Chapter 67: I Am Her Future Boyfriend

Seeing that he really intended to go, Tang Yu hurriedly grabbed his arm, afraid others might overhear, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You’re actually going?! Stop messing around!”

Bian Yang looked at her leisurely. “I have to set an example.”

“Who needs your example?” she muttered resentfully.

She walked past Bian Yang, expressionless, returning to her seat and burying her head in her book.

From behind, Bian Yang leaned forward to negotiate with her. “Then I won’t go, but if Zhou Xunwen comes looking for you, you have to tell him to get lost.”

Tang Yu buried her head even deeper in her book. “You talk too much. Study properly.”

The grading for the senior year’s advanced class was swift; by the time the English test was over, the math papers were already scored.

During evening self-study, Teacher Hou entered with the test papers.

Instantly, a cacophony of wails and groans erupted.

As he handed out the papers, Teacher Hou announced from the podium, “There’s only one person who got full marks in this math exam, and that’s Tang Yu from your class.”

Hearing this, Meng Shirui’s heart skipped a beat.

How could Tang Yu be the only one? She and Bian Yang had copied Tang Yu’s paper.

If Tang Yu got full marks, they should have too!

“Tang Yu got full marks again, but Zhou Xunwen didn’t this time—how odd.”

“How did she solve the final big question? Amazing, I didn’t even understand the problem.”

No one in the class found it surprising anymore; Tang Yu always got full marks, nothing unusual at all.

After a brief moment of awe, everyone started praying they’d do better this time.

Teacher Hou was nothing like Sun Xue Min; he cared only about grades, never about what the students thought.

He held the papers and read out the scores one by one on the podium; whoever was called had to go up to collect their paper.

The shameful and the proud were laid bare.

A sense of foreboding crept into Meng Shirui’s heart.

Until Teacher Hou called out, “Meng Shirui, thirty-eight points,” and she was completely stunned.

When the paper landed in her hands, the clear, unmistakable ‘38’ printed on it pushed her over the edge; she let out a shrill scream!

The huge numbers slapped her in the face like a palm.

Her classmates were startled.

Tang Yu instinctively glanced over, meeting Meng Shirui’s bloodshot, venomous eyes. Her heart trembled, and she felt short of breath.

The next second, a book was thrust in front of her, blocking Meng Shirui’s gaze.

“Keep your head down,” came Bian Yang’s voice.

Tang Yu’s gaze flickered; she withdrew her eyes and lowered her head to look at her own paper.

Wang Qing leaned next to Tang Yu and whispered, “She only got thirty-eight this time. You didn’t give her the answers, did you?”

Tang Yu nodded.

“No wonder. Serves her right. With such a low score, let’s see how she competes in the math competition!”

Bian Yang took the book back and looked at Meng Shirui, half-smiling.

Meng Shirui seemed to realize something and instantly tore her paper to shreds!

Damn it, she’d been played!

Teacher Hou frowned at her. “Meng Shirui, what are you doing? Screaming and tearing up your paper—where’s your discipline?”

Bian Yang raised his hand leisurely, and Teacher Hou looked over.

The boy smiled. “Teacher, I heard Meng Shirui’s planning to participate in the math competition. With thirty-eight points, is she going to compete or just embarrass Qingyuan?”

Teacher Hou had never wanted Meng Shirui to enter the competition, but Zhou Xunwen strongly recommended her, and Meng Shirui promised she’d get a good score on this mock exam, so he reluctantly agreed.

But with thirty-eight points, it was out of the question; there was no way to explain this to the other students.

Hou Zhimin cleared his throat and said sternly, “Where did these rumors come from? Of course Meng Shirui can’t compete! Only the top three in this math exam are eligible to apply for the competition!”

“Oh, I see,” Bian Yang said, glancing at Meng Shirui.

Her face was utterly humiliated; unable to hold herself together, she ran straight out of the classroom, ignoring Teacher Hou’s shouts behind her.

Wang Qing rolled her eyes, barely suppressing a laugh. “Thirty-eight points, and still had the nerve to think about the competition—really showing off for nothing! I wonder who gave her the courage. Now look, face slapped!”

She excitedly turned to Tang Yu. “She’s out, so you can enter without worrying about her!”

Then she pushed a registration form in front of Tang Yu. “Here, Zhou Xunwen gave this to you. You weren’t in the classroom earlier, so I held onto it for you. Fill it out and hand it in.”

Just as she finished speaking, Hou Zhimin walked up to Tang Yu’s desk.

Wang Qing immediately stopped whispering and buried her head in her paper.

“Tang Yu, have you filled out the competition registration form Zhou Xunwen gave you? Hand it to me when you’re done,” Hou Zhimin said.

Tang Yu glanced at the form on her desk, stood up, and handed it to the teacher. “Sorry, teacher, I won’t be participating.”

