Chi Ze Rui was acting strangely. He insisted on cycling with them to Twelve Middle School and had called to borrow a bike.
Wen Ting Xue examined the bicycle. "When did you borrow it?" she asked, surprised she hadn't known.
"During the afternoon break." He then swung his long legs over the seat and sat on the back, tilting his chin up. "Ride it," he commanded.
Wen Ting Xue stared. "You're kidding, right? Me? Ride?" she thought. How could she possibly carry him?
Meeting her aggrieved gaze, Yu Wen Li smiled faintly. "Brother believes the residual power of the lucky necklace can create another miracle. Come on." He patted the seat.
Wen Ting Xue was speechless. "It's just a necklace, you're not seriously jealous, are you?" she muttered. Her lips were pursed, looking kissable.
"Mhm," Yu Wen Li mused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "I am."
Wen Ting Xue sighed. He was completely irrational. "Fine, I'll ride it. But if we crash, don't blame me for the cost!" she warned fiercely.
Yu Wen Li smiled. "Okay." He even wiped the seat with his sleeve in a surprisingly courteous manner.
Wen Ting Xue's temper softened slightly as she moved to mount the bike. It belonged to Fu Shi Lin, and given his height, the seat was far too high for her. If she were to ride, she'd have to stand. Even so, she couldn't budge the bike an inch, no matter how hard she tried.
"What is this!" she exclaimed, hopping off in annoyance. She was about to complain about him being too heavy when she noticed his feet planted on the ground. While his legs were long, the way he was balancing made it impossible for her to ride. He was doing it on purpose!
Wen Ting Xue looked back, both amused and irritated. "Is this fun for you?"
"It's alright," Yu Wen Li replied with a smile. He stood up, positioned himself behind her, put one hand on the handlebars, wrapped the other around her waist, and with a gentle twist, placed her onto the rear seat. She hadn't even had time to react.
The next moment, Chi Ze Rui cycled over, also with a rear seat. "Perfect timing," he said. "I can give Luo'er a ride. Let's go."
"Mhm," Yu Wen Li responded. He stepped on the pedal but didn't move.
Wen Ting Xue was puzzled. "What does that mean?" she wondered.
"Brother is very fast, you..." Wen Ting Xue quickly grabbed his clothes. "Is this okay? Go!"
Yu Wen Li sighed helplessly, wrapped her arms around his waist, and then shot forward like an arrow. Wen Ting Xue almost smashed her nose. He was definitely doing it on purpose! Hmph! What a jealous person!
***
Jiang City Twelve Middle School was a prestigious academy. It wasn't far from Jiang City First Middle School, only three streets away. If one took the shortcuts, it was even closer. Yu Wen Li and Chi Ze Rui chose the fastest route, which passed through residential areas with many small alleys filled with the aroma of daily life. One could even smell steamed buns.
The bike was going so fast that the wind whipped at the boy's school uniform. The scent of lavender laundry detergent washed over Wen Ting Xue, mixing with the everyday smells of the street and his inherent cool, clean fragrance. Everything felt surreal, yet she could grasp it. Wen Ting Xue couldn't quite describe the feeling; it was like a dream. Beautiful, youthful, romantic. These words, once distant to her, now belonged to her.
Wen Ting Xue tilted her head back to enjoy the cool breeze and the fleeting glow of the streetlights, trying to hold onto every beautiful moment she could.
***
Jiang City Twelve Middle School. Under normal circumstances, outsiders couldn't enter easily unless accompanied by a student. However, the security guard knew Yu Wen Li and Chi Ze Rui and waved them through without question. A long main road was flanked by beautifully designed green belts. After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the South Canteen.
Wen Ting Xue looked up at the three-story building. "Impressive," she thought. "As expected of a noble school; they're so wealthy." The canteen looked more like an administrative building.
