My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

This is all Wang Yuting's fault.

That silly girl Wang Yuting first used the pretending-to-sleep Lin Jiu as a pillow, pressing her long, slender legs directly onto him, making him too afraid to move for the first half of the night. Under these circumstances, Wang Yuting slept quite soundly, while Lin Jiu was lost in philosophical contemplation.

Do you want to be a beast, or even worse than a beast?

As she pondered this, Lin Jiu drifted off to sleep; the problem was taking too much of her mind.

He hadn't even slept for an hour when Wang Yuting's rustling movements woke him up.

She had a nightmare about the horror movie she watched that night, and she was too scared to go to the bathroom.

Wang Yuting originally wanted to ask Lin Jiu to go with her, but she saw that Lin Jiu was asleep and didn't want to wake him up.

"I go with you."

Lin Jiu quickly led Wang Yuting to the restroom, yawning as he waited for her to come out.

After coming out of the restroom, Wang Yuting kept her head down the whole time, and her ears were bright red.

Watching horror movies until midnight and being too scared to go to the bathroom—that's something only kids do!

I'm an adult!

Don't I have any pride?!

Feeling embarrassed, Wang Yuting lay on her side on the bed with her back to Lin Jiu, not daring to look at him.

However, what Wang Yuting didn't know was that her sleeping position had an even stronger impact on Lin Jiu! From her back down to her feet, especially when she unconsciously bent over, the perfect curves created a multiplied visual impact. Reason and desire battled in Lin Jiu's mind; the two supreme beings fought to the very edge of the universe, even the Great Dao was obliterated, and dawn was almost breaking.

Lin Jiu was groggy as he prepared to get up. He had planned to go to school today, so he had to get up no matter what.

It's already Thursday, Lin Jiu can't keep taking leave from school, can he?

Although Lin Jiu had already memorized the entire textbook in advance, he knew it wasn't enough. The exam now covered more than just the knowledge in the textbook; it included much material that couldn't be learned in school and required tutoring or purchasing school-recommended practice tests. Lin Jiu couldn't afford tutoring or the school-recommended "Five Years of College Entrance Examination, Three Years of Simulation" materials, so he had to rely on his own extensive study.

For the past few years, due to family circumstances, Lin Jiu had always just barely passed his exams; he felt like throwing up at the thought of getting even a single point more. It was as if he had instantly returned to that dilapidated little house in the urban village, watching helplessly as his hard work was treated like garbage. Now things were different. Lin Jiu had people around him who were happy for his efforts, and he hoped to gain Wang Yuting's approval and see her happy.

It's definitely not for the Zeta Riser.

Absolutely not.

Is Mr. Lin such a shallow person?

Hehe, Zeta Riser, hehe.

"Well……"

Just as Lin Jiu was tiptoeing to get out of bed, Wang Yuting suddenly opened her eyes.

"Did I wake you up?" Lin Jiu said softly, her voice exceptionally gentle.

"Don't go, sleep with me."

Wang Yuting, in a daze, grabbed Lin Jiu's wrist, begging him to stay.

Her expression was still a little dazed, and her neatly tied bun of hair became messy due to her restless sleeping posture, just like always.

"Okay, I'm not leaving."

Lin Jiu gently patted Wang Yuting's hand to reassure her.

"Hehe..." Wang Yuting finally smiled, closed her eyes, and continued to sleep.

Lin Jiu also lay down on his pillow. He wouldn't agree to Wang Yuting's request and then secretly leave. If he did, Wang Yuting would definitely be very sad when she woke up. As for school... going in the afternoon wasn't out of the question.

Lin Jiu decided to go to school today, but he didn't say whether he would go in the morning or the afternoon.

I didn't sleep well last night, so I'll take this opportunity to catch up on sleep.

Lin Jiu looked at the soft morning light streaming through the window, squinted her eyes, and fell asleep nestled against Wang Yuting's shoulder.

at the same time……

"Shouldn't we take two more days off?"

Mingyuexuan Residential Area, Ning Yueyao's home.

Ning Yuan, who has a habit of getting up early for a morning run, saw his daughter in her school uniform and subconsciously asked her what was wrong.

After all, the incident involving the knife-wielding assailant had just happened the night before last. He didn't even want to imagine what might have happened if the police hadn't been there. And this happened in broad daylight in front of the supermarket downstairs in the Mingyuexuan residential complex, which was incredibly infuriating.

"Dad, didn't you say everything was alright?" Ning Yueyao asked back, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, putting on her shoes, and getting ready to go out.

That's true, but I hope you won't push yourself too hard.

Ning Yuan looked at his graceful daughter, a hint of worry appearing in his eyes: "I know you usually study very hard, and I know you haven't fallen behind in your studies these past few days at home. You've done very well, it's okay to relax a little once in a while."

Ning Yuan rarely goes home. He is usually so busy that he comes back only two or three times a week, and sometimes he has to go to other places for meetings.

