Bai Tao and Jing Wang faced each other from opposite sides of a statue.
For some reason, she felt this man was like an NPC with cheat codes.
No location restrictions, spawns randomly.
“What are you doing here?”
Jing Wang lazily lifted his gaze, his emerald-green eyes particularly striking.
‘The bean sprout is leaning against the door, completely backlit.’
‘She’s wearing contacts today and has her whole face showing.’
He glanced at the time on his phone.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.
At this hour, why are you here instead of at the auditorium for the opening ceremony?”
Bai Tao pressed her lips together.
“I’m on my way.
I’ll be there soon.”
He flipped his phone over, a mocking smile on his lips.
“The opening ceremony starts in six minutes.”
“It’s an hour’s drive from here to the auditorium.”
“Can you fly or something?”
“You should just stop calling yourself Bai Tao.”
Before Bai Tao could figure out what he meant, a shadow on the ground suddenly shot toward her.
The instant it touched her feet, Jing Wang appeared before her.
Due to inertia, his clothes billowed out behind him.
As they fell back into place, they sent a warm breeze wafting over her face.
His eyelashes lowered as he flicked Bai Tao’s forehead with a fingertip.
“How about you change your name to Clumsy Tao instead.”
“If you’re lost, just admit you’re lost.
Why are you so stubborn?”
Bai Tao clutched her forehead, her pretty brows furrowing as she couldn’t help but whine, “Ow, that hurts.”
Her lower lids puffed prettily, the corners of her eyes drooping pitifully and tinged with a lovely peachy-pink hue.
Her voice was exceptionally delicate.
“Acting cute won’t work on me.” Jing Wang looked away.
Bai Tao froze.
‘Acting cute?’
‘Me?’
‘No, this isn’t the time to be hung up on that.’
The opening ceremony was in four minutes.
She couldn’t be late.
But Jing Wang was right.
As things stood, unless she could fly, there was no way she’d make it to the auditorium.
‘Wait a minute.’
‘Fly?’
‘Just now, Jing Wang seemed to…’
Bai Tao’s gaze fell on the man’s shadow.
As the saying goes.
‘Toss your morals aside and enjoy a life of shamelessness.’
‘Better to inconvenience others than to inconvenience yourself.’
The next second, she stepped forward and brazenly grabbed the hem of Jing Wang’s clothes.
“Who’s acting cute?
It’s clearly Wang who doesn’t know his own strength.”
She pointed to her own forehead.
“Look, it’s all red!”
“I don’t care.
I’m injured now.
You have to take responsibility for me.”
“Huh?” Jing Wang tilted his chin up slightly, his gaze landing on her small face.
She wasn’t lying.
There really was a small red mark.
‘Her skin is so soft and delicate.
So fragile.’
‘He clearly hadn’t used any force at all.’
“That’s because you’re too delicate.
Don’t try to scam me.”
“Why should I be responsible for…”
Thinking fast, Bai Tao immediately pulled up the group chat notification and shoved it in Jing Wang’s face.
“Besides, the teacher explained how to get to the auditorium during the class meeting.
If you hadn’t stepped on my glasses and broken them, I wouldn’t have missed the meeting.
If I hadn’t missed the meeting, I would have known the schedule is different for odd and even weeks, and I wouldn’t be late.”
As for why he had stepped on her glasses, well, that was another story.
Bai Tao grew more confident as she spoke, finally summarizing, “In conclusion, for any and all of these reasons, Wang should take full responsibility for me.”
As if terrified he would run away, she tightened her grip on his hem, twisting it another round and closing the gap between them until her shoulder was pressed right against his chest.
So close that the warmth of her breath seemed to seep through his clothes to his skin.
It tickled.
But it wasn’t an unpleasant tickle.
Jing Wang tilted his head.
“You’re acting like a rogue.”
“If being a rogue means I won’t be late, then I’d rather be a rogue.” She clutched her bag tighter.
“Besides, this isn’t being a rogue.
This is just collecting a legitimate debt.”
Bai Tao started directing him.
“Didn’t you just stretch out your shadow and then—WHOOSH—appear in front of me?”
“Can your shadow get us directly to the auditorium entrance?”
