Chapter Nine: I Have a Wicked Sense of Humor

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Qin Anyi was well aware that throughout the entire day of exams, Wang Yiran had paid particular attention to him. It was clear her interest had been piqued by the ease with which he answered the questions and the unique methods he employed in solving them, which stood out enough to draw her notice. As for being able to intrigue Wang Yiran, Qin Anyi felt genuinely delighted—after all, who wouldn’t be pleased to capture the attention and curiosity of someone like her? Yet, he never expected that such curiosity would prompt her to invite him to dinner, so openly and without reservation, in front of the entire class...

She could hardly be unaware of the commotion this would stir among their classmates. Considering Wang Yiran’s reputation and renown throughout Changqing No. 1 High, Qin Anyi understood perfectly well that she was the sort who cared little for others’ opinions. She simply acted according to her own beliefs; what others thought or said could never sway her.

“How come you suddenly want to have dinner with me? Is this an official date?” Qin Anyi finally recovered his composure, smiling lightly. The classroom was so quiet that his words sounded abrupt, and everyone heard him clearly.

“I just wanted to chat with you. There are some questions I’d like to ask, and since classes are over and it’s dinner time, I thought we might as well eat together. Of course, if you’re unwilling, I won’t insist. As for a date... well, you could see it that way if you like.” Wang Yiran shrugged, answering with indifference.

The previously silent Grade 12, Class 2 erupted in a flurry of whispers. Was the ice queen, reputed to be the most unapproachable in Changqing No. 1, finally being won over? And so suddenly, without the slightest warning...

“I believe, if it’s your invitation, there wouldn’t be a single person in the whole school who’d refuse,” Qin Anyi said with a gentle smile. “Let me pack up my things; just wait a moment.”

Wang Yiran nodded, her expression unchanged, and turned to her own desk to gather her belongings.

The classroom was soon filled with a low, chaotic hum as everyone whispered about the scene they had just witnessed. Though no one dared speak loudly, the combined murmurs of over sixty students made the atmosphere quite turbulent.

“Well done, Anyi! When did you manage that? You really put on a show—no, you’re the real deal! That’s Wang Yiran! She actually asked you to dinner! Spill it, what’s happened between you two?” Wei Dong exclaimed, slapping Qin Anyi’s shoulder in surprise. In the entire class, he was probably the most excited—and proud. His friend was being invited by the girl all the boys secretly called the most unattainable goddess; naturally, Wei Dong felt a vicarious sense of honor.

“Nothing happened. Would you believe me if I said I hadn’t spoken a single word to Wang Yiran before today?” Qin Anyi replied with a helpless smile as he packed his bag.

“Yeah, right. Only a fool would believe that,” Wei Dong scoffed, making a mocking gesture, then reached into his pocket for his wallet and handed it to Qin Anyi.

Qin Anyi paused, puzzled, holding the wallet.

“Take it. I know how much money you have. Even if Wang Yiran says she’s treating you, you can’t just let her pay, right?” Wei Dong threw an arm around Qin Anyi’s shoulder, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. “This is a rare opportunity, you must seize it! If you manage to win Wang Yiran over, you’ll be the happiest man in the whole school!”

Qin Anyi squeezed the wallet and said nothing more. Wei Dong was his only close friend in the past two years, and there was no need for pretense between them. Qin Anyi didn’t know much about Wei Dong’s family background, but he guessed the wallet’s contents were just a few days’ allowance at most. In the past, Qin Anyi would never have accepted Wei Dong’s money; even a small amount felt like a debt he couldn’t promise to repay. But now, with the Qilin system, things were entirely different.

Though he had no clear direction for making money yet, Qin Anyi was confident that with such a super-intelligent brain, finances would never again be a problem for him.

“That’s more like it! Remember: tonight, you have to perform well! Don’t be too eager, though—girls like Wang Yiran, though they don’t seem proud outwardly, are proud to their very bones. Winning her over will be no easy task!” Seeing Qin Anyi tuck the wallet into his pocket, Wei Dong was pleased, whispering happily. He had worried Qin Anyi’s pride might make him refuse help, but after two years of nearly constant companionship except during holidays, he knew his friend’s character too well. Now, he realized he’d worried for nothing, and he couldn’t help but feel that Qin Anyi had changed somewhat since the summer—though he couldn’t say exactly how. Perhaps it was a newfound, peculiar confidence?

“Qin Anyi, I’ll wait for you at the school gate,” Wang Yiran called out, having finished packing.

“I’m ready, let’s walk together,” Qin Anyi replied, ending his whispering with Wei Dong and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

Wei Dong gave Qin Anyi a push, propelling him out of his seat and making a cheering gesture.

The entire class watched them as they left, and only after the two had disappeared through the classroom door did the atmosphere explode. Previously, students had whispered in small groups, but now everyone was speculating aloud. As Qin Anyi’s only friend, Wei Dong became the focus of everyone’s questions, and he basked in the attention, spinning wild tales.

Only Yang Cheng didn’t join the discussion. She had been planning to invite Qin Anyi to dinner after school to thank him for what happened yesterday, but Wang Yiran had beaten her to it. The mind of a girl is strange; though she and Qin Anyi had no special relationship—he had merely caught her attention after last night’s events—she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy seeing Wang Yiran invite him to dinner and Qin Anyi accept. It was as if something that belonged to her had been taken away...

“Your public invitation will probably bring me a lot of trouble,” Qin Anyi said as he walked alongside Wang Yiran down the corridor toward the school gate. Students walking shoulder to shoulder around them stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, frozen in shock at the sight. Wang Yiran, who always kept a polite distance from boys and never gave anyone the slightest chance to pursue her, was now walking so closely with a male classmate? What was happening?

Everyone who saw it instinctively rubbed their eyes, suspecting they were hallucinating.

“I have a bit of a mischievous streak,” Wang Yiran said with a gentle smile, utterly unconcerned by the gazes of the students nearby. “I’ve let you enjoy two years of peaceful life, but if the last year of high school passes without any excitement, wouldn’t that be dull?”

“The way you answered your papers today, I knew you didn’t want to draw attention. Clearly, you possess remarkable knowledge, yet you’ve disguised yourself as an ordinary student, blending in for two years without anyone suspecting a thing. Qin Anyi, you’re quite impressive.” Wang Yiran’s tone was sincere—clearly, the events of the day had truly shaken her.

Qin Anyi felt a twinge of guilt. He really had been extremely ordinary before, not pretending at all—but Wang Yiran misunderstood, and her high praise was unexpected. There was no easy way to explain, so he could only let the misunderstanding continue...

“Brother Jie! That’s the brat! Xiao Gang and the other three will be stuck in the hospital for a month, and all my injuries are thanks to him!”

Just as Qin Anyi and Wang Yiran stepped out of the school gate, a voice full of resentment rang out.