On the first Monday of August, the senior high school students started their term early.
Attached High had many boarding students, with a tradition of returning early for evening self-study.
Sheng Xia rode her electric scooter toward the school under the glow of the sunset.
She hadn’t dared mention the minor accident to Sheng Mingfeng. Her father was quick to pass judgments—he’d undoubtedly declare, "You’re just not cut out for riding," and take the scooter away.
But she really enjoyed riding. The wind rushing past her cheeks felt like it could smooth out all the chaos inside her. After practicing for a few days, she sometimes got a sudden burst of adrenaline and twisted the throttle all the way. In that moment of acceleration, everything around her blurred backward, as if she’d broken free of time and space, hurtling forward recklessly on her own track.
She was the sole master of this trajectory.
She’d named her ride "Little White."
...
6:30 PM—half an hour before evening self-study. Sheng Xia arrived at the school bike shed, thinking she was early, only to find it nearly full.
This was probably the self-discipline of a top provincial school. At No. 2 High, it’d be a miracle if half the students even showed up on the first day, let alone arrived early.
She maneuvered her scooter slowly, searching for a spot. Just as she was about to give up and park at the neighboring building, she spotted a gap in the corner.
Two mountain bikes were parked diagonally, hogging space for four.
She left Little White in the aisle and went to adjust the bikes.
Mountain bikes had large wheel diameters and no rear racks, leaving her unsure how to grip them properly.
Then she noticed one of the bikes wasn’t locked. A backpack hung from the handlebars, its outermost zipper half-open—whether carelessly left that way or simply forgotten, she couldn’t tell.
This owner was way too careless.
Looks like she’d have to pull the bike out first, then push it back in straight.
She carefully nudged it out and was about to reposition it when a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Who are you? What are you doing?"
"Let go!"
Sheng Xia jerked her head up, following the sound, her hands instinctively obeying—
A series of clatters erupted as the bike lost balance and toppled toward the side with the backpack. The contents spilled out through the half-open zipper, scattering across the ground.
"Seriously?!" The boy who’d shouted rushed over, taking in the mess. "I told you to let go, not drop it like that! You—"
His eyes landed on the frozen, flustered girl, and he blinked in recognition. "It’s you again?" Then he turned to the other boy strolling over leisurely. "A-Shu, your bike..."
Sheng Xia didn’t know where to put her hands—should she pick up the bike first or the spilled items?
A glance at the ground left her petrified. That one look nearly sent her to the afterlife!
This... this pile of magazines and discs.
Was this even—?!
Her eyes widened. She stood frozen for two full seconds before snapping her head away.
Though she couldn’t read a single character of Japanese on the magazine covers, no language was needed to grasp the subject matter.
Those pale, entangled bodies. Those seductive expressions and poses. Those parts she, as a girl, couldn’t even bring herself to look at...
Her heart pounded like a drum, threatening to leap out of her chest. Her breath hitched, her brain starved for oxygen, her ears burning hotter than the sunset, her face flushing in shades more vivid than the evening sky.
Now she didn’t know where to look, her voice trapped in her throat, her entire body stiff as a board. All she could do was stare at the approaching figures, awaiting judgment like a condemned prisoner.Both boys were tall, their stark contrast in body types—one stout, the other lean—immediately noticeable. The stout one was the one who had just spoken, while the slender boy walked leisurely behind, holding a can of soda.
As they drew near, the spotlight from the bike shed roof shone directly onto his dark, tousled hair. Beneath his loose bangs, his gaze was lazy, and the corners of his lips curled slightly—like a smile, yet devoid of any real movement.
He seemed somewhat indifferent.
The summer sunset grew redder as evening deepened, a tapestry of violet and crimson unfurling behind the boy. The evening breeze rustled the leaves, filling the air with a soft whisper.
The world was silent, the scene before her like a framed painting.
The figures of the two boys felt oddly familiar, and her mind flashed back to the car accident a few days ago.
She had been too panicked then to get a good look at their faces, only remembering one was stout, the other lean, riding mountain bikes...
And now, the stout boy gave her the answer with a grin.
"Classmate, couldn’t pull off the scam, so you’re changing tactics?"
It really was them.
"I’m sorry, I—I was just trying to park." Not intentionally knocking over your bikes and discovering your secret.
Of course, she didn’t voice the latter part.
Both boys glanced at the familiar white e-bike parked nearby. The stout one scoffed, "Oh, still daring to ride it?"
The lean boy seemed uninterested, crouching to pick up the scattered books and CDs from the ground, stuffing them back into his backpack.
Sheng Xia’s gaze involuntarily followed his movements, watching his slender fingers brush over those... less-than-appropriate images.
Even though he was just picking things up, the sight made her face flush and her heart race all over again.
As for him, his movements were unhurried, showing no trace of embarrassment at being "caught."
Once everything was packed away, he zipped up the bag, slung it over his shoulder, and pushed his bike to the far side. Tilting his chin, he gestured, "Park here."
Then he stepped aside to make space, leaning against the railing as he took a sip from his soda can, his Adam’s apple bobbing, as if completely detached from the situation.
Sheng Xia hesitated, mumbled an "Oh," quickly parked her bike, grabbed her bag, and hurried off without even a polite nod of farewell.
She just wanted to leave as fast as possible.
If time could rewind, she’d gladly walk the extra few hundred meters to park at the sophomore building’s bike shed.
At first, she only walked briskly, but after a few steps, she broke into a jog and soon disappeared down the hallway.
"Why’s she running like she’s being chased? This girl’s hilarious. Did you see that, A-Shu? Her hands were shaking like she had epilepsy—hahahaha, was it really that scary?"
"Exaggerate much?" Zhang Shu shot a sidelong glance at the laughing Hou Junqi. "Why’d you yell at her?"
Hou Junqi’s laughter cut off abruptly, eyes widening. "?"
Zhang Shu tossed his backpack at him. "If you hadn’t made a fuss, nothing would’ve happened. What’s wrong with you?"
Hou Junqi clutched the precious items he’d painstakingly acquired, only then realizing the real issue. "She’s not gonna report us, is she?"
Zhang Shu said, "She won’t."
"Good," Hou Junqi sighed in relief. "How do you know she won’t? What if she does?"
Zhang Shu’s mind flashed to those damp eyes and pale lips. "Does she look like she has the guts for that?"
If just seeing it scared her that much, how could she possibly describe it to someone else?
Though he didn’t quite understand why she was so frightened, one thing was certain—it wasn’t just shyness. She was genuinely terrified.Hou Junqi nodded, "True, every time I see her, she's shivering. Hey, Shu, she's so pale too. Have you ever seen a girl that white? She looks even paler than Chen Mengyao, with that long hair flying all over when the wind blows. If her face wasn't flushed, she'd look like a ghost..."
Zhang Shu replied, "Worrying so much hasn't made you any thinner."
Hou Junqi: ...
The two of them sat on the railing, enjoying the evening breeze. Hou Junqi checked his watch, "Still not here. Those bastards, do they really expect me to escort them to class?"
Zhang Shu was clearly getting impatient too, "Hurry them up. Are they coming or not? If not, they better not come begging another day. The bell's about to ring."
Hou Junqi scoffed, "You're afraid of being late? That's hilarious." As if reporting the extra classes wasn't bad enough.
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