Chapter 58 – Wanting to Change Seats
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Huh? What should I say?” Lin Yuejiu lowered her hands and smiled at him. She glanced at his hand. “Oh, right—sorry for using your arm as a pillow for so long. Next time I’ll be careful, it definitely won’t happen again!”
“Mm.”
Just then, the homeroom teacher walked in with an apologetic smile, “Sorry everyone, something came up yesterday and I got delayed.”
The classmates all said it was fine.
Someone mischievously piped up, “I forgive you.”
The teacher laughed back, “Then I’ll have to thank you for your forgiveness?”
That student: “Aw, don’t mention it.”
The class burst into laughter.
The homeroom teacher began the lecture in earnest.
After catching up on sleep, Lin Yuejiu was much more alert now and listened carefully to the lesson.
“The homework books were handed out, right?”
“They were.”
“Good, take them out. Let’s go through some of the questions.”
Everyone took out their homework books. When Xu Nianshen pulled his out, it accidentally slipped and hit the ground with a loud smack.
Since they were in the front row, close to the podium, the teacher heard it clearly, “What just fell?”
“My homework book slipped by accident.”
“How could you be so careless?”
Xu Nianshen bent down, picked it up, blew the dust off calmly, and said evenly, “My hand was a bit numb, I didn’t hold it steady, so it slipped.”
Lin Yuejiu’s hand trembled as she flipped through her own homework book, but she forced herself to act like nothing had happened.
Oh my god, oh my god—what kind of socially-dead scenarios are these? First I accidentally pinned Xu Nianshen to the ground, with his parents watching no less. Then yesterday, I pulled his hand over as a pillow in my sleep, and almost the whole class saw it. Who knows what they all think now? I’m going crazy.
She never considered herself socially anxious, but even she couldn’t withstand this level of “social death”! Especially when it happened twice in just two days—and both times with the same person!
Just thinking about it, she recalled yesterday’s incident, how she lost sleep over it, and now covered her face, silently weeping inside. I can’t show my face again!
The teacher’s voice came from the front.
“What’s wrong, Lin Yuejiu, are you not feeling well?”
She quickly lowered her hand. “No, I’m fine.”
“Then stand up and answer this question.”
Lin Yuejiu stood, glanced at the blackboard, and thankfully, she knew how to solve it.
After giving the correct answer, the teacher let her sit back down.
As class neared its end, she sneaked a glance at Xu Nianshen from the corner of her eye, only to quickly dart her gaze away, biting her lip in frustration. Now what? How am I supposed to talk to him, act around him?
At that moment, Xu Nianshen stood up and walked out.
Lin Yuejiu immediately turned to her deskmate.
“Jiujiu, what’s wrong?”
“Um, Xixi, could you maybe switch seats with me?”
Chen Qianxi was taken aback. “Why? Did you have a fight with Study-God Xu?”
“No, no fight,” Lin Yuejiu rubbed her nose. “I just… want to change seats.”
“But if I swap with you… I’m not that close with Study-God Xu. If I end up sitting next to him, wouldn’t it be even more awkward for me?”
“What about your deskmate then?”
Du Zhuo, in the middle of eating chips: “??? What?”
“Jiujiu asked if you’d switch seats with her.”
Du Zhuo almost instinctively said yes. “Of course…” But then he thought of their relationship and immediately corrected himself. “No.”
Lin Yuejiu, who had just been about to cheer at finally hearing a definite answer, was doused in cold water again. “Why not?”
Du Zhuo answered seriously, “This seat is something I worked hard to earn with my grades. How could I casually give it up? That’d be way too disrespectful to my own efforts.”
Lin Yuejiu’s face showed her disappointment. “Alright then.” She turned back around.
Chen Qianxi gave Du Zhuo a thumbs-up.
Du Zhuo looked smug.
During the break, Lin Yuejiu went to the restroom. Seizing the chance, Chen Qianxi poked Xu Nianshen’s back with her pen. He turned, puzzled.
She glanced around, then swapped seats with Du Zhuo. Leaning forward, she whispered, “Study-God Xu, Jiujiu wants to change deskmates.”
Xu Nianshen: “???”
Chen Qianxi carefully explained what had just happened. “During break earlier, while you weren’t here, Jiujiu suddenly asked me if I could switch seats with her. I didn’t agree. Then she asked Du Zhuo if he wanted to switch, and he refused.”
Xu Nianshen fell silent, frowning slightly in thought. After a pause, he asked, “Did she tell you why she wanted to switch?”
Chen Qianxi shook her head honestly. “She didn’t say.”
“Alright. Thanks for telling me.”
“No problem.”
The bell rang again. Chen Qianxi swapped back seats with Du Zhuo, and Lin Yuejiu returned from the restroom.
Not long into the lesson, Lin Yuejiu slipped a little note to Chen Qianxi.
Chen Qianxi unfolded it, Xixi, what if next exam I deliberately score third place? Then I won’t have to keep being Xu Nianshen’s deskmate.
Chen Qianxi picked up her pen and scribbled underneath: Even if you score third, it doesn’t guarantee you won’t sit with him. What if no one else wants to be Study-God Xu’s deskmate?
Lin Yuejiu: How could that be? Isn’t Xu Nianshen really popular? No way nobody would want to sit with him.
Chen Qianxi: Did you forget why he’s called “Study-God Xu”? Because he’s like some cold, distant deity up in the heavens—people don’t dare get too close. Sure, he’s popular, but do you ever see anyone who’s actually close friends with him?
Lin Yuejiu: …You’ve got a point. Then what should I do?
Chen Qianxi: Jiujiu, why don’t you suddenly want to sit with Study-God Xu anymore? You two have been deskmates for several semesters now.
Lin Yuejiu: It’s just… today, when I used his arm as a pillow, so many people saw. It’s so embarrassing.
Chen Qianxi: So what? That’s totally normal.
Lin Yuejiu: ??? You’re sure it’s normal?
Chen Qianxi: Of course. Du Zhuo and I have had things like that happen too.
Lin Yuejiu: Really?
Chen Qianxi: Of course really. When have I ever lied to you?
In truth, no such thing had ever happened.
Another note slid over from Chen Qianxi: Jiujiu, you really don’t need to stress about this. Look at Study-God Xu—does he seem bothered at all? Not one bit, right? You’re the one embarrassed, but maybe he didn’t even take it to heart.
Lin Yuejiu sneaked a glance at Xu Nianshen beside her. He was calmly working on problems, his face as expressionless as ever.
Chen Qianxi saw her glance and quickly scribbled another note to pass back:
See? He’s totally fine, completely unaffected. So stop worrying about it.
Lin Yuejiu: You’re right.
Chen Qianxi breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately wrote another note, but this time secretly had Du Zhuo pass it to Xu Nianshen, making sure Lin Yuejiu didn’t notice.
Du Zhuo received it, slid it across from his side, and tugged at Xu Nianshen’s sleeve.
Xu Nianshen tilted his head slightly, noticed the note in his hand, and accepted it. He glanced briefly at Lin Yuejiu—she wasn’t paying attention—then unfolded the note.
This is Chen Qianxi. I’ve successfully made Jiujiu stop worrying about the whole thing. She won’t try to switch seats anymore. Crisis averted.
Xu Nianshen let out a quiet laugh, scribbled a simple thanks, and handed it back for Du Zhuo to return.
