C8 Beauty's Invitation

From the moment the exam began, Qin Anyi was utterly engrossed in the exhilarating flow of his writing, feeling as if guided by divine inspiration. After over a decade of schooling, he had never felt such a liberating sense of accomplishment while filling out an answer sheet. Consequently, he failed to notice that Wang Yi had been standing behind him for over half an hour.

Qin Anyi's decision to deliberately pen a wrong answer at the exam's conclusion was strategic. A student who consistently ranked above average suddenly achieving a startlingly high score would likely draw unwanted attention.

As Qin Anyi wrapped up the final question and was about to stretch, a delicate, pale hand unexpectedly appeared before his eyes. He was momentarily taken aback and instinctively looked up, only to be met with Wang Yi's visage—a face that haunted his midnight dreams.

At eighteen, the season of spring is not just for young girls but also for boys' awakening desires. Despite being constrained by his family's financial situation, which kept him from entertaining any untoward thoughts, Qin Anyi couldn't help but harbor a deep-seated admiration for Wang Yi.

Yet, Qin Anyi was acutely aware of the chasm between them—a divide so profound that it left him feeling unworthy and devoid of any hope for more. His admiration had always remained a secret, tucked away in the deepest recesses of his heart, never to be displayed before others.

After two years as classmates, this was their first direct exchange of glances.

Wang Yi's lips curved into a smile, and she brought a finger to her lips in a "Shh" gesture. She then pointed to her pen-holding hand, silently signaling Qin Anyi to stay quiet and observe her writing.

Dazzled by her smile, Qin Anyi's gaze drifted to the message she had scrawled on the draft paper: "I want to see your real results."

She wanted to see his real results? It appeared she had caught on to his ruse.

Blinking, Qin Anyi impulsively crumpled the draft paper into a ball, pulled a silly face at Wang Yi, and, with a shrug of his arms, promptly pretended to fall asleep.

Wang Yi hadn't anticipated such a reaction. She was well aware of her effect on boys, and despite maintaining a polite distance, she couldn't prevent the fervent pursuit of those who overestimated their own charm.

Every boy seemed to have an urge to show off in her presence, but she never anticipated that Qin Anyi would be such an exception...

After a moment of surprise, she smiled, shook her head, and chose not to linger behind Qin Anyi, instead resuming her leisurely exam supervision.

Qin Anyi, face down with his head buried in his arms on the desk, kept his ears alert to Wang's movements. Only when her footsteps faded away did he breathe a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that he didn't want to engage with Wang; interacting with a girl he secretly admired was always a joy. However, if Wang remained behind him, Wei Dong wouldn't stand a chance to cheat...

Throughout the two-hour math exam, Qin Anyi spent a good hour and a half subtly aiding his desk mate, Wei Dong, with their little schemes. With Wang periodically checking on them, their covert activities became increasingly challenging—a true test of wits and bravery.

Of course, this notion of a strategic battle was probably only in Wei Dong's head. Wang paid it no mind—her focus was solely on Qin Anyi.

Throughout the day's exams, Wang spent the majority of her time behind Qin Anyi, and the rest pacing the classroom, lost in thought.

After a full day of proctoring, Wang's astonishment was beyond words. She discovered that Qin Anyi's grasp of the material was far more proficient than her own!

Whether it was math, language arts, English, or the comprehensive subjects, Qin Anyi answered with effortless ease. No question could stump him, no topic could delay him even for a second!

What truly baffled Wang was the realization that Qin Anyi was intentionally controlling his scores—and with remarkable precision, deciding exactly how many points he wanted to achieve!

This was incredibly hard to fathom. While Wang believed she could achieve an impressively high score herself, the idea of keeping her score within a specific range seemed nearly impossible.

To master your score, you need the ability to ace the test! Or rather, the certainty that you can achieve a perfect score!

Out of the tens of millions of high school students across the republic, not a single one would dare claim with absolute confidence that they could score full marks in every subject—not even the brightest among them.

Yet somehow, Qin Anyi seemed to be the exception.

What kind of anomaly was he?

Wang Yi still pondered this question until the final bell of the afternoon classes rang. After observing all day, she was convinced that Qin Anyi's exam scores would remain above average, but achieving such a level was undoubtedly far more challenging than simply coming in first.

As her classmates handed in their papers one by one, Wang Yi took a deep breath and approached Qin Anyi.

"Anyi, why was Wang Yi standing behind you during the exam? Did she catch on to our little scheme?" Wei Dong asked, visibly relaxed after submitting his paper.

"You're overthinking it. With Wang Yi's temperament, whether you cheat or not, what's it to her?" Qin Anyi replied nonchalantly.

"Fair point. But then, why do you think she was lingering behind you? Could she be into you?" Wei Dong asked, scratching his head in bewilderment.

While they were talking, Wang Yi had already made her way over. With her hands clasped behind her back, she gazed at Qin Anyi with keen interest and said, "Qin Anyi, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner."

"Ah?" Qin Anyi's mouth hung open, and he stood there, dumbfounded.

It wasn't just Qin Anyi; Wei Dong's eyes also bulged, wondering if he'd heard correctly.

Wang Yi, the undisputed campus beauty who had countless admirers fall at her feet over the past two years, had never given any boy the time of day.

And now, she was taking the initiative to ask a guy out to dinner? And not just any guy, but Qin Anyi, who seemed so utterly unremarkable!

The classroom atmosphere turned peculiar. It had to be acknowledged that while no boy dared to openly pay attention to Wang Yi, the subtle, almost instinctual glances in her direction never ceased.

Wang Yi's actions didn't go unnoticed; they were immediately picked up by every boy in the class. As soon as the invitation was voiced, the entire room, Qin Anyi included, was struck by a collective stupor.

The girls, while not as fixated on Wang Yi as the boys, were quick to sense the shift in the classroom's mood. A flurry of inquisitive chatter later, those in the know were just as wide-eyed as their male counterparts.

Wang Yi, asking the boys out on a date?!

What was once a bustling classroom descended into a silence as profound as death.