Confirmation of attraction
The May wind, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms, swept through the corridor, and pink and white petals swirled and landed on Xu Ying's open copy of "Hai Zi's Poetry Collection." She was intently copying the lines "Facing the sea, with spring flowers blooming," her slender fingers holding the fountain pen, the ink spreading into a small blue flower on the page.
"Xu Ying!" came the class monitor's deliberately raised voice from the classroom doorway. "Someone's looking for you."
Xu Ying looked up and saw the class monitor winking at her, with Chen Yu, a senior in the third year of high school, standing behind him. Sunlight shone from behind him, gilding him with a golden edge, and the cuffs of his white shirt were neatly rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms.
A chorus of cheers erupted in the classroom. Xu Ying's ears turned red instantly. She hurriedly closed the poetry collection, her fingertips accidentally getting wet ink on them.
"Go on!" Lin Xiaoyu nudged her shoulder and whispered, "Senior Chen has been ranked first in the grade for three consecutive years. So many girls dream of being asked out by him."
Xu Ying pursed her lips and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. As she stood up, her peripheral vision unconsciously swept towards the last row of seats by the window—it was empty, with a few textbooks scattered on the desk, a fountain pen carelessly tossed on the corner, and the ink bottle cap not even screwed on tightly.
Zong Heng skipped class again.
This realization brought her a strange sense of relief, yet also a faint sense of loss. Ever since he carried her down the mountain on the spring outing last week, something seemed to have changed between them. Every time their eyes met, she would subconsciously look away, while he would wear that ambiguous smile that made her heart race.
"Xu Ying?" Chen Yu's voice pulled her back to reality. The senior was standing under the cherry blossom tree at the corner of the corridor, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on his face.
"What do you need me for, senior?" Xu Ying stopped two steps away from him, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her school uniform.
Chen Yu smiled and took out a beautifully packaged box from behind her: "I heard you like Hai Zi's poems. This is a newly published collector's edition, which includes photocopies of the author's manuscripts."
Xu Ying's eyes widened in surprise. She had been eyeing this poetry collection for a long time, but because it was a limited edition, it had long been sold out. She carefully took the box, her fingertips trembling slightly as she touched the gold-embossed title.
"This is too expensive, I can't..."
"Don't rush to refuse," Chen Yu gently interrupted her, taking a light blue envelope from his pocket. "Actually, I wanted to tell you today that I..."
"Wow, it's quite lively here."
A lazy voice suddenly broke in. Xu Ying stiffened, knowing who it was without turning around. The familiar scent of mint mixed with tobacco wafted over, accompanied by unhurried footsteps.
Zong Heng strolled over to the two with one hand in his pocket, his school uniform jacket casually draped over his shoulder, revealing a black T-shirt underneath. His bangs were slightly damp, as if he had just washed his face, and a drop of water slid down his jawline to his collarbone.
Xu Ying unconsciously swallowed.
"What's going on, senior?" Zong Heng tilted his head, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them before finally settling on the blue envelope. "A love letter?"
Chen Yu frowned slightly, but quickly regained her gentle expression: "Zong, this is a private matter between Xu Ying and me."
"Personal matters?" Zong Heng chuckled, suddenly reaching out to snatch the envelope, twirling it between his fingers. "Let me guess, is senior going to confess his feelings?"
"Give it back to me!" Xu Ying cried out and reached out to grab it. Zong Heng easily raised his arm, and she missed, almost bumping into him, but he steadily supported her shoulder with his other hand.
"What's the rush?" He looked down at her, a playful smile on his lips. "It's not written for me."
Xu Ying's face flushed instantly. She could feel the heat of Zong Heng's palm seeping through her thin school uniform onto her skin, burning her skin intensely.
Chen Yu's face finally darkened: "Zong Heng, please return the letter to Xu Ying."
"Give it back to her?" Zong Heng raised an eyebrow. "Sure." He suddenly shoved the letter into his pocket. "But let me see the contents first."
"You!" Xu Ying stomped her foot angrily, "That's my senior's letter, you have no right to..."
"No right?" Zong Heng's eyes suddenly turned cold. He released Xu Ying's shoulder, stepped forward, and stood between her and Chen Yu. "Senior, isn't it a bit unethical to steal someone else's girlfriend?"
