“Hey, Wang Hu, what are you guys trying to do? Bully a classmate? Didn’t the teacher tell you that you’re not allowed to?”
“Do you want to get expelled, or do you want to go to jail?”
It was more than one voice. A girl pushed Lin Le back into his seat and said, “It’s okay. He just bullies the weak and fears the strong. With us girls here, you’re fine.”
Lin Le blinked. Listening to the girls scold Wang Hu, warmth spread through his chest.
As more and more people turned to look, Wang Hu and the others were left speechless by the girls’ rebukes. Feeling humiliated, they picked up their food and fled in panic.
The girls sat across from Lin Le. “It’s fine now. You can keep eating.”
Lin Le’s eyes curved. “Thank you.”
The girls cupped their faces as they looked at him. “It’s nothing. Helping a classmate is what we should do. Take your time eating. We’ll go first.”
Lin Le hurriedly stood. “Classmates, what class are you in? I-I can treat you to milk tea.”
He had just asked the System to check the balance in his wallet. The government gave him a fairly generous monthly living allowance, so he could treat them to milk tea as thanks. He also wanted to thank the boy who had helped him at the serving window earlier.
The girl laughed brightly. “It’s fine. It was nothing. No need for milk tea.”
Lin Le called after them a few times, but they were already far away. Since he could not see, he could not rashly chase after them.
With no other choice, he sat back down.
The commotion had attracted the attention of quite a few students. Everyone lowered their heads and whispered among themselves.
After Xiang Chi and the others got their food, they passed several tables and happened to hear Lin Le’s name.
Xiang Chi slowed down. By the time he reached Lin Le’s side, he had heard almost the whole story.
Hearing someone approach, Lin Le thought those people had come back. His face changed abruptly. “W-What else do you want? If-if you bully me, I’ll tell the teacher!”
Lin Le tightly gripped his tray. Fear made his whole body tremble faintly, yet he still tried hard to widen his eyes and make himself look fierce, hoping to scare them away.
A tray was set on the table with a crisp sound. Lin Le shuddered again and did not even dare lift his eyes.
“Look how scared you are.”
At the familiar voice, Lin Le’s eyes lit up. It was Xiang Chi!
He sighed in relief. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Lin Le’s reproach was not harsh. The light, almost coquettish complaint brushed over Xiang Chi like a feather, making him itch.
Xiang Chi laughed. “What guilty thing did you do to get scared like that?”
Lin Le shook his head. “I didn’t do anything guilty.”
How long had he even been in this world? He had hardly had time to do anything guilty.
Zhou Zhongshe, who had been sitting silently beside them, spoke. “Are you going back to the dorm after lunch?”
Zhou Zhongshe startled Lin Le. He looked over blankly. “Someone else came with you?”
Xiang Chi said, “Yeah. Zhou Zhongshe and Fu Ji are both here.”
Lin Le gave an “oh” and stopped talking. He figured Xiang Chi was good friends with those two, so of course they were often together.
Zhou Zhongshe waited for Lin Le to finish talking with Xiang Chi, then waited through several more seconds of silence. Lin Le still did not answer his question, and Zhou Zhongshe’s gaze dimmed for an instant.
“Lin Le, I’m asking you. Are you going back to the dorm later?”
Lin Le looked over in confusion. “Ah, were you asking me just now?”
He had thought Zhou Zhongshe was asking Xiang Chi. Once he realized how rude it was not to answer someone’s question, he felt embarrassed. Lin Le’s face reddened. “Ah, I think I’ll go back. I want to sleep for a bit.”
Aside from mealtime, they had another two hours to rest. Of course Lin Le wanted to go back and rest.
Zhou Zhongshe watched Lin Le blush and quickly shovel food into his mouth, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He said nothing more.
Fu Ji had been silent the entire time—silently watching Lin Le, silently watching the others talk, silently finishing his meal.
Lin Le had already been almost finished before they arrived. After Xiang Chi and the others sat and talked for a while, Lin Le stood up to leave.
The moment Xiang Chi saw him move, he asked around the food still hanging from his mouth, “Where are you going?”
Lin Le tilted his head in confusion. “To put my tray away, then go back and rest.”
He seemed to find Xiang Chi’s question rather strange.
Xiang Chi pulled him back down. “Wait for us. You can’t see the road. Once we finish eating, we’ll take you back.”
The instant Xiang Chi finished speaking, Fu Ji stood up. “I’m done. I’ll take him.”
Lin Le looked in his direction. Fu Ji had long legs and reached Lin Le’s side in only a few steps. Taking Lin Le’s tray, he said, “Let’s go.”
Lin Le did not mind who he walked with. He raised a hand and waved at Xiang Chi. “Then we’ll head back first.”
Fu Ji elegantly wiped his mouth, looked down at Xiang Chi’s shocked, open-mouthed expression, and silently smiled.
Fu Ji walked ahead, first putting the trays away before taking Lin Le out.
Xiang Chi watched their backs as they left, his mind in complete disarray.
