Chapter 273: All Your Answers Are Based on My Way of Thinking, Huh?
Still need a blanket to stay warm? Come on, is it really that cold?
The sun was shining so nicely just now. It was warm and cozy, almost too comfortable.
But for some strange reason, someone decided to close the window and the curtains, then said it was cold and that they needed to share a blanket?
Feeling embarrassed, Lin Yibai turned her head and tried to change the subject.
“You… actually… sigh, I just wanted to say that I really need to focus on studying now. The national civil service exam is coming up, and you’re kind of a distraction.”
Whoosh~
Xia Changyu unfolded the thin blanket, then lifted his girlfriend and placed her on his lap, settling into their usual position.
As if she already knew what was about to happen, Lin Yibai was so embarrassed she couldn’t even look him in the eye.
She sat at the front of the sofa. Xia Changyu sat behind her.
Then he casually picked up the civil service prep book, flipped through it, and asked, “So? Do you still have any questions you don’t understand?”
Lin Yibai gritted her teeth, “You really know how to play innocent… You’re still holding the book? Still pretending you care about studying?”
Xia Changyu put on a serious face and said, “What are you saying, Baiyi? Studying is always the most important thing. If we don’t study, how can we improve? What kind of person do you think I am?”
Lin Yibai paused, surprised. No way is he actually being serious?
Or was it her misunderstanding all along?
Was he really just trying to help her study, and she wrongly assumed he had bad intentions?
She started to feel guilty, ‘If I had known earlier…’
“Mmmph—!?” Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt her heart skip a beat.
Xia Changyu had already moved his hand to that place, the place where mountain climbers plant their flag when they reach the summit.
Lin Yibai: “Ah? You—?”
What happened to being a gentleman?
You’re not even trying to act anymore? Or were you never able to hold it in?
As soon as the quilt covered up everything they didn’t want others to see, Xia Changyu stopped pretending. He leaned his chin on Lin Yibai’s shoulder.
He pointed at a few pages in the exam prep book and whispered, “I asked a teacher from Huatu city. They said last year’s political theory questions focused on philosophy, but this year they might ask about economics.”
Lin Yibai felt like she’d been hit by electricity.
She instinctively wanted to bend forward, trying to escape. But there was nowhere to run.
She opened her mouth, but even her breathing sounded different.
She tried her best to stay calm, but her voice still trembled as she spoke, “You… huff… ahh… Are you really teaching me?”
Xia Changyu: “Of course I’m teaching you.”
Lin Yibai wanted to bite him. She clenched her teeth and said, “Do you really think I can study like this?”
Xia Changyu spoke softly, “My job is just to teach. Whether you actually study or not, that’s up to you. Have you ever seen a professor in college care whether you’re paying attention in class?”
Great. Just great.
Lin Yibai felt like she was about to collapse. Is this really how you “teach”? Are you sure this isn’t some kind of accident?
She wanted to stop him. But she had no strength left.
Xia Changyu had one arm on the mountain and the other around her belly, continuing downwards. That mischievous hand... it didn't continue further, but was used to turn the pages of the book?
But no, it only left for a second to flip the page, leaving behind a wet fingerprint on the bottom corner of the page… and then it went right back to mischief.
Looking at that fingerprint on the paper…
Lin Yibai’s ears turned completely red.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Xia Changyu’s voice came from behind her.
He said, “Do you know what time it is? The national exam is coming up soon! How can you still be distracted?”
Lin Yibai clenched her teeth and snapped, “Can you please stop saying that kind of crap? Are you treating this like some kind of roleplay? You’re the only one enjoying this weird fantasy of yours. I don’t think this is ‘fun’ at all, okay?”
Xia Changyu could hear that Lin Yibai wasn’t just annoyed for no reason, it wasn’t about avoiding the main topic. She was upset because he was playing with her emotions, like she was completely under his control.
That’s because Lin Yibai was different.
She couldn’t enjoy that feeling of being teased, controlled, or conquered, like some other girls might.
To put it simply. If you want something, just say it directly.
And Xia Changyu was someone who could correct his mistakes when needed. After all, something like this should be enjoyable for both people, not just him alone.
Thankfully, he always remembered one of Lin Yibai's weakness. She was softhearted, so he needed to coax her sweetly.
He gently called her name. “Baiyi.”
Lin Yibai frowned a little. “What?”
Xia Changyu said, “Um… I want to ask you something. Can I?”
Lin Yibai didn’t understand what he meant and asked, “Is it about school? Or your company? If I can help, of course I’ll do my best.”
Xia Changyu shook his head, “No, it’s not about school or those small things at work.”
Lin Yibai: “Then what are you asking for?”
Xia Changyu took a deep breath. His voice got softer, “Please… can I go in?”
Lin Yibai froze.
Her mind went completely blank for a moment. What did he just ask?
Wait, seriously? Can someone really ask something like that so directly? And does anyone actually say yes to this?
To be honest, Lin Yibai had already mentally prepared herself for this. At this point, what else could she do?
She just didn’t expect him to ask so earnestly.
You could say… Her embarrassment level was off the charts.
After a long moment, she finally answered in a tiny whisper, “Okay.”
Xia Changyu had finally gotten permission.
Now that the woman had said yes, he carefully opened that tightly closed door, and slowly stepped inside.
The lady’s private space was small and narrow. This wasn’t Xia Changyu’s first time there, but no matter how many times he came, he always felt it was a bit suffocating.
But luckily, even narrow paths can lead to hidden beauty.
The secrets inside the lady’s room. Now, only he knew them.
"Haaah…"
"Huff… huff…"
“Ahh…”
Lin Yibai took deep breaths in and out.
She tried hard not to make any unnecessary noises in the quiet room, sounds that would embarrass her even more.
She forced herself to focus on a reading comprehension question from a real practice exam.
Just… just treat this as a… a test of how well she can stay focused when distracted.
After all, the civil service exam was a big deal. Learning how to stay calm under pressure was definitely useful, right?
Perhaps because she had already worked on this problem before, doing it a second time she didn't feel any difficulty and it was actually... enjoyable?
She tried to solve the problem while enduring the strange and tingling feeling that made her entire body experience an inexplicable pleasure.
The question wasn’t hard.
But the wording was tricky, like playing a word game or a brain teaser.
Five minutes passed.
Then six minutes.
Seven minutes.
Seven minutes and twenty seconds…
Suddenly, Xia Changyu paused for a second. Then he hugged her tightly and asked, “Are you stuck on this question? Let me explain how to solve it!”
What kind of solution was that? Was "seven minutes and twenty seconds" your answer?
Xia Changyu probably thought Lin Yibai didn’t understand anything. But from all the suspicious clues, she had already pretty much guessed what was going on.
But… things weren’t over yet.
Xia Changyu still wanted to keep explaining?