When Jiang Ren inquired about Meng Ting, Zhao Nuancheng hesitated. She still remembered Jiang Ren’s pursuit of Meng Ting at Wangu Mountain. In her mind, Jiang Ren was a fierce and vicious thug. And a lustful one at that.
After all, rumors about Jiang Ren, Shen Yuqing, and Lu Yue still circulated at school.
Though Zhao Nuancheng feared for her life, she wasn’t entirely without principles. Ting Ting was so kind; last time, she had abandoned her out of fear of Jiang Ren. This time, she wouldn’t!
Gritting her teeth, Zhao Nuancheng said, “I’ll take you to her.”
Jiang Ren didn’t let her ride with him, instead instructing He Junming to take her.
He Junming whistled, “Come on, little sister.”
Blushing furiously, Zhao Nuancheng climbed onto the bike as if marching to her doom. The off-road motorcycle sped off, and she screamed in terror.
He Junming laughed heartily, “What a scaredy-cat!”
No longer caring who he was, she clung tightly to his waist. He Junming teased, “Tsk, so passionate. Hold on tighter.”
Zhao Nuancheng: “…”
She directed them to Huxin Park. On this summer night, the lake shimmered, and a cool breeze blew. They circled the park three or four times.
Suddenly, Jiang Ren stopped his bike.
As he halted, the others followed suit.
Jiang Ren hung his helmet on the bike and coldly eyed Zhao Nuancheng. “Are you toying with me? Where is she?” His gaze turned icy. “I’ll give you one last chance.”
Still shaken from the ride, Zhao Nuancheng’s teeth chattered. She nearly burst into tears. She had originally planned to lead them on a wild goose chase and secretly call the police, but the bike’s speed had left her too terrified to even reach for her father’s phone.
Finally, unable to bear the psychological pressure, she confessed, “At the City Art Hall.”
The air seemed to be still for a moment.
He Junming thought, “This is bad.”
The City Art Hall was where Jiang Ren had been so upset after returning last winter. They could guess what Meng Ting was doing there.
Without a word, Jiang Ren rode off alone this time, not bothering to signal the others to follow.
He revved his engine loudly and disappeared in an instant.
Zhao Nuancheng wiped away her tears.
He Junming sighed. They hadn’t meant to bully the young girl. In a rare moment of conscience, he said, “Don’t cry. Ren isn’t a bad guy.”
This only made Zhao Nuancheng want to cry more. How was he not bad? He was terrible.
She fished her phone out of her pocket. It was 9:12 PM; Ting Ting’s competition was about to start.
He Junming said, “We’ll take you to the Art Hall. I promise we won’t do anything to you girls. You women, always imagining things.”
The night wind ruffled Jiang Ren’s black hair as he parked his bike outside the Art Hall. He remembered Christmas Eve, standing in the light snow at this very spot, coughing up blood.
He walked in from under the dark sky.
The bright fluorescent lights illuminated his path.
Step by step.
But when he could finally see the stage, the music was already reaching its finale, the rhythm soft and low.
All the lights dimmed, and the stage lights faded.
Jiang Ren looked up, surrounded by darkness.
Only a small patch of grey light remained on the stage.
Jiang Ren spotted her immediately.
He hadn’t arrived in time to see her entire dance, only catching the final curtsy.
As the music stopped, the world fell silent. Her little corner of the world turned a misty grey. She stepped to the right, her left hand outstretched, leg slightly bent. Her right hand’s fingertips gently glided down from mid-air, tracing a beautiful arc as her body leaned forward in a graceful bow.
Then, as she raised her eyes, the lights came on.
Jiang Ren, carrying the chill of the night, saw her smile. Not a shy, gentle smile, but one of elegant vivacity he had never seen before.
Her eyes seemed to hold an entire galaxy of stars; with one glance, she took everyone’s breath away.
Like morning dew about to fall in a forest, fleeting yet carrying the first hues of dawn.
She smiled with freedom and joy.
Breathtakingly beautiful, like a pure, newborn spirit.
The audience remained stunned for a long moment before erupting into thunderous applause.
The host walked on stage to announce the next contestant.
Jiang Ren seemed to have forgotten how to breathe, lost in a daze.
He had never seen Meng Ting like this before. When he first met her, her eyes couldn’t bear strong light, and she walked slowly out of the school campus, leaning on a white cane. It was autumn then, just after a rain, with lingering moisture in the air.
She was quiet and lonely.
Walking out of his sight.
Meng Ting had always been quiet and gentle, with a good temperament, putting her all into everything she did. She stood in the light yet could embrace the darkness. Jiang Ren had always thought of her as sweet and obedient.
Until today, when he saw another side of her.
She was beautiful, but for the first time, almost bewitching.
She smiled brilliantly and proudly, her gaze making anyone it fell upon willingly become her captive.
Jiang Ren breathed heavily.
The summer air, on the cusp of June, had never felt so stifling. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, nearly drowning in the sudden rush of strange emotions.