"A Rui!" A sweet voice called from a distance. Wen Ting Xue then saw Hao Luo'er standing by the canteen entrance. The girl, wearing a dark blue uniform jacket and a red and white plaid skirt that made her legs look slender, rushed down the stairs like a runaway princess.
"A Rui!" Hao Luo'er threw herself into Chi Ze Rui's arms, her face beaming with joy.
"Mhm," Chi Ze Rui replied casually, his left hand, holding the bike, resting lazily on her waist. "Didn't you go to the performance?"
"I was waiting for you~ Why did you suddenly decide to come over?" Hao Luo'er's eyes were only on him; nothing else mattered as much as he did.
Chi Ze Rui gestured with his chin. "Accompanying these two ancestors." He admitted to himself that he hadn't planned to come. If they hadn't insisted, he wouldn't have bothered.
"Oh?" Hao Luo'er finally noticed Yu Wen Li and Wen Ting Xue beside them. She smiled sheepishly and then walked over to greet Wen Ting Xue. The boys couldn't understand their conversation.
Just then, Mu Chen slowly descended from upstairs. His dark blue school uniform enhanced his noble aura. "You came like this?" He nudged the bicycle under Chi Ze Rui's feet with his own. "You haven't touched one of these in centuries, have you?"
Chi Ze Rui smiled. "Brother Yu is being romantic; I'm just following suit."
Mu Chen raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Are we going now, or later?"
Both looked at Yu Wen Li. He tapped the head of the girl engrossed in conversation. "When do you want to go watch?"
"Huh?" Wen Ting Xue wasn't one to make decisions and passed it to Hao Luo'er.
Hao Luo'er analyzed the situation. "The leaders are giving speeches now, which isn't very interesting. How about we explore first? We can go watch the exciting parts in about half an hour. What do you think?" She looked at Chi Ze Rui, who shrugged. "I don't mind."
Mu Chen made the final decision. "Then it's settled. Let's head east first; there's a lake and swans." He thought the girls might like that.
Wen Ting Xue immediately nodded. "Great!" Mu Chen smiled and got into a tour bus. Yu Wen Li and Chi Ze Rui, each with Wen Ting Xue and Hao Luo'er riding pillion, slowly headed in that direction.
The scenery at Twelve Middle School was indeed beautiful, pleasing to the eye everywhere, like a painting. The Swan Lake, in particular, had a poetic charm. Graceful willows, a stone arch bridge, and swans playing on the emerald water. Wen Ting Xue happily leaned on the white railing, taking photos. Yu Wen Li leaned beside her, watching her. Chi Ze Rui and Hao Luo'er were talking, or rather, Chi Ze Rui was listening to Hao Luo'er. Mu Chen, alone, was idly playing on his phone when a basketball was accidentally thrown his way. He caught it reflexively and tossed it back with a shot. The person who threw it whistled in thanks.
Wen Ting Xue noticed and blurted out without thinking, "So handsome." Mu Chen was handsome, well-built, and carried an air of nobility. He was the type of person you'd notice immediately in a crowd. Especially when he moved; he was attractive doing anything. His hand-up-for-a-shot motion, on a basketball court, would undoubtedly cause a frenzy of screams.
Yu Wen Li narrowed his eyes, displeased, and asked in a gentle tone, "Sweetheart, what did you just say?"
Wen Ting Xue inwardly winced, realizing her mistake. Just as she was trying to think of a way to smooth things over, a voice drifted into her ear, "Handsome guy, do you have a girlfriend?"
A quick note: The data for this book is starting to decline. Based on past experience, it will likely continue to fall. (I admit I'm not very skilled.) However, authors need to make a living, so I'll be working on the outline for a new book during this time. I won't abandon this book; I will definitely finish it. But my energy is limited, so I'll be posting five thousand words daily, split into two chapters: one of three thousand words and one of two thousand. I hope those who add the book to their shelves will actually read it, as "nurturing" books can lead to them dying out. (I will try to ensure stable updates from now on. Thank you, beautiful readers, for your continued support.)