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Cold, controlling genius seme vs. arrogant, cool school bully uke

Sheng Yan never sat straight, and even his posture was crooked. He was the class's resident troublemaker. During class, he would brazenly sleep with his head on the desk, and the teachers had gotten used to pretending not to see him.

No one expected a transfer student to show up more than two weeks into the school year.

The transfer student was quiet and cold-tempered. His handsome face was hidden beneath an aura that kept everyone at a distance. Before the class could even get excited, his gaze froze them in their tracks.

The transfer student naturally took the seat behind Sheng Yan, like a towering snow-capped mountain, the sort with lava ready to erupt beneath the snow.

After Sheng Yan got a new seatmate, whenever the teachers of various subjects favored the newcomer, their eyes inevitably landed on him too. He was a thorn in their side, a pain in the neck. Before long, they would snap, "Sheng Yan, get out of my classroom!"

Sheng Yan: "..."

He gritted his teeth. I hate Shen Zhe. It's him or me!

-

The monthly exams ended.

According to the class's reward and punishment system, students chose their seats in order of their grades.

Shen Zhe, the top student in the year, sat down beside Sheng Yan without expression.

Sheng Yan, ranked last in the class, watched helplessly as the only seat left in the room was beside Shen Zhe. His raised hand was still trembling with anger. "Teacher, can I stand for the whole semester?"

-

The class changed seats every two weeks according to weighted grades. At last, Sheng Yan managed to escape to a seat a hundred thousand miles away from Shen Zhe. To celebrate getting his right to sleep back, he threw a grand banquet.

After chewing two peanuts and mistaking plain water for liquor, Sheng Yan figured he was probably really drunk. He looked up and saw Shen Zhe's hateful face.

In his haze, he heard Shen Zhe, usually a man of few words, say something very long.

"You have two weeks to earn your way back here."

Sheng Yan bristled. "You son of a, "

The insult was stopped before it could leave his mouth. Shen Zhe gripped his chin and forced his head up, pressing his thumb hard against his lips. His voice, however, was as cool as water. "Or you can wait obediently for me to come find you... and see what happens."

That night, Sheng Yan never found a chance to say the rest of what he wanted to yell.

His throat felt as if a tire had run over it. With his voice hoarse, he silently protested: Which idiot leaked the information!

Reader tips:

1. One-on-one romance. Both leads have character growth arcs, some longer than others.

2. The school bully isn't the traditional type: he doesn't smoke or drink, though he occasionally practices fighting. The genius is the traditional kind: an all-around top student, except when it comes to social skills and the art of conversation.

3. The seme's possessiveness and marking instincts are genuinely very strong. Please don't read if that's not for you.

Theme: There is still a long road ahead