"My God, she’s a genius, but why would she drop out of school for three years?"
"I heard she was in a car accident...."
The chatter faded away as the girl’s lips curved into a gentle smile. Against the backdrop of the crisp autumn air and the clear blue sky, her beauty seemed dreamlike, almost illusory.
To get to the library, one had to pass the basketball court. She hadn’t even gotten close before hearing the fervent cheers and the girls’ screams from the court.
The fiery passion spilled into the early autumn sky, drifting far and wide, bearing witness to the fervent and vibrant youth.
The basketball court was packed to the brim, and from a distance, it was a sea of girls as lovely as flowers—a splendid sight.
In unison, they chanted the name of one individual, rhythmic and melodious, filled with the girls’ wholehearted admiration.
A familiar yet unfamiliar person.
She remembered the name but couldn’t recall his face.
She’d often heard girls discussing this person: at meals, in the restroom, even the two girls behind her in class were infatuated with Yan Song, fantasizing themselves as Cinderella and Yan Song as their Prince Charming, tirelessly daydreaming.
Since her first day at this school, she had heard the name Yan Song so often her ears could have developed calluses. She was very curious about this person’s charm that could bewitch these adolescent girls so thoroughly.
With this thought, she quietly walked past the basketball court on the small path alongside it.
Suddenly, disaster struck.
A basketball fell from the sky, heading straight for her head. Her eyes widened as she watched it hurtle towards her, her legs as heavy as lead, immovable.
To dodge a car accident only to be hit by a basketball?
In that moment, she actually had the leisure to ponder this question...
The crowd screamed and parted, and a young man in a white and purple jersey sprinted towards her. His agile figure blazed like a stream of fire, and behind him shone the bright, radiant morning sun. The dazzling light behind him made it nearly impossible to see his face clearly.
Just as the ball was about to hit her, the young man grabbed her arm and yanked it fiercely. The grip burned her skin, and then she heard a "crack" like a dislocation...
The hard chest against her face hurt, and before she could think further, the next moment they were both falling to the ground. The young man wrapped his arm around her waist, twisted in mid-air, and shielded her head against his chest before his back slammed into the ground.
Her face bounced twice off his chest, making her grimace in pain. He instinctively tightened his hold on her head, and she could hear the hot, rapid beating of his heart, which seemed contagious as her own heartbeat started to race out of control.
"Hey...are you...okay?" she asked softly.
"Won’t die," the young man said through gritted teeth from above her.
She hurriedly struggled free and climbed off him. Just moving slightly, a sharp pain shot through her arm, causing her to hiss.
Frowning, she looked at the young man lying on the ground. The stunning sight made her heart start racing again. She was never one to judge by appearances, although she admitted he was the most handsome man—or boy—she had ever seen...
His eyebrows slanted into his temples, creating a sharp and bold arc. His eyes dark as night and as deep as the starry sea, boundless and profound. A high nose bridge, thin lips pressed tightly together. They say men with thin lips are heartless; was this man like his appearance, equally cold-hearted?
His face seemed carved by the hands of God, every feature just right. His sun-kissed skin was healthy and vibrant; he was like a fiery sun. Even the searing sun in the sky couldn’t steal a fraction of his radiance.
She clutched her chest, feeling a twinge of pain, but the strange sensation quickly vanished. Before she could reflect on it, the young man flipped himself up from the ground, frowning at her, his eyes mixing cold scrutiny with wariness.
"Thanks for just now," she said with a smile, wanting to turn and leave.
"Hey, just a thank you and that’s it? I hit the back of my head, and it still hurts," the young man said coldly. His voice was also very pleasant, husky from puberty, yet tinged with a hint of magnetism.
Sighing, she turned back, "Then I’ll accompany you to the infirmary to check it out."
She hated trouble, and this young man could bring her more than just that. The girls had all swarmed over, unable to tolerate their idol having held her, they glared at her with enmity. Content originally comes from nοvelfire.net