Chapter 2 First Encounter
◎The "Lin" in Lin Daiyu, the "Yu" in "overdue," and the "Jing" in "quiet."
Even after seven years, Lin Yujing still vividly remembers her first encounter with Chen Jingshu, a perfect meeting she had planned for half a month.
On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, in Pengzhen, a small coastal town in the north, the evening horizon was gently tinged with crimson, a thin mist hung over the sea, and a leisurely, moist breeze blew.
Lin Yujing, carrying a stack of new books issued on the first day of school, walked on the golden fallen leaves and listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the ground.
As her white skirt fluttered past the bright yellow building, she slowly stopped.
My phone vibrated twice, and an unsigned text message arrived: "[Is everything going well?]"
【Don't worry.】After replying to the message, Lin Yujing looked up at the two rows of neat brick buildings back to back, forming a dead end.
Several motorcycles blocked the entrance to the alley, and a group of teenagers dressed as thugs were smoking.
Thus, the black-haired boy with his back against the wall, wearing a school uniform and slightly nodding, appeared to be a vulnerable student being coerced and bullied.
"You!" In the deserted alley, the girl's voice was pretty and brave. Even her high ponytail, which was being blown by the evening breeze, made her look like a chivalrous heroine who was shouting for justice. She instantly attracted everyone's attention. "Let go of that boy!"
"Hmm, what can I do for you, little sister?" The blond-haired leader looked at her first, then glanced at the boy he had blocked in front of him, and understood. "Little sister, are you trying to save the hero with your beauty?"
Upon hearing this, the boy who had been leaning against the wall gave a light "tsk" and straightened his back to look at her.
Although she had seen a lot of information and photos about the boy, Lin Yujing's heart still skipped a beat when their eyes met.
The boy had deep-set, well-proportioned features, thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and a strong, smooth facial contour—typical characteristics of an Eastern boy.
His gaze was indifferent when he looked at her, his brows revealed a wild and untamed spirit that came from growing up in a small town, his thin lips were flat and indifferent, and at first glance he had a cold arrogance that kept people at a distance.
"Student, you should go now." The voice was gentle yet slightly magnetic.
Lin Yujing met his gaze, raised her neck high, like a little goose baring its claws, both pretty and soft yet pretending to be fierce and brave, "I can see that your school uniform is from Pengzhen No.1 Middle School, don't worry, I definitely won't abandon you."
"You've hit it off? Mutual appreciation, how romantic." The thug with blond hair, who was the leader, nudged the girl's arm with his elbow. "Sis, we won't bully him, so why don't you let us bully him for a bit?"
"Don't cause trouble, let her go."
"Brother Jing, she's quite interesting."
Lin Yujing was standing far away and did not hear the two whispering conversation.
But she still stubbornly walked towards the crowd in the alley, her voice trembling slightly but sweet and clear, "Do you know who I am? Do you know Chen Jingshu? If you bully me, you'll offend him!"
Upon hearing the name 'Chen Jingshu,' the blond-haired man exchanged a glance with the boy before suppressing his smile and asking seriously, 'Do you know our Brother Jing?'
"That's right!" Seeing that the blond-haired boy seemed to be intimidated, Lin Yujing quickly pulled the boy from the crowd and protected him behind her.
"Our Brother Jing never plays with girls." The blond-haired guy laughed casually, with a hint of ambiguous teasing. "Could it be, sister-in-law?"
Lin Yujing blushed and turned to look at the boy with a slightly guilty expression.
The moment their eyes met again, Miracle noticed a crack appear in the arrogance in his eyes, replaced by a faint smile.
"Hmm!" Although she felt guilty admitting it, Lin Yujing still straightened her back and pretended to be serious, saying, "If you let us go now, I'll pretend this never happened and I won't tell him when I get back."
The blond-haired man laughed louder, his gaze shifting from Lin Yujing's head to the boy standing behind her. "And the handsome guy behind her, can you guarantee anything? He's Jing-ge's favorite. If he finds out about this, he'll definitely beat me up for his wife."
The boy coughed and looked down at Lin Yujing.
