Chapter 19

Willow catkins froze, stunned into silence.

After a moment, he folded his arms and leaned back, looking alarmed. "You… you… Do you like men?"

Lin Zhihua sneered. "Women."

Relieved, Liu Xu dropped his hands and wiped his forehead dramatically. "You scared me to death! Since it's a woman, what are you so worried about?"

"Underage," Lin Zhihua replied calmly.

Liu Xu paused. "How underage?"

"Not yet seventeen."

"That's it? You almost gave me a heart attack for that?" Liu Xu exclaimed, picking up his water glass to take a sip. "You could have just said that! No need to make it sound so dire."

Lin Zhihua frowned, saying nothing, his eyes focused on the water glass on the table.

Liu Xu shook his head. "It's no big deal. She'll be an adult in a couple of years."

Then, as if struck by an amusing thought, he broke into a grin. "Tell me, Mr. Big Boss, how did this happen? How did she make you fall for her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lin Zhihua retorted coldly, picking up his own water glass to take a sip.

"Fine, fine, no more teasing." Liu Xu leaned forward, his expression turning serious, a testament to his expertise as a psychologist. "Zhihua, are you saying she's the only one you don't feel repulsed by?"

Liu Xu knew when to stop joking. Gentle humor helped patients relax, but excessive teasing could backfire. Lin Zhihua was not only his friend but also a patient seeking his professional insight.

"Yes," Lin Zhihua admitted. "We had physical contact when she saved me, and I didn't feel repulsed."

"How?" Liu Xu's brows furrowed.

Lin Zhihua's aversion to women was notorious. He avoided contact with them at all costs. How could this girl break through that barrier so easily?

"I was in a car accident that day, orchestrated by my grandfather. Half-unconscious in the burning car, she dragged me out, risking her life. Later, the car exploded."

"She saved you?" Liu Xu looked surprised.

"Yes. I wasn't fully conscious, but I saw her. I remember her voice vividly, even now. Afterward, in the hospital, I realized I didn't feel any discomfort from her touch."

Liu Xu nodded slowly. "That makes sense. It's like the 'hero saving the damsel' trope but reversed. It's a powerful emotional surge—from helplessness to salvation—mixed with a dose of hormonal response."

He paused before continuing, "The same thing applies to the 'damsel saving the hero' scenario. My guess is that your body's self-preservation instincts kicked in during the rescue, allowing you to bypass your usual aversion. That experience created a subconscious association between her and safety."

Lin Zhihua frowned. "So?"

"So," Liu Xu explained, "her touch initially gave you a sense of security. That sensation overrode your natural aversion to women. Your body associated her with comfort and safety, making her an exception."

Lin Zhihua's expression darkened, processing this information.

Liu Xu added, "That's why you don't feel repelled by her. Unless you experience another life-threatening situation, it's unlikely you'll be able to bypass this response with anyone else—except for her."

Lin Zhihua stayed silent, signaling for Liu Xu to continue.

"You must have looked into her background afterward. What happened next?"

"I contacted her several times afterward, including on WeChat," Lin Zhihua replied.

"And?"

"At first, it was fine. But then I started thinking about her frequently. I even…" Lin Zhihua hesitated, his tone tinged with frustration, "wanted to hide her away."

Liu Xu struggled to suppress a laugh. This was uncharted territory for Lin Zhihua, the stoic businessman. But he knew better than to mock him openly—this could be the last time Lin Zhihua sought help if he did.

Lin Zhihua continued, "Recently, I've had more frequent interactions with her. But in the past two days, I haven't contacted her, and I feel restless. It's affecting my work. I want to reach out to her, but I don't know what to say."

Liu Xu leaned back, his professional demeanor kicking in. "Anything else?"

"I dream about her at night," Lin Zhihua admitted.

"Classic symptoms," Liu Xu nodded sagely. "Anything else?"

Lin Zhihua hesitated, then asked, "Could this be a lingering effect from the car accident? A psychological response?"

Liu Xu shook his head firmly. "No."

"What is it, then?"

Liu Xu grinned mischievously. "It's called lovesickness."

Lin Zhihua stared at him.

Liu Xu laughed and stood up, patting Lin Zhihua on the shoulder. "You've got it bad, my friend. You're in love."

Lin Zhihua frowned. "That's impossible."

"Why not? You've got all the symptoms—daydreaming about her, feeling jealous at the thought of her with someone else, and even dreaming about her. That's love, plain and simple."

"She's too young," Lin Zhihua argued.

"Imagine her as an adult, in the arms of a boy her age," Liu Xu suggested casually.

Lin Zhihua's face darkened instantly, his brows furrowing in visible displeasure.

"See?" Liu Xu teased. "You can't stand the thought."

Liu Xu circled back to his friend, his tone lighter now. "Listen, boss. She's the only person you can tolerate, and the only one who makes you jealous. Either she's extraordinarily special, or she's simply the one meant for you."

Lin Zhihua stared at him. "I didn't realize you were such a love expert."

"Of course! I've had enough girlfriends to form a small club," Liu Xu boasted.

