The azure sky stretched endlessly, the sun was working hard to release its warmth, yet under the dense canopy of trees, there was a coolness that emanated, occasionally interrupted by the sound of cicadas crossing the railroad tracks, falling deep into the forest.
Zhou Wang held a piece of branch and drew a shape on the ground in the woods, solemnly asking Ding Yi.
"If you are walking on a line like this, planning the route around a circular curve and protruding towards two equally elevated points, what are the main terrain features you pass through?"
"Huh?"
Ding Yi blinked her long-lashed eyes in confusion, carefully looking at the shape on the ground, only to find it odd and not matching any high school geography exam question she knew, leaving her somewhat perplexed.
"Is it a saddle? A ridge? A cliff doesn’t seem quite right either... Sorry, I can’t seem to see it."
"Dummy."
Zhou Wang chuckled softly, staring directly into Ding Yi’s eyes, "The path you’re walking... is through my heart!"
Ding Yi froze, then looked down again, realizing that what Zhou Wang had drawn on the ground was indeed a crooked "heart shape."
"Zhou... Zhou Wang, you’re at it again!"
After realizing, Ding Yi’s fair and delicate face was instantly tinged with a blush as she chided him with a hint of shy annoyance.
Zhou Wang could only spread his hands helplessly and complain inwardly, thinking he did not intend to tease her with such cheesy lines, but who told her to drag him into revising high school knowledge...
Finding no other way to cope, Zhou Wang had to resort to this tactic.
It was already Zhou Wang’s third day in the "instance." After two days of getting acquainted and mingling with Ding Yi, the two had become quite familiar with each other.
Zhou Wang was there to complete a task, while Ding Yi was genuinely there to study.
Initially, Ding Yi was noticeably guarded against Zhou Wang’s unexpected presence, but Zhou Wang understood her nature well. Even though they hadn’t had any intimate interactions in college, breaking down her defenses was quite easy.
And just like Zhou Wang felt at the start, this Ding Yi in front of him, although having many traits similar to the Ding Yi he later knew, possessed a quality the latter didn’t...
Which was a lack of guile.
Under such conditions, the two quickly became familiar, and Ding Yi began dragging Zhou Wang along to revise high school knowledge, preparing for the college entrance exams a week later.
But how could Zhou Wang keep up with Ding Yi’s pace?
Before today, Zhou Wang never thought of himself as a "study slacker." Although only ranking mid-tier in Jing City First Middle School, Zhou Wang believed it was merely because he hadn’t taken exams seriously, yet Ding Yi made him suffer terribly.
In their interactive Q&A sessions, Ding Yi often didn’t need to flip through books, merely posing a few questions offhandedly, leaving Zhou Wang feeling a brain fog and suffocation.
Even though he had forgotten a lot of high school knowledge, he should still be able to answer at least one question, right?
After a brief chat with Ding Yi, Zhou Wang cracked the case.
Before transferring to Jing City, Ding Yi attended Beidou’s renowned Renmin University Affiliated High School.
And even at such a school, Ding Yi often ranked in the top three of her year.
Calling her a "study master" would be an insult; she was practically at the level of a "study deity."
So Zhou Wang could only rely on jokes and remarks Ding Yi couldn’t handle to save face, using the proficient skills he had in this area to tease the seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl until she was red-faced and flustered, defenseless...
Mainly because this current Ding Yi was too naive. Though intelligent, able to quickly respond to Zhou Wang’s jokes still new to this era, her eyes often revealed an unworldly clarity, making teasing her especially fun.
Switching to their college days, even if they did enter a romance, Zhou Wang felt he would mostly be restrained by Ding Yi, daring not act rashly.
...Otherwise, during those days when they were closely interacting, it wouldn’t have resulted in not even a single kiss.
Thinking of this, Zhou Wang’s gaze involuntarily wandered, trailing down the girl’s crescent moon-like brows, passing her high and clean nose, landing on her lips which were still somewhat budding like flower petals.
Girls during this period wouldn’t wear lipstick, yet even with just a thin layer of lip balm, it exuded a crystal-clear, captivating allure.
As Zhou Wang watched, he subconsciously swallowed.
At this moment, noticing Zhou Wang’s prolonged silence, Ding Yi also sensed something was amiss. She naively looked up, meeting Zhou Wang’s eyes filled with a dangerous glimmer.
The girl was unaware of the allure she emitted but instinctively felt the looming danger.
As the distance between the two unknowingly shortened, Ding Yi hurriedly stood up, hugging her book, "It’s about time, I need to go back..."
"Huh?"
Zhou Wang instinctively glanced at his wrist... Oh, he didn’t have a watch, so he picked up the Vivo phone beside him and checked the time, exclaiming in surprise, "It’s not even three o’clock yet, leaving so early today?"
Every day after lunch, Ding Yi would come here to read until dusk before heading home, as she mentioned, she had maintained this habit even before her school stopped classes. Although the private school she transferred to was the best in Jing City, the teachers couldn’t teach her anything beneficial...
"Yes, I have to head back early today; my parents are coming home for dinner."