Chen Yu adjusted his glasses: "I don't understand what you mean. As far as I know, Xu Ying isn't dating anyone."
"Really?" Zong Heng glanced back at Xu Ying, a look that made her heart skip a beat. "Did she tell you who carried her down the mountain on the spring outing last week? Who accompanied her to the rooftop to watch the stars the night before last? And who scared the girl who was causing her trouble yesterday so much that she never dared to do it again..."
"Zong Heng!" Xu Ying was both embarrassed and angry, and reached out to cover his mouth. Zong Heng easily grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.
Chen Yu's expression changed completely: "Xu Ying, this is..."
"Can't you tell?" Zong Heng interrupted him, his fingers tightening to hold Xu Ying's hand firmly. "Now, it's related."
Xu Ying could feel her hand trembling slightly in Zong Heng's palm. His body temperature was high, and his palms were rough, probably from playing basketball. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.
"Xu Ying," Chen Yu took a deep breath, "if you were forced..."
"Forced?" Zong Heng seemed to have heard a joke, lowering his head to whisper in Xu Ying's ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe. "Did I force you?"
Xu Ying shuddered, her ears turning bright red as if they were about to bleed. She could smell the faint scent of mints on Zong Heng, mixed with the warmth of the sunshine, making her dizzy.
"I..." Her voice was barely audible.
Chen Yu stepped forward: "Zong Heng, let her go. Xu Ying, you can refuse if you don't want to."
Zong Heng's eyes instantly turned cold. He released Xu Ying's hand, took a half step back, but his gaze remained fixed on her: "Fine, Xu Ying, you choose now."
He pointed at Chen Yu: "Go with him," then pointed to himself, "or stay and listen to me finish."
Cherry blossoms fell silently, and time seemed to freeze at that moment. Xu Ying looked at Chen Yu's expectant eyes, then at Zong Heng's tense jawline. Sunlight shone on his eyelashes, casting a small shadow under his eyes. She suddenly noticed a fresh scratch at the corner of his eye, as if he had just been in a fight.
"Senior..." she said softly, her voice trembling slightly, "I'm sorry."
Chen Yu's expression froze. Zong Heng's pupils suddenly contracted, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"I understand." Chen Yu forced a smile, and staggered as he turned to leave.
Xu Ying watched his figure disappear at the end of the corridor, a pang of guilt rising in her heart. But the next second, her wrist was grabbed by a strong force, and she was pulled into an empty stairwell.
Xu Ying's back pressed against the cold wall of the stairwell, the chill seeping into her skin through her thin school uniform, yet she felt her whole body burning up.
Zong Heng's hand rested on her ear, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure. His breath was heavy, carrying a faint scent of mints mixed with a barely perceptible hint of tobacco, burning hot against her face.
"Xu Ying," he said in a low, husky voice, enunciating each word clearly, "can't you see that I like her?"
Her heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
"I……"
She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. The light from the corridor seeped in through the crack in the door, casting dappled shadows on his sharp features. His eyes, which always held a mocking tone, were now dark and deep, as if they wanted to suck her in.
"Playing dumb, huh?" Zong Heng sneered, his fingertip suddenly brushing against her chin with a force that was neither too light nor too heavy, yet it made her tremble all over.
"I'll bring you breakfast every day, fight for you, glue your homework to your books, and keep you company on the rooftop..."
With each word he spoke, he drew closer, his voice extremely low, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.
"You really think I'm just sitting around doing nothing?"
Xu Ying's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her breath almost stopped.
Of course she knew.
She knew that the breakfast he brought her every day was always her favorite flavor; she knew that he got into fights because someone was gossiping about her behind her back; she knew that on the homework he stayed up all night to fix for her, every folded corner was carefully smoothed out; she knew that when he stubbed out his cigarette on the rooftop, his fingertips trembled slightly, but he still handed her a mint.
She knows everything.
"I can tell," she finally said in a low voice, so soft it was almost inaudible.
Zong Heng's breath hitched.
The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
He stared intently at her, something churning in his eyes, before finally speaking in a hoarse voice after a long while: "Then why did you let him touch you?"
Xu Ying was taken aback, then realized that he was referring to the poetry collection that Chen Yu had handed her.
