Chapter 006

Raindrops pattered on the window, and He Ye woke up five minutes before her alarm.

Ancheng is a rainy city, with rain every two or three days on average, so everyone is used to it.

She went out to brush her teeth and noticed her father had placed an umbrella on the dining table for her.

“Let’s take the bus today,” he said.

“Okay,” she replied.

Ten minutes later, He Ye walked out of the elevator and opened the blue umbrella.

Fortunately, it was just raining with no wind, so she didn’t have to worry about getting her shoes and trousers wet.

The bus stop was on the east gate side. Through the wrought iron fence outside the community, He Ye saw six or seven figures waiting at the platform, including four students from No. 2 Middle School.

On a rainy day like this, fewer people rode bicycles; they either took the bus like her or were driven to school by their parents.

When He Ye arrived at the platform, she was surprised but not entirely shocked to see Lu Jin there, carrying a schoolbag on one shoulder and a storage bag for wet umbrellas on the other.

The other three students were unfamiliar faces, likely from other grades.

He Ye smiled at Lu Jin and stood a few steps away from him.

As she leaned over to check for the approaching bus, she noticed Lu Jin moving toward her from the corner of her eye.

“Let’s go together,” Lu Jin said.

He unfolded the storage bag and motioned for He Ye to put her umbrella in it. “This is more convenient. We don’t want to accidentally bump into others on the bus.”

From a passenger’s perspective, He Ye had no reason to refuse. But as she was about to do it, she suddenly wondered, “Are you still waiting for Zhou Xiangming?”

If she gave him the umbrella, it might be problematic if they didn’t take the same bus later.

He Ye had no intention of waiting for the person who was habitually late.

Lu Jin smiled and said, “Uncle Zhou will drive him today.”

He Ye was relieved. “Thank you, then.”

Lu Jin didn’t reply. After she put down her umbrella, he slightly adjusted his bag and looked ahead.

The bus was approaching.

The route to the city center was far from the starting station. There were no seats left, and the number of standing passengers was almost reaching the driver’s side.

He Ye felt the pressure.

“Follow me,” Lu Jin instructed.

He Ye nodded.

The bus stopped. Lu Jin glanced at He Ye and boarded first, followed by He Ye.

There was only one stop between their location and the school. Since there were no hospitals or office buildings near that stop, it was expected that not many people would be getting off the bus later.

To avoid wasting time when getting off, Lu Jin planned to squeeze past the passenger in the middle and stand by the rear door.

With his help clearing the way, He Ye felt much more at ease and followed him step by step.

As they moved, the driver started the bus, and the inertia caused He Ye to lean forward.

Anxious, she wanted to grab a handrail, but all within her sight were already occupied. At that moment, Lu Jin suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

He Ye collided with him.

Lu Jin held onto the long pole used for the handrail with his right hand and stood firmly, like a pillar.

He Ye instinctively clung to his waist.

Narrow, thin, yet firm and powerful.

It wasn’t until the bus had settled that He Ye realized how awkward their position was and quickly let go.

“Are you okay?” Lu Jin asked, noticing her flushed face and disheveled hair.

He Ye nodded.

Lu Jin continued to guide her forward.

Finally, they reached the back door, which was emptier than expected.

Lu Jin directed He Ye to stand in front, holding the fixed pillar. He stood behind her, holding the ring above. This way, no one squeezing in from behind would bump into He Ye.

As the bus swayed, his chest gently brushed against the schoolbag on He Ye’s back.

He Ye gripped the pillar slightly.

She had taken the bus many times before, but this was the first time she had been taken care of like this. Her father had difficulty walking, so someone would always offer their seat when he was on the bus. When traveling with Zhu Qing, it was usually He Ye who took care of Zhu Qing.

The bus moved slowly, and occasionally, a breeze from Lu Jin’s breath rustled He Ye’s hair from behind.

She tried to focus on the view outside the window.

The black asphalt road was freshly washed by the rain, the greenery of the bushes was vibrant, and cars drove by quickly, splashing two rows of white water.

