On the morning Ji Ran arrived at school, many classmates were already seated in the classroom. Lately, she had been taking the bus to school, making her a few minutes later than before.

Ji Ran walked to her seat and gently placed her backpack down. The classroom buzzed with conversation.

Occasionally, someone would shout, “Who can lend me yesterday’s math paper to copy?”

Ji Ran randomly took out a book from her bag and placed it in front of her. Outside, the mist persisted, and the rain from the previous night had stopped. The sky occasionally dropped a few droplets.

The rain from the previous night seemed to have washed out the whole world.

The events of the night felt like they belonged to a different lifetime.

It wasn’t until a slender hand rested on her desk and lightly tapped a few times that she looked up. A soft voice said, “Excuse me, please make some room.”

Ji Ran looked up at the person standing in the aisle. He carried a black backpack on one shoulder, and his dark, short hair seemed freshly washed that morning, a bit fluffy and soft against his forehead.

However, his usually deep black eyes were now bloodshot, indicating a night of poor sleep.

Ji Ran stood up to let him sit down.

Unexpectedly, after Shen Zhi sat in his place, he took out an English book from his bag and placed it in front of him. Ji Ran couldn’t help but glance at him. He was reading, and she stole a few more glances.

“What’s up?” Shen Zhi spoke.

But when he opened his mouth, his voice sounded like a broken gong, rough and gravelly.

Ji Ran looked at him in surprise. Something seemed off. His complexion was very pale—the kind of conspicuous cold white—but today his cheeks showed a noticeable flush, which was not normal.

Shen Zhi chuckled. “Are you just going to stare at me without saying anything? Do you like looking at me?”

Ji Ran was initially concerned about his health, but seeing that he still had the energy to tease her, it seemed he wouldn’t die anytime soon. So she ignored Shen Zhi, lowered her head, and continued reading her book.

Soon, the morning self-study began, and the English teacher came to supervise. As soon as he entered the classroom, he slapped the textbook on the podium a few times, saying, “Remember to review the words from yesterday. You will have to write them from memory in the English class this afternoon.”

A chorus of sighs echoed through the class.

The English teacher couldn’t contain his anger. “Look at your attitude. Do you know that your average English score is the lowest in the entire grade, except for the art class? It’s five points lower than Class One. And that’s with someone getting a perfect score; otherwise, it would be even lower. I can’t show my face in the English department with this kind of performance.”

The entire class was scolded, and they dared not complain anymore.

Soon, the classroom was filled with the sound of reading.

Suddenly, Shen Zhi beside her spoke softly, “Top student.”

Ji Ran remained expressionless. “Just talk normally.”

What is the top student? She felt like he was mocking her as soon as he opened his mouth.

Unexpectedly, Shen Zhi tilted his head and said seriously, “If I don’t understand something in English, can I ask you?”

This question immediately stunned Ji Ran.

She turned to look at him, feeling a sense of disbelief. The consistently last-ranking student in the grade actually had questions to ask her.

Seeing her surprise, Shen Zhi couldn’t help but find it cute.

“Can you teach me?” He leaned in, trying to hold back a smile, and said it earnestly.

Ji Ran was a bit puzzled and casually asked, “Why do you suddenly want to learn English?”

Shen Zhi’s fingertips rested on the English textbook for a few seconds, and he spoke in a low voice, “I’ve said it before; I want to become the kind of person you like.”

He liked her so much, thinking she was an unattainable dream before. But now he had the chance to get closer. Every day he spent with her, he liked her a bit more.

It didn’t matter if she didn’t like him now because he could make an effort to get closer to her.

He would try to behave, try to reconcile with the world, and try to be a bit more cheerful.

Ji Ran pouted, “You don’t even know what kind of person I like.”

This statement elicited a light laugh from Shen Zhi. He whispered, “Okay, tell me then. What kind of person do you like?”

Suddenly, Ji Ran felt a bit confused. Did she have someone she liked? Perhaps she knew what kind of person she liked?

