She gathered her things and went to school. Just as she entered the classroom, the morning bell rang. Long Qi paused at the doorway. Dong Xi, sitting in the front row, looked over because the light was briefly blocked. The pen in her hand was still writing. Her eyes were indifferent yet spirited. She looked over, saw it was her, then looked away. Her demeanor remained unchanged, not leaving a trace of emotion, as if she were just an ordinary classmate. She didn’t treat her differently because of her reputation, nor did she deliberately cater to her because she’d accepted the friend request. Her attitude was exactly the same as yesterday’s.

During class, Long Qi used her phone to browse this girl’s account homepage.

Her profile picture was indeed an artistic painting, one of her own leisure hobby works. Her photo album contained several other pieces from the same series. She updated her status only once a week, mostly excerpts and insights after finishing a literary work. She didn’t put personal photos online. What she did have were close-ups of small corners of her home—sometimes a natural wood bookshelf, sometimes a newly acquired green potted plant, sometimes a picture frame accidentally stained with paint, sometimes a soft carpet with a little kitten dozing on it.

It was clear her family circumstances were very good.

Her fingertip slowly touched the screen. Long Qi looked at the photos while, during buffering periods, glancing in Dong Xi’s direction. She listened to lectures very attentively. Her long hair on one side was always tucked behind her ear. Her appearance when looking at the podium or lowering her head to write was very serene, naturally carrying a kind of invisible softness—soft and gentle.

She withdrew her gaze and sent Jin Yiken a text: Meet at the usual place after school.

The lecturing teacher’s voice kept reverberating from the front. The phone turned twice in her palm. She received his reply: Don’t you have your period?

She laughed through her nose and typed: You remember?

Reply: Do you or don’t you?

She changed her sitting position. Just then, her deskmate lowered his head to get something from his desk. His gaze glanced at her phone screen. She happened to see this too. Her deskmate quickly withdrew his gaze. She looked at him lazily, watching until his ears turned red and he replied breathlessly: “I didn’t see anything.”

“Coward.” She murmured quietly, continuing to text Jin Yiken: Hasn’t come, see you after school.

After school, they encountered a summer thunderstorm. Outside the hotel suite was a sheet of misty rain. She held her arms and looked out the window. Jin Yiken arrived half an hour late.

She watched his shadow enter through the glass wall.

He really was an exceptionally handsome boy, the kind that even she, living in a world of pleasure, would look at twice. She loved most the corners of his mouth when he smiled wickedly, his fingers holding cigarettes, and his Adam’s apple when drinking. He played the rogue with style and took shameless pleasure in it without any pretense.

Jin Yiken removed his outer garment, came up behind her to embrace her waist, and felt the dampness on her clothes. He asked: “Why didn’t you shower first?”

Long Qi still watched his shadow on the glass wall. He looked over too. Their gazes met for a moment, then he slowly pulled her into his embrace. Warm lips slowly kissed the skin of her nape. His hand began unbuttoning her shirt.

“Jin Yiken.”

“Mm.”

“Break up with Bai Aiting.”

“Difficult.”

“Then let’s end our relationship.”

He couldn’t even be bothered to answer. Only when Long Qi pressed down on the hand unbuttoning her clothes did he look up, squinting at her through the glass wall.

“I’m serious.” She said.

Her waist was slowly released. He retreated, one hand in his pants pocket. Long Qi turned to face him directly, eyes gleaming: “Anyway, this past year has been kept secret. You said if I ever didn’t want to anymore, I could just say so. I’m saying it now. Right now.”

“Did yesterday’s incident anger you stupid?”

“This has nothing to do with Long Xinyi. I’m talking serious business with you.”

His expression never changed much. He just tilted his head and scanned her with his eyes, asking: “Why are you so happy?”

“Hm?”

He lifted her chin with his finger: “Your eyes are bright. Does ending our relationship excite you this much?”

She turned her head away: “That’s how it is. I’m leaving…”

Before she’d taken a few steps, Jin Yiken grabbed her elbow and pulled her back. His strength suddenly shifted from a casual state to a “what kind of joke is this” venting state. Looking at him, his expression now finally seemed right—his brow and eyes were dark, hiding a “you playing me” young master’s temper.

Long Qi raised her hand to break free from him, laughing: “No way, Jin Yiken, you’re not going to pester me endlessly, are you.”

“Give me a reason first.”

“I told you, if you won’t break up with Bai Aiting, then we end our relationship.”

“Who are you fooling,” he said. “Tell me the truth.”

“I love Zhuo Qing.”

When she tried to leave again, he grabbed her back again. Long Qi’s temper flared too. She forcefully broke free, staring into his eyes: “What’s this? Are you making things difficult now? Jin Yiken, you’re less decisive than I thought.”

After confronting each other for a while, she saw some different element in his eyes. Her furrowed brow slowly relaxed: “You haven’t caught feelings for me, have you?”

Outside the suite, the world was pouring with rain. Inside the suite, the air was damp and cool. A sentence structure of “you haven’t… have you” unilaterally killed all future possibilities. He replied expressionlessly: “Just tell me who you like.”

“How could I possibly tell you.”

Long Qi took one step and he blocked one step. She sighed and retreated: “We shouldn’t owe each other anything. Originally you had your fun and I had mine, but now I don’t want to continue like this, I want to live properly…”

She’d been speaking without any guard, never expecting he would suddenly kiss her forcefully. Her nape received sudden force. Their lips pressed tightly together. She immediately reached out to push his body, but her head was held tight, all words blocked in her throat. Only when Long Qi slapped him across the face did they suddenly create distance between them. Whether his or her own lips, both were abraded and bleeding. He added fuel to the fire: “This is the third time for us, right.”

His voice when angry was already low. This tone and appearance carried malice straight to the heart. Then her wrist was forcefully grabbed by him: “Do you still remember what you liked about me? You said it yourself! Do you remember where you said it? In the bathtub! Do you remember what you were doing with me when you said it? Hm? The corners of my mouth when I smile, my fingers holding cigarettes and how I look drinking!”

“I do have things I liked about you!” Long Qi stared into his eyes and quickly replied. “But Jin Yiken, if I really liked you, I wouldn’t let you smoke at all! I wouldn’t want you drinking all the time and I wouldn’t love watching your different faces in front of and behind people! Just like what you like is my face, my skin! Put this face and skin on someone else and you’d go like someone else! At most, we’re just fellow sufferers, sympathizing with each other—similar types, you understand! Each taking what they need, you understand!”

As soon as she finished, she finally broke free from him. She angrily grabbed her things to leave. He issued a warning: “Don’t let me find out who that person is.”

“I’ll die before I tell you!”

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.