The school was ahead.

Lu Jin took out an umbrella in advance and handed the blue one to He Ye.

He Ye accepted it with a nod. The bus stopped, the doors opened, and she immediately opened her umbrella and stepped out.

Fresh, moist air replaced the stuffy atmosphere and strange smells of the bus.

He Ye walked a few steps away to make space for others exiting the bus before turning around.

Lu Jin followed behind her, holding a black umbrella. He was more than ten centimeters taller than her, and his fair, handsome face was fully visible under the umbrella.

He Ye didn’t know what to say, so she smiled, turned around, and walked away.

Lu Jin walked on her left.

The teaching building for the senior grades was closest to the school’s main entrance. As He Ye folded her umbrella and entered the building, she glanced at the figure beside her and felt a pang of anxiety.

If Zhu Qing saw that she and Lu Jin arrived together, she would likely have all sorts of imaginations.

It would be fine if it were just a coincidence, but the morning’s interactions between them could easily be misunderstood.

“I almost forgot, I need to go to the supermarket to buy a pen,” He Ye said, as if to herself.

Lu Jin looked at her and said, “Then I’ll go up first.”

He Ye nodded, then really opened the umbrella again and went outside, heading toward the school supermarket on the left side of the gate.

Due to this extra trip, she entered the classroom seven or eight minutes later than Lu Jin.

“Are you not wet from the rain?” Zhu Qing, who was sitting in the first row, looked at her with concern.

He Ye smiled and shook her head.

Zhu Qing gave an “OK” gesture.

He Ye walked to her seat. Since the seats were close and the male students behind her had not yet arrived, she inevitably saw Lu Jin sitting at his desk, reading a book with his long eyelashes lowered.

He Ye quickly averted her gaze and sat down.

Lu Jin then raised his eyes and watched as she put away her schoolbag, chatted with Wu Yuanyuan for a few moments, and then read the English text quietly.

She had a simple ponytail, with some soft, thin hair sticking up underneath.

In fact, he had seen it more clearly when standing behind her on the bus, including a small black mole on the back of her neck.

It’s said that boys usually start developing an interest in the opposite sex around thirteen or fourteen years old.

Lu Jin had never experienced this interest.

He thought he was too mature and rational, having skipped this restless phase. He didn’t expect to meet He Ye during the summer before his senior year of high school.

Due to the rain, physical exercises were canceled that day, giving the students an unexpected 20 minutes of free time.

Wu Yuanyuan took He Ye to the bathroom.

When the two girls returned, they found many classmates had come out into the corridor to watch Zhou Xiangming and Lu Jin play badminton.

Both of them were about 1.8 meters tall and slender. When Zhou Xiangming hit a high ball, it was about to fly over Lu Jin’s head. Lu Jin jumped on the spot, and as he swung the racket, the hem of his white shirt lifted, revealing a tight and smooth waist.

“Wow, abs!” Wu Yuanyuan exclaimed excitedly, pulling He Ye’s arm.

He Ye also saw it.

She was inexplicably reminded of the earlier hug on the bus. At that moment, she had clearly felt the strength of his waist and abdominal muscles; otherwise, she would have been knocked off balance.

At that moment, Lu Jin landed back on the ground and looked towards them.

He Ye quickly looked away and watched as Zhou Xiangming ran a few steps away to retrieve the shuttlecock.

After picking it up, Zhou Xiangming saw her and swung his racket, asking with a bright smile, “Want to play a few rounds? Playing ball is a great way to exercise.”

He Ye declined the offer and quickly pulled Wu Yuanyuan through the two of them and back into the classroom.

Zhou Xiangming glanced at Lu Jin, who was sitting across from him, and thought, Bro, you’re not charming enough!

Lu Jin stood by the back door of the classroom, glanced inside, and soon saw He Ye returning to her seat.

“Catch the ball!” shouted Zhou Xiangming as the shuttlecock flew through the air, and the boys swung their rackets, creating a sharp sound that carried into the classroom.

