Please, I'm Trying to Study, Your Highness! - chapter 32

Competition problems were spread out before him.

To Xu Hao, the mathematical formulas on the page were nothing but a jumble of meaningless black, twisted symbols.

His gaze seemed to be drawn and held by invisible magnetic lines, glued to that quiet, graceful figure.

The tip of his pen paused motionless on the scratch paper.

There was not even the slightest intention of immersing himself in study.

The term “School Belle” in Xu Hao’s mind was originally meant for someone else.

Xia Shiyu.

That naturally striking, intensely attractive face was an eternal topic among the boys whenever they privately discussed girls.

He was no exception.

When it came to Xia Shiyu, Xu Hao admitted she had an irresistible allure.

She was beautiful-strikingly, even aggressively so.

A casual glance from those alluring peach blossom eyes was enough to make any boy’s heart skip a beat.

Beneath her perpetually sweet smile, she possessed a mature, voluptuous figure that seemed far beyond her high school years.

Occasionally, during class, whenever Xu Hao heard Xia Shiyu’s deliberately elongated, honeyed, coquettish tone, his adolescent body would become inexplicably hot.

His second brother would rise in salute to show its respect.

There were a few sleepless nights when he imagined that vivid, seductive body as the object of his desire.

Those pronounced curves, that slender waist, those full breasts…

The deeper his fantasies, the more primal the urges that followed.

But only occasionally.

After every storm, all that remained was empty desolation.

If asked who Xu Hao liked most, it would still have to be Shen Ruanruan.

That feeling had nothing to do with physical desire.

He remembered the opening ceremony of their first year. In the sea of people, Xu Hao spotted the girl in a brand-new uniform, quietly standing in the line at a glance.

His heart thudded violently. The intense rush of emotion he had never felt before spread from his chest to every limb.

At that moment, all the surrounding noise and chaos faded away in his eyes.

Only her stunningly beautiful face remained.

He had to use almost all his social connections to find out the identity of this girl who took his breath away.

Shen Ruanruan, a new student from Class One, had held first place in her grade since elementary school.

And there was another thing about her that made Xu Hao shrink back.

She was the heiress of Shen Group, one of the three leading enterprises in Nanhua City.

His passionate heart was shrouded in a shadow called inferiority.

A strong sense of helplessness drowned him.

He was the core player on the school basketball team, a model student in the teachers’ eyes.

Before ordinary classmates, he was always sunny, confident, and unbeatable.

But before that towering mountain called the “Shen Group,” all his pride shrank to the size of dust.

Xu Hao didn’t dare reveal a single hint of his feelings.

Only Shen Ruanruan-

Only she…

Could make him toss and turn through countless sleepless nights, replaying her image in his mind over and over.

Her eyes, her lips, her elegant posture as she walked… and then, as his breathing grew heavier,

He would do that shameful, guilt-ridden, yet desperately desired thing.

The last basketball game with Li Yaowen from Class Eight-

The reason Xu Hao made so many mistakes at the start was because he caught sight of the figure that haunted his dreams, standing at the sidelines out of the corner of his eye.

He couldn’t concentrate at all.

All he wanted was to impress his goddess with a dazzling play or an eye-catching move.

But the more he wanted it, the stiffer his body became, and the more mistakes he made.

It wasn’t until Lin Hui’s lucky shot and critical block that the game was turned around.

After the match, Xu Hao felt frustrated by his performance.

But the thought that maybe the girl had noticed his efforts brought him a sense of satisfaction.

To have more opportunities to interact with Shen Ruanruan, he threw himself into studying.

All the dull formulas and theorems became stepping stones toward his goddess.

He stayed up late solving problems until midnight, fighting sleepiness until his eyes turned red, splashing cold water on his face the next morning just to drag himself to class.

Relying on his decent talent for math and a reckless determination, he finally squeezed into the math competition group.

At last…

He was in an environment within arm’s reach of her.

At this moment, Xu Hao pretended to work out problems on his scratch paper.

But his eyes, already obsessed, secretly lingered on the girl.

Shen Ruanruan sat with perfect posture, back straight, showing the marks of good upbringing.

Her almond-shaped eyes, tinged with a hint of tea-brown, were focused on her test paper.

Her nose was high and delicately shaped; the transition between her lips and skin was natural, not too vivid, with a faint sheen of moisture.

