This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 254 Friction Generates Heat (Long Chapter, First Update)
December 7th, monthly exam.

Light rain, temperature 2-5 degrees Celsius.

Last night, the ginkgo leaves, blown down by the cold wind and drizzle, carpeted the sidewalks of the residential area like scattered gold.

Chen Shi'an walked slowly by, holding a large umbrella, the umbrella rustling under his feet.

He took a deep breath; the frosty air in the morning mist was so crisp that when he exhaled, it was like smoking, turning into a thick cloud of white vapor.

The drizzle continued all night.

Tiny ice beads clung to the branches, condensing into glistening frost in the high humidity and cold wind.

Today is [Major Snow] in the 24 solar terms.

There was no snow, but a cold wave did arrive, which was fitting for the season.

Chen Shi'an had heard that there was heating in the northern regions, but he had never experienced what it was like to have heating everywhere in winter.

Anyway, in the south, with temperatures as low as two or three degrees Celsius, raining, and windy, the cold wind carrying dampness feels like falling into an icy river.

It must be snowing lightly on the mountain by now.

Because of the high altitude in the mountains, the temperature is lower than in the city. In previous years, when the weather was this cold, it often snowed lightly. Even if there was no snow, when we got up in the morning, the surface of the large water tank in the yard was covered with a thin layer of ice, and the branches and leaves of the plants were covered with frost.

Chen Shi'an wore an extra layer of clothing today, making a total of four layers, including thermal underwear, and a scarf around his neck.

He had used this scarf for many years; its light gray base had a slightly whitish tinge.

In the past, when his master helped clients choose an auspicious day, the client would give him a large bundle of wool yarn, which Chen Shi'an then used to weave the garment himself.

He knitted three scarves: one for himself, one for his master, and one for Feimo. Feimo didn't wear scarves; it used one to line its nest.

Chen Shi'an's needlework skills were average back then, and the scarves he knitted were not very neat. The spacing between the stitches revealed the rustic simplicity of handmade craftsmanship, but both his master and Fei Mo liked them very much.

Chen Shi'an also liked it; after all, the wool texture made it really warm to have around his neck.

Because of the light rain, Chen Shi'an didn't ride his bicycle to school today, and he left home a little earlier than usual.

She didn't inform Wen Zhixia beforehand that she wouldn't be riding her bike today, but the girl should have known.

This is a tacit understanding between the two; whenever it rains, they will walk to school.

Sure enough, after crossing the street, at the familiar intersection, I saw Wen Zhixia carrying a small pink and blue umbrella.

It's really cold today.

The girl was wearing an extra layer of clothing than usual. Layer upon layer of warm fabric wrapped around her delicate body. Although it wasn't particularly thick, it made her look like a fluffy ball.

Fine raindrops dangled from the edge of the umbrella, while the other hand carried a bulging breakfast bag. A few soft, delicate fingers peeked out from the sleeve, their pale redness from the cold wind.

Like Chen Shi'an, Wen Zhixia also wore a scarf today, also made of wool, but in a milky white color, with fluffy yarn like clouds that had just been sun-dried.

"Taoist priest--"

The moment she saw Chen Shi'an, the girl waddled over like a frozen duckling: "You're so slow! I'm freezing! Hurry, help me carry these things..."

Chen Shi'an smiled as he took the breakfast bag, his fingertips touching her slightly cool hand: "It's so cold and rainy, why didn't you wait for me at home? I was just saying I was going to come find you."

"We only come when it rains."

Wen Zhixia sniffed her nose, which was red from the cold, "I know you don't ride a bike, so you won't go in and come out wandering around."

"Is the little cicada cold?"

"cold!"

She nodded emphatically, "I'm wearing five layers! How many layers are you wearing, Taoist priest?"

Four items.

"You even wore a scarf!"

"Yes, you're wearing a scarf too."

"Your scarf looks so warm, Taoist priest, how about we swap?"

"What to change?"

"Change your scarf."

"Isn't yours warm?"

"I want to try yours!"

As Wen Zhixia spoke, before Chen Shi'an could respond, she had already deftly untied her scarf. A cold wind instantly rushed into her collar, and she subconsciously shrank her neck.

Afraid that she would get cold, Chen Shi'an quickly took off his own scarf and handed it to her, then took her scarf and tied it around his own neck.

The scarf, which the young girl had just tied around her neck, still carried the warmth of her body heat, and its knitted texture carried her faint body fragrance.

