Chapter 15: That Delicate Flower (15)

Song Qi played on her phone in bed for a while, then got ready to sleep. A knock sounded at the door.

The other three girls in the dormitory all drew a sharp breath.

“Who would it be this late?”

“Could it be… that senior?”

“Probably not. Why would she come looking for us?”

“Stop talking. You’re scaring me.”

Song Qi could more or less guess who it was. “It’s fine. I’ll go see.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

Song Qi: …

There was another soft knock at the door.

She opened it and found Gu Si standing there in her pajamas, clutching a pillow.

“What’s wrong?” Song Qi asked quietly.

“Can I sleep with you? I’m scared.” Gu Si clutched the pillow tighter, tense from head to toe as she looked up at Song Qi.

The dim hallway light revealed the redness around her eyes.

“Come in.” Song Qi stepped aside to let her pass.

“Yangnuan, you’re so nice.” Gu Si let out a breath of relief.

“It’s fine.”

“Sorry to bother you all.” Gu Si went inside and spoke in a small voice.

The other three girls relaxed and smiled, telling her it was no problem.

The dormitory was lively for three seconds, then quickly went quiet again.

“I’m on the top bunk. You can sleep on the inside,” Song Qi said.

Gu Si looked up. “I’ve never climbed to the top bunk before. It looks so high.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Gu Si grabbed Song Qi’s sleeve. “I’m a little scared.”

“It’s okay. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

Gu Si glanced at Song Qi, tossed her pillow onto the bunk, then looked back at her. Trembling, she climbed up carefully and sat on the edge of the bed. “This is terrifying.”

Song Qi climbed up easily and ushered Gu Si toward the inside. “Go to sleep. No more talking.”

“Okay.” Gu Si nodded.

The bed was barely three feet wide, so the two of them ended up pressed close together. Any little movement made them touch.

The dormitory was quiet. Song Qi could hear Gu Si breathing clearly.

She felt Gu Si turn to face her, warm breath brushing her ear.

It tickled.

Gu Si inched closer.

Song Qi turned her head to look, but the blackout curtain meant she couldn’t see a thing.

Tsk.

Song Qi closed her eyes.

When she woke in the morning, Song Qi’s left arm was sore. Gu Si had both arms wrapped tightly around her and had been nuzzling against her chest in her sleep.

Song Qi stiffened. She pulled the bunk curtain aside, letting in the light, and finally got a look at Gu Si’s face.

Who knew how long she’d been sleeping against Song Qi’s chest? Her cheek was stamped with the imprint of a button. Her mouth hung slightly open, and every so often she smacked her lips.

Song Qi gently eased Gu Si off her, climbed down, washed up, gathered her things, and left the dormitory.

Host, didn’t you agree to meet her?

“She won’t be up in time,” Song Qi said, walking out with her backpack. She glanced at the boys’ dormitory just as someone hurried out.

It was Qin Xiao.

“Hey, class monitor. Fancy meeting you.”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you wait for me? You saw me, didn’t you?”

Song Qi gave Qin Xiao a look and said nothing else. She trusted him to get the message.

Qin Xiao glanced behind her and relaxed. “That girl isn’t coming, is she?”

“I don’t know. She’s not up yet, anyway.”

It was still dark, and the cafeteria wasn’t open.

Song Qi had bought a bag of bread the night before, though. Qin Xiao watched as she ate three or four rolls by herself.

He rarely ate breakfast, and he was starting to feel hungry.

Song Qi turned her head and noticed his longing gaze. She took two rolls and handed them to him.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Then why are you staring at me like that? Eat. I don’t want you stopping halfway through to say you need to go buy food.”

Qin Xiao looked at Song Qi, then at the rolls, and took them. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Qin Xiao glanced at Song Qi, sensing that she seemed to be in a bad mood.

He thought about asking what was wrong, but decided against it. His concern would probably earn him a round of mockery.

By the time Gu Si got to the classroom, it was almost the usual time for school to start. She stood at the door, looking at Song Qi.

Song Qi felt her gaze, looked up, and smiled. The smile was bright, but there was not a trace of warmth in her eyes.

Gu Si shivered, smiled back, and waved. Then she hurried away.

It was Saturday, the day they went home.

When Gu Si left school, she told Song Qi goodbye and went off with a few other girls. There was a faint hint of panic in her expression, and she didn’t dare meet Song Qi’s eyes.

Song Qi said nothing. She packed up and left the school.

There were plenty of alleys near the school. A couple hundred yards from the entrance, a pair of hands grabbed Song Qi and yanked her into one.

She looked coolly at the group of girls surrounding her, their hair dyed every color of the rainbow.

“Is there a problem?” Song Qi pulled the girl’s hand off her and straightened her clothes.

“Stay away from Brother Qin.” The girl in front stared at Song Qi and reached for her collar as she spoke.

Before the girl could touch her, Song Qi caught her wrist and squeezed. She looked at her coldly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Gu Si sat in the bookstore café across the alley, watching through the curtain. Her hands were clasped tightly together.

The fight in the alley was about to start. Song Qi had never been particularly patient, and she’d been holding back for a while. She hit harder than usual, especially after realizing there were no security cameras.

Song Qi flipped the last girl onto the ground and looked toward the café.

Gu Si shivered, her face going pale.

“Did she see us?” one of the girls asked nervously.

“No way. You can’t see in through the curtain.”

“What do we do now? I’m scared.”

Gu Si bit her lip hard and lowered her head.

Song Qi brushed off her clothes and glanced at the girls sprawled on the ground. “Don’t come bothering me again. Got it?”