WG - 1

The hour hand on the wall clock pointed to ten o’clock.

The second hand ticked mechanically, each step sounding somewhat urgent.

Chi Zhiyu glanced at the clock, her straightened back slightly relaxing as she waited for the class to end.

But just then, the dance teacher across from her began shouting instructions again. However, halfway through her sentence, the tardy bell rang, interrupting her.

Upon hearing this, Chi Zhiyu secretly sighed in relief.

“Let’s call it a day. Remember to review your moves when you get home,” Li Rulan said, noticing the students’ exhaustion, and kindly dismissed them. Then, she turned her head and called out to someone nearby, “Zhiyu, come here for a moment.”

Chi Zhiyu had just sat down to rest when she heard her name called. Her brow furrowed slightly, “Why does she call me now? She could’ve called earlier or later, but no—she waits until I sit down.”

Her friend, Wu Xuan, who had also been relaxing her muscles, patted her shoulder sympathetically, “Stop complaining. If you don’t go now, she might make you practice extra.”

Chi Zhiyu frowned, using one hand to push herself up off the ground, dragging her sore body over to where Li Rulan stood. She greeted, “Teacher Li.”

Li Rulan nodded, “The performance assessment is coming up in a few days. Have you decided on your partner yet?”

Chi Zhiyu responded matter-of-factly, “Not yet.”

“How is it not decided yet?” Li Rulan frowned, “Didn’t I tell you to choose early?”

Chi Zhiyu looked innocent, “I did choose, but there’s no one suitable.”

Li Rulan’s brows furrowed even deeper, “There are so many male students in the neighboring class. Are you telling me none of them are suitable?”

Chi Zhiyu shook her head, “None.”

Li Rulan patiently countered, “How do you expect to perform a duet without a partner?”

Chi Zhiyu suggested, “I can dance with Wu Xuan.”

Li Rulan was exasperated, “Wu Xuan isn’t a boy. How are you two supposed to dance together?”

“Actually, Teacher,” Chi Zhiyu blinked as if seriously suggesting, “I can dress up as a man.”

Li Rulan: “......”

In the end, Chi Zhiyu was sent back. Wu Xuan, still sitting on the floor, looked up at her expression, which seemed normal, and asked curiously, “What did Rulan say to you?”

“Just about the partner thing,” Chi Zhiyu lazily leaned against the leg-stretching bar and casually answered.

Wu Xuan wasn’t surprised, “Did she find you a partner?”

Chi Zhiyu shook her head, looking down at her, “Nope. I told her I wanted to dance with you.”

“?”

Wu Xuan was momentarily stunned, “How are we supposed to dance together?”

“No, no,” Wu Xuan quickly realized what she meant and widened her eyes, “You mean Rulan agreed?”

Chi Zhiyu sighed in disappointment, “Unfortunately, no.”

“......”

What disappointment?

Wu Xuan stood up and moved closer to her, raising an eyebrow, “So who did Rulan assign you as a partner?”

“Your dream man.”

With that, Chi Zhiyu picked up the water bottle from the corner, rubbed her sore neck, and walked out.

Hearing this, Wu Xuan nodded in satisfaction, “It’s naturally our excellent Jiang Jinxu.”

The two entered the changing room one after the other.

Hearing this, Chi Zhiyu raised an eyebrow, “How did you know I’d be paired with Jiang Jinxu?”

“Jiang Jinxu is handsome, and his dance skills are top-notch. Who else would Rulan consider pairing with you?” Wu Xuan thought for a moment, “And besides, just standing together, you two match perfectly in looks and height.”

“But what can I do?” Chi Zhiyu opened her locker and gave her a flirtatious glance, “I still want to dance with you.”

“Are you serious?” Wu Xuan pretended to gag.

Chi Zhiyu patted her shoulder, “I know you’re just overwhelmed with emotion. Don’t worry, no need to be shy.”

“......”

Looking at her expression, Chi Zhiyu chuckled.

“BOOM—”

Just as they were teasing, Chi Zhiyu was about to change clothes when she suddenly heard thunder outside. She paused, thinking she might have misheard, and frowned, looking out the window.

The summer evening weather was usually hot and dry, but today it felt a bit muggy. Dark clouds gradually gathered, creating a strong sense of oppression.

A storm was approaching.

Wu Xuan, who had been taking off her shoes, looked up at the sky upon hearing the thunder, “Is it going to rain?”

“Do you have an umbrella?” Chi Zhiyu turned to ask.

Wu Xuan nodded, “I brought one, but if it pours, how are we both going to fit under it?”

