Chapter 44: In the Age of Pure Love, Only Pure Exhaustion Remains

Because of the heavy rain, the morning outside was as dark as four or five o'clock in the morning.

The first few people to arrive at the classroom had turned on all the lights; the room was brightly lit. It was still twenty minutes until morning reading, and Jiang Nian had clearly arrived early.

There were hardly anyone else in the class—almost everyone was hunched over their books behind upright bookshelves, memorizing or solving problems, or else carrying a book to the end of the corridor to read while watching the rain and pacing while reciting.

Jiang Nian stood at the classroom door, directly blocking Zhang Nengzhi's path. The hot water dispenser was at the other end of the corridor, where no one was around.

OK, everyone's eyes turned toward him.

Although the system task panel stated that Zhang Nengzhi = ex-girlfriend, Jiang Nian had never taken it seriously—he'd always treated it like a fan fiction game, the joker never yielding.

System: She is your ex-girlfriend.

Honest person: Got it.

Jiang Nian: Red bean paste? (confused face)

This is why there are so few jokers in the world—they're always on the receiving end of blows.

Zhang Nengzhi clearly wasn't feeling well; out of empathy, purely the kind of empathy between friends. He couldn't just ignore her, so he spoke up directly.

"Let me get your water—I was going to get some too......."

"No no, I'll get it myself." Zhang Nengzhi's face turned even redder.

"We're friends, no need to be so polite." Jiang Nian thought she was shy—after all, she was timid—"Helping each other among friends is normal."

"It's not that—I… I need to use the restroom." Zhang Nengzhi's face burned to her ears—she'd met a kind-hearted soul on a stormy morning, only for it to be Jiang Nian.

It wasn't that Jiang Nian was bad—he was just… special.

Jiang Nian felt awkward, stepped aside, and cleared the way.

"Oh oh, go ahead."

Ha, he'd gotten his fortune told this morning. It said he'd have abundant gold—but turns out he had abundant madness. This ninth-reincarnated, great-good-man nearly helped someone use the restroom.

Don't ask why, because he…

Zhang Nengzhi hurried out with her head down, but—bam! —her shoulder slammed into the doorframe. Due to momentum, her grip on the water cup loosened.

"Ah!" she gasped.

Jiang Nian reacted instantly—he was, after all, a two-and-a-half-year veteran of sports. He snatched the cup mid-air, but a sheet of paper seemed to have fallen out.

Hmm… still pink.

It didn't even look like paper—this thing looked increasingly familiar. Seven degrees… before he could make it out, Zhang Nengzhi dropped quickly, snatched the paper, and shoved it into her pocket.

"Th-thanks, I'm going now." Zhang Nengzhi felt her face might explode from blushing—she thought if he asked, she'd jump from the fourth floor.

Not that extreme, not that extreme—you're being too dramatic.

"Mm hmm." Jiang Nian handed the cup back to her.

He didn't think much of it—menstruation was normal. As for the shame around it, no need to overthink, but he wouldn't say anything extra either.

After putting down his backpack, he lay face-down on the desk to nap. The window beside him was open; the cold wind felt refreshing. After a minute, he sat up and closed it.

Zhang Nengzhi returned to the classroom after getting water, her face still warm.

Back in class, she saw Jiang Nian napping on his desk, and finally exhaled in relief. She feared sudden concern from friends, especially on matters like this.

Especially Jiang Nian.

She sat down nervously, gritted her teeth against her discomfort, and pulled out her biology study booklet to silently memorize. As long as she stayed still, the pain would temporarily vanish.

"Holy shit! You're here this early?" Ma Guojun, the forum green badge, entered the classroom and spotted Jiang Nian napping, "Did you eat breakfast?"

Jiang Nian turned his head on the desk, half-dead, and replied.

"At home."

"I'm so jealous—you mom lets you eat at home." The fat guy sat beside Jiang Nian, wiping sweat from his flushed face, "Damn, it's raining this hard."

"My shorts are almost soaked—how come you're not wet at all?"

"I came by car." Jiang Nian mumbled.

"I came by car too—my dad dropped me off at the gate, damn it, he bought me a tiny umbrella." Ma Guojun shook the damp corner of his left shoulder.

"Holy shit, why's the window closed?"

Hearing this, Zhang Nengzhi in the front row suddenly turned her head. She remembered the window had been open—Jiang Nian probably wanted it open—could he think *she* closed it?

"I closed it. I caught a cold from jerking off last night." Jiang Nian made up a random excuse.

"You… haha, Jiang Nian, is there no one in this class you care about?" Ma Guojun abandoned the idea of opening the window, "I'll tell Li Hua and Yao Beibei."

"Whatever." Jiang Nian didn't care, and went back to sleep.

"Why are you so tired? What did you do last night?" Ma Guojun chattered on like a woman, waited half a minute, then realized Jiang Nian was asleep.

In the age of pure love, doing the purest sleepy thing.

Zhang Nengzhi in front froze mid-breath, staring blankly at the biology study booklet on the desk. Each square character suddenly softened, rounded.

Slowly blurred, then vanished entirely from the page.

He closed the window.

She buried her face on the desk, pressing the biology booklet down. Jiang Nian had entered with his coat in hand, wearing only a short-sleeve shirt—how could he be cold?

Thinking of a possible reason, her cheeks burned, her heart pounded.

The morning classes passed; Zhang Nengzhi became more certain—Jiang Nian wasn't cold at all. Fortunately, no one else opened that window, sparing her from the cold wind.

After lunch, Zhang Nengzhi felt much better—and even more grateful for the window Jiang Nian had closed. She'd never have dared ask herself.

Boys really can do a lot.

Though their relationship was only that of ordinary friends, some secret between them had already been buttoned into the air between them.

When their eyes occasionally met during breaks, Zhang Nengzhi's heart would inexplicably quicken.

The net called "friendship" had begun weaving an alien silk thread—so fine as to be invisible, quietly consuming and expanding.

Jiang Nian returned from the cafeteria after eating in the rain, and found Zhang Nengzhi still at her seat.

"Why aren't you eating?"

The rain had been falling all afternoon; the classroom was dimly lit. Only three or four people were present, most either sleeping or working on their exams by the window, no one having turned on the lights.

Zhang Ningzhi looked up and whispered, "I'm not hungry."

Because the curtains blocked the view, her seat—though not far from the window—received little light. Jiang Nian grunted and sat down, pulling out his phone to play with it.

After a few minutes, he put down his phone, slightly lifting his eyelids. He reached into his desk compartment, pulled out his water cup, then extended his index finger and tapped lightly on Zhang Ningzhi's back.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to fill up with hot water. Do you want some?" Jiang Nian stood and asked.

"Mm, thank you." Zhang Ningzhi handed him her cup, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. She flushed crimson, wishing she could sink into a crack in the floor.

His expression remained calm. "Actually, eighty percent of my left ear is deaf. I'm going to buy a drink—should I bring you some plain porridge from the cafeteria?"