Chapter 87: Riding a Bike

Late autumn in Beicheng brought temperatures close to freezing. A layer of condensation covered the dormitory’s floor-to-ceiling window, blurring the night outside.

After lights-out, Chi Xiao walked to the window and drew the curtains tightly, ensuring not a sliver of light escaped.

He turned on a small desk lamp in the dark and sat directly on the floor, fiddling with a sturdy, well-shaped cardboard box.

From the bed, his roommate peeked out. “Can’t you just give it to her directly? All these twists and turns—she won’t even know it’s from you in the end.”

“If she knew, she wouldn’t accept it.” Chi Xiao set the box upright and tested the mechanism inside. It worked smoothly. He let out a soft breath and looked up at his roommate. “Brother Xuan, I’ll be counting on you tomorrow.”

“No problem.” His roommate sighed in amusement. “If those girls you rejected knew you’ve been secretly crushing on a junior for months without confessing, they’d be devastated. Haha.”

Another roommate chimed in, “Old Chi, seriously, with your looks and status, who couldn’t you win over if you made a move? Seeing you like this makes me scared to even try confessing to my own goddess.”

Chi Xiao clapped the dust off his hands and stood up, lowering his gaze to the completed lottery box. In a quiet voice, he said, “Just a little longer.”

He was perfectly aware—she wouldn’t fall for anyone.

Every attempt to get close to her was like a moth flying into a flame.

And yet, he couldn’t suppress the impulse in his heart. A young man’s feelings were like wild grass sprouting in the spring wilderness—stubborn, untamed, full of life. Maybe one day, that grass would grow so wildly it reached the sky, and by then, even reason wouldn’t be able to hold it back.

The next day, after school in the evening, the club exhibition day was in full swing.

The student club association’s lottery event was being held at the entrance of the cafeteria, with a long line stretching in front of the raffle table.

Ming Can clutched a raffle ticket in her hand and stood at the very end of the line, waiting for her turn to draw.

Her goal was the easiest prize to win: the “Golden Success” folding fan provided by the Calligraphy Club.

After nearly ten minutes in line, it was finally her turn. Ming Can stepped up to the raffle table, where a senior from the Club Association stood behind it. He gave her a strange smile, as if he knew her. Ming Can stared at him for a moment, confirmed she didn’t recognize him, and then ignored his inexplicable gaze. Raising her arm, she reached into the raffle box.

The box was shallower than she expected—her hand quickly touched the bottom. She casually picked a folded slip of paper and pulled it out.

Rui Yiqing, who had been waiting beside her, squeezed over. The two of them looked at the bold, powerful characters on the paper: “Grand… Grand Prize!”

The supervising senior led the applause, then instinctively glanced toward a tall young man standing not far away. After that, he bent down and pulled out a burgundy wool scarf from under the table, explaining that it was a special handmade prize from the Handicraft Club.

“What the…” Ming Can accepted the scarf and muttered, “I wanted the fan.”

Rui Yiqing was even more excited than she was. “The fan was a third-place prize—this is the grand prize! And obviously way better than a fan.”

As she spoke, she unfolded the scarf and wrapped it around Ming Can’s neck, smiling. “It looks great on you. Really suits you.”

“Does it…?” Ming Can touched the soft fabric. It was quite comfortable, so she didn’t take it off right away.

Turning away from the raffle table to make room for the next person in line, Ming Can walked a few steps to the cafeteria entrance. Standing in front of the glass doors, she used them as a mirror to check how she looked with the scarf on.

Just as Ming Can approached, Chi Xiao, who had been standing there moments ago, stepped into the cafeteria.

The last traces of sunset faded from the horizon, and the streetlights along the campus pathways flickered on. Ming Can’s reflection in the glass door became clearer.

She adjusted her scarf, burying half her face in it. Tilting her head left and right, she admired her reflection from different angles, the corners of her lips curving into a faint smile. “It really does look nice.”

Just a door away, inside the dimly lit cafeteria, Chi Xiao stood not far behind the glass, watching the girl outside as she used the door as a mirror.

Her eyes were only on herself. His eyes were only on her.

He stared, unmoving, as she tried on the scarf he had personally knitted. The burgundy color accentuated the fairness of her skin, making it look as white as snow. Then, her dark, bright eyes suddenly curved into crescent moons, and in that instant, he held his breath, feeling his heart pound tirelessly in his chest.

