He Yunxing said this without a hint of embarrassment, his long legs resting idly as he watched her leisurely.
Bian Li chuckled, “You want to take advantage of me? Not happening.”
She raised the exercises in her hand, her tone full of pride, “My mom asked me to ask you, but it’s not like I have to, right?”
Then, Bian Li winked playfully, “Go to bed early, senior.”
He Yunxing raised an eyebrow, “Do as you wish.”
After watching Bian Li disappear into her room, He Yunxing gently closed the door.
The Bian family’s home had a cozy feel, even the guest room was decorated with warm tones and filled with little details.
Bian’s mother had thoughtfully changed his quilt cover and pillowcase, even giving him a new set of pajamas that he had never worn—soft, fresh, and warm, carrying the comforting scent of grapefruit, almost exactly like it had been when he stayed over as a child.
Rarely having time to himself, He Yunxing lazily leaned against the head of the bed, scrolling through his phone with one hand.
He didn’t use social media much, nor was he particularly fond of it, something his father’s influence had instilled in him from an early age. He Yunxing had inherited much of his personality from his father.
He didn’t often check Weibo; whenever he posted something promotional, he would log out immediately. WeChat, too, was something he avoided unless necessary. When he opened it now, a flood of new messages popped up in his group chat, all marked in red.
He Yunxing instantly knew who they were from.
Ning Xuechu was bouncing around in the group, asking why he hadn’t come back yet.
[X.]: I slept at a friend’s house.
[Handsome from the start]: That’s not your usual style… (confused) Are you really not coming back tonight?
[X.]: Yeah.
[Handsome from the start]: Which friend’s house are you at? Oh, wait, I just remembered something! How scary! I saw your parents go to Fei Fei’s house! Did you know that?!
After Ning Xuechu’s questions, he suddenly remembered that He Yunxing had liked a post from Bian Li.
Sure enough, he was aware… but He Yunxing’s response was as cold as ever.
[X.]: Oh.
Ning Xuechu was suspicious, so he pressed on with more questions.
[Handsome from the start]: Wait, I’ve got a question for you. You have to answer it. The friend’s house you mentioned, isn’t it…? ]
[X.]: I’m upset and I’m sleeping.
Ning Xuechu, scratching his head in the dorm, couldn’t quite figure out why He Yunxing was being so moody.
He Yunxing didn’t bother with the conversation further, his thoughts drifting back to Bian Li’s circle of friends. Just as he was about to scroll, there was a knock on the door—two soft, rhythmic taps.
Before He Yunxing could say anything, the door slowly creaked open.
A small head poked through the narrow gap, and Bian Li chuckled awkwardly, saying, “Uh… Senior? I’m embarrassed, but there are a lot of questions I can’t figure out even after reading the book…”
He Yunxing glanced over, his expression unreadable, “Didn’t you just say I was taking advantage of you?”
Bian Li saw him about to get off the bed and assumed he was going to kick her out.
Without hesitation, she slipped inside like a cat and closed the door behind her.
“No, you heard me wrong. I actually want to take advantage of you,” Bian Li said earnestly, pausing before adding, “Really.”
He Yunxing half-pushed himself up. The collar of his pajamas was already open, and as he moved, it exposed part of his delicate collarbone. The soft fabric clung to his body, highlighting his straight, thin shoulders. His pale skin gleamed like white jade, and his lazy gaze fell casually over her.
Just the sight of him made Bian Li feel something simmering beneath the surface.
He Yunxing didn’t give her a chance to stare longer. With a lazy movement, he got off the bed, walked to the table, and sat in a chair.
He lightly tapped his knuckles on the desk and asked, “Are you not coming over yet?”
Bian Li hurried over, saying, “Oh,”and quickly joined him.
The desk was large enough for both of them, so Bian Li grabbed another chair and sat beside him. She opened the exercise book and textbook, ready to point out where she needed help, but before she could, He Yunxing pressed the page down with his hand.
“Didn’t you say you were going to take advantage of me?” he teased.
