Walking out of the alley, Pei Chen kept his gaze straight ahead, his jawline tight, and he remained silent. It was as if the unexpected incident that just occurred in the alley had never happened.
Liang Zhiyi followed beside him, clearly in a good mood, with a noticeable spring in her step.
Pei Chen walked a few more steps and noticed from the corner of his eye that the girl was staring intently at him. After a few seconds, he turned to look at her, his tone somewhat unnatural:
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Liang Zhiyi took a sip of her sweet fruit tea, her eyes curved in a smile. “No reason, I just think you look good.”
“…”
He quickened his pace, but seeing his cold and overly restrained demeanor, the girl couldn’t help but laugh.
How could he be so adorable?
She quickly caught up to him, looked at him, and spoke with a smile, “Pei Chen, I didn’t mean to kiss you just now. You just happened to lean in, so I wasn’t intentionally taking advantage of you.”
Her tone was slightly playful, with a hint of teasing.
It was unclear whether she was apologizing or flirting.
Hearing this, Pei Chen felt his ears burn as if they were on fire. The soft sensation of her lips lingered, as if even his ears were still heating up.
“…”
Pei Chen resisted the urge to walk away and leave her behind.
When they reached the entrance of the Huohong Barbecue, Pei Chen’s phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was a call from Pei Yongxia.
He glanced at Liang Zhiyi, who seemed to be waiting for him, cleared his throat, and said softly, “You go ahead inside; I’ll take this call.”
Liang Zhiyi had originally planned to wait for him, but she nodded, “Alright, I’ll go in first.”
After she left, he answered the phone. Pei Yongxia didn’t have anything urgent, just asked him to bring back some household items that had run out. Pei Chen agreed to everything.
After hanging up, he stood outside the shop, looking down at his phone as a chilly breeze blew over him, bringing a slight chill.
He suppressed the surge of heat rising inside him, trying to forget what had just happened.
In reality, it wasn’t even really a kiss, just a brief, fleeting touch. There was no need for him to be so concerned about it.
He couldn’t understand why anything related to Liang Zhiyi could cause such a significant emotional upheaval within him.
He clearly had no feelings for her.
But whenever he saw her, something just felt off.
He shouldn’t have agreed to accompany her to buy milk tea in the first place.
Just as he was thinking this, a male voice came from beside him, “Pei Chen, what are you doing standing here?”
When Pei Chen turned his head, he saw a teammate from the basketball team, who had just stepped out to grab some extra dishes.
Pei Chen’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “It’s nothing, I was just on a call.”
The teammate was a bit puzzled. When he had come out earlier to order food, he had clearly noticed Pei Chen standing there for quite some time.
But he didn’t ask any further, and the two of them then headed back to the private room together.
At that moment, Liang Zhiyi, who had just gone to the restroom, returned. Seeing Pei Chen, she turned and motioned for him to sit inside first.
Liang Tongzhou, who was munching on grilled wings, pushed a plate of barbecue towards them. “Why did it take you two so long to get milk tea? We’re almost done eating.”
Liang Zhiyi divided the milk tea, handing one to Ji Fei’er, and sheepishly replied, “We bought it from the shop near the bus stop, so of course, it took longer.”
“Why didn’t you just get it from one of the nearby shops? Why go all the way there?”
Liang Zhiyi glared at him. “I just love that place, okay? What’s wrong with that?”
“Such a hassle…”
Liang Tongzhou didn’t dwell on it. Ji Fei’er stifled a laugh, understanding the situation but choosing not to say anything, while Xuan Xia raised an eyebrow and gave Pei Chen a meaningful look, also seeming to grasp what had happened.
Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn’t last long, as the other boys in the room quickly began joking and chatting again.
Pei Chen quietly ate his barbecue, inserted a straw into his kumquat lemon drink, and took a sip. Seeing him drink, Liang Zhiyi playfully asked, “So, how is it? Sweet?”
“…”
Pei Chen lowered his gaze and, just to be contrary, said, “I can’t taste it.”
Liang Zhiyi chuckled but decided not to tease him any further. On the other side, Ji Fei’er grabbed her hand under the table and whispered teasingly, “Look at that smile on your face, can’t you tone it down a bit?”
The girl smiled, “What smile? I wasn’t smiling…”
“Don’t think I don’t know the real reason you dragged me here tonight was to keep you company while you stared at Pei Chen.”
“I’m just introducing you to some of the handsome guys on our school team. Oh, by the way, let me formally introduce you to my brother.”
Liang Zhiyi called out to Liang Tongzhou, who was sitting next to Ji Fei’er. “Meet my best friend, Ji Fei’er.”
Liang Tongzhou looked over, something clicking in his memory as he raised an eyebrow. “Ji Fei’er? The one you’ve mentioned before?”
Liang Tongzhou had heard the name from Liang Zhiyi several times before, but they had never crossed paths until now.
“That’s right.”
Ji Fei’er puffed out her chest proudly and smiled brightly at Liang Tongzhou. “I’m your sister’s best friend, so you can just call me ‘Sis’ from now on.”
Looking at the girl’s baby-faced cheeks, which still had a touch of youthful roundness, Liang Tongzhou averted his gaze and smiled, his voice lazy, “How old are you that I should call you ‘Sis’?”
Ji Fei’er gave her birthdate, and Liang Tongzhou, hearing it, smirked. “I’m two months older than you, thank you very much.”
“That doesn’t count by age, but by seniority. Some kids have higher seniority than adults,” Ji Fei’er said haughtily.
Liang Tongzhou chuckled, “So you’re admitting that you’re a little kid?”
“I…”
“If you admit you’re a little kid, then I’ll be willing to treat you like an elder.”
