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Psst! We're moving!
She took two steps forward—likely part of the choreography—but in this moment, it felt unexpectedly fitting.
Lin Zhan stretched out her hand, turning toward Shen Xi’s direction in a sweeping motion—
Where are you going?
Take my soul with you.
It’s enchanted by you—
What’s the use in keeping it?
...
“You’re the electricity, you’re the light,
You’re the one and only myth...”
In an instant, the song’s rhythm propelled the performance to its climax. The lights swirled, the energy surged, and the chorus erupted like an overwhelming wave of euphoria.
She was unique.
Amidst the group’s enthusiastic performance, her role was simply to look at him—her gaze like flowing water, soft yet deliberate.
Clutching the microphone, she sang with all her might, occasionally stifling a small laugh behind her short hair.
The wild, unrestrained song, paired with her equally unrestrained affection, sent tingles racing down his spine.
Was it the stage that made her special?
Or was she always the special one in his eyes?
Shen Xi had no answer.
A council member, seeing Shen Xi standing still for too long—seemingly lost in thought—hesitantly interrupted, “Chairman, are we still leaving?”
Shen Xi’s eyes darkened, like a brewing storm.
“...No.”
On stage, the performers were still singing fervently. Amid the blended voices, Lin Zhan’s clear, bright tone stood out—
Fire, you’re the fire,
The end for this moth.
I never thought of escaping—
Why would I escape?
Simple lyrics, yet they struck like a sudden revelation.
________________________________________
“That was great, absolutely no issues with the performance just now,” the arts committee member said as they stepped offstage. “If we can keep this up in the afternoon, we’ll be golden. The key is not to laugh—especially the person doing the lifting. If you laugh, you might drop someone...”
“Lin Zhan? Where’s Lin Zhan?”
“Still back there, I think. Her heels are killing her.”
“Lin Zhan! Lin Zhan!”
“Coming, coming,” Lin Zhan called out, walking with difficulty. “These heels are way too high...”
She had bought these shoes specifically for the performance—simple yet elegant, with a wine-red velvet finish, a single strap, and a little bow at the back.
Expensive, yes, but that didn’t mean they didn’t hurt.
After hours of standing and walking backstage, her big and little toes were on fire, rubbed raw with every step.
Someone came over to support her. “I told you not to get such high ones. You’re tall enough—regular heels would’ve been fine.”
Lin Zhan: “It’s also because I’ve never really worn heels before. First time—bound to be uncomfortable.”
The next performance was Yu Qing’s. Seeing the sky-high stilettos on Yu Qing’s feet, Lin Zhan clenched her jaw and walked past without so much as a flinch, her expression perfectly composed.
Jiang Qin beside her asked, “Does it not hurt anymore?”
Only when they reached the break room did Lin Zhan finally slump. “It hurts... so bad.”
Taking off her shoes, she saw the blisters.
Jiang Qin winced. “Go to the infirmary. Get those disinfected. It’s just upstairs.”
Lin Zhan thought for a second. “Alright.”
She went upstairs, only to find the infirmary empty—no nurse in sight.
Opening the band-aid box, she found it completely empty.
...All used up.
After a moment, she texted Jiang Qin: [No band-aids left in the infirmary T.T]
Jiang Qin replied quickly: [No worries, I’ll ask around. Someone’s bound to have some.]
Lin Zhan: [Thanks, you’re the best. Mwah!]
Jiang Qin: [No big deal. Don’t mention it.]
Meanwhile, Jiang Qin happened to run into a student council member.
“Hey, do you guys have any band-aids? Lin Zhan from our group got blisters, but the infirmary’s out.”
The council member scratched his head. “I don’t have any, but I can ask around.”
He went over to Li Jiang and asked if anyone had band-aids. Just as Li Jiang said, “I’ve got extras,” Shen Xi cut in, “Who’s hurt?”
“Not one of ours,” the council member said dismissively. “It’s that Lin Zhan from the performance earlier.”
Li Jiang gave him a look—This guy’s clueless. How can you say it like it’s nothing?
Shen Xi’s brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out. “Where is she?”
The council member: “Infirmary, I think. Said they’re out of band-aids.”
Li Jiang immediately fanned the flames: “Our infirmary’s always understaffed and understocked. Honestly, sometimes I feel like blowing it up.”
Shen Xi sorted through the documents in his hands, pulling out a few. “I need to go up anyway to drop these off. Give me the band-aids—I’ll take them.”
Li Jiang handed them over.