Long ago, he had realized he liked her.
But today, he dazedly realized he had been seduced.
Damn it, seduced was the word. By a girl he had always thought of as soft and harmless as a little lamb, leaving him feeling quite abnormal.
“Seduced” wasn’t a nice word.
But no other word could so clearly express what he felt.
Her skirt was very short.
White socks encased her long, slender legs. Every curve and dip carried an enticing warmth, gradually heating the air around her.
She wore dance shoes, light and captivating. The air was infused with her sweet scent. He recalled her delicately pointed toes, thinking he could probably cup both her feet in one hand.
Jiang Ren realized he was in trouble.
For the first time in his life, he blushed!
In elementary school, when he was punished to stand, during puberty when he had to do frog jumps in front of everyone at the military academy, even the first time he had a wet dream in the morning – he had always remained impassive, calmly changing his pants.
His emotions had nowhere to go, swinging to two extremes.
Either indifference or explosive anger.
But never in his life did he imagine.
Watching one dance performance – no! Damn it, it wasn’t even a full performance, just the curtsy at the end – would make him blush because of a girl!
The preliminary round dances were only about a minute long anyway.
By the time the next performer had finished and left the stage, he was still standing there in the same position.
His black-gloved hands gripped the fabric seat tightly.
He breathed heavily, like a dying man. His mind was in chaos.
Until he saw Xu Jia.
Xu Jia stood in a daze, his gaze fixed on the stage, or rather, beyond it, lost in thought.
Not just them, but many girls in the audience still had lingering awe in their eyes.
Jiang Ren thought dully that perhaps he should kill this persistent guy.
But his body felt weak, his thoughts a jumbled mess.
He wanted to take a deep drag of a cigarette, but when he felt in his pocket, he found only his wallet and phone, remembering he had quit.
He couldn’t even muster the energy to be angry.
Jiang Ren just kept thinking, over and over, why didn’t she look at him once before leaving the stage?
Before changing clothes backstage, Meng Ting received a text message from Zhao Nuancheng.
Zhao Nuancheng didn’t have a phone; she had brought her father’s phone when she left home today.
[Ting Ting, I’ll be there soon. I’m sorry, Jiang Ren and the others are coming too /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~]
Meng Ting was stunned for a moment.
During her performance, she had been completely focused, loving the feeling of every inch of her body tensing to the extreme, then being imbued with suppleness and light freedom. Because the performance time had been moved up, Zhao Nuancheng hadn’t made it in time, which meant… Jiang Ren probably hadn’t seen it either.
Meng Ting quickly changed out of her ballet costume.
When she came out, contestant number 93 was already performing.
The summer night was dry.
The pitch-black sky was tinted deep blue by the bright lights. She had a slight headache thinking about how to face the large group of people later.
But from the darkness, a young man walked towards her.
He had been crouching by the roadside and only approached when he saw her come out.
It was Jiang Ren.
Meng Ting remembered her earlier excuse about going to see an eye doctor, yet here he was. She felt like she was born to clash with him.
He wore a dark blue T-shirt, almost blending into the night.
Seeing her, he curved his lips in a smile: “Eye doctor?”
Meng Ting: “…” Her face burned red. In her life, she had told the most lies to him, the person she most wanted to avoid.
Jiang Ren looked at her fair little face and, uncharacteristically, didn’t press the issue: “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
Meng Ting was a bit confused. Was it going to be this easy?
She had removed the white flower hair tie that had held her hair up, and now her long hair fell over her shoulders. Caught by the night breeze, it gave her an indescribable charm.
Jiang Ren had already inserted the key and straddled the bike with his long legs. He said lazily, “Come on.”
Meng Ting said, “But I need to wait for Zhao Nuancheng.”
Jiang Ren casually replied, “Didn’t you finish dancing? What use is it for her to come now?” He said, “He Junming will take her home.”
“I should give her a call.”
Jiang Ren raised an eyebrow: “Sure, be quick about it.”
Meng Ting called, and Zhao Nuancheng’s mournful voice came through: “Ting Ting, I’m so sorry I couldn’t come to cheer you on.”
Zhao Nuancheng looked around despairingly. Earlier, she had refused to ride with He Junming no matter what.
He Junming said, “You wait. If you can get a car in this godforsaken place, I’ll eat shit!”
Zhao Nuancheng’s temper flared up too.
Hmph, she’d wait then.
Huxin Park was built in a remote area, with a nursing home nearby. Usually, only elderly folks were around. Zhao Nuancheng finally found a bus stop and decided to wait there.
Half an hour passed, and she hadn’t seen a single vehicle, not even exhaust fumes.
He Junming: “Hahaha, are you stupid or what?”
Zhao Nuancheng: “…” This jerk must have been raised on the placenta!
Zhao Nuancheng felt utterly wronged and said to Meng Ting, “Ting Ting, I’m so sorry. I’ll see you in a dress another day, okay? How did your competition go?”
