Scattered in the corridor
The bell for the end of get out of class rang suddenly, like a stone hitting the calm water, and the classroom instantly became lively.
As the math teacher walked out the door, lesson plan in hand, the students eagerly stood up. The clatter of tables and chairs, laughter, and the rustling of books filled the air. It was lunchtime, and everyone was rushing to the cafeteria or the playground.
Lin Weixi was slowly arranging her books. She didn't like this kind of crowded time. From the corner of her eye, she saw Chen Wang standing up neatly and walking out while chatting and laughing with the boys in the back row.
He always seems to be like this, always surrounded by friends and moving like the wind.
After most of the people in the classroom had left, she picked up the few books she had chosen to return to the library and stood up to walk out. The head teacher had just instructed that these books must be returned before the afternoon class.
The corridor was deserted, and the sun shone through, casting long, dark spots on the floor. It was so quiet that I could hear my own footsteps.
It's good, she likes this kind of quietness.
Just as I turned the corner of the corridor, a few junior students came running towards me, laughing and not even looking where they were going.
Lin Weixi subconsciously wanted to avoid it and moved to the side, but she forgot that the pile of books in her arms was not easy to balance.
“Crash—”
The thing she feared most had happened. Several thick books slipped from her arms and scattered all over the floor. One even slid quite far, its cover scraping against the ground with a slight grinding sound.
The students who caused the trouble were stunned for a moment, stuck out their tongues, and ran away quickly.
The corridor was quiet again.
Lin Weixi looked at the books scattered on the ground and squatted down in frustration. Her skirt was a bit of a hindrance, so she had to bend her knees carefully and reach out to pick up the nearest book.
Really. She felt a little annoyed. Why at this moment?
The footsteps came closer and stopped beside her.
A pair of white, expensive-looking sneakers caught my eye. The uppers were clean.
Lin Weixi paused, her heart skipping a beat. This pair of shoes... She had just seen them at noon, under the desk, right next to her seat.
She stiffened her neck and raised her head little by little.
Chen Wang was standing in front of her, facing the backlight, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at the mess on the ground. He seemed to have returned to get something.
"What's wrong? Didn't you hold it firmly?" He spoke, his voice ringing above her head, with a slight breath from running.
Lin Weixi's face suddenly burned up, and she was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground to hide in. "Just now...just now someone ran over and accidentally bumped into me..." Her voice was as small as a mosquito's hum.
She thought she must look ridiculous for being so clumsy.
Chen Wang didn't ask any more questions and squatted down as well. His movements were very natural, without the slightest hesitation.
"It's okay, I'll help you."
As he spoke, he reached out to pick up the scattered books. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints, and he skillfully picked up the books one by one and stacked them neatly.
Lin Weixi still kept squatting, looking at him a little bewilderedly. He was very close, so close that she could see his long eyelashes when he lowered his eyelids, and the few strands of black hair on his forehead that were stuck to his forehead due to sweat.
The light, sunny smell mixed with laundry detergent once again enveloped me clearly.
He picked up the last book, the one that had slid furthest, and gently brushed the dust off the cover. Then he handed the neatly arranged stack to her.
"Here. Hold me tighter next time." He looked at her, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curve up a little bit. I don't know if he was laughing at her.
Lin Weixi took the book in a daze and held it in his arms. The warmth of his fingertips seemed to still remain on the book.
"Thank...thank you." She finally found her voice, but it was still weak.
"You're welcome." Chen Wang stood up and clapped his hands, as if he had done something very ordinary. "Let's go."
He turned around and ran briskly towards the classroom, probably to get something he had left behind.
Lin Weixi was the only one left in the corridor.
She was still squatting there, holding the pile of books she had lost and found, her heart pounding. The scene just now was like being slowed down, replaying over and over in her mind.
The way he squatted down, the way he picked up the book, the fingers he used when handing over the book, and the sound of his voice.
The book in her arms felt heavy, but it made her feel light somewhere in her heart.
She squatted there for a few more seconds before slowly standing up. Her legs felt a little numb.
On the way to the library, the corners of her mouth kept curling up slightly uncontrollably.
Lin Weixi was a little absent-minded in the afternoon class.
What the teacher said went in one ear and out the other. She couldn't help but glance at Chen Wang next to her out of the corner of her eye.
He listened attentively to the lecture, occasionally lowering his head to take notes, the lines of his profile serious and clear. It was as if the little incident in the corridor at noon was not worth mentioning to him at all, and had long been forgotten.
But for her, it seemed different.
The school bell rang and everyone started packing their bags.
Chen Wang moved quickly, packed up in no time, and walked away arm in arm with the classmate he had agreed to play ball with.
Lin Weixi lingered until the very end before leaving.
As she walked out of the teaching building, the setting sun painted the sky a warm orange. She took a deep breath, the air filled with the sweet fragrance of newly opened osmanthus flowers.
As she passed the corner, she slowed down her pace involuntarily.
There was nothing there, as if nothing had happened.
But she knew something was different.
When she got home, she locked the door and took out the locked diary from the innermost layer of her schoolbag.
The key turned, making a slight "click" sound.
She turned to a new page, held the pen, thought for a moment, and then wrote carefully:
"September X, sunny. Today, my books were scattered in the corridor. He helped me pick them up. He has beautiful fingers. Also, he spoke to me twice."
After finishing writing, she looked at the lines of words, her fingers lightly brushed over the word "he", and a faint smile appeared on her face again, just like in the afternoon, which she didn't even notice.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened.
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