Don't bow your head, or your crown will fall.

Liu Yuyan felt awful, her expression grim and her heart heavy.

She was furious that He Li dared not come to apologize to her.

She had even been planning to forgive him...

All he needed to do was obediently hand over breakfast and then write a five-thousand-word self-criticism to read aloud in front of everyone.

She was already being so magnanimous...

Yet he had publicly embarrassed her.

"You jerk, He Li, how could you treat me like this?"

"Is it just because I rejected you yesterday?"

"Haven't I rejected you before? Can't you be as tolerant as before and treat me even better?"

"If you treated me even better, I might have said yes."

"But you actually got angry and gave me attitude..."

Liu Yuyan's nose tingled with grievance as she muttered, "Hmph, this time you've gone too far. I absolutely won't forgive you easily. You'll regret this!" After muttering, she fought back the urge to cry and turned her head away.

Beside her, Li Feng noticed her distress and quickly sat back down, whispering words of comfort with a hint of helplessness.

The other students in the classroom finally snapped out of their daze...

But the shock and disbelief lingered on their faces.

After all, the old He Li's first action upon entering the classroom was always to rush over to Liu Yuyan, fussing over her and delivering breakfast. Yet today, he acted as if Liu Yuyan didn't exist, completely ignoring her?

It was too strange, hard not to speculate...

"What's up with He Li? He didn't go fawn over Liu Yuyan?"

"I heard he confessed to Liu Yuyan yesterday and got rejected. Maybe he's decided to stop chasing her?"

"No way? He's been chasing her for three years..."

"Hard to say. What if he's just tired of chasing?"

"True. Speaking of which, why doesn't Liu Yuyan just accept him?"

"He Li is so handsome, gets good grades, and is great at sports..."

"If it were me, I'd have booked a hotel room with him ages ago!"

The boys buzzed with discussion. Hearing this, the other girls in the class perked up like cats catching a whiff of fish. Liu Yuyan, however, pressed her lips together, feeling a knot in her chest and a flicker of panic.

Did He Li really not intend to apologize to her?

Was he really planning to give up on pursuing her?

What right did he have? What right did he have to just stop chasing her whenever he felt like it?

She was so outstanding and beautiful. Even though she had rejected him, she hadn't distanced herself. Instead, she always gave him chances. She saw such potential in him; he should be grateful, remember her kindness, and persevere.

How could he give up so easily?

Besides, doesn't everyone say that companionship is the longest confession of love?

He couldn't even stick it out for this little while?

And here she was, still thinking fondly of him and giving him opportunities!

The more Liu Yuyan thought, the stronger her sense of grievance grew.

However, before she could continue wallowing in self-pity...

A pleasant voice sounded from the classroom doorway...

"He Li?" Along with the voice, a familiar and pretty face peeked in from outside the classroom...

The voice made He Li look up. At the door stood Miao Xiaoyu, carrying a lunch box and walking over with a smile. "Have you had breakfast?" she asked, placing the box on his desk.

He Li smiled. "I was waiting for you."

"You... you knew?" Miao Xiaoyu's face instantly flushed.

"I'm not stupid. Yesterday, when you were subtly asking what I wanted for breakfast this morning, I guessed!"

He said with a laugh. Hearing this, Miao Xiaoyu, a bit shy, pushed the lunch box closer to him...

"Then... then give it a try!"

"I made this... with my own hands, for you."

*Crack!* Her gentle, shy, and adorable appearance shattered the fragile hearts of countless boys present.

After all, Miao Xiaoyu's looks were stunning; she was also a School Beauty.

A mountain of people at school secretly admired her.

Unfortunately, Miao Xiaoyu was quite aloof towards everyone else.

Thus, she also lived as the goddess in everyone's hearts!

But now, this lofty goddess had lowered herself, taking the initiative to make breakfast for He Li?

And even personally delivered it to him?

And put on that shy, endearing look?

"What's going on? Is she trying to chase He Li?"

"Is there no justice? He Li is just a bit handsome, gets good grades, is a bit athletic, a bit devoted, a bit gentle... How does he attract School Beauties so much?"

"I'm not bad either. Goddess, look at me!"

"Beast! Chasing Liu Yuyan and eyeing Miao Xiaoyu..."

"He really doesn't want to leave us any chance at all!!!"

Whether the male classmates in the classroom or those gathered outside watching, their eyes turned green with envy.

The female classmates also felt a pang of sadness.

First Liu Yuyan, now Miao Xiaoyu...

