After Transmigrating, I Saved the Saintly Male Lead
o0o
The next day at school.
Ji Anche stuffed his backpack into the desk drawer and noticed that Gu Hanzhou still hadn’t arrived.
Usually, Gu Hanzhou was always the first to arrive in the classroom to study.
In the past, Ji Anche would find a bottle of warm milk on his desk, along with snacks like bear-shaped cookies, chips, dried fruit, and other treats.
At first, he had refused, but the male lead persistently kept sending them.
Over time, it became a habit.
Now that they were suddenly gone, it felt strangely uncomfortable.
Li Xiangwen leaned over "Che Ge, did you know? I heard Tian Junxiong got into trouble again. The school is investigating him."
"Really?"
Tan Ruize curiously moved closer.
"That’s practically cause for celebration."
"You have no idea. Every time I ask Tian Junxiong for help with math problems, he brushes me off and tells me to study on my own. Damn it, if I could teach myself, what would I need him for?"
Tan Ruize rolled his eyes "Even though it’s not a teacher’s obligation to answer students’ questions, there’s no need to be so impatient. I’ve never met a teacher like him before."
Ji Anche took a sip of his goji berry health tea and said leisurely. "Don’t worry, he’ll be gone soon."
The school director should have already listened to the recording he sent.
Foreign Language High School had always been strict with its teachers. It was a mystery how Tian Junxiong had managed to slip through the cracks for so many years without being reported.
But no matter how terrible Tian Junxiong’s character was, he was still the school director’s son-in-law. He wondered how the director would handle this.
The chair beside him made a noise.
Gu Hanzhou placed his backpack on the desk and pulled out a glass bottle of milk, handing it to him.
"Ge, drink it while it’s warm."
Ji Anche accepted the warm milk in surprise.
"Why are you so late today? You barely made it before the bell."
"Something came up." Gu Hanzhou rubbed his tired eyes.
Noticing the dark circles under the male lead’s eyes, Ji Anche asked, "Did you stay up all night cultivating immortality?"
"Yeah, I pulled an all-nighter."
Gu Hanzhou looked listless, lacking energy.
"Stayed up writing notes."
"What notes?"
Gu Hanzhou took out a thick black notebook from his bag and slid it across the desk.
"Ge, you can look through it. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me."
He yawned drowsily. "I’m going to sleep for a bit."
With that, Gu Hanzhou lay his head on the desk, facing Ji Anche, and closed his eyes.
Ji Anche flipped open the notebook in bewilderment.
Inside were densely packed formulas and theorems—seemingly a very detailed compilation of past exam highlights for math and physics. There were also applications of these formulas, with problem difficulty gradually increasing from simple to complex.
Everything was explained in an extremely easy-to-understand way, so even students with weaker foundations could grasp it.
Ji Anche was completely stunned.
This notebook was at least fifty or sixty pages thick, filled front and back with knowledge. And Gu Hanzhou had finished it all in one night?!
…Unbelievable.
Ji Anche’s gaze fell on the dark circles under Gu Hanzhou’s eyes, his pale lips, and the swollen red joints of his fingers.
The spots where he held his pen between his index and middle fingers were completely red and swollen, forming two small bumps.
Ji Anche’s throat tightened, his heart suddenly pricked by needles.
A warm, sour feeling flowed through his chest.
Clutching the notebook, he opened it and began studying earnestly.
If someone was willing to go this far for him, how could he dare give up?
After morning self-study ended, most students left for breakfast.
Ji Anche bought four bread rolls from the supermarket and a tube of medicinal ointment from the school clinic.
Returning to the classroom, he opened his Five-Three exercise book, feeling as if he’d been injected with adrenaline, and immersed himself in studying.
A faint murmur reached his ears. Ji Anche paused his writing and glanced at the person beside him. Gu Hanzhou’s eyes were closed, his lips slightly moving as if speaking. Taking advantage of the empty classroom, Ji Anche leaned in, curious to hear.
"Ge, don’t leave me."
The male lead’s voice was hoarse and dry, laced with drowsiness.
Ji Anche’s heart instantly melted into a puddle.
He parted his lips and silently responded: "I won’t leave."
He flipped through the notebook. The summarized knowledge points were all very clear. Comparing Gu Hanzhou’s notes to the textbook made everything straightforward, eliminating the frustration he’d felt before.
The more he read, the more amazed he became.
It was obvious from the notes that Gu Hanzhou had already mastered high school material.
With skills like these, not getting into Q University would be a crime.
