A week passed in the blink of an eye, and it was Friday.
Winter was cold, but the rare afternoon sunshine provided a bit of warmth.
At this moment, around 1:30 p.m., three or four first-year girls were standing outside Class 9, peeking through the windows with excitement and chattering quietly:
“Has Pei Chen arrived yet?”
“I can’t find him. Maybe he hasn’t come to class yet…”
Inside the classroom, a few students who were taking a nap were awakened by the noise. They turned their heads to look outside and, realizing what was happening, felt a mix of helplessness and resignation, though by now they were quite used to it.
Ever since Pei Chen led the school team to win the inter-school championship, he had captured the hearts of many female students, becoming a popular figure in the school. Most girls knew Pei Chen was famously aloof, so they didn’t dare to give him gifts, opting instead to sneak a peek whenever they could.
At that moment, the girls outside were chatting away. Sang Xunling, who was reading a book at her desk, glanced in their direction, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly.
A few seconds later, she stood up and walked out of the classroom to confront them.
“Excuse me, do you need something?”
The girls outside the classroom blushed shyly and said, “No, we just came to take a look…”
Sang Xunling smiled politely but directly responded, “Pei Chen hasn’t come to class yet, and he doesn’t like being disturbed. Our classmates are still resting, so could you please not make noise at the door?”
Feeling embarrassed, the girls quickly hurried away.
A short while later, Pei Chen arrived in the classroom.
He sat down at his desk, wearing a black thick coat over his crisp white shirt. His dark hair and light eyes, combined with the sunlight streaming through the window, made his features look even more defined.
Sang Xunling noticed him and quickly picked up some class materials from her desk and walked over.
“Pei Chen, the homeroom teacher asked me to give these to you.”
She smiled at him warmly.
Pei Chen glanced at the materials and nodded. Sang Xunling, still looking at him, smiled wryly and said, “Just now, some girls from other classes came to see you, but don’t worry, I know you don’t like being disturbed, so I sent them away.”
Pei Chen replied indifferently, “Thank you.”
“No problem, I know they probably annoy you.”
As she spoke, a trace of pride flickered in her heart.
Those girls were so foolish, not knowing their place, coming to see Pei Chen when he wouldn’t even spare them a glance.
Pei Chen, however, didn’t respond further. He looked at her and asked, “Is there anything else?”
Sang Xunling was momentarily stunned, her smile fading slightly. “No, that’s all.”
Just as she was about to leave, she noticed Liang Zhiyi entering the classroom with her backpack. She sat down next to Pei Chen, dropped her head onto the desk, and groaned, “Pei Chen, I’m so tired…”
Pei Chen turned to her, concerned, “What happened?”
The girl tilted her head to look at him, her cheek pressed softly against the desk, making her face appear even more tender. “I almost fell asleep at Hua Bookstore just now. I ran all the way here…”
Sang Xunling watched as Liang Zhiyi immediately clung to Pei Chen the moment she arrived, and a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes. She found it sickening.
At that moment, Tong Sisi walked over, and Sang Xunling joined her as they headed to the restroom. Three or four other girls who were close to them also went to the hot water room next door to fill their bottles.
While filling the water, one of the girls remarked, “Did you guys go to the provincial sports center to watch the finals last Saturday? Our classmate played so well.”
Tong Sisi nodded, “Yes, Xunling and I went to watch. How come we didn’t see you there?”
“It was so crowded. We arrived a bit late and couldn’t find any seats…”
“Pei Chen has so many fangirls now. Some girls even came to our class today just to see him.”
Tong Sisi chuckled, “What’s so surprising about that? Isn’t there someone who’s been persistently clinging to him?”
The other girls immediately understood and laughed, “She really is relentless. She even joined the logistics team just to get closer to him.”
“Hey, do you think Liang Zhiyi can actually win over Pei Chen?”
“How could she? Pei Chen only cares about studying; he has no interest in dating at all.”
Someone added meaningfully, “But Liang Zhiyi’s family is pretty wealthy. Do you think Pei Chen might be swayed by her money?”
Sang Xunling suddenly spoke up, “Pei Chen isn’t that kind of person.”
Someone as proud and independent as Pei Chen would never like someone just because they were rich. In fact, he might even despise someone like Liang Zhiyi, who acted like an entitled heiress.
“Liang Zhiyi is pretty confident though. She seems determined to get what she wants.”
A faint smile appeared in Sang Xunling’s eyes. She found it amusing and, at the same time, was looking forward to seeing how things would turn out.
She couldn’t wait to see the day when the haughty and self-assured Liang Zhiyi would get a harsh dose of reality.
When Liang Zhiyi got brutally rejected by Pei Chen, it would be a pitiful sight indeed.
After two more classes, the third period was everyone’s favorite: PE class.
However, as the end of the semester approached, they had to start physical fitness tests, making PE class less enjoyable.
Last week, the boys had already completed their 1,000-meter run, so this week they only needed to test their lung capacity and standing long jump. The girls, however, had it tough this week, as it was their turn to run the 800 meters.
After a brief warm-up, all the girls followed the PE teacher to the starting line for the 800-meter run. Everyone was to run together, note their placement as they crossed the finish line, and then record their results.