At the moment he tapped on the photo, it was as if Chi Xiao had traveled back to that high school club exhibition day.

Except this time, there was no glass door between them.

And the girl across from him was no longer someone he could only admire from afar.

On his phone screen, her bright and vivid face was displayed clearly. Wrapped around her neck was that familiar burgundy scarf. It was the first time she had ever sent him a selfie, asking for his opinion on her “newly bought” scarf—without explicitly revealing its secret, as if waiting for him to say it.

Just like when he was sixteen, Chi Xiao stared at the girl in the photo for a long time. He only snapped out of it when the small leash tangled around his legs. Saving and bookmarking the photo, he replied with two messages.

At the moment, Chi Xiao was at a pet-friendly park, walking the dog with Miaomiao. A few minutes passed without a reply from Ming Can, so he snapped a few more photos of Miaomiao and Xiao Xiao to send to her. Then, he tapped the video call button.

The phone vibrated on the bedside table, its buzzing continuing for a long time.

Ming Can walked out of the bathroom, slowly rubbing her hair with a towel, but she didn’t pick up the call right away.

She waited until the vibration stopped.

Her skin was wrinkled from soaking in the bathtub for too long. Outside, the night was deep. By now, Miaomiao was probably already asleep.

Still, Ming Can didn’t check her phone. Instead, she went to dry her hair, changed into clean pajamas, and flopped onto the bed with a thud.

Her heart was tangled in an indescribable mix of anger and frustration. Even after such a long bath, she couldn’t shake it off.

She turned over and grabbed her phone from the bedside table.

AAA Driver Chef Pet Groomer Xiao Chi: 【Looks good】

AAA Driver Chef Pet Groomer Xiao Chi: 【Let me guess, was it a raffle prize?】

AAA Driver Chef Pet Groomer Xiao Chi: 【Miaomiao walking the dog [Image] [Image]】

AAA Driver Chef Pet Groomer Xiao Chi: 【Video call: Canceled by recipient】

AAA Driver Chef Pet Groomer Xiao Chi: 【Are you there?】

AAA Driver Chef Pet Groomer Xiao Chi: 【Video call: Canceled by recipient】

……

Sun Moon Volcano: 【A bit tired.】

Sun Moon Volcano: 【Going to sleep.】

After sending these two messages, Ming Can shut off her phone and tossed it onto the bedside table. She pulled the blanket over her head.

She knew, logically, that none of this had anything to do with Chi Xiao.

But right now, she really didn’t want to marry him.

With backgrounds like theirs, marriage was never just between two people. No matter what, the family ties could never be severed.

Ming Can was never someone who ran away from things.

Unless she encountered something truly unsolvable—something she couldn’t simply hack apart with an axe and sever all the tangled flesh and blood connecting it.

If she spoke now, she might not be able to stop herself from saying something cruel.

So before she could calm down, it was best to keep her distance.

–

The entire weekend passed without Chi Xiao seeing Ming Can, and she barely responded to his WeChat messages.

On Sunday night, after finishing work, Chi Xiao returned home and switched shifts with the nanny.

Miaomiao had already washed up and was getting ready for bed.

There was a new stuffed toy on his bedside table. Chi Xiao didn’t recognize it and asked where it came from.

Miaomiao replied, “Mom bought it for me on the way home from my extracurricular class.”

Chi Xiao froze. “Wasn’t the nanny the one who picked you up?”

“It was Mom,” Miaomiao said, puzzled. “What’s wrong with you?”

Chi Xiao had been at the company all afternoon and didn’t return until around eight or nine at night. Ming Can knew his schedule. Did she deliberately choose a time when he wasn’t home to pick up Miaomiao herself, then leave before he got back?

“I’m fine.” Chi Xiao patted Miaomiao’s head. “Go to sleep.”

But Miaomiao remained sitting upright, refusing to lie down. He stared at Chi Xiao intently and said, “Mom was acting weird today too. Are you two really fighting?”

Chi Xiao didn’t know how to respond.

Looking into Miaomiao’s clear eyes, he forced a small smile and said gently, “Of course not.”

After a brief pause, his voice softened even more.

“At least, I never would.”

