Proactively Attracted chapter 11

 From Zero to One

Qin Mudong wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Lu Xingjia really saw him as a “good brother.” He just felt that this person was clever, unpredictable, and harder and harder to figure out.

Plenty of people had tried to get close to him before, each with their own agendas. Some admired his grades, others wanted his family’s wealth. Some even made “becoming friends with him” the object of petty bets.

He was smarter and more perceptive than most. He could see through their shallow games with ease and never had the patience to entertain them.

But Lu Xingjia—he couldn’t see through him at all.

Why was he trying to get close?

Qin Mudong had asked himself this countless times. But he never found a clear answer.

At first, he thought Lu Xingjia was like the others—trying to get something from him. But he quickly realized that didn’t seem to be the case.

Lu Xingjia never asked for anything. Not even a single question. On the contrary, he seemed more concerned about him—about his well-being, his happiness, as if even minor discomforts or worries mattered.

And the scariest part? Even without understanding his motives, Qin Mudong’s mental fortress—the walls he’d built to keep everyone out—had begun to open, brick by brick, forming a small doorway just for him.

The balance in his heart was shifting. The voice in his mind kept whispering:

Just trust him this once. Maybe he really is different.

Qin Mudong’s eyes lifted slightly. His fingers rested on the notes, leaving another small but permanent mark on the already fragile paper.

He realized he couldn’t lie to himself.

He wanted to get closer to Lu Xingjia.

He wanted to understand the person behind that bright, dazzling smile. To know who he really was.

For the first time in a long while, he was interested in something outside the world of physics.

But clearly, that person still hadn’t realized anything.

Lu Xingjia was still hunched over his paper, carefully copying the problem, as if each word had turned into a tiny little gremlin mocking his stupidity. He propped his head up with one hand, lips pressed into a tight line.

How exactly do you break down the force analysis?

Electric force combined with magnetic force—and you couldn’t ignore gravity either.

Lu Xingjia had sketched rough diagrams on the paper countless times but still couldn’t figure anything out.

Time slipped by unnoticed as the minute hand on the clock at the front of the classroom continued its steady rotation.

“You need to approach it by case analysis.”

A deep, magnetic voice sounded in his ear. Lu Xingjia’s ear twitched, and a tingling sensation shot through his eardrum.

Qin Mudong reached under Lu Xingjia’s arm and pulled out the messy scratch paper, then found a clean spot and, with just a few simple strokes, drew a neat schematic diagram.

“First, assume a possible trajectory for the ball. Then do a case analysis. In the first case, if the direction of motion aligns with the direction of the net force on the ball, then…”

His long, defined fingers moved across the paper, sketching with graceful, flowing strokes.

There were still a few classmates napping in the classroom. Qin Mudong deliberately kept his voice low. His lips moved slightly, Adam’s apple rising and falling with every word, carrying a cool, seductive edge.

Lu Xingjia’s heart was racing, almost jumping out of his chest.

Line after line of elegant script appeared on the paper as Qin Mudong calmly finished writing the final steps.

At some point, Qiu Ruifeng had turned back around and started eavesdropping on the explanation.

“That’s amazing! This makes it so much simpler!” Qiu Ruifeng gave a sincere thumbs-up. “I never thought of solving it like this. I brute-forced it forever and probably missed an entire case!”

Qin Mudong didn’t seem to hear Qiu Ruifeng’s praise. He lightly tapped the paper with his pen and turned his head to look at Lu Xingjia. “Did you get it?”

Lu Xingjia froze, nodding on reflex… then shook his head. His mind was still echoing with Qin Mudong’s low, magnetic voice.

Qin Mudong pressed his fingers to his brow, then handed the scratch paper to him. “Look at it yourself.”

“Oh… oh!”

Snapping out of it, Lu Xingjia quickly took the paper with both hands.

Qin Mudong had written quite a bit, but the content was extremely clear—everything was neatly aligned in rows and columns. Before Lu Xingjia could take a closer look, Qiu Ruifeng snatched the paper from his hands. “Let me see! This is written so beautifully!”

Qin Mudong frowned slightly, his expression icy as he stared at him.

Qiu Ruifeng shuddered and mumbled, “Why does it suddenly feel cold in here? It’s the middle of summer…”

He leaned closer to Lu Xingjia and whispered, “Jia Jia, don’t you feel like it just got colder?”

Lu Xingjia shook his head, puzzled. “Nope.”

“Must’ve been my imagination…” Qiu Ruifeng gave another involuntary shiver, handed the paper back, and couldn’t help but sigh again, “No wonder he’s the class genius—he made such a complex problem seem easy.”

Lu Xingjia loved hearing people praise Qin Mudong. He nodded eagerly. “He’s always been amazing!”

Qiu Ruifeng rolled his eyes and tossed his notebook back at him. “Then why’d you come asking me? I’ve been racking my brain on this problem and nearly went bald!”

Lu Xingjia rubbed his nose embarrassed.

He hadn’t expected Qin Mudong to explain it to him voluntarily.

Was it because he looked too dumb and Qin Mudong couldn’t stand it anymore?

Lu Xingjia snuck a glance at him. Qin Mudong had already gone back to his usual aloof self, head down, working through equations Lu Xingjia couldn’t understand.

Whatever, Lu Xingjia encouraged himself silently. This is the first time Qin Mudong explained something to me on his own—that’s a huge step, from zero to one. It’s worth remembering!

