Bai Xian and Tang Yimo soon started their game of tennis. Wen Feixi sat cross-legged behind the court, her head bowed as she scrolled through her phone.
Two girls from the Sports Class arrived at the court. They claimed it was their usual training spot and demanded that the pair make way.
Bai Xian refused.
“Is there a rule saying the tennis court belongs exclusively to the Sports Class?”
One of the Sports Class girls clicked her tongue. “How about one of you from your class plays me? If you lose, you let us have it first.”
Bai Xian muttered, “Fine by me. Who’s scared?”
And so Bai Xian faced off against the Sports Class girl in a tennis match.
Bai Xian was one of the better players in her class, with stamina to match. Little by little, she gained the upper hand.
But in the next rally, her opponent feinted. Bai Xian thought the ball was heading right and lunged that way—only for the racket to change direction at the last second.
The tennis ball rocketed straight at her, flat and fast like a bullet.
Bai Xian had no time to duck. The ball smashed into the bridge of her nose.
Tears sprang to her eyes instantly. Blood gushed from her nostrils, and a large red welt bloomed beneath one eye socket.
The Sports Class girl whistled. “You lose~”
Tang Yimo snapped, “Shen Jiayue, you dirty cheat! That was a foul!”
The girl shot back, “Who can you blame for that? I was playing fair and square. If the wind blew the ball into her eyes, what of it?”
Before she could finish, a voice sounded from behind her.
“Your classmate has a point,” it said. “But there’s surveillance over there. Should I fetch the footage and let a teacher decide?” Wen Feixi stood up, hands clasped behind her back as she positioned herself beside Bai Xian. She smiled sweetly. “The moment that ball left the racket, its trajectory was set. No matter what, you’ll have to cover the medical bills.”
Her voice was gentle, perfectly enunciated, laced with a husky allure.
Shen Jiayue spotted Wen Feixi and faltered, her bravado cracking.
After all, this was someone she only ever saw on the flag-raising platform during assemblies.
“By what right?” Shen Jiayue demanded.
Wen Feixi unlocked her phone and turned the screen toward her.
It displayed the River City Fourth High School campus webpage, with one school rule glaring in bold.
“In sports activities, those who cause injury to others through intent or gross negligence must cover medical costs and face disciplinary action. That’s Article Eight,” Wen Feixi said. “You should review the rules more carefully~”
Shen Jiayue’s face fell.
Wen Feixi stood there, a smile playing in her eyes. Her jet-black hair was tucked behind her ear. She wore the Fourth High School uniform: a white shirt, gray knitted vest, and the school badge gleaming brightly on her chest under the sunlight.
Shen Jiayue avoided Wen Feixi’s gaze, muttering curses under her breath. “Student Council or not, this is Sports Class territory. I don’t care who you are—you can’t even play and you’re hogging the court. They say well-rounded development is all the rage now: moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor. Watch me beat you until you cry for your mommy and daddy.”
Wen Feixi listened to the mumbling, then brushed back a lock of hair with an irritated squint.
What a nuisance.
How could anyone be so dense, unable to grasp plain words?
Just then, a commotion erupted nearby.
The Fourth High School principal had appeared on the field at some point, trailed by several leaders in suits. The group chatted and laughed as they approached.
“Old Li, your school really emphasizes sports. Look at all these kids out here on the field—brimming with youthful energy.”
“Feixi, Feixi!” the principal called from afar, grinning.
Wen Feixi pocketed her phone and turned with a smile. “Hello, Principal.”
The Sports Class girl froze, her face draining of color in an instant.
She remembered Wen Feixi was on the Student Council but had forgotten her family background—one word from the Wen family could shake the entire Fourth High School.
Like right now: she’d injured Wen Feixi’s friend, and Wen Feixi could easily turn around and report her to the principal.
“Long time no see—you’ve shot up so tall!” The principal approached and patted her shoulder, beaming.
“How’s your studying been lately?”
Wen Feixi responded warmly and graciously, answering each question with a smile.
The Sports Class girl’s heart pounded like it might burst from her chest. She stared fixedly at Wen Feixi’s face, her legs trembling faintly.
Once the principal finished chatting with Wen Feixi, he summoned the PE teacher. “Where are all the students? Why so few? Get everyone together for some games!”
The PE teacher blew her whistle sharply and yelled at the girls lounging in the shade of a tree nearby. “You girls over there—stop chatting in the shade and assemble!”
“Teacher, didn’t we already get dismissed? Why the sudden gathering?” Xia Weiwei grumbled softly.
