After saying goodbye to the young girl with little energy, watching her skip away, Jiang Youbai finally turned to go downstairs.
In his hand was an ordinary small blue stone, originally of no special value, just a bit pretty in color. But when Jiang Yan placed it in his hand, this little stone was imbued with a different meaning.
Jiang Youbai carried this small stone to class, walked around with it, and only when he got home did he take it out and place it in an exquisite transparent mineral box.
The box, made of extremely rare mineral material, was crafted into an unremarkable storage container filled with a bunch of colorful trinkets: yellow feathers from an unknown bird, round little beads, a few casual doodles, diary notes with sharp handwriting but clumsy content...
They were all gifts from Jiang Yan. It seemed that whenever the young girl thought of something or saw something, she would give it to him.
Although they were all ordinary things, President Jiang solemnly kept them away, to be used as fond memories to revisit on future wedding anniversaries.
...
Jiang Yan thought her pursuit of a husband would be a long journey, so she wasn't in a hurry.
After all, the matter of breaking off the engagement had been settled, and there was no urgency with her mission. Jiang Yan was truly enjoying her time at school.
The interstellar civilization was far more advanced than the original world she had lived in. Many of the courses taught by the teachers were difficult for her to understand, but there were still many fun things during classes.
For example, at the front of the classroom was a tank of simulated health-monitoring fish, each corresponding to a student's physical condition. If a student fell ill, their corresponding fish would appear listless.
Another example: during nature classes, teachers used advanced technology to let them experience the beautiful landscapes of various planets as if they were really there...
Fun as it was, students couldn't escape exams. When the exam notice came out, Jiang Yan was dumbfounded.
She even forgot to go find Jiang Youbai.
The academy didn't judge students solely on grades; students wouldn't deliberately mock those with poor grades, and teachers didn't only value students' scores. Jiang's Father and Jiang's Mother were excessively doting on Jiang Yan and never made demands regarding her grades.
Although... still, coming in last in the class was quite embarrassing.
The dismissal bell had rung for quite a while, and everyone had left the classroom before Jiang Yan walked out, dispirited.
Wah, last place... No matter how poorly Jiang Yan had done in her studies before, she had never come in last.
Especially this time, she couldn't even understand the questions, yet she had filled the electronic test paper with lengthy answers. Looking at it now, each point she got was out of the teacher's sympathy...
Jiang Yan walked like a moldy mushroom, each step filled with melancholy.
Just as she was feeling down, she suddenly heard footsteps, followed by a cool sensation on her face — Jiang Youbai had pressed a can of sweet milk against her cheek, smiling at her.
Jiang Youbai had been secretly anticipating the girl's sudden appearance every day. Today, after waiting all day without seeing her, he began to panic internally.
Was it just a passing interest before? Had she given up already? He hadn't even confessed yet.
Jiang Youbai hurried to the outside of her classroom and asked her classmates before he learned... it was because she hadn't done well on the exam.
Jiang Youbai's heart settled. He turned back to buy a can of sweet milk from a vending machine, then ran back to wait for the young girl after class.
Jiang Yan held the milk, belatedly remembering: "Oh, I forgot to come find you today."
"So I came to find you," Jiang Youbai said with a smile. His finger touched Jiang Yan's milk can as he tilted his head and asked, "Do you want to open it?"
The ninety-nine days had been interrupted, and Jiang Yan thought again about how she came in last, feeling dejected and disheartened. "Yes!" she said.
Jiang Youbai took the milk can, flicked his finger, and pulled the tab open.
As Jiang Yan gulped down the milk grumpily, Jiang Youbai tried to console her: "It's just one time you didn't perform well, and besides, this exam's results aren't important..."
But thinking about how the usually lively young girl was heartbroken over coming in last, he couldn't help but feel amused.
In the end, his words concluded with a suppressed yet still audible chuckle, successfully earning a dissatisfied look from the young girl.
Well, he'd have to divert her attention another way.
Jiang Youbai suddenly asked Jiang Yan, "By the way, why do you give me gifts every day?"
Jiang Yan paused for a moment, looking at Jiang Youbai: "To pursue you, of course."
Jiang Youbai hadn't expected her to be so direct... This was indeed the answer he wanted to know, but after truly receiving the answer, his heart still lost its rhythm.
The two had unconsciously stopped walking. Jiang Yan was still looking at Jiang Youbai. He opened his mouth, but suddenly found his lips extremely dry.
The usually composed president struggled to steady his emotions. He licked his lips, looking into Jiang Yan's eyes.
Jiang Yan seemed to know what he was about to say, but she wasn't sure.
Jiang Youbai's typically clear voice was tinged with uncertainty as he said, "If I accept you now, would that make you feel a bit happier?"
