Chapter 029

Before Meng Li could even react, Ji Chen had already sat down on the stone next to her.

The wind between the treetops blew past her ears, dispersing the heat from the sun on her hair.

After a moment of confusion, Meng Li turned to look at Ji Chen, holding the cotton candy in her hand, and voiced her first question, “How did you end up here?”

She had been coming to this small park for nearly half a semester and had never seen anyone else around.

Ji Chen took a bite of the cotton candy in his hand and replied casually, “This is the only park near the school. Why can’t I be here? Is this park your family’s? Am I not allowed to come?”

Meng Li felt like his answer didn’t make any sense, but she couldn’t think of a better way to ask, so she simply voiced her second question, “Where did you even get the cotton candy from? Why give it to me?”

It seemed that Ji Chen was completely focused on his own cotton candy. “I saw it outside the school and bought it on a whim. You seemed to be in a bad mood today, so I bought an extra one…”

Ji Chen looked at Meng Li and asked, “Come on, tell me, why are you so down today?”

Meng Li was a bit confused by him. She hadn’t figured out how he ended up in this small park looking for her, or why he brought her a cotton candy, and now he was jumping straight to asking why she wasn’t happy?

How would he even know she was upset?

And besides, they weren’t friends, let alone close enough to talk about her feelings, right?

Meng Li glanced at the cotton candy in her hand, then at him. Deciding it was better not to stir things up, she replied, “It’s not really that I’m upset. It’s just that I’m still not feeling well, a bit off, and just don’t have the energy.”

Ji Chen could easily tell that Meng Li was brushing him off, but since she didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t press further.

He continued casually, “If you really feel bad, just take a day off and go home to rest.”

Meng Li wasn’t interested in going home. Compared to staying at the Cheng family’s house, she’d rather be at school.

She shook her head slightly and brought the cotton candy to her mouth for a bite. “I just can’t get myself energized. No need to take leave.”

Ji Chen watched her bite into the cotton candy, and a sweet feeling instantly surged in his heart. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he quickly suppressed it.

He cleared his throat, pretending to act casual, and stood up. “As long as you’re fine, then I’ll head back.”

Meng Li remained seated, holding the cotton candy, watching him walk away.

She blinked, three question marks appearing above her head.

Once Ji Chen’s figure disappeared from her sight, Meng Li shifted her gaze back to the cotton candy in her hand.

Her mind was full of confusion as she took another bite of the cotton candy.

After finishing the cotton candy, Meng Li leaned back against the stone and rested for a while. When the time seemed right, she stood up and headed back to school.

When Meng Li arrived at the school, she passed by the bulletin board and saw a few students standing there, whispering to each other.

Curious, she went over to take a look.

As soon as they noticed her approach, they all quietly dispersed.

Standing alone in front of the bulletin board, she looked up and immediately saw the school’s decision regarding the punishment of the physical education teacher.

Seeing that the teacher had been dismissed, Meng Li subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

She was, of course, satisfied with this outcome. If the punishment had been something less severe, and the teacher had remained at the school, it would have meant more trouble for her and Ji Chen. They would have been caught in a long-lasting conflict, making life much harder for them.

With this matter now settled, Meng Li stopped dwelling on it. She took a step forward and turned to head back to the classroom.

No sooner had she sat down in class than the bell for the start of the lesson rang.

Perhaps it was the distraction caused by Ji Chen that successfully lifted her mood. By the afternoon, Meng Li felt much better, no longer listless. She naturally returned to studying, reading books, doing exercises.

Reading, solving problems, memorizing, writing.

It seemed as though this had become her greatest interest and hobby.

Ji Chen, who had crammed for the midterm exams, spent the entire afternoon studying diligently as well.

The two of them were able to focus on their work without disturbing each other. By the time the last class was about to end, Ji Chen passed her a note.

The note was the same as yesterday’s—“Wait for me after school.”

Meng Li glanced at the note, then at Ji Chen, and naturally, a string of question marks appeared in her mind.

She couldn’t quite understand what Ji Chen meant now, and her heart felt uneasy.

