Outside the window, a few noisy sparrows fluttered about, their round little bodies flapping their wings as they flew back and forth. On the blackboard, the homeroom teacher was explaining the final, most challenging problem on the practice exam.
The atmosphere in the classroom was utterly silent. Liu Yinuo gazed out the window, her eyes flickering slightly, intentionally or unintentionally glancing toward that remote corner at the back of the room. Another day, and Ye Xingmian hadn’t come to school.
A feeling of restlessness settled in, as if she were holding her breath. She furrowed her brow, sighed, and pretended to continue listening to the problem.
Her deskmate noticed her unusual state and poked her arm.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Liu Yinuo waved a hand, indicating she was fine. “Hey, tell me, are you worried about… that girl with the last name Ye?”
Hearing this, she turned her gaze to the other side.
Because the seat in the first row was empty, the homeroom teacher had moved someone to be her other deskmate. Coincidentally, this person was her good friend, Li Li.
The very same girl who had previously speculated about her relationship with Ye Xingmian and spoken out of turn.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, this time she wasn’t in a hurry to deny it.
“…You could say that.”
“‘You could say that’? That restless feeling is practically oozing out of you.” Li Li teased.
To prevent the teacher at the front from hearing, she covered her mouth with her hand, kept her head down, and spoke in an extremely low voice. “Hey, tell me, how’s your progress? Has she still not accepted you?”
Liu Yinuo remained silent.
“Hey, hey, it’s this far already, don’t try to deny it anymore. You can’t even fool me, so how are you going to fool yourself?” Li Li continued in a hushed tone.
“Do you think she hasn’t been coming to class these past few days… maybe to avoid you?”
Hearing her words, Liu Yinuo unconsciously clenched her fist slightly.
“Don’t talk nonsense…”
This reaction was seen by Li Li, who immediately chuckled. “See, you’re getting defensive. Getting defensive means I’m right, doesn’t it?”
Liu Yinuo felt a flash of anger but knew that arguing at a time like this would only make things worse. Moreover, even she herself was still uncertain about her feelings toward Ye Xingmian.
After all, they were both girls…
“Look, I am your best friend, after all. Do you want me to help you out, give you a little assist?”
“What crazy idea are you cooking up now? Don’t mess around.” Liu Yinuo shot her a glare, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Ye Xingmian.
What exactly had Qin Haiyue done to her? Was she eating properly? Had she been beaten? All these worries plagued her.
She wasn’t paying much attention to her deskmate’s inquiries anymore.
“Ah, don’t worry, it’ll definitely work. I guarantee it with my reputation. She’s just a little weakling; how much effort could it take to win her over? You, you’re just too soft-hearted.”
Too soft-hearted?
Perhaps that was really it… If her methods were as forceful as Qin Haiyue’s, directly locking Ye Xingmian up in her own home and not letting her leave, would the current situation even exist?
She didn’t know. But facing this possibility, she couldn’t help but feel a little fascinated.
Yet reason told her she couldn’t do that. What she wanted was Ye Xingmian’s heart, not just her body.
That kind of scenario was thrilling just to think about. She wanted Ye Xingmian to depend on her completely, both body and mind, to prioritize her in everything…
What was this?
It definitely couldn’t be categorized as pity or a protective instinct. In the end, just what kind of emotion was this? Could it be considered liking?
It felt a little… twisted…
“Do whatever you want.”
Even though she was talking to someone else, her mind was wandering wildly, which seemed somewhat disrespectful.
But she just couldn’t suppress her thoughts. The messy notions were like a ball of yarn tangled by a cat—impossible to sort out, impossible to pull apart.
Only feelings of discomfort and worry held dominance.
And even… a tiny bit of… jealousy?
Unconsciously, the time had reached the end of the school day. Hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders and standing up, her gaze instinctively drifted toward that empty seat at the back.
The setting sun spilled over the solid wood desk, its golden hue like an old photograph soaked in memories. The feeling of emptiness was unsettling, both physically and mentally.
Silent and wordless, she finally turned and walked toward the school gates.
Several times today, she had considered calling the police, but each time she held back due to a sliver of hope and fear of unknown consequences.
In the end, she didn’t make that decision—the one that might yield no results but would at least have some effect if she acted.
And so, on the day Ye Xingmian needed her most, she chose to retreat.
The figure carrying the backpack was stretched long by the setting sun, appearing both lonely and cowardly.
“Welcome back, Miss.”
“How many times have I told you not to call me ‘Miss’?”
The car door opened, and the girl with her hair tied up in a practical ponytail complained to her assistant before reluctantly getting into the car.
“Heh, did you have a good day today?”
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Ji Yu chuckled lightly and started the car.
“Why are you asking? Did my dad tell you to?”
“Yes. The master asked me to show more concern for your daily life and academic state.”
“Heh, I think ‘surveillance’ is more like it.”
“You misunderstand, Miss. The master simply believes there’s a generation gap between you, making it difficult for him to directly inquire about your life, which is why he entrusted me to ask. Besides that factor, I am also genuinely concerned about your school life, Miss.”
Luo Xi looked annoyed. “What could it be? It’s the same old things all day long. Alright, alright, whatever you say. School life is just like that, no new twists, it’s such a bother.”
She pulled out her phone, intending to kill some time.
“That’s good then.” Ji Yu smiled. “Hmm… What I mean is, generally speaking, no change is the best outcome. A stable daily life is extremely precious for most people.”
“Heh.” Luo Xi let out a cold laugh, unconvinced. Just as she was about to listen to some music to relax, her phone suddenly lit up with an incoming call. She couldn’t help but frown.
“What’s wrong? Who is it?”
“An unknown number…”
Frowning, hesitating for a moment, Luo Xi answered the call.
“Hello, is this Miss Luo Xi?”
As soon as the call connected, the person on the other end directly addressed her by name. The voice seemed to belong to a young girl, but she had no memory of its owner.
“Yes, it’s me. Who is this?”
“Oh, Miss Luo Xi, allow me to introduce myself. You probably know Qin Haiyue. I am her younger sister, Qin Jiangmian.”
The person on the other end spoke politely, but the sense of formality was somewhat uncomfortable. Luo Xi’s brow relaxed slightly. Now that she knew the other’s identity, there was no need to be overly tense.
“Hmm… Why are you calling me? Is there something that prevents her from contacting me directly?”
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