Shake hands, shake hands

"Shall I drive you to your classroom?" Xie Chenjing pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to look at her. Uncle Chu always walked her right to the classroom door, didn't he?

"Um, no, I'll go by myself." It had been a month with zero progress. Since she couldn't hunt down the prey, why not wait for the prey to come to her? While staying in the shadows was safer, stepping into the light wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. But most importantly—at this thought, Chu Yitong's eyes flickered slightly—if this man were to appear at the school, he would undoubtedly cause a massive sensation. Those girls' obsession with looks was truly terrifying; it was better to keep a low profile and spare the world his devastatingly handsome distraction.

"Alright then, I'll pick you up at noon." He hadn't expected the weather to be this pleasant today; who knew it would turn out so brilliant?

"At noon?" How did he know she didn't have classes in the afternoon? Oh, right, she must have lost her mind. With her dear grandfather around, what secret was ever kept from him? But was it really necessary for him to make such a fuss over back-and-forth trips? After a moment of thought, she said, "I'll go back by myself at noon!" It wasn't very far, so there was no need for him to run around.

"I'll be waiting right here." The solid warmth of holding her hand again made him reluctant to ever let go. Life did not give a person too many fifteen years to lose, nor too many fifteen years to—

"Fine!" Staring intently at him, she felt as though she had caught a glimpse of something just a moment ago—it vanished in a flash, too fast for her to grasp.

"Yiyi?" Slender fingers waved before her eyes, and a crisp, clear voice sounded right beside her ear: "You're going to be late!"

"Oh, oh!" Pushing the car door open, she sprinted toward the school without once looking back. Xie Chenjing rolled down the car window and tracked her retreating figure with his gaze until she vanished from sight. Closing the window, he picked up his phone. "Yansheng?" A moment later, he hung up and muttered, "Alright, I understand."

"It's always the same thing. Ah, mortals can simply never fathom the world of prodigies!" Zhu Yansheng shook his head dramatically, catching the attention of Zhao Ziqian, who snapped, "Which nerve in your brain misfired this time?"

"Idiot Zhao, I am engulfed in melancholy!" A faint, lingering melancholy!

"Melancholy my foot, hurry up and stop dawdling." Calling others an idiot, yet completely oblivious to who the real fool was!

Zhao Ziqian looked at the hand gripping his arm and was just about to swat it away when he heard Zhu Yansheng's excited voice: "Idiot, look over there!"

Following his gaze, Zhao Ziqian saw Chu Yitong with a backpack over her shoulders, stepping into the campus at an unhurried pace. Sunlight filtered through the tree branches, scattering tiny, dappled shadows across her cheeks. Her long hair swayed gently with each step, and with lowered brow and downcast eyes, she wore a hazy, ethereal expression. A sudden sense of immense distance rose in his heart; clearly, she was just a short distance away, yet she felt entirely out of reach. "You say..." The words abruptly cut off.

"Excuse me, where is Class Six of the freshman year?"

The sudden question caused Chu Yitong, who had been walking with her head down, to halt and look up.

The young man speaking had clear, bright features and a faint smile lingering at the corners of his lips. His gentle appearance naturally drew people in, making them want to trust him.

Yet, she imperceptibly furrowed her brow. Here was another one—the second person whose future she couldn't see at all. When faced with unknown people or things, she found it hard to simply place her trust in them. Lowering her gaze, she said, "Class Six? Come with me."

"You're in Class Six too? What a coincidence. Hello, my name is Leng Xiao." She glanced at the hand extended toward her; it had distinct, well-defined knuckles, though not quite as slender as his. Raising her hand, she gave it a brief, light shake and nodded. "Leng Xiao [Cold Smile]?" What a unique name!

"Leng as in cold, Xiao as in the vast sky." He smiled, his deep eyes carrying a subtle, brilliant glint that looked slightly different from ordinary pupils.