The basketball game was more intense than she had imagined.
The squeak of sneakers against the court echoed clearly in the cold air.
Xi Liye played with complete focus.
He was tall, controlled the ball steadily, and stole the ball several times before launching quick counterattacks, earning quiet cheers from the spectators.
Wen Chu’s social anxiety made it impossible for her to shout encouragement from the sidelines.
In the end, she pulled out her phone.
Her fingers were so cold they felt stiff, making typing difficult.
【Wen Chu: It’s so cold outside. Are you really not cold wearing that little?】
【Wen Chu: That guy bumped into you so hard just now! Is your arm okay?】
【Wen Chu: Did you sweat? Are you going to catch a cold? Shouldn’t you take a break?】
The players gathered at the edge of the court.
Steam rose from their bodies as they grabbed thermoses and gulped down hot water.
Xi Liye walked over as well.
His bangs were slightly damp and stuck to his brow.
He looked down at Wen Chu’s messages on his phone.
Instead of reaching for water, his gaze swept across the sidelines.
Then he walked straight toward her.
Wen Chu immediately held up the sports drink and chocolate.
Her voice was muffled behind her scarf.
“These are for you.”
Xi Liye stopped in front of her.
Breathing slightly heavier than usual, he looked at the items in her hands for two seconds before reaching out and taking the sports drink.
The bottle was warm.
He unscrewed the cap and took several drinks.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Only afterward did he glance at the chocolate.
“I don’t eat sweets.”
His voice was slightly hoarse from exercise.
“Oh? Oh…”
“Then I’ll eat it myself.”
As she spoke, she stuffed the chocolate into her pocket.
Unexpectedly, Xi Liye reached out.
Not for the chocolate.
Instead, the knuckle of his index finger lightly touched the tip of her nose.
“Icy.”
His comment was brief.
Then he picked up the jacket hanging over his arm and handed it to her.
“Put this on.”
Wen Chu blinked.
“???”
She stared at the thin athletic jacket.
Then looked down at her thick down coat.
“…I’m not cold.”
“The tip of your nose is red.”
Without waiting for her agreement, Xi Liye stuffed the jacket into her arms.
The fabric still carried the warmth from his body.
It felt pleasantly warm.
“You were standing where the wind hits.”
“Put it on.”
A teammate happened to walk by wearing a coat.
Seeing the scene, he grinned.
“Brother Xi, you’ve learned how to take care of people, huh?”
Xi Liye ignored him.
His gaze remained on Wen Chu, who stood there hugging the jacket in confusion.
“The game’s over.”
“Wait for me to change clothes.”
“Then we’ll head back.”
“Ah? Oh… okay.”
Xi Liye nodded.
Then turned toward the locker room.
After taking two steps, he stopped and looked back.
“Come with me.”
Wen Chu blinked.
“…?”
“Are you going to stand here in the wind?”
One eyebrow lifted slightly.
“There’s a bench outside the locker room.”
Oh.
So he was worried she’d get cold.
Wen Chu finally understood and followed behind him with small steps, still carrying the jacket.
Xi Liye deliberately slowed his pace so they could walk side by side.
He was tall.
His strides were naturally longer.
To match her pace, he had to walk slower.
A small distance remained between them.
Yet Wen Chu could still sense the lingering warmth coming from him.
Mixed with the clean scent of sweat from exercise.
The locker room was located beside the gymnasium.
As promised, there was an old bench outside.
Xi Liye led her over.
“Sit here and wait.”
“Oh.”
Wen Chu obediently sat down.
Still clutching his jacket.
Xi Liye looked at her.
As if he wanted to say something.
But in the end, he merely pressed his lips together before pushing open the locker-room door and disappearing inside.
The door closed.
Cutting off the warmth and sounds from within.
Alone on the bench, Wen Chu listened to the distant sounds of basketballs bouncing and players shouting.
She lowered her gaze toward the jacket in her lap.
How exactly had she ended up agreeing to come here?
What if some other guys playing basketball saw her?
Wouldn’t that be incredibly embarrassing?
As she was lost in random thoughts, the locker-room door opened.
Xi Liye stepped out.
