The Academic Genius Deskmate Always Wants to Flirt With Me

Please check out my upcoming story, Echoes. The blurb is at the bottom~

Shi Sui was notorious at No. 1 High School for throwing his weight around. He was a troublemaker no one dared to mess with.

Lu Huaizhi, on the other hand, was a genuine top student, with a neat uniform and excellent grades.

They stayed out of each other's way.

But one day, when Shi Sui came into the classroom, he was seething. His gaze kept sweeping over the front rows, as if he were looking for someone.

The students in the front rows didn't dare turn around. Even talking about it made them nervous. "Word is, he got into another fight last night. Afterward, some passerby got curious and looked at him for a moment, so he dragged them into an alley."

Everyone guessed the passerby had been beaten badly.

Lu Huaizhi, sitting in the first row, looked at the bite mark on his hand.

Actually, it wasn't that bad.

He'd just been bitten by someone who was embarrassed and furious after running out of strength from a fight.

Before Shi Sui could fly into a rage, Lu Huaizhi took the initiative to approach him.

"Come with me to the infirmary."

Shi Sui cracked his knuckles. "Sure! I'll take you there in a bit."

"Pick a place. One-on-one or a group fight, your choice."

But Lu Huaizhi merely glanced at him. "The place you bit is infected. Don't you want to take responsibility?"

Shi Sui looked at the wound on the other's hand. It should have healed by now, but it was still oozing a little blood...

Shi Sui: ?

_

After that, it was as if Lu Huaizhi had latched onto him.

Whenever Shi Sui turned around, Lu Huaizhi was there. He couldn't shake him off. Once, Lu Huaizhi even tried to shield him from an iron rod swinging straight at him.

Shi Sui cursed furiously, "Are you an idiot?!"

He was used to scenes like this and could take a beating, but how could a model student like Lu Huaizhi handle a blow like that?

Lu Huaizhi watched as Shi Sui cursed and disinfected his scraped arm with alcohol. In a calm voice, he said, "Don't get into fights again. It hurts."

Shi Sui irritably agreed without thinking, telling himself that Lu Huaizhi was such a baby.

But that delicate Lu Huaizhi knocked out all the punks when Shi Sui was nearly beaten up by a group.

His face still wore its usual calm expression, but now there was a bloody scent about him.

In the same deep alley, the usually cocky Shi Sui was pinned firmly against the wall, his hands and feet restrained so tightly he couldn't move.

Lu Huaizhi looked at the injuries on Shi Sui's face, his eyes black as ink. "I remember telling you not to fight again."

Shi Sui's lips moved a few times. "Got it."

So when was the hand on his waist going to move away?!

[Note: Whenever the male lead fights, it's because someone else provokes him or he is helping a classmate. He never starts trouble himself.]

Illustrator: Juan Si Ji Er Gou

-- Blurb for upcoming story Echoes --

[A story about a sickly beauty and a vicious dog]

A sickly "mute" moved into the Jiang family's home. He was frail, yet had a delicate, beautiful face.

Jiang Wang hated people who were so soft and weak.

But the next day, they became deskmates. Jiang Wang found him even more annoying and said coldly, "Stay away from me from now on. Don't talk to me."

Su Yu nodded to show that he understood.

Jiang Wang was domineering and arrogant, always smoking and fighting. People instinctively held their breath when they passed him. He was a thoroughly bad seed.

Once, someone saw Su Yu drink a huge cup of water and hold it in until his ears turned red, all because Jiang Wang found the sound of his coughing annoying. He didn't cough again for the rest of class.

Everyone felt sorry for Su Yu. He hardly spoke, and he was bullied like this, too.

So when Jiang Wang wasn't around, his classmates would secretly help Su Yu.

Until one day, a boy slipped a love letter into Su Yu's schoolbag.

In the next class, Jiang Wang tore the letter into pieces and threw it in the trash.

That evening, both Jiang Wang and Su Yu were absent from study hall.

In an abandoned classroom, Su Yu sat on a desk, quietly watching the restless person across from him.

"Su Yu, you haven't spoken to me all day!" Jiang Wang snapped. "Do you really like him?"

Su Yu looked at the half-closed door and said nothing.

His reaction made Jiang Wang even more agitated. He gripped Su Yu's chin, turned his face toward him, and forced him to meet his eyes.

The grip made Su Yu uncomfortable, so he kicked Jiang Wang. "Let go."

His voice was hoarse, but its pleasant tone was unmistakable.

Jiang Wang looked at the dusty footprint on his chest. His eyes darkened, but he still scowled and took a step back.

They kept their distance, but Jiang Wang stared fixedly at Su Yu like a vicious dog on a leash, always ready to lunge.

A few minutes later, when Su Yu's expression had softened, Jiang Wang finally dared to approach. He pulled him into his arms and slowly tightened his embrace.

It was clearly a restraining hold, yet it was as if he were placing the leash around his own neck in Su Yu's hands.

"Say one more thing to me, and I'll be appeased."

Su Yu pushed him.

Jiang Wang's arms stiffened around him.

The next second, Su Yu spoke:

"Lock the door, then hug me."

Theme: There will always be someone who guides you back in the right direction when you've taken a wrong turn.