“We just finished. A few of us are heading out for a meal.”
Liang Zhiyi’s eyes lit up, and she asked cautiously, “A few of you? Is it the whole team?”
“Why, do you want to join us?”
“Um… are those two classmates from our class going?” She intentionally didn’t mention Pei Chen by name.
“Xuan Xia and Pei Chen? Yeah, they’re both coming.”
As Liang Tongzhou spoke, Pei Chen, who was walking alongside him, couldn’t help but glance over, his eyes flickering slightly.
A few seconds later, Liang Tongzhou said, “See you at the school gate,” and hung up the phone. The guys around him, curious, asked, “Tongzhou, was that your sister?”
“Yeah, she said she hasn’t had dinner yet and wants to join us.”
The boys, who all knew Liang Zhiyi and found her both beautiful and outgoing, were instantly excited, laughing as they teased, “Tongzhou, I’ll just say it—I want to be your brother-in-law.”
“I want to be one too, haha.”
Liang Tongzhou kicked each of them playfully, laughing and cursing, “The farther your thoughts go, the farther you should roll away…”
Walking ahead, Xuan Xia overheard and, with a grin, slung an arm around Pei Chen’s shoulders, quietly teasing, “What are they fighting over? Don’t they know the real future brother-in-law is you?”
Pei Chen: “…”
He pushed Xuan Xia away.
Xuan Xia sidled back up to him. “I’m telling you, Liang Zhiyi is definitely coming because of you. Didn’t you hear how she specifically asked Liang Tongzhou if you were coming?”
Pei Chen lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable in the dim evening light.
When they reached the school gate, they found Liang Zhiyi already waiting.
She stood under the streetlamp, wearing a blouse and a short skirt with a thin cardigan draped over her shoulders. Her long legs were straight and slender, her skin pale like spring snow, and her figure graceful and striking.
Pei Chen instinctively looked at her, only to find her looking back at him. Her almond-shaped eyes curved in a smile, adding a soft glow to the night.
His gaze lingered on her for a couple of seconds before he quickly forced himself to look away.
Standing beside Liang Zhiyi was Ji Fei’er. As the boys approached, Liang Tongzhou’s friends greeted Liang Zhiyi, and she smiled back, introducing Ji Fei’er by shaking her hand, “This is my best friend, I brought her along.”
Ji Fei’er was dressed in a fluffy yellow sweater and had her hair in a cute bun. She happened to catch Liang Tongzhou’s eye, her dimples deepening as she smiled and said, “Hi, I’m just here to mooch a meal.”
Liang Tongzhou looked at her for a couple of seconds, then casually smiled and asked, “So, have you decided where to eat?”
Liang Zhiyi responded, “I’m fine with anything. Where do you guys want to go?”
“How about that new place nearby that does grilled fish and barbecue? It’s supposed to be pretty good,” someone suggested.
No one objected, so the group headed off to the restaurant with the lively name.
Liang Zhiyi and Ji Fei’er walked in front, with Ji Fei’er holding Liang Zhiyi’s hand. She sneakily glanced back at the boys trailing behind and whispered, “Your brother is really handsome.”
Liang Zhiyi grinned, “Why? If you’re interested, I can introduce you at the table later.”
Ji Fei’er gave her a playful punch. “Stop it. I just think he’s handsome, that’s all. Don’t think I’m like you, seeing Pei Chen a couple of times and then not being able to walk straight.”
Liang Zhiyi laughed and tugged at her bun. “No worries, if you want to be my sister-in-law, I can help you.”
Ji Fei’er blushed and glared at her, “If you dare to mess around, I’ll just tell your brother that you like Pei Chen, hmph!”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Liang Zhiyi retorted, but as she thought of Pei Chen, she couldn’t help but glance back at the boys behind her.
Pei Chen was chatting with Xuan Xia when he suddenly felt a gaze on him. He turned his head and met Liang Zhiyi’s eyes. She arched her brows mischievously, her smile playful and endearing.
Pei Chen froze for a moment before quickly averting his deep brown eyes.
Seeing his reaction, Liang Zhiyi’s smile deepened as she turned back around, amused. Ji Fei’er, who had observed the whole exchange, clicked her tongue and teased, “You two look like you’re sneaking around, like you’re up to something.”