Thinking back to the original novel, even under the influence of all those toxic people, the male lead had still scored around 700 in mock exams—similar in difficulty to the college entrance exams, if not harder.
A 700-score should have secured him a spot at the best university.
But in the end, his hand bones were shattered, and he missed that year’s exams.
What a waste!
Ji Anche’s heart ached.
This time, if anyone dared stop Gu Hanzhou from taking the exams, he’d make sure they regretted it!
Movement came from beside him.
Gu Hanzhou drowsily sat up, dazed for a moment before quickly regaining clarity.
He picked up a small white jar from the desk.
"Ge, what’s this?"
Ji Anche explained, "It’s ointment for reducing swelling. I bought it from the school clinic. Rub some on your red joints—it’ll help."
Gu Hanzhou’s eyes lit up with delight, his lips curving.
"Thank you, Ge."
He tentatively applied some himself, then winced, his brows furrowing as if in pain.
"Is it really that bad?" Ji Anche asked, surprised.
Gu Hanzhou nodded slightly, his gaze pleading.
"Ge, can you do it for me?"
He lowered his eyes and whispered, "I’m scared it’ll hurt."
Ji Anche reassured him, "It’ll sting a little, but it’ll pass quickly."
He took the ointment. "It’ll hurt even if I do it."
Gu Hanzhou shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "It won’t."
His eyes were clear as he repeated, "Ge, if you apply it, it won’t hurt."
"Since when did I have such a magical ability?" Ji Anche muttered skeptically.
"Ge, is it too much trouble?" Gu Hanzhou glanced at him timidly, lashes trembling slightly. He lowered his gaze dejectedly. "Never mind, I’ll do it myself."
Even though the male lead hadn’t said anything pitiful, Ji Anche inexplicably felt guilty.
Sighing, he unscrewed the ointment. "It’s fine, I’ll help."
Gu Hanzhou’s fingers were pale and slender, his knuckles elegantly defined—so perfect they could belong to a hand model.
Just thinking about how this beautiful right hand would one day be smashed with a steel rod, leaving him unable to write again—
Ji Anche’s anger surged.
Luckily, none of that had happened yet. He’d protect the male lead.
No one was allowed to bully his person.
"What time did you sleep last night?"
Gu Hanzhou shook his head obediently. "Didn’t have time to sleep."
Seeing his pale complexion, Ji Anche’s heart twisted. His fingers curled slightly.
"Next time, go to bed earlier. You don’t need to do so much for me."
He wanted Gu Hanzhou to live happily, not suffer because of him.
He wasn’t usually sentimental.
But when it came to Gu Hanzhou, he became a completely different person, overthinking everything.
After a long silence, Gu Hanzhou still hadn’t spoken.
Ji Anche turned and saw him biting his lip, eyes red-rimmed as he asked pitifully, "Ge, are you trying to abandon me?"
"What? Of course not!"
Ji Anche’s heart clenched.
He just didn’t want the male lead to suffer for his sake.
But those sentimental words stuck in his throat. Instead, he pulled out a math test and pointed at a random function problem, changing the subject awkwardly.
"There’s a question I don’t get. Can you explain it?"
Gu Hanzhou returned to normal instantly. "Sure."
Ji Anche finally relaxed.
Listening to a top student explain problems—especially one as patient as Gu Hanzhou, who dissected each question from every angle—was pure intellectual pleasure.
Ji Anche quickly became engrossed.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Looking back, even Ji Anche was impressed with himself.
He’d studied from dawn till dusk, even dreaming about problems. He’d stuck formula notes on the bathroom wall to memorize while showering.
With Gu Hanzhou’s help, his knowledge had expanded exponentially. (Though his hairline had also receded at an alarming rate.)
Finally, the day of the results arrived.
Ji Anche sat nervously in his chair, his thoughts tangled like a ball of yarn. He squeezed a stress ball in his palm, molding it into odd shapes.
Biting his lip, he muttered, "Xiao Zhou, what if I failed?"
Gu Hanzhou reassured him, "Ge, you won’t. We already checked the answers, remember?"
"Don’t overthink it."
Hearing this, the chaotic mess in Ji Anche’s mind inexplicably settled. His tension eased slightly.
He exhaled deeply. "I really tried my best this time. But it was so rushed—I didn’t prepare enough. If I failed, it’d make sense."
Gu Hanzhou held his hand comfortingly. "Ge, don’t worry."
His voice was calm, as if he had already anticipated the outcome. "We won’t be separated."