So, when school ended, Meng Li, just like yesterday, timed it perfectly. She grabbed her backpack and rushed out of the classroom.

This time, Ji Chen was quick to react, grabbing his backpack and chasing after her.

The students in the front rows, unaware of what was going on, turned around to glance. They saw the two of them darting out like the wind, and it was obvious that Ji Chen was chasing after Meng Li. So, they immediately huddled together, eager to gossip.

Their eyes sparkled with excitement as they whispered—

“What’s going on? Are they finally going to make a move?”

“Yesterday, they were helping each other. I thought they were going to become brothers.”

“Children from the big estates and kids from the alley becoming brothers? Are you dreaming? They’ll never be brothers in this lifetime…”

…

Meng Li and Ji Chen didn’t care about the gossiping students in the classroom; they were both focused on running. Usually, Meng Li could outrun Ji Chen, but today, she wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t run fast at all. By the time they reached the school gate, Ji Chen caught up with her.

He grabbed her by the collar, breathing heavily. “Are you a rabbit or something? Why do you like running so much?”

Meng Li was also out of breath. “We agreed on this, that we wouldn’t interfere with each other.”

To prevent her from running off again, Ji Chen didn’t let go of her collar. “When did I ever agree to that? I was talking to my brothers, telling them not to bother anyone close to you. But I never promised to keep our paths separate.”

Meng Li caught her breath. “What exactly do you want?”

Ji Chen was breathing less heavily now. “I don’t really want anything. It’s just boring to go home alone, so I thought I’d find you to keep me company.”

Meng Li looked around. “What about your brothers?”

Ji Chen released her collar and grabbed her arm instead, pulling her toward the bus stop. “They know I’ve got midterms next week, so they won’t bother me for the next few days.”

Meng Li felt a bit speechless, thinking to herself, why did he have to pick her?

He could’ve found someone else—like Xiao Jianguo’s group, or even Yu Sitian from Class 4. That girl practically had hearts in her eyes whenever she looked at him.

After being dragged a few steps, Meng Li said, “Why not have Yu Sitian accompany you? She’s such a pretty girl. Walking together would be amazing.”

Ji Chen glanced back at her. “You really like pretty girls, huh?”

Meng Li retorted, “Of course. Who doesn’t like pretty girls?”

Ji Chen continued, “If you like them so much, why don’t I ever see you taking a picture?”

Meng Li opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. Then she replied, “I’m different from you guys. I’m mentally mature. I know we’re still young, and the future is uncertain. Even if we date, it might not lead to anything. So, I don’t want to mess with some innocent girl.”

“Well, look at you. I didn’t know you were so righteous.”

“Of course, I’m better than you,” Meng Li said with a grin.

…

The two of them exchanged retorts as they walked to the bus stop.

Ji Chen was still holding onto Meng Li’s arm and asked, “Are you still going to run? If not, I’ll let go.”

Meng Li paused for a moment before answering, “I’m not running anymore. Let go.”

Ji Chen thought for a moment and decided to trust her, slowly loosening his grip on her arm.

But as soon as he released her, Meng Li grabbed her backpack strap and turned to run.

Fortunately, he was prepared. With quick reflexes, he grabbed her and, using the momentum, pulled her back, bringing her right up against him. He then wrapped his arm around her neck, trapping her so she couldn’t move.

Meng Li found herself pressed against his chest, her neck trapped by his arm, and no matter how much she struggled, it was useless.

Her face flushed with frustration, and she elbowed him, saying, “Let go!”

Ji Chen refused to let go, leaning his head to the side to look at her face. “Are you still going to run?”

Meng Li’s ears grew hotter and hotter, and she finally relented. “I won’t run anymore. Really, I won’t.”

Ji Chen noticed the redness spreading from her ears to her cheeks and then glanced at the somewhat intimate position between them. His heart rate sped up. After a moment, he released her, trying to cover up the awkwardness by saying, “If you run again, I’ll break your legs.”

