Jiang Chen walked out of the office just in time to see Lin Yuechan sneaking around the hallway, cautiously peeking left and right like a little thief.
A sly smile curled on his lips. Without a sound, he crept up behind her and tapped her shoulder gently.
"Hello."
"Ah!" Lin Yuechan jumped in fright, clutching her chest. "Jiang Chen! Are you trying to kill me with a heart attack?!"
He laughed. "What, didn't expect me to make it out alive?"
Lin Yuechan widened her eyes, huffing, "Hmph! Who cares if you're alive or not? You think I came to check on you or something?"
Jiang Chen grinned teasingly. "Oh? You worried that if I died, you'd become a widow?"
"You—!" Lin Yuechan's face flushed red with both anger and embarrassment. She clenched her fists and glared at him. "You shameless jerk! Go get lost! Fly to the sun or something!"
She turned on her heel to leave, clearly fuming.
"Yuechan!" Jiang Chen called out.
She paused but didn't look back. "…What?"
Instead of answering, Jiang Chen stepped in front of her and crouched down.
"Your shoelace's undone. You'll trip."
With that, he bent over and carefully started tying her shoelaces.
Lin Yuechan blinked in surprise.
She looked down at him—the sunlight spilling through the hallway windows onto his hair, his expression focused and serious.
A strange warmth spread in her chest.
Since when did he become like this?
The old Jiang Chen hardly spoke—always quiet, always keeping to himself. He never took the initiative to do anything for her.
And now… he was tying her shoelaces?
Was I… too mean to him all these years?
"All done," Jiang Chen said, patting his hands clean. He stood up, beaming at her with a sunny smile.
Lin Yuechan looked down to see that he had tied her shoelaces into two perfect butterfly knots—neat, tight, and beautiful.
"Don't fall for me," he added cheekily, hands stuffed in his pockets. "For I am but a legend."
Lin Yuechan rolled her eyes. "Tch! Narcissist! Who'd fall for you?"
But even as she said that, her fingers curled slightly, and she looked away—not wanting him to see the faint smile tugging at her lips.
Jiang Chen casually took Lin Yuechan's soft, boneless hand when he saw her rolling her eyes at him.
At first, Lin Yuechan resisted and tried to pull away.
However, she was unable to break free and had no choice but to let Jiang Chen lead her.
Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Let's go for a walk around the sports field!"
Lin Yuechan wanted to refuse, but the words caught in her throat, and before she knew it, she nodded as if under a spell.
After walking a while, Jiang Chen suddenly asked, "Yuechan, don't you think our current situation feels like something from the Classic of Poetry?"
Lin Yuechan blinked her large, curious eyes like a puzzled kitten. "What does it say in the Classic of Poetry?"
Jiang Chen cleared his throat and spoke solemnly:
"Life and death are vast, promises made with you.
Holding your hand, to grow old together."
Hearing those words, Lin Yuechan's expression stiffened.
'Life and death are vast, promises made with you. Holding your hand, to grow old together.'
This was from Beifeng · Drumming, one of the earliest love poems in Huaxia's literature. In modern terms, it meant: no matter life or death, I've made a vow to be with you, to hold your hand and grow old together.
Was this a confession?
Lin Yuechan's cheeks turned red as the thought flashed across her mind.
"Hmph! Wishful thinking! Who wants to hold your hand and grow old with you?" she snapped, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Jiang Chen calmly looked at her and replied with a smile, "I've always been full of beautiful dreams."
Lin Yuechan couldn't handle his intense gaze and awkwardly averted her eyes.
At that moment, on the nearby basketball court, a group of tall boys were playing basketball.
One of them, wearing a number 8 jersey, elbowed his friend in a number 13 jersey. "Ziqiang, isn't that Jiang Chen and Lin Yuechan from your class?"
The boy in jersey 13, Liu Ziqiang, had long been infatuated with Lin Yuechan. Despite his relentless pursuit, she had never spared him a proper glance.
Now, seeing the girl of his dreams holding hands with another guy, Liu Ziqiang's face contorted with rage.
Without a second thought, he grabbed a basketball and hurled it directly at Jiang Chen…