Jing Wang stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“Whether it can or not has nothing to do with you.
Let go.”
Bai Tao stepped right into the area covered by his shadow.
“Wang, don’t tell me…”
“It’s too short?”
Jing Wang stopped in his tracks.
“Short?”
He reached out, the web of his thumb and forefinger pressing against her chin, and pinched her cheek without a shred of gentleness.
“Say that again?”
Bai Tao’s cheek puffed out where his fingers squeezed it.
With great effort, she spat out a single, vicious word:
“Short!”
In that instant, Jing Wang’s heart began to race, and his face felt a little hot.
It wasn’t from affection.
It was from anger so intense it made his chest hurt.
He couldn’t stand hearing that word, no matter the context.
And there was no aspect of him that fit that word.
‘Dammit.’
Suddenly, Bai Tao felt the world spin.
A large hand clamped around her waist, and he slung her directly over his shoulder.
“You damned bean sprout, you better open both your eyes wide and watch closely.”
The moment he finished speaking, Bai Tao felt the wind roar past her ears.
The surrounding scenery changed in a flash, and when she opened her eyes again, she was in a small grove in front of the auditorium.
It hadn’t even taken a minute.
‘Jing Wang’s Beast Mimicry is actually pretty damn useful.’
‘He could definitely make a killing as a ride-share driver.’
Jing Wang snorted coldly.
“Now, you…”
“Thank you, Wang!
You’re long, you’re long, you’re the longest!”
“I’m about to be late, so I can’t chat, bye-bye~”
Bai Tao cut Jing Wang off, clutched her bag, and ran toward the auditorium without a backward glance.
Her legs churned so fast that she disappeared from sight in moments.
Jing Wang: ?
He had a distinct feeling he’d been used.
The use-him-and-lose-him kind. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
But he couldn’t find any evidence.
Meanwhile, the two brothers of the Zuo Family, who had been resting in the shade of a tree, had just opened their eyes to see the girl jump out of Jing Wang’s arms.
Her physical contact with Jing Wang seemed very natural.
The light in their eyes dimmed.
Sigh—
Bai Tao signed in just in the nick of time and breathlessly joined the back of the line for Finance Class 3.
With a chime, the auditorium lights dimmed.
The main doors were pushed open.
“Ah!
F5!
F5 is here!”
From front to back, it was F5’s usual formation.
Si, Qi, and Zuo.
Jing Wang, as expected, was absent.
With just a quick glance, Si Hansu and Qi Heting went backstage behind the curtain.
But Zuo Senye and Zuo Mubai, uncharacteristically, stopped in front of the curtain, their gazes searching the sea of people for the Finance Class 3 line.
The dense mass of heads was dizzying to look at.
But— the crisp scent of peaches mingling in the air was like a silken thread, guiding their gazes to lock onto her in an instant.
‘Found her.’
‘Little Taotao.’
She was standing at the end of the line near a window.
Fortunately, she was tall enough that her pretty face was still visible.
The sunlight favored her too, casting a perfect dividing line across her cheek.
Her cherry-red lips were full, the highlight on them shimmering dazzlingly.
She had her head down, lost in thought, and she looked somewhat pitiful.
‘Come to think of it, after they gave Little Taotao their contact info, she hadn’t sent them a single message all week.’
‘They hadn’t thought much of it, but she was actually in contact with Jing Wang.’
‘How annoying.’
They waited, expecting her to look up.
But in doing so, they had unintentionally caused a frantic commotion in the crowd.
“AHHH!!
Young Master Sen!
Mr.
Mu!
They’re looking this way!”
Secretary Zhang from the student council immediately came out, holding a thick stack of papers.
“Young Master Sen, Mr.
Mu, it’s about time.”
“Why don’t you go sit backstage for now?
Otherwise…
the situation might get a little out of control.”
Zuo Senye and Zuo Mubai gave a faint smile and replied, “Understood.”
‘Whatever, no need to rush.’
‘There’ll be plenty of opportunities later anyway.’
Amidst the screams, the student council representative adjusted the microphone.
“Alright, everyone, quiet down.”
“We will now begin the 276th Heslington Opening Ceremony and the freshman investiture ceremony.”