The girl was wearing the Pengzhen No. 1 Middle School uniform, a white shirt and pleated skirt, which made her glow in the twilight.
A youthful face, beautiful yet aloof, like a wild crow tree blooming from a cold, rocky crevice.
"Yeah, I won't tell him either."
Hearing this, Lin Yujing's heart trembled. Without giving anyone time to react, she grabbed the boy's wrist and fled out of the alley.
The two ran for two blocks before stopping in front of a police station, bending over and panting heavily.
"Thank you, heroine." The young man's chest heaved violently, a bead of sweat hanging from his temple. When he smiled, the coldness in his eyes completely melted into warm water, and he even had a carefree and unruly air about him.
Lin Yujing's fair face flushed red, and her eyes welled up with tears. "You're welcome."
"Thank you so much, heroine. Let me help you carry the books." The young man approached, smelling clean and refreshing like soap and laundry detergent. He then teased, "Are you really Chen Jingshu's girlfriend? I heard he's quite fierce and jealous. He won't be angry if he finds out you saved me, will he?"
Lin Yujing blushed, her voice faltering slightly, but she still tilted her head back, saying with a mix of coquettishness and arrogance, "No, he's my Ah Shu's most doted-on. Just mention my name, and he definitely won't cause you any trouble."
The boy let out a drawn-out "Oh," seemingly teasingly, "Then may I ask the name of this heroine, so that I may... use it as a talisman?"
amulet?
Lin Yujing stared at his face for a moment, slightly stunned. She had many nicknames since she was a child: money-loser, vixen, bad girl. Few people called her by her name.
This is the first time someone has wanted to use her name as a talisman.
“Lin Yujing.” When she answered him, her heart was pounding, but it also felt like she had honey in her mouth. “Lin as in Lin Daiyu, Yu as in overdue, and Jing as in quiet.”
"Lin, Yu, Jing." The young man looked directly into her eyes, enunciating each word slowly and deliberately, his voice gentle and tender, like reciting poetry.
"Hmm. And what's your name?"
"Me? Lin Yujing, you're the first person to stand up for me when I was being bullied. From now on, you'll be my boss, just call me little brother."
The moment he didn't tell her his real name, Lin Yujing knew her plan had succeeded.
Lin Yujing actually knew a lot about him.
I know his name is Chen Jingshu. He was raised by his mother alone. He is a righteous person and has many friends.
From three-year-old children to seventy-year-old grandmothers, everyone loves him; he is undoubtedly the king of children in this small town.
Therefore, she needs an unexpected, romantic, and dramatic first encounter.
Then, seizing upon a few unintentional remarks he made, she quickly put on a look of concern and asked, "Are you often bullied?"
The boy shrugged. "When I was little, almost every day."
"Why?"
"Maybe it's because... I'm handsome."
Lin Yujing had just organized the words she was going to say to comfort him, but they got stuck in her throat, and she just stared at the person in front of her in disbelief.
Am I not handsome?
Lin Yujing blinked a few times and suddenly took a step towards the boy.
She stood on tiptoe, meeting his dark eyes that could melt away any hint of arrogance.
In the early autumn twilight, the salty sea breeze carries the scent of youthful exhilaration.
The girl's pleated skirt fluttered in the wind, and when the soft fabric brushed against the boy's skin, a moment of confusion flashed in his eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed restrainedly against his school uniform collar.
Then Lin Yujing quickly took a step back, turned her back to him, and softly said, "He is indeed quite handsome."
The wild and unruly boy, who grew up in a small town, blushed inexplicably from his cheeks to the roots of his ears because of her words.
From there on, Lin Yujing walked ahead, with the boy following behind.
Every now and then, she would turn around to look at him, but each time she would meet his gaze.
Lin Yujing didn't speak again until the boy escorted her to her place, "I've arrived. Thank you for bringing me back."
"You live here?" The boy seemed somewhat surprised.
It was a two-story building facing the street, with a wooden sign that read "Yi Lou B&B" hanging at the entrance.
Before Lin Yujing could answer, a woman came out of the building and immediately went up to her with concern when she saw her return. "Why did it take you so long to come back? I thought you were lost and I was just about to go to the school to pick you up."