“Then let’s hurry,” Chi Zhiyu untied her dance shoe laces, “It’ll be trouble if it starts raining.”

Wu Xuan nodded and sped up. After changing clothes, the two left the dance studio side by side, passing by the neighboring class.

Wu Xuan remembered something and turned her head curiously, “Do you think Jiang Jinxu is better looking or Brother Xie?”

Hearing the term “Brother Xie,” Chi Zhiyu’s expression became meaningful, “Brother Xie?”

Wu Xuan: “Xie Ye is older than you.”

Chi Zhiyu remained calm, “I’m older than you too. Why don’t you call me Sister Chi?”

“...” Wu Xuan retorted, “Two months older doesn’t count as a sister!”

“Well, Xie Ye isn’t much older than me either, right?”

“A year doesn’t count as ‘much older’?”

“A year?” Chi Zhiyu wrinkled her nose in disdain, “Xie Ye is so old.”

“...”

Wu Xuan was speechless, “We’re all high school students; what’s old about that? And didn’t you used to call him Brother?”

Chi Zhiyu blinked, “It doesn’t have to be in the past. I can call him that now.”

“You’d call Xie Ye ‘Brother’?” Wu Xuan didn’t believe it.

As they talked, the two reached the second floor. Outside, thunder roared continuously, and large raindrops began smashing onto the ground, making crisp, clear sounds.

Chi Zhiyu naturally heard it too. Wu Xuan looked at the rain outside and frowned, “What should we do?”

Though their homes weren’t far from the dance studio, a single umbrella wouldn’t cover both of them, and they’d definitely get soaked.

Chi Zhiyu glanced at the dark clouds outside and suggested, “The rain isn’t heavy yet. You take the umbrella and go first.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll call someone to pick me up.”

As she spoke, Chi Zhiyu pulled out her phone with one hand, found Xie Ye’s contact, and sent him a text.

—【Big Brother Ye, it’s raining outside. Can you come pick me up? I’m so scared, whimper whimper whimper.】

Wu Xuan watched this string of words being typed out: “......”

So this is how you call him “Big Brother Ye.”

Chi Zhiyu calmly sent the message. Wu Xuan looked at the last part of the text and couldn’t help but comment, “Do you really need to add the ‘whimper whimper’?”

Chi Zhiyu thought for a few seconds and guessed, “When a girl encounters trouble, shouldn’t she seem more vulnerable?”

Wu Xuan: “...... That’s playing games.”

Chi Zhiyu yawned, “Haven’t you heard? Girls who play games get candy.”

Before Wu Xuan could respond, Chi Zhiyu’s phone vibrated with a new message.

Chi Zhiyu opened it with one hand and saw that the reply contained only one symbol.

Xie Ye: 【？】

Chi Zhiyu furrowed her brow and started typing to ask him.

A second later, her phone buzzed again.

She looked down; this time, Xie Ye’s reply was still short, but instead of a symbol, it was two words.

—【Who is this?】

Chi Zhiyu: “……”

“What’s wrong?”

Wu Xuan noticed her expression as she stared at her phone.

Something felt off, and Wu Xuan was about to investigate further.

However, Chi Zhiyu quickly put her phone away, cutting off Wu Xuan’s line of sight. She calmly said, “It’s nothing. You go ahead.”

Wu Xuan: “Is Xie Ye coming to pick you up?”

“Mm-hmm.” Chi Zhiyu narrowed her eyes slightly, “If he doesn’t come, I’ll bite him to death.”

Since someone was coming to get her, Wu Xuan said goodbye and hurried off with her umbrella.

Meanwhile, Chi Zhiyu continued texting Xie Ye. Gone was the earlier vulnerability; now she sent a string of scolding messages, telling him to hurry up and come pick her up.

But her texts were like stones sinking into the ocean—Xie Ye didn’t reply, not even a peep.

Chi Zhiyu was truly exasperated. She looked out at the pouring rain, her brow furrowing deeper.

The rain showed no signs of letting up and seemed to be getting heavier. A cool breeze accompanied the drizzle, blowing through the open window and chilling her arms.

Chi Zhiyu stepped back a few paces, patting her damp arms, and continued walking toward the first-floor lobby.

The main entrance on the ground floor stood wide open. The sound of the rain outside drowned out the faint murmurs around her.

Inside the lobby, other art students who hadn’t brought umbrellas were waiting. But because the summer dance training sessions ended at irregular times, Chi Zhiyu was one of the later ones to finish—those who had finished earlier had already left.

As Chi Zhiyu descended the stairs, she kept her head down, texting Xie Ye. Her feet touched the ground floor.

