Please, I'm Trying to Study, Your Highness! - chapter 20

On the podium, the teacher was explaining complex function graphs. Xia Shiyu propped her chin on her hand, idly drawing circles on her scratch paper with her pen.

Her peripheral vision remained firmly locked on a certain corner.

Lin Hui was watching the blackboard, listening intently.

Perfect-a textbook model of an outstanding student.

During the break, she went to get some water.

The water dispenser happened to be right behind Lin Hui’s row.

Xia Shiyu carried her cup, walking cat-like toward her designated direction.

She could clearly sense that as she approached, the boy’s previously relaxed posture gradually stiffened.

His back straightened, and his whole body radiated a tense aura of “strangers keep out.”

After filling her cup, Xia Shiyu retraced her steps.

This time, she deliberately slowed down.

When Lin Hui inadvertently looked up, their gazes collided in midair.

He immediately turned his face away, his cheeks flushing conspicuously.

As if her gaze was some scorching ray that could burn him.

‘Ha, the act begins again~’

At lunchtime, she went to the rooftop to catch the breeze.

She called it catching the breeze, but really, it was just changing locations to continue her observation.

As expected, the familiar figure pushed open the rusty iron door and entered not long after.

He probably wanted to find a quiet corner to read.

But when he saw her leaning against the railing, his steps froze in place.

Lin Hui realized something was off.

Next came his signature awkwardness, not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

The boy nodded clumsily at her, not daring to linger for even a second before turning and darting back into the hallway.

The smile at the corner of Xia Shiyu’s lips grew even wider.

‘He’s avoiding me.’

Not the kind of avoidance born of shyness or timidity.

But a conscious, purposeful evasion.

Lin Hui knew she was trouble, so he was doing everything he could to keep his distance from that trouble.

This unquestionable realization put Xia Shiyu in an excellent mood.

Interesting.

She made up her mind.

Today, she was going to peel away all the layers of this little animal’s disguise and see what flavor the filling inside really was~

Afternoon

The last period was self-study.

After assigning homework, the homeroom teacher left early.

Xia Shiyu didn’t start writing, openly letting her gaze fall on the corner seat.

Her blatant and unrestrained attention made Lin Hui bury his head even lower.

His fingers gripping the pen turned white.

He was nervous, agitated, enduring.

Excellent~

When the dismissal bell rang, Xia Shiyu didn’t leave early as usual.

She watched as Lin Hui and his two bottom-tier friends slung their arms around each other, about to head out.

Trying to run?

She stood up unhurriedly and spoke to the class monitor in a sweet tone.

“Class monitor, didn’t the teacher say a new batch of physics reference books arrived and were put in the storage room? We need two students from our class to help move them to the classroom, right?”

“I see Lin Hui is a member of the physics competition group. Why don’t the two of us go together? That way we won’t trouble anyone else.”

The class monitor was an honest person. Hearing the “School Belle” herself volunteer for manual labor, he didn’t suspect a thing and called out to Lin Hui.

“Xiao Huihui, wait a minute!”

“There are physics reference books in the storage room. We might need them tomorrow. Aren’t you a group member? You can help out.”

Lin Hui gave a confused “Ah?” and his sleepy face showed obvious reluctance.

His two friends egged him on from the side, “What are you waiting for? Helping the School Belle move books is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

Xia Shiyu walked over at just the right moment.

Her hands behind her back, head tilted slightly, her eyes full of “innocence” and “expectation.”

“Sorry, Lin Hui, am I bothering you? It’s just that you seem the most reliable…”

After a few words from her and the class monitor’s “please,” the two meddling friends tactfully left first.

And Lin Hui himself could only stay behind, half-forced.

He returned to his seat and began tidying up his books again.

Was he trying to stall for time?

Too naive~

“Lin Hui.”

She asked sweetly and harmlessly, “Should we go move the books now, hmm?”

He finally couldn’t avoid it any longer.

“Xia… Xia Shiyu… I, I can go… by myself… You don’t need to trouble yourself…” he began his stammering act.

“How could that be?”

Xia Shiyu gave a pure, irresistible smile.

“Didn’t we agree to go together?”

With that, she stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

She saw Lin Hui instinctively take half a step back, his back pressed against the cold edge of the desk, with nowhere left to retreat.

“Let’s go?”

Xia Shiyu reached out her hand, making a “please” gesture.

He avoided her gaze, hesitated for a moment, and could only nod in resignation.

He put down his backpack and followed her to the storage room.

