Chapter 37: The Prank Hasn't Continued, Has It?

The fact that Cao Aiqing was made to stand as punishment was bound to attract the attention of her classmates. Among them, Ye Jiaqi was the most proactive. Having sat next to He Tianran more than once, she could guarantee that no one in the class understood him better than she did. However, that guarantee came with an expiration date: two weeks ago.

"A-Liang, that prank from before—you haven't kept it going, have you?"

Seeing He Tianran and Cao Aiqing return to their seats one after another, she privately messaged Wen Liang, who was away attending a training class.

"Hmm?"

"You know, the one where you said you'd make He Tianran confess to you within three days. The class monitor and the others told me later that it had been extended to a month, specifically by the time of the orientation gala."

As the class gossip fairy, Ye Jiaqi knew almost every hidden secret. She was the one who took screenshots of He Tianran’s social media updates for Wen Liang and the one who spread the news when the two were first seen holding hands on campus.

"Oh, it’s not a prank, you know. I’m serious..."

"No, look, when we changed seats last time, didn't I scout things out for you? He Tianran is just too much of a nerd; he even said he wouldn't fall for any 'life illusions' or whatever. I think we should just let it go. It’s not a good idea."

"I'm rehearsing a scene, hold on a second..."

Ye Jiaqi stared blankly at the "Typing..." indicator on her screen, which then reverted to normal. She grew anxious.

"I really think you don't need to compete with Cao Aiqing. He Tianran is just stubborn—an absolute blockhead. Don't take it to heart. Besides, we all think you're way better than Cao Aiqing; a guy like He Tianran isn't even worth your time."

After waiting a moment with no reply, Ye Jiaqi felt a pang of regret. The whole incident had started as nothing more than a joke of her own making.

She had once sent a message in their group chat, saying her seatmate, this total nerd, was beyond hopeless. He had been secretly in love with Cao Aiqing since freshman year, and now he would even sneak glances at her during class like a lovesick fool—it was honestly nauseating. To back it up, she screenshotted He Tianran’s social media, which was mostly filled with posts about his "2D anime wives" and other typical otaku nonsense.

That single comment and screenshot drew endless mockery from the girls in the group. Ye Jiaqi, feeling mischievous, tagged Wen Liang and stirred the pot, saying that Cao Aiqing was clearly the goddess of the nerds and that her charm was just on another level. "A-Liang, you’re still a bit lacking in skill, though your secret crush behaviors are quite similar."

Wen Liang, who was in the chat at the time, had recently been teased by the girls for having a secret crush on Zhang Zhifan that she was too afraid to confess. Being called out, she couldn't let it slide and retorted:

"Can that nerd even compare to me? He’s liked Cao Aiqing for three years. You want to bet that I can make him change his heart and fall for me in just three days?"

The group went wild at this, bombarding her with screenshots and advice. They suggested that since he was a nerd, he needed a "nerdy" approach—Wen Liang should make a dramatic entrance, like a reincarnation or a time-travel scenario. "If He Tianran believes that, then your acting skills are truly god-tier!"

Once these gossiping girls let their imaginations run wild, it was like something out of a web novel. It was originally decided that the plan would be executed after school two Fridays ago, but for some reason, Wen Liang became unreachable for a few days, and when they finally got in touch, she suddenly left the group!

The busybodies in the group thought Wen Liang had chickened out, too thin-skinned to handle potential mockery if she failed. Who would have thought that on Friday, Ye Jiaqi would run into her and He Tianran holding hands?

It seemed the plan was moving along smoothly!

The gossip fairy reported the progress to the group, but three days passed, and He Tianran showed no further reaction. During that seat change, Ye Jiaqi had tested him and, confirming his unwavering "loyalty," had declared Wen Liang’s mission a failure.

However, Wen Liang didn't seem to have any intention of giving up. That same evening, she posted a photo of the two of them together, only to delete it the next morning and wipe her entire social media history, leaving their group of veteran onlookers completely baffled.

It wasn't until today that Ye Jiaqi heard the full story from one of Zhang Zhifan's close friends. Based on her past understanding of Wen Liang, this failure—especially with Zhang Zhifan knowing about it—would surely leave her unable to save face, and she would be looking for a chance to vent.

Now, seeing Wen Liang insist that she was being "serious"... if this continued, wouldn't the prank... have gone a bit too far?

"Hey, Ye Jiaqi! Hey!"

Lost in her thoughts, Ye Jiaqi was startled by a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Xue Yong.

"What are you thinking about? Your face is pale as a sheet. We have the physical fitness test next period. The PE teacher told me to ask you for our class roster so I can tally your scores."

Xue Yong felt his role as the class sports representative was pointless. They were seniors, and even though they were only in the first semester, they were already being forced into testing. He wondered if there would even be any PE classes left after the tests were over.

"Xue Yong! Are you and He Tianran best friends?!" Ye Jiaqi blurted out after regaining her composure.

"What do you mean 'best friends'? We're brothers-in-arms who have been through hell together."

"...Then, do you like Wen Liang?"

"I... what the hell... are you crazy?"

Recalling the miserable scene from the weekend where he was rejected before he could even confess, and now having this girl poke at a sore spot, Xue Yong felt a dull ache in his heart once again.

"Then how about this, help me persuade them? You know both of them, so persuading either one would work." Ye Jiaqi grabbed Xue Yong’s sleeve, sounding desperate.

"What on earth? Don't you know them both, too?" Xue Yong was utterly confused by her nonsensical remarks.

...

Meanwhile, He Tianran was still trying to figure out how to coax Cao Aiqing when someone approached him.

"He, could I trouble you for a moment?"

He Tianran looked up and saw that it was the class monitor, Zhang Zhifan.

This "chosen one," standing there with poised grace and a scholarly air, wore a gentle smile. He Tianran hated that smile because it made him feel like he was the weak one.

"Uh—yeah, monitor? What is it?"

He Tianran unintentionally drew out the sound of his nasal filler, as if deep in thought. Zhang Zhifan’s smile seemed to freeze for a split second, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. A girl in the class also had a habit of making that same ambiguous nasal sound.

Zhang Zhifan weighed his words before saying, "It's about Wen. She submitted our class’s orientation gala program list to me today, and your name is on it. Could you confirm it? Just to be sure."

He didn't speak loudly, but it was clear enough for everyone around to hear. In an instant, the "nerd" was back in the spotlight, and even Cao Aiqing turned her head slightly, looking at him with curiosity.

Zhang Zhifan handed over a sheet of paper. It listed several programs, but at the top, two were marked in red: one was Zhang Zhifan’s piano solo, and the other was a song performance with the singer still "undetermined." Beneath Wen Liang’s name, his own name was clearly written.