Chapter 24: The Interrupted Nap and Lingering Misunderstandings

Barely managed to keep my spirits up through the first class, but the moment the dismissal bell rang, I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed onto my desk.

‘Ugh, I’m so incredibly sleepy.’

Seeing my actions, those around me were startled. Even though they’d noticed I seemed a bit off during class, my outright collapse onto the desk after it ended still caught them off guard.

“Oh, he’s fine. He just didn’t get enough rest last night, so he’s a little sleepy now.”

Huang Beifeng offered a polite smile, explaining to the classmates whose gazes were filled with concern. However, in that very instant, her smile froze.

“How does Huang Beifeng know that?”

“I saw them getting out of the same car this morning, and remember what Mu Rong Luo Ye said yesterday?”

“Mu Rong Luo Ye likes lilies, so then…?”

Although the hushed discussion was suppressed, Huang Beifeng still caught snippets of it. Naturally, the moment those two words surfaced, she understood precisely what they were implying.

“Um, Huang Beifeng, did you and Mu Rong Luo Ye really… last night?”

“Huh?!”

I had been peacefully resting my head on the desk, ready for a quick nap, but hearing the content of their conversation, I couldn’t stay put any longer.

Faced with such a situation, Huang Beifeng’s face instantly flushed crimson, leaving her utterly at a loss.

‘Looks like I’ll have to handle this myself.’

“Oh, um, I was doing a set of practice problems yesterday, so I ended up sleeping a bit late. Huang Beifeng and I just walked together because we live fairly close, that’s all.” I hadn’t lied, you see; I truly did do the practice problems, and as for living together, it’s not a stretch to say we live close by. Besides, aren’t your current thoughts a little too… *that*? Why does everything have to lead *there*? This isn’t some novel; things that only happen in fiction couldn’t possibly occur in real life. So, really, read fewer novels; don’t let them influence you too much.

“Is that so?”

Watching their skeptical glances, I nervously swallowed. ‘Was that explanation still a bit too forced?’

“Um, um,” Tang Xiao Rou, sensing the awkward predicament Huang Beifeng and I were in, suddenly interjected. “Everyone, Mu Rong Luo Ye doesn’t seem to be feeling well. Perhaps we shouldn’t disturb them.”

“Phew, thank goodness, reinforcements have finally arrived!” Seeing everyone disperse after Tang Xiao Rou’s words, I instinctively let out a sigh of relief.

“Um, Mu Rong Luo Ye, are you alright? Do you want to go to the infirmary?”

Shaking my head, I replied, “I’m fine, just a little tired. I’ll be good after some rest.” To be honest, after that shock, all my sleepiness had vanished. It was like dozing off in class only for the teacher to suddenly call your name; for the rest of the lesson, your mind becomes incredibly clear, with no desire to sleep at all. That’s precisely the state I was in now. Ultimately, I suppose I should still thank them for *that* topic; it scared the cold sweat right out of me. Seriously, the way girls think these days is a bit too strange, even novels wouldn’t dare write something like this.

I made an effort to soothe Huang Beifeng’s emotions, and she eventually calmed down. Honestly, she said she didn’t mind sleeping with me last night, and we already *slept* anyway, but now, just a few words from others, and she’s like this. Seriously.

‘Wait a minute, that “slept” part isn’t what you’re imagining! It was purely just *sleeping* together, nothing more! Don’t get the wrong idea!’

Cough, cough, cough. I’ve strayed too far. Back to the main topic.

This next period was a self-study class.

Hiss! Are you kidding me? I was planning to nap during self-study, but now, after that whole commotion, I have absolutely no desire to sleep. I was just about to thank you all, but now? What am I thanking you for?!

Alas, how frustrating.

Grabbing a practice book at random, I decided it was best to be decisive. I’d do some problems to calm my mind. Who knew, maybe I’d get sleepy again while working through them.

I subtly glanced at Huang Beifeng beside me. Sure enough, she was slacking off. For others, self-study was a time to tackle practice problems or organize class notes, but here she was, doodling in a small notebook again. Let’s see what she’s up to.

Leaning slightly, I could still see what she was writing in her notebook. It was a table filled with many names, looking like a character relationship chart. The characters within seemed somewhat familiar; I felt as if I’d seen them in some book before, and I might have even discussed it with the author, who I vaguely remembered being an acquaintance. But I couldn’t recall anything specific at the moment, so I simply decided not to bother thinking about it.

Never mind her, I’ll stick to my own practice problems.

Indeed, once a person gets into their flow, time seems to accelerate.

However, as I continued to work on the problems, my consciousness gradually blurred. It seemed my plan was working.

Just as I was about to seize the incoming wave of sleepiness and, without further ado, collapse onto my desk, the ill-timed sound of the dismissal bell suddenly rang.

“Ah! Damn it!” When I didn’t want to sleep, you gave me the chance. Now that I *do* want to sleep, you’re denying me the opportunity! What kind of game is this?!