Scrolling through Ji Zhaoxi’s check-in photos had become a habit for Zhou Chiye.
He’d scroll after racing, after swimming, after playing basketball, and one last time before bed.
He found it strangely interesting.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue, drained the last of his water bottle, and sat down on the rest bench.
Time to scroll!
A guy with single eyelids sat down next to him, panting, and caught a glimpse of Zhou Chiye’s action out of the corner of his eye. He nearly spat out his water.
“Ye Ge, scrolling again?”
Zhou Chiye grunted in reply. “It’s pretty fun.”
The guy asked, with feigned casualness, “Ye Ge, you’re not into Ji Zhaoxi, are you? Always scrolling through her photos.”
“What? No way!” Zhou Chiye jumped up as if he’d been stepped on.
“What kind of dirty thoughts are in your head? Scrolling through her photos doesn’t mean I like her!”
But his mind flashed with images of Ji Zhaoxi—her pitiful expression, her eyes sparkling, the way she looked when she was down, the tone of her voice when she spoke, and all sorts of memories flooded in.
His movements were so abrupt that he knocked over the sports bag on the bench. Panic surged through him. He felt his heart slam violently against his ribs.
The next second, Zhou Chiye spun around and started sprinting across the track, running furiously, his clothes flapping with every stride.
The single-eyed guy stared at Zhou Chiye’s retreating back, stunned.
No way, just one question and he blew up that easily?
“What’s up? Is Ye Ge training for a sprint or something? He’s going full speed,” a breathless guy said as he sat down nearby.
The single-eyed guy shook his head silently.
Days passed one after another.
Ji Zhaoxi suddenly noticed that things had been unusually quiet. She snapped to attention.
Zhou Chiye hadn’t asked for her check-in photo in days!
She opened their chat history and, sure enough, a whole week had passed without him asking.
Startled, Ji Zhaoxi immediately snapped a photo of herself doing homework and sent it to him.
【Ye Ge, I’m working on problems [muscle emoji] [muscle emoji]】
At home, lying in bed, Zhou Chiye shot up the second he heard his phone.
He opened it, saw the familiar chat window, and paused for a moment. He didn’t want to look at her homework—instead, he silently zoomed in on the hand holding the pen.
Her fingers pressed against the paper as she wrote, the tips tinged with the faintest pink from the pressure.
Zhou Chiye stared at the fingertips in the photo for a long time. He told himself he didn’t want to look, but his hands automatically saved the image.
He didn’t reply to her, but instead directly sent her a transfer.
She responded quickly: 【Ye Ge, no compliment this time? [crying emoji] [crying emoji]】
Zhou Chiye choked. His face flushed as he stared at the screen. Who said he was overthinking? She was clearly acting coy.
Dammit, she was unhappy just because he didn’t praise her once, this time?
How clinging she was...
But he didn’t like clingy people. He also didn’t like coaxing others.
He lowered his eyes and typed back: 【Your handwriting looks nice.】
【Ye Ge, when are you coming back to school?】
Zhou Chiye cleared his throat and stopped replying.
See? This is how clingy people are. If he doesn’t show up at school for a few days, she starts nagging. How annoying.
But...
But she was his junior. If he liked her, wouldn’t that be taking advantage?
Zhou Chiye felt unbearably restless. He wanted to give her a good poke right now. One moment he was happy, the next miserable.
He headed straight to the racetrack.
He needed an outlet!
He was usually a disciplined person, scheduling everything clearly—when to do what.
But right now, he didn’t care about that...
The roar on the track nearly shattered his eardrums. Beneath his helmet, his breathing was steady and controlled.
Zhou Chiye shifted gears skillfully, each shift sending a spike of adrenaline. The smell of burning rubber filled his nostrils, and the adrenaline rush made him hyper.
His fingers gripped the paddle shifters tightly. Suddenly, the dashboard in front of him merged with the memory of her fair hand. He remembered the moment the car had lost control and he had grabbed her hand.
The engine roared on, and then Zhou Chiye was flooded with the sensation of buckling her seatbelt. He’d been nervous then, too. The space had been cramped, and he’d tried to keep his distance, but they ended up close anyway.
She’d sunk into the seat, her eyes filled with barely hidden curiosity. Her face was sunburned, and there was a light sheen of sweat on the tip of her nose.
When he leaned in, he could even catch the faint scent of her perfume...
“Tsk.”
Zhou Chiye felt his heart skip a beat. In that moment of distraction, the car’s balance shattered. The heavy rear end swung outward violently.
Bang—
The massive inertia threw Zhou Chiye to the side, and the airbag deployed instantly.
In that split second before his eyes closed, only one thought flashed through his mind:
How was he ever going to save face?!
A chill lingered in the air. Leaves skittered a few steps across the ground with the wind. A yard dog glanced at the visitor, wagged its tail once, and closed its eyes again.
“The kids are asleep.” Father Ji stood awkwardly at the door.
The woman took the milk he handed her and rolled her eyes. “You always bring something whenever you come. They’re not that special.”
Father Ji clicked his tongue in disapproval. “The kids are growing. Of course they need milk! You’re just being stingy.”
The woman lowered her head and laughed. “Yes, yes, yes. They all know their Uncle Jiang treats them well.”
Father Ji looked at her, bathed in the dim lamplight, coughed, and slowly took her hand. “Your hands are so cold. Put on more clothes.”
The woman covered her mouth with a laugh. “Are you kidding? I’m dying of heat. More clothes?”
Father Ji just gazed at her, smiling, without saying a word.
He moved closer, pulled her into his arms, and rubbed her arm gently. “Raising two kids all by yourself as a woman... that must have been really hard.”
The woman’s eyes instantly reddened. “You’re the only one who says that. They were actually arguing with me again today.”
Father Ji frowned slightly and advised her, “Kids are like that. As parents, we can’t hold grudges against them. One day I’ll find a chance to talk to them, get them to be more understanding of you.”
“But you also need to loosen up a bit and stop pushing them so hard. I have kids myself; I know how they think.”
The woman hummed softly in response. Father Ji soothed her, “Alright, alright. Don’t cry at our age. Don’t take it out on the children.”
The woman whispered, “I think you’re a good man. Why do others talk about you like that?”
Father Ji snorted. “Who cares what they say? I, Jiang Dayong, have never wronged anyone in my life. I could swear it on heaven, but heaven has been unfair to me. It gave me that vicious woman!”
The two lingered together for a while longer before finally parting ways.
On his way back, the old woman sitting at her doorstep shot him a disgusted look.
Father Ji cursed under his breath, “You’re old. Save up some virtue instead of gossiping all day in the village.”
He really couldn’t stand people like that.
