Chapter 29

Su Xiaoxiao blinked. “I didn’t really bump into him, just dropped the papers.”
He nodded but looked like he wanted to say something else.
Mr. Cao came back with a stack of notebooks, scanning the rows of desks, all uneven in height.
He tapped the podium and looked around the room.
“Jin Qishan.”
Caught off guard, he lifted his head.
“You, move to the last row. You’re too tall, you’re blocking everyone’s view.”
The class burst into laughter.
Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help laughing too. Sitting in the fifth row, Jin Qishan really was blocking half the room.
As Jin Qishan pretended to pack his things, he lightly kicked the leg of Su Xiaoxiao’s chair.
Su Xiaoxiao turned and whispered, “What?”
“Underneath,” he murmured.
She reached a hand under his desk.
Suddenly, his hand closed around hers, and pressed two long, rectangular objects into her palm.
Her skin burned as if shocked by static, and she yanked her hand back, heart pounding. When she opened her fist, two chocolate bars lay in her palm.
She glanced over her shoulder. Jin Qishan looked completely calm, swinging his bag onto his shoulder as he moved to his new seat in the back row, like nothing at all had happened.
Ha, so she really was overthinking things.
Su Xiaoxiao broke one of the chocolates in half and passed a piece to Shen Hua.
“You bought these?” Shen Hua asked.
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. “No, Jin Qishan gave them to me just now.”
Shen Hua sighed wistfully. “He’s so nice to you. He’s always teasing me.”
Su Xiaoxiao froze for a second, then forced a grin. “You’re kidding, right? Dongshan once said I was pretty, and Qishan told him to get his eyes checked.”
Shen Hua laid her head on the desk, eyes shining. “Don’t listen to him, you are the prettiest.”
Su Xiaoxiao leaned forward, chin propped on her arms. “In my heart, you’re the prettiest.”
Zhang Dongshan, listening nearby, rested his head on his folded arms too, feeling oddly sentimental. Three years of sitting beside Qishan, and now they were separated, just because the guy grew too tall.
A moment later, a boy named Duan Hao came over, lugging his schoolbag.
He’d transferred from another junior high, and no one in the class really knew him.
But Su Xiaoxiao’s first impression wasn’t great, he was short and pudgy, with greasy hair plastered to his scalp and a faint shadow of stubble around his mouth. The word unkempt summed him up perfectly.
…
That afternoon, during break, a boy by the window, Ge Jian, suddenly called out, “Su Xiaoxiao! There’s a handsome guy looking for you outside!”
Instantly, every head in the room swiveled toward the window.
Su Xiaoxiao looked up, and there he was: Shen Yi, practically glowing.
She stood up, and all eyes followed her.
A pretty girl and a handsome boy, it was enough to set the whole class buzzing.
“Is that her boyfriend?”
“I think so. I was in her middle school class, tons of guys used to come looking for her, and she always ignored them. Look at her now, she’s actually getting up to go out!”
“No idea, but he’s cute. If it were me, I’d totally like him too.”
“Anyone know who he is?”
“Nope.”
“No idea.”
Shen Yi spotted her and waved the elegant gift bag in his hand.
Su Xiaoxiao grabbed Shen Hua’s hand. “Someone’s here to see me. Come with me, okay?”
Shen Hua hesitated. “He’s your friend, it’s not really right for me to tag along.”
“He’s not my friend,” Su Xiaoxiao whispered quickly. “Remember the guy who bumped into me on the stairs this morning? That’s him. If I go alone, people will start gossiping.”
Shen Hua thought about it, then nodded and followed.
When they reached him, Shen Yi handed the gift bag to Su Xiaoxiao, his lips curved in an easy smile. “Sorry about this morning. I came to apologize properly.”
“It’s fine. But thank you.” Su Xiaoxiao spoke quickly, then nudged Shen Hua forward with a meaningful glance.
Shen Hua blinked in confusion. Why me?
Still, she obediently stepped up.
Interesting, Shen Yi thought, amused.
“I haven’t introduced myself yet,” he said with a smile. “I’m Shen Yi, Class 7.”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded rapidly like a pecking chick. Of course she knew, how could she not?
“Well, I won’t keep you. See you next time.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and walked off with casual grace.
“Say goodbye,” Su Xiaoxiao hissed, nudging Shen Hua again.
Shen Hua, still dazed, waved awkwardly. “Bye.”
Leaning against the wall nearby, Jin Qishan watched the scene unfold, a faint, unreadable smile tugging at his lips, eyes cool and distant.
As Shen Yi passed him, Jin Qishan stepped forward slightly.
Their shoulders brushed.
Years of training, and a flash of intention, gave that bump more force than it should’ve had.
“Ah” Shen Yi hissed under his breath; it hurt.
He looked up, about to say sorry, but the other boy’s expression stopped him cold, detached, almost disdainful.
Shen Yi gave him a once-over, clicked his tongue, and walked away.