“…”
Ji Fe’er was exasperated and turned to Liang Zhiyi. “Look at your brother, he’s bullying me…”
Liang Tongzhou’s lips curled into a grin, his laughter deep, “It’s pretty normal for a little kid to be bullied by an adult.”
Ji Fe’er: Ugh, so frustrating!
Liang Zhiyi was amused by their bickering. “You two can keep debating over the titles, but Liang Tongzhou, if you see my best friend being bullied at school, you better protect her for me.”
Ji Fe’er: Huh??
“When have I ever been bullied? It’s not like we’re at some rough school.”
Liang Tongzhou nodded, “Don’t worry, it’s everyone’s duty to care for the little ones.”
Ji Fe’er shot him a glare, too irritated to respond, and buried her head in her barbecue. Liang Zhiyi laughed and reassured her, “Don’t really get mad at my brother. He’s just got a mouth that likes to run, but he means no harm.”
Ji Fe’er turned to her in surprise, “Do I look like someone who gets mad that easily?”
She wasn’t about to argue with a cheeky younger brother.
…
By a little after eight, the dinner was winding down.
The boys were chatting about the basketball game, growing more familiar with each other. As the time approached, Xuan Xia and another boy went out to pay the bill, while the others gradually left the private room.
Liang Tongzhou lingered at the back. Holding his phone, he walked up to Pei Chen and said, “Hey, I sent a friend request to you. Accept it, so we can talk on WeChat if needed.”
Pei Chen nodded and took out his phone.
After Liang Tongzhou left, Liang Zhiyi came up beside Pei Chen, huffing with frustration. “This is so unfair.”
“What?” He turned to look at her.
“When I tried to add you on WeChat back then, you kept refusing. But the moment my brother asks, you agree right away?”
Pei Chen paused, then calmly explained, “Your brother and I are just regular teammates.”
Liang Zhiyi smiled, “So, are you saying our relationship isn’t ‘regular’?”
“…”
Could she really interpret it that way?
“Fine, I’ll just assume you saw through my ulterior motives. After all, when school first started, you were the only guy I tried to add.”
The boy felt a bit surprised.
He remembered during military training when Chen Sihang had boasted in front of their classmates about adding Liang Zhiyi as a friend, making it seem as though she had been the one to take the initiative.
As they reached the entrance of the shop, everyone parted ways to head home, and the Liang family’s car was already waiting.
Liang Zhiyi waved goodbye to everyone, but her gaze lingered on Pei Chen, her almond-shaped eyes curving into a smile. “Pei Chen, I’m leaving now. Bye-bye.”
The boy looked at her and responded with a soft acknowledgment.
After the Liang siblings got into the car and it started to drive away, Liang Zhiyi curiously asked Liang Tongzhou, “What was up with you today? Weren’t you not too fond of Pei Chen before?”
He raised his arms and rested them behind his head. “I was a bit, but after playing basketball with him today, I realized he’s actually pretty good.”
Hearing her brother praise Pei Chen made Liang Zhiyi happier than if she had been praised herself, a sense of pride swelling in her chest.
Pei Chen is the boy she likes, so of course, he’s amazing.
Finally, Liang Zhiyi looked out the window, counting on her fingers the days left until the first group match, anticipation growing in her heart.
If he’s playing at another school, she’d really love to go watch him…
Over the weekend, Liang Zhiyi resisted the urge to constantly reach out to Pei Chen and tried not to bother him.
She knew that the basketball team had practice over the weekend, and Pei Chen might also have to work a part-time job, so he was probably very busy.
Chasing after someone should be done step by step; she didn’t want him to think she was annoying.
So, the girl immersed herself in homework and practice papers.
She wasn’t someone who only knew how to have fun. The time she spent studying wasn’t less than her classmates, but she usually studied based on her mood. When she didn’t feel like studying, she wouldn’t touch her books, but when she did, she could stay in her room doing homework all day long.
The weekend passed by quickly.
On Monday morning, Liang Zhiyi was driven to school by the chauffeur. Since Ji Fei’er had overslept, she told her not to wait at the school gate.
The girl walked into the school alone, but instead of heading toward the teaching building, she first turned towards the cleaning area.
She remembered that today’s duty in the cleaning area was Pei Chen’s.
Hehe, she wanted to see him early.
As she approached the ping-pong courts, she saw Pei Chen in the distance, busy with cleaning duties.
The boy was dressed simply in a white shirt and black school pants, with his school jacket draped over his shoulders. The early morning sunlight cast a golden glow on him, giving his features a soft, youthful look.
Just seeing him put her in a good mood.
Pei Chen was sweeping the ground when he suddenly heard a girl’s voice, trying to sound serious, from beside him: “Classmate, which class are you in? If you don’t clean this area properly, I’m going to write your name down.”
“…”
Without turning around, Pei Chen immediately knew who it was.
Seeing that he didn’t react, Liang Zhiyi, with her backpack on, bounced in front of him, her ponytail swaying. “Pei Chen, why aren’t you reacting at all?”
He lifted his eyelids to glance at her. “Do you think I can’t recognize your voice?”
“So you know me that well, huh?”
“Step aside a bit.”
She was blocking his sweeping.
“Oh.”
However, Pei Chen’s tone wasn’t cold, so she obediently stepped to the side, leaning on the ping-pong table, smiling as she watched him.
A few seconds later, Pei Chen turned to meet her gaze, his voice slightly low. “Why are you standing here?”
“Supervising your sweeping,” she replied with a straight face.
“…”
“Don’t worry, next time I have cleaning duty, I’ll invite you to supervise me too.”
Pei Chen, speechless, continued his work, treating her as if she wasn’t there.
But he didn’t ask her to leave either.
A few minutes later, when he finished sweeping, he looked at her still waiting nearby. Liang Zhiyi immediately understood and, hugging her backpack, quickly caught up. “Let’s go.”