At the same time, she heard a girl mutter softly from the side, “Who is it?”

Chi Zhiyu turned her head toward the sound.

Outside, the sky was growing darker, and the lobby lights cast a dim yellow glow.

In the shadows, a tall, slim youth stood in the corner of the hall.

He leaned casually against a stone pillar, his posture relaxed. His body was angled toward the staircase, his head slightly bowed as if looking at his phone.

The faint light from the screen illuminated the lower half of his face, revealing pale skin and sharp, clean-cut features.

Chi Zhiyu stopped in her tracks, squinting to get a better look at him. After a moment of surprise, she slowly picked up her phone and typed two words. Before even a few seconds passed—

The boy raised his head.

The surrounding light shifted instantly. His eyes were deep black, narrow and slightly upturned, with a calm yet indifferent expression. His lips were pressed together, exuding an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Upon seeing the person at the staircase, Xie Ye put his phone away, straightened up, and walked toward her.

The wind outside was picking up, and Chi Zhiyu sniffed before stepping aside.

“What are you avoiding?”

Xie Ye approached, noticing her movement. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

His voice was low, hoarse as if he’d just woken up, with a hint of nasal tone.

He blocked the gust of wind for her, and Chi Zhiyu pointed outside, “The wind’s too strong.”

After explaining, Chi Zhiyu remembered the main point and looked up at him, asking, “When did you get here?”

Xie Ye glanced at her phone, then answered calmly, “When you were ‘so scared.’”

“......”

So this guy had been here all along. Chi Zhiyu glared at him, “Then why didn’t you say something earlier? You wasted my text message money.”

Xie Ye smirked slightly, “You have money to call me ‘Big Brother Ye,’ but you’re stingy about a few texts?”

Caught red-handed, Chi Zhiyu shrugged nonchalantly, “Calling you ‘Brother’ is already a loss for me.”

Her words somehow made it seem like he was the one benefiting.

Xie Ye glanced at her, “Should I thank you, then?”

“What else?” Chi Zhiyu followed his lead, “Do you think calling you ‘Big Brother Ye’ comes for free?”

Xie Ye let out a derisive snort, unwilling to argue further, and turned to leave.

Chi Zhiyu quickly followed behind him, positioning herself directly behind him to block the wind, so she wouldn’t catch a cold from the gusts.

Anyway, this guy was strong and sturdy.

Xie Ye noticed her subtle movements. With one long stride, he casually shifted direction. Sure enough, the little shadow behind him hurriedly adjusted her path as well.

After several such turns, Chi Zhiyu grew annoyed and opened her mouth to scold him—but was interrupted by a voice from behind.

“Chi Zhiyu.”

Both of them paused and turned to look.

Chi Zhiyu raised her eyes and recognized Jiang Jinxu.

The boy’s height and physique were outstanding, with a delicate, scholarly appearance that was clearly the type girls would like.

Xie Ye glanced at him, his expression indifferent.

“What is it?” Chi Zhiyu asked as Jiang Jinxu approached.

Jiang Jinxu explained, “Teacher Li told me about the partner thing. I thought we could familiarize ourselves with the moves during tomorrow’s joint practice session between our two classes.”

This wasn’t the first time they’d partnered together, so they were both familiar with each other’s habits.

Chi Zhiyu had no objections and nodded, “Alright, I got it.”

As soon as her words fell, the Xie Ye beside her suddenly picked up an umbrella and began walking outside. Jiang Jinxu noticed and was momentarily stunned.

Chi Zhiyu frowned slightly, glancing at the figure who had already stepped outside, “Do you have anything else to say?”

She was wary of Xie Ye leaving her behind and wanted to keep an eye on him.

Jiang Jinxu snapped out of his daze and said a few more sentences about the arrangements. Chi Zhiyu listened for a while, pursing her lips.

The wind outside carried raindrops, blowing directly onto her body. Summer clothes were thin to begin with, and the cold, damp wind made Chi Zhiyu feel goosebumps rising on her skin.

She rubbed her arms, losing patience with his rambling. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the sound of an umbrella opening interrupted her.

Hearing this, Chi Zhiyu immediately reacted and turned to look for him.

Her movements were obvious. Jiang Jinxu stopped talking and followed her gaze.

Under the eaves of the doorway, a slim youth stood alone. His back was straight, one hand holding an umbrella. As he raised his arm, his sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing a pale, slender wrist.

This stance—clearly, he was ready to leave.

Chi Zhiyu stood there watching him, blinking once.

After a few seconds, Xie Ye slowly lifted his eyelids, meeting her gaze. His expression was aloof, his brows betraying impatience.

“Come over.”