Chapter Six: Stealing His Breath

The shop owner beside them furrowed his brow, clearly displeased as well, but business had to go on. As Dong Yulian approached, he quickly put on a smile to greet her.

Dong Yulian picked through the lychees displayed at the entrance, selecting half a bag and handing it to the owner to weigh. Her slender eyes swept toward the owner, and only then did she notice Ye Mian standing quietly to the side.

The young girl bit her lip, gazing at her, apricot eyes slightly misted. Her skin was fair and smooth, her features delicate and well-formed, and her clothes all of fine, elegant material. Dong Yulian’s eyes flickered. She had heard of the Ye family’s circumstances—this girl’s father was a doctor, a respectable profession with a generous income. One look at the way the girl was raised told her as much; her father must earn quite a lot, and their family was anything but poor.

The crucial thing was… this young girl had no mother.

A thought sparked in her mind. Her proud and enigmatic face shifted into a kindly smile as she reached into the freshly weighed bag, pulled out a cluster of lychees, and offered them to Ye Mian. “Ye Mian? Would you like some lychees?”

Ye Mian didn’t have a good impression of this woman; she had clearly caught the calculating look in her eyes earlier. She suppressed her discomfort and shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t want any.”

Seeing this, Dong Yulian raised her brows in amusement, uncertain how she had offended this girl. She kept up her smile. “Aren’t you in the same class as Jiang Chen? You’re welcome at our house anytime.”

Ye Mian nodded politely, turning to leave, but then Jiang Chen came to mind.

She turned back.

Under Dong Yulian’s surprised gaze, Ye Mian didn’t hesitate. She went to the owner and bought a large bunch of lychees.

Finding she hadn’t enough money, she opened the coin purse Jiang Chen had returned to her earlier that day.

Then she paused.

Inside, not only was there the money she’d had before, but also a crisp fifty-yuan bill. Neatly folded in the corner, beside it lay a small note, the handwriting clear and precise:

“For sweets.”

……

It was strange. Though nothing significant had happened, Ye Mian felt as though a kitten had pawed at her heart.

The money must have been left by Jiang Chen.

A gesture of reciprocity, returning her apology in his own way.

As if to tell her it was nothing, that there was no need to apologize.

The evening breeze brushed lightly past her ears, and Ye Mian smiled.

For the forty-some yuan worth of lychees, she took out a hundred-yuan bill.

The owner, sharp-eyed, spotted the fifty-yuan note in her purse and reminded her, “Don’t you have a fifty? Just give me that one.”

Ye Mian thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I need that fifty.”

The owner smiled, said nothing more, and went inside to fetch her change.

After paying, Ye Mian carefully placed the fifty-yuan bill back in her purse and headed toward the great pagoda tree.

……

She had been to Jiang Chen’s house once before and, familiar with the route, arrived quickly. She knocked gently on the garden gate.

The door wasn’t closed; it swung open with a light push.

Hearing the sound, Jiang Chen came out from the house.

His steps were precise and proper.

Ye Mian’s breath caught as she looked up nervously.

The young man wore a brown apron, standing under the porch with his eyes slightly lowered. In the glow of the lights, his pupils appeared even lighter.

His gaze swept past, settling on Ye Mian’s face.

Then, almost imperceptibly, he arched an eyebrow.

A moment of silence.

Ye Mian took the initiative. “Jiang Chen.”

Jiang Chen glanced at the purse in her hand and nodded. “Mm. Did you need something?”

Ye Mian eyed the apron he wore and, hesitantly, asked, “Are you cooking?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Chen answered, his expression indifferent. “So, what is it?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Hold out your hand.” Ye Mian pressed her lips together, lifted the bag she was holding, from which the faint scent of lychees drifted.

Imitating what Jiang Chen had done earlier that day, she hooked the bag onto his hand.

Jiang Chen stared at her in silence.

His gaze was inscrutable, his mood unreadable.

Ye Mian grew inexplicably flustered, swallowing nervously. “I bought too many; I can’t finish them all by myself.”

With that, she stepped back, muttering, “It’s late, I haven’t finished my homework. I should go.”

Before Jiang Chen could say a word, the girl had already slipped out the gate.

He opened the bag and glanced inside.

Then he froze.

Inside was a large bunch of lychees, their brown stems fresh, the fruit large and red, exuding a sweet fragrance.

Just then, Dong Yulian returned, heels clicking.

She still held some lychee skins in her hand. Seeing Jiang Chen standing at the door, she tossed the peels aside and awkwardly stuffed the remaining lychees into her bag.

Jiang Chen stood there for a moment, stunned.

After a while, he hesitated, reached in, and picked out a lychee with his pale fingers. The fruit slipped from his palm, rolling to the ground, coming to rest among the discarded peels.

He arched his brow and, suddenly, laughed out loud.

Bathed in moonlight on her way home, Ye Mian also wore a sweet smile. She felt certain Dong Yulian would never give Jiang Chen lychees to eat.

But that was all right. She could.

She only hoped that, looking back one day, Jiang Chen wouldn’t remember his youth as nothing but desolation.

The next day.

It was the first official day of school, and the flag-raising ceremony was to be held.

Ye Mian stood in the bustling assembly, her ears reddened by the blaring speakers, but she was so drowsy she kept yawning. She’d had countless dreams the night before, and her old habit of staying up late left her unrested and weary.

After much deliberation, she turned to Jiang Yuan beside her. “I want to go to the bathroom.”

Jiang Yuan didn’t catch her words and leaned closer. “What? What did you say?”

Ye Mian had to lean in as well. “I said, I want to go to the bathroom.”

At that moment—

A sudden shriek sounded behind her, barely noticeable amidst the noisy crowd.

“Move aside up front!”

Bang.

Before she could react, someone crashed into her back. The world spun, and Ye Mian was sent tumbling hard onto the track beside them.

In the orderly rows, this sudden disturbance stood out starkly.

A ripple of attention turned her way.

A teacher began making their way over from afar.

But soon, as the principal took the stage and the grade director urged order, everyone turned their gaze back to the platform.

Ye Mian sat up, both knees scraped raw on the gravel, forced to brace herself with her hands as a sharp pain shot through her waist. Despite struggling for some time, she couldn’t get up.

Jiang Yuan, realizing what had happened, immediately crouched down to steady her by the waist. “Mianmian, are you all right?”

Ye Mian dreaded pain more than anything.

Though she’d attended the police academy in her past life and suffered all kinds of injuries, pain still frightened her. Yet, for all that, she could grit her teeth and endure it.

She hissed, but managed not to cry, forcing a smile. “I’m… I’m fine.”

“I’m not!”

The wail was sharp and piercing.

Ye Mian looked up.

A meter behind her, a girl was clutching her waist, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes glared furiously at Ye Mian, her voice shrill with anger and accusation. “Which class are you from? I told you to move—why didn’t you? Apologize to me!”