Wen Zhixia wasn't as quick at tying her scarf as he was, and with one hand still holding an umbrella, she looked clumsy. So Chen Shi'an reached out and helped her wrap the scarf properly, gently tucking the excess part into her slender neck with his fingertips.

Occasionally, the back of my fingers would touch the soft, smooth skin of her neck, warm and slightly slippery.

"Ouch, Taoist priest, your hands are freezing!"

The girl giggled and playfully hit him.

"My hands aren't cold."

"Colder than my neck—"

Why is your neck so warm?

"Yours is warm too!"

Wen Zhixia mischievously tried to reach her little hand into Chen Shi'an's neck. Her hand was much colder than Chen Shi'an's, and Chen Shi'an felt as if he had been hit by an ice cube, so he quickly shrank his neck.

"Haha, is it cold?"

"It's freezing! Is Xiaozhi suffering from kidney deficiency? Why are your hands so cold?"

"Hey, I didn't! I left it outside carrying things and it got cold!"

Chen Shi'an's scarf wasn't as fashionable as her own; it was just a simple light gray, which made her small face look even whiter and softer.

She wrapped the scarf around her neck twice, making the neckline soft and covering half of her face, revealing only her pert nose and big eyes.

Wen Zhixia lowered her head slightly, buried her face in her scarf and took a deep breath, exuding the aura of a Taoist priest.

"Hello, little cicada, little shrimp head."

You're the shrimp head!

Wen Zhixia playfully tapped his large black umbrella with her small blue umbrella, then couldn't help but say with delight, "Taoist priest, your scarf is so warm!"

"Isn't it made of wool, just like your scarf?"

"But yours feels warmer, Taoist priest. Let's swap! I'll give you my scarf, and you can give me yours too, okay?"

"Mine was knitted by myself."

"You knitted it yourself?!"

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything; once she did, Wen Zhixia was even less willing to return it to him.

When the spoiled girl started acting spoiled, Chen Shi'an had no choice but to exchange scarves with her.

He had just changed his scarf when the girl set her sights on his sweater:
"Taoist priest, your sweater looks so warm! Did you knit this yourself?"

"correct."

"Then let's exchange them too!"

"...That won't do. You can't wear my clothes. I won't change."

"Hmph, stingy."

The stingy Taoist priest refused to exchange his sweater, so Wen Zhixia didn't insist. She had already exchanged it for his scarf, and the girl was very satisfied.

The two chatted and joked as they walked toward the school.

The sky was overcast and drizzling at six o'clock in the winter, making it hard to tell whether it was morning or evening, but Wen Zhixia felt very cheerful.

Seeing that the rain wasn't heavy and the Taoist priest was holding such a large black umbrella, Wen Zhixia put away her small blue umbrella and handed it to Chen Shi'an, who was carrying a large bag of breakfast for her.

In this way, her two little hands were finally free. She put her outer hand into her school uniform pocket, then twisted her body and squeezed under his umbrella, and then put her inner hand into his pocket.

This set of short combos was so smooth and natural that Chen Shi'an took it for granted.

"Little cicada, aren't you going to use an umbrella?"

"The rain isn't heavy, just hold on a bit. Your hands are so cold, put them in your pockets to warm them up!"

"Be careful that your shoulder doesn't get wet from the rain."

"Then I'll move closer to you..."

The girl's small hand gently rubbed against his pocket, and she moved closer to him.

"Taoist priest, is this warm enough?"

"warm."

And you know what? It was definitely warmer for the two of them to snuggle together under the umbrella than for one of them to hold the umbrella alone.

Chen Shi'an adjusted the angle of the umbrella slightly, tilting it a little more towards her, so that the cold wind, which was blowing from his side, was completely blocked by him.

……

On a chilly, rainy morning, Yunqi No.1 Middle School held its last regular monthly exam of the semester.

Then comes the final exams in January.

The exam room needs to be rearranged for the monthly exam. As is customary, all the desks and chairs in the first group of students have to be moved to the corridor.

In autumn and summer, studying in the corridor is something to be envied; it's comfortable and you don't have to bother carrying books.

But on such a cold day with the rain pattering against the window, sitting in the open-air corridor is pure torture.

Fortunately, most of the students were quite clever; they only left the desks outside to make up the numbers, while they carried their chairs back to the warm classroom to squeeze in with other students to study.

When Chen Shi'an arrived in the classroom corridor, he saw a girl who was indeed both silly and stubborn—

Aside from a few playful boys who weren't afraid of the cold, Lin Mengqiu was the only girl left outside.