"Aunt Chen Xuan, I ran into a classmate on the way, so I'm a little late."
Chen Xuan followed her gaze, then, as if suddenly remembering something, slapped her head. "Oh dear, look at my memory. You went straight to rest in Pengzhen yesterday, and I didn't have a chance to let you two meet."
Lin Yujing watched as Chen Xuan took the boy's arm and enthusiastically introduced him to her: "This is my son, Chen Jingshu. He's the same age as you and is also a senior at Pengzhen No. 1 High School..."
"Ah Shu, this is Jingjing, the pretty girl I told you about before, who rents a single room on the second floor of our house. She's also an art student at your school. Please take good care of her from now on, understand?"
"Okay, Mom. I'll definitely... take good care of Jingjing."
Chen Jingshu responded to Chen Xuan's words, but his gaze was fixed on Lin Yujing's face, which was frozen in a smile.
The ambiguous smile in his eyes seemed to say, "After all, he's someone I especially dote on..."
"Ouch! My pot!" After introducing the two, Chen Xuan turned around and ran to the kitchen in a hurry.
The two were once again left alone in a space, where an ambiguous and awkward atmosphere inexplicably filled the air.
"Your boyfriend?" Chen Jingshu raised an eyebrow with a mischievous grin, leaning slightly forward to gaze at Lin Yujing's face, which seemed to desperately want to bury itself in the ground.
"Liar!" Lin Yujing pouted, looking like she was about to cry, and ran upstairs without looking back.
Chen Jingshu nodded or shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
After running upstairs with her, I first respectfully said to the black and white photo frame in the central hall, "Grandpa, I'm back," before rushing to her room door.
Lin Yujing, however, with a feigned angry expression, simply closed the door.
"Boss, I was wrong. I really didn't mean to lie to you."
Lin Yujing pressed her back against the door, her face burning with the shame of lying.
She clutched her rapidly heaving heart, feeling not only the triumphant joy of her first victory but also the shyness and timidity of a young girl.
“Jingjing, everything I said except for lying about your name is true.” Chen Jingshu didn’t leave and continued to knock on her door persistently. “When I was a child, I was bullied every day. I really longed for a hero to descend from the sky and protect me.”
Lin Yujing couldn't bear to let him keep begging. When she opened the door, her face was full of concern, yet she was too shy to look at him. "And now? Do they still dare to bully you?"
Seeing her come out, Chen Jingshu breathed a sigh of relief, and his furrowed brows relaxed. "When I was ten years old, I beat up every single child who bullied me."
"So, they're all following you around now, calling you Brother Jing?" As a freshman, she heard a lot about Chen Jingshu as soon as she entered the school today.
A top student who excels in both academics and sports, he is a regular guest on the honor roll and in the student affairs office. He often stands under the national flag to read his self-criticism, but this does not prevent him from representing the school in various competitions and winning scholarships left and right.
Most importantly, he's handsome. Girls from all over Pengzhen, from high schools to vocational schools, pursue him, and every time he participates in a competition across provinces, it causes another stir.
The phrase "the most popular and controversial campus heartthrob" perfectly describes him.
"They insisted on calling, and there was nothing I could do." Chen Jingshu seemed unconcerned, only pressing her for an answer, "Are you still angry with me?"
Lin Yujing glared at him reproachfully, then apologized, "Actually, I lied too, saying I was you..."
She couldn't say those two words, but her apology was sincere.
"It's okay, I know you did it to save me."
"..."
Lin Yujing lowered her eyes, unable to look into his sincere and clear dark eyes any longer. "Chen Jingshu, then consider this a lie you told me today. In the future, I also have the right to lie to you once, okay?"
Let's just consider it a foreshadowing she laid in advance to put her mind at ease.
Chen Jingshu, without even thinking, readily agreed, "Okay, the boss decides."
A note from the author:
Love for Sale
Singer: Young Master Chen
[Regret] [Resentment] [Heartbroken] [Holding the microphone] [Sadly speaking] [You betrayed my love, you bear the burden of a guilty conscience, and when I finally learned the truth, tears streamed down my face!]
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