Chapter 60: Three Chopsticks

"What else is there to brag about?

This time, the arts and science math exams used the exact same test paper, with only one multiple-choice question and one fill-in-the-blank question being different. The highest score in our science class was only 106," Yang Yingwen said.

Li Heng asked her, "Was the 106 you?"

Yang Yingwen gave a rustic smile and nodded, "Even the final question, which you somehow managed to solve—our head teacher said that question involved some college-level advanced mathematics."

Li Heng didn't bother explaining how he solved it; instead, he blinked and asked, "So, am I awesome or what?"

Yang Yingwen spat out three words: "Absolute freak!"

Seeing this badass top student acknowledge him in such a manner, not only did Li Heng not get angry, but he also cheerfully turned to Xiao Han and asked, "Classmate Xiao Han, what was your math score?"

Having finally been asked, Xiao Han, who found putting on airs rather exhausting, immediately decided to give herself a short break. She looked up, her eyes curving into sweet crescents, and said, "Not high. I wouldn't dare show off my clumsy skills in front of Mr. Li."

Li Heng looked into her eyes. "How much?"

Xiao Han replied, "96 points."

Considering that this math exam was unprecedentedly difficult, 96 wasn't a low score. Li Heng thought for a moment and told her, "Step outside for a moment, I need to talk to you about something."

Yang Yingwen immediately scolded him from the side, "Look at that, the fox's tail is finally showing! Turns out you were looking for Xiao Han all along. Next time you want to see Xiao Han, just say so, and don't pretend you came to visit me. It's not illegal to look for a great beauty."

Li Heng unceremoniously counterattacked, "Considering your attitude toward me in the village after the Chinese New Year, the fact that I'm even talking to you now means I should be burning incense of gratitude, and yet here you are still babbling nonsense."

On one side was her best friend, and on the other was the honey she had secretly loved for so long. Watching the two of them bicker like fighting cocks, Xiao Han just pursed her lips and smiled, refusing to take sides. What a sweet burden it was.

After the usual round of verbal sparring with the rustic girl, Li Heng stepped out into the corridor.

Xiao Han took a newly bought white ceramic spoon out of her schoolbag and followed him out.

Seeing the white spoon in her hand, Li Heng suddenly blurted out, "Why only buy one instead of a pair?"

Hearing the word "pair" and instinctively picturing how well-matched he and Song Yu looked standing together, Xiao Han's cheerful mood instantly collapsed.

She asked pitifully, "You didn't call me out here just to tease me, did you?"

"Of course not, you misunderstood."

Li Heng explained, "Everyone says you and Song Yu are the two peerless beauties of our No. 1 High School, and I figured a white ceramic spoon fits your temperament quite well."

After mulling over the words "pair" and "two beauties," Xiao Han gave him a sideways, peculiar look and said, "Does Mr. Li have some special fetish? Do you like eating with three chopsticks?"

"Cough, cough...!"

Damn it!

This girl's reaction was too fast. He just said something off the cuff, and she immediately rode the momentum.

Li Heng coughed twice and reached out his hand. "Hand the spoon over, I'll bring it to Song Yu for you."

Xiao Han obediently placed the spoon in his palm, thinking to herself: *Oh, so after all that posturing and play-acting, he was just here to fetch a spoon for some other woman.*

Noticing that the expression on her face had vanished, Li Heng asked, "When will I have the chance to freeload off a lavish meal?"

Xiao Han rested both hands on the railing and gazed into the distance. "You name the day."

Li Heng looked at her profile. "Then let's make it this weekend. I'll clear my schedule and fast for a day so I can come over with an empty stomach."

Hearing this, Xiao Han let out a soft chuckle.

Just like that, a pair of tiny dimples quietly peeked out, blooming like roses in spring, remarkably pretty.

Being stared at like this, Xiao Han felt a tiny shred of secret delight mixed with a touch of awkwardness. After all, this was the first time a member of the opposite sex had ever dared to look at her so straightforwardly.

In the past, boys often peeked at her secretly, but the moment she turned her gaze toward them, they would scatter like mice seeing a cat, scurrying away in panic—none of them ever dared to be this brazen.