She was quietly curled up in her seat, one side of her back against the wall, her calves bent up and resting on the chair crossbar, her hands tucked into a hand warmer, and the hood of her school uniform pulled up over her head, making her look like a tiny little ball.

She was as still as an ice sculpture doll. If it weren't for the moment when she quickly pulled out a hand to turn a page of a book and then immediately shoved it back into a hand warmer, Chen Shi'an would have almost thought that the class monitor had frozen into an immobile block of ice.

"Good morning, squad leader."

Chen Shi'an's voice came through the cold rain in the corridor. As he approached, he tied the folded black umbrella with a strap and hung it on the hook next to the desk. He then took off the backpack from his shoulder with neat and natural movements.

"morning."

Lin Mengqiu's voice was slightly hoarse from being frozen, and she slowly turned her head when she heard the noise.

The girl's gaze immediately fell on his face, then moved down, lingering on Chen Shi'an's neck—

It seems the weather is indeed very cold; even the stinky Taoist priest is wearing a scarf today.

But why does this color and style look so much like something a girl would use?

"The class monitor is wearing a scarf too?"

"Ah."

The girl's hoodie hooded over her head, the fluffy edges making her pretty face look even smaller. Her cheeks were flushed a light red from the cold, and the tip of her pert nose was also tinged with a light red. Only her thin lips were pressed tightly together, revealing a stubbornness that refused to shiver.

Like Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia, she also wore two understated coffee-colored wool scarves around her delicate neck today. The fine knit texture indicated that the quality was excellent.

"Is the class monitor cold?"

"……fine."

"Why don't you go inside and sit down?"

There are no tables inside.

"Like Yining and the others, share a table with others."

"..."

Lin Mengqiu remained silent.

Chen Shi'an couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at her.

He knew all too well that the class monitor had always had a very strong sense of boundaries. Unless she was extremely close to someone, she would rather stay outside and endure the cold than actively seek out someone to share a table with.

And the only person in the class she would sit at the same desk with without minding while studying could probably be him.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Lin Mengqiu felt that after Chen Shi'an arrived, the howling cold wind outside the corridor suddenly disappeared, and a faint warmth began to spread around them.

This feeling intensified after Chen Shi'an pulled out a chair and sat down, 'locking' her up. It warmed her heart inexplicably, giving her a strange sense of security, as if someone she had been waiting for had finally returned home. He gently closed the door, shutting out all the cold and wind, leaving only the quiet warmth between the two of them.

Her frozen mind gradually cleared up, and Lin Mengqiu whispered, "If you're afraid of the cold, you can go back to the classroom to study."

"It's okay, I'll stay outside with the class monitor, and it's much quieter outside than inside the classroom right now."

"~~~~~~"

A foolish Taoist priest.

Lin Mengqiu moved quietly, took out a bottle of milk from her bosom, and placed it gently on his desk without saying a word, just as she always did.

The bottle still carried the warmth of the girl's embrace, bringing an exceptionally genuine warmth to the chilly corridor.

Chen Shi'an blinked.

He accepted it without hesitation, inserted the straw, and took a sip.

"Thank you, squad leader. The milk is still warm."

"~~~" The school bell rang, and the wind outside picked up.

The rain was blown at an angle, but thankfully it didn't fall on the inside of the corridor. The few boys who were playing outside and weren't afraid of the cold all hunched their necks and ran back to the classroom.

Qiu Yufu, who was in the classroom, wanted to come out again to invite Lin Mengqiu to share a table, but when she caught sight of Chen Shi'an sitting next to her in the corridor outside the window, she quietly stopped.

Qiu Yufu thoughtfully drew the classroom curtains. The heavy fabric fell, instantly separating the noise inside from the tranquility of the corridor into two separate worlds.

Lin Mengqiu felt even more relaxed.

She no longer leaned against the cold wall, but slowly, following the direction of warmth, moved closer to Chen Shi'an beside her.

Until their middle arms touched.

The slight noise caught the attention of Chen Shi'an, who was reading a book, and he turned his head:

"Is the class monitor cold?"

"..."

This time, Lin Mengqiu didn't say "it's alright".

In fact, ever since Chen Shi'an came, she no longer feels windy or cold.

Her rosy cheeks still looked frozen, and she managed a soft "Mmm..."

"Then let's squeeze in together."

As he spoke, Chen Shi'an squeezed closer to her.

Lin Mengqiu felt her heart pounding as he squeezed her. She secretly glanced around and made sure the curtains were drawn before she relaxed.