Lin Zhihua scoffed. "You're all talk."

Liu Xu smirked. "Not everyone's like you, reaching your 20s without ever having a girlfriend and thinking you're sick just because you've fallen for someone."

"Relationships are troublesome," Lin Zhihua said dismissively, standing up to leave.

"Wait, you're leaving already?" Liu Xu asked, surprised. "Aren't we going to talk more?"

"There's no problem to talk about," Lin Zhihua replied curtly.

"Are you sure you don't want to discuss this further? You might want to consider normalizing your relationships in the future," Liu Xu suggested.

Lin Zhihua glanced at him. "One is enough."

As he walked to the door, Liu Xu called out, "At least tell me who she is!"

"Don't even think about it," Lin Zhihua said flatly, pausing briefly. "She's too young."

And with that, Lin Zhihua strode out of the room.

Liu Xu watched him leave, shaking his head with a bemused smile. "This is going to be interesting."

He seemed to think of something and suddenly laughed. "If the Lin family couple knew there was a girl who could make the boss act normal, I bet they wouldn't care about her age at all."

Liu Xu shook his head. He had always been good at keeping secrets, and it wasn't his place to say anything.

As for when Lin Zhihua would stop hiding this, that was none of Liu Xu's business.

"This is going to get interesting," he murmured.

Ever since she confronted Cheng Mingjiao, the other girl had stopped bothering her. Xuejiao's life became simple and peaceful.

Li Sitong, feeling guilty, kept her distance and didn't dare to say much. Xuejiao would return to her room after dinner, and Li Sitong refrained from pushing any conversations.

Life became quiet, and Xuejiao poured all her energy into her studies.

Although Xuejiao wasn't unintelligent, she wasn't extraordinarily gifted either. In her last life, her college entrance examination results had been just average. This time, she couldn't afford to settle for mediocrity.

She had to give it her all to achieve her desired results.

"Let me say this first—this monthly exam is the midterm. Everyone needs to take it seriously! Last time, we were far behind Class 2. This time, we need to bounce back! Do you hear me?" Yin Fang roared, her sharp voice echoing through the classroom.

The previous exam had been a disaster for Class 1. Yin Fang had been criticized for an entire month, and all the subject teachers in her class were constantly under scrutiny.

It was the most humiliating experience Yin Fang had faced in her many years of teaching.

For the past month, she had kept a tight rein on her class. Even during recess and meal breaks, she stayed in the classroom, forbidding anyone to slack off or play.

"We hear you!" The students replied in unison.

Yin Fang's stern gaze swept over the room. "Let me be clear: anyone who drops in the rankings this time will face serious consequences next month! And for those who improve—there will be rewards."

She paused, then barked, "Raise your heads and look at me!"

With a synchronized shuffle, the students raised their heads and looked at her. Xuejiao's gaze was as focused as everyone else's.

"Today is Monday, and the exams start on Thursday. Keep yourselves sharp over the next few days. During the exam, answer the questions carefully. If anyone makes low-level mistakes, you'll answer to me! Also, we'll have a parent-teacher meeting next Monday. The school will send text messages to all parents this week. I don't care about the other classes, but for our class, every single parent must attend!"

She stopped, letting the words sink in before continuing. "You're already in senior year two. If your parents don't care about your grades, that's fine—I won't care either."

She crossed her arms. "Take this exam seriously. When your parents attend the meeting, I'll make sure they know exactly how you're doing! All right, let's begin."

Her words sent a chill through the classroom. Everyone started paying attention and taking their studies more seriously.

After class, Yi Tianyu slumped over his desk, looking utterly dejected.

Next to him, Xuejiao was diligently working on a practice problem. He glanced at her, then back at his own blank page.

"Nerd, it's the midterm exam…" he muttered.

Without looking up, Xuejiao replied, "Hmm? What about it?"

Since Yi Tianyu had helped her last time, Xuejiao's attitude toward him had softened slightly. While she hadn't expressed her gratitude outright, she was noticeably more patient with him—though Yi Tianyu didn't seem to notice the change.

"There's going to be a parents' meeting," he groaned, banging his head lightly against the desk. "My dad's going to kill me!"

"Isn't your father usually good-tempered?" Xuejiao asked, puzzled.

"Good-tempered?" Yi Tianyu snorted. "Sure, but when it comes to grades, he expects me to be the top student! The guy can't even solve basic algebra himself, but he wants me to ace everything!"

He sighed dramatically, then turned to Xuejiao. "Hey, nerd, aren't you scared of the parents' meeting? Your mom doesn't seem very… calm."

Xuejiao paused briefly, her pen hovering over the paper. Then, with a firm voice, she said, "I'm not afraid."

"Not afraid?" Yi Tianyu looked at her in disbelief. "You're not worried at all?"

Xuejiao smiled faintly and lowered her head, resuming her work.

"Not afraid, because this time…" she thought to herself.

"I won't be hiding my progress anymore."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you wish to read some exclusives and support my writing, please visit

Patreo n .com (slash) Maggie329