In her previous life, she didn’t have a formal boyfriend until the accident happened.

It might be hard for many people to believe, but she never had a boyfriend until the car accident. She used to tease Shen Zhi about the rumors of him being a virgin, finding it amusing.

But at least Shen Zhi had deeply engraved white moonlight in his heart.

He knew the taste of liking someone, whether it was sweet, bitter, sour, or painful.

Seeing Shen Zhi speak like this, Ji Ran decided to say something randomly to make him give up completely: “I like someone who excels in both character and learning, never scores below seven hundred on any exam, and wins in everything.”

The first criterion of excelling in character and learning was something Shen Zhi didn’t meet.

Since he entered high school, he has been reported and criticized by the school several times for fighting outside the school. If it weren’t for Shen’s powerful background, the school would have expelled him long ago.

“Must score over seven hundred on exams?” Shen Zhi asked casually.

Ji Ran nodded, admitting that she couldn’t guarantee scoring over seven hundred every time. After all, the difficulty of each exam paper varied, and some papers might be slightly more challenging, making it difficult to reach seven hundred.

In her previous life, even study goddesses like Ji Ran sometimes scored just under seven hundred.

Her preference was completely unreasonable.

Surprisingly, Shen Zhi didn’t say anything. He just stared at the textbook in front of him.

Even during the break, Shen Zhi stayed in his seat without moving. He paid attention in class, and as soon as the class ended, he rested his head on the desk.

In the end, Xia Jiangming stood in the corridor, opened the window, and reached out to pat his shoulder, saying, “Zhi-Ge, let’s go to the playground.”

But as soon as Xia Jiangming finished patting, he actually reached out and touched Shen Zhi’s exposed skin.

Xu Yihang saw it: “Xia Jiangming, are you a fucking pervert?”

“Don’t shout.” Xia Jiangming impatiently said, then looked down at Shen Zhi and said, “Zhi-Ge, are you feverish? Your body feels too hot.”

As he said this, Xu Yihang also reached out from the window and touched Shen Zhi’s neck.

Surprisingly, it was indeed hot—the kind that burned when touched.

After being touched consecutively by the two guys, Shen Zhi became a bit impatient and said, “Just leave.”

Ji Ran, listening to their conversation, knew that her morning thoughts were correct. She hadn’t expected Shen Zhi to be so seriously feverish and still insist on toughing it out.

Xia Jiangming: “Zhi-Ge, how about I help you ask for leave from the class teacher, and you go to the hospital?”

Shen Zhi furrowed his brows slightly and said in a deep voice, “I’m not that weak.”

“You should still go check it out.” Ji Ran couldn’t help but speak softly.

Seeing her speak, Xia Jiangming immediately said, “Exactly, Zhi-Ge, go check it out. Even Ran-mei said so.”

But he still didn’t go. When the third class ended, Ji Ran saw him with a pale face, as if he were a sheet of paper, and his lips lacked the usual moisture, appearing somewhat dry.

After glancing at him, Ji Ran decided to ignore him.

Self-consoling, Ji Ran thought, “Don’t be soft-hearted; he won’t really die like this. Shen Zhi, a campus big shot, has experienced many fights; even in fights, he’s not left with any major injuries. A little fever is nothing.”

But in the end, she looked at Shen Zhi with anticipation and asked, “Are you really not feeling uncomfortable?”

“Uncomfortable,” Shen Zhi said in a low voice.

He wasn’t really an iron man. Headaches and fevers made him extremely uncomfortable, and he wished he could lie in bed at home for a whole day and night. However, he didn’t like going to the hospital. Going home meant just lying in bed alone.

Staying at school was at least more bearable with her sitting nearby.

Ji Ran’s soft voice, like a breeze that would scatter, said, “Shen Zhi, go to the school clinic.”

“Going to the school clinic now means getting an IV for several hours. No one will buy me lunch.” Shen Zhi suddenly said, for some reason.

Ji Ran thought it was about this matter. She said, “I’ll buy it for you. I’ll get it for you.”