A warmth flowed through her heart; she even felt a little hot, but it was a comfortable warmth.

"Chen Shi'an".

"Ok?"

"Do you want a hand warmer...?"

Lin Mengqiu handed him her hand warmer.

Chen Shi'an took it and played with it for a while.

I don't know if it's water or something else inside, but it makes a gurgling sound when you squeeze it. The fluffy material has a layer that's perfect for stuffing your hand in.

Is this rechargeable?

"Yes, you can charge it in the office."

"I don't need it. Class monitor, you can keep it to warm your hands. Or I can heat it up for you."

"...?"

Chen Shi'an rubbed the hand warmer for a while, then handed it back to Lin Mengqiu.

What? Friction generates heat!
The class monitor was speechless, but when she took the hand warmer, she was surprised to find that it really did make her warmer! For a moment, she even wondered if it was just her imagination…

After taking the hand warmer back, the girl put her little hands inside it again.

"You wore a scarf today."

"Yeah, the class monitor is too."

"When did you buy it...?"

"This?"

"Ah."

"This isn't mine, this belongs to Xiaozhi."

"?"

"...She gave it to you?"

"No, Xiaozhi just swapped scarves with me, and she took mine."

"???"

Those annoying cicadas!

The class monitor was truly impressed...

There are ways to have fun when it's hot, and there are ways to have fun when it's cold...

What kind of class should I take to learn so many clever ideas?

Seeing that Chen Shi'an wasn't using hand warmers and that his bare hands looked a bit dry from the winter, Lin Mengqiu thought for a moment, then took out a small jar of hand cream from her bag, opened it, and placed it on his desk.

"What is this? Ice cream?"

Chen Shi'an picked it up and looked at it curiously. The snow-white texture was like cream, and it had a very pleasant light fragrance.

"...Hand cream, let me put some on your hands."

"Oh!"

Chen Shi'an suddenly realized that he had never used this stuff before. Seeing it, he became interested, picked up a little with his fingertip, and applied it to the back of his hand.

He lowered his head and sniffed again, then laughed, "It smells so good, just like the class monitor. Does the class monitor use this too?"

"Um……"

"How do you use it? Is it just to spread it evenly?"

"Ah."

Chen Shi'an then began to apply the ointment with both hands alternately.

I must say, this stuff is pretty useful. After using it, my naturally dry skin from winter doesn't feel tight anymore. It seems to be of good quality. After applying it, it's naturally absorbed by the skin and doesn't feel sticky at all.

"Thank you, class monitor. You're such a kind person."

"~~~"

After he praised her, the girl revealed her true intentions.

She hesitated, her heart pounding, but the thought that the annoying cicada must have done the same thing gave her a sudden surge of courage!
To Chen Shi'an's astonishment, the class monitor simply took one of her little hands out of the hand warmer and handed it to him.

Chen Shi'an paused for a moment, then somewhat uncertainly put the bottle of hand cream back into her hand.

Lin Mengqiu's face turned even redder, but she didn't take the money. Instead, she whispered in a voice barely above a whisper, "Could you... help me apply it?"

"……what?"

"Help me apply it..."

Her hand had just been taken out of the hand warmer; the back of her fair hand and the delicate knuckles still had a faint pink tinge from being warmed. She held her hand up in front of him without reservation, her fingertips subtly curling up as if out of nervousness or cold.

Her cheeks were even redder than before, and even her small earlobes were tinged with crimson. Her gaze was lowered, and she dared not meet his eyes.

That seemingly random "Help me apply it" was so soft it was almost drowned out by the pattering rain outside the window and the occasional gust of cold wind, yet it pierced Chen Shi'an's ears with unmistakable stubbornness and shyness.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The curtains tightly shut out the noise in the classroom, leaving only the two of them in the corridor, along with the monotonous and cold sounds of rain and wind outside.

"Oh, good."

Chen Shi'an snapped out of his daze and took back the small hand cream jar.

He scooped up a small amount of milky white ointment with his fingertips, the cool and delicate texture spreading on his fingertips. He then reached out his other hand and gently supported the fingertips of the girl's outstretched hand.

The moment their hands touched, the girl's hand twitched slightly, as if it had stiffened for a moment, but quickly softened again.

Lin Mengqiu's hands are typically fair and cool-toned, with distinct knuckles that don't appear bony. Her fingertips have a natural pinkish tint, and her nails are neatly trimmed and rounded, radiating a faint healthy glow. Her skin is as delicate as the finest mutton fat jade.

