[055] Touching Her Face

Liu Cheng finished a steamed bun in the warm, cozy atmosphere, and was about to lower his head to eat in earnest when he suddenly caught sight of a girl coming up the stairs. A fleeting glimpse of her profile made his heart race wildly; he immediately looked up.

A white long-sleeved T-shirt and black track pants outlined a delicate, graceful figure; she wore a pair of white Nike sneakers and had her hair tied in a bun. She looked like a student from an advanced class, turning to walk toward the corridor. Liu Cheng only caught a hurried glimpse of her side profile—exquisite, pure, her skin as flawless as jade.

Liu Cheng stared, dazed, feeling that such a beautiful and elegant girl seemed to have walked straight out of a TV drama. She was a bit young, but she still gave him that heart-thumping sensation as if the leads in a show were meeting for the first time.

His gaze followed her back involuntarily. Soon, he saw her seemingly call out to someone ahead—Fang Chang’an—who turned around, smiling and greeting her.

Their voices were soft, too quiet for Liu Cheng to hear what they were saying. But he watched Fang Chang’an wait for her at the classroom door, walk a few steps together, then step aside to let the pretty girl enter first.

Clouds veiled the sunlight; the corridor darkened, just as Liu Cheng’s mood was shrouded in gloom.

For the first time in his life, his heart had skipped a beat for a girl—he even thought this must be that legendary love at first sight. And yet...

She turned out to be the boss’s girl!

Having watched plenty of gangster movies, Liu Cheng—the kind of adolescent who yearned for dramatic underworld vendettas—suddenly felt like a doomed supporting character, destined to take a knife for the boss’s woman and die in the process.

As Fang Chang’an and the bun-haired girl’s figures overlapped and disappeared, Liu Cheng kept staring at Class Four’s classroom, a faint sorrow in his heart.

Just then, another figure came up the stairs, blocking his view of a love that had died before it even began.

Liu Cheng felt a little irritated and shifted to one side, avoiding the tall, thin figure and continuing to gaze at Class Four’s classroom. Naturally, he couldn't see Shen Mo, which only made him more restless.

But the figure stopped right in front of him. Liu Cheng frowned, just about to curse when he realized it was someone he knew—a boy he’d met just last night, Wang Chuanbiao from Class Four.

From Class Four as well...

The thought flashed through Liu Cheng’s mind. The images of Fang Chang’an and that beautiful girl flitted by. He suppressed his annoyance; when Wang Chuanbiao greeted him with a smile—“Brother Cheng”—he also smiled and waved back.

Wang Chuanbiao wanted to get on good terms with this impressive Brother Cheng. Seeing his friendly attitude, he considered coming over to chat, but with Hou Xiaoyi absent, felt a bit timid and abandoned the idea. He smiled and said, “I’ll head back to class, then.”

Liu Cheng waved him off with breezy indifference.

Wang Chuanbiao entered the classroom, glancing first at Fang Chang’an, who was chatting with Shen Mo. Wang couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. He wasn’t sure why—perhaps a hint of jealousy that could only be soothed by a touch of derision.

Fang Chang’an and Shen Mo had just sat down. They checked the schedule, took out the necessary textbooks, and noticed Wu Di staring at them with a strange expression. Fang Chang’an looked over; Wu Di immediately shifted his gaze with a blank face.

Should I remind him or not?

Wu Di struggled with this for two whole periods, until he finally thought of a good idea: don’t warn Fang Chang’an, warn Shen Mo!

That way, he wouldn’t be directly helping his “rival,” yet he’d get another chance to talk with Shen Mo. If Shen Mo cared about Fang Chang’an, she might even be grateful to him. Even if not, she’d surely think he was generous and gracious!

“Yes, that’s it!”

Wu Di felt a surge of excitement, thinking himself brilliantly clever—what once seemed a dilemma was now perfectly solved. All that remained was to wait for the right opportunity.

After the third class, Fang Chang’an went to the restroom. Wu Di, seeing Shen Mo hadn’t left, was overjoyed. He watched Fang Chang’an leave, craned his neck to make sure, then slid over to Fang Chang’an’s seat.

“Shen Mo.”

For some reason, Wu Di felt a little guilty. He didn’t really sit in Fang Chang’an’s chair, just perched on the edge, gripping the desk and calling softly.

Shen Mo turned, blinking in confusion. Wu Di’s heart skipped a beat; he tried hard to stay calm and whispered, “I have something to tell you.”

Shen Mo nodded. “Oh.”

Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Wu Di hurried to add, “It’s about Fang Chang’an.”

She blinked again. “Oh?”

Noticing her apparent interest, Wu Di felt a bit happy, though it was a strange sort of happiness—he barely had time to think about it and quickly continued:

“Do you know Wang Chuanbiao? The tall guy who sits in the back—last night, he suddenly asked me what time Fang Chang’an comes back each evening…”

Shen Mo blinked once more, clearly not understanding his meaning.

Wu Di had no choice but to elaborate, “Wang Chuanbiao has never gotten along with Fang Chang’an, right? Plus, he knows people from other classes…”

At last, Shen Mo understood. Her expression grew worried as she quietly asked, “He’s not planning to get people to beat up Fang Chang’an, is he?”

“Shh!”

Wu Di raised a finger, signaling her not to say it aloud. “Just give Fang Chang’an a heads-up so he’ll be careful.”

“Mm, mm.” Shen Mo nodded earnestly, then added, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

Since the start of the school year, this was the first time Wu Di had spoken so much to her—all because of Fang Chang’an. He wasn’t sure how to feel, but a quiet happiness bloomed inside him.

It was like biting into an apple you know has a bad spot—sweetness marred by a faint, inexplicable discomfort.

For Shen Mo, this was her first time encountering something like this. Hearing Wu Di’s serious warning, she grew anxious. When Fang Chang’an returned, she nearly stepped on his foot as she got up to let him in.

After sitting down, just as Fang Chang’an was about to resume reading, the girl handed him her exercise book. Usually, he was the one to write notes; this was her first time taking the initiative.

Fang Chang’an was intrigued. Instead of looking at the note right away, he smiled at her. The girl, worried, pouted and gestured for him to hurry and read it. Fang Chang’an smiled again, then lowered his head to see what she had written.

“Wu Di said that last night Wang Chuanbiao asked him about your whereabouts between afternoon dismissal and evening study, and that he’s connected with people from other classes.”

Fang Chang’an was surprised. He glanced at Wu Di, who was pretending to read intently, eyes glued to his book.

Fang Chang’an then turned to Shen Mo. She was watching him too, lips pressed together, her clear eyes wide and filled with worry.

Looking at her fair, flawless face, Fang Chang’an was tempted to pinch her cheek. He hesitated, but then gave in and did just that.

The girl hadn’t expected him to be so bold, nor that he’d actually touch her face at that moment. She just sat there, stunned.

Fang Chang’an gave her cheek a firm pinch—soft and smooth, making him want to linger. Shen Mo, slow to react, finally realized what was happening. She instinctively wanted to swat his hand away, but stopped halfway, leaning back to escape his grasp. Her fair and translucent cheeks turned crimson, even her earlobes flushed, as she glared at him fiercely.