Zhou Chiye led a blank-minded Ji Chaoxi out of the venue.
He grabbed a bottle of ice water and amusingly pressed it against her face.
"Some nerve you've got."
Ji Chaoxi finally snapped out of it. She looked at him, full of guilt. "Ye Ge, I almost got you killed just now."
Zhou Chiye leaned casually against the railing, fiddling with his phone. "That's fine. Even if you died, you'd still be my sidekick."
Ji Chaoxi choked on her words and fell silent.
Just then, an old man dragged over a machine to crush bottles—it was the same setup Ji Chaoxi had used earlier.
Zhou Chiye chuckled. "Your predecessor."
Ji Chaoxi: ...
The old man wasn't just crushing empty bottles. Some mineral water bottles were still unopened—he simply poured out the water and flattened them.
His move: never let a single bottle escape.
Zhou Chiye grabbed his things, ready to take Ji Chaoxi back. As he turned, he crashed straight into her, who had been standing right behind him.
The collision was solid. Zhou Chiye frowned deeply, instinctively reaching up to touch her forehead. He brushed aside her stray hair and sure enough, saw a patch of sensitive red blooming there.
"It's fine, Ye Ge. It'll fade in a bit," Ji Chaoxi said, unsure where to put the helmet in her hands.
Zhou Chiye accidentally caught her gaze. Her eyes curved into a smile.
He froze for a moment, then abruptly pulled his hand back, the lingering warmth still on his palm.
"Really, Ye Ge. My skin just gets red easily, but it goes away quickly," Ji Chaoxi explained earnestly.
Without a word, Zhou Chiye took the helmet and bag from her and headed toward the parking garage.
The sky was darkening, and the streetlights outside the car window had already lit up. The car was dead quiet.
Maybe because she was exhausted from the track earlier, Ji Chaoxi sat in the back seat, clutching her bag tightly, sinking deep into the seat.
Zhou Chiye drove in silence, his gaze occasionally drifting to the rearview mirror.
She leaned against the backrest, her head nodding unconsciously downward. Every time her forehead almost hit the bag, she'd groggily open her eyes, glance at the window, and nod off again.
Zhou Chiye felt something was seriously off about Ji Chaoxi—not just today, but for the past few days.
Was she wearing colored contacts? Her eyes were so bright they dazzled him, making him dizzy. And she kept looking at him with that kind of expression, which felt particularly piercing. Several times, he didn't dare meet her gaze.
"Ye Ge, let me get off here," Ji Chaoxi said, red marks still on her face.
Zhou Chiye was silent. That feeling again.
Her voice was different too. Why?
"Ye Ge?"
Her voice seemed to crawl from his eardrum straight down his spine, sending an uncomfortable tingle through his body.
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Honestly, I think your voice sounded better before."
The current one was good too, but it made his body feel uneasy.
Ji Chaoxi stared at him, utterly confused. "Ye Ge, haven't I always had this voice?"
Zhou Chiye's heart tightened. There it was again.
He furrowed his brow deeply. He didn't know if something was wrong with Ji Chaoxi or with his car, but her voice always seemed to carry a hook.
Seeing Zhou Chiye's unfriendly expression, Ji Chaoxi whispered, "Ye Ge."
Zhou Chiye's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He hummed in response.
After Ji Chaoxi got out of the car, she was puzzled.
What did he mean by her "old voice"? She hadn't changed her voice tone at all.
When Zhou Chiye got home, his mind was filled with nothing but Ji Chaoxi's eyes, her voice, her hands, her nose...
He frowned deeply. What was wrong with her? Why had she suddenly become so strange?
Could she have been bullied, and that's why she'd turned this way?
He sent a message to Doc.
【Check if anyone in school has been forcing her to do anything.】
The reply came quickly: 【?】
Doc stared at the message, baffled. What was Zhou Chiye imagining again?
Afraid Doc wouldn't get it, Zhou Chiye explained further:
【Her voice has been really weird lately. Listen for yourself—it's like it has a hook, completely different from before.】
【Her eyes are strange too. They're bright, really pretty—brighter than before. Normal people shouldn't have eyes that bright...】
【And when she smiles, it feels different. I used to think her smile was pretty, but now I hate it. Every time she smiles, my heart aches, I can't breathe, it's so awkward.】
【Keep an eye on her, but don't let her notice. She's sensitive...】
Doc: ...