But as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt like she was being deceived.

She immediately said, “I’ll ask Xia Jiangming to buy it for you.”

“He dares not.” Shen Zhi chuckled softly.

Ji Ran was irritated by him. Why was he so helpless? But seeing him in this state, Ji Ran didn’t want to say anything more. She made a vow in her heart—just be soft-hearted this once. Only this once.

So Shen Zhi got up and asked for leave from the teacher to go to the school clinic.

During lunchtime, Ji Ran ate outside and specifically found a clean and exquisite restaurant. She packed a portion of fried noodles and soup for Shen Zhi.

The school clinic was located next to the school playground, a row of single-story buildings with several rooms.

However, there was only one room for infusions, containing not only several hospital-style chairs but also two beds.

Shen Zhi wasn’t lying on the bed; instead, he sat on a chair. When Ji Ran came in, he had closed his eyes, conserving his energy, but her entrance disturbed him.

The moment he saw her, a smile appeared in his eyes.

This little girl is always so true to her word.

After placing the items she brought down, Shen Zhi pointed to the IV needle on the back of his hand and said in a low voice, “Still getting the IV.”

He meant that it wasn’t convenient to eat.

Ji Ran nodded. “Then eat after you finish the IV.”

At this hour, even the school clinic staff had gone for lunch, leaving only Shen Zhi alone here.

Shen Zhi was amused by the girl’s obtuseness. Initially, he thought that as long as she brought him food, he would be satisfied. However, human desires are insatiable.

He was like that now.

Shen Zhi chuckled lightly. “But I’m hungry now. I haven’t eaten anything since morning.”

He said it pitifully.

Ji Ran widened her eyes, looking at him. “What should we do then?”

“How about you feed me?” Shen Zhi looked at her slightly sideways.

But Ji Ran, like a startled little rabbit, actually took a step back, watching him cautiously. “Shen Zhi, don’t play around. If you continue like this, I’ll leave, and you can fend for yourself.”

She knew she couldn’t be soft-hearted.

Fortunately, Shen Zhi shook his head slightly, seemingly consoling her. “Okay, I won’t scare you.”

So he directly picked up the lunch box with both hands and ate the fried rice using a disposable spoon. Ji Ran, seeing his vigorous movements, was afraid that the needle on the back of his hand might bleed.

It was Shen Zhi who saw the look in her eyes and said with a smile that seemed like a joke, “Rest assured, I’m not that fragile.”

He ate his meal unusually quickly, either genuinely hungry or afraid that she would leave. Surprisingly, he finished quickly. Ji Ran handed him the soup, her voice low. “Drink the soup too.”

“You should sit.”

Shen Zhi pointed to the empty seat beside him, and Ji Ran also felt that standing like this wasn’t appropriate, so she sat down.

After Shen Zhi finished his meal, Ji Ran took out a wet tissue from her bag and offered it to him: “Wipe your hands.”

Shen Zhi lowered his head to look at the wet tissue in front of him. At this time, most people used tissues, and very few people carried wet wipes with them. Even though Ji Ran didn’t show it on a regular basis, in small details, she always gave people the impression of being a proper young lady.

For a moment, the infusion room was a bit overly quiet.

Finally, Ji Ran suddenly thought of something and turned to ask, “Do you feel better now?”

Shen Zhi, smelling the fragrance on her, which was obviously different from the antiseptic smell in the room, sweet and pleasant, and particularly fragrant, looked at her when she asked the question. His gaze fell on her white and tender cheek, like soft tofu, even showing the tiny, fine hairs on it.

Because today was exceptionally dim, the light in the school clinic was on.

The incandescent light shone on her cheek, and the dense eyelashes, like raven feathers, hung down obediently until she slightly raised them, trembling lightly.

Suddenly, Shen Zhi reached out. His palm rested on her neck, gently pulling her to a distance extremely close to him.

Then he lightly pressed his forehead against hers.

With a faint nasal tone, he said, “Am I hot?”

In fact, he was burning up inside because of her.