There is a saying:

For some people, living is like walking barefoot on glass; for others, living is like facing the sun.

I'm probably the one walking barefoot on glass.

And Jiang Shuyi is probably the one facing the sun.

Wen Yao thought.

As for why she is the one walking barefoot on glass...

Of course, it was because she had nothing. Wen Yao thought.

Poverty, in essence, means having nothing, and those who have nothing don't even have the energy to care about other things.

"Are you really a high school student? So cold."

"Wen Yao is always pretending to be high-minded."

"Is she a robot or something?"

"She has no humanity."

Wen Yao always walked past these voices with indifference, she knew how she appeared to others.

Someone who seems indifferent to everything, cold and heartless.

She was well aware of this, so she never argued back.

Because she truly didn't have the energy to care for others and had long been too preoccupied to pay attention to other matters.

It was just that Jiang Shuyi, this Alpha, was an exception.

She always made Wen Yao waver, causing her to inadvertently forget the fact that she had nothing.

Without realizing it, she gave this Alpha excessive attention.

Without being aware, she offered her excessive care.

Sometimes, she even forgot that she was the one stuck in the mire.

---

Wen Yao glanced at Jiang Shuyi, who was scratching her head over a problem at her desk, and lowered her eyes.

Clearly, Jiang Shuyi appeared to be a capable and elegant Alpha.

Her black hair hung down to her shoulders, her eyes were clear and bright, her features soft, and she exuded a summer-like scent of lemon balm.

Yet, as soon as she spoke, her lack of intelligence would be exposed.

Wen Yao sometimes sighed, wondering why this carefree Alpha was so immature and mischievous. At her age, she still clung to others like a child who never grew up.

But she didn't deny that she didn't dislike this Alpha.

This Alpha was born into a privileged family.

Such a family meant Jiang Shuyi's clothes were always clean, and anything worn out could simply be thrown away.

She didn't have to remember the costs of water, electricity, or gas, and rarely cooked for herself.

She didn't have to think about how to manage her living expenses for the month.

She also didn't have to worry about her future...

Clearly, Jiang Shuyi was the kind of person who had no burdens growing up, which had left her somewhat naive even at this age, living life without a care.

Always wearing a bright, innocent smile, her childishness was enviable.

Wen Yao had no doubt that this Alpha would grow into a bright and pure person.

In fact, as long as Jiang Shuyi wanted, she could remain this way for a lifetime—forever clean and clear.

She was someone completely different from Wen Yao.

Sometimes, being with Jiang Shuyi would rub off on Wen Yao, making her feel clean and pure as well.

Jiang Shuyi was like a daydream.

When she was with Jiang Shuyi, Wen Yao felt as if she could breathe fresh air after suffocating in life.

And as a human, she occasionally feared the air might disappear.

So, she actually wanted to tell Jiang Shuyi.

That she wasn't such a cold person.

That she could also do something for Jiang Shuyi.

But Jiang Shuyi had everything, while she had nothing.

If she had to say what she had that was superior to Jiang Shuyi, something she could offer her...

It would probably only be her knowledge.

She could give her all her knowledge, helping her get into a good university.

But now it seemed that this was the only thing she had, and Jiang Shuyi didn't really need it.

Wen Yao silently looked at the physics notebook she had originally intended to give Jiang Shuyi, saying nothing.

---

After evening self-study, Jiang Shuyi walked up to Wen Yao with her backpack.

"Wen Yao, I'll walk you home." she said with her usual smile.

Wen Yao glanced at the physics notebook again, paused for a moment, and then lowered her gaze to put it back in her bag.

"Mm."

She didn't refuse Jiang Shuyi.

As always, she quietly put on her coat and walked out of the classroom.

Jiang Shuyi immediately followed, "Wen Yao, Wen Yao."

Wen Yao stopped and turned to look at her.

"Why didn't you bring a scarf today?" Jiang Shuyi asked, her breath forming a mist in the winter air.

Wen Yao paused for a moment, touched her somewhat cold neck, and then remembered she had forgotten her scarf. "Mm, I forgot."

She stated.

"Is that so?" Jiang Shuyi nodded and quickly took off the red scarf she was wearing around her neck.

"Then wear mine, you won't be cold this way." Jiang Shuyi slowly wrapped the scarf around Wen Yao's neck.

Jiang Shuyi looked at her with satisfaction.

The two stood on the main road outside the school, with cars passing by on both sides, and the streetlights illuminating Jiang Shuyi's carefree face.

Wen Yao looked at her now bare neck and couldn't help but sigh.

So silly, she thought.

"Are you not cold?" she asked Jiang Shuyi.

"Me?" Jiang Shuyi glanced at Wen Yao, "I'm fine, I'm not cold."

Wen Yao looked at the Alpha who was sniffling and wrapped half of the scarf around her own neck, the other half around Jiang Shuyi's.

"Do you mind, Wen Yao?"

Jiang Shuyi looked at Wen Yao, actually a bit afraid that Wen Yao would find her annoying.

"This is your scarf, Jiang Shuyi." Wen Yao said lightly.

"Oh, I guess it is." Jiang Shuyi nodded repeatedly.

The two walked side by side along the road.

Jiang Shuyi noticed Wen Yao's hand tucked into her pocket and remembered how they had held hands last night.

Her ears couldn't help but turn red.

Wen Yao glanced at her profile and said quietly, "Tomorrow morning, you don't have to come to the classroom so early."

Her tone sounded a bit lifeless.

"...Huh?" But Jiang Shuyi was a bit confused by this sudden statement.

