Chapter 13

Morning light streamed through the gaps in the slightly open curtains, casting a narrow strip of light across the wooden floor. Dust motes floated in the light, and the silence was so profound that the sound of the early morning bus could be heard in the distance.

Fang Chi was awakened by an unfamiliar sense of weight.

He opened his eyes and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn't in bed, but on the carpet next to the sofa. He was covered with a thin blanket, and his shoulder was supported by a warm weight—Xing Jiayan was sleeping soundly on his shoulder.

Last night's memories flooded back instantly. I brought Xing Jiayan back, put an ice pack on him, watched him take his medicine, and then the two of us, one on the sofa and the other on the carpet, chatted idly about competition problems, and somehow we both fell asleep.

Fang Chi's body stiffened, and he dared not move.

Xing Jiayan's even breath brushed against his neck, tickling him slightly. He turned his head slightly and could see the shadow cast by the other's thick eyelashes under his eyes, and the bruise that had turned deep purple peeking out from the loose collar. Asleep, Xing Jiayan had concealed all his sharpness, appearing unusually quiet, even a little vulnerable.

Fang Chi's gaze swept over his high, straight nose and landed on those pale lips that always seemed to utter either provocative or precisely analytical words. His heartbeat became inexplicably erratic.

Just then, Xing Jiayan's eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, Xing Jiayan was dazed, but then his eyes regained their clarity. He didn't look away immediately; instead, he remained in that position, slightly raising his eyes to look at Fang Chi, his voice still hoarse from just waking up:

"morning."

Fang Chi snapped back to reality, almost jumping away. His shoulders instantly felt lighter, and a cool breeze separated the parts that had been pressed tightly together.

"Good morning." He stood up, deliberately keeping his tone calm. "How are you feeling?"

Xing Jiayan slowly straightened up, took a soft breath, and frowned almost imperceptibly: "I'm alright." He tried to move a little, "A little better than last night."

Fang Chi looked at his obviously stiff movements, said nothing, and turned to walk into the kitchen: "I'll go get something to eat."

With limited supplies in the refrigerator, Fang Chi took out eggs and toast, and skillfully turned on the stove. The sizzling sound of frying eggs and the aroma of toasting bread quickly filled the small apartment.

Xing Jiayan leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching his busy figure. Fang Chi was wearing a simple white T-shirt, the shape of his shoulder blades clearly visible, the morning light casting a soft outline on his body.

"I didn't expect you could cook," Xing Jiayan said.

Fang Chi didn't even turn his head: "I can't starve to death living alone."

He plated the fried eggs and toasted bread, heated two cups of milk, and brought them to the small dining table. It was simple, yet steaming hot.

The two ate their breakfast in silence. Sunlight filled half the room, making it warm and bright.

"What's the schedule for today?" Fang Chi asked.

“Go back to the dorm and lie down,” Xing Jiayan said, poking at a fried egg with a fork. “Follow the doctor’s orders and rest.”

Fang Chi nodded and didn't say anything more. After finishing his meal, he quickly cleared away the dishes, checked the time, and said, "I have class first period, I have to go. You..."

"I'll wait until you leave before I go back." Xing Jiayan stood up, his movements still slow. "Just leave the keys on the table."

Fang Chi slung his backpack over his shoulder, walked to the door, paused for a moment as he gripped the doorknob, but did not turn around.

"Remember to take your medicine." After saying that, he opened the door and went out.

The door closed softly. Suddenly, only Xing Jiayan remained in the apartment, bathed in the silent sunlight. He slowly walked to the window and looked down. A moment later, he saw Fang Chi's slender figure appear below, merging into the flow of students heading to school, and quickly disappearing from sight.

Xing Jiayan's fingertips unconsciously traced the window frame, where the morning chill still lingered. He looked down at the oversized coat Fang Chi was still wearing, which retained a clean scent, like laundry detergent mixed with sunshine and paper.

It tastes like Fang Chi's.

He took a deep breath, the dull pain in his ribs reminding him that everything from last night was not a dream. He looked around the excessively tidy space: the desk, the star chart, the formula notes... every place bore Fang Chi's mark.

A strange yet surging emotion silently crept into my heart in the quiet morning light.

---

As Fang Chi walked into the classroom to the sound of the bell, he immediately felt all sorts of gazes upon him. Curious, inquisitive, and even a few girls whispering and pointing at him.

He walked to his seat with a blank expression, took out his textbook, and sat down.