He thought for a moment and wrote a little note, passing it to Qin Mudong.

Thank you! ^_^

He even drew a cute smiley face at the end.

After passing the note over, he immediately ducked his head, a little shy.

Looking at the neatly written note, a barely noticeable smile tugged at the corner of Qin Mudong’s lips. After a moment, he tucked it away with the others.

……

Lunch break flew by. When class resumed in the afternoon, Zhang Chuchu started calling on several students for one-on-one chats. A heavy atmosphere settled over the classroom, and for once, not a single word was spoken during evening self-study.

The last class was a supervised study period led by Zhang Chuchu. After finishing his final chat, he returned to the classroom with the student.

“Everyone, quiet down.”

As soon as he spoke, the whole class looked up, silence falling like a blanket. Even the usual jokers kept their mouths shut.

Zhang Chuchu, however, was the first to chuckle. “Why does everyone look so serious? I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Chu Ge, that’s a smile with a hidden dagger,” someone finally piped up, dragging a finger across their throat. “A silent killer move!”

Laughter broke out across the class, easing the tension a little.

“Exactly!” another guy chimed in. “Chu Ge, if you’re going to scold us, just do it already. Don’t keep us hanging!”

Zhang Chuchu laughed along with them. Once he’d had his fill, he pulled up a stool, sat on the podium, and rolled up his sleeves. “This morning, we had a pop quiz—our first assessment of the semester. I’ve already graded the papers and spoken to a few of you privately. I believe by now, everyone has a clearer understanding of your goals and current standing.”

“The first week back is always chaotic. I get it—everyone just came off summer break, it’s normal to be a little unfocused.” His tone shifted, losing its usual playfulness. “But we’re in the competition class. Time is tight, and the pressure is high. It’s time we all started taking this seriously.”

Zhang Chuchu scanned the classroom before continuing, “After a week together, I believe everyone has a basic understanding of their classmates. We will be switching seats while respecting everyone’s preferences. I hope that after the change, seat partners can form one-on-one study groups, helping each other learn and improve together.”

“Switch seats?!”

“Really?”

“How will it work?”

…

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom erupted into chatter.

Zhang Chuchu raised both arms to signal for silence. “If two students have already agreed to sit together, you can come to me for registration. For those who don’t register, I will assign seats based on various factors. Once you have a seat partner, your study group is set. From then on, each time we switch seats, selection will be based on the combined total score of both students—the higher the score, the earlier you get to choose. I’ll respect everyone’s choices as much as possible, but I also hope you take responsibility for your decision.”

This seating arrangement method was quite novel. As soon as Zhang Chuchu explained, the class broke into lively discussion. A girl hesitated before asking, “Teacher, what if two people talk too much and disturb the rest of the class?”

Zhang Chuchu pointed outside the classroom with a grin. “Don’t worry. Our school has plenty of space—if you want to study in the hallway, that’s always an option.”

“What if only one of them is the troublemaker?” someone else asked.

Zhang Chuchu shrugged. “Well, you chose your seat partner, so even if you cry about it, you’re stuck together. The punishment is shared.”

Gasps of surprise echoed through the room. Zhang Chuchu added, “That’s why you need to keep each other in check—after all, your fates are tied together.”

Qiu Ruifeng couldn’t help but comment, “Chu Ge, why does this sound like matchmaking? Sharing blessings and enduring hardships together?”

The class burst into laughter, and all eyes turned toward Qiu Ruifeng and his seat partner.

Ji Angran, naturally shy, immediately flushed red.

Even Zhang Chuchu chuckled and teased, “You can think of it that way—just depends on whether your seatmate agrees.”

A homeroom teacher who could joke around with students was always well-liked. The discussions grew more heated, and with only a few minutes left before school ended, Zhang Chuchu simply sat on the podium and let them talk.

Meanwhile, Qin Mudong remained indifferent, engrossed in his book. Lu Xingjia was also reading, but every few seconds, he couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Qin Mudong.

Originally, his plan was perfect. Since they were seatmates, proximity would naturally bring familiarity. But now, this unexpected seat change had thrown everything into chaos.

The only reason he’d managed to sit with Qin Mudong in the first place was through sheer persistence. Now that they had to choose their own partners, and since it involved forming study groups, would Qin Mudong still be willing to sit with him?

As the clock ticked down and class was about to end, Lu Xingjia made up his mind and tugged at Qin Mudong’s sleeve.

He couldn’t hesitate anymore. Even if there was only a sliver of hope, he had to try.

“Hm?”

Qin Mudong slightly lifted his gaze, looking at Lu Xingjia with those deep, ink-black eyes, unguarded and direct.

Lu Xingjia’s heartbeat sped up instantly. He pinched his fingertips to force himself to stay focused. “Can… can we still be seatmates?”

The moment the words left his mouth, time seemed to freeze.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Lu Xingjia could hear his own heartbeat loud and clear.

After a brief pause, Qin Mudong’s dark eyes lowered slightly, his thin lips parting. “Why?”

“Because… because…”

Countless responses flashed through Lu Xingjia’s mind, tangled with a mix of emotions. His lips moved, opening and closing, but no words came out.

People are like that—when they have too much they want to say, they don’t know where to begin.

A moment later, Qin Mudong spoke again, his tone calm as he finished Lu Xingjia’s sentence for him. “Because we’re good brothers?”

“!”

Lu Xingjia’s breath caught.

Qin Mudong had heard everything.