Chen Wenzhi carried his backpack on one shoulder, while Ying Qian carried her bag properly, keeping a certain distance from him; her petite stature was still accentuated by this.

Several students from No. 3 Middle School were whispering among themselves in the back.

"Is this Chen Wenzhi? Is the person next to him from our school?"

"I don't know, I've never seen her before, maybe she's his girlfriend."

"Tsk tsk tsk, someone like him can find a girlfriend, why can't I..."

Their voices were loud, and Ying Qian twitched her ears, letting the sound go in one ear and out the other, not paying any attention. Suddenly, she thought of something and secretly glanced at the spirited young man next to her.

He must have heard it, for his expression was even more somber than before, his chin curving gracefully towards his neck, and the small, red beauty mark under his eye was deeply etched into Ying Qian's heart.

"You need to know the way, don't look at me." Chen Wenzhi's thin lips parted slightly, his tone indifferent.

Ying Qian nodded vigorously, but said stubbornly, "Isn't it you I have?"

Chen Wenzhi paused for a moment, then quickly added, "You won't see me every day."

"Oh," she replied, glancing around at the unfamiliar buildings.

This city was completely unfamiliar to her.

She would drift off from time to time, her soul seemingly wandering off somewhere, while her limbs continued to move in accordance with the control of her brain.

Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation on her wrist. She looked up abruptly and saw the boy staring intently at the green light ahead, his large hand gripping the digital watch on her wrist as if to avoid suspicion, although some of it still brushed against her skin.

"Stop daydreaming. You can't daydream while crossing the street," he said, his breath clear and his voice crisp.

There were many people crossing the road at that time, so he followed the crowd.

Ying Qian's pulse was being squeezed, and her heartbeat was rapidly increasing, as if it was about to jump out of her chest. This was the first time in her life that she had been pulled across the street by a man other than her father.

Her fair neck, earlobes, and cheeks were all tinged with an unusual red, as if a thermometer had suddenly been splashed with boiling water.

She resisted the urge to look up.

After crossing the street, Chen Wenzhi let go of Ying Qian's hand and put it back in his school uniform pocket. His dark pupils turned slightly towards Ying Qian, who was becoming coy.

He continued, deliberately lowering his voice, after saying what he had said not long ago: "If you're daydreaming while crossing the street, you're likely to get hit and killed."

Upon hearing these words, Ying Qian's eyes widened: "?!"

Before the boy could react, he was slapped on the forearm. He winced in pain and involuntarily hissed. He hadn't expected her to be so strong...

"Chen Wenzhi, sometimes it's best to speak less if you can." She advised earnestly, and seeing the boy lean to the side, she reached out and pinched the muscle in his forearm.

"I'm just telling the truth." Chen Wenzhi's voice trembled slightly as he pulled his arm back, enduring the pain. He smiled slightly, turned his head away from her, and muttered in a low voice, "Idiot..."

"What?!"

Ying Qian rolled her eyes at him, looking somewhat willing to back down, "However, I still want to thank you for your help..."

"It was nothing." He stopped the conversation before Ying Qian could finish speaking.

Ying Qian bit her lip and shut up.

The two walked quietly under a row of maple trees. Red maple leaves fell and rustled under their feet on the dry leaves.

Young boys and girls chased each other, laughing and playing all around. Some were even memorizing vocabulary and doing exercises. On the back of an electric scooter on the street, some were still doing practice problems.

The sky was still somewhat overcast at this time.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Ying Qian asked. "I'm so bored right now."

"What should I say?" Chen Wenzhi wasn't good at initiating conversations; he was only responsible for responding, and what he said wasn't necessarily something anyone would like to hear.

He waited a while, but Ying Qian didn't say anything. He couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

The air froze.

Ying Qian felt the intense gaze sweeping over her, and gave a perfunctory smile, "I'm thinking about what we should talk about."

"Do you know anyone at No. 3 Middle School?" Chen Wenzhi suddenly asked.

Her clear, watery eyes became even more lucid under questioning, seemingly intolerant of the slightest lie.

"You."

"Hmm, okay." Chen Wenzhi lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time, seemingly considering something.

"Then you won't protect me from now on?" she continued.

Chen Wenzhi raised an eyebrow, staring into her clear eyes, and said with a half-smile, "You want me to protect you?"

"After all, you're the only one I know..." she suddenly raised her voice, enunciating each word as if joking, "Chen, Wen, Zhi, classmate~"

Every note touches the soul.

Chen Wenzhi's lips curved into a perfectly timed smile, but that smile vanished in an instant, and he quickened his pace to walk forward.

Ying Qian chuckled. What was he hiding? Was he trying to cover something up?