“Mm, it went well. Where are you now?”
Zhao Nuancheng felt too embarrassed to say, so she mumbled, “It’s fine, I’ll catch a ride home soon. You should head home now, be safe. The night view here is nice, I’ll look around a bit more.”
Zhao Nuancheng was always playful, so Meng Ting felt reassured and reminded her to go home early.
He Junming said in an exaggerated tone, “Oh my, the night view here is something. Look at how deserted it is…”
Zhao Nuancheng puffed up like a pufferfish in anger.
Fine, let’s see who gives in first. You’ll be the one eating shit in the end.
Jiang Ren said, “Done asking? If you’re at ease now, come over.”
Meng Ting didn’t want to ride his bike; she felt public transport was safer. When she used to cycle to school, she had ridden with him once and was left with psychological trauma.
Jiang Ren knew what she was thinking about.
He clicked his tongue and walked closer to her with the helmet.
The summer night was filled with the rise and fall of insect chirps.
Her big eyes were moist, trying to think of a way to refuse.
Jiang Ren lowered his gaze and gently put the helmet on her, then carefully fastened the strap with his black-gloved fingers.
Behind the visor, her eyes widened, on the verge of tears.
Jiang Ren couldn’t help but smile: “This time I’ll ride slowly, I promise not to scare you, okay?”
“But what about you? If I’m wearing this, what will you wear?” She was very uncomfortable, touching the bulky helmet, which seemed to still carry the young man’s cool, domineering scent. It made her feel uneasy even breathing.
“I don’t need one,” he said. “Get on, or do you want me to carry you?”
Of course, Meng Ting didn’t want him to carry her. She anxiously sat on his bike.
Then lightly grasped the sides of his shirt.
The touch on his waist was as light as a feather falling into dust.
Jiang Ren curved his lips, not forcing her.
He started the bike, riding forward at a leisurely pace. He had never ridden an off-road motorcycle this slowly in his life.
The young man’s bangs had grown a bit longer, but the sharp edge in his face remained unchanged.
He still remembered how he had once broken her bicycle chain on purpose, then given her a ride home, hoping she would voluntarily hug him.
It was laughable now; he still wanted that, but he was more afraid of her tears.
The girl behind him asked in a soft voice, “When did you arrive?”
Testing him, huh?
He drawled, “Just now.”
Meng Ting was delighted; if he had just arrived, he hadn’t seen her performance.
In high spirits, she found him less annoying. Tonight’s Jiang Ren was surprisingly easy to talk to.
The city’s streetlights passed one by one. The night breeze was blocked by the young man’s body, and she could feel the faint warmth emanating from him.
Meng Ting rarely had the chance to be with him so quietly and peacefully.
Afraid of scaring her, he was even riding carefully to comfort her.
But even the longest road has an end.
When Meng Ting arrived home, she returned the helmet to him: “Thank you.”
The corners of her lips curved up, and her big eyes became crescent moons.
Jiang Ren held the helmet: “Mm.”
After wearing the helmet for so long, her hair was messy, with even a small cowlick sticking up. She couldn’t see it herself, so she didn’t know.
He looked at her several times, his voice expressionless, but his eyes held laughter.
The little fairy had come down from her pedestal, damn, she was so adorable.
Meng Ting, carrying her blue backpack, waved goodbye and turned to go home. To thank him, she decided to assign him less of the homework he hated next week.
Jiang Ren’s thumb caressed the inner edge of the helmet, where the warmth of her cheek still lingered.
Warm, gently kissing his fingertips.
He suddenly smiled.
F*ck, had she enjoyed herself enough? He had calmed down enough too.
Jiang Ren carelessly tossed the helmet onto the bike and walked over to her in a few strides.
Meng Ting asked puzzled, “Do you have something else?”
Jiang Ren placed his hands on her shoulders, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Meng Ting, you tricked me once, so I tricked you back.”
She let out a surprised “Ah” and looked at him, confused.
Jiang Ren explained, “I wasn’t just arriving. I was here when you were still on stage.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Ting felt uneasy. His dark eyes glinted something that made her heart race with fear. She had seen similar expressions countless times during her middle school years, but none were as intense or as crazed as this.
“Do you know what I was thinking back then?” he asked.
Meng Ting didn’t want to know. “I don’t want to hear it.”
But he sighed and said, “You’re so beautiful.”
Meng Ting’s face flushed instantly. “Jiang Ren! Can you stop?!” She felt incredibly embarrassed just hearing his words. “I need to go home now, and you’re not allowed to say these strange things anymore.”
If you say anything else, I’ll make you do ten times the homework, you jerk.
Pushing him aside, Meng Ting ran home, her face still burning.
The living room light was on. Father Shu was working late, and Shu Lan was sitting on the sofa painting her toenails. Hearing the door open, Shu Lan glanced meaningfully at Meng Ting.
Meng Ting ignored her. Shu Lan had always been indifferent to her life.