I was dead last in my class. The System told me the only way to fix my brain and raise my grades was to bind myself to the student ranked #1 and establish "physical intimacy." So, I became a simp for my toxic childhood friend, Julian. I followed him around like a lost puppy, ignoring his mockery and disgust, doing everything to please him. Then, I got a new desk mate. Liam was a transfer student, already scouted by Ivy Leagues. He was smart, gentle, and his smile looked like the sun. He brought me breakfast every day and patiently taught me how to solve math problems. Julian hated him. He ordered me not to speak to Liam. I obeyed. Until the next mock exam results came out. My new desk mate had dethroned Julian. Liam was the new Number One. (01) The noon heat after the mock exams was suffocating. As I walked up to the classroom to deliver porridge to Julian, I heard the boys laughing inside. Their tone was flippant, stinging my ears. "Did Stella actually go buy medicine?" "Yeah, I just casually mentioned Julian wasn't feeling well, and she bolted." "It's like a hundred degrees out there." "So what? She's so obsessed with Julian, if he told her to bark, she'd probably get on all fours." "Actually," someone mused, "Stella is pretty cute. She's got a nice face and a good temper." Someone jeered, "You like her? Ask Julian to pass her to you." "Julian, would you miss your little sidekick?" Silence for a few seconds. Then, Julian’s cold, clear voice cut through the air. "Get lost." He sounded annoyed. The room went quiet, then someone asked hesitantly, "We tricked Stella into thinking you were sick so she’d run errands in this heat... you're not mad, right?" "Why would I care?" Julian paused, his tone indifferent, dripping with his usual disdain. "If she's stupid enough to believe whatever people tell her, how is she any different from a pig?" The room erupted in laughter. Someone was even pounding the desk. It was lively inside. I looked down at the porridge and medicine in my hands. Julian has a weak stomach. I’ve seen him pale, vomiting, and weak. That’s why when I heard he wasn't feeling well and saw him face-down on his desk, I ran to the pharmacy. Turns out, I was being played. I stood there, dazed. (02) I couldn't go back into the classroom, so I found a shaded spot to sit. I hadn't eaten lunch, and my stomach was growling. The porridge steamed, smelling savory. It smelled good. I was hungry. I figured since Julian wasn't actually sick, there was no point going in. I might as well eat it myself. [Julian is such a piece of trash! Can he even speak human?] The System’s voice exploded in my head. It sounded like it had been holding back for a long time, gritting its virtual teeth. [Stella, let's go in there and slap him! I can't take this anymore! So what if he's #1? Unbind! We are not serving him anymore!] I was opening the lid of the porridge. I paused. "Huh? Can we do that? But he's the top student." The System: [...] It reviewed the records. Julian had indeed been #1 on every single exam. So my binding target had never changed. The System deflated. [Fine. Forget it, Stella. Eat first. Eating is important.] As the warm food filled my stomach, the sadness from the scene upstairs finally hit me, slow and heavy. I was born with slow reactions. My emotional processing is weak. I learn things slowly and forget them quickly. That’s why I’ve always been dead last in the rankings. It’s not that I don't try. I just don't have the talent. My stupidity feels innate. Even if I do the same math problem a thousand times, I’ll forget the formula the next time I see it. Julian is different. He’s been #1 since kindergarten. The "neighbor's kid" everyone compares you to. I used to envy him. How could someone be so smart? Then, in high school, I bound with the "Academic Genius System." The System told me my intelligence was "locked" by some force. To "unlock" it and improve my grades, I had to be in close contact with the smartest person around. It called it "osmosis." Before my parents died, their only wish was for me to study hard and get into a good college. I didn't want to disappoint them, so I tried my hardest. But it was useless. With my grades, community college was a stretch. So, even though I knew Julian despised me, I followed him like I did when we were kids. I became his gofer. I agreed to every demand. I ran errands, bought water, held his umbrella. Because he was my target. Julian was cold, sharp-tongued, and arrogant. He was moody. When he was in a bad mood, he’d say things like he did today. He called me dumb, laughed at my