Xiaoru? Why is he calling her that? It's too... too intimate...
Xu Zifan bent down, his face only an inch away from hers, and said with a smile, "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes, girlfriend. Now, let me, your newly appointed boyfriend, blow-dry your hair, okay?"
Ji Yaru quickly looked up, "I...I didn't..."
"Don't talk, just enjoy your boyfriend's service." Xu Zifan straightened up, pushed her shoulder and walked out, not forgetting to reach for the hair dryer.
Ji Yaru was pushed to sit down in front of the dressing table. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Zifan turned on the hairdryer. She felt Xu Zifan's warm fingers running through her hair, gently drying it without pulling or hurting her. She slowly shifted her gaze to the mirror and saw Xu Zifan standing behind her, a smile on his lips and gentle eyes. Suddenly, her flustered heart calmed down, and more and more joy welled up inside her, filling her entire being.
After drying her hair, Xu Zifan naturally took her hand and walked out the door, chatting and teasing her. Their relationship seemed unchanged from before, yet they seemed even closer. Their fingers were intertwined, and they didn't let go.
That evening, the two went to the food street again. Xu Zifan suggested that they do a live stream to interact with their fans, as a holiday treat, and stream something unrelated to studying.
Ji Yaru asked in surprise, "What's the point of livestreaming all this?"
Xu Zifan smiled slightly, "Of course it's useful. I need to declare my sovereignty as the boyfriend to everyone and tell others to stay away from my girlfriend from now on. This girl is already taken."
Ji Yaru's face flushed instantly. She immediately turned around, tossed out a "Whatever," and strode away. She inwardly berated herself. She hadn't blushed when she first sat in on a meeting at the Yan family company, so why was she blushing with Xu Zifan? How embarrassing!
Xu Zifan smiled, quickly turned on the live stream, and started broadcasting by holding up his phone with a selfie stick. "Hello everyone, it's a holiday, so let's relax a bit. Today, my girlfriend and I came to the Ice City Snack Street to try some snacks. We ate some delicious food, and I recommend it to you. You can come and try it if you have the chance."
Xu Zifan didn't say anything more and quickly followed Ji Yaru's pace. Seeing that he was having trouble taking selfies with the selfie stick, Ji Yaru went to buy something herself. When it was her turn in line, she even imitated Xu Zifan by asking the vendor if she could get a discount. Apparently, this was the fun of bargaining; she didn't really understand, but she was sure she could learn it from Xu Zifan. Xu Zifan saw a barrage of comments on the screen like "This cool girl is so cute in private," "She actually knows how to bargain," and "Is she really going to eat skewers on the street?" The goddess was instantly brought down from her pedestal, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Ji Yaru wasn't worried at all. They were leaving tomorrow, and they didn't know if they'd ever have the chance to come back to Harbin again, so of course they had to have a good time eating on the food street. So even though the live stream was on, she still planned to eat her way from one end of the street to the other. When she got to the takoyaki, Xu Zifan said he was carrying something and asked her to feed him. Ji Yaru blushed and fed him two takoyaki, avoiding his eyes the whole time. She didn't see the barrage of comments on the screen: These two academic geniuses are actually together?!
The news quickly spread among their fans, attracting many onlookers. Some fans from Harbin got excited when they saw their background, and then more than a dozen people rushed to the food street and caught them!
"My idols! My goddesses! It really is you! Am I dreaming?!"
"Hey genius, I watched your live stream and got into the honors class!"
"Oh my god, you two are actually together? You're such a perfect match!"
Ji Yaru smiled and nodded politely to them, and then a fan exclaimed, "This cool and aloof lady actually smiled! I've never seen anything like it!"
Xu Zifan chuckled and called them to the side of the road, telling them not to get jostled. "There are so many people here, it's really not a place to talk. Since you're all here, why don't you eat with us? To put it simply, meeting is fate. Today it's on me, so please don't be shy."
"Really? That's great! To get to eat something the academic genius treated me to, I'll definitely get a perfect score next time!"
"Could the academic genius sign his name for me first? I want to keep it as a family heirloom so that my whole family can benefit from his influence."
"Yes, yes, you two must stay together forever! You two academic geniuses are such a loving couple, oh my god, this autograph must be framed and kept as a keepsake! Can we take another picture together? I want to take a picture with both of you academic geniuses!!"
Xu Zifan was surprised by their request, as if they were meeting a celebrity. He and Ji Yaru exchanged a glance, and seeing that Ji Yaru had no objections, he readily agreed.
They found a relatively empty spot, chose their angles, and started taking photos. Some were individual shots with Xu Zifan, some with Ji Yaru, but most were with both of them. Fans took many photos, but thankfully there weren't too many people, so it didn't take long. Afterward, the two signed autographs for the fans. Their handwriting was beautiful, and they each had their own unique signature style, making their autographs look incredibly sophisticated. The fans were overjoyed to receive them!
Then Xu Zifan stuffed his wallet into Ji Yaru's hand, telling her to choose some delicious food to pay for, and to treat the fans to a meal together. The fans were a little embarrassed and insisted on paying for it themselves, even deliberately picking some cheap food. But Ji Yaru didn't listen to them. She paid very quickly, picking out all the delicious food regardless of price, and took the fans to eat all the good food on the snack street.
