Shen Qingqiu furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he gazes at the tablet in front of him.

He couldn't think of the word.

"Shen-xiong, you've been like that for a while now, are you alright?" Xie Lian asked. He closed the book he was flipping through.

Shen Qingqiu glanced up.

"I'm fine, I'm just stuck on this crossword clue," the boy explained to his deskmate, "It's the last one I need."

Xie Lian let out an "ah" and asked, "What's the clue?"

"A word that means one hundred percent committed."

"Hmm, devout?" Xie Lian offers.

"No, that can't be it, I thought of that too, it has to be five letters," Shen Qingqiu responded.

"Oh..."

The two boys sat there pondering deeply.

Then-

"Ah! How about 'all in'?" Xie Lian said.

Shen Qingqiu blinked. "Yeah, that might be it," Shen Qingqiu quickly typed the word in.

An 🎉🎉 you solve this in 8:56 minutes.appeared on the screen. Shen Qingqiu and Xie Lian smiled in unison.

Then-

"Wait, all in is two words."

"Oh, you are right."

The boys sat there once more pondering deeply.

Shen Qingqiu and Xie Lian are currently in their classroom waiting for class to start. They were deskmates.

Even though they couldn't say they are friends who hang out after school and planned vacations together, they were quite friendly with each other.

Shen Qingqiu found Xie Lian to be a very helpful and kind boy and Xie Lian found Shen Qingqiu to be rather pleasant and thoughtful despite his first impression of him as cold and aloof.

Although Shen Qingqiu didn't turn out to be the frosty type, the teenage boy still has that black face mask that often covers half of his face making the boy a little hard to approach. At times.

But by now Xie Lian just dismissed it as a necessity perhaps of something like a pollen allergy.

Xie Lian was an attractive soft-looking boy. He was about the average height, perhaps just a little tad bit shorter.

He has light-colored eyes with short hair and dangling from his left ear, was a red coral earring. There wasn't one on his right ear.

Shen Qingqiu once had asked about it, out of curiosity, and Xie Lian only answered sheepishly that he lost the other one but, "It still looks alright, don't you think?"

Shen Qingqiu on the other hand was a sharp beauty, in a way with an indifferent air. His long smooth hair goes down his back and with his eyes lowered, he seems to be uninterested in anything.

But of course, that's only how one looks.

"Oh, wait, it never said that it has to be one word," Shen Qingqiu pointed out.

"Oh, you are right, haha."

Xie Lian smiled at Shen Qingqiu and then turned back to the book he was reading. He opened it and began reading.

After a while, Xie Lian took a peek at Shen Qingqiu, who was now reading something on his tablet.

Ah, Shen-xiong is so smart and remarkable, he's even studying right now! Xie Lian thought admirably.

Shen Qingqiu was currently reading a novel. That had absolutely nothing to do with his studies. Ahem.

The bell rang, and students filled the classroom.

A boy took his seat across from Xie Lian.

"Hey, Wangji-xiong!" Xie Lian greeted him cheerfully.

The boy only turned his head and nodded at him. Then he turned back and opened his tablet and waited for class to begin.

"..."

Xie Lian also turned around still smiling.

The awkwardness was too much for Shen Qingqiu and he asked, "Why bother greeting Lan Wangji? He hardly talks to anyone."

"Ah, Shen-xiong, maybe he just doesn't like to talk, he does greet me back with a nod though," Xie Lian replied, unconcerned with Lan Wangji's lack of interest.

Shen Qingqiu looked at Xie Lian quizzically. Had he mentioned that he thought the boy is too optimistic for his own good?

Then the teacher walked into the room. But instead of walking to the front of the room, he stood there, with a stack of what looked like envelopes in his hands.

"When I call your name, come get your envelope," Lan Qiren said, "Otherwise stay in your seats. We are not monkeys."

✨

Even when you're not. Not really.

Thank you for reading!

('▽')/✨

Comments and votes will be appreciated!

Word Count: 772