Chapter 2 ASSIGNED ENEMIES
The next morning felt unusually restless.
Even before class began, whispers were already spreading.
“Did you hear? There’s going to be a group project.”
“Professor Li’s class…”
“Not again…”
Xiao Ran walked in late, hands in his pockets, completely uninterested as usual.
Gu Lingxiao was already seated.
Of course he was.
Their eyes met for half a second—then Xiao Ran looked away first this time, clicking his tongue softly.He dropped into his seat.
Right beside him.
Professor Li entered shortly after, placing a stack of papers on the desk.
“Listen carefully,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “You will be working in pairs for this term project.”
A collective groan filled the room.
Professor Li ignored it.
“I will assign the pairs.”
That made it worse.
Students straightened, suddenly alert.
Names began to be called.
One by one.Until—
“Xiao Ran.”
A pause.
“…Gu Lingxiao.”
Silence.
Then a wave of quiet reactions spread instantly.
“Of course…”
“No way…”
“They’re done for…”
Xiao Ran didn’t react immediately.
Then he let out a dry laugh.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Gu Lingxiao didn’t speak.
But his expression cooled slightly.
But his expression cooled slightly.
Professor Li looked directly at them. “Any problem?”
Xiao Ran leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. Change it.”
“No.”
Simple. Firm.
The answer came from both Professor Li—
and Gu Lingxiao.
That made Xiao Ran’s eyes narrow.
Professor Li continued, “This is final. You will submit one project together. Fail to cooperate, and both of you fail.”
That shut down any argument.
Xiao Ran exhaled sharply, annoyed.
“Unlucky,” he muttered.Gu Lingxiao finally spoke, voice even. “Agreed.”
Xiao Ran turned to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Gu Lingxiao said calmly, “I don’t consider this fortunate either.”
A few students nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Xiao Ran smirked—but it wasn’t friendly.
“Good. At least we agree on something.”
—
After class, the room emptied quickly.
Neither of them moved.
For a full minute, silence stretched between them again.
Then—
“Meeting time,” Gu Lingxiao said, closing his book.
Xiao Ran didn’t even look at him. “Not interested.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Watch me.”
Gu Lingxiao stood up.
Xiao Ran stayed seated.
Another silent standoff.
Then Gu Lingxiao spoke again, slightly lower this time.
“If you slow me down, I won’t tolerate it.”
That got Xiao Ran’s attention.
He looked up, eyes sharp.
“You talk like you’re better than everyone.”
Gu Lingxiao met his gaze without hesitation. “I don’t need to talk.”A beat.
That was enough.
Xiao Ran stood up suddenly, grabbing his bag.
“Fine,” he said. “Let’s get this over with.”
—
They ended up in the library.
A quiet corner.
One table.
Two chairs.
Maximum tension.
Xiao Ran sat down lazily, stretching his legs under the table.
Gu Lingxiao placed his books down neatly, already organizing materials.
Topic,” he said.
Xiao Ran shrugged. “Pick one. You seem like the type who plans everything.”
Gu Lingxiao didn’t react to the sarcasm. “We’ll do the advanced module.”
Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow. “Of course we will.”
“Problem?”
“Yeah,” Xiao Ran leaned forward slightly, voice lower. “I don’t like being told what to do.”
Gu Lingxiao’s fingers paused on the page.
Then he looked up.
“And I don’t like repeating myself.”
Silence hit again.
Heavy this time.
Neither of them backed down.
The librarian glanced over, sensing the tension from across the room.
Then—
Xiao Ran leaned back again, smirking faintly.
“…This is going to be annoying.”
Gu Lingxiao returned to his work.
“Yes,” he said calmly. “It will.”
But despite the words—
Neither of them left.
And the project had already begun.
