The next afternoon, the three of them were back in their usual seats in the last row. Su Ran was quietly finishing her homework, pencil tapping nervously against her notebook. Jiang Chen was beside her, calm and precise, his head bent over his work. Zhao Ming, as usual, was sprawling across the desks, looking for an opportunity to stir trouble.
He noticed something immediately.
The way Jiang Chen kept glancing at Su Ran when she wasn't looking.
The way he hesitated before handing her the pen.
The way he… smiled faintly at her little mistakes.
Zhao Ming's grin widened.
The Tease
"Hey," Zhao Ming said casually, leaning back in his chair. "Chen, do you… like someone?"
Jiang Chen looked up slowly, expression calm. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Zhao Ming said, voice low but teasing. "That way you keep looking at Su Ran when she's not paying attention. Come on, admit it. I'm your best friend. I notice these things."
Su Ran froze mid-pencil stroke, glancing between the two of them. "Notice… what?" she asked innocently.
Zhao Ming smirked. "Exactly. He's been looking at you like you're some kind of… rare treasure or something. Right, Chen?"
Jiang Chen's calm demeanor didn't falter. He set his pencil down neatly. "You're imagining things."
"Oh, really?" Zhao Ming said, leaning closer. "Because I've been watching this too, and… hmm… maybe I should start keeping a journal of all your glances, all your little reactions. 'Chen's Secret Admirer Log.' What do you think?"
Su Ran's ears turned pink. She tried to hide her face behind her notebook. Jiang Chen, meanwhile, didn't respond.
But Zhao Ming wasn't done.
"Oh, I get it now," he said, leaning back, completely satisfied. "That's why he's always lending you pens, letting you copy notes, sharing the umbrella… he's doing all the subtle 'look-how-nice-I-am' moves. Classic case."
Su Ran whispered harshly, "Zhao Ming!"
"Don't glare at me," he said, holding up his hands. "I'm just stating facts. And, Chen… you're really bad at hiding feelings, you know?"
Jiang Chen finally looked at him directly. "I'm not hiding anything."
"Sure," Zhao Ming said, smiling mischievously. "Keep telling yourself that while everyone in the last row watches this drama unfold. It's cute, really. The way your brain panics whenever she drops a pen."
Su Ran groaned loudly. "I'm gonna kill you!"
Zhao Ming chuckled. "Relax. I'm doing you a favor. Chen, don't think you can just keep being all quiet and serious. I see everything. And it's adorable."
Jiang Chen's expression didn't change, but Su Ran noticed his faint blush and the way his hands gripped his pencil a little tighter.
Zhao Ming leaned back in triumph. "Yep. That's what I'm talking about. Jiang Chen likes Su Ran."
Su Ran froze. "What?! Stop saying that!"
"Too late," Zhao Ming said, grinning from ear to ear. "I've officially announced it to the last row world."
Jiang Chen cleared his throat, trying to sound unaffected. "You're exaggerating."
"Am I?" Zhao Ming said, wiggling his eyebrows. "I have eyewitness proof: the glances, the hesitation, the little 'helping-hand' moves. You're basically in love and don't even know how to admit it."
Su Ran, now hiding her face completely behind her notebook, muttered, "He's gonna explode…"
Jiang Chen, meanwhile, just quietly picked up his pencil again, but his fingers trembled ever so slightly. Zhao Ming noticed immediately and smirked. Victory.