Yun Mi was slightly out of breath and asked hastily, "Where is everyone else?"
Hearing this, Chen Yiyang lifted his eyelids slightly, his tone indifferent. "Inside."
He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Xie Yue and a few other boys poked their heads out one by one. "What's up?"
Yun Mi explained the situation outside, and several of them quickly changed clothes and went out to help.
After finding the female classmates, Yun Mi noticed that Chen Yiyang had moved to the back of the crowd.
The boy's thin eyelids drooped, and his indifferent eyes hid a barely noticeable gloom.
As everyone rushed toward the main hall, he turned away from the crowd at the intersection.
He left.
…
Wen Liangyu had just finished work at the Advanced Translation Institute and was about to have dinner. The caller ID showed "Yang Yang." She frowned slightly.
Chen Yiyang hadn't walked far before the sound of a taxi came through the phone. Wen Liangyu's tone wasn't the explosive anger he had expected, only suppressed exhaustion and coldness. "I've made my position clear, and it won't change."
"Why?"
"You know best how exhausting and hard the competition is. You say you want to choose liberal arts—do you really mean it?"
Chen Yiyang lowered his eyes, his voice deep. "This has nothing to do with the competition."
"How is it unrelated?" Wen Liangyu's voice carried a hint of helplessness and frustration. "You could easily get a recommendation. Wouldn't it be a shame to miss such a good opportunity? Do you know how hard my colleague's child works, staying up late doing problems until he cries? He doesn't have the talent you have!"
Yun Mi reached the intersection and saw Chen Yiyang at a glance.
His voice cut through the noisy backstage.
The boy's figure was tall and unrestrained. When he lowered his eyes, his cold tone carried a hint of stubbornness but no trace of showing off. "If others cry over math, that's their business. I don't find the competition as hard as you think."
"…"
Chen Yiyang said, "How I choose is my business."
Wen Liangyu laughed in anger. "Fine. Very well."
She was choked by him, unable to reason with him. All her patience was exhausted, and her tone finally hardened. "Chen Yiyang, you said it yourself. It's your business. If you say you want to choose something, make a decision, and go down that road, then go find your father to sign. I won't sign."
"Beep—" The call was hung up decisively.
The corridor immediately fell into dead silence.
Yun Mi wasn't sure what had happened, but from the vague female voice on the phone, she guessed it was Aunt Wen.
They had argued.
She had originally planned to leave, but seeing Chen Yiyang's silent expression after hanging up, she unconsciously stopped.
The girl stepped forward slowly. Yun Mi felt she should do something, but standing beside Chen Yiyang in the crowded, dim place, she could smell his clean, dry warmth more clearly than on the way home yesterday.
His eyelashes were so fine, his nose so straight.
Why hadn't she noticed before?
He was unhappy, and she seemed unhappy too.
Chen Yiyang noticed Yun Mi had come over. He remained silent, only speaking when she didn't leave. "What's wrong?"
Yun Mi had nothing else on her. She reached out and handed him something, pretending to be casual. "Have some."
Chen Yiyang raised an eyebrow.
The brown shells had a caramel gloss.
His gaze moved from the three chestnuts in Yun Mi's palm to her face.
She looked up at him with a slight smile.
The three chestnuts had gone cold but still gave off a sweet smell.
Chen Yiyang felt a tightness in his chest. His tone was very light. "Worried about me?"
They were close. The boy's dark eyes reflected only her.
Yun Mi looked away. "Afraid Aunt Wen will kick you out of the house."
"…"
Seeing that he wouldn't take them, Yun Mi took the initiative to grab Chen Yiyang's hand and pressed the chestnuts into his palm. She continued, "If you're gone, there'll be no one on the second floor to listen to me dismantle the house."
"…"
It actually made sense.
A faint smile appeared on Chen Yiyang's indifferent face.
He asked, "Aren't you going to help?"
Yun Mi had just touched Chen Yiyang's palm.
It was the first time.
Warm, and very dry.