Children have simple minds. Even though Miaomiao was a little worried, as soon as his head hit the pillow and his eyes closed, he quickly drifted into sleep.

Chi Xiao sat leaning against the bedside, took out his phone, and sent Ming Can a message: 【Will you be back tomorrow?】

This time, she responded quickly.

Sun Moon Volcano: 【We’ll see tomorrow.】

After sending the message, Ming Can stared at her phone screen for a long time.

Avoiding the issue like this wasn’t a solution.

Either they stayed together, or they broke up—there were only two choices, nothing in between.

After the past two days, she had calmed down somewhat. She should be able to face him rationally now.

Tomorrow. After tomorrow’s work was done, she would find time to have a proper talk with Chi Xiao.

The next day, Monday.

After her afternoon class, Ming Can went to A University for a meeting with her startup team in the Energy and Power Engineering Department’s lab.

By the time the two-hour meeting ended, she felt as if her brain had been drained by zombies. As she stepped out of the elevator, her head felt heavy, her legs light—she nearly stumbled.

Luckily, the guy beside her caught her just in time, steadying her.

“You okay?” Chen Yixiao asked gently. “You don’t look too well today.”

“I’m fine.” Ming Can subtly withdrew her arm from his grasp. “Just didn’t sleep well last night.”

They were about to launch a startup, which would involve a lot of registration and management work. So Ming Can had pulled in the most reliable senior she knew at B University—Chen Yixiao, who was also the student council president—to join the team as one of the core partners.

Stepping out of the lab building, she squinted against the golden light of the setting sun. The campus pathway was crowded with students finishing class, most of them on bicycles.

Among them, one guy riding a dark green off-road bike looked oddly familiar.

It probably wasn’t him.

He should be home watching the kid right now.

Retracting her gaze, Ming Can said goodbye to Guan Ling Si and the others. Chen Yixiao then asked if she wanted to go back to campus for dinner.

“I’m not hungry,” Ming Can replied. “I think I’ll skip going back to school.”

Chen Yixiao asked, “Then where are you going? Home?”

Ming Can hesitated. “Let me think…”

As she reached into her pocket for her phone, her eyes drifted forward absentmindedly—just in time to see that dark green bike take a sharp turn at the corner and ride straight onto the plaza beneath the lab building.

The sunset cast a golden glow over the bike’s frame, and the rider’s forehead-length hair fluttered in the wind. In the next instant, the bicycle came to an abrupt stop right in front of her.

One long leg casually propped on the ground, the rider’s gaze shifted between her and Chen Yixiao.

Ming Can froze. “Why are you here…?”

“This is my school.” Chi Xiao’s expression was calm, revealing no particular emotion. “Ignoring my messages again?”

Ming Can slowly pulled out her phone and saw a message from him, sent over half an hour ago. He had told her that he had dropped Miaomiao off at a classmate’s house and asked where she was and if she wanted to have dinner together.

Not only had she missed his message, but she had also come to his school without looking for him.

“I was in a meeting just now,” Ming Can explained. “My phone was on silent.”

Chi Xiao nodded. “Mm.” Then he asked, “Heading back?”

There was still some distance between them. Ming Can lifted her gaze to him, her expression carrying an inexplicable sense of distance. “How?”

Her eyes involuntarily drifted to the rear seat of his bicycle.

She recognized the brand—it was a well-known off-road bicycle. The original model definitely wouldn’t have a backseat, meaning he had added it later.

Chen Yixiao spoke up. “She’s not feeling well today.”

That remark was directed at Chi Xiao, subtly implying that Ming Can’s current condition wasn’t suited for such an exposed mode of transportation.

“Appreciate the concern, President Chen.”

With that, Chi Xiao swung his long legs off the bike, pulled a lightweight windbreaker from his backpack, and draped it over Ming Can’s shoulders.

She took a step back. “I’m not cold.”

Noticing her instinctive wariness, something tightened in Chi Xiao’s chest. His hands didn’t stop, but his movements grew gentler as he carefully settled the jacket on her. His voice dropped to a softer tone.

“Wait here for me—I’ll go get the car.”

Ming Can hesitated for a moment, then glanced at his bike. “Forget it,” she said. “This will do.”

She walked over, patted the back seat, and sat down sideways with her back to the two men.

Chi Xiao quickly moved in front of her.

