Quick Transmigration: The Control Group in Sweet Novels

Chen Zuo stood there, stunned, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

His heartbeat suddenly became clear, pounding against his chest. He subconsciously looked away, his gaze falling on the rubber track at his feet, before drifting back uncontrollably.

Among the group of girls, Qi Yang had already been pushed into the rope circle by Ji Tingyu. She was obviously not very good at it and tripped over it after a while. Several girls around her burst into laughter, and someone called for her to try again. She herself was amused.

Chen Zuo unconsciously pursed his lips, his fingers pinching the mineral water bottle, which made a slight sound.

"Brother Zuo?" someone called from behind him.

He snapped out of his daze and saw Zhao Ming from his class holding a basketball, yelling at him, "Are you still going to play or not?"

"Coming," Chen Zuo replied. He glanced over again before turning back to the court.

After PE class, the girls walked back to the classroom in twos and threes. Chen Zuo walked behind, his steps neither hurried nor slow, while Lou Yu chattered beside him, but he didn't hear a word she said.

When I entered the classroom, Qi Yang had already sat back down in her seat and was fanning herself with her textbook. Her fair face was flushed with the effects of exercise, making her eyes even brighter. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed softly.

"I'm exhausted, so tired." Ji Tingyu said weakly, picking up her water glass and weighing it in her hand. She turned her head and asked, "Yangyang, want to go get some water?"

"Walk."

Chen Zuo walked past her, and Qi Yang stood up. The two met by chance in the narrow passageway. The boy slightly turned to the side, gesturing for her to pass.

Qi Yang glanced over casually and saw that the boy's forehead was slightly damp with sweat, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal his strong forearms. Their eyes met, and they both looked away awkwardly before brushing past each other.

Chen Zuo returned to his seat as if nothing had happened, picked up his water cup, and before Lou Yu could even get a seat, he was lifted up and told, "Go get some water."

"Holy crap, can I sit here for a bit?"

A few students from other classes were playing and fooling around in the corridor.

The water dispenser was at the corner of the teaching building corridor. Ji Tingyu was holding Qi Yang's arm. Qi Yang turned her head slightly, revealing a section of her fair skin.

Chen Zuo followed behind, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

While getting water, Ji Tingyu excitedly said, "Yangyang, my cousin gave me two vouchers for that newly opened trendy restaurant. We have the weekend off, do you want to try it out?"

Qi Yang became interested. "What kind of trendy shop?"

"It's the Hello Kitty themed restaurant I told you about last time. Everything inside, from the decorations to the food, is Hello Kitty-themed. It's super cute."

"Okay, let's go on Saturday morning. I think my mom will video call me tonight."

"OK."

The cup was filled with hot water. Qi Yang screwed on the lid and turned to leave.

The two met again.

This time the distance was even closer than in the classroom aisle. Qi Yang was caught off guard and almost bumped into his chest. She subconsciously took half a step back, and her lower back was about to hit the water dispenser.

Chen Zuo quickly raised his hand to block her, placing his palm between her waist and the water dispenser. Through the clothes, he could clearly feel the girl's warmth. Both of them froze for a moment, and Chen Zuo's fingers curled slightly.

"Are you alright?" His voice sounded a little tense.

Qi Yang shook her head, and Ji Tingyu quickly pulled her over to check, but since they were in a corridor, she couldn't easily lift Qi Yang's clothes to check. She could only rub her sore spot. "Yangyang, did you hurt yourself?"

Qi Yang shook her head and quickly looked away. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry," came the boy's deep voice.

"It's alright," Qi Yang said softly.

She gripped her water glass tightly, grabbed Ji Tingyu's wrist, and said, "Let's go."

Ji Tingyu glanced at Qi Yang, then turned to look at Chen Zuo, feeling that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Chen Zuo stood there, his palms still seemingly retaining the soft touch of the girl's body. He glanced down at his hands, then casually slipped them into his pocket.

Lou Yu, still reeling from what had just happened, squeezed his head in and said, "Brother Zuo, you reacted pretty well just now, quick enough!"

Chen Zuo withdrew his gaze, stepped forward to collect the water, and as he watched the flowing water, he suddenly remembered Qi Yang's reddened ear tips, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved slightly.

"What are you laughing at?" Lou Yu looked at him laughing to himself, as if she had seen a ghost.

Chen Zuo suppressed the corners of his mouth, his expression indifferent. "You've mistaken me for someone else."

"Impossible." Lou Yu felt that he had been acting strangely lately, and he didn't know when it started, as if he was possessed.

"If your eyes are not healthy, get them treated as soon as possible."

"..."

After the two returned to the classroom with the water, Qi Yang was already sitting back in her seat working on a math problem. The girl's slender back was slightly bent, and her fluffy head was hanging down as she focused intently on a particular math problem.

Chen Zuo glanced at it casually as he passed by.

The white test paper was covered with the girl's neat handwriting, which showed how much effort the paper's owner had put in.

Chen Zuo unscrewed the water glass and took a sip.

The water was too hot; he forgot to add cold water.

His tongue tingled from the heat, and he frowned. He looked down and opened the test paper. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl sitting there quietly, her ponytail hanging down to her shoulder blades, swaying slightly as she wrote.

His heart also felt itchy.

Once he realized his feelings, he couldn't bear to look away for even a second.

He never knew that he would one day enjoy being at school so much.

After thinking for a moment, he leaned back in his chair and, without turning his head, asked the person behind him, "I'd like to invite you to dinner this weekend, are you coming?"

Lou Yu suddenly looked up, her eyes lighting up. "What kind of fancy meal is Brother Zuo treating me to?"

Chen Zuo said casually, "Don't ask, just tell me if you're going or not."

"Go away!" Lou Yu slapped his thigh, very excited.

Chen Zuo lowered his voice, "Don't make a sound, just the two of us."

Lou Yu looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean? Why can't we tell others?"

"Go and say as little as you can," Chen Zuo said without turning his head.

Suddenly, Lou Yu had a flash of inspiration. Her eyes widened, and she instantly distanced herself from Chen Zuo, wrapping her arms around herself in a defensive stance. "Chen Zuo, you bastard, you don't actually have a crush on me, do you? Is this some kind of date?"

"..." Chen Zuo lifted his eyelids slightly, "If you're not going to eat, get out."

Lou Yu laughed, "Alright, alright, I'm just teasing you. Eat, eat, eat! You have to give Brother Zuo face. I'll reserve my weekend appointment for you right now, no one else can come!"

Chen Zuo was too lazy to argue with him and went to work on his homework.

Lou Yu was already planning how to rip him off over the weekend, and he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Chen Zuo, who was working on the assignment, was far from calm.

He casually opened the textbook, his gaze falling on the book, but he couldn't concentrate on a single word; his mind was filled with images of the corridor.

As Qi Yang took a half step back, her eyes widened slightly, and the warmth she felt in his palm, even through the thin layer of clothing, seemed to linger in his hand, impossible to dispel.

It made his heart pound like a drum.