The final exams were approaching fast, but Shan Jiasheng—true to his legendary status—hadn't even opened a book. He stared at his math textbook like it was written in Martian.
Tianxin stood beside him, arms crossed, glaring.
"This is basic algebra, Jiasheng. Even that ant crawling on your desk knows it."
He blinked lazily. "Then maybe the ant should take my exam."
She rolled her eyes and shoved the book in front of him.
"No more jokes. If you pass this time, I'll treat you to whatever snack you want. But if you fail, you treat me. Every day. Deal?"
Jiasheng grinned. "That's emotional blackmail. But deal."
And so, their after-school study sessions began.
At first, Jiasheng groaned over every formula. Tianxin made weird analogies, like comparing geometry to dumplings and history to gossip from ancient times. Slowly, the knowledge started to sink in.
But one evening, during a long extra class at school, the exhaustion hit hard.
Tianxin was drooping on her bench like a wilting flower. Her eyes kept closing, her head wobbling slightly, but she tried staying awake as the teacher droned on.
Jiasheng watched her from the corner of his eye. Quietly, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his earphones, and tapped her hand.
"Here. Don't ask. Just wear it," he whispered.
Confused but too tired to argue, Tianxin slipped one earbud in. He put the other in his ear. A soft, peaceful melody began to play—one of those gentle old songs that made the world feel slower.
They both laid their heads down on the desk, sharing the music, hiding behind their books from the teacher's sight.
Tianxin whispered sleepily,
"You're not entirely hopeless, Jiasheng."
He smiled softly without looking at her.
"Yeah, well. You're not entirely annoying either."
For a few minutes, everything was still. Just the soft music, the rustle of papers, and the quiet presence of two people slowly learning each other's rhythms.
Later, as they walked home, Tianxin stretched and said with a smirk,
"Okay, since I saved your grades, you owe me sugarcane juice now."
Thus began their sugarcane ritual.
After every study session, they walked to a roadside stall, laughing over problems, sipping the sweetest juice in Huali Town. It was simple, comforting, and exactly what Jiasheng needed.
Junxi, meanwhile, remained distant. He didn't show up for these moments. His silence hung like a quiet ache between them.
"He just needs time," Tianxin said one day.
Jiasheng looked at her. "And you?"
"I'll wait for all of you," she said quietly. "Even if I pretend to be okay… I miss us."
And as they clinked their sugarcane glasses under the orange sky, there was something unspoken between them—sweet, like the juice they drank, and slowly becoming real.