Bian Li had to stop turning the pages. “Huh?”
“Say it three times. Go on.” He Yunxing leaned back in his chair, looking utterly relaxed.
Bian Li grumbled under her breath but reluctantly complied, calling him “Brother Yunxing” three times, her tone dripping with indignation.
She secretly vowed to change his contact name to “Fatty” when she returned to her room later.
After hearing these three calls, He Yunxing raised his eyebrows and chuckled, “Seems like Fatty Sister isn’t too happy, huh?”
“No, no, I’m very happy! Senior, let’s get started quickly, I’m afraid I won’t finish in time. If I don’t finish it, then forget it, but if I still don’t get it after reading it, I’ll really headbutt the ground,” Bian Li said, her tone unusually urgent.
It was getting late, and she just wanted to finish her questions as quickly as possible.
Shengdian’s assessment requirements are usually very strict, and the pace has been growing increasingly intense in recent years. Especially for students who’ve had a long break and only return after a major exam, the pressure is even more overwhelming.
Failing the midterm means failing the entire course. Passing the midterm doesn’t matter, and the final exam scores are the only ones that count.
Bian Li couldn’t afford to slack off, though staying up late twice a semester for a different kind of “perfection” was a minor consolation.
He Yunxing took the pen from her hand and spoke in a calm, even tone, “I know.”
Without glancing away from the paper, he quickly scanned the questions. “This is a question for the drama directing major. Why are you taking this exam?”
Bian Li sighed in frustration, “I chose this elective on a whim. I thought it sounded interesting, but it turns out I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to read the books the teacher recommended.”
She felt a little down and defeated. “It would’ve been better to just pick a class on erhu performance instead.”
He Yunxing casually made a couple of strokes on the paper, “I’ll give you an outline. Just memorize it.”
“You really are a top student, I knew I could count on you,” Bian Li said with a long, relieved sigh. Seeing He Yunxing handle it so effortlessly, she felt she’d made the right choice by asking him.
He Yunxing didn’t give it much thought and directly asked, “Who’s the teacher for your literature appreciation class?”
Shengdian’s exam style was known for its oddities. Apart from the mandatory review topics, most of the questions were designed to confuse the students.
Bian Li answered without hesitation, “Han Gang.”
There was a reason she was so dedicated to reviewing. This male professor was not at all lenient and didn’t give any extra grace.
His class had a high failure rate, and most of the students who passed were low-scoring. He was cold and ruthless.
What made it worse was that the female teacher who was supposed to teach this class was on maternity leave, and Han Gang had been brought in as a temporary replacement. Bian Li only learned of this when the midterm was already approaching.
“I’ll give you some extra content. It’s not much. Just memorize it. You don’t need to bother with in-class content,” He Yunxing said briefly, tapping the pen against the desk as he wrote and marked.
Bian Li stared at what he wrote, “Why?”
“Han Gang only asks 5% of the in-class material every year. Are you sure you want to memorize all of that?” He pointed at the thick pile of review materials in front of her.
“…Wow, senior, you really are something,” Bian Li said, her eyes shining with admiration. She believed in He Yunxing without question.
Once the conversation died down, the room fell into silence again. Bian Li was sitting very close to him now, almost leaning against him. Her soft, shallow breathing was audible.
She was wearing loose, two-piece pajamas, and her smooth legs stretched out restlessly, swaying gently.
The heat that had been suppressed earlier now returned, crackling and spreading through the air.
It wasn’t even the hottest season, but He Yunxing felt a bit wild.
He quickly averted his gaze, half-closing his eyes, “There are more intense ones. Do you want to try?”
Bian Li placed her elbows on the desk, propping up her face. Her cheeks flushed slightly upon hearing the words.
She wasn’t sure if she was overthinking it, but it seemed like his sentence had a certain suggestive tone.
She nodded quietly, almost breathlessly, “…No.”
—
Bian Li was woken up by her mother in the morning. The alarm clock had gone off five times, but it didn’t manage to pull her out of sleep.