They didn't stand even a sliver of a chance.

However, amidst the jealousy or sadness, most students couldn't help but sneak glances at Liu Yuyan, curious about the expression on the face of the girl He Li used to pursue.

And Liu Yuyan had already clenched her fists!

Yesterday, He Li was laughing and chatting with Miao Xiaoyu.

Today, Miao Xiaoyu made him breakfast and brought it.

Coupled with He Li's unusual behavior towards her earlier...

A foreboding feeling grew stronger in her heart!

She panicked, genuinely starting to panic!

She was afraid He Li would be snatched away. She wanted to walk over, get close to He Li, and tell Miao Xiaoyu to back off. But she couldn't bring herself to take the initiative to show He Li favor and claim her territory.

She could only sit stiffly, her eyes—glistening with unshed tears of grievance—fixed intently on He Li. Seeing she was on the verge of crying, Li Feng beside her quickly comforted her, "Yu Yan, calm down!"

"Don't cry. If you cry, you'll fall right into He Li's trap!"

"Trap?" Liu Yuyan fought back her tears, confused.

Li Feng nodded. "Don't you think something's off?"

"Yesterday, right after you rejected He Li, he suddenly changed, even daring to be harsh with you."

"And then he laughed and joked with Miao Xiaoyu right in front of you..."

"The change was too fast, and the timing too coincidental, right?"

"Doesn't it feel strange to you?"

"You mean..." Liu Yuyan wasn't stupid.

She faintly guessed a possibility.

Li Feng nodded again. "Right. I think He Li, after being rejected by you, changed tactics and is playing hard to get. His changed attitude towards you and this thing with Miao Xiaoyu..."

"It's all an act for your benefit."

"Think about it. After he did all this, aren't you paying more attention to him than before?"

Listening to her, Liu Yuyan found this deeply convincing.

"So he's deliberately trying to upset me, to make me take notice, wanting me to take the initiative and bow my head to him, right?"

"Exactly!" Li Feng affirmed with a nod.

"If you had cried just now and he saw it..."

"He'd be even more smug, because that would show him he really matters to you."

"Then, emboldened, you'd have no choice but to yield!"

"What you need to do now is give him the cold shoulder!"

Li Feng continued with a smile, "He Li has chased you for three whole years, deeply infatuated. He can't possibly give up on you so easily. Just ignore him for a few days, and he'll get anxious, unable to stop himself from coming to find you."

"Then, won't he be completely at your mercy?"

After hearing this, Liu Yuyan felt a sudden clarity.

She rubbed her still-teary eyes and nodded firmly.

"I understand!" Regaining her composure, she glanced at He Li and sneered, "I almost let you fool me."

"Hmph, playing hard to get with me, are you?"

"Let's see how long you can hold out!"

Having said that, she averted her gaze, no longer looking at He Li.

Li Feng encouraged her from the side, "Yu Yan, remember, never bow your head, or your crown will fall!"

"And no one is worth you bowing your head to."

"Others should be the ones bowing to you!"

"Mm-hmm!" Liu Yuyan nodded, a smile returning to her face.

But no matter what she was thinking, at this moment, He Li's eyes held only Miao Xiaoyu, not her!

He looked at the lunch box Miao Xiaoyu had pushed over...

Then suddenly looked up gently at Miao Xiaoyu and asked, "What about you? Did you eat properly after getting up so early?"

"I did!" Miao Xiaoyu replied.

*Gurgle~* However, her stomach chose that moment to rumble.

Instantly, her face turned even redder.

Busy making breakfast for He Li, she had gotten up very early. After finishing, worried it would get cold and taste bad, she rushed over to deliver it, not having had time to eat anything herself.

He Li looked at her and chuckled, then pulled out a lunch box from his desk drawer and handed it to her.

"This is...?" Miao Xiaoyu was pleasantly surprised.

He Li said gently, "I brought it from home."

Mother He had made him breakfast that morning. But guessing Miao Xiaoyu might be busy making his breakfast and still hungry, he had packed his own portion to bring to school for her.

After all, he couldn't finish two portions anyway.

Miao Xiaoyu took the box, deeply moved.

He Li had even considered that she might not have eaten...

As expected, she hadn't misjudged the man!

He was worth loving and worth cherishing.

"Thank you!" Accepting the lunch box, she said with a smile.

The sweet sight of the two of them considering each other instantly made the other students sour, transforming them into a bunch of jealous 'lemon people'...