Is Studying More Fun Than Dating? [The 1990s]

The full title of this novel is Is Dating More Fun Than Studying? Unless You Let Me Kiss You

Ye Xiao, a sixth grader, is the village's little ringleader. Every day, she takes the local kids up the mountain, into the water, climbing trees and catching fish. The Ye family gets complaints from parents by the pile.

They're at their wits' end, too!

It's all Grandpa Ye's fault for giving her a name that means "carefree." Now she's become way too much of a menace!

Grandpa Ye just laughs cheerfully. "A little mischief is good! Girls who are too timid get bullied easily."

It's her last semester of elementary school, and Ye Xiao declares that once she graduates, she's going to Shenzhen to work. She heard you can make money there, and be free.

No matter how much her family scolds or hits her, it makes no difference. If she doesn't want to study, she won't.

During a home visit, her teacher even praises her: "Ye Xiao has remarkable leadership skills. She'll definitely achieve great things one day."

Ye Xiao's parents: "..."

Teacher, have you even looked at her report card? Just because she keeps the class perfectly under control for you every day, you can't turn a blind eye and say whatever you like!

Then one day, Ye Xiao suddenly changes. She starts biting her pen and doing her homework.

It turns out she has a new deskmate who transferred from the capital.

They say the new student bought the best plot of land in the village and built a villa just to study here.

She doesn't understand how rich people think. She only knows she can't take her eyes off her deskmate, and she gets miserable if she goes even one day without seeing him.

Because her deskmate is even more beautiful than her goddess, Lady White.

Unfortunately, her deskmate, more beautiful than a fairy, only stays for one semester before leaving. Ye Xiao studies hard so she can go find him.

The more she studies, the more she realizes that studying is even more interesting than her beautiful deskmate.

Later...

"Hey, handsome, who are you? Do we know each other? Don't distract me from my studies."

Gu Cheng'an has been frail and sickly since childhood, but the hospital tests say there's nothing wrong.

A fortune-teller tells him that his birth chart is yin-dominant, and he needs to be accompanied by a benefactor with a yang-dominant chart. Their yin and yang will balance each other, and he'll naturally get better.

The Gu family asks how to find someone with a yang-dominant chart, and the fortune-teller points to a spot on the map.

After moving to Jinpu Town, Gu Cheng'an feels like he might die before ever finding the benefactor the fortune-teller promised.

Ye Xiao is going to be the death of him.

This little menace acts like she can't understand the word no. She ignores his protests, drags him through the village and countryside to catch fish and shrimp, and leaves him covered in bruises from all the falls.

Just hearing her voice coming to find him makes his scalp tingle.

He spends all day on guard against her, never noticing that he hasn't been sick in ages.

Half a year later, an elderly member of his family passes away, and he has to return to the capital.

Only then does he realize that he doesn't want to leave her...

When Cheng Huimin first meets Ye Xiao, she can't stand the girl. This little dark-skinned rascal is always baring her big white teeth and has not a shred of ladylike charm. She's completely unsuitable for her son. But later...

Daughter-in-law, your mother and I are counting on you. T_T

Faced with Gu Cheng'an and his mother, surrounded by greedy, scheming relatives, Ye Xiao grins. "Don't worry. Your strongest ally is here!"

A dark-skinned village girl x a pale, aloof beauty

Theme: Studying changes your destiny.