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Psst! We're moving!
The lights at the stairwell dimmed further.
Since most people had already left the teaching building, the sound was crystal clear to Le Ya. She could even feel the warmth of his breath against her ear.
She shifted slightly to the side, creating some distance between them.
Chen Yang watched her with interest, finding her demeanor reminiscent of a child who had secretly done something mischievous and was now caught red-handed.
Her ear—delicate and adorable—was still visible despite the hearing aid, and it had twitched slightly just moments ago.
Too cute.
Summoning her courage, Le Ya denied, “What are you talking about? I didn’t see anything.”
Chen Yang hummed softly, “You didn’t see anything.”
His teasing tone was clearly deliberate. Le Ya tightened her grip on her clothes. “I was just passing by.”
She turned to leave.
Chen Yang reached out and grabbed the strap of her bag. Even her ordinary backpack was a luxury brand—it felt completely different in his hand.
His eyes flickered. “Don’t rush off.”
Caught off guard, Le Ya stumbled backward but was quickly steadied by a pair of hands gripping her shoulders. The sensation seeped through her thin school uniform.
This was the closest she’d ever been to a strange boy.
Le Ya tugged at her bag’s strap and pleaded, “I really didn’t see anything… I’m going home.”
Chen Yang’s gaze landed on her rosy lips, which looked incredibly tempting under the interplay of light and shadow. They were full and vibrant, parting and closing as she spoke, making him want to bite them.
He swallowed, shifting his gaze away.
After what felt like an eternity, Le Ya finally heard his indifferent reply: “Fine.” She immediately exhaled in relief.
She thought this boy was a bit intimidating.
Just as Le Ya prepared to leave, Chen Yang turned back and said, “I’ll walk you home.”
Startled, Le Ya refused, “No, thank you.”
Chen Yang paid no heed. “You go your way, I’ll go mine.”
Le Ya wanted to protest but couldn’t find the words. She felt he wouldn’t listen to her anyway. She shouldn’t have come here tonight.
She hadn’t found the Chen Yang she was looking for but instead encountered this eccentric.
As for his earlier offer to treat her to a meal, it had completely slipped her mind—though it would likely resurface as a problem later.
The two exited the campus one after the other.
Chen Yang walked ahead, hands in his pockets, his school uniform slung over his shoulder. He looked refined and gentlemanly, impossible to look away from.
Le Ya couldn’t understand why someone so handsome had such a strange personality—one moment sunny, the next stormy.
Take the curly-haired girl from the stairwell earlier, for example. Despite being scolded, she hadn’t gotten angry. What kind of charm did he possess that made people act this way?
Le Ya didn’t even dare ask his name anymore.
Today, they made it to the entrance of her neighborhood without incident. The security guard, seeing her, assumed she was being followed again.
Before Le Ya could step inside, her path was blocked once more.
Chen Yang stood in front of her, towering over her with a raised eyebrow. “So you just deleted me like that?”
Le Ya’s heart raced. She didn’t know what to say.
She had indeed deleted him, fearing potential trouble. After all, he had followed her all the way to her residence. What if he harassed her further?
Though she hadn’t personally experienced it, she’d heard stories of people sending inappropriate pictures on WeChat.
Her face reddened, and she quickly sidestepped him, running into the complex like a frightened rabbit.
Chen Yang turned around, watching the small figure dart away. She ran so fast that she disappeared in the blink of an eye.
He kept watching, countless emotions flickering in his eyes before settling into a faint smile.
No matter how fast she ran, it didn’t change anything.
Le Ya ran far before finally stopping. Seeing no trace of the boy, she exhaled in relief.
Adjusting her hearing aid, she was grateful it hadn’t fallen off during her sprint.
Opening the door, she changed her shoes and called out, “Aunt Zhang, I’m home.”
Hearing the sound, Aunt Zhang came over and asked, “Why are you back so late today? Are you adjusting well to the new campus?”
Le Ya replied, “It’s fine.”
Aunt Zhang didn’t suspect anything and took her bag. “Your father is already back. Wash your hands, and we can eat.”
Le Ya nodded. “Okay.”
She headed to the bathroom, washed her hands, and then stared at herself in the mirror. Unable to help it, she thought of the boy again and shook her head before leaving the bathroom.
In the living room, Le Yi Jian was sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper.
“Dad,” Le Ya approached with a smile, softly asking, “Why are you having dinner at home today?”
Le Yi Jian put down the newspaper. “Of course to have dinner with you.”
The evening self-study sessions at Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School ended at ten o’clock. It was already nearly half-past ten now, so dinner could technically count as a midnight snack.
Le Yi Jian suddenly remembered something and asked, “I heard you’ve all moved to the new campus buildings. Was everything okay? Nothing happened, right?”
“What could happen?” Le Ya sipped her tea. “The teachers went with us. Nothing has changed.”
Le Yi Jian nodded and reminded her, “That’s good. If anyone at school bullies you, tell me.”
One by one, dishes were brought to the table, filling the air with the aroma of food. Le Ya, who hadn’t eaten much in the evening, was starting to feel hungry.
She responded, “I will, Dad. Don’t worry.”
At the Le household, talking during meals was discouraged. Until the end of the meal, the only sounds were those of utensils clinking against plates.
After dinner, Aunt Zhang cleared the dishes.
Le Ya wiped her mouth and hesitated before asking, “Dad, did you used to sponsor a student?”
“How do you know about that?”
Le Ya lowered her head. “I overheard you on the phone last time.”
Le Yi Jian’s expression shifted slightly. He thought about the content of his previous phone call, confirming there was no critical information shared before replying, “Yes, there are a few. But they’re much younger than you—haven’t even entered high school yet. You don’t need to concern yourself with this.”