"I didn't—"
"I almost couldn't resist punching him." He interrupted her, his voice filled with suppressed anger, but the hand gripping her chin loosened its pressure, his thumb unconsciously rubbing against her skin.
Xu Ying suddenly felt like laughing.
This person is clearly incredibly fierce, yet their hand movements are surprisingly gentle.
“I didn’t agree to him.” She raised her head and looked directly into his eyes.
Zong Heng narrowed his eyes: "Nonsense, you dare to agree and see what happens?"
She pursed her lips, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
Zong Heng stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly clicked his tongue and pressed his forehead against hers.
His body temperature was very high; when he pressed against her, it felt like a branding iron, so hot that her eyelashes trembled.
"Xu Ying," he said hoarsely, "whether you go with her or not?"
Those three simple words seemed to have handed all the choices to her.
Xu Ying held her breath.
She could feel his heartbeat, transmitted through the thin school uniform, fast and heavy, just like hers.
Suddenly, footsteps and laughter came from outside the stairwell, and someone could be heard saying, "Did you just see Zong Heng?"
Xu Ying froze, instinctively trying to back away, but Zong Heng pulled her back.
"What are you afraid of?" he snorted, then suddenly pulled open his school uniform jacket, wrapped her in his arms, and turned to block the doorway.
His chest was broad and warm, and Xu Ying buried her entire face in it, her nose filled with his refreshing scent.
"Get lost." Zong Heng uttered a single word without turning his head.
The laughter and chatter outside the door stopped abruptly, followed by hurried footsteps that quickly faded away.
The surroundings fell silent again.
Xu Ying could hear her own rapid heartbeat, and she could also hear his.
Thump. Thump.
It's hard to tell whose is faster.
Zong Heng loosened his grip on her slightly and looked down into her eyes: "Speak."
His voice was deep, with a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Xu Ying gripped the hem of his school uniform tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She remembered the way he kicked over the table to get her out of trouble; she remembered the burning heat of his grip on her wrist when he had a fever; she remembered him carrying her down the mountain, saying, "If you move around again, I'll throw you down," but then holding her even tighter.
She nodded slightly.
Zong Heng's pupils suddenly contracted.
The next second, he suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.
His lips were hot, with an undeniable force, but he softened his touch the moment she froze, simply pressing gently against her, as if waiting for her to adjust.
Xu Ying's mind went blank, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around his clothes.
Zong Heng chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her lips: "Close your eyes."
She instinctively closed her eyes, then felt his lips press against hers again, this time with a hint of probing, gently caressing her.
Awkward, yet gentle.
Xu Ying's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, and her fingers unconsciously climbed onto his shoulder.
Zong Heng's breath hitched, and he suddenly grabbed the back of her head, deepening the kiss.
His tongue licked across her lips, and the moment she slightly opened her mouth, it plunged in, hooking her and entwining her.
Xu Ying's legs went weak, and she almost clung to him.
Zong Heng's arms tightly gripped her waist, pressing her towards him.
The motion-activated lights in the stairwell had gone out sometime ago, leaving only the sounds of breathing and the intimate murmur of water between lips in the darkness.
After a long while, Zong Heng finally released her, pressing his forehead against her calm breathing.
"First kiss?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
Xu Ying nodded, blushing.
“What a coincidence,” he chuckled, “I am too.”
She looked up at him and noticed that the tips of his ears were so red they were practically dripping blood.
When the school bell rang, the setting sun had already dyed half the sky red.
Zong Heng carried his schoolbag in one hand and held Xu Ying's hand tightly with the other.
Her fingers were slender, completely enveloped in his palm, and warmth spread from their skin to their hearts.
“From now on,” he squeezed her fingertips, his tone fierce, “stay away from those shady people.”
Xu Ying pursed her lips and smiled secretly: "Oh."
Zong Heng stopped and raised an eyebrow: "'Oh' and that's it?"
She blinked, then suddenly stood on tiptoe and quickly kissed him on the cheek before turning and running away.
Zong Heng paused for a second, then laughed and scolded, "Xu Ying, you're finished!"
Amidst the falling cherry blossoms, the boy's figure gradually faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the corridor bathed in the glow of the sunset.
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