29: Affection (1)

School had been in session for a while now. Regardless of how indifferent he was, the older man would still greet him enthusiastically every time they met.

Feng Jinyan walked forward, placed a warm cup of soy milk on the windowsill, gave a polite nod, and walked away. Except for Ye Xiangwan, he was relatively cold toward everyone else.

"Hey! Young man, you..."

Feng Jinyan adjusted his backpack strap and didn't stop. The older man's voice behind him was scattered by the wind, making it hard to hear clearly. The soy milk meant nothing, so there was no need for gratitude. As the eldest young master of the Feng family, he was already accustomed to and numb to the enthusiastic smiles from those around him.

Walking to the second floor, his footsteps echoed emptily through the corridor. There wasn't a single footprint on the pristine white walls. Feng Jinyan took out the classroom key, and just as he inserted it into the lock, the door was pushed open from the inside. He stared at the key, stunned for a moment.

On the day of the class meeting, before it ended, Jiang Huan had let the students sign up for positions themselves. They had newly elected a tall, sturdy sports representative and... a "life representative" whose face he hadn't quite memorized. The four of them had class keys, but surely no one else would be here this early.

Unexpectedly, there was already someone in the classroom. To be precise, a girl was sitting there. She was leaning sideways against the windowsill at the back of the classroom, her body slightly hunched. It was hard to tell if she had been basking in the sun for a long time, but the skin visible from beneath her hand, which was shielding her from the light, was fair and tinged with a faint crimson.

Feng Jinyan placed his backpack gently on his seat, but the zipper still brushed against the back of the chair, making a soft sound.

"Mm..."

The girl on the windowsill shifted, then squinted one eye open from the crook of her arm, blankly observing Feng Jinyan. After a few seconds, a tired, soft voice sounded: "Feng Jinyan... sun..."

Feng Jinyan stood rooted to the spot. He could only see the fair, small part of Ye Xiangwan's face, but she was sitting sideways on the windowsill next to her seat. If she were to sit upright, Feng Jinyan’s chin would almost touch the top of her head.

"Feng Jinyan..."

Ye Xiangwan buried her head deeper. Perhaps because there was no reaction after a long while, her brows furrowed slightly: "Hurry, close the curtains..."

Feng Jinyan stood there for a long time before reaching out to pull the curtains shut behind her. He hesitated for a moment, then sat down right next to Ye Xiangwan. The half-open curtains were gently rippled by the wind. A deep silence filled the classroom; even the usually lively magpies seemed curled up in the treetops, asleep. The only clear sound was the long, steady breathing beside his ear.

About fifteen minutes passed. The sound of car doors closing drifted in from outside as students began to trickle in. For some reason, Feng Jinyan felt a sudden flicker of annoyance, perhaps because the surroundings were becoming noisy.

Finally, when the classroom door was pushed open for the fourth time, the person on the windowsill moved. Ye Xiangwan’s eyes were still closed, her brows slightly furrowed. With a motion as natural as if she were just waking up, she stretched her body and flipped over...

"Thump! Bang!"

A short, miserable cry of pain rang out right beside his ear. Feng Jinyan’s gaze was still fixed on an English journal on his phone when suddenly, a pair of flailing hands wrapped around his neck, instantly cutting off his breath.

Ye Xiangwan’s knee hit her chair, one leg barely supporting her on the floor, while her entire upper body slammed straight onto her desk. When her hands subconsciously grabbed for something to steady herself, they ended up wrapped around Feng Jinyan’s neck.

She winced in pain, her brows tightly knitted, taking a long moment to catch the breath that had nearly left her. As she lifted her head, she locked eyes with Feng Jinyan.

Both of them fell silent for a moment.

So close... they could see their own reflections in each other's pupils, and smell the distinct, fresh scent on one another...

After a while, as if startled by the commotion, Ye Xiangwan suddenly leaned her upper body back in a tactical retreat, her eyes widening slightly.

Feng Jinyan: "???"

A few stifled laughs came from the classroom. Ye Xiangwan did a "carp jump," bracing herself against the desk to stand up. Embarrassed and angry, she glared at Feng Jinyan: "You didn't even think to help me!"

"I didn't have time."

"I think you looked quite happy watching me fall."

"Which eye saw me looking happy?"

"Both eyes saw it."

Ye Xiangwan spoke with a face frozen in a stiff expression.

Feng Jinyan: "..."

Outside the door, someone suddenly shouted: "Class monitor, the homeroom teacher is looking for you!"

Ye Xiangwan puffed out her cheeks and blew at the bangs on her forehead, shooting a fierce glare at the heartless boy. However, as she turned and took a step, the pain in her knee and lower leg made her steps falter, and she stumbled forward several times before regaining her balance.

At the same time, a soft, low sound escaped from behind her—it was unclear if it was a scoff or a laugh.

"I really..."

Ye Xiangwan gritted her teeth, turned back, and glared at Feng Jinyan once more.

Feng Jinyan suddenly realized that Ye Xiangwan was becoming increasingly... human-like in her interactions with him. Watching her limp into the classroom, Feng Jinyan waited until the warning bell rang before heading in himself.

As soon as he entered, he sensed a gaze fixed directly on him. But when he swept his eyes toward her, Ye Xiangwan calmly took off her headphones, pulled out her textbook, and looked out the window.

Feng Jinyan curled his lips slightly. He sat back in his seat and pushed his desk forward just a little, the edge of it lightly bumping Ye Xiangwan’s back. Only then did he lift his hand and wave the paper in it. "This is the dormitory application you requested earlier."

Ye Xiangwan reached out to take it.

Feng Jinyan pulled his arm back, suddenly breaking into a mischievous smile. His long, narrow eyes crinkled in a wicked, playful way. "Come on, call me 'brother,' and I'll give it to you."

The thin sheet of white paper fluttered in the breeze, making a soft, rustling sound.

Ye Xiangwan: "..."

Feng Jinyan tapped her shoulder: "What are you dazing off for?"

Ye Xiangwan moved her lips, but before she could speak, her gaze suddenly flickered toward the area behind Feng Jinyan, and she imperceptibly straightened her posture.

"Hm? Is this Jiang the Demon’s class?"

Feng Jinyan hurriedly suppressed his smile and turned to look.

But in the instant he turned, the paper in his hand was snatched away with a "swish."

"Damn, Ye..."

"Feng Jinyan!"

Jiang Huan’s voice suddenly rang out, his footsteps stomping onto the podium. "If I hear you swear again, you'll be standing in the back!"

And so, in their umpteenth one-sided showdown, the Young Master Feng was defeated once again. His expression of intense displeasure was almost thick enough to overflow, a low pressure that radiated from him until it finally dissipated by noon.

After the lunch break, he collected the application forms from the boarding students, cast an imperceptible glance at Ye Xiangwan, and then turned to head to the teachers' office.

Ye Xiangwan’s gaze followed him all the way out of the classroom, and she let out a heavy sigh in her heart.

Who knows what kind of mischief that guy is brewing in his belly again.

Long Chuan had always been known for his swift and decisive style. During the last period of the day, the school announced over the broadcast that the student housing assignments had been finalized.