Le Ya was confused.
If they hadn’t entered high school yet, then who was Chen Yang?
Le Yi Jian continued, “Now that you’re in your final year, although we don’t pressure you to get into any specific school, you should still focus on your studies. Le Ya, you’ve never disappointed me.”
He knew his daughter’s personality—whatever he said, she believed without question. So whether his words were true or false, she wouldn’t verify them.
Le Ya nodded. “Mm.”
“Oh, and,” Le Yi Jian added, “in a couple of days, I’ll arrange for a driver to pick you up. It’s not safe for you to walk alone so late at night.”
Instinctively, Le Ya rejected the idea. “No need, Dad. I come back with Qingyu. It’s fine.”
“You don’t need to worry about it—I’ll handle it.” Le Yi Jian glanced at his watch. “It’s late. Go upstairs and wash up. You need to wake up early tomorrow.”
Le Ya opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Even after returning to her room, she still couldn’t make sense of certain things.
________________________________________
The next morning, a light drizzle fell outside.
Le Ya took a new umbrella from home. This one wasn’t as exaggerated as the rabbit umbrella from last time—it was transparent and gave off a fresh, minimalist vibe.
When she stepped outside, she saw the driver waiting. After a brief pause, she got into the car. “Isn’t Dad being driven today?”
The driver smiled. “Mr. Le won’t be leaving for another two hours.”
Le Ya realized this and stopped asking questions.
They arrived at school ten minutes later. The drizzle had intensified into a steady downpour. Students heading to their classrooms were already engrossed in self-study.
School regulations required morning reading to start at 6:30, but in reality, students began arriving at 6:00 to study. Similarly, in the evenings, many students voluntarily studied until 10:30, not wasting a single second.
Le Ya placed her umbrella by her desk and took out her books to begin studying.
Ten minutes later, Xie Qingyu arrived fashionably late.
“Le Ya!”
Xie Qingyu whispered, showing her phone screen. “There’s this new test thing. I tested you, and Le Ya, you’re such a pervert!”
Le Ya set her book down. “What are you talking about?”
“Look, see for yourself. I’m not lying.”
Le Ya tapped on the large image displayed on her friend’s phone.
The picture showed some diagnostic result, claiming that Le Ya was made of candy canes and other suggestive items.
Le Ya spoke softly, “Don’t spend all day looking at these things.”
Xie Qingyu burst into laughter. “Hehe, I’ll send you the link. You can test whoever you want. I’ve already tested everyone I know.”
She sent the diagnostic website to Le Ya.
With nothing else to do, Le Ya copied the link into her browser and opened it. The results were based on Mother Goose rhymes, which she had never heard of before.
She wondered if it was about a story involving geese.
Xie Qingyu and Le Ya had only met in high school. Xie Qingyu only knew Le Ya by her nickname, but her real name should have been Fang Le Ya.
Le Ya typed in her three characters and received a new result.
This name included love and sunflowers. The new answer bore no resemblance to the old one, and the meanings were entirely different—but somehow, it felt oddly accurate.
Le Ya exhaled.
She suddenly thought of Chen Yang’s name and casually typed it in. A new page popped up, and the text changed accordingly.
Seeing the mention of a suit and a crooked tie, Le Ya’s first thought was that Chen Yang seemed quite proper—though she still didn’t know what he looked like.
Xie Qingyu continued chattering in her ear. “Hey, have you decided what to buy to make up for it? Do you want me to suggest something…”
________________________________________
Five minutes before 6:30, Class Seventeen was already full.
The homeroom teacher would arrive promptly at 6:30 to check attendance. Anyone late would be punished with standing during morning reading—even the most mischievous students didn’t want to stand.
Liang Qian leaned back in his chair. “Why hasn’t Yang-ge arrived yet?”
“You’re the one who came early today,” Zhao Mingri muttered, furiously copying homework. “Didn’t you leave together with him yesterday after evening study hall?”
Liang Qian replied, “No, the class flower from Class Nineteen came to talk to Yang-ge about something secretive, so I left first.”
Bored out of his mind, Liang Qian kept staring out the window.
The rain outside grew heavier, its rhythmic patter filling the air. Soon, Chen Yang’s figure appeared in the corridor.
Liang Qian whistled. “Yang-ge’s here, right on time.”
As soon as Chen Yang entered, the item in his hand drew attention from several girls. Those seated near the aisle couldn’t help but exclaim, “So cute!”
It was the first time they’d seen Chen Yang like this.
Chen Yang always sat in the last row, where it was clean and unoccupied. He propped up his dripping umbrella in the corner.
For a moment, the entire class’s attention was drawn.
Liang Qian’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Is Yang-ge crazy? Did he start using a rabbit umbrella today?”
Good grief, had he gone blind?
Zhao Mingri looked up from his homework. Turning around, he spotted two upright rabbit ears and burst into laughter. “Where did you find this treasure, hahaha!”
They assumed Chen Yang wouldn’t react, but unexpectedly, both their chairs were kicked askew. “If you want to laugh, go outside. Come back when you’re done.”
Liang Qian noticed that Chen Yang’s expression remained neutral—it was impossible to tell if he was happy or unhappy—but it was clear there was no point in saying anything further.
He muttered sheepishly, “No way, no way.”
Once they left, they wouldn’t be allowed back in.
Liang Qian couldn’t help but glance at the umbrella propped up in the corner.
He struggled to imagine Chen Yang walking across campus with that rabbit umbrella, enduring the stares of everyone.
No matter how he looked at it, that umbrella seemed like something only a girl would use.
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