Liang Zhiyi shot her a sideways glance. “What could we be sneaking around about? At most, it’s just pure, innocent friendship between classmates.”
“Pfft…”
They soon arrived at the restaurant. Liang Tongzhou arranged for a private room with the owner, then went with a couple of the boys to order the food, leaving the others to head into the private room first.
Inside, there was a large round table. Pei Chen and Xuan Xia sat down first, with the two girls following behind. Seeing that Liang Zhiyi was behind him, Xuan Xia suddenly grabbed Pei Chen and moved ahead of him, declaring, “I want to sit in the central spot.”
Pei Chen: “…”
Once everyone was seated, Liang Zhiyi ended up next to Pei Chen. A server brought in a pot of hot water for everyone to sterilize their bowls and chopsticks.
The hot water was passed around the table and eventually reached Liang Zhiyi. She placed her chopsticks and bowl in the pot, then waited a moment before using her chopsticks to pick them out. However, when she tried to touch them, she found they were still too hot to handle.
She paused for a couple of seconds, and just as she was about to try again, the boy across from her, busy playing on his phone, reached out to spin the lazy Susan to bring some peanuts toward him. Caught off guard, Liang Zhiyi accidentally dropped her glass into the pot, causing the hot water to splash out.
Pei Chen immediately stopped the lazy Susan from turning any further. Liang Zhiyi quickly pulled her hand back, startled. Someone nearby scolded, “Hey, she’s still sterilizing her bowl!”
The boy across from them looked up, surprised, and quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry, Sister Zhiyi, I didn’t see. My bad…”
A few drops of hot water had splashed onto the back of Pei Chen’s hand, causing it to redden slightly. He glanced at Liang Zhiyi, his voice calm, “Is your hand okay?”
Liang Zhiyi smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine. Luckily, I reacted quickly. Did you get burned?”
Pei Chen simply replied that he didn’t.
Once everyone had finished sterilizing their utensils, the boys who had gone to order the food still hadn’t returned. Liang Zhiyi turned to Pei Chen and said sweetly, “Pei Chen, I’m a bit thirsty. Can you go with me to buy some milk tea? It’s too dark outside, and I don’t want to walk alone.”
Pei Chen looked at her and asked, “Why don’t you ask Ji Fei’er to go with you?”
Liang Zhiyi glanced at Ji Fei’er, who immediately caught on and waved her hand. “Just bring me back a cup. I’ll stay here and play on my phone.”
Liang Zhiyi turned back, her eyes pleading as she blinked at Pei Chen. After a few seconds of silence, Pei Chen sighed and agreed.
They asked the others if anyone else wanted milk tea, but no one did, so the two of them headed out of the private room.
As they were leaving, Liang Tongzhou and the other boys who had been ordering food walked by and spotted them. “Where are you two going?”
“We’re going to buy some drinks,” Liang Zhiyi replied.
Liang Tongzhou didn’t have time to think much about it before Liang Zhiyi walked off.
Once they were outside the restaurant, Pei Chen looked down at her and asked, “What do you want to drink?”
Liang Zhiyi glanced around thoughtfully before saying she wanted to try the milk tea from a shop near the bus stop.
In truth, the milk tea wasn’t the main point—what she really wanted was to spend some time alone with him.
There were actually three or four milk tea shops nearby, but since she specifically wanted to go to the one a bit farther away, Pei Chen didn’t object and simply said, “Let’s go.”
As they walked, they passed the entrance to an alley. Liang Zhiyi tugged on his sleeve and said, “Let’s go through here—it’s a shortcut.”
The alley was much quieter than the bustling street outside.
With her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, Liang Zhiyi walked with a light, quick pace. She glanced over at Pei Chen, a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she asked, “Pei Chen, how was your training today? When’s your first group match?”
“The Wednesday after next, but it’s not at our school—it’s at another one.” High school tournaments usually involve a draw to decide which school hosts the match.
“Oh… I heard from the logistics team’s teacher today that we only handle the matches hosted at our school. I originally thought we’d get to travel around with the basketball team.”
“This way is more convenient.”
Each school’s logistics team is responsible for managing the logistics for the games held at their own school, mainly to avoid disrupting the students’ academic schedules too much and to save on costs related to moving people around.