Ji Anche couldn’t understand. "I’m not even sure if I passed this exam. Why are you so confident?"
He realized the male lead didn’t seem worried at all—his expression remained composed the entire time.
Was it because he didn’t care? Was that why he was so calm?
A faint, indescribable discomfort settled in Ji Anche’s chest.
He averted his gaze, not wanting to look at Gu Hanzhou anymore.
"Ge, if you failed, I’ll go to another class with you."
Gu Hanzhou gently held the back of his hand, voice soft but firm.
"We definitely won’t be separated."
"What?!"
Ji Anche whipped his head around in shock.
The teaching resources and learning environment of the advanced class and the regular class were worlds apart. Everyone fought tooth and nail to get into the advanced class. Gu Hanzhou was probably the only student who would voluntarily transfer out of it.
Gu Hanzhou’s eyes were serious—not a trace of joking in them.
"No. You stay in this class."
Ji Anche glared at him threateningly. "If you dare transfer, I’ll beat you up!"
He furrowed his brows, pretending to be angry. "The results aren’t even out yet, and you’re already cursing me to fail. I never thought you’d be like this, Gu Xiao Zhou!"
Gu Hanzhou chuckled helplessly. "Ge, you know that’s not what I meant."
The classroom door opened.
The homeroom teacher walked in, holding the score reports.
Dressed in a black formal suit with light makeup, she announced, "The exam results are out. I’m sure everyone is curious about how they did. This time, we’d like to especially praise one student who showed remarkable improvement."
Ji Anche’s heart leapt into his throat. He held his breath. He wasn’t expecting stellar results—just enough to stay in this class.
He really didn’t want to be separated from Gu Hanzhou.
When he suddenly noticed the teacher’s gaze landing on him, Ji Anche nervously clenched his fingers.
…Wait, was he the student with huge improvement?!
The teacher smiled warmly at him. "That student is Ji Anche. His previous monthly exam rank was 562nd in the grade. This time, he’s risen to 120th overall and 35th in our class—an improvement of over 400 places! We’ve all seen how hard Ji Anche has been working lately. I hope everyone can learn from his example."
She began clapping, and the class erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Ji Anche’s ears burned red. He was at a loss for how to react.
Leaning toward Gu Hanzhou, he whispered, "Will I still be transferred?"
Gu Hanzhou gently squeezed his hand reassuringly. "No, don’t worry. Only the bottom ten students will be moved."
The teacher continued, "Next, we’ll rearrange seats and dorm assignments based on rankings. Higher-scoring students will have priority in choosing."
After the score reports were handed out, the seating adjustments began.
Thanks to Gu Hanzhou’s position as the top student in the grade, Ji Anche got to remain his deskmate.
Two girls moved to the seats behind them.
One, with cute pigtails and wispy bangs, greeted them cheerfully. "Hi, handsome duo! I’m Tong Xiaotao—just call me Xiaotao."
The other girl was shyer, murmuring softly, "I’m Yu Dongling."
Out of politeness, Ji Anche introduced them. "I’m Ji Anche. This is my deskmate, Gu Hanzhou."
Tong Xiaotao’s smile brightened. "Wow, two heartthrobs! My eyes are blessed."
Ji Anche laughed.
"Haha, thanks."
Once seating was settled, everyone went to reorganize their belongings.
Ji Anche had already packed up.
With nothing else to do, he suddenly remembered the lotus flower pastries in his desk.
He pulled them out. "Xiao Zhou, I’ve got some lotus pastries here—they’re really good. Want to try one?"
Gu Hanzhou was fiddling with a pen and couldn’t free his hands.
Seeing this, Ji Anche said, "Open your mouth. I’ll feed you."
Chewing the pastry, Gu Hanzhou’s right cheek puffed up adorably.
"Thanks, Ge."
He looked like a little hamster, cheeks moving cutely with each bite. Amused, Ji Anche took another piece and fed it to him.
With exaggerated seriousness, Ji Anche lectured, "You’re too skinny. You need to eat more and nourish yourself."
Gu Hanzhou nodded obediently, eyes curving slightly.
"Ge, I’ll remember."
Suddenly, hushed whispers came from behind them. "Holy— Gu… Gu. Ke…?"
Hearing 'Gu Ke' (customer), Ji Anche assumed the girls were discussing shopping for clothes.
But the fervent stares from the two girls made his scalp tingle.
Why were they so excited about shopping?
Due to his looks, he’d received plenty of love letters over the years. But those girls had always gazed at him with shy infatuation—not this kind of blazing intensity that honestly unnerved him.