After hearing this multiple times, He Ye looked towards the back door. As she tilted her head, she saw Lu Jin, who was bending down to pick up the shuttlecock, looking up at her.

He Ye quickly turned back.

After the evening self-study, the rain was still falling.

He Ye packed her schoolbag and heard Zhou Xiangming ask Lu Jin, “My dad is here to pick me up. Shall we ride together later?”

She didn’t hear Lu Jin’s response.

Recalling how the two boys had accompanied her home the previous nights, He Ye stopped, took out her exercise book, and continued her homework.

As long as she left the classroom later than them, Zhou Xiangming would not feel the need to invite her to take the car out of politeness or enthusiasm.

Even if Zhou Xiangming had no such intention, avoiding it altogether would be best.

Wu Yuanyuan asked, “Aren’t you leaving yet?”

He Ye didn’t even look up. “I’m finishing this page.”

“Then I’m leaving,” Wu Yuanyuan said.

“See you tomorrow,” He Ye replied.

He Ye was deeply focused on her exercises. After finishing three calculation questions in a row, she looked around and was relieved to see that the two crucial boys were no longer there.

After packing her schoolbag and checking under her feet for any trash, He Ye went out through the back door, only to see Zhou Xiangming and Lu Jin leaning against the window sill.

The light was dim, and Lu Jin looked at her with a somewhat troubled expression.

Zhou Xiangming, ever direct, said with a carefree smile, “Silly, I still want to go to Uncle to get a discount. Of course, we need to go together.”

They had seen through He Ye’s trick of deliberately delaying her departure.

He Ye’s face turned red.

Zhou Xiangming approached and tapped her bag. “I’ll definitely invite you to ride in my dad’s car. There are so many people in the classroom, and I’m afraid others might misunderstand, so I thought I’d tell you outside.”

He Ye lowered her eyes and explained, “Really, there’s no need. I can take the bus.”

Zhou Xiangming glanced at Lu Jin and said, “Alright, then let’s all take the bus.”

He Ye: …

In the end, Zhou Xiangming enthusiastically persuaded her to get into his father’s Porsche, which was parked outside the school gate.

Zhou Xiangming sat in the passenger seat, and He Ye and Lu Jin took the back seat.

Zhou Xiangming leaned over to introduce He Ye to his father. “He Ye, number five in our class, a top student, and also from our neighborhood.”

He Ye laughed awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Mr. Zhou, a businessman wearing a black casual shirt, exuded a relaxed and elegant demeanor. He glanced at the back seat and said, “Good, Xueba. You should ask Lu Jin and He Ye for advice more often to improve your grades.”

Zhou Xiangming retorted, “Ti Ti Ti, just focus on driving and don’t talk.”

Mr. Zhou smiled and shook his head.

After the Porsche started, Zhou Xiangming sat up straight.

He Ye held her schoolbag in her lap and glanced at Lu Jin. Between them was a storage bag containing two wet umbrellas.

Lu Jin tilted his head and spoke to her in a low voice, “It looks like it will rain tomorrow too.”

He Ye replied, “Yeah.”

Zhou Xiangming interrupted, “Will you take the bus together tomorrow morning?”

Lu Jin responded, “Forget it. You got up too late; it would be faster for us to catch the bus.”

Zhou Xiangming countered, “We? What if He Ye wants a ride and feels embarrassed to accept it because of you?”

He Ye hurriedly added, “No, I also…”

Facing Zhou Xiangming’s teasing gaze, He Ye closed her mouth in annoyance.

What kind of person makes a fuss in front of others, especially in front of parents?

Mr. Zhou, who was quietly driving, glanced in the rearview mirror.

The gentle and handsome boy relaxed in his seat, while the girl beside him blushed slightly and tilted her head to hide her embarrassment.

It was the familiar yet timeless adolescent ambiguity.

Mr. Zhou glanced at Lu Jin again.

Their eyes met unexpectedly. Mr. Zhou did not hide his amusement, while Lu Jin remained surprisingly calm and open.

Mr. Zhou was initially surprised but then smiled.

Good boy, you have a promising future.