If one looked closely, one could even see the fine, soft fuzz on her cheeks.
Xu Hao’s mouth was dry, his tongue parched.

The thumping in his chest grew louder and louder.

He couldn’t just sit here any longer, even if it was just to say a single word to her.

He randomly circled a few difficult problems in his workbook, then, driven by impulse, stood up and walked over to her side with the book in hand.

When she looked at him inquisitively, Xu Hao scratched his head and forced himself to appear calm, flashing what he thought was his brightest, sunniest smile.

“Um, Shen Team Leader, I can’t quite figure out these problems. Could… could I ask you for some help?”

Shen Ruanruan’s clear, beautiful eyes quietly landed on him, then she smiled and nodded, “Of course.”

Her voice was still as gentle as ever.

Xu Hao slid the book over to her.

The girl began to patiently explain.

Her voice was low, like the tinkling sound of a mountain spring, pleasant and melodious.

On the surface, Xu Hao appeared humbly eager to learn, nodding frequently, but in truth his mind had long drifted far, far away.

All his attention was focused on Shen Ruanruan’s breathtaking face, now so close at hand.

Her skin was so white-

A gentle, milky whiteness, like a freshly peeled lychee, moist and translucent.

Her eyelashes fluttered, each blink tugging at his heartstrings.

A delicate fragrance drifted from her body.

Xu Hao couldn’t help but feel his heart sway.

So fragrant…

His body involuntarily leaned in, bit by bit.

He wanted to imprint this scent even more clearly into his memory.

So fragrant… everything about her, so fragrant…

Countless tantalizing thoughts sprouted wildly in his mind like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Xu Hao even began to imagine what kind of alluring, curvaceous body might be hidden beneath her loose school uniform.

If… if he could bury his face in her silky hair and take a few deep breaths-what kind of indescribable, ultimate sensation would that be?

“Xu Hao.”

A gentle, distant voice snapped him out of his reverie.

“If you lean any closer, I won’t be able to see my own book.”

It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over Xu Hao’s head-he snapped back to reality.

Only now did he realize that there was barely the width of an arm between his and the girl’s shoulders.

“Ah… sorry, sorry! I didn’t notice!” He hurriedly scooted away, apologizing awkwardly.

“S-sorry! I didn’t notice!”

Shen Ruanruan didn’t look at him. Her gaze fell back on the workbook as she softly asked, “Did you understand this problem?”

“Yes… yes, I got it, I got it!” Xu Hao nodded hastily.

He was determined to seize this rare opportunity, hoping to stay by her side a little longer.

“Shen Team Leader, then… these next ones…”

However, Shen Ruanruan closed his workbook.

“The method for this problem isn’t much different from the last one. By analogy, you should be able to solve it yourself.”

Her gentle yet tactful refusal was impossible to refute.

“Independent thinking is very important in competitions. Try it on your own first. If you really can’t figure it out, we can discuss it next time.”

With that, the girl gave him a flawless, encouraging smile.

Xu Hao was left dazed by that smile, unable to think straight.

He opened his mouth but found no excuse to linger.

He had no choice but to put away his workbook and slink back to his own seat, crestfallen.

He buried his head in his arms, pretending to study, but his eyes kept sneaking glances at her.

After a while-

Xu Hao saw Shen Ruanruan actually take her notebook and walk to a remote corner of the classroom.

She sat down next to his classmate, Lin Hui.

A surge of sourness spread silently in his chest.

Why?

Why would the goddess go over to that Xiao Huihui guy?

He was clearly not as handsome as Xu Hao, looked weak and gloomy, so why did he deserve the goddess’s attention?

But then, he noticed Lin Hui’s reaction.

When Shen Ruanruan approached, Lin Hui’s previously relaxed demeanor visibly stiffened.

His back was as rigid as a board, and even the way he held his pen looked awkward.

Seeing this, Xu Hao’s jealousy quickly morphed into a secretive smirk, tinged with both superiority and empathy.

Look at him, so hopeless.

He must be both panicked and overjoyed right now.

A sly, knowing grin crept onto Xu Hao’s lips-one only he could understand.

Most likely, Lin Hui would do the same thing tonight as he did:

Clutching that workbook, still lingering with the goddess’s scent, replaying every detail of their interaction…

Shrinking under his covers, letting loose those dirty, ecstatic, restless desires in the darkness.