Chapter 7: A Mischievous Encounter

The quiet study room was suddenly filled with Yu's lively energy as he entered, searching for a place to hide. His eyes fell on Zian, who sat near the window, completely immersed in drawing. A mischievous grin spread across Yu's face as he crept closer, his curiosity piqued.

"You're supposed to be studying, not drawing," Yu teased, his voice playful. "Come on, let me see what you're working on."

Zian, startled by the sudden interruption, quickly moved to cover his sketch. "No," he said firmly, his voice low but steady.

Yu chuckled, unfazed by the rejection. "Oh, playing hard to get, are we? Fine, don't show me. But if you don't, I might just have to tell Master Jiang that you're slacking off."

Zian didn't respond, keeping his head down and his focus on his drawing.

Yu leaned closer, his playful tone softening slightly. "Hey, with such a beautiful face, I bet your voice is just as nice. Why don't you say something to me?" He laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but Zian remained silent.

Growing more curious, Yu suddenly snatched the drawing from Zian's desk. "Let's see what you've got here!"

Zian immediately stood up, his usually calm demeanor cracking. "Give it back!" he demanded, his voice edged with frustration.

Yu stepped back, holding the drawing out of Zian's reach. "Relax, I just want to see! What's the big deal?"

Zian glared at Yu, his fists clenched, but he didn't say anything more. Yu, meanwhile, finally looked at the drawing—and his mischievous grin faded, replaced by genuine admiration.

"This… this is amazing," Yu said softly. The sketch was of a serene garden, with intricate details that brought the scene to life. "You're really talented. Can you draw my portrait next?" He smirked, adding jokingly, "Just kidding… unless you're willing."

Zian didn't respond, but his expression softened slightly at the compliment.

Before Yu could ask anything else, he realized he'd forgotten something important. "Wait a second," he said, snapping his fingers. "I don't even know your name! What's—"

Before he could finish, the door burst open, and Yu's friends came rushing in.

"Found you!" one of them exclaimed. "Now hand over the sweets! We won!"

Yu groaned, rolling his eyes. "You didn't even give me a chance to hide properly."

"Doesn't matter," another boy said. "You lost the bet. Now give us the sweets!"

Yu smirked mischievously and turned his back to them. "I don't think so. None of you really found me, so technically, I won. And since I won, I get to eat the sweets!"

Before anyone could protest, Yu popped the candy into his mouth with a triumphant grin.

The children erupted in complaints, but their protests were cut short when Master Jiang entered the room, his stern gaze sweeping over the group. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice calm but commanding.

The children immediately began explaining, each trying to talk over the other. "Master, Yu made a bet with us! He said if we found him, he'd give us sweets, but he didn't keep his word!"

Master Jiang raised an eyebrow and turned to Yu. "Is this true?"

Yu crossed his arms and said, "No way! They're lying because they're jealous I ate the candy myself."

Master Jiang then looked at Zian, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold. "Zian, what do you think? Are these boys telling the truth?"

Zian hesitated, not wanting to get involved, but he finally said, "I don't know for sure, but… I think they might be telling the truth."

Yu spun around, his expression one of mock betrayal. "What? You're siding with them instead of me? How could you?"

Master Jiang sighed, shaking his head. "Yu, enough of your antics. Since you've caused trouble again, you'll be punished. As for the rest of you," he said, turning to the other children, "you're not entirely innocent either. You'll find out your punishment later."

The children groaned in unison, but none dared to argue. Yu, meanwhile, glanced at Zian, his mischievous grin returning. "You really threw me under the bus there, didn't you?" he said, winking.

Zian didn't respond, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. For all his antics, Yu was starting to grow on him, even if he wouldn't admit it.

As the group dispersed, Master Jiang sighed, muttering to himself, "These kids will be the death of me someday."