Sweet Kiss - Chapter 8.2

This was the first time he had dealt with such a stubborn little patient.

Not only was she headstrong, but she also knew how to act spoiled.

Giving up, he ruffled her hair again and finally compromised. “Fine. I’ll arrange a makeup test for you after you recover.”

Li Yansui blinked at him in disbelief.

Despite feeling reassured by Bai Tingzhou’s words, reason kicked in, and Li Yansui looked at him skeptically. “Will Director Wang agree?”

This was no ordinary test—it was the first major exam for senior students and, more importantly, the placement exam that would determine which class they’d be assigned to.

If she missed it, it would be a miracle if Director Wang even let her stay in Class Five, let alone gave her a makeup test.

She wasn’t stupid. Bai Tingzhou was probably just saying this to comfort her.

Bai Tingzhou easily saw through her doubts. Instead of explaining, he simply glanced at his watch and said, “Trust me. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

His tone was calm but carried a quiet determination that left no room for argument.

Li Yansui stared at his serious expression and thought about it. Well… aside from that one thing, he really had never lied to her.

Fine. Since he said so, she’d just let it go.

With that, she lay back down without hesitation, closing her eyes to rest.

Bai Tingzhou chuckled at her immediate surrender. He picked up a towel and gently wiped her face, then tucked her in properly.

She felt the warmth of his hands near her, her eyelashes trembling slightly before she opened her eyes. Looking at the boy beside her, she smiled.

“I trust you,” she said with a grin. “After all, Bai Tingzhou is capable of anything, isn’t he?”

Her dark eyes sparkled, round and bright like black grapes. The sight made Bai Tingzhou’s throat dry.

His heart pounded rapidly, his muscles tensed, and he quickly turned his head away before he lost control.

Li Yansui giggled. “Are you blushing?”

Bai Tingzhou remained silent, but his hands moved faster, clearly flustered.

As he left the room, she called after him with a teasing smile, “Don’t be shy!”

The moment he stepped into his own room, Bai Tingzhou splashed cold water on his face, trying to regain his composure.

But even then, the faint redness on his face didn’t fade completely, and the corners of his lips wouldn’t stop curling up.

Because, yes—he was blushing.

***

Hengshan First High School took the placement exam extremely seriously.

Director Wang had stationed himself at the school gate early in the morning, watching for any late students. If anyone was walking too slowly, he’d call out for them to hurry up and review before the test began.

The senior class teachers were also in their offices ahead of time, preparing to check on their students. After all, once this exam was over, their class roster might look very different.

In the teacher’s office, Lin Ai had just finished organizing her materials when there was a sudden knock at the door.

“Come in.”

As soon as she spoke, the door swung open.

“Reporting.”

Lin Ai raised an eyebrow when she saw the student standing in front of her. “Bai Tingzhou? What brings you here?”

Although she was Class One’s English teacher, students rarely came to her unless they had an English lesson.

Bai Tingzhou stepped in, closed the door behind him, and spoke politely. “Miss Lin, I’m here to request a leave of absence for Li Yansui. She has a fever and is still resting at home.”

“A fever?” Lin Ai set down the papers in her hand and frowned. “What happened?”

“Probably from being exposed to the air conditioning for too long,” Bai Tingzhou answered truthfully.

Lin Ai nodded at this explanation, though a flicker of curiosity flashed in her eyes. She glanced at him and asked, “How did you find out she was sick?”

Bai Tingzhou: “…”

Damn. He was in such a hurry that he’d forgotten about that detail.

He should’ve just asked his mother to request the leave instead.

Thinking quickly, he replied, “We’re neighbors. Her aunt asked me to take care of it.”

Lin Ai seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. “Alright, her leave is approved.” Then, she added, “Make sure to reassure her—there will be another placement exam, so she shouldn’t stress too much.”

Bai Tingzhou nodded in acknowledgment. “Got it, Teacher.”

“Alright, now go back and prepare for the exam.”

“Yes. Sorry to have disturbed you,” Bai Tingzhou replied before turning and leaving.

Lin Ai listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps and shook her head with regret. She had been looking forward to seeing Li Yansui’s performance in the placement exam, but unfortunately, fate had other plans.

What a pity.

After tidying up her desk, Lin Ai made her way to the classroom. As soon as she stepped inside, she frowned upon noticing the air conditioning was blasting on full power.

“The exam’s about to start, and you’re still keeping it this low? Are you trying to freeze yourselves to death?” she scolded, picking up the remote to adjust the temperature.

As she scanned the classroom, her gaze landed on Li Yansui’s empty seat, and something felt off.

Why was the air conditioning blowing directly onto her desk?

Grabbing the remote again, Lin Ai discovered that someone had locked the vents in place, ensuring that the cold air continuously blasted in one direction—right where Li Yansui usually sat.

Lin Ai wasn’t just beautiful and approachable; she also had a sharp mind and a keen awareness of student dynamics. Naturally, she was well-informed about all the gossip and small conflicts within the school.

Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the classroom, observing a few students who were pretending to study but were actually sneakily writing cheat sheets.

A thought formed in her mind.

***

By the time Bai Tingzhou returned to the classroom, the students had already gathered, busy reviewing for the exam.

The placement exam seating was based on last semester’s final rankings, meaning most students in Class One didn’t have to move to a different room—just a different seat within the same class.

At his desk, Qi Jinyang was munching on the pastries that Xu Mu had brought him, grumbling, “This is way too sweet. Yesterday’s buns were better.”

Despite his complaints, he continued eating bite after bite.

Lately, Bai Tingzhou had been running in and out of school almost every day, and today was no exception. He had left early in the morning with a vague “I have something to do” before disappearing again.

Now that Bai Tingzhou had finally returned and taken his seat, Qi Jinyang immediately scooted over, full of curiosity.

Sitting close to Bai Tingzhou, allowed him to catch a faint but unfamiliar scent on him—something different from his usual clean, fresh smell.

Qi Jinyang couldn’t quite describe what it was, but it didn’t seem like cologne.

Without thinking, he blurted out, “Zhou-ge, are you hiding a girl somewhere? You’ve been smelling way too nice lately, and you keep coming to class later and later in the mornings.”

It was an offhand remark—just a joke.

But Bai Tingzhou nearly choked on his water the moment he heard it.

“Cough, cough—” He hadn’t even swallowed yet when Qi Jinyang’s “hiding a girl” comment hit a little too close to home.

He felt a sudden wave of guilt.

Qi Jinyang immediately handed him a napkin but kept pressing. “Wait… did I actually guess right? You’re really hiding someone? Spill, what’s going on?”

Bai Tingzhou barely managed to regain his breath.

He wiped his mouth with the napkin, choosing not to answer the question directly. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject—

“Help me with something.”