In the early spring afternoon, the sun slowly shifted its position, no longer directly in the center of the sky. The sunlight still had undiminished heat, warming people until they felt drowsy.
The students in Yu Mo’s class changed into their sports uniforms and gathered on the sports field in groups of twos and threes. Their first class in the afternoon was physical education.
Sports Representative Wei Lai first led everyone on two laps around the outdoor plastic basketball court. After the warm-up activities, fine beads of sweat had formed on everyone’s back and forehead.
At this moment, if a gust of wind blew, it would be exceptionally refreshing.
“…Free activity. Pay attention to safety. No sitting down, and no going back to the classroom.” The PE teacher followed the usual first-class-of-the-semester procedure, droning on a bit before dismissing the group.
Wei Lai had already spotted a few badminton rackets on the ground. The moment “dismissed” was said, she shot over like a rabbit, grabbed two rackets, and excitedly led Yu Mo and the other two towards the badminton court: “Let’s go, play badminton!”
Shen Shuyu sat on a bench under the shade of a tree. A gentle breeze stirred her long hair, lifting a few strands.
Her silver-tinted eyes were discreetly looking in Yu Mo’s direction.
Four girls of various colors were gathered together, occasionally bursting into infectious laughter.
While beside her, the seat was empty, and Yu Mo’s voice, constantly chattering and clinging to her, was no longer in her ears.
An unavoidable sense of loss.
“Hey, I knew you’d be here.”
Suddenly, Shen Shuyu’s right shoulder was patted, not too lightly.
Li Qingqing, with her flamboyant smile, sat down next to Shen Shuyu.
“What a coincidence,” Shen Shuyu withdrew her gaze from Yu Mo and said calmly to Li Qingqing.
“What coincidence? I specifically skipped class to see you.” Li Qingqing leaned slightly against Shen Shuyu and joked, “What were you looking at? Is it that mysterious rival in love of mine?”
Shen Shuyu glanced at Li Qingqing and moved slightly away from her: “Don’t be silly.”
“So it is her… Let me see which little brat made our Shuyu so heartbroken and tearful…” Li Qingqing followed Shen Shuyu’s gaze, found Yu Mo, and pointed with her long, slender arm. “Is it that one?”
Shen Shuyu shot Li Qingqing a look, reached out and pressed Li Qingqing’s arm down, warning in a low voice: “Qingqing.”
“Yu Mo, right?” Li Qingqing, seeing Shen Shuyu so cautious, couldn’t help but size Yu Mo up a few more times.
The sunlight hit her side profile, which had excellent bone structure. Her long lashes were slightly curled, her gaze focused. Beneath her small, high-bridged nose with a slight hump, the tip of her lip was slightly red, both cool and beautiful.
A crisp sound of a badminton racket hitting the shuttlecock suddenly rang out.
Yu Mo leaped slightly, hitting the shuttlecock back. Under her open sports jacket, the curves of her chest were faintly visible with her movements. The yet-to-fully-develop body of a young girl displayed a tender beauty.
Li Qingqing clicked her tongue and said, “Good taste.”
Shen Shuyu’s gaze was calmly locked onto Yu Mo, tracing her every movement. “How do you know her name?”
“I basically know everyone in your class—how their families are, what their relationship with you is like, how much interaction there is. The only one I know nothing about is Yu Mo, the new transfer student in your class this semester. And your reaction was so intense yesterday, so I could roughly guess it’s her.” Li Qingqing then pretended to be mysterious, “But the really important reason that confirmed it for me…”
“What is it?” Shen Shuyu asked.
Li Qingqing, with her gaze aligned with Shen Shuyu’s, looked at Yu Mo, who was as agile as a deer not far away.
On her slightly raised, slender neck was a layer of crystalline sweat, sliding down to her slightly open collar as she jumped. Above her alluring, protruding collarbones was skin as fine and white as snow.
Li Qingqing wanted to follow the bead of sweat down, but saw it disappear into the hidden area beneath the sports shirt, blocking her gaze.