“The principal got a whim and brought the provincial leaders for an inspection,” someone whispered.
The PE teacher put on a stern face. “We’re doing some healthy, mind-and-body activities together. Classes are tiring enough, but a good sweat is good for you!”
With the principal and leaders’ sudden arrival, the scattered students on the field regrouped.
But the ranks were nearly half empty.
The leaders frowned, and the principal’s expression soured.
He turned and murmured something to the PE teacher.
Her face hardened instantly. “Boys over here, girls over there! Roll call now!”
“Don’t think dismissal means you can sneak back to class for a break.”
The area fell silent. Some students furtively pulled out their phones to send quick messages.
Sure enough, some sneaked off to the classroom to game on their phones during PE. The teacher usually turned a blind eye, but with the principal present, getting caught would spell trouble.
Wen Feixi scanned the crowd. Lu Chenyu still hadn’t returned.
She pushed through to head toward the Teaching Building.
Tang Yimo called after her. “Wenwen? We’re assembling again! Where are you going?”
–
In the restroom, water rushed from the faucet.
Lu Chenyu stood listlessly at the sink. She tied her school jacket around her waist, pulled her hair into a casual ponytail, and scrubbed her hands vigorously, head down.
Earlier during the run, Chen Shaocuan had come over to talk to her.
Lu Chenyu had always been hypersensitive to smells. After that fiasco, she felt like she’d picked up a lingering stench.
It was class time; the restrooms were empty. Faintly, she heard a teacher lecturing in the adjacent classroom.
Once her hands were clean, Lu Chenyu emerged slowly. She pulled a dog-eared booklet of chemistry equations from her pocket.
Standing at the foot of the stairs, she flipped it open, read a few pages, then closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. A sour ache welled up in her nose.
The scene from chemistry class replayed in her mind, shredding her nerves like a meat grinder.
Elder Xie’s sigh of reproach echoed like a curse in Lu Chenyu’s head. Her ears rang, her blood boiling.
The tears she’d held back for so long finally spilled over.
Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder lightly from behind.
Still lost in the shadow of Chen Shaocuan’s approach, Lu Chenyu startled at the touch. She whipped around, seized the hand, and clamped her thumb into the other’s throat.
Wen Feixi, caught off guard, stumbled back several steps until her back hit the wall.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the restroom’s glass window, spilling across the spotless tiled floor. The snow-pale girl leaned against the wall while the other, sleeves rolled up, gripped her neck with downcast eyes.
Wen Feixi realized Lu Chenyu’s grip was shockingly strong; the pads of her fingers felt the hard calluses.
And yet, she was such a quiet, introverted girl.
Wen Feixi struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. She nudged Lu Chenyu’s knee lightly with her own leg and whispered, “Lu Chenyu, let go.”
A smooth, warm hand seized her wrist, squeezing—but without real force, more like a kitten’s playful scratch.
!
Lu Chenyu’s mind blanked with a buzz as blood rushed in reverse through her veins.
She released Wen Feixi like she’d been shocked, stepping back.
Wen Feixi frowned and coughed twice.
“I’m sorry—I thought you were someone else,” Lu Chenyu said, frightened.
Five distinct finger marks stood out on Wen Feixi’s porcelain neck.
Her skin was so delicate that any mark showed vividly.
Wen Feixi huffed a laugh, about to speak, but paused when she saw Lu Chenyu’s face. She froze.
The girl’s skin was exceedingly fair, now tinged faintly pink. Teardrops slid from those amber peach-blossom eyes, even clinging to her lashes. She was breathtakingly beautiful—her gaze fearful yet pure, like a startled kitten.
Noticing Wen Feixi’s stare, Lu Chenyu’s mind buzzed again. She jerked her face away. “…Don’t look at me.”
Wen Feixi averted her eyes. “Not looking.”
Lu Chenyu fished a tissue from her pocket and pressed it to her face.
After a moment’s silence, Wen Feixi asked, “You don’t like Chen Shaocuan?”
Mentioning him soured Lu Chenyu’s mood further.
“Would you like someone like that?” she retorted coldly.
Did Wen Feixi have some misconception about her?
Wen Feixi’s features relaxed, a smile tugging at her lips. Before she could reply, Lu Chenyu murmured, “Your neck… Should I go with you to the infirmary?”
Wen Feixi raised a brow. “The infirmary for what?”
Lu Chenyu’s heart bled. “To pay for medical fees…”
Wen Feixi couldn’t hold back—she burst out laughing.
