Make no mistakes, Yingyue was not enamored with Pan Yuchen. Far from it. The thing was just that the young girl was a little too fond of stories. So much that she developed a similar fondness for people she considered "storybook material". It was similar to the love felt for one's favorite storybook character.
But how was anyone supposed to know that? How was anyone supposed to not lump her with the innumerable females who were head over heels for the Jade Dragon?
The result was that murmurs of a different nature filled the air. Murmurs that would later be converted into the most untrue and yet the most repeated gossip,at least for a while.
Conveniently oblivious, Yingyue sailed over to him, even though any sensible person would have been able to tell that he did not want to be approached at all.
"Hello, there. I'm Meng Yingyue"she extended her hand politely, only for it to be ignored.
Yuchen did not even look up, much less acknowledge her in anyway.
Yingyue pouted. If there was one thing she absolutely disliked, it was being ignored by someone whose attention she really wanted to get.
"PAN YU CHEN"she called, tapping her foot impatiently.
There was no reward for her efforts.
A streak of ire caused her brows to furrow slightly.
"Hey,"she placed her hand on his shoulder "I'm talking to you, you know that, right?".
For the second time, there was a collective seizure of all murmurs, but of course she did not notice.
Yuchen's fingers curled slightly, causing a small crinkle in the page in his hand. Yingyue did not notice this either. She did not notice anything amiss until he slapped her hand away, the way one would slap away an offending insect .A persistent cockroach, perhaps.
"Ouch!"a sharp pain seared through her wrist,as if she had been struck with a steel staff.
She clutched the wrist and opened her mouth to complain, but whatever it was she had to say died an untimely death in her throat. Yuchen was glaring at her, face blank but eyes murderous,as though he intended to smite her with a single look.
Deep waters scared Yingyue. And snakes creeped her out. But the look in Yuchen's eyes knitted raw fear into her bones.
"I'm... sorry?"she muttered hesitantly, taking a subconscious step backwards.
But what had she done wrong, she wondered. What was he so mad about?
No, she decided. He was nothing like Sect leader Pan. She had been grievously wrong to imagine, even for a second,that they shared any similarities beyond physical appearance.
In fact, she suddenly realized, they were not even as identical as she had thought at first.
Yuchen had none of the sect leader's approachable softness. His was a cold, intimidating beauty, with an air of aloofness to boot,as if the rest of humanity and the world in general had absolutely nothing to do with him.
"Meng Yingyue!".
Once more, all eyes turned to the doors, this time to see Pan Chao and Pan Haoran panting heavily.
"How can you run so fast?!"Mr Pan Temperamental Haoran demanded.
"Didn't we tell you to return to your classroom?"Chao added.
Yingyue was too shocked to argue with them,or even to apologize to them. Clearly, getting Sect leader Pan's name would have to wait for her to recover.
"You're coming with us"Haoran took her wrist and began to drag her out of the room.
"Hey, you're being rough"Chao reprimanded.
The look on her face did not escape him, and he knew she would not be causing any trouble,at least not for a while. So it wouldn't hurt to be a little gentler with her.
Haoran huffed obstinately, but he released his bone crushing hold to a lax clasp.
The silence prevailed even after the doors shut behind the three juniors. Then Hui really did burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Yuchen sure had gotten himself a nice little parcel of big trouble.
*
*
*
At long last, the last lesson ended. And with it, the facade of decorum. While the children of the Pan clan sat obediently at their desks, everyone else congregated in their various groups of friends. Everyone except Yingyue,who did not have any, and Ling,who clearly didn't like people.
The boy sat at his isolated desk, painting and clearly contented with his own solitude. So of course she sauntered over to him. First she sat across from him and watched him wordlessly for a while,then she rested her arms on his desk and rested her head on her arms.
"A-Ling".
She was not expecting him to respond, but he did.
"What's up?".
"Nothing. Just felt like calling you".
"I see".
Yingyue was even more surprised.
"A-Ling, you sure are more receptive today".
"Am I?"he replied absently.
Yingyue could tell he was in no mood to chat, so she contented herself with watching him.
He was almost a carbon copy of his elder sister Meilian. The same apricot stone eyes framed by long black lashes, the same delicate features, the same jet black hair, which he pulled into a loose ponytail with side bangs framing his pure, sweet face.