His gaze swept over her pale face—she wasn’t looking at him, just staring blankly at the crowded road ahead, lost in thought.

Bending down, he grasped the edges of the windbreaker draped over her shoulders and aligned the zipper ends. Just as he was about to zip it up, Ming Can suddenly called out, “Senior!”

Chi Xiao’s fingers stilled for a second. When he looked up, he realized she wasn’t calling him.

“Bye-bye.” Ming Can waved at Chen Yixiao.

Chi Xiao didn’t say a word. He pulled the zipper all the way up in one swift motion, the collar standing tall, covering her porcelain-white chin.

Startled, Ming Can instinctively tilted her head back, freeing her chin from the chilly metal. She shot Chi Xiao an annoyed look. “Just go already.”

Without a word, he slung his backpack to the front, hopped on the bike, and started pedaling toward the school gate.

This was the first time Ming Can had ever ridden on the back of a bicycle. Nervously, she clutched the edge of the seat beneath her.

The road had several speed bumps, and after bouncing unsteadily a few times, she finally relented, reaching forward to lightly grasp the fabric of Chi Xiao’s hoodie.

Dusk deepened, and as the golden sun sank below the horizon, the temperature dropped rapidly. Yet, Ming Can didn’t feel cold at all.

She tilted her head slightly, watching as the wind tousled Chi Xiao’s hair. His broad shoulders and lean waist formed a silhouette like an unyielding mountain—strong, steady, shielding her from the wind ahead.

The familiar scent of mint carried on the breeze. The fading sunlight rippled across his white hoodie, like a golden river flowing with the wind.

Without realizing it, Ming Can tightened her grip on the fabric at his waist.

Through the soft cotton, her fingers brushed against the warmth of his skin—firm, taut, alive.

The two-kilometer journey passed with Ming Can staring at his back the entire time, never leaning in too close. The noise of the road filled her ears, along with the steady yet rapid beat of her own heart.

Chi Xiao didn’t ride fast. It took him more than twenty minutes to reach their building. Throughout the ride, Ming Can only held onto his clothes—never once did she lean against him, nor did she say a single word.

When they got home, he asked her what she wanted to eat.

“I’m not hungry. I had something during the meeting,” Ming Can said, taking off the jacket and handing it back to him before turning and heading straight into the master bedroom.

The door closed behind her. She leaned against it, exhaling sharply.

She just—

Couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Couldn’t say the words to break up with him.

Breaking up with him was simply not something she could do.

Ming Can walked into the dressing room, changed into comfortable loungewear, then headed to the bathroom. She cupped cool water in her hands and splashed it onto her face, over and over again, until a knock sounded from outside the bedroom door.

She put on a headband, pulling all her hair back, dried her face, and practiced a calm, indifferent expression in the mirror. Only then did she walk to the door and open it.

“What is it?”

“Do you want some juice?” The man stood outside, holding out a glass of freshly squeezed juice in his left hand—her favorite, cucumber and snow pear.

Ming Can calmly reached out. “Give it to me.”

Chi Xiao remained motionless, still holding the juice, his voice low. “Can I come in?”

“What do you need to come in for?”

“Just to take a look around,” Chi Xiao said. “I’ve been here for so long, but I’ve never even sat in your room.”

Ming Can lifted her gaze to him, her eyes suddenly ignited like sparks catching fire, burning hot.

“Fine.” She gritted her teeth, and before Chi Xiao could react, she grabbed his arm and yanked him into her room.

The door slammed shut behind them with a bang. Chi Xiao hadn’t expected her to do that at all. The glass in his hand wobbled slightly, sending a few drops of greenish juice splashing out.

Ming Can pressed a hand against his chest, tilting up her bare face, her cheeks visibly flushing red at an alarming speed. Her black-and-white eyes locked onto him as if she were staking her claim on something that belonged solely to her. Her lips, a striking red, parted and closed as she spoke through clenched teeth: “Now that you’re in, don’t ever think about leaving again.”

As if she wanted to trap him here forever—strip away all other identities—make him belong only to her.

Chi Xiao suddenly bent down, as if he had been holding back for too long, as if he could endure no more. He pulled her into his arms with all his strength, his low, hoarse voice trembling as it seeped into her very bones.

“If you keep ignoring me, I’m really going to die.”