Her skin burning hot and her heart racing, Xiao Han feared she would betray her emotions and hurriedly faked composure, saying, "Then this weekend it is."

Li Heng reminded her, "Remember to bring plenty of money. I can eat a lot."

Xiao Han glanced sideways at his stomach. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're fully satisfied."

"Okay, I'm heading off."

With that, Li Heng resolutely turned around and went downstairs without looking back.

Watching him leave with the corner of her eye, Xiao Han suddenly felt a bit dazed: Although this interaction had been brief and lacking in any heavy romantic ambiguity, she couldn't help feeling an inexplicable sentiment, as if the distance between the two of them had suddenly closed by a lot.

Moreover, regarding certain unspoken things, it felt as though they both understood each other completely, yet carefully maintained the boundary without exposing it.

How utterly bizarre!

Am I, Xiao Han, really that cheap, being captured just like that?

And he had only taken the initiative once.

She thought to herself with a deep sense of vexation.

...

Back in the classroom.

Xiao Han brushed off her two friends' chattering questions until they finally went off to eat. Only then did she subtly pivot the conversation to probe Yang Yingwen for information:

"Yingwen, I heard Zhang Zhiyong say that the Chen family and the Li family have had a falling out. Is that true?"

In truth, Zhang Zhiyong had never said any such thing, nor was she all that close to Zhang Zhiyong, but that didn't stop her from borrowing his name as a tiger's skin to wrap herself in.

Yang Yingwen was curious. "Why are you asking about this?"

Xiao Han curved her eyebrows and prompted meaningfully, "Just now, that guy took away the white ceramic spoon I owed to Song Yu."

Sure enough, Yang Yingwen followed her train of thought. "Are you saying Li Heng might be playing two fields at once?"

Xiao Han timely put on a gossipy expression.

Yang Yingwen thought for a moment, then shook her head. "When Zijin was still around, I dealt with Song Yu many times, and I don't think Song Yu is that kind of person. Even if Li Heng really likes Song Yu, no matter how slick his methods are, she wouldn't agree that easily."

Xiao Han asked, "So you're saying Li Heng and Chen Zijin haven't broken up yet?"

Yang Yingwen first nodded, then shook her head, and a moment later shook her head then nodded. "Hard to say. Logically speaking, they should have fallen out. Earlier this year, I ran into Li Heng while cutting firewood on the mountain, and we touched upon the topic. Chen Zijin had sent him back some reference books, but everything was done on the sly. From that, we can tell their relationship hit a snag—at least the Chen family doesn't approve of them being together."

Hearing this, Xiao Han felt an unexplainable wave of relief: Chen Zijin still had feelings for him, but the Chen and Li families had most likely developed a rift.

"Oh, right, I remember something else," Yang Yingwen said suddenly.

Xiao Han played the role of the attentive listener. "What is it?"

Yang Yingwen glanced around, and seeing no one nearby, lowered her voice: "When Grandma Chun died..."

Fearing her best friend wouldn't understand, she rephrased it: "When Zijin's grandmother died, Zijin didn't come back. That in itself was out of the ordinary. Also, after Grandma Chun's funeral, Zijin's father sent some untouched leftovers over to Li Heng's house, but his mother refused them. A lot of people saw it. I heard Zijin's mother was furious and gave all the food away to someone else in one go."

Xiao Han's eyes brightened. "So the Chen family and the Li family fell out completely because of the two of them?"

Yang Yingwen nodded. "They definitely fell out. A lot of people were whispering and guessing the exact same thing afterwards. They even said..."

Xiao Han provided a timely nudge. "Said what?"

Yang Yingwen looked at her and said, "They said Li Heng and Chen Zijin must have engaged in the most intimate relationship between a man and a woman; otherwise, the Chen family wouldn't have been so ruthless!"

Xiao Han, who had just been secretly rejoicing over the falling out between the Chen and Li families, felt like she wanted to scratch the fabric of her trousers to shreds with her fingernails upon hearing this!

Could he really be a man with a past?

Why is my fate so bitter?

Xiao Han felt extremely uncomfortable inside, utterly unable to muster any joy.