Shen Yi’s face was as coolly handsome as ever. Even in the ugly, baggy blue-and-white school uniform, his skin was clear and his features were exceptional. Just then, a faint hint of tenderness seemed to flash across his face.

Qin Jiao felt like her eyes were playing tricks on her again.

’Otherwise, how could she be seeing the day that Shen Yi, of all people, was actually embarrassed!’

Qin Jiao blinked again, but the expression that looked like embarrassment had vanished completely. His tone was calm. "I said before that if I improved on the exam, I’d get you a gift. An inexpensive one that you would accept."

It dawned on Qin Jiao. She took the piece of paper and unfolded it, discovering it was a sketch of herself.

The girl in the sketch was biting the end of her pen, pondering what seemed to be a difficult problem. A stray lock of her bangs hung down, making one want to brush it aside for her.

Though it was just a simple sketch, the strokes were incredibly detailed. Her deep, dark eyes seemed to hold a hidden intelligence and contemplation.

In both of her lifetimes, this was the first time Qin Jiao had ever received a gift from Shen Yi. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.

Shen Yi pressed his lips together. "This isn’t valuable. I drew it myself, so you have to accept it."

Qin Jiao couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

’Monetarily, it wasn’t valuable, but a guy giving a girl a portrait he drew himself... no matter how you looked at it, the whole thing felt a little too intimate.’

’If it had been anyone else, Qin Jiao wouldn’t have been so shocked.’

’But the key was, this was Shen Yi!’

But even though she felt something like this shouldn’t be happening between her and Shen Yi, Qin Jiao couldn’t bring herself to say the words to refuse it.

In the end, she said lamely, "You’re a really good artist."

"I studied it for a while when I was a kid, but I gave it up later."

Qin Jiao felt a pang of sadness. She actually knew why Shen Yi had given up drawing back then. It was a scar deep in his heart, one that no one could touch. To do so would be to rip it open and make it bleed afresh.

Just as Qin Jiao was about to change the subject, she heard Shen Yi ask, "So you think my drawing is pretty good?"

"It’s really good!"

"Mm. Then, if I can make it into the top 100 on the next monthly exam, will you come sketching with me in the park?"

Qin Jiao hadn’t expected the topic to jump so quickly. But when she thought about how he was pouring all his energy into studying just to surpass Chen Feng, she really wanted to support him.

Besides, it was a good thing that he was willing to move past his childhood trauma and pick up a pencil again.

Qin Jiao nodded. "Okay! It’s a deal!"

The corners of Shen Yi’s mouth curved up.

During gym class, the boys all went outside to exercise. Jiang Xiaoyue came over to ask Qin Jiao a question and happened to see the sketch on her desk.

"Whoa! Who drew this picture of you? It’s a perfect likeness!"

"Shen Yi drew it."

"Oooooh," Jiang Xiaoyue said, deliberately drawing out the sound, a look on her face that said, ’I knew something was up with you two.’

Qin Jiao gave a helpless smile and didn’t bother explaining. In other people’s eyes, she figured, her relationship with Shen Yi was probably just that of classmates who got along well.

Just then, Lin Nian walked past them and let out a laugh. "Shen Yi has always been a good artist. I remember he started learning when he was a kid, right? Oh, that’s right. He was kidnapped when he was little, and his friend died right in front of him... didn’t that happen on his way to art class?"

Jiang Xiaoyue froze and looked to Qin Jiao for help, but Qin Jiao slowly stood up. She was about half a head taller than Lin Nian, and with her glacial gaze, she was incredibly intimidating.

Lin Nian instinctively took two steps back. When she realized what she’d done, she was furious with herself.