Swallowing nervously, he leaned toward Gu Hanzhou and whispered, "Why are they so worked up?"
The warm breath against his ear made Gu Hanzhou’s eyes flicker momentarily.
Lowering his lashes, he murmured, "Maybe they envy how close we are."
When Ji Anche glanced back, the girls’ eyes only grew more fervent.
Damn it, this is terrifying.
What was going on?
Tong Xiaotao poked Ji Anche’s arm, blushing as she asked shyly, "Are you two brothers?"
Ji Anche blinked. "Of course not. Our last names are different."
Tong Xiaotao sighed in relief.
"That’s good."
Ji Anche frowned. "Why were you two so excited earlier?"
Her face turned red. After a long pause, she stammered, "...I’m just deeply moved by your heartwarming brotherly bond."
On the surface, the words sounded harmless, but something felt off to Ji Anche.
Tong Xiaotao’s eyes sparkled as she gushed, "May you two have a harmonious union for a hundred years!"
"—Ahem! I mean, may you have a bright future!"
Gu Hanzhou casually laced his fingers with Ji Anche’s, lips curving.
"Thank you."
Tong Xiaotao's face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple. She quickly waved her hands.
"No no, don't mention it."
Lowering her head, Tong Xiaotao opened her textbook pretending to study seriously, though all her attention remained fixed on the two in front of her.
Ji Anche asked Gu Hanzhou, "Did you like the lotus pastry? If you did, I'll buy more next time."
Gu Hanzhou's eyes curved contentedly. "It was delicious. Thank you, Ge."
After a few minutes, Gu Hanzhou's brows suddenly furrowed as he hunched over in pain.
"What's wrong?" Ji Anche asked anxiously.
Gu Hanzhou lay across the desk breathing heavily, cold sweat dripping from his temples.
"Ge, my stomach hurts a bit."
Ji Anche frowned. "Why the sudden stomachache?"
"Maybe my stomach problems are acting up again." Gu Hanzhou's lashes fluttered slightly, his lips losing color.
He tentatively grasped Ji Anche's wrist, pleading weakly, "Ge, could you rub it for me?"
"It won't hurt if you rub it."
Ji Anche couldn't help feeling puzzled.
He wasn't some miracle cure - how could he possibly treat wounds and soothe stomachaches alike.
But since the male lead wanted him to do it, he would.
Ji Anche reached out, placing his palm over the stomach area through the thin shirt.
He gently massaged in circles.
"Does it feel better now?"
"Much better."
Though cold sweat still clung to his temples, Gu Hanzhou's complexion wasn't as pale anymore, his lips regaining some color.
His eyes curved, gentle warmth flowing through his expression.
"Ge, you're so good to me."
The male lead's features leaned toward proud aloofness - his usual expression gave off an untouchable, cold arrogance. But when he smiled, he looked sweet and obedient, making people want to tease him.
A mischievous thought struck Ji Anche. He suddenly slipped his hand under Gu Hanzhou's shirt.
His icy palm pressed directly against the warm skin of Gu Hanzhou's abdomen.
Gu Hanzhou shivered from the cold, instinctively shrinking back.
But he quickly caught himself and stopped resisting.
Instead, he pressed Ji Anche's cold hand firmly against his warm stomach, even rubbing it slightly without any protest.
Gu Hanzhou's pure black eyes held laughter, looking exceptionally well-behaved.
Guilt rose in Ji Anche's heart. He pulled his hand out, muttering, "Why didn't you dodge?"
"Ge's hand was too cold. I wanted to warm it for you."
Gu Hanzhou actively took Ji Anche's hand between his own, gently rubbing it.
At the desk behind them, Tong Xiaotao saw everything clearly.
She bit down hard, her face flushing red with excitement.
This was love! This was absolutely love!!!
She quietly took out her phone.
Soon, a post appeared on the forum:
[Spilling the Tea on Grade #1 and His Ge - Those Untold Stories (CP Shipping Thread)]
o0o
Evening.
Back in the dorm.
Ji Anche and Gu Hanzhou happened to be assigned to the same room.
Originally a quad, the other two beds were temporarily vacant, making it practically a happy double.
The dorm conditions were good. Clean floors, complete with AC, fan, closets and cabinets. His bed was east, Gu Hanzhou's west, directly facing each other.
After washing up, an exhausted Ji Anche prepared for bed.
As he went to turn off the lights, he suddenly recalled Gu Hanzhou's near-shattered expression in the storage room that day.
