On the honor roll at No. 1 High, Gu Qinghe’s name is always just above Ningxi’s, like the paths of their lives, bound together since childhood: he’s the cool-headed top student who always ranks first, while she’s the spirited runner-up who never stops chasing him, and his childhood friend, too, the kind of person everyone envies. They’re always bickering, but Gu Qinghe’s notes quietly mark the types of questions Ningxi often gets wrong. When she stays up late doing practice problems, he just happens to bring her a hot milk tea. And when she petulantly says she’ll surpass him, he can’t hide the smile in his eyes. This “battle for first place,” stretching across their youth, was never about fighting tooth and nail. It’s his gentle pursuit, tailored just for her, and the joy she keeps hidden behind their rivalry.
