verbally complained about his sisters' spoiled behavior, Zhan Jingrui actually approved of this way of living.
She smiled when she was happy, retorted when she was unhappy, or even fought back. If you were not good to me, I would not make you feel comfortable either. This was something many girls from the rich and beautiful class could not achieve.
He Yao was strong, brave, dark, but also sunny at the same time.
In short, in Zhan Jingrui's heart, his first love was flawless.
The two loving young people worked hard together, happily looking forward to the future.
Unbeknownst to them, fate had already drawn a turning point in the dark.
As the holiday approached, Zhan Jingrui was very reluctant to be separated from He Yao.
They had only been together for one or two months and were in the honeymoon phase, and now a winter break of almost a month was looming.
Although they could call and video chat, it still made them feel reluctant.
What worried him most was that he would be gone, and He Yao would have no one around her. He didn't want her to be lonely.
However, he couldn't bring He Yao home yet.
When they had nothing to do, and when they needed to relax, they would nestle on the living room sofa and watch TV.
They watched quiet, long documentaries, any topic would do.
Zhan Jingrui lay on He Yao's lap. He Yao liked to stroke his short hair and pinch his ears.
Her hands were small and soft, but slender and delicate. Zhan Jingrui liked her hands and was happy to be pinched by her.
"He Yao."
"Hm?"
"Tell me about your winter break plans."
"Submit my homework for you to correct on time, eat and sleep on time, does that count as a plan?"
"The No. 7 Mansion?"
"I won't go back there."
"What about your aunt?"
"No, don't worry, I won't expose myself."
"Will you call me if something happens?"
"Yes."
"What about when nothing is happening?"
"I will, too."
Zhan Jingrui was satisfied and closed his eyes. "Kiss me."