"Li Xue, don't forget to buy me chocolate!" Li Xue's brother screamed from across the room as Li Xue frantically shoved her feet into her shoes. She glared at him with a look that could melt steel. "I'm not going to a picnic, doofus! I'm going to study!" she snapped, trying to get her shoes on faster.
"But you're going outside, right?" He grinned innocently, and Li Xue could feel her patience wearing thin. Her lips twitched, and she couldn't help but shoot him a look of exasperation. He slowly approached her, his hair perfectly styled, a ridiculous smug smile on his face. "Wei YuAn, you're getting bolder every day, huh?"
"Hey, older sister, have mercy!" Wei YuAn pleaded dramatically, flailing his arms in mock desperation as if Li Xue were torturing him. She reached over and ruffled his perfectly smooth hair, messing it up just to get back at him.
"What did you want, A'Wei? A chocolate? A whole mountain of it?" she teased him.
"Li Xue! Leave your innocent brother alone!" came a sudden, sharp voice. Li Xue froze mid-ruffle, and the temperature around her dropped about 10 degrees. It was her mother. If looks could kill, she would've been pierced by a thousand swords.
"Sorry, Mom! I'm off to school!" Li Xue quickly grabbed her bag and, before she could respond, bolted for the door. Her mother just stood there, shaking her head with a dramatic sigh. "Kids these days..." she muttered, as if she were the only sane person left in the house.
As Li Xue rushed out the door, she shoved a piece of bread into her mouth like a ravenous beast. She barely chewed, too focused on getting to school on time. Her legs pumped like a well-oiled machine, but just as she rounded the corner, she spotted a familiar face. Instinctively, she tried to slow down, but that was the moment fate decided to mess with her.
The ground beneath her was as slippery as an ice rink, and before she could even blink, she was flat on her back, staring up at the sky in disbelief. "Well, this is embarrassing," she muttered, blinking in confusion as her vision swam. She groaned and tried to get up, but her legs refused to cooperate.
"No, Hua Rong, don't come over, I'm perfectly fine!" she waved her hands dramatically, trying to convince her she was okay even though she was definitely not. But of course, Hua Rong, ever the noble lady, rushed toward her, looking like she was about to save the day. Her footsteps faltered, and in a blink, she was sprawled on the pavement beside her.
For a moment, they both just lay there, staring at each other in shock, then groaned in annoyance.
And then, as if on cue, Chen Yi appeared, coming to the rescue like some sort of hero—except he had no idea what he was walking into. As he approached, his feet slid out from under him in slow motion, and whoosh—he landed right on top of both of them in a tangled mess of arms and legs.
For a brief, awkward moment, the three of them just lay there on the cold pavement, completely useless. Not a single one of them could move. It was as if the universe had decided to throw a "clumsy trio" party and forgotten to send the invitations.
Li Xue broke the silence.
"Ah- Chen Yi you fat donkey!" Li Xue screamed.
"Get off! Get off!" Hua Rong screamed. The onlookers gave a dirty look to the children on the streets and Hua Rong grew even more embarrassed.
"I swear, I'm not usually this uncoordinated," Li Xue said through fits of giggles, trying to push herself up but only succeeding in flopping back down like a fish out of water.
"Please, just let me die here," Hua Rong groaned, her face bright red.
Chen Yi, looking completely defeated, added, "I came here to help, and now I'm part of the disaster. This is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me."
The three of them lay there for a good few seconds in a strange, awkward silence, each of them too embarrassed to speak or move. Finally, Li Xue managed to lift her head and said, "Okay, this is officially the worst and best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Definitely the worst," Hua Rong muttered from beneath her, her voice muffled by her coat.
Chen Yi groaned. "I can't even get up now. This is what I get for trying to help."
And so they remained, a tangled mess of limbs, stuck on the pavement like a bad slapstick comedy that no one had asked for.
"Okay, let's get to school or Mr. Cui will make his meal!" Chen Yi yelped and the two girls ran again as if the previous incident had never occured.