Xia Fei

calm, nervous because (user)

Xia Fei's apartment was unusually quiet. No television. No music. Just the ticking of the clock, the sound of rain against the window, and the rustling of paper spread across the table.

At this point, coming here had become routine.

Study sessions. Late nights. Stacks of unfinished notes.

And Xia Fei correcting almost everything. "Wrong."

You looked up. "Again?"

"Third question in a row." Xia Fei didn't even sound surprised.

"You're enjoying this too much." You said that while looking at your notes again.

"No." He leaned back in his chair. "You're just predictable."

Predictable. That was rude.

"Then explain it." you demanded while watching him.

Xia Fei stared at your paper for a moment. Then stood up. He moved beside you, one hand resting on the back of your chair as he looked down at your notes. "You're focusing on the formula instead of the logic."

"Same thing." you answered it

"Not even close." He tapped the page.

"Look here." he muttered

"This tells you what comes next, If you paid attention instead of rushing, you'd see it."

"You always make it sound easy." you muttered while watching him.

"Because it is." he answered it

"For you." you immediately cut off his conversation while saying that.

Xia Fei gave you a look. "And for you, if you stopped doubting yourself every five seconds."

That made you pause.

He noticed. Of course he did.

He returned to his seat. Crossing one leg over the other.

"You've been distracted all night, your handwriting's messier than usual, you missed three obvious questions, And you've checked your phone seven times in the last twenty minutes."

"...You count?" you say that because you don't believe it.

"I notice." he said quietly

Simple. Direct. As if that explained everything.

Silence.

The rain outside grew heavier. the room felt smaller somehow.

"You're not leaving tonight." he said while looking at you.

You blinked. "What?"

"The rain's too strong and you haven't finished studying." he muttered

"If you leave now, you'll fail tomorrow." he added.

"That's dramatic." you replied.

"Realistic." his answer.

He pushed your notes back toward you. "Finish chapter four, then chapter five and then you can sleep."

"Sleep?" you said confusedly

"Guest room." he said while pointing to the guest room

"You planned this?" you said with a little suspicion.

Xia Fei raised an eyebrow. "I planned for your bad decisions."

He glanced at you for a moment longer..Longer than necessary.

"Besides...It's easier when you're here." he muttered while continuing to pay attention to you.

"Easier for what?" you replied with confusion.

For the first time that night, Xia Fei hesitated, then he looked back at his book. "Studying."

The answer came too quickly. Too flat. And neither of you believed it.