As they walked out of the school building, Sheng Yue mentioned, "I heard a new student is coming. No one knows if it's a guy or girl, though."
Lu Hua's eyes lit up with curiosity. "As long as they're not smarter than me, I'm fine."
Sheng Yue teased, "Wow, Ms. Academic Achiever is prioritizing her grades as usual."
Lu Hua shot her a look, but Sheng Yue just laughed.
When they spotted Lu Hua's parents' car, Sheng Yue said, "Oh, isn't that your parents' ride?"
Lu Hua glanced over, her expression neutral. "They must be at the office with Mr. Cheng already."
Sheng Yue chuckled. "Well, you'd better get going before your mom and dad start drooling on the conference table."
Lu Hua smirked. "True, Dad's been struggling to stay awake since the last parent-teacher conference."
In the office, Mr. Cheng was saying, "She's a bright student and well-behaved, but she can be a bit feisty. Like when I asked her to stand up and she asked why. I said 'just guess,' and she kind of implied I was blocking her view of the board."
Lu Hua murmured in an annoyed voice, "I was just trying to understand the purpose, sir."
Her mother's warning look silenced her, one that said, Don't push your luck.
As she looked away from her parent's stern gaze, her eyes wandered to an unfamiliar face, and she wondered if it might be the new student Sheng Yue had mentioned earlier.
His eyes seemed to hold a perpetual glint of mischief, a spark that hinted at a sharp mind and quick wit. His dark hair was tousled, as if he'd just rolled out of bed, and his gray hoodie seemed to swallow him whole. The black stripes on the sleeves added a touch of edginess to his overall appearance.
Just as she was about to look away, his gaze locked with hers.
For a moment, the room seemed to dull around them. The kind of eye contact that felt sharp, heavy — like a silent challenge. His lips quirked into the slightest smirk, and Lu Hua raised a brow in response, her expression unreadable. It wasn't friendly, but it wasn't exactly hostile either. That unspoken, act fool if you dare kind of look.
A beat passed between them, charged with something neither of them could name, then Lu Hua looked away, pretending she hadn't noticed him at all.
"Lu Hua," Mr. Cheng's voice cut through the air, snapping her attention back to the conversation.
She straightened slightly in her seat, the lingering tension from that exchanged glance still prickling at her skin.