Lifting my head from the desk, I saw Zhou Zi and a few others gathered around my seat.
"Shen Jia, are you alright? Should we take you to the school infirmary?"
I looked at them and replied in my usual tone, "I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well last night. My head hurt a bit, so I rested for a while. I feel much better now."
"I see. Well, take care of yourself," Bian Li said as the class bell rang. Everyone returned to their seats.
The lesson was unusually quiet; even Wang Zixuan, the most restless in the class, refrained from his usual antics. After the class ended, I left the room alone, strolling slowly along the corridor.
The words spoken to me yesterday flashed through my mind, and I became lost in thought, completely oblivious to the danger approaching me.
Suddenly, a strong force shoved me forward. Just as I thought I would hit the ground, an arm firmly wrapped around my waist. Startled, I looked behind me and saw Chu Qingci's slightly pale face.
Being this close to him made me uncomfortable, so I quickly straightened up. He withdrew his hand from my waist, then turned his gaze to the person who had bumped into me.
His eyes were icy as he spoke softly but clearly. "Watch where you're going."
The boy who had collided with me hastily apologized, "I'm so sorry!"
I waved it off, replying gently, "It's alright. This is a narrow corridor; just try not to play around here next time. It's easy to bump into someone."
The boy nodded and walked away. Chu Qingci, still by my side, seemed ready to leave as well.
As he turned to go, I impulsively reached out to grab his wrist, but my fingers only caught the sleeve of his uniform, the fabric too smooth to hold.
He turned back, looking slightly surprised. After a brief moment, his expression returned to its usual calm, as though nothing had happened.
Smiling, I said, "Thank you for catching me earlier."
He looked at me for a while before replying, "It was nothing."
His indifferent demeanor made me think, I need to get closer to him. If I don't act now, I'll lose my chance.
Seizing the moment, I proposed, "To thank you, let me treat you to a meal. You pick the time, and I'll pick the place. How about it?"
I batted my eyes at him, carefully observing his reaction.
For a moment, I thought I caught a hint of amusement in his eyes, but perhaps it was just my imagination. He averted his gaze, seemingly a bit uneasy under my stare.
He didn't respond immediately, and as I began to feel disheartened, he suddenly said, "Alright."
Just one word, and my spirits soared.
I pressed on, grinning, "So you've agreed! No backing out now."
"I won't," he replied, this time with surprising speed, leaving me momentarily stunned.
Looking up at him with some confusion, I found him gazing directly at me, his expression firm.
"I won't. I'll be there," he reiterated, his tone resolute and reassuring.
Realizing we hadn't exchanged contact information, I asked, "What's your phone number? If you're only free on weekends and we don't have a way to contact each other, it might be hard to coordinate."
Though my intention was obvious, I didn't mind risking rejection. To my surprise, he didn't hesitate and gave me his number, reciting it slowly as if worried I might not catch it.
Indeed, I couldn't remember all the digits, but I hesitated to ask him to write it down. Seeing my struggle, he patiently repeated the number. However, the class bell rang halfway through, drowning out his voice. I only remembered the first few digits.
Resigned, I said, "Class is starting. Let's head back."
He nodded, and we walked back to the classroom. He followed me at a leisurely pace, just as he had on the bus before.
Back at my seat, I racked my brain, trying to recall the rest of his number. Frustrated, I eventually gave up.
After school, I went to wash my hands and returned to find a note on my desk. It had his number written on it.
Holding the note, I couldn't help but smile. Thinking he might not have gone far, I grabbed my bag and headed outside. Without saying goodbye to my friends, I sent a message in our group chat:
"Guys, I won't be walking home with you for a while. Sorry! I'll make it up to you later—drinks are on me. insert dog-face emoji"
Within seconds, they replied:
"We get it. Someone's got a crush."
"Good luck, girl! But that guy doesn't seem easy to win over. Be careful!"
I replied with a simple "Got it."
Reaching the bus stop just in time, I saw the bus home pulling in. Walking up to Chu Qingci, I asked, "Chu Qingci, would you like to go home together from now on?"
The bus doors opened noisily, drowning out my soft voice. He didn't reply—maybe he hadn't heard me.
We both got on the bus, sitting in our usual seats from the previous day.
This time, he didn't get off at Yunhai Road but instead got off at the same stop as me. Surprised, I wanted to ask if he lived nearby, but before I could, he walked in the opposite direction.
And so, we parted ways—one heading south, the other north—gradually moving further apart at the bus stop, a point of departure.