He had changed out of his athletic clothes.
Now he wore the black sweatshirt he had arrived in.
The fitted cut made him look even taller.
A sports bag hung from one hand.
When he noticed Wen Chu still sitting exactly where he had left her, staring blankly into space with her phone in hand, his steps paused.
“Let’s go.”
He walked over and gently patted her head.
Wen Chu immediately stood up.
“Your jacket.”
She handed it back.
Xi Liye accepted it and put it on.
“Are you still cold?”
His eyes swept across her face.
“N-Not really.”
She pulled her scarf higher.
“Mm.”
Xi Liye said nothing more.
He simply turned and headed toward the exit.
“Where are we going?”
Wen Chu couldn’t help asking.
“A candied hawthorn stall just opened outside campus.”
“I think you’ll like it.”
“Candied… hawthorn?”
Her voice floated slightly.
“Mm.”
Xi Liye glanced at her.
A streetlight cast shadows across his eyelashes.
“I passed by before.”
“A lot of guys were buying them for their girlfriends.”
“Oh…”
Wen Chu responded.
“Then I want one too.”
“If other girlfriends get them, I want one too!”
“Okay.”
For some reason, Wen Chu couldn’t shake the feeling that Xi Liye had planned this from the beginning.
“But won’t there be a lot of people?”
She hesitated.
Ever since Xi Liye discovered she disliked crowds, she had stopped hiding it.
After all, they might be together for a long time.
If every outing involved crowded places, she genuinely wouldn’t survive.
Xi Liye laughed.
It was rare to hear him laugh aloud.
The sound brushed lightly against her ears like a feather.
Ticklish.
“Then stay right here and don’t move.”
“I’ll go buy some candied hawthorn for you.”
He leaned down slightly as he teased her.
Wen Chu:
“……”
Her brain stopped working for three seconds.
That sentence…
Why did it sound so familiar?
“Xi Liye, are you taking advantage of me?!”
The words slipped out immediately.
The cold, gloomy male lead image from the novel shattered into pieces.
Whether from the cold or from embarrassment, her cheeks felt hot.
Perhaps because Xi Liye was so tolerant of her, she instinctively stepped closer.
Rising onto her toes, she aimed a playful punch at his shoulder.
A mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.
Unfortunately—
She had forgotten she was bundled up like a ball.
And she had greatly overestimated her athletic ability.
The moment her toes left the ground and her arm lifted halfway—
A warm hand effortlessly caught her wrist.
The next second, a force she couldn’t resist traveled through her arm.
Her balance disappeared.
She stumbled forward.
Instead of falling—
She crashed directly into a chest carrying a faint chill and the clean scent of soap.
Xi Liye’s arm wrapped around her.
Loosely circling the back of her bulky coat.
Perfectly catching her.
Wen Chu’s cheek pressed against the knit fabric of his sweater.
Beneath it she could feel a firm, warm chest.
And a steady heartbeat.
He was so much taller than her.
Wrapped loosely in his embrace, she remained half on tiptoe.
The position was awkward.
And mortifying.
Wen Chu’s mind went completely blank.
Her nose filled with his clean scent.
Her wrist was still held in his hand.
She could feel her pulse racing wildly beneath his fingers.
“Trying to hit me?”
Xi Liye’s voice came from above her head.
That faint teasing tone had returned.
Wen Chu suddenly came back to her senses.
Like she’d been burned, she immediately struggled.
“L-Let go!”
Her voice was muffled against his clothes.
Flustered and embarrassed.
Xi Liye complied immediately.
He released the arm around her back.
And let go of her wrist.
Wen Chu instantly retreated two steps.
Almost tripping over herself before regaining her balance.
Her entire face was crimson.
Half from embarrassment.
Half from anger.
Her scarf had already come loose.
Cold wind rushed down her neck.
Yet it couldn’t cool the heat in her face.
“Why did you hug me?”
She asked awkwardly.
Wasn’t she supposed to be nothing more than a cannon-fodder ex-girlfriend?
“Wen Chu.”
He called her name.
“Aren’t you my girlfriend?”
Wen Chu was instantly speechless.