IQ, called me a leech. But when he was in a good mood, he’d teach me how to solve a problem. Once, during a storm, I gave him my umbrella and prepared to run home in the rain. He grabbed me and pulled me under the canopy with him. The streetlights cast a warm yellow glow, softening his sharp features. He said, "Stella, are you an idiot? This umbrella is big enough for two." His body heat traveled through his palm into my arm. We walked side by side in the rain. I didn't know what "intimacy" the System required, so I just tried to be good to him. It hadn't worked much before. But that moment under the umbrella, when Julian pulled me close... My heart pounded. I felt like my brain actually cleared up. When I got home, I didn't forget what I studied. Sure enough, on the next monthly exam, I went up ten spots. Still at the bottom, but not the bottom. I might be slow, but I understand fairness. I don't actually like Julian. He's too mean. I approached him to use him for grades. Even though the System said my "borrowing" his intelligence didn't hurt him, my parents taught me never to take advantage of people for free. So I tried to repay him. And since I couldn't tell anyone about the System, I had to hide my true motive. That’s why I tolerated his cruelty. But today was different. I went to buy medicine because I was worried about him. When I ran out of the school gates, I wasn't thinking about him as a target. I thought of him as a friend. I couldn't watch a friend suffer. When we were kids, he used to look at me with disgust and say, "You're as dumb as a pig. I don't make friends with pigs." So I stayed away. When he shared his umbrella, I thought we were friends again. But it was just me thinking that. I didn't need the System to tell me. He said those things today because he doesn't see me as a friend. Julian has never changed. (03) After finishing the porridge, I headed back to the classroom. Most students were napping, but Julian was sitting there, staring into space. He looked annoyed. His brows were furrowed, only relaxing slightly when he saw me. He lowered his voice. "Where did you go?" I told the truth. "I went to buy something." His brow smoothed out more. He huffed lightly. "Where's the porridge and medicine?" I looked at him. I really wanted to ask: You weren't sick, so why are you asking for it? But it felt unnecessary. Compared to the System’s rage, I felt calm. Because I just didn't care that much anymore. Julian isn't my friend. No matter how mean he is, I won't get angry. As long as he’s #1, I’ll keep following him to fix my grades. My reactions are slow. I don't process hurt quickly. The sadness from earlier had already blown away with the wind. "I ate it," I said earnestly. "I'll buy it again next time you actually need it." He looked stunned. His eyes darkened, and he looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped. As I walked past him, he said stiffly, "Stella, I want breakfast from Golden Lotus Dim Sum tomorrow." Golden Lotus is a super popular spot. I’d have to wake up at 5 AM to queue. The System was grinding its teeth: [Stella, don't debase yourself! Let him starve! Buy him breakfast? I say pour boiling water on him! We don't need him, we'll become geniuses on our own!] Me: "..." Me, a genius? I didn't want to crush the System's spirit, so I comforted it. "It's okay. I like Golden Lotus too. I can buy some for myself." When I got to my desk, I saw the desk next to mine was dusty. I took out a wet wipe and cleaned it. Julian turned around, saw this, and sneered. "Doing useless things every day. No wonder you fail every exam. If you spent this time on two math problems, maybe you'd get a pity point." I didn't understand why he was mad again. But I just gave a soft "Oh." The System was furious: [He refuses to sit next to you, but gets mad when someone else does? He's just jealous because the other guy got scouted by a top university!] I didn't use to have a desk mate. Liam, the transfer student, arrived this semester. He wore a mask, but his eyes were beautiful. On his first day, he smiled and asked if he could sit next to me. He was smart and gentle. He patiently explained questions and never called me stupid. But he seemed sickly. He always wore a mask, coughed often, and had a raspy voice. I did his cleaning duty once, and he brought me breakfast for a whole week. Liam Xubai. Even his name sounded nice. Julian hated him. Every time he saw me talking to Liam, his face looked stormy. Finally, one day, he ordered me to stay away from Liam. I asked why. Julian said "no reason" and asked if I still