Hou Zhimin looked at her, surprised. “Why not? With your grades, you could win a prize and get bonus points for the college entrance exam.”

Tang Yu shook her head. “I don’t want to compete.”

Seeing her so determined, Hou Zhimin felt it was a pity.

But he couldn’t force her, so he took the form back. “If you change your mind, come find me any time. The deadline is three days from now.”

Tang Yu gave him a sweet smile, thanked him, and sat down to review her paper.

After finishing her shift at the milk tea shop, Bian Yang walked her back to the dormitory.

On the way, he asked, “Why won’t you compete?”

Tang Yu lowered her lashes, hiding her eyes.

She said, “The competition doesn’t necessarily guarantee bonus points, but it will take up a lot of time for math. With Teacher Hou’s personality, he might demand intensive training, leaving me less time for English. After thinking it over, it’s better to give up.”

More importantly, Meng Shirui’s poor score this time would surely be blamed on her for not passing the answers.

If she joined the competition, it would only add fuel to the fire.

The college entrance exam was looming, and she worried that provoking Meng Shirui—given her extreme temperament—might lead her to harm Bian Yang or herself.

The incident with Bian Yang at the police station still cast a shadow in her heart.

Bian Yang listened and didn’t say much more. “As long as you’ve thought it through.”

His relaxed attitude eased Tang Yu’s nerves; her lips curled unconsciously.

“Bian Yang, do you believe I can get into Qingbei?”

Bian Yang drawled, “Of course. Without Tang Xiaoyu, it’s Qingbei’s loss.”

Tang Yu laughed. “Have you ever been to Qingbei?” she asked with yearning. “I heard that during this season, the bauhinia blossoms in Tsinghua Garden bloom in profusion, more beautiful than the best park in Liangcheng!”

Under the moonlight and streetlamps, the two walked side by side.

Bian Yang’s hands were in his pockets, his gaze distant, as if recalling something. He spoke softly, “It’s indeed beautiful.”

He freed a hand and patted her head.

“But Tang Xiaoyu will definitely see Tsinghua Garden herself. Then we can go fishing by the lake.”

Tang Yu laughed. “Does the school allow fishing? You’re definitely lying to me.”

“We’ll sneak out late at night, when it’s quiet.”

“Bian Yang, you’re so bad!”

The boy’s laughter was mischievous. “We can also pick hydrangeas on Xinmin Road, cut peonies in Peony Garden, and there’s Lovers’ Hill in Tsinghua Garden.”

He winked at the girl, staring at her rosy lips. “They say couples who kiss there will grow old together. Want to try?”

Tang Yu froze, her cheeks tinged with a delicate blush beneath the streetlamps, making her look especially alluring.

Bian Yang watched for a moment, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

He wanted to kiss her.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

The girl huffed and ran off.

Bian Yang’s teasing laughter chased after her like a pursuer, and Tang Yu ran faster and faster, darting back to the dormitory.

Tsk, this little one left her big brother behind without even a goodnight.

Bian Yang lowered his head to send a message, intending to call her out for a lesson. Unintentionally, he looked up and saw the girl who had confessed to him that afternoon.

He beckoned with a finger, and Liu Shuran shyly pointed at herself. Bian Yang nodded.

Liu Shuran’s friends urged her on. “Go quickly! There’s still hope!”

Liu Shuran hurriedly smoothed her bangs, feeling bashful as she walked over, thinking he’d changed his mind.

Who knew his first words would be, “Help me keep an eye on Tang Yu. She lives in the dorm, I can’t watch her all the time. If anything happens, call me.”

Liu Shuran’s lips twitched, all her shyness vanishing. “You called me over just to have me watch Tang Yu…?”

“What else?” Bian Yang shot her a glance.

He entered his number into her phone and told her to save it.

It was the most painful experience Liu Shuran had ever had saving a handsome guy’s number, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s your relationship with Tang Yu, anyway? You want me to keep a special eye on her—it seems like you two aren’t just ordinary study partners.”

No normal classmates would be so close.

“You’re right,” Bian Yang said, after she finished saving his number, pocketing his phone and smiling with his eyes.

“I’m her future boyfriend.”

Liu Shuran: “……”

What was with that inexplicably boastful tone!

“Well, I knew it! I sensed it in class—so I wasn’t wrong, you really like Tang Yu!”

No wonder her confession was so brutally rejected.

She nearly exclaimed aloud.

Bian Yang looked at her, making her nervous enough to immediately cover her mouth.

He smiled faintly. “Alright, now you know my secret. If anything happens to Tang Yu, I’ll come after you first.”

Liu Shuran: “……”

Ha! Damn it!

In just half a day, she hadn’t recovered from her failed confession and now she had become the guardian of her rival in love…