Сhaptеr 11: I Wоn’t Воthеr You Again
Аftеr a long silеnce, thе sоund оf fооtstеps grаduаllу fadеd awаy.
Just as Сhi Yu thоught the рersоn оutsidе the dооr had rеturnеd tо thеir rооm, thе sound оf a kеу turning in the lock suddenlу eсhoеd.
Ваng.
Тhe doоr swung opеn.
А wаrm bеam оf light instantlу floodеd in, disреlling thе dаrkness.
In thе next momеnt, а dеliсаte fragranсе еnvelоpеd his senses аs hе wаs рulled into а sоft embraсe.
“Chi Yu, dоn’t bе аfrаid. I’ll staу with уou.”
Warm breath brushed against his еar, аnd thе shаmеful mеmoriеs in the darkness sеemеd to fаde аway.
He felt as if he were about to fall off a cliff, desperately clinging to someone for warmth.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” The hazy voice gradually became clear—it was Lin Kuizhi.
Snapping back to reality, his hands trembling slightly, he abruptly pushed the girl away.
Caught off guard, the girl was shoved to the floor, staring at him in confusion. “Chi Yu, what’s wrong?”
She was met with the boy’s icy gaze.
“You shouldn’t have come near me.”
“I… I was just worried about you,” Lin Kuizhi hurriedly explained. “I didn’t mean to open your door.”
Ignoring her, Chi Yu expressionlessly pulled the girl up and pushed her outside.
“I won’t go back on my promise to Madam. I’ll move out after the college entrance exams. Until then, it’s best if we maintain a simple employer-employee relationship.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the door was mercilessly shut.
No matter how much the girl called out or knocked, he gave no response.
Standing outside the door, Lin Kuizhi hung her head like a child who had done something wrong. She had arrogantly assumed Chi Yu needed her comfort but had instead violated his privacy.
Moreover, she had never explained her past misdeeds yet had selfishly demanded he treat her like a friend. Such behavior must have seemed utterly ridiculous.
Lin Kuizhi, oh Lin Kuizhi, you’re far too self-centered. Why should he erase everything from the past and interact with you without any reservations just because you’re kind to him? You’re the one who hurt him, yet you have the audacity to talk about winning him over.
After a moment of contemplation, she made a difficult decision.
Lin Kuizhi took out her phone and sent a text message. She was about to leave but stopped and sat down against the door.
No matter what, she still wanted to stay with Chi Yu. The thunder was so loud—he must be scared.
On the other side, the boy slumped against the edge of the bed, his fists clenched tightly on his knees, knuckles turning white. He lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Chi Yu, how could you crave the young lady’s embrace? Have you forgotten how tainted you are?
This shouldn’t be happening. The young lady is only being kind to him out of pity. If she ever finds out about the orphanage, she’ll undoubtedly distance herself without hesitation.
He couldn’t bear the thought of those lively eyes filled with disgust and fear. Just imagining it made his heart ache with a sharp, twisting pain.
The thunder still rumbled, but he seemed oblivious, his mind consumed by the girl’s last look of guilt.
He was the one who had hurt her, so why did she have to wear that expression… one that made his heart soften.
In the unnervingly quiet bedroom, his phone chimed. Chi Yu’s pupils trembled slightly.
Was it… her?
After a moment of hesitation, he couldn’t resist picking up the phone.
A friend request notification popped up in the message bar.
[Are you okay? Kuizhi told me you’re feeling down. Would you like to talk?]
From Ji Yan.
His fingers tightened around the phone, his eyes darkening as a storm brewed within them.Suppressing the surging anger in his heart, he flung open the door and saw a small figure curled up at the entrance. Hearing the noise, she looked up at him, her dull eyes suddenly lighting up again.
Half of Chi Yu’s body was hidden in the darkness, his expression unclear, yet he exuded an increasingly aggressive aura.
He heard himself speak with difficulty, his voice dry and hoarse, “What are you doing sitting here?”
The girl clutched the hem of her clothes, her expression uneasy. “It’s still thundering outside. I was worried you might be scared.”
He was slightly taken aback, feeling as if his heart had been pricked.
The girl quickly stood up, her face serious. “Chi Yu, I’m sorry. I was too selfish. I didn’t consider your feelings at all and forced myself to be friends with you.”
“From now on, I won’t pressure you into doing things you don’t want to do.”
After saying this, she seemed to sigh in relief and gently hugged the boy. “You can stay here peacefully. I won’t bother you anymore.”
What did she mean? What did she mean by “won’t bother him”?
The rain had stopped at some point. She stepped back and placed a carton of milk into the boy’s hands. “A glass of warm milk before bed helps prevent insomnia.”
Then, she turned and went back to her room.
The warmth of her touch still lingered on his body. Chi Yu raised his hand, wanting to pull her back, but ultimately let it fall slowly.
The next day, when he opened the door, he was not greeted by the usual bright, smiling face as before.
Chi Yu pursed his lips, thinking she might have gone for breakfast first. But as he walked downstairs, he saw Uncle Liu.
“Good morning, young master. Miss has already gone to school. I’m here to take you.”
As if sensing Chi Yu’s confusion, Uncle Liu explained, “Miss drove herself today.”
Chi Yu silently got into the car.
This was the most correct outcome, one he had brought upon himself. So why couldn’t he shake off this suffocating gloom?
“Class, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?” the homeroom teacher teased.
“Bad news! Bad news!” the students shouted from below.
“The bad news is, winter break this year is only seven days long.”
As soon as the words were spoken, it was as if a bomb had been dropped into boiling water. The chorus of groans could only be described as utterly miserable.
Lin Kuizhi didn’t feel much about it, after all, the key high schools in her world were the same.
“Xiao Zhizhi, how can you be so calm? Winter break is so short!” Yue Xin complained, feeling unbalanced.
“But summer break is long.”
Lin Kuizhi’s voice was drowned out by the sudden burst of cheers.
“What? What happened? I didn’t hear!” Yue Xin tugged at Ji Yan.
Ji Yan rolled her eyes discreetly. “The teacher just said that next week is the last relaxation time for seniors—an autumn outing.”
“Yay!” Yue Xin cheered louder than anyone else in the class, only quieting down after the homeroom teacher shot her a glare.
In the following days, everyone was immersed in the joy of the upcoming autumn outing.
As for Lin Kuizhi and Chi Yu, their relationship remained awkwardly stagnant, with no communication beyond studying.
Later, Lin Kuizhi’s understanding of physics improved by leaps and bounds, and even their academic exchanges dwindled.
Yue Xin, the ultimate shipper, immediately noticed something was off and began passing notes with her deskmate, Ji Yan.
[Don’t you think your deskmate and my deskmate are acting a bit strange?]
Ji Yan glanced sideways. Her deskmate had been in this state lately—cold as ice, as if someone owed him millions.
[Maybe he’s on his period.]
[?!?!]
[Lin Kuizhi seems fine. She still looks cheerful every day.]【The biggest issue is that little Kuizhi isn’t clinging to Chi Yu, my friend!】
Ji Yan’s mind stirred, and she turned her head.
“Lin Kuizhi,” she took out a box of chocolates, “Gu Chen asked me to give this to you.”