This time, Meng Li didn’t run. She just stood by the bus stop, clutching her backpack strap, and remained still.

The evening breeze blew past, cooling the warmth on her ears. She pretended to remain calm.

When the bus arrived, Meng Li boarded without a word. She didn’t ask Ji Chen which bus he was taking home. As she sat down, Ji Chen followed her and sat right next to her.

Meng Li turned to glance at him. “Do you take this bus home too?”

Ji Chen casually said, “It doesn’t matter, it all gets to the same place.”

Meng Li didn’t respond to him. Once the bus started moving, she turned her head to look out the window at the passing scenery.

Ji Chen didn’t initiate any more conversation either, and the two of them sat in an easy, non-awkward silence.

When they boarded, the bus wasn’t very crowded, but by the time they reached the middle of the route, more passengers got on.

Most of the new passengers were people finishing work, using their monthly passes and not needing to buy tickets.

As more people boarded, the bus became crowded, with many standing in the aisle.

In such a cramped space, conflicts were more likely to arise, especially when people accidentally bumped into each other.

A middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man, it wasn’t clear who stepped on whose foot or who pushed whose shoulder, but suddenly they started arguing. As the argument escalated, insults flew, and it seemed like things were about to get physical.

If this had been a fight between people of the same age, Ji Chen might have stepped in to mediate. People in Beijing knew his reputation, and his words carried weight—he could usually calm things down. But when it came to disputes between adults, that wasn’t something he felt he should get involved in.

Ji Chen instinctively shielded Meng Li’s seat, watching the chaos unfold as a spectator.

And the chaos was truly something to watch. The two people arguing were no pushovers. After a series of heated insults, they couldn’t contain their anger any longer and began physically fighting.

The ticket collector tried to intervene, but it didn’t help. Some passengers shouted out, trying to stop the fight, while others, including children, encouraged the commotion.

Soon, a tangle of people was wrestling together, slapping faces and pulling hair.

The bus was in utter chaos, and the “battlefield” was right next to Ji Chen and Meng Li’s seats.

The fight between the man and the woman grew more intense. The woman, gritting her teeth, lunged at the man, pushing him straight toward Ji Chen and Meng Li’s seats.

Ji Chen reacted instinctively. His movements were quick as he turned and pulled Meng Li into his arms, his hand bracing against the window.

The man collided with Ji Chen’s body, but luckily, Meng Li wasn’t hit.

Meng Li also reacted instinctively, startled by the sudden situation. She shrank back, and before she realized it, she was fully pressed into Ji Chen’s arms.

The bus came to a stop at the station, and the driver came over to break up the fight, calming the situation down.

After a while, the conflict settled. The woman, panting and still cursing, got off the bus.

The man, not yet at his stop, remained on the bus, still muttering angrily.

The bus slowly quieted down as it started moving again.

Ji Chen kept his arm around Meng Li, not releasing her, maintaining the position of keeping her protected in his embrace.

Meng Li took a gentle breath, pulling her attention away from the fight between the man and woman. Only then did she realize she was still nestled in Ji Chen’s arms. As she turned her face, it came just inches away from his, their faces almost touching.

They were so close that she could feel his breath on her skin, warm and close.

Meng Li instinctively pulled back, trying to create some distance between them. Her ears burned with embarrassment, and despite her best efforts, she couldn’t control the heat spreading across her face.

She adjusted her breathing, wanting to say something, but the words didn’t come out in time.

Ji Chen, watching her seriously, leaned in slightly and whispered, “A big guy like you, so easily embarrassed?”

Because they were so close, and because of her position in his arms, combined with his low, intimate tone, Meng Li couldn’t help but sense an undertone of flirtation in his words.

Her face turned even redder, and her heart rate picked up.

In an attempt to ease the awkwardness, she quickly shoved Ji Chen away, steadying her voice and muttering, “None of your business!”

After being pushed away, Ji Chen settled back into his seat, his gaze directed forward, a smile lingering on his lips.

Meng Li, feeling the heat of the moment, yanked open the windows beside her and turned her face to catch the breeze.