Even while busy with work, he didn't neglect his family. He would text his wife every day about everyday things, like what they ate that day, and then say that none of those dishes were as good as her cooking, repeatedly emphasizing how much he wanted to come home and eat his wife's home-cooked meals. This would cheer his wife up, and she would say she would cook something delicious when Ningyuan came home.

Moreover, Ningyuan attends every parent-teacher meeting.

No matter what happens, Ningyuan will always make time for the parent-teacher meeting.

He had already missed his daughter's growth, and at least during parent-teacher conferences, he wanted to hear about her experiences at school. Ning Yuan would always write down what the teachers said and share with his daughter when they got home which teacher had praised her. This made Ning Yueyao feel that studying hard wasn't just for herself, but also to make her father happy.

"I've had a good rest these past few days, so don't worry."

Ning Yueyao could tell what her father was worried about, so she comforted him, "It's okay, I'll take care of myself. If I encounter any danger, I'll call the police immediately!" As she spoke, she took out her phone to show that she was really alright.

Seeing her determination, Ning Yuan didn't know what to say and nodded: "Be careful on the road."

"Ok!"

Ning Yueyao waved her hand: "I'm going out!"

There was something she didn't tell her father.

These are a girl's little thoughts, and she shouldn't tell her parents.

Lin Jiu is coming to school today too; if she stays at home, she won't be able to see him.

This is why Ning Yueyao sent a message to Lin Jiu yesterday. If Lin Jiu doesn't go to school today either, then she might as well stay home for a couple more days and go to school next Monday.

Ningyuan had already asked the homeroom teacher for leave, so there was no need to worry about his absence.

Ning Yueyao walked towards the school she hadn't seen for many days, filled with anticipation.

She arrived at school safely, and as soon as she returned to her class, many people surrounded her.

Ning Yueyao greeted them with a smile and explained that she had taken the day off because she was not feeling well.

At this time, the students were still talking about the police coming to the school yesterday. Although the school claimed that the police officers came to the school to conduct propaganda, almost no students believed this, since some had personally witnessed a teacher being taken away by the police.

Schools are always the most widespread and active places for rumors to spread. A trivial matter can be blown out of proportion by a few classmates embellishing it. Children at this age often do strange things to get attention, which is a sign of immaturity and a desire for more attention after feeling neglected in life. Lying, exaggerating, and boasting are common practices to gain more attention. Of course, some students accidentally uncover the truth and are then called to the office for questioning. These teachers can't understand how these students knew about the matter.

Ning Yueyao listened silently to the boys talking about school, wondering if it was related to what had happened to her.

"distant!"

Huang Minmin arrived at school before the bell rang. These past few days, the first thing she did upon returning to class was to look for Ning Yueyao's seat. Ning Yueyao was the class monitor, and aside from the special circumstances of her recent absences, she had never been late, diligently setting a good example and playing a positive role. These past two days, every time Huang Minmin arrived at class and didn't see any familiar faces, she felt like ants were crawling on her back.

"My darling, you're finally back! Are you alright?"

Huang Minmin ran towards her like an iron cavalry advancing, or a tiger climbing a mountain.

Ning Yueyao stretched out her hands and smiled, "Actually, I have the flu."

"That's alright then, you should go back now and get some rest at home." Huang Minmin turned around and returned to her seat without leaving a trace, even moving her chair in the opposite direction to cover her mouth and nose and keep her distance.

What is meant by "plastic sisterhood"?

Ning Yueyao withdrew her hand with a regretful expression, pretending it was a real shame.

In fact, she didn't want to hug Huang Minmin, who was covered in sweat, so early in the morning.

This tactic is called "advancing as a form of retreat".

What a fake sisterhood!

"Ring ring..."

The bell rang, and all the students returned to their seats. The class monitor was responsible for leading the morning reading.

Ning Yueyao took her textbook to the podium, and as she glanced around, she noticed something.

Lin Jiu did not come to school.

Could it be that I'm late?

Ning Yueyao didn't give up on this idea until the morning reading session ended and the bell rang for the first class.

Damn it, I've been scammed!

Lin Jiu didn't come to school at all!

Is it too late for me to go home now?

The answer is obvious: it's too late.

Lin Jiu, you liar!!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Achoo!"

Lin Jiu sneezed.

He rubbed his nose and opened his sleepy eyes.

The sun was already shining on his bedside, and after giving up on going to school that morning, he slept very soundly. Although it was just a short nap, he felt refreshed.

Lin Jiu touched her arm and quickly found the culprit behind her sneezing.

That silly girl Wang Yuting is never still when she sleeps; she just snatched Lin Jiu's blanket away.

"Sleep well."

Lin Jiu quietly got out of bed.

He glanced at the time; it was already nine o'clock. He was supposed to get up at six.

"We can't do this tomorrow."

Lin Jiu looked at Wang Yuting curled up in a ball sleeping position, smiled helplessly, and gently closed the door.

What should I do today?