________________________________________
The infirmary door creaked open. Lin Zhan turned, bored, then startled at the sight of the visitor.
“You? What are you doing here?”
Shen Xi didn’t meet her eyes, just held up the band-aids. “If I didn’t come, what would you do?”
Lin Zhan immediately turned sycophantic. “Obviously, I’d die without you.”
Shen Xi: “...”
Lin Zhan waved him over. “Aren’t you a walking encyclopedia? My feet are covered in blisters—what do I do?”
She sat on the infirmary bed, legs dangling, swinging slightly.
A delicate anklet circled her ankle, its tiny charms tinkling with each movement.
She’d never worn accessories like this before—must’ve been for the performance.
Shen Xi pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, reaching for her shoe.
Lin Zhan jerked her foot back. “What are you doing?”
Shen Xi was succinct. “Taking off your shoe. Disinfecting it.”
Lin Zhan coughed, masking her unease. “I can wait for the nurse...”
Shen Xi glanced at the wall clock, suddenly in the mood to tease. “Sure, wait. They’re back at 2:30 PM.”
Meaning they were off-duty now.
Lin Zhan: “I’ll do it myself. You can leave.”
Shen Xi crossed his arms, eyeing her. “Then bend over and show me.”
With that giant wing contraption strapped to her back, she couldn’t even bend to take off her own shoes, let alone treat her feet.
But... letting Shen Xi do it? Wasn’t that a little... too intimate?
While she was still hesitating, Shen Xi leaned in, gripped her ankle, and slid the shoe off.
Lin Zhan: “............”
Her foot instinctively arched. She didn’t know what to do—every cell in her body was trembling.
Unlike the last time he’d treated her injury (with an ice pack), now he was studying her toes...
No amount of cold weather could help now. Lin Zhan’s face burned so hot it could’ve dripped blood. She clutched the sheets beneath her, tense.
It was like being tortured—slowly, deliberately—leaving her utterly flustered.
Shen Xi looked up, seeing her expression of grim resolve. “Nervous?”
Lin Zhan swallowed hard, deciding to lay it out. “In ancient times, if a man saw a woman’s feet, he had to marry her. Did you know that?”
Besides, no one had ever looked at her like this before...
Shen Xi finally seemed to grasp what was bothering her. The moment he understood, he smiled.
“That’s what you’ve been thinking about?”
Lin Zhan: “What do you mean that’s? It’s a perfectly normal thing to think about!”
Shen Xi: “Hm.”
Lin Zhan: “...Do you think I’m being too casual about this?”
Shen Xi sighed, meeting her gaze. “Do you think it’s that important? If it were, why would you wear sandals?”
Lin Zhan was speechless. “...”
After a pause, she found a rebuttal: “That’s different! Right now, you’re looking at them completely unobstructed!”
Shen Xi didn’t argue. He quickly found the alcohol, disinfected the blisters, popped them, and applied the band-aids.
“To me, this is just an injury. Nothing more.”
It sounded like he was trying to reassure her, but she frowned. “So you’re saying I have zero appeal to you?”
Bracing one hand on the edge of the bed, the other still gripping her slender ankle, Shen Xi exhaled.
“What do you want me to say?”
Lin Zhan had never seen Shen Xi look at her like this before.
A hint of seriousness, a touch of amusement, and something faintly dangerous.
This was completely different from the Shen Xi of just a few hours ago.
...All she did was sing a song. How had it somehow... lifted a barrier between them?
That look made her bold. Under its influence, she felt like she could say things she’d never dared to before.
She raised a brow. “Say you love me.”
Shen Xi froze.
As if catching himself, he let out a quiet sigh and withdrew that intense gaze.
He changed the subject.
“Are you wearing these shoes again later?”
Lin Zhan nodded. “Of course. Why else would I buy them?”
Shen Xi: “You shouldn’t. They’ll keep rubbing.”
Lin Zhan thought of Yu Qing’s sky-high stilettos.
Height meant presence. She couldn’t afford to lose.
Lin Zhan: “No, I have to wear them.”
“Yu Qing keeps provoking me. I can’t let her tower over me.”
Shen Xi: “...”
After applying the last band-aid, Shen Xi slid her shoe back on.
The anklet chimed softly, like a wind chime stirred by a gentle breeze.
As he fastened the final buckle, he murmured, “She’s not as pretty as you.”
Lin Zhan’s soul shuddered.
It left her body—only to be shoved back in violently.
Electricity exploded up her spine, screaming through her veins.
Outside the window, the wind stilled.
All that remained was the sound of uneven breaths.
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