Bei Sangyun was grabbed roughly. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
She looked up and stared into his eyes.
The corners of Fei Chuan’s eyes were slanted and a bit red. If he were an adult, he would look like a menacing predator, ready to pounce on his prey.
But the teenage Fei Chuan looked beat up right now, and his narrowed eyes made him appear wronged, miserable, and pitiful.
The annoyance that had risen in her chest immediately cooled down.
Right. It was her fault that this misunderstanding happened.
So, let’s be patient, Bei Sangyun.
Bei Sangyun convinced herself. She held Fei Chuan’s hand and slowly removed it from her blazer.
"That happened so long ago that I can barely remember it."
Fei Chuan’s eyes narrowed darkly. "You can barely remember it? Ha. Then why do you keep tormenting me?"
"I’m not tormenting you. I’m keeping you away from the top spot," Bei Sangyun honestly answered.
This was the reason why the past her watched from the sidelines as Fei Chuan got bullied by the whole school.
If Fei Chuan was preoccupied with dealing with bullies, he would be distracted from his studies, and the number one spot would still be hers.
It was a childish and cruel reason.
Fei Chuan did not expect that answer from Bei Sangyun.
The proud Bei Sangyun, who stood above everyone in this place, was actually doing this to keep him at bay?
Was she admitting that he was smarter and better than her academically?
Who would believe that?
He took a step back and stared at her, searching for any signs that she was lying.
But Bei Sangyun looked back at him with a solemn face.
"I did not expect that my single sentence would lead to all of this. I’m sorry."
There. She finally said it.
Bei Sangyun clicked her tongue. This was the first time in both lifetimes she had swallowed her pride and genuinely apologized.
It didn’t taste bitter or sweet. It was still the same, like air, nothing.
However, the tightness around her heart lessened a bit. It was as if a blocked passage had been cleared, providing immediate relief in her chest.
So, apologizing for the first time to her lifelong enemy wasn’t actually so bad...
Why had she hesitated so much to say these three words back then?
But unlike Bei Sangyun, who was self-reflecting, Fei Chuan wasn’t happy at all.
He was stunned for a moment. Then a mocking laughter escaped from his lips.
"Haha. Keeping me away from the number one rank? Nonsense." Fei Chuan’s expression turned menacing. "You should have come up with a more convincing reason; I might have believed you then."
Bei Sangyun: "...."
Fei Chuan kicked the keys towards Bei Sangyun. "If you truly want to get back at me for what happened in the village, there’s no need for you to do this. I am already suffering the consequences, along with the people involved. Besides, isn’t it too petty for you to use other people for your revenge?"
The keys hit Bei Sangyun’s shoes. Fei Chuan scoffed and left.
Bei Sangyun silently picked up the keys.
She did not expect her first-ever apology would be cruelly rejected.
She looked at Fei Chuan’s back, her eyes flashed. She then ran straight like a bullet and crashed into Fei Chuan.
Fei Chuan was sent off balance. Before he could stand up straight, his arm was suddenly grabbed. Bei Sangyun clung to his arm with a tight grip and dragged him towards the gym.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let go!"
"I am planning to be patient since this is my fault. But your stubbornness really doesn’t suit me. I should have been more direct. It’s not in my nature to apologize and fix things peacefully."
Fei Chuan: "?"
Fei Chuan struggled out of Bei Sangyun’s hold. But Bei Sangyun’s grip was like a pair of steel. Fei Chuan was already limping and couldn’t struggle like he did earlier with the other students.
And Bei Sangyun’s chest...
Fei Chuan glanced at his arm that was pressing into her soft chest. His face turned red.
He couldn’t possibly push her away in that area...
He was helpless as Bei Sangyun dragged him in front of the gym’s door.
The two finally came to a halt. She handed him the keys. "Open it and see."
Fei Chuan looked away from the keys, clearly expressing his reluctance. However, his gaze then fixated on their interlocked arms.
"...."
When was this girl planning to release him?
"Just open it and see if I am lying."
"Can you let go?"
Bei Sangyun narrowed her eyes and, all of a sudden, embraced Fei Chuan’s waist tightly.
"What are you doing?! Let go! Are you sexually harassing me now?!"
"Who the fuck sexually harassing you?" Bei Sangyun asked back in annoyance.
Her hands were touching everywhere, he even felt her hands on his rear end. Fei Chuan’s face was boiling hot.
Was this another way of her bullying? Sexually harassing now?! This was too much...!
"You are so shameless, Bei Sangyun!"
Finally, Bei Sangyun stepped back and released him.
"Shameless?" She smiled and displayed her hands. In her palm was Fei Chuan’s phone, which she had taken from his pocket.
Fei Chuan’s eyes widened. "Give it back!"
Bei Sangyun held the phone up to his face while he was still off guard, and the phone unlocked. She immediately started going through the contacts while skillfully avoiding Fei Chuan’s attempts to retrieve it.
Finally, she found Grandma Pei’s number.
She pressed the call button.
Fei Chuan, towering over her, watched whom she was calling. His face darkened. He didn’t care anymore and hugged Bei Sangyun’s waist as he reached for his phone.
As his hand was about to touch the corner of his phone, the call was answered.
"Hello?" Grandma Pei’s voice sounded from the phone.
Fei Chuan grabbed the phone and was about to end the call when Bei Sangyun shouted.
"Grandma Pei, it’s me! Bei Sangyun! Fei Chuan is going to stay at my place!" Bei Sangyun exclaimed in one breath.
The finger that was about to press the ’end call’ button froze. He looked at Bei Sangyun in shock.
Because they were still hugging, he could discern every subtle expression on Bei Sangyun’s face.
As they had struggled, there were tiny beads of sweat on her forehead. He could smell the lavender fragrance of her shampoo, the scent of spring in her uniform, and the warmth of her breath.
Fei Chuan’s thoughts deviated.
Who would have thought the cold, heartless tyrant was actually soft and warm to touch?
"Bei Sangyun? Oh, little Sangyun! I heard you’re the young master’s classmate now. It’s nice to hear your voice."
Bei Sangyun also stared back at him and smiled victoriously, "Yeah, by coincidence, we became classmates again. Grandma Pei, can he stay at my place for a while? We have an overnight project, so—"
Fei Chuan snapped out of his daze and abruptly ended the call. "What are you doing?"
"Can’t you see I’m helping you? You can’t go home like this anyway. And it’s rude to end the call while we’re still conversing."
"Don’t bring my grandma into this mess, Bei Sangyun," Fei Chuan growled angrily.
"Are you blind and deaf? I’m helping you hide that injured face of yours so Grandma Pei won’t worry."
[Ring]
The phone rang, and it was Grandma Pei who was calling, abruptly interrupting the heated argument between the two.
"You better answer now, or she’ll start to worry."