Chapter 11: Is this your boyfriend?

Chen Fan excitedly pushed his bicycle, following Su Ruochu as they exited the school gate. Seeing Su Ruochu walking briskly ahead, he couldn't help but quicken his pace. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around to look at him. Startled, Chen Fan slammed on his brakes and came to a halt.

"What is it?"

Chen Fan offered an awkward smile. Seeing that she just stared at him in silence, he decisively raised one hand. "Understood, understood. I'm leaving right away." With that, he turned his bike around, ready to depart.

"Hey... wait a second!" Su Ruochu called out.

With lightning speed, Chen Fan did a 180-degree turn, hoisted his bike, and zipped right back in front of her. "What's wrong?"

Seeing the cautious look on his face, Su Ruochu wanted to laugh, but she held it back. "Well... let's walk together."

"Huh?" Chen Fan froze, doubting he had heard her correctly. "What did you say?"

"Forget it if you didn't hear me." Su Ruochu gave a light huff, tossed her ponytail, and started walking forward with her bike.

Chen Fan was overjoyed and quickly shouted, "Hey, coming!"

"Brother Fan, wait for me..." Guo Shuai came racing out of the school gate on his bike.

Chen Fan immediately turned his head toward him and silently mouthed one word: "Scram!"

Guo Shuai was left dumbfounded, his face full of indignation. "What a beast! This guy forgets his brothers the moment he sees a pretty girl... He really just abandoned his best friend like that..."

After walking a distance with Su Ruochu, the girl remained silent with her head bowed. Feeling a bit anxious, Chen Fan chuckled. "Haha, the atmosphere is a bit awkward, isn't it? Should I tell you a joke to break the ice?"

"I'm telling you, this joke is hilarious. I've been counting on it for half my life—"

"Do you often go to the White Birch Forest with Guo Shuai lately?" Su Ruochu interrupted, looking up at him.

"Huh?" Chen Fan clamped his mouth shut, bewildered. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to be honest. "Yes."

A flash of disappointment crossed Su Ruochu's eyes.

"The college entrance exam is almost here," she said. "Is this what you meant by studying hard? You even said you wanted to get into a top-tier university; it turns out you’re just a boy who only knows how to brag."

Seeing his goddess disappointed, Chen Fan panicked and hurried to explain. "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't go to the White Birch Forest to play games. I'm not like Guo Shuai, that guy who thinks of nothing but gaming; I go there to study."

*Sorry, brother,* he thought to himself. *For the sake of my future, I have to throw you under the bus.*

"Studying at an internet café?" When he saw she didn't believe him, Chen Fan raised his hand again. "I swear, everything I said is true. If I told even one lie, may I... may I never be able to catch up to you."

"You... what are you talking about?" Su Ruochu’s face turned red, and she gave him a coy, indignant look before turning away.

Chen Fan remained serious. "I really am going there to study. I've been reading the news, and it says the future belongs to the internet, so I thought I’d learn about computers in advance. Students from small towns like ours are different from those in big cities. They have access to computers from a young age and know so much more than we do. Most students here don't even know how to type on a keyboard, while kids in the big cities probably already know how to use all sorts of software."

Chen Fan scratched his head. "I just thought I’d get a head start so the gap between me and others wouldn't be too big when I get to college."

Su Ruochu was stunned. She looked at Chen Fan with surprise, as if seeing her deskmate for the first time. "You... you really think that way?"

"Of course! I said it before: for your sake, I will definitely get into the same university as you. And not just that—I want to try my best to keep up with you, so I don't embarrass you once we're in college."

Su Ruochu’s face flushed pink with shyness. "How would you embarrass me... you and I... we don't have anything to do with each other." She added, "But your positive attitude toward learning is good."

Chen Fan chuckled. "Please don't praise me, or I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Su Ruochu rolled her eyes and huffed. "Even if you want to learn about computers, you can't neglect your priorities. The most important thing right now is the college entrance exam."

Chen Fan quickly swore, "You can rest assured about that. For your sake, I will absolutely take the exam seriously."

Su Ruochu turned her head away, blushing. "Whether you study or not has nothing to do with me." As they pushed their bikes along, she asked, "Guo Shuai said you wanted to use a computer when school let out?"

"Oh... yes, that's right," Chen Fan smiled. "I want to learn some things, but the environment at the internet café is too chaotic."

Su Ruochu pondered for a moment, as if considering something. "If you really want to learn, I could help you."

"Huh?" Seeing Chen Fan look at her in confusion, Su Ruochu got on her bike. "Follow me."

Chen Fan hopped on his bike, bewildered, and followed her through the city for a while. They eventually arrived at a commercial street in the south of the city, where Su Ruochu stopped in front of a storefront.

Chen Fan looked up curiously. "Honghai Computer School. Basic computer training, typing lessons, document processing..."

He was surprised; he hadn't realized there was a computer school in their small town. He wondered why he had never noticed it before.

Su Ruochu parked her bike and glanced back at him. "Come with me."

Chen Fan hurried to catch up. Once inside, he realized the place wasn't large—it was actually quite modest. Less than eighty square meters, it held two rows of a dozen computers, all old, brick-like machines with basic configurations. The curtains were drawn, making the light dim, and an old fan overhead creaked as it spun.

Standing at the entrance, Su Ruochu explained, "This school was opened by an older brother from my neighborhood. If you want to learn, I can ask him for you." Without waiting for a response, she stepped inside.

Chen Fan followed closely. The hall was quiet, with only three students tinkering with the computers. He scanned the room curiously: one was practicing typing with the "two-finger" method, and the other two were playing a frog-catching game. At the front desk, a man and a woman had their backs to them, working on a laptop.

"Brother Honghai!" Su Ruochu called out.

The young man wearing black-rimmed glasses looked up from the computer. "Oh, it's Ruochu. What brings you here today?"

Su Ruochu smiled. "I was just passing by on my way home from school."

"You're almost at the college entrance exam, right? How are you preparing? Are you confident?" It was clear the young man and Su Ruochu were quite close. He walked over to greet her, but when his eyes landed on Chen Fan, the corners of his mouth curled up.

"Yo, is this your boyfriend? Not bad, I haven't seen you in a while and you’ve already got a boyfriend."