The live stream was still running, and the fans inside, seeing that a local fan had actually met the academic genius and received such a great perk, immediately started screaming and clamoring for the same perk. When Xu Zifan finally ended the live stream, he laughed and said, "Actually, today it was just me and the girl..."
On the first day of our relationship, since everyone is congratulating us so much, we'll give you a little treat: all books in the store will be 40% off for a week. We hope our love story goes smoothly.
Fans cheered immediately, with many spamming "666" (a Chinese internet slang for "awesome"). They commented that Xu Zifan even managed to promote his products while giving out freebies, proving his "get-rich-quick" persona couldn't be ruined. The screen was then filled with blessings. They had been watching the couple's livestreams for a long time, listening to their valuable tips on improving grades, and developed a special affection for them. Knowing they were together, they all hoped their relationship would last, feeling they weren't a good match for anyone else—a male and female academic genius were the perfect pair!
That night, many forums were filled with posts mentioning the romance between the two academic geniuses. Not only were they both academically gifted, but they were also incredibly good-looking, making them instantly likable. Fans who had long supported the couple also posted screenshots of their past moments of secretly enjoying their interactions: one where the girl's hair was messy during a live stream, and she quickly straightened it while secretly glaring at Xu Zifan; another where a girl was earnestly explaining a problem to the boy, who smiled and glanced at her; another where they complemented each other perfectly; and a compilation of photos of them making eye contact every time…
Many clips taken from the live stream now seem incredibly romantic, even though they were genuinely studying diligently when they watched the live stream! This excitement of discovering hidden gems led many fans to rewatch the recordings, uncovering even more romantic moments that they found irresistible, resulting in numerous replies to the post.
Although the discussion didn't become a widespread sensation, the two of them did gain some popularity. Even the school forum at No. 1 High School posted gossip about these two academic geniuses dating. Many teachers and students saw it, with the teachers smiling knowingly and the students excited. They shared the past stories of the two academic prodigies in the posts, even digging up details such as Ji Yaru and Yan Yuxin being switched at birth and Yan Yuxin having a close relationship with Xu Zifan. Some even said that Xu Zifan was cornered by a dozen thugs. When the content circulated outside, many fans immediately felt sorry for the two young men and women.
The power of fans should not be underestimated. When they get angry, they dare to confront anyone, let alone a rich second-generation from a province. He's nothing!
As a result, Li Xudong and Yan Yuxin were put on the receiving end of criticism. Fans sided with Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru, and naturally found fault with everything they did. They speculated that everything about the past was their fault, and posted widely to expose the true colors of the gold-digging, cheating woman and the arrogant, scumbag man.
These posts aren't currently trending, but they're definitely hot on the school's website! Students at the school are more likely to know the situation and their guesses are closer to the truth. Li Xudong and Yan Yuxin's reputations at school are completely ruined, and many people are even anonymously opposing their inclusion in Class 1 of the senior year. Why should they, with scores of 300 and 500 respectively, be allowed two spots in Class 1 while everyone else scores above 620? Why should these two, who were squeezed out, suffer such unfair treatment?
This incident has finally caught the school's attention. It was originally a minor matter, and unless someone made a big fuss, it would be difficult to pursue the matter. Sometimes, even the principal has to consider personal relationships and accept students referred by others, especially since they've already paid a hefty fee. But if it escalates, the school must handle it impartially; otherwise, wouldn't it tell everyone that their school is unfair? Would good students still want to come? Mishandling this kind of thing can have a significant impact. The homeroom teacher of Class 1 has long disliked those two students. Poor grades are one thing, but they also frequently skip class and give others the cold shoulder. Do they think everyone has to grovel before rich people? It's not like they need anything from them!
So, at the suggestion of the homeroom teacher of Class 1, the principal asked the director to contact the parents of the two students. The reasons were readily available: to express their apologies for the sake of the school's reputation, they would be transferred to Class 3 at the beginning of the next semester. If they were still not satisfied, they could consider transferring to another school, and going abroad was also a good option.
The school was very polite, so what could the Yan and Li families say? Arguing would only make them lose face, since their child was so disappointing! And in doing so, they also learned the cause of the matter and that Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru were dating.
Yan Yuxin immediately exclaimed, "Impossible! How could he possibly like someone else?!"
The strict mother gave her a displeased look. "Take care of your own affairs. Other people's affairs are none of your business. It seems your tutoring efforts are not enough. Double the number of classes for the remaining few days of the holiday."
"I...Mom..." Yan Yuxin tried to say something, but her mother had already turned and left, seemingly not wanting to even glance at her. Yan Yuxin ran back to her room, her face ashen, and opened the posts. She saw Xu Zifan and Ji Yaru's live stream, how considerate he was to Ji Yaru, and how happily he said it was their first day of dating...
Yan Yuxin's expression was uncertain. Why did she not feel the relief of regaining everything after the exchange? Instead, she felt as if everything had been taken away from her!