When the run started, Liang Zhiyi maintained a steady pace in the middle of the pack.
The temperature today was in the single digits, and the strong wind on the track was bitterly cold against their faces. Combined with the stiffness of their limbs in winter, running was particularly challenging.
Although Liang Zhiyi was usually decent at sports, she hadn’t run in a while, and after one lap, she already felt the strain.
In the end, she gritted her teeth and crossed the finish line in seventh place. Exhausted and out of breath, she didn’t dare stop, so she continued to walk slowly forward to catch her breath.
Today, Ji Fei’er wasn’t feeling well and had taken the day off, so Liang Zhiyi walked alone for a while. After registering her result, she headed to the stands to rest.
After a while, she looked up and saw Sang Xunling being helped to the stands by a few girls, her eyes red with tears, as she walked slowly.
“Xunling, take it easy…”
“Xunling, sit down for a bit. Someone has already gone to get a band-aid. Roll up your pant leg and see how bad the wound is…”
Liang Zhiyi recalled seeing Sang Xunling fall during the run earlier, and a few girls had stopped to help her up.
The girls helped Sang Xunling up to the stands, where they shot a cold, disdainful glance at Liang Zhiyi before sitting down about three meters behind her.
The girls surrounded Sang Xunling, each expressing their concern for her.
Liang Zhiyi, uninterested in any glances or attention from them, quietly rested by herself, feeling the wind chill her head to the point of pain.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, the boys had finished their lung capacity test and were now free to do whatever they wanted.
One of the boys slung an arm around Pei Chen’s shoulder and said, “Pei Chen, let’s go play some basketball. I really want to play with you right now.”
“Yeah, let’s hit the court!”
Pei Chen remembered his promise to Liang Zhiyi and replied, “I’ll watch you guys play. I’m still recovering from an injury.”
“Alright then.”
As Pei Chen and his friends headed towards the basketball court, Xuan Xia suddenly pointed towards the stands and nudged him:
“The girls just finished their 800-meter run. Look, Liang Zhiyi is sitting there alone. She looks like she’s having a tough time. Aren’t you going to check on her?”
Pei Chen’s gaze followed Xuan Xia’s finger, and he saw Liang Zhiyi curled up slightly, sitting on the bleachers by herself, looking rather lonely.
His brow furrowed slightly.
On the bleachers, Liang Zhiyi took a sip from her thermos. Behind her, Sang Xunling had wiped away her tears, and the girls around her were helping to clean her wound with some water.
“Xunling, it might hurt a bit. Hang in there.”
Sang Xunling bit her lip to endure the pain, but when she lifted her eyes, she suddenly saw Pei Chen walking up the bleachers, and she froze—
Was Pei Chen coming to check on her because he knew she had fallen?
One of the girls noticed Pei Chen and called out to him. He glanced over and saw that several girls were gathered around Sang Xunling, so out of his duty as a class monitor, he walked over to them.
As Sang Xunling’s wound was being cleaned, her eyes reddened, and she said in a tearful voice, “It really hurts…”
Pei Chen reached them and asked, “What happened?”
“Pei Chen, Xunling fell earlier.”
“She scraped her knee, and it’s bleeding…”
Pei Chen looked at Sang Xunling and asked calmly, “Are you okay?”
Hearing his question, tears rolled down from Sang Xunling’s eyes, and she shook her head slightly, her voice soft and delicate, “I’m fine…”
One of the girls beside her sighed, “Poor Xunling. If only it hadn’t rained yesterday, the grass wouldn’t have been so slippery, and she wouldn’t have fallen.”
Tong Sisi hinted to Pei Chen, “Pei Chen, Xunling’s injury seems quite serious. Should we take her to the infirmary?”
Pei Chen’s expression remained calm and composed as he nodded, “You should help her to the infirmary for a check-up.”
Tong Sisi was baffled by Pei Chen’s response.
Sang Xunling was suddenly taken aback.
How could Pei Chen be so indifferent…
She wanted to ask him for help, but with so many girls around, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she choked out, “I should have run slower today; then I wouldn’t have fallen so hard.”
“Yeah, Xunling, you need to take it slow next time…”
One of the girls next to her tried to console her, but just as she spoke, she noticed that Pei Chen had no intention of staying to listen. He turned and started walking down the bleachers.
Sang Xunling was stunned, unable to react. Then she saw him stop at the third row, turn, and walk towards the right side.
Sitting on the third row was Liang Zhiyi.
The girls around Sang Xunling, curious, turned their heads to watch as well.
Liang Zhiyi had noticed Pei Chen coming up the bleachers earlier, but when he was called over by Sang Xunling’s group, she didn’t think much of it and looked away.
She was resting with her head down when suddenly she heard a deep, familiar voice above her, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Startled, she looked up to see Pei Chen with his dark brows slightly furrowed.
She smiled softly, “You guys finished your lung capacity test?”
“Yeah.”
He asked, “How are you feeling after the run?”
Liang Zhiyi shook her head, “A bit tired. It’s so cold, running was really uncomfortable…”
Pei Chen noticed her flushed cheeks, pale lips, and the strands of hair sticking to her face with sweat, making her look quite pitiful. His heart tightened at the sight.