Of course, there were no new reference books in the storage room at all.

When Xia Shiyu led Lin Hui around the storage room under the pretense of “maybe the teacher got the location wrong,” and then returned to the classroom,

his expression, besides nervousness, finally showed a hint of… wariness.
She looked around.

Good, now everyone else had finally left.

“Xia… Xia Shiyu, then I’ll just… go home first…”

“Could you wait a little longer, Lin Hui?”

Trying to run away?

It’s not that easy~

At these words, the boy turned to look at her, his movement as stiff and rusty as a machine, his tone keeping to a performative, textbook standard of shyness.

“Is… is there… something else?”

“It’s about the solution process for some of your homework problems…”

Xia Shiyu lifted Lin Hui’s chemistry exercise book and waved it, “The teacher said there are some issues and asked me to stay behind to discuss them with you.”

A flash of impatience passed quickly through the boy’s eyes-so quick, yet she caught it.

In the blink of an eye, it was covered up by a fake flustered expression.

“Ah… is, is that so? S-sorry… I…”

“It’s fine, I don’t really get it either, so I wanted to look at it with you,” Xia Shiyu cut off his uninspired stammering.

She stepped forward again, this time closing the distance until they could nearly feel each other’s breath.

“But before we talk about homework, shouldn’t we chat about something else first?”

She wiped away all the smiles on her face, but her tone was still playful.

“For example… your acting skills, Mr. Liar?”

Lin Hui froze.

“I… I don’t understand what you’re talking about…” His voice now genuinely trembled.

“Don’t understand?”

Xia Shiyu stretched out her right index finger, its nail painted pale pink, and with a touch of teasing, tapped his school uniform chest.

“Then let’s review: yesterday, who used lawyer-like precise arguments to resolve that boring farce?”

Her fingertip gently drew circles on his chest.

She could clearly sense how his body had tensed up like a stone at her touch.

“And who was it that, right after the farce ended, immediately switched back to this fake act, hmm?”

“Th-that time… was an accident…” He was still making a final stand.

“Heh~ Do you think I’d believe that? That’s not fun at all.”

“Come on, stop acting.”

Her attacks came in waves, battering at the boy’s teetering facade.

“Li~ttle~ liar~”

Finally, under her gaze of absolute control, his once-taut body slowly relaxed.

He let out a long, hopeless sigh.

The panic faded from his face, replaced by pure fatigue and weariness.

“Xia Shiyu.”

Lin Hui straightened his back. Beneath the oversized school uniform jacket, his thin figure no longer seemed so weak and easily manipulated.

His voice was clean, carrying a unique adolescent timbre-

But his tone was as lifeless as muddy water.

“What do you actually want?”

That name, that tone.

Ah, this is your true face.

“I’m begging you, let me go. I just want a quiet life, to finish high school peacefully, get into a good college, and go home.”

He pleaded, full of helpless resignation. “I don’t want trouble, I don’t want to be noticed, I’m begging you, okay?”

So, he’s not some vicious beast,

Nor some deeply scheming mastermind-

But someone… who just wants to live a peaceful life.

Truly, the most novel toy she had ever seen.

A brilliant, charming smile returned to Xia Shiyu’s face.

Utterly coquettish, utterly delighted.

She tilted her head up,

Rose on tiptoe, bringing her face close-her nose almost touching his chin.

She deliberately lowered her voice, letting her breath brush against the boy’s skin.

“But… it’s you I’m most interested in.”

Saying this, she reached out, wanting to touch Lin Hui’s now-unmasked cheek.

But he dodged like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, slipping away from her ‘attack’ with agility.

So quick.

“Please have some self-respect, Xia Shiyu.” Lin Hui leaned against the wall and gave a cold warning.

It seemed a perfect defense.

But under Xia Shiyu’s sharp gaze, she noticed a fatal little detail.

At some point, the boy’s ears had quietly turned a faint pink.

That blush was far more genuine than the forced red he showed before.

An incomparable sense of delight spread through her heart like mellow wine.

What a strange feeling…

He tried so hard to appear cold and rational, but his body betrayed him with this most honest, most innocent reaction.

Such a delicious contrast and contradiction.

So much fun.

“Alright, since you’re so cute, I’ll let you off for today, Xiao Huihui.”

With that, Xia Shiyu slung her backpack over her shoulder and left without looking back.

Just before she closed the classroom door, she could still feel the gaze of anger and confusion on her back.

Heehee~

The game is only just beginning.