He'd never seen such lifeless despair on the male lead's face - it nearly scared him to death.
At the time, he'd thought Gu Hanzhou might do something drastic.
Ji Anche's gaze fell on Gu Hanzhou, who was tidying his bed, his figure looking somewhat frail in the lamplight.
"Xiao Zhou, are you afraid of the dark?"
"If you are, you can leave a nightlight by your bed. It'll help you sleep better."
Their beds faced each other, not too far apart. If Gu Hanzhou slept with a light on, the glow would inevitably affect Ji Anche.
"Ge, it's fine."
Gu Hanzhou shook his head.
Ji Anche worried the male lead wouldn't sleep well. "Don't mind me. I sleep like a log - it won't bother me."
Gu Hanzhou still insisted, "Really, it's unnecessary."
"Alright then." Ji Anche instructed, "If you feel unwell in the night, you must tell me. Don't ever endure it silently."
"Okay." Gu Hanzhou nodded obediently.
Ji Anche turned off the light and closed his eyes.
Perhaps because of the new bed, Ji Anche slept restlessly. Tossing and turning, he finally fell asleep only to wake with a parched throat.
But he was too drowsy to get up.
Ji Anche rolled over and kept sleeping.
Five minutes later, his thirst won out.
Half-asleep, he put on his pajamas and went to the living room for water. The glass was too hot to drink immediately.
Carrying the cup, Ji Anche stepped onto the balcony to cool it in the night breeze.
The chilly wind brushed against his clothes.
Ji Anche tightened his jacket around himself, gripping the warm cup.
Through the window, the starry night sky stretched above. A bright full moon hung amidst the stars - a beautiful nightscape.
But he had no mind to appreciate it, only wanting to cool his water faster so he could return to his warm bed.
After drinking, he left the cup on the desk and headed back.
Yawning heavily, Ji Anche could barely keep his eyes open.
He lifted the bed curtain, groping in the dark as his knee bumped against the edge. Carefully, he climbed in.
Suddenly, the texture under his hand felt wrong.
Why was there a large lump here?
Why did the bed feel... warm???
Ji Anche fumbled around until a muffled groan came from the bed.
Though quiet, the sound was unmistakable in the silent dorm.
Ji Anche's expression turned horrified.
Holy shit, his bed could make noises now??????
Hands trembling slightly, heart pounding, Ji Anche retreated from the bed and felt for the bedside lamp.
Switching it to its dimmest setting, he nervously shone it toward the bed.
To his shock, there was someone in it!
Who would be in his bed in the middle of the night???
The blanket rose slightly, revealing black hair with a small whorl at the crown.
Ji Anche knew the male lead too well - he could recognize him just by that hair whorl.
Why was Gu Hanzhou in his bed???
Ji Anche was baffled.
Had he gone to the wrong bed?
He went back to check.
The "Buddha's Light Shines Upon All, Ghosts Disperse" pendant was his. The pure black light-blocking curtain was his. The Peppa Pig ornament on the bed frame was his.
This was definitely his bed!
To be sure, Ji Anche went to Gu Hanzhou's bed and lifted the curtain - empty.
No one in Gu Hanzhou's bed, but someone in his.
How peculiar.
Returning to his own bed, Ji Anche rubbed his sleepy eyes. The same whorl of black hair still peeked from the blanket.
The blanket slowly lowered. Gu Hanzhou tugged it down slightly, revealing a pair of clear black eyes.
The air was still.
So still it felt silent.
So silent it felt awkward.
Ji Anche and Gu Hanzhou stared at each other, wide-eyed.
The scene of two people staring at each other in the dead of night was rather bizarre.
After ten seconds.
Ji Anche scratched his head, confused.
"Did I get the wrong bed?"
Gu Hanzhou shook his head slightly, fingers clutching the blanket's edge, voice slightly hoarse.
"Ge, you didn't."
Ji Anche grew more perplexed. "I didn't, so this is my bed."
"Then why are you here?"
After two seconds of thought, Ji Anche asked, "So you got the wrong bed?"
Gu Hanzhou blinked, whispering, "I didn't either."
His tired brain couldn't handle complex calculations.
Ji Anche felt his mental capacity was insufficient.
"Wait, first tell me why you're in my bed."
Gu Hanzhou's gaze was pure. "Ge, I couldn't sleep."
Ji Anche: "And?"
Gu Hanzhou's dark eyes held a hidden longing as he pleaded softly:
"Ge, can I hug you to sleep?"
o0o