Last night, she’d been like a miner who had struck gold, relentlessly asking He Yunxing questions.
In the end, after handing him all the subjects she had to study for, she’d memorized everything all night, not even realizing when she’d passed out.
Thankfully, he hadn’t been impatient at all, which made Bian Li feel a little embarrassed.
Rubbing her eyes, Bian Li groggily asked, “Mom, did you carry me back to my room last night?”
Bian’s mother made a face, “You’re so old, why would I carry you? My back hurts just thinking about it. Now, get up!”
Bian Li, still half asleep, hummed, “He Yunxing probably hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Your Fatty Brother got up a long time ago, alright? Your dad told you to sleep in a little longer, but the three of us have finished breakfast, and you’re still asleep, like a pig. Get up quickly, you have an exam today!” Bian’s mother slapped her lightly on her exposed body.
Startled by the sudden attack, Bian Li jumped out of bed in an instant, “You’re so old, and you still slap me.”
Although her tone was slightly complaining, Bian Li quickly packed up and changed clothes. She had been busy with announcements and had already practiced kung fu. She felt a little lazy when she got home, but it didn’t affect her performance.
“Come downstairs quickly. Have breakfast on the way,” Bian’s mother called out as she walked out.
Bian Li replied absently, and as she walked to the bathroom, she couldn’t help thinking that He Yunxing was really something—sleeping later than a pig but getting up earlier than a chicken.
She was still a bit drowsy when she got into He Yunxing’s car. Holding a rice ball that Bian’s mother had shoved into her hand, her bag was slung over her shoulder, and she still had her phone in one hand.
“Your uncle put your electric scooter in the trunk and asked me to bring it back to you,” He Yunxing said, glancing at her before starting the engine and turning the steering wheel smoothly.
“My dad knows we live across the street?” Bian Li’s attention was instantly piqued.
“He knew it last night,” He Yunxing replied, not elaborating further.
Bian Li responded with a casual “yes” and, after a brief silence, suddenly sighed, “Senior, your car is really cool.”
“Based on my current annual salary, it’ll take at least five years to afford a car like yours,” she added, chewing on the rice ball as she checked Weibo.
“That’s not necessarily true,” He Yunxing replied.
Bian Li glanced to the left, noticing his delicate profile bathed in the morning light, his jawline sharply defined.
“Are you encouraging me to earn more and more in the future so I can reach the pinnacle of life within three years?” she joked.
He Yunxing shot her a quick glance, his expression indifferent. “I mean five years isn’t necessarily the case.”
Bian Li: “…”
The traffic was heavy in the north and south districts, and the car ride was quiet. Bian Li decided to break the silence.
“Senior, haven’t you graduated yet? Why did the school still want you to come?” She’d meant to ask this last night, but there had been too much to focus on, so she’d left it for now.
While waiting at a red light, He Yunxing tapped his slender fingers on the edge of the steering wheel.
“The school wanted to ask me something,” he said, not offering any more details.
“Don’t you often appear and disappear? Why did you suddenly agree to go back to school to show your face?”
He smirked slightly, but the smile vanished almost immediately. “Because I want to.”
Bian Li couldn’t find any words to argue with that.
She knew that He Yunxing’s popularity, traffic, and attention were all off the charts.
Just from checking Weibo, it was obvious—most of the trending topics were about him, with various entries following.
When they finally arrived at the hidden underground garage, Bian Li was the first to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Thank you, senior. With you around, I feel like I’m going to ace the exam.”
Not only that, Yi Qian Entertainment offered company-specific scholarships for those who were still studying and had good grades. Their boss was generous and made sure to provide enough.
Bian Li couldn’t help but smile at the thought. She pulled out a single-wrapped soft candy from her bag and handed it to He Yunxing without a second thought. “Here you go.”
He Yunxing looked down at his palm, the meaning in his eyes unclear. “Is this how you repay me?”
“Not quite enough.” Saying this, he raised his hand and playfully tugged at the little chick that Bian Li had tied up.