wanted to study with him. I had to agree. I tossed and turned all night, not knowing how to tell Liam. It was the first friend I’d made in a long time. Luckily, I didn't have to be mean. Liam stopped coming to school after that day. The teacher said Liam had secured his college spot and was busy with other things. Liam was a genius on the same level as Julian. Maybe geniuses just naturally repel each other. Julian looked at me, his tone cold but casual. "Stella, about you wanting to be my desk mate... I thought about it. As long as you don't annoy me, it's fine. When the rankings come out tomorrow, go tell the teacher to move you next to me." I didn't speak. I felt much happier sitting next to Liam than Julian. But Liam wasn't coming back. Tomorrow, the results would come out, and Julian would still be #1. The college entrance exam (Gaokao) is coming. I have to get into college. I lowered my eyes and gave a soft "Mm." (04) Results day. I woke up early to queue at Golden Lotus. I walked into school carrying the bags, still half-asleep. The bulletin board had just been updated. Only a few people were there. As I walked over, a voice like a clear spring stream sounded beside me. "Good morning, Stella." I turned. A tall, bamboo-straight figure stood there. The boy looked down at me with a smile, making even the ugly school uniform look high-fashion. His face was unforgettable. But I felt like I’d never seen him before— Then I met those beautiful eyes. I hesitated. "Liam...?" "Yeah," he said. "Long time no see." I was happy. "Did you come back to school?" "Finished my business," he said nonchalantly, stopping beside me. His smile was bright, like a summer breeze. "So I came back a couple of days ago to take the exam." The crowd around the bulletin board grew loud. "Holy crap!" Someone screamed. "The #1 spot isn't Julian anymore! Who is Liam Xubai?!" "718 points? Is he human? He beat Julian by like twenty points..." "Liam? The transfer student? I think I saw him during the test." "Three years, and Julian finally lost the top spot!" The noise grew louder. My eyes grew wider. I looked at the handsome youth standing before me, stunned. "You're the Class Rank One?" [OH MY GOD!!! STELLA!! We don't have to look at Julian's stank face anymore!!] The System screamed in my brain. [Switch binding! Switch binding! Processing now!!] I stared at Liam blankly. "If there isn't someone else with my name, then I guess so," Liam said casually, changing the subject. "It's still early. Want to go to the cafeteria for breakfast?" Breakfast. I looked down instantly at the shrimp dumplings and scallop porridge in my hand. The aroma was amazing. Better than the cafeteria. "Do you eat this?" Without hesitation, I held up the plastic bag. "Here. Let's eat together." "Really?" He looked surprised, then his eyes curved into crescents. "Then I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow. Deal?" Julian had never said anything like that to me. He never brought me breakfast. I didn't know how to react, but something deep inside me cracked open, and a warm feeling sprouted from the fissure, spreading through my limbs. The System eagerly displayed a holographic screen: [Please confirm switch. Target Julian Xu changed to Target Liam Xubai.] In my heart, I whispered: "Confirm." It was done. I looked at Liam, pursed my lips, and smiled. "Mm!" "Stella." A familiar voice rang out. I turned. A group of boys stood behind me—the same ones who were laughing yesterday. In the center, Julian stood with a face dark as thunder. He must have been watching for a while. He stared at the breakfast I was handing to Liam. He pulled the corners of his mouth into a sneer and commanded, "Come here." In the past, I did whatever he asked. Even when I didn't want to. But Julian never cared about what I wanted. I shook my head. "I'm going to eat breakfast." Julian looked incredulous. It was like he couldn't process me rejecting him. But quickly, he reverted to form. Looking down at me, his voice cold and threatening, "Stella. I won't say it a second time." Last time he used this tone, he ignored me for two weeks and threw all my gifts in the trash. He knows I’ve always been afraid of him ignoring me. It always works. People were watching. I swallowed my words, turned my back to him, and looked at Liam. "Let's go." In that moment, the certainty in Julian's eyes shattered. He instinctively took a step forward, like he wanted to grab me. But he stopped. He looked at me for a few seconds, then turned and walked away without a word.
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