Li Qingqing lightly pursed her red lips, “She looks very… delicious.”
Shen Shuyu glanced at Li Qingqing again, displeasure clearly on her face.
Li Qingqing felt a chill in her heart and quickly turned her head. With a tone laced with a bit of jealousy, she teased, “Don’t look if you won’t let me. Seriously, I never thought you, Shen Shuyu, would put friends second for a pretty face. Tsk tsk.”
Shen Shuyu’s face flushed with embarrassment at Li Qingqing’s words. Pretending to be angry, she said, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’m leaving.”
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you.” Li Qingqing quickly hooked her arm around Shen Shuyu’s, glancing stealthily at Shen Shuyu, whose gaze was still sneaking looks at Yu Mo. “Do you really like her this much?”
Shen Shuyu nodded without hesitation: “Mm.”
“Then why did you break up?” Li Qingqing asked again.
“You know.” Shen Shuyu’s gaze was faint, watching the vibrant Yu Mo in the distance.
A spring breeze suddenly picked up, rustling the newly sprouted leaves on the cypress trees on both sides with a “shh shh” sound.
A Little Fish had moved into her stagnant, lifeless pool of water, creating ripples of life.
Shen Shuyu’s voice drifted in the wind as she slowly spoke to Li Qingqing: “I only realized later that I love her.”
Li Qingqing had never seen Shen Shuyu like this. She reached over and put her arm around Shen Shuyu’s shoulder, advising, “Shuyu, why do this to yourself? Why not just let her fade out of your world? Around us, there are so many young ladies and gentlemen from good families. No one would reject you, Miss Shen…”
Shen Shuyu shook her head slightly, interrupting Li Qingqing: “Qingqing, I can’t do it.”
Shen Shuyu still remembered when she returned to that home without Yu Mo. Half the sunlight had been instantly sucked out of the empty, silent house.
The newly acquired clownfish still hadn’t gotten used to life in the marine tank and had floated belly-up to the surface.
In the dead of night, Shen Shuyu would startle awake from nightmares. The room was filled with the scent of Camellia Wine, but there was no one left to hold her and soothe her.
Looking at the pitch-black, quiet home, the completely unexpected Heat tormented Shen Shuyu’s mind.
Shen Shuyu greedily inhaled the lingering scent of Yu Mo’s Sea Salt Caramel pheromone in the room, her toes curling tightly.
Teardrops slid down the corners of her eyes, tinged with red desire, and fell onto the messy silk sheets.
Spreading a patch of dampness.
Over these years, Yu Mo had long become an indispensable part of Shen Shuyu’s life, but she had never realized it.
“You…” Li Qingqing sighed.
A crisp sound of a badminton racket hitting the shuttlecock came through.
Yu Mo swung her racket, leaping lightly like a spirit deer.
Her high ponytail swayed with the movement.
The shuttlecock landed with fierce killing intent at the feet of Feng Ruoyu, who was trying to return it.
A brilliant smile, like a blooming flower, spread across Yu Mo’s face.
Shen Shuyu’s lips also curved upward.
Yu Mo probably didn’t know it herself, but how attractive the light radiating from her was to Shen Shuyu.
After one round, the breeze blew over the sweat on the four of them, bringing a moment of refreshing coolness.
It had been a long time since she had sweated like this. Yu Mo felt instantly refreshed, both physically and mentally.
Ah, it’s good to be young.
“There’s a beauty over there.” Wei Lai stretched out her hand, pointing at Li Qingqing, who was leaning close to Shen Shuyu not far away, sharing the discovery with her friends.
The three of them curiously gathered around Wei Lai and looked in the direction she pointed, southeast.
Under the thick green shade of the tree, Shen Shuyu and Li Qingqing sat side by side.
One was in a sports uniform, the other in a school uniform.
One was as cold and pure as a snow lotus blooming on a heavenly mountain, the other as untamed as a Wild Rose in the field.