"Why not?" she asked.

". . ."

"Did I trouble you? Or did I make you uncomfortable?"

"No."

"I thought you were also going to take the university entrance exam, so I was helping you study."

Wen Yao looked at the cars passing by in the distance. They were standing so close, yet under the streetlight, "But I think I might have overstepped." Wen Yao said in a low voice.

Jiang Shuyi was taken aback, "Who said I'm not taking the university entrance exam? I am!"

Wen Yao looked at Jiang Shuyi's neatly pressed shirt and quietly lowered her gaze, "Aren't you planning to go to an arts university?"

"Going to an art university means you should be practicing piano, not wasting time here."

Wen Yao's tone was calm, making it hard to discern her feelings.

Jiang Shuyi paused, "Who told you I'm going to an art university?"

Wen Yao slowly raised her head, and hearing Jiang Shuyi's decisive tone made her pinch the scarf wrapped around her neck, "Aren't you going?"

"Ah, I've been planning to go to an ordinary university from the start."

Wen Yao felt momentarily speechless.

After a while, she realized she felt somewhat relieved.

"...Is that so."

She came back to her senses and quietly asked, "Which university do you plan to attend?"

Jiang Shuyi glanced at Wen Yao, "Well... I don't know yet."

"What about your major?"

"Major..." Jiang Shuyi hesitated, frowned, and stammered, "Probably medicine."

For some reason, Wen Yao felt that the Alpha in front of her had a sullen expression, as if she was reluctant.

"Do you like studying medicine?"

"Not really..." Jiang Shuyi glanced at Wen Yao again, wanting to say something but hesitating, ". . ."

"But anyway, I'm definitely going to a good university, and I will study hard."

Jiang Shuyi tugged at Wen Yao's sleeve.

"So how could you say that helping me is a waste of time?"

"You're not allowed to not help me..." Jiang Shuyi said softly.

Wen Yao looked at Jiang Shuyi, her heart finally calming down, "Mm."

"Then you should still come to the classroom at six tomorrow, Jiang Shuyi."

Wen Yao had already quietly moved forward as usual, her expression steady.

"Oh." Jiang Shuyi obediently nodded repeatedly, finally feeling at ease.

Worried that Wen Yao hadn't heard her clearly, she repeated, "You can say anything."

"Then starting tomorrow, can we double your homework?"

Wen Yao adjusted the strap of her backpack, her expression nonchalant.

Jiang Shuyi's face fell, looking somewhat unhappy, but she still nodded obediently, "...Oh, okay."

Wen Yao raised her gaze, "Your voice sounds like you're not very willing."

"I'm not unwilling, I'm willing..." Jiang Shuyi said, sounding a bit gloomy.

Someone who can't hide their feelings. Wen Yao thought as she looked at her expression.

Her pitiful expression was a bit too amusing, making Wen Yao want to look at her a few more times.

"...I can help you reduce a bit." Wen Yao pretended to compromise.

"Really?" Jiang Shuyi immediately smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"Mm." Wen Yao simply replied.

After walking for a while, Wen Yao touched the scarf that smelled of lemon balm and took out a notebook from her bag, "You need to memorize this before Wednesday."

Jiang Shuyi flipped through the notebook, which was filled with physics knowledge points and exam topics, categorized and very clear.

"...Did you make this for me?"

The Alpha's eyes sparkled again.

But as Jiang Shuyi flipped through the thickness of the notebook and remembered Wen Yao's earlier mention of "Wednesday," her face suddenly fell.

Today is Monday, tomorrow is Tuesday, and the day after tomorrow is Wednesday, Jiang Shuyi calculated in her mind.

"Wen Yao, does that mean I have to memorize it all by tomorrow?"

Jiang Shuyi's tone carried a hint of complaint.

"You can understand it that way," Wen Yao said calmly, "because there are other things to do after tomorrow."

Jiang Shuyi's expression was like a thunderclap, looking at the pile of physics formulas, and she even felt like crying.

She flipped through the notebook in her hand, feeling both defeated and wronged as she muttered softly, "This is so thick..."

Wen Yao, unfazed, reminded her, "The exam is coming up soon, Jiang Shuyi."

"Don't you feel nervous?"

Jiang Shuyi immediately shut her mouth and looked at Wen Yao with a pitiful expression.

"This notebook summarizes all the topics that will definitely be on this exam." Wen Yao said calmly.

Jiang Shuyi lowered her head.

Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Wen Yao sighed.

"I remember you seemed very eager to go to the amusement park a while ago." She said suddenly.

Wen Yao's tone was as calm as water. "If you do well on the exam, we can go together."

Jiang Shuyi looked at Wen Yao in disbelief, her eyes blinking rapidly.

Because she had stopped for too long, the scarf around her neck pulled Wen Yao slightly.

Wen Yao stopped and turned to her, "Consider it a reward for you."

In truth, she had no obligation to give Jiang Shuyi any rewards. She thought.

She wasn't Jiang Shuyi's parent, nor did she have any other relationship with her.

If Jiang Shuyi did poorly on the exam, it wouldn't affect her at all.

If Jiang Shuyi did well, she wouldn't gain any benefits either.

She already had nothing, and the things she could give were very limited.

So, logically and realistically, there was no need for her to say that.

Yet, looking into Jiang Shuyi's eyes, which seemed so easy to understand, she somehow found herself saying those words.

Wen Yao sighed, realizing that perhaps standing next to her had made her feel too comfortable, causing her to become foolish as well.

---

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