From childhood, she’d always been the center of attention.
Amid flowers and applause came endless envy and challenges. She was used to it.
By contrast, this defiant, ill-intentioned version of Lu Chenyu was somehow the cutest of them all.
“Hold out your hand,” Wen Feixi said.
Lu Chenyu extended it hesitantly.
“The one that grabbed my neck.”
Lu Chenyu blinked and offered the other.
Smack.
A cool sting flicked across her palm, gone in an instant.
Light as a kitten’s scratch.
“The principal showed up with provincial leaders for an inspection,” Wen Feixi explained, glancing at her before turning away. “Our class and the Sports Class are competing. I came to fetch you since you weren’t there.”
She took a couple of steps, but Lu Chenyu didn’t follow.
Wen Feixi looked back with a soft smile. “Classmate Lu, done crying?”
Lu Chenyu tensed, staring straight at her face.
One hint of mockery, and she’d retreat into her shell.
But there was none from Wen Feixi.
So Lu Chenyu’s tentative feeler emerged just a little.
Face stiff, she asked, “Is my nose still red?”
“Don’t worry, Classmate Lu—no sign you’ve been crying.”
She trailed behind Wen Feixi as they returned to the field together.
Sports committee member Chen Shaocuan stood at the front, roster in hand, calling Lu Chenyu’s name.
Since she was the girl he liked, he repeated it extra times. But no response came despite his calls.
Liu Jie glanced back. “Where’s Lu Top Student?”
Xia Weiwei sneered. “As if she’d be here. She always goes off on her own during PE…”
Liu Jie frowned. “We should’ve warned her. Some others left but came back.”
Lu Chenyu was Liu Jie’s desk mate and had tutored her before. Liu Jie hated to see her in trouble.
Xia Weiwei scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? Everyone else got the heads-up—did she? A loner like her deserves to get dinged—”
A voice cut in from behind. “Teacher, Lu Chenyu’s here.”
The class fell into stunned silence.
Heads turned to see Wen Feixi approaching, Lu Chenyu right behind her.
The PE teacher frowned. “What’s going on?”
Moments ago, the sports committee member had noted eight no-shows. The principal was furious and wanted the homeroom teacher to call their parents.
Under the teacher’s piercing gaze, Lu Chenyu paled, fine beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
She’d gone to wash up intending not to return. Normally during PE, she found a spot to read.
“She forgot her sanitary napkin and got stuck in the bathroom,” Wen Feixi lied without batting an eye. “I just brought her one.”
!
Every eye in the class turned silently to Lu Chenyu.
Her face remained blank, but her ears burned scarlet.
Wen Feixi was definitely getting revenge!
The PE teacher, being a woman herself, nodded at Wen Feixi’s words. Her gaze softened toward Lu Chenyu. “Back in line!”
Wen Feixi dragged Lu Chenyu and shoved her into the ranks.
“Anyone who sneaks back to class to play on their phones during PE, I’ll report your name to the homeroom teacher!”
No one had expected Wen Feixi to return with Lu Chenyu. Whispers exploded in the crowd.
“Did you hear? Wen Goddess just delivered… what? Pads? To Lu Top Student?”
“That thing? You mean what I think?”
“Look at the Goddess’s neck! What’s with those red marks?”
“Aaaah, does that mean in the bathroom… Wenwen was the bottom? Confirmed!”
Standing in the ranks, Lu Chenyu didn’t catch the chatter around her.
Her mind was full of one thought: with the principal here today, if Wen Feixi hadn’t come to the restroom, she would’ve been doomed.
Just imagining her homeroom teacher calling Ms. Song made Lu Chenyu shiver.
Then she noticed Bai Xian beside her.
Bai Xian was still crying, her eyes swollen huge, the red area bruising purple, traces of blood still under her nose.
Tang Yimo fumed. “Freaking coward couldn’t win fair, so she played dirty? I’m seriously grossed out today.”
Lu Chenyu blinked. “What happened to her?”
Tang Yimo, itching for an outlet, spilled the whole story the moment Lu Chenyu asked.
Bai Xian tugged at her clothes. “Stop, stop— we’re not even that close…”
But Tang Yimo pressed on. For some reason, with Lu Chenyu’s hands in her pockets, face cold as she listened, Tang Yimo felt like they were allies in outrage.
Tang Yimo added, “She even cursed out Wenwen, said she’d make her regret it.”
Lu Chenyu’s brow furrowed.