“Isn’t that the Academic Representative and Li Qingqing?” Zhou Qin said.
“Li Qingqing? That name sounds so familiar,” Wei Lai tried to recall.
“Maybe if you slept less during breaks, you’d know. She always comes to our class during breaks to find Shen Shuyu,” Feng Ruoyu said.
“Oh? So it’s her. Not bad,” Wei Lai suddenly understood, her favorable impression of Li Qingqing increasing a bit.
“As expected of a Reserve Omega, she’s so beautiful. That waist, those legs… tsk tsk tsk,” Zhou Qin remarked.
…
Everyone was looking at Li Qingqing. Only Yu Mo’s gaze fell on Shen Shuyu.
Shen Shuyu had rarely done her hair in a ponytail today. Her small, delicate face was fully revealed without any covering.
It was even a size smaller than Li Qingqing’s with her hair down.
Sunlight filtered through the green leaves, casting dappled spots of light on Shen Shuyu.
As the sun shifted, it shone on her face. Her porcelain-white skin was as translucent as a pearl, looking like it could be pinched to produce water.
“Tell me, is Shen Shuyu prettier, or Li Qingqing?” Wei Lai poked Yu Mo in the waist, holding up one hand as “1” and the other as “2”.
Yu Mo instinctively resisted Shen Shuyu’s name and answered casually: “Li Qingqing, I guess.”
As soon as the words fell, a burst of sweet laughter came from under the shade not far away.
Li Qingqing was clinging to Shen Shuyu’s arm, laughing so hard she was shaking.
Her crimson lips were right by Shen Shuyu’s ear, and the more she talked, the more obvious her amusement became.
Yu Mo looked at that earlobe and swallowed hard.
She still remembered that Shen Shuyu had a round, black mole on her small, delicate, pink earlobe.
She had loved kissing that spot—small, secret, belonging only to her.
But Shen Shuyu was extremely sensitive there. Every time, she would tremble or moan softly in her arms.
Like a little rabbit.
Sure enough, Yu Mo saw Shen Shuyu dodge slightly away from Li Qingqing.
After a brief moment, the ear tip, faintly flushed from the warm breath, was tinged with a slight red.
Who knew what Li Qingqing had said. Even Shen Shuyu’s cherry-pink lips curved into a smile.
Her eyes, innocent and helpless, flickered a shy glance in her direction before quickly looking away.
Radiant allure and aloof, proud purity were originally incompatible, yet they coexisted on Shen Shuyu without any dissonance.
A tiny crack seemed to appear on Yu Mo’s originally hardened, stony heart.
Yu Mo changed sides.
“I’ve changed my mind. The Academic Representative is still prettier,” Wei Lai said, changing the “2” on her left hand to a “1” and adding a vote to her right.
“Wei Lai, how can you be so fickle? Weren’t you just into Li Qingqing?” Feng Ruoyu complained.
Wei Lai shook her head: “No, I still prefer Shen Shuyu a bit more.”
Yu Mo frowned. She remembered how, in her previous life, Li Qingqing and Wei Lai had only confessed their feelings for each other when Wei Lai was on her deathbed. She grabbed Wei Lai’s head and turned it: “Wei Lai, liking the Academic Representative has no future. You and Li Qingqing are meant to be a cou—”
Before Yu Mo could finish, a sudden, strong wind rose from the ground.
The newly sprouted branches all around were blown relentlessly, and everyone was disheveled by the gust.
Suddenly, a “crack” sound. Shen Shuyu’s heart inexplicably trembled.
She looked up towards where Yu Mo and the others had been playing badminton.
A large section of withered branch snapped off in the wind and fell right where Yu Mo had just been standing.
“Shu…” Li Qingqing was about to pull Shen Shuyu’s hand to show her the badminton court, but her hand grasped empty air.
A flash of white whooshed past Li Qingqing’s line of sight.
Shen Shuyu, with her long hair flying wildly, rushed towards the wreckage without a second thought.
“…yu?”