His brows furrowed further as he leaned slightly closer to meet her gaze, “Where does it hurt?”
Seeing how concerned he was, she replied in a light, playful tone, “I’m fine, really. Just need to sit here for a while.”
“Okay.”
“What are you going to do next?” she asked.
“Zhang Zhan and the others are going to play basketball. I’ll go watch them.”
“Remember, you’re not allowed to play, okay?”
Pei Chen nodded in agreement, and just then, Liang Zhiyi noticed Zhi Mian walking towards her. “Zhizhi—”
Liang Zhiyi waved at Zhi Mian and then smiled at Pei Chen, “You can go to the court, Zhi Mian is here now.”
Pei Chen replied, “If you start feeling unwell, make sure to tell the teacher right away, or come find me.”
Overhearing this, Zhi Mian grinned, her eyes curving into crescents, “Pei Chen, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Zhiyi for you.”
Pei Chen’s expression tightened slightly at the teasing.
After he left, Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh, “Xiao Jiu, you’ve become quite mischievous lately!”
Zhi Mian sat down beside her with a smile, “Pei Chen is so biased, isn’t he? He’s only this nice to you…”
As the two girls chatted, not far away, Sang Xunling and the others, who had witnessed Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi’s interaction, exchanged shocked glances.
Even though they couldn’t hear what Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi were saying, the fact that Pei Chen had made a point to go check on Liang Zhiyi and seemed genuinely concerned about her was undeniable.
Sang Xunling replayed the scene in her mind, questioning whether she had imagined the gentleness in Pei Chen’s expression.
Pei Chen, who had always been cold and indifferent to all the girls, never acknowledging their attention, actually had such a side to him?
Despite her leg injury and how upset she had been, Pei Chen had only shown her polite concern out of his responsibility as class monitor before promptly turning to check on Liang Zhiyi.
Sang Xunling’s eyes reddened with frustration.
This couldn’t be true—it just couldn’t be…
But no matter how upset she was, it didn’t change the reality.
After a while, when the girls had rested enough, the PE teacher called them over to measure their lung capacity and standing long jump.
When the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, everyone grabbed their backpacks and headed towards the school gate.
Liang Zhiyi, Zhi Mian, Pei Chen, and Xuan Xia walked together, chatting until they reached the gate, where they all said their goodbyes.
Soon, only Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen were left.
The corners of Liang Zhiyi’s eyes crinkled as she looked at Pei Chen, hinting, “I didn’t ask the family driver to pick me up today.”
Pei Chen paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but ask, “How are you going to get home, then?”
She suddenly remembered something, “Pei Chen, are you in a hurry to go home? I suddenly really want to eat at Lao Lin’s Noodle House.” She still had fond memories of the pork trotters noodles and the kind old couple from last time.
“You’re not going home for dinner?”
“I already let my family know I might not be back. But do you need to go home to take care of Uncle Pei?”
Pei Chen hesitated for a moment before deciding to call Pei Yongxia.
On the other end of the line, Pei Yongxia, after learning about the situation, told Pei Chen not to rush home. He could have dinner outside since the community workers had just visited him that afternoon and had even prepared dinner for him.
After hanging up, Pei Chen looked at Liang Zhiyi and said, “I can head home a bit later. Let’s go.”
“Great!”
The two of them headed towards the city center. It was rush hour in Lincheng, with cars streaming by, and the sky had already darkened.
As they passed a fruit shop, Liang Zhiyi, feeling thirsty, went in to buy a box of cut-up Hami melon. After returning, she opened the box and began eating.
As she ate, she felt a gentle tug on her arm. Pei Chen stood between her and the oncoming traffic, his voice, soft yet firm, sounded above her, “Wait until we cross the street before eating.”
She nodded and obediently agreed.
After crossing the street, she picked up a piece of melon and offered it to him, “Pei Chen, do you want to try some?”
“No, thanks.”
“Hmph, this Hami melon is really sweet today.”
“Will you still have room for noodles later?”
“Hehe, maybe not for regular noodles, but definitely for the pork trotter noodles…”
The flow of traffic formed a stream of lights as the city began to glow with the evening’s illumination.
Under the streetlights, Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen walked along the road, unaware that a black Bentley had just passed by.
Inside the Bentley, in the back seat, Liang Tianming glanced out the window and saw Liang Zhiyi walking with the boy, causing him to pause in surprise.
The driver, who also noticed, said, “Hey, isn’t that Miss Zhiyi? Should we stop?”
A few seconds later, a voice from the back seat replied, “No need.”
Liang Tianming took a few more glances before withdrawing his gaze. His expression remained calm and composed as he commented, “That boy looks about the same age as Zhiyi.”
The driver, who occasionally picked up and dropped off Liang Zhiyi, added, “That boy seems to be Miss Zhiyi’s classmate.”
Recalling something, the driver hesitated before reporting, “Sir, I’ve often seen Miss Zhiyi walking with this boy after school. They seem… quite close.”
Upon hearing this, Liang Tianming lifted his eyelids, his expression growing slightly stern.
“Is that so?”