“Who was that? The guy who came to see you?”
The moment Su Xiaoxiao stepped back inside, she was surrounded by curious classmates.
Before she could answer, the bell rang, forcing everyone back to their seats, unsatisfied.
During the next class, Shen Hua stayed quiet, still processing what had happened. Then, halfway through the next break, she suddenly turned to Su Xiaoxiao. “Hey, wasn’t that guy looking for you? Why did you keep pushing me forward?”
Uh oh, busted.
Su Xiaoxiao pointed quickly at the logo on the gift bag. “Look! Shen’s Patisserie! Should we open it and see what’s inside?”
Inside were cream puffs, cookies, and at the very bottom, a beautifully packaged little cake.
“Wow,” Shen Hua breathed. “That’s a lot of stuff.”
Shen’s Patisserie was basically the Hermes of local bakeries.
Zhang Dongshan, who’d been eyeing them from across the aisle, nearly drooled. His family wasn’t poor, but his pocket money was tight, luxury desserts were out of the question.
Leaning over his desk, he said pitifully, “So many goodies! Shouldn’t you share? Come on, Xiaoxiao, who was that guy? Your boyfriend?”
“No,” Su Xiaoxiao said. “Just a new friend I met today.”
Zhang grinned. “A new friend who gives you luxury desserts? Sounds like someone wants to chase you!”
At that moment, Jin Qishan walked over, eyes cold, voice low.
“New friend, huh? And you’re already taking gifts from him? Tell me, what can he buy you that I can’t?”
Su Xiaoxiao looked up at Jin Qishan, his mocking smile stinging more than she expected, it made her feel cheap somehow, as if she’d done something shameful.
“Who said I casually accepted anything? If you don’t know the situation, don’t talk nonsense. And besides, why should you be the one to buy me food? Can’t I buy it myself?” she snapped, turning her head away, refusing to look at him.
It happened to be dinnertime, and the classroom was almost empty, so not many people overheard their exchange.
She didn’t take it casually? Then that meant she’d thought about it before accepting it?
The thought made Jin Qishan’s temper flare hot in his chest.
He kicked the empty chair in front of him hard, the noise echoing through the room, then called out flatly, “Let’s go, Dongshan. Dinner.”
The sudden crash made Shen Hua jump. It was the first time she’d ever seen Jin Qishan and Su Xiaoxiao fight, and she froze, unsure what to do.
For a few seconds, time itself seemed to pause. Then Shen Hua asked softly, “Xiaoxiao, do you, want to go eat?”
“I don’t feel like it.” Su Xiaoxiao lay her head on the desk, voice dull. “Go ahead without me.”
“Okay. Do you want me to bring something back for you?” Shen Hua asked gently, still worried, she’d never seen Su Xiaoxiao look so defeated.
“No need. I’ll buy something later if I get hungry.”
Shen Hua nodded, took her lunch card, and left quietly.
When Jin Qishan and Zhang Dongshan reached the cafeteria doors, Jin suddenly said, “I’m not eating. Going to play ball.”
Without another word, he turned and walked off, leaving Zhang Dongshan standing there, dumbfounded in the cool autumn breeze.
Luckily, he ran into Shen Hua on her own, and the two ended up eating together.
“Where’s Jin Qishan?” she asked. “Weren’t you two together?”
“He was,” Zhang said, puzzled. “Then halfway here, he said he wasn’t eating and went to play basketball. What about Xiaoxiao?”
“She’s not eating either.”
They both sighed in unison.

After half an hour on the court, Jin Qishan still hadn’t cooled down.
Everyone else had stopped to rest, but he kept shooting alone, over and over.
Students who had already eaten were starting to wander in, including Zhang Dongshan, who showed up with a couple of drinks.
“Bro, take a break, here.” He handed one over.
Jin Qishan grabbed the bottle, gulping down half of it in one go.
Sweat trailed down his face; his Adam’s apple bobbed sharply with each swallow.
The girls watching from the sidelines tried not to stare, stealing glances every few seconds.
Zhang Dongshan, meanwhile, was talking non-stop, as usual. “See, I’m such a good friend, knew you’d be thirsty, so I bought you a drink. And you ditched me right at the cafeteria door!”
“Good thing I ran into Shen Hua, or I’d be eating alone.”
“Not that I can’t eat alone,” he added dramatically, “just that it looks so pitiful.”
“But hey, lucky for her she met me, otherwise she’d be eating all sad and alone too.”
Jin Qishan paused mid-sip, frowning slightly. Shen Hua was alone? What about Su Xiaoxiao?
As if reading his mind, he went on, “Xiaoxiao said she didn’t feel like eating either.”
Jin Qishan took another long drink, then crushed the empty bottle in his hand and tossed it into the bin.
“I’m done. Going back,” he said, grabbing his jacket from the court fence. Then, after a pause, “After class, dinner’s on me.”
Zhang Dongshan brightened. “Deal!” He grinned and waved. “See you later, bro!”
Yao Yuan, who’d been playing with them since seventh grade, shook his head, clapping Zhang Dongshan on the back. “He’s already gone, stop staring after him.”
Zhang Dongshan sighed, glancing back at the court. “No point playing now. Without him, it’s boring.”
Yao Yuan snorted. “Hard to believe you taught him to play. How’d the gap get this big?”
Zhang Dongshan shot him a glare. “Who was it bragging about playing since they could walk? Didn’t stop Qishan from wiping the floor with you.”
Yao Yuan choked, balling his fists. “You little punk, come on, let’s see who’s boss.”
“Fine,” Zhang Dongshan said, tossing his jacket down. “Let’s see who’s calling who daddy this time.”
As they started wrestling for the ball, two girls walking by cringed.
“Ew,” one muttered. “Why are they calling each other daddy? Gross.”

On his way back to class, Jin Qishan “happened” to stop by the school store and bought some bread and milk.
When he entered the room, Su Xiaoxiao was still lying on her desk, asleep.
He set the bread and milk down in front of her. The sound made her lift her head groggily.
Awkwardly, he muttered, “I bought these.”