The girl on the screen had her ponytail sticking up high, but her head was lowered as far as it could go. She was biting her nails while staring intently at the comic book on her lap, her face indifferent and blurry.

"You." Ian smiled.

"Me?"

Michael chimed in from behind: "He means, that's how you always are."

A rough yet vivid sketch. Michael had been trying for a long time to persuade Ian to join their anime club, which needed members with strong drawing skills. Ian never said anything, but always considered them a group of people wasting their time.

Zoe Young carefully tucked the drawing into her large English book.

"You draw really well."

"No matter how well I draw, it's useless."

Ian was extremely neurotic and particular about grades. Ever since Michelle Cindy changed, Zoe Young rarely tried to comfort others out of her own obsessions, but after thinking it over, she still spoke up.

"I've always believed that everyone in this world has a certain talent, it's just that many people go their whole lives without discovering it."

A slightly mocking smile appeared on Ian's pale face. He stared at his textbook and interrupted Zoe Young: "Aren't you just trying to say everyone has their strengths? But some strengths are useless in this society. I'd rather trade this drawing for ten more points on my math score."

"Maybe when the gods handed out talents, they were fair to everyone. But they didn't expect humans to selectively value some talents and look down on others, so some precious talents become worthless. For example, someone with outstanding scientific thinking who could become a computer genius, but is born in the dark Middle Ages, might live a very painful life. But at least we're luckier than people in the past.

"Whether something is useful or not isn't up to us. You say it's useless, but maybe it's just because you don't have the courage to let it shine."

As Zoe Young spoke, she started talking to herself, then lay down on the desk and gradually fell asleep.

Michael yawned in the back row too. No one noticed that Ian hadn't turned the page in his history book for a long time.

Andrew Lane was feeling down.

The second-best in liberal arts, Zoe Young, had left him behind and moved up, while he was still stuck in the same place.

He never thought he was weaker than Thomas Chase; he just couldn't understand how Thomas Chase could force himself to write those essays so sappy they could be wrung out for juice, and always scored much higher than him in Chinese.

Frowning in frustration, a text message suddenly popped up on his phone.

"Heard about the trip to the science museum? I covered for you, no one can be in a group with her, the rest is up to you! No need to thank me, but why haven't you handed in the English test I asked you to do last time?"

Michael's message left Andrew Lane completely confused. He had already done three sets of politics papers and two sets of history papers for Michael for no reason, but still hadn't received any real help in return, so he kept the English test in his hand, refusing to start.

While he was still puzzled, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom, knocked on the desk, and signaled everyone to stop writing.

"Here's a notice. We just found out at the meeting. For the Communist Youth League anniversary, all kinds of facilities are open free to high school and middle school students, with lots of activities, and every school is required to pick one. Our school chose the science museum—free visit, then groups of two or three write a report about the visit, tying it to the League's anniversary theme. So, Thursday morning is regular classes, and in the afternoon a bus will take everyone to the newly built science museum in Beijiang District. You'll split into groups and move around freely, then go home after the event. Hand in your report next Monday, no less than 0 words. We'll do the groupings after class, just give your group list to Andrew Lane."

Andrew Lane was stunned. The main point of that earlier text message was now shining in his mind.

"Teacher, can we form groups across classes?" Andrew Lane blurted out without thinking.

The homeroom teacher was a bit puzzled, but the classmates around him all looked at him with knowing smiles.

Nathan Lucas grinned slyly: "Why not? Cross-class groups are nothing, you'll be family sooner or later."

Andrew Lane was so lost in his daydreams that he even smiled approvingly at Nathan Lucas: "You're right."

Then he grabbed Michael's English test from the desk and started working on it with a grin.

"Zoe Young, who are you grouping with?"

Ian had just asked when Michael in the back row cut in: "You don't have a group? No problem, I see Gordon Woods hasn't found anyone either, you can group with him." Before Ian could refuse, she immediately turned and shouted, "Gordon Woods, Ian wants to be in your group!"

Ian's face instantly turned eggplant purple.

After class, Michael got a text from someone, ran out happily, and two minutes later strolled back in with a test paper, knocking on Zoe Young's desk: "Hey, someone’s looking for you!"

Zoe Young put down her pen and walked out. The boy at the door, beaming as he stared at their class sign, was obviously Andrew Lane.

"Andrew Lane?"

Zoe Young looked up, suddenly thinking that maybe the reason Guanyin didn't strangle Tang Seng was because Tang Seng was too tall for Guanyin to reach.

Living by obsession, for all beings—"I... Have you recovered from your cold? No more fever, right? Oh, right, the Communist Youth League anniversary!" Andrew Lane said with an awkward laugh.

Zoe Young raised her eyebrows, looking at the boy in front of her who kept swallowing nervously, a bit incredulous.

"You came to ask me to celebrate the Youth League's founding together?"

"Yeah," Andrew Lane nodded vigorously, "let's celebrate the League's birthday together!"

Then he saw Michael rolling her eyes not far away.

Andrew Lane himself didn't know why, but ever since he realized his true feelings, he got especially nervous around Zoe Young, his heart always floating in midair, swaying with every step he took.

Zoe Young waved her hand: "I'm not going. If I have to bring a gift for a birthday, you can celebrate by yourself!"

Andrew Lane was at a loss for words, until Michael couldn't stand it anymore, walked over with a piece of paper and said, "Zoe Young, you're the only one left without a group, everyone else has already paired up."

Zoe Young frowned in doubt: "How did everyone get grouped so quickly?"

Michael kept a straight face: "Yeah, lovebirds, perfect match, partners in crime!"

Michael never said anything serious, so Zoe Young sighed, not noticing Michael was winking madly at Andrew Lane.

"...I'm the only one left in our class, so why don't we team up?" Andrew Lane finally said.

Zoe Young was stunned for a moment, then suddenly seemed to realize something. She looked at Michael, then at Andrew Lane, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face.

Some things, once said, become easier to repeat, and over time, they slip out as naturally as a long-time habit, like the words "I love you."

Of course, the only thing Andrew Lane wanted to say now was that same sentence. He took a deep breath and repeated, "I want to go to the science museum with you."

"Okay."

Such a calm voice.

Andrew Lane's eyes widened. The calmly smiling Zoe Young in front of him seemed to have already seen through his and Michael's little scheme, and her composed attitude seemed to hint that no matter what tricks he tried, it would have no effect on her at all.

He had spent the whole class working on the English test and racking his brain. If she hesitated now, should he wait silently for her to decide, or take the chance to persuade her? If he was going to persuade her, what reasons should he use? If she asked why he wanted to go with her, what should he say?

He felt like a naive child in front of Zoe Young, all his little thoughts seen through, while she just smiled knowingly and coaxed him like a child: "Okay."

Suddenly, he felt a little wronged.

"Zoe Young, if you don't want to go... just say it, I won't force you."

The faint redness on Andrew Lane's ears hadn't faded yet, but he was already calm. Michael folded her arms and watched him take a deep breath, his eyes firmly on Zoe Young, transforming in an instant—into another Andrew Lane.

Zoe Young opened her eyes slightly wider, tilting her head to the left like a surprised little student.

Andrew Lane straightened up and said seriously, "I don't want all my hard work to end up with you... You're always like this. Always."