The temperature had dropped sharply in recent days, and a faint white mist hung in the air with every breath. The magnolia tree in front of the teaching building had begun to shed its leaves, its petals scattered all over the ground. When the wind blew past, they carried a sweet, delicate fragrance.
After finishing her last class, Ye Qingli packed up and headed to the Youth Association. She had been going for several days in a row. Xu Yan rested her chin on her hand and watched her pack, letting out a sigh. "You're so busy. It's hard to even grab a meal with you. I regret letting you join the Youth Association."
"Yeah," Jiang Mo agreed, pinching her slender waist through her coat. "But it's probably great for losing weight."
"Come on, she's already thin enough. If she loses any more, she'll waste away."
Ye Qingli packed her last book, looked up, and smiled. "This is my first time getting into photography, so I have to take it seriously. I can't hold everyone back. Alright, I'm off. I'll treat you all to a meal when I have some free time in a couple of days."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
It was very cold outside today. Ye Qingli tightened her coat. As she passed by the skateboarding club, a large crowd had gathered at the entrance. She spotted Xiao Yu in the crowd immediately.
He was on a double-kick skateboard, gliding slowly for a distance before suddenly jumping up. There were steps ahead, and the skateboard spun in the air several times. Ye Qingli thought it would get away from him, but it obediently stuck to his feet as if glued, and he landed steadily with the board.
Ye Qingli's heart tightened. How did he not fall?
The next second, the crowd erupted in cheers. The guys were excited, but the girls were practically screaming their heads off, all praising how handsome Xiao Yu was and so on.
Perhaps as expected, Xiao Yu faintly curled the corner of his mouth in response.
Once the skateboard stopped, Xu Qingsong rushed over, grinning widely. "Damn! You learned that in no time!"
"Is it hard?" Xiao Yu stepped off the skateboard and looked up, spotting Ye Qingli standing not far away.
And Huang Xu walking toward her.
They exchanged a few words, and then both wore smiles.
Xu Qingsong nodded frantically at the question. "Hard! I was so frustrated when I first started learning this trick. It took me half a day to get it down."
"Stupid."
Xiao Yu stepped on the edge of the board nearest him, causing the other side to tilt up. He caught it with his hand and turned to walk toward the steps.
What the hell was that about? Xu Qingsong didn't get it, pointing at his back. "Hey, why are you cursing me out of nowhere?"
...
After several days of discussion and practice, Ye Qingli had become much more familiar with photography. She packed away the notebook she used for practice and thanked Huang Xu.
Huang Xu smiled. "For what? We're all members of the Youth Association. I'm happy to help you."
Even though he said that, Ye Qingli still felt embarrassed that he had been giving her private lessons. She felt that just saying thanks wasn't enough to show her sincerity, so she made a mental note to buy him a gift when she had some free time.
"Ye Qingli."
The voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Following the sound, both of them looked up.
Xiao Yu was leaning against the doorframe, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. He wasn't looking at Huang Xu; his gaze was fixed on her face, his expression as indifferent as his voice.
What was he doing here so late? And calling her name?
Ye Qingli paused, then responded. "What's up? Did you need something from me?"
Xiao Yu let out a light scoff, his tone turning intriguing. "Do I always need a reason? Can't I come to pick you up?"
As expected, at those words, Huang Xu's already drooping face turned even uglier.
Ye Qingli was startled by the sudden "pick you up."
What was he up to?
"Pick me up... for what...?" Ye Qingli had to ask, bracing herself.
"To eat."
With that, he threw away the cigarette he was holding, reached through her coat to grab her wrist, and pulled her toward him.
"You..."
As they collided, Ye Qingli felt him slip something into her pocket.
She reached in and felt it with her fingers. She paused.
It was her student ID.
Why was he suddenly being so kind?
Before she could think further, Huang Xu spoke up from the side. "Eating so late can cause indigestion. And girls usually want to stay in shape. If you don't want to eat, it's fine. Skipping one meal isn't a big deal."
He said it in that doting tone.
Xiao Yu laughed outright at that. Without changing his expression, he reached around and pinched Ye Qingli's back.
"..." The latter understood immediately, smiled at Huang Xu, and turned to accept Xiao Yu's "gracious invitation."
This was undoubtedly a slap in Huang Xu's face, and a loud one at that.
Understanding that Xiao Yu was good at finding a way out for himself, Huang Xu then said, "Alright, go ahead then. Remember to be safe."
He said those last few words while looking at Ye Qingli.
But Xiao Yu seemed to know his weak spot and, as if casually, stabbed a knife into his heart. "Don't bother worrying. She's definitely safer with me than with you. You should spend your time figuring out how to gaslight your next girlfriend."