She sighed softly. “I was hoping I’d get to see you play soon.”
Seeing her disappointed expression and sensing her eagerness, Pei Chen felt a strange, indescribable emotion stirring within him.
Liang Zhiyi then asked, “By the way, Pei Chen, what position do you play?”
“Point guard.”
In truth, he could play any position, though he used to play more as a shooting guard.
She nodded knowingly, “That’s exciting. Are you on the same team as my brother, Liang Tongzhou?”
“Yeah.”
“I have to tell you, he can be really childish sometimes. If he ever bothers you, don’t take it to heart—I’ll make sure to deal with him.”
Pei Chen could tell that despite her words, she and her brother were quite close. “He’s a good guy.”
Liang Zhiyi smiled warmly, letting out a small hum of satisfaction. “I never thought I’d hear anyone compliment him.”
As they chatted, they finally reached the milk tea shop. Liang Zhiyi ordered two cups—one for herself and one for Ji Fei’er—then asked Pei Chen what he wanted. When he said he didn’t want anything, she insisted on ordering him a kumquat lemon tea, the same as hers, as a small token of appreciation for accompanying her.
After purchasing the drinks, Liang Zhiyi handed the kumquat lemon tea to Pei Chen, grinning. “You came all the way with me to buy this, so you might as well try it with me.”
Pei Chen had no choice but to thank her and take the drink.
As they walked back, Liang Zhiyi, feeling thirsty, quickly inserted the straw into her drink and took a few eager sips.
Pei Chen glanced down and noticed how she was entirely focused on her fruit tea. Her cheeks puffed slightly with each sip, and under the soft glow of the streetlights, her pale, delicate face seemed to glow with a gentle, endearing warmth.
As they continued walking, they happened to cross paths with a male classmate. He noticed the two of them walking together and exclaimed, “Hey, class monitor, Liang Zhiyi…”
Liang Zhiyi politely greeted him, and as the classmate passed by, he kept looking back at them, his face showing clear surprise.
It wasn’t until Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi turned into a side alley that the classmate lost sight of them. Liang Zhiyi looked at Pei Chen with feigned concern and said, “Pei Chen, do you think he might misunderstand and think we’re on a date? Should I go explain?”
Pei Chen paused for a moment, then replied, “No need.”
“Why not?” she asked with a playful smile. “Aren’t you worried about rumors spreading about us?”
“…The truth will prevail. If you explain, it might make it look more suspicious.”
Liang Zhiyi smiled slyly, her fingers lightly tugging at his sleeve as she gazed at him, her eyes sparkling. “Are you sure it’s really just the truth that will prevail?”
Pei Chen met her teasing gaze, his jaw tensing as his eyes darkened slightly. “Let’s get back.”
He turned and started walking again. Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but smile—this guy was so easy to fluster.
She followed after him, sipping her fruit tea, and soon felt the urge to tease him again. After a few steps, she tugged on his sleeve once more and called out sweetly, “Pei Chen, Pei Chen.”
Her persistent calling finally made him look down at her. Liang Zhiyi suppressed a smile and said, “I have something really important to tell you. You should listen.”
Pei Chen, skeptical of what she was up to, continued walking, but she insisted, “Really, it’s something important. I’m not lying.”
After chattering for a while, Pei Chen finally slowed his pace and turned to look at her. Liang Zhiyi raised her eyebrows and beckoned him closer. “Come closer. I need to tell you in secret.”
“…”
“There’s no one else around.”
“Oh, come on, I’m not lying…”
Seeing that he was still hesitant, she stood on her tiptoes. Just as he leaned down slightly, she leaned in close, and her soft lips accidentally brushed against his ear.
Under the dim streetlights, with no one else around, only a crescent moon hung in the sky.
The light from the streetlamp was warm and dim, insects softly flitted by, and the two stood close together, with a faint scent of gardenias wafting through the air, young and tinged with an ambiguous tension.
Pei Chen felt the softness of her lips against his ear, and he froze, startled.
His cool ear instantly ignited with a rush of heat.
Liang Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, but then she realized what had happened. Her brows arched, and with a smile, she murmured softly into Pei Chen’s ear:
“It’s nothing… I just wanted to say that this kumquat lemon tea is especially sweet.”