Tan Si, sitting in the front row, immediately turned around, lowered his voice, and couldn't suppress his excitement: "Hey! I heard Xing Jiayan spent the night at your place last night?"

Fang Chi paused in her book flipping, then looked up at him: "How did you know?"

“He Chen said it!” Tan Si winked. “Not bad, Fang Chi, I didn’t expect you to be so… helpful.”

Fang Chi was too lazy to explain, so he lowered his head and began to review: "He was injured, so it was on his way."

"You stopped by my house on the way?" Tan Si obviously didn't believe it and wanted to gossip more, but Fang Chi shut him up with a cold look, so he had no choice but to turn around dejectedly.

Throughout the day's classes, Fang Chi was somewhat absent-minded. The teacher's explanations and the whispers of the students around him seemed to be separated by a thin film. His mind kept flashing back to the feeling of Xing Jiayan leaning on his shoulder when he woke up that morning, and those deep eyes that held a moment of confusion when he first woke up.

This uncontrollable lapse in concentration made him somewhat irritable.

When the school bell rang in the afternoon, Fang Chi packed his schoolbag and was about to go to the library when an uninvited guest blocked his way at his desk.

It's Li Rui. The high school student who provoked Xing Jiayan in the competition waiting area.

Several boys in the affiliated high school uniform followed behind him, their expressions unfriendly.

"Fang Chi, right?" Li Rui strolled up to him with his hands in his pockets, his gaze filled with undisguised scrutiny and a hint of contempt. "I heard that Xing Jiayan broke his ribs protecting you?"

The students in the classroom hadn't all left yet, and seeing this, they slowed down and pricked up their ears.

Fang Chi remained expressionless, stuffed the last book into his bag, and zipped it up: "What's up?"

“Nothing,” Li Rui scoffed, “I just came to tell you that our affiliated high school is going to win the finals. Without Xing Jiayan, your Linjiang No. 1 High School is nothing. As for you…” He looked Fang Chi up and down, his tone even more sarcastic, “A bookworm who only knows how to study. You should stay in the library. The sports field is not for you.”

The boys behind him burst into laughter.

Fang Chi's fingers tightened slightly around the backpack strap, but his face remained expressionless: "Finished?"

Li Rui was enraged by his calm attitude. He stepped forward, almost touching Fang Chi, and lowered his voice, laced with malice: "I'm warning you, stay away from Xing Jiayan. Someone like him isn't someone like you..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Because Fang Chi suddenly raised his eyes. That gaze was no longer the usual indifference or focus, but a sharp, icy edge that pierced straight into Li Rui's eyes.

"Li Rui," Fang Chi's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, carrying an unprecedented sense of pressure, "The basketball final is a match between Linjiang No.1 Middle School and the High School Affiliated to Normal University."

He leaned forward slightly, and although he was slightly shorter than Li Rui, his aura completely overwhelmed him.

"And what happened between me and Xing Jiayan," he said, each word like an ice bead hitting the ground, "is none of your business."

The classroom fell silent. Everyone stared at Fang Chi in astonishment, as if they were seeing him for the first time.

Li Rui felt uneasy under his gaze, but forced a cold laugh: "What? Want to fight?"

Fang Chi suddenly smiled. It was a very faint smile, even polite, yet it sent a chill down one's spine for no reason.

"Fighting?" he repeated, his gaze sweeping over Li Rui and the men behind him with a condescending scrutiny. "That's how people like you solve problems."

He picked up his schoolbag, walked past Li Rui who was frozen in place, and headed towards the classroom door. At the door, he stopped, turned half his face to the side, and the sunlight outlined the cold, hard lines of his features.

“Between us, we’ll use this.” He waved the physics competition intensive test paper, which he had just taken from his desk and was filled with complex derivations. His tone was calm and even, yet it carried absolute confidence and arrogance.

That's enough.

After saying that, he left the classroom without looking back, leaving Li Rui and the others standing there with livid faces, along with a classroom full of dumbfounded classmates.

Tan Si and Qing Jiuyue exchanged a glance, both seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.

Fang Chi, who is usually aloof and reserved and only focused on his books, actually showed such a sharp side just now for Xing Jiayan.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the empty seat Fang Chi had just left, where dust motes danced quietly.

Something that has been lurking beneath the ice seems to be quietly emerging with sharp edges due to external pressure. And a silent contest that transcends the playing field, a contest of dignity and protection, has already begun.