Yingyue wanted him to smile.
Then she noticed something odd. He was suddenly making too many mistakes, messing up a picture that had been going so well so far.
"Uh... A-Ling? It's almost lunch time. It's okay if you stop for now".
"I'm fine"he replied curtly, even as he spilled droplets of paint all over the nearly complete project.
"Um, no you're not".
"Well, maybe if you just stopped..."he mumbled, his sentence trailing off into words Yingyue could not hear.
"If I just stopped? Stopped what?".
"Nothing. Nevermind".
"Hey, don't be like that...".
"Stop staring at me. You creep me out,geez".
Yingyue blinked.
"Oh. Guess I should have just gone with the nevermind".
"I- I mean... you shouldn't stare. You don't creep me out. Sorry. That one was a lie".
Yingyue stared.
Ling was suddenly being all awkward. She covered her mouth with a palm.
Since when was he so cute?
"You... Don't laugh at me".
"I'm not laughing"she giggled.
"Could've fooled me,"he retorted, folding up the incomplete painting"anyway, this is ruined already. I'll have to redo it".
"Let me see".
"No!".
Yingyue blinked, startled by his reaction.
"What's the big deal? Just let me see it".
"I said no".
"I won't laugh or anything".
"No".
Yingyue pouted.
Why was he being so difficult?
Without warning, she dived for it. But he clearly saw that coming, because he pulled it out of her reach and stood up.
"Hey!"she yelled.
She moved again, faster this time, and grabbed it right out of his hands. When he made to snatch it back, she got his chest a tiny shove, turning away triumphantly.
Then she got a proper look at the painting... and froze.
It was the picture of a girl. Hair so black it gleamed with a subtle blue shine, eyes the color of black jade. A picture... of her.
She turned to face Ling, questions at the tip of her tongue, only to discover that he had fallen to the floor.
Yingyue blinked.
But it was such a tiny shove! Surely it shouldn't be enough to push a cat to the floor, much less a person.
Then she remembered. Sect leader Pan had mentioned Ling's frail health.
"I'm always sick"Ling had said.
Yingyue wanted to smack herself. How could she forget something so important?
"A-Ling, I'm sorry"she said frankly as she extended a hand to help him up.
Ling stared at her hand, so obviously surprised she couldn't help but wonder why.
When he made no move towards taking her hand, Yingyue took his and pulled him to his feet.
"I'm sorry".
"It's fine".
But he was avoiding her eyes.
"It's a lovely picture,"she offered"you should definitely redo it. Don't worry, I won't stare anymore".
"It's fine. You can stare all you want".
A jarring silence followed.
"You were painting me"Yingyue dropped the obvious fact, because she was just too tactful.
"I was".
"You should redo it".
"I will".
"Why were you painting me, though?".
"I know I should have asked...".
"No no, that's not a problem. It's just...we just met. I had no idea you considered me a friend already".
"Friend..."Ling muttered.
He had not thought of that. He had just had this irresistible desire to paint the refreshingly different weirdo he met that day, that's all.
"I've never had a friend"he said.
"Me neither. Well, except my Jie Jie. And I really like you, A-Ling. I've been watching you since we met, though you didn't notice".
Of course he had noticed. The ink blotches on several of his parchments were enough testimony to that.
Just then, the bell went off, resounding in the entire Mist Oasis. This was weird for two reasons. First, the Mist Oasis was too big a place, and secondly, where even was this bell that always clanged right on time?
"It's lunch time. Let's go, A-Ling".
Yingyue took his hand and proceeded to make her way out of the room. Ling followed after her, his eyes on the dainty fingers clasped around his skinny wrist.
For some reason, it felt like he was standing in the sunlight. He was so warm, and for a moment he thought he might smile.
*
*
*
Ling was not going to smile after all. Somewhere along the line, he must have forgotten just how weird this weirdo could be.
She actually ordered extra trays of Pan Chao and Pan Haoran's favorite meals (exactly when had she snooped around to find out what meals they liked?), and dragged him with her to the enforcers' wing of the cafeteria ("provide me with moral support, my friend") then actually sat at the table where the two boys were having their lunch in peace.
"Gentlemen,"she announced extra cheerfully"I, Meng Yingyue,am here to apologize".