Chen Shi'an gently dabbed the hand cream from his fingertips onto the back of her slightly cool hand. That touch of cool white stood out against the girl's fair skin.

Then, with his warm fingertips, he began to gently and slowly spread the ointment along the back of her hand.

The cream gradually melted and became smooth as the skin of the two people came into contact with it.

When Chen Shi'an first applied hand cream to a girl, his movements were a little clumsy at first. He simply used his fingertips to gently rub small circles to spread the cream evenly. But he quickly became more skilled... For some reason, he felt like he wasn't applying hand cream, but rather touching someone's small hands.

The silky smoothness of the hand cream, combined with the unique softness and delicacy of a young girl's skin, creates a unique tactile experience.

Chen Shi'an could clearly feel the delicate bone contours on the back of her hand and the warm pulse of blood under her skin.

The girl's hands were really soft, completely different from his hands, which were somewhat hardened from years of practicing martial arts and doing manual labor.

The faint fragrance in the air became even stronger.

Lin Mengqiu lowered her head even further, almost burying it in her coffee-colored scarf. The blush on her cheeks spread all the way to her neck, partially hidden by the edge of the scarf. Her other hand, tucked inside a hand warmer, had unconsciously clenched the stuffing tightly in a way that was not visible to others...

Chen Shi'an, focused on his work and trying to ignore his slightly strange thoughts, carefully applied the ointment to each of her slender fingers, from the base to the tip, even taking meticulous care of the edges of her nails.

Even though the hand warmer had been used, the girl's fingertips were still a little cold. He wrapped his fingertips around them and gently kneaded them a few times to transfer some of his warmth to her.

This action made Lin Mengqiu's breathing pause for a moment, her eyes widened, and her toes clenched tightly in her white shoes...

Finally, one hand was finished applying the paint.

The girl's slightly cool hands and fingers were covered with a thin, glossy, moisturizing layer, radiating a faint warmth and fragrance.

After the friction generated heat, Lin Mengqiu felt that her hand was incredibly warm.

"All right."

But the girl, having tasted the sweetness, was not willing to give up. After having tasted the sweetness, she took her other little hand out of the hand warmer and handed it to him.

"This one too..."

"Why doesn't the class monitor paint it himself?"

As Chen Shi'an spoke, he took her hand and, mimicking her actions, repeated the same movements.

"..."

After a long while, Lin Mengqiu finally answered his question: "You applied it well..."

"really."

Chen Shi'an nodded, thinking to himself that the squad leader had good judgment; his technique for applying the medicine was far more professional than the haphazard application by the average person.

Seeing that the stinky Taoist priest didn't say anything that would make the girl so ashamed that she would jump off the second floor, Lin Mengqiu gradually relaxed.

She remained curled up in the chair, watching their intertwined hands. She shrank back, buried her mouth in her scarf, and asked softly:
"Do you apply hand cream to Wen Zhixia like this too...?"

"Huh? No."

"Then how did you apply it to her..."

"I didn't put hand cream on Xiaozhi."

"???"

broken!

It should have been a happy occasion, but Lin Mengqiu stiffened, and the blush that had just subsided suddenly reappeared.

What the heck...! The annoying cicada has never done that before?!
Then I...

Aaaaaah...!
What am I doing?!

How embarrassing!!

Forget it.

That annoying cicada will surely dare to do the same thing again.

She's the least reserved person ever!
"What's wrong, class monitor?"

"……fine."

"Don't move around."

"Oh……"

After a while, the girl had finished applying the cream to both of her hands. The delicate cream was completely absorbed by her skin, leaving only a radiant glow and a lingering, light fragrance.

Chen Shi'an released his grip.

Lin Mengqiu immediately pulled her hands back like a startled deer, stuffing them back into the hand warmer and hugging them tightly.

"Monitor."

"……Um?"

You haven't thanked me yet.

"thanks, thanks."

Her muffled voice came from under her scarf. She kept her head down, not daring to look at him, and pulled her hoodie brim down even further before settling into her chair to read.

"You're welcome."

Chen Shi'an screwed the cap back on the hand cream and put it back on her desk. She picked up the milk on the table, took another sip, and then quietly started reading her book, just like Chen Shi'an.

The corridor returned to its previous quiet, with light rain tapping on the cold railings.

Old Liang came out of the office to inspect.

Seeing the two classmates sitting outside studying intently despite the wind and rain, Lao Liang nodded with satisfaction.

No wonder they're in first or second place!
Take a good look!

Study hard!

(First update of the long chapter)
(End of this chapter)