One see
Wednesday, 7:10 AM
At the fork in Line 2 of the subway, the crowds flowed like water released from a sluice gate.
Xiao Wei slung his 32-inch gym bag over his shoulder, stopped in front of the turnstile, and turned to look at Yu Chen: "See you at No. 1 Middle School?"
"Okay, see you at the selection competition on Friday." Yu Chen pulled down the brim of his hat, and the bright red ends of his hair peeked out from the adjustment hole, like a tongue of fire that refused to go out.
Xiao Wei reached out and ran her fingertips across the collar of her school uniform—the top button was still fastened tightly, but it couldn't hide the "ring-shaped" nipple that had faded to a pale pink at the edge. Her voice was low, just loud enough for the two of them to hear: "Don't run around, and don't answer other people's calls."
"You're the one running around." Yu Chen's ears burned, and she took a half step back. "Hurry up, we're going to be late."
Xiao Wei smiled, took two steps back, turned around, swiped her card, and entered the station. The crowd instantly swallowed her 186cm frame, like a black panther disappearing into the night. The gate closed, the red indicator light beeped, and her view was cut off.
Yu Chen sighed and turned to walk towards the bus stop—the No. 1 Middle School and the Sports School were in opposite directions, so she had to take the B18 bus, which was five stops away.
7:25 People's Square Station
During the morning rush hour, traffic was backed up in long queues. Just as Yu Chen put his earphones in, a clear male voice came from behind him:
"Yu Chen".
She turned around—translated by An.
He wore a white shirt, his school trousers were pressed straight, and the cuffs were rolled up to his forearms, revealing black wristbands on his wrists—the standard uniform for student council duty. He carried a laptop bag on one shoulder and two cups of takeaway coffee in the other hand, the cups covered with water droplets, like two small fog lights.
"Good morning." He approached and handed me one of the drinks. "No sugar, less ice, cheese and strawberry Americano instead—to cool you down."
Yu Chen instinctively took the cup, her fingertips touching the rim, the coldness creeping up her knuckles. She thanked him but didn't remove the straw, only pulling her hat down even further. An Yi's gaze fell on her collar, the edge of the tightly fastened button, where a faint red mark lingered on her skin, like a stamp that had been erased with an eraser.
"Is your neck still itchy?" The voice was soft, but it carried obvious concern.
"It doesn't itch." Yu Chen turned his head, pretending to study the bus stop sign. "The poisonous mosquitoes have been eradicated."
An Yi smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners, but he didn't press the matter further. He looked down and pulled a folded A4 sheet from the side pocket of his backpack, unfolding it—it was the algebra analysis paper from last Friday's monthly exam, the last big question. He had written three solutions in red pen, his handwriting neat, like a paper that had been graded with full marks.
"I left this for you." He paused, his voice lowering. "I originally wanted to give it to you last night, but you didn't go back to your dorm."
Yu Chen's fingers tightened, and the coffee cup rattled with a "crack." Just as she was about to speak, the B18 bus pulled into the station, and the crowd surged. An Yi raised his hand, protecting her shoulder and back, his voice carried away by the engine noise: "Get on the bus first."
In the back of the bus, in a two-seater configuration, Yu Chen sat by the window, An Yi on the outside, about an arm's length apart, yet sharing the same air conditioning. The bus started moving, the morning light filtering through the glass into a cold white, like the overhead light of a boxing ring.
"How's your preparation for the selection on Friday?" An Yi turned her head, her voice soft but clearly tense.
"It's alright." Yu Chen took a sip of coffee, the bitterness rolling down his throat, but surprisingly calming him down. "It's just... I almost got disqualified."
She spoke in a low voice, but briefly recounted the whole story: sparring at the boxing gym, the disciplinary committee, Li Wei, the appeal, and the video recording. After listening, An Yi frowned slightly, silently tapping her knuckles twice on the chair, as if making a deduction.
“If you need a witness,” he said in a low, steady voice, “I can go. I happened to be on the second floor of the library that day, in room A-17. The security cameras should have captured me leaving at 10:47 p.m.—that timeframe proves you didn’t have a ‘late-night brawl’.”
Yu Chen froze, turning to look at him. The morning light fell on An Yi's eyelashes, shattering into tiny diamonds, making his amber eyes appear even clearer. Her heart warmed, but she subconsciously shook her head: "No need, Xiao Wei has already taken care of it."
The moment the name "Xiao Wei" was uttered, the air in the carriage seemed to freeze for a fleeting second. An Yi stopped tapping his fingers on the seat, his gaze falling on her collar, the edge of the tightly fastened button, where a faint red mark still lingered on her skin. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately asked nothing, simply folding the analysis into a smaller square and handing it to her:
"Keep this safe, you can look at it after the exam."
——
7:45 Linxia No.1 Middle School Station
The car door opened with a hiss, and a crowd poured out. Yu Chen stood up, and An Yi stood up at the same time. The two walked down the steps side by side. The copper plaques at the school gate were gilded, and when the sunlight shone on them, they created a dazzling golden wave. Yu Chen squinted, and the brim of his hat was slightly lifted by the wind.
"Yu Chen," An Yi suddenly spoke, her voice low but clear, "Can I go to the match on Friday?"
Yu Chen paused, turning to look at him. The morning light cast a long shadow of An Yi, his shoulders ramrod straight, like an unsheathed sword. A warmth welled in her heart, but she only gripped her coffee cup tighter, her voice soft yet carrying a sharp edge unique to youth:
"Come on, bring me the analysis."
She paused, hooked her little finger around the brim of her hat, and lifted it up slightly, revealing her entire face—the corners of her eyes still tinged with a faint pink, yet she stubbornly raised the corners of her mouth:
"With the third solution, I'm going to win."
An Yi smiled, his eyes crinkling into tiny creases, like the marks left when folding a scoreboard into a paper airplane. He nodded, his voice low and steady:
"Okay, I'll write down the third solution for you."
At the school gate, which resembled golden waves, two shadows briefly overlapped, like two axes of symmetry extending in opposite directions. Yu Chen turned around, her bright red hair tossing in the sunlight like a pre-lit fuse, and she rushed into the teaching building, sparks flying everywhere.
An Yi stood there, his gaze fixed on the direction where she had disappeared. He silently tapped his knuckles twice on the seam of his trousers—as if adding a dash to an unfinished analysis.
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