Wait, hadn’t he been the one who said he would take Lin Le back? Since when had Fu Ji become so close to Lin Le?
While he was lost in his thoughts, Zhou Zhongshe also finished eating. He stood and patted Xiang Chi on the shoulder. “Take your time. I’m leaving first.”
Seeing that he was the only one left, Xiang Chi hurriedly wolfed down the rest of his meal.
The weather was pleasant at noon. The winter sun was warm, and even the breeze carried a faint warmth.
Lin Le and Fu Ji walked along in silence. Neither of them spoke.
There were many students on the school paths at this hour, their voices noisy and bustling. Lin Le’s ears twitched as he caught all kinds of small sounds around him.
Every few steps, Fu Ji would turn and look at him. Once they entered the smaller path back to the dorms, there were fewer people around, and all that remained was the tap-tap sound of Lin Le’s white cane striking the ground.
When they climbed the stairs, Fu Ji even kindly took Lin Le’s hand for a moment so he would not fall.
Lin Le’s eyes curved. “Thank you.”
Fu Ji said nothing, only forcing a quiet “mm” from his throat.
When they returned to the dorm, Fu Ji and Lin Le were the first ones back. No one else was there yet.
From the System’s information, Lin Le knew the dorm was designed for six people, with lofted beds above desks, but only five people currently lived there.
Besides him, there were Xiang Chi, Fu Ji, Zhou Zhongshe, and Han Jinyan.
Lin Le sat in his chair. After listening to the System rattle off the names like a waiter reciting a menu, he honestly asked, 【Why are all of them in the same dorm? It feels like that will make my missions harder.】
The System said, 【The System currently lacks the authority to disclose that. Host, please explore on your own.】
Lin Le sighed and held his cup while drinking water.
“How did you seduce Xiang Chi?”
The voice was extremely cold and flat, as though it were simply asking about something Fu Ji genuinely did not understand. Its bluntness made Lin Le freeze.
Lin Le still had not reacted. He looked over with the straw between his lips, his face full of confusion.
Fu Ji stared directly at him and repeated, “Is it that innocent, naive expression?”
Lin Le still did not understand. “What?”
He sensed Fu Ji moving closer and quickly leaned back, but he was sitting in a chair. How far could he possibly retreat?
His chin was pinched—not painfully, but firmly enough to force his face upward. Lin Le could only tilt his head back and stare into empty space in Fu Ji’s direction.
Fu Ji’s fingers moved from his chin to his cheek, brushing over his brows and eyes. They touched Lin Le’s eyelashes, making him blink involuntarily. The irritation brought a physiological flush of red to the corners of his eyes.
“So it’s this expression, like you’re about to cry but holding it back? It really is pretty. No wonder that idiot Xiang Chi was attracted.”
The finger pressed against his lips was icy cold, with the vague suggestion that it might push inside. Lin Le did not understand what was happening, but instinct told him that if he let Fu Ji continue, something bad would definitely happen.
Lin Le grabbed Fu Ji’s arm with both hands and used force to stop him from moving closer. His voice came out strained. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Fu Ji looked at the soft lips pinned beneath his finger. The red of Lin Le’s lips against the pale white of his finger made his Adam’s apple roll unconsciously.
“Xiang Chi is useless. You can try seducing me instead. I’m better than him.”
His voice was flat, as if he were calmly stating some ordinary fact—if one could ignore the aggressively predatory look in his eyes.
Lin Le still had no idea what was happening. He had been confused from the very beginning. He understood every word Fu Ji said, but what did any of it mean?
He struggled to explain himself. “I-I didn’t seduce Xiang Chi. I was being bullied, and he saved me.”
Fu Ji asked, “That’s all?”
Lin Le looked pitiful. The small patch of lip under Fu Ji’s finger had been pressed pale, exposing his white teeth. When he spoke, the tip of his tongue moved slightly, as though it might lick Fu Ji’s finger in the very next second.
Fu Ji could not take it anymore. He released him and returned Lin Le’s freedom. “That’s really all?”
Lin Le nodded quickly. Before he could answer, another forceful voice cut in. “If that’s not all, what else would it be? I was wondering why you were so kind as to bring Lin Le back. Turns out you wanted to harass him.”
Fu Ji turned his head. Xiang Chi stood there with his sleeves rolled up, glaring viciously.
Lin Le could not see what was happening, but Zhou Zhongshe, who had followed behind Xiang Chi, watched the two of them start fighting just like that.
Well, strictly speaking, it was not really a fight. Fu Ji was dodging while Xiang Chi attacked.
Zhou Zhongshe closed the door. “Don’t make too much noise.”
Xiang Chi held back his anger. “I know how far to go.”
A fist brushed past Fu Ji’s cheek. There was not much force behind it, and Fu Ji knew Xiang Chi did not truly want to hit him. “I didn’t do anything. I only asked a few questions.”
Xiang Chi stopped. The sight of Fu Ji’s hand on Lin Le’s lips had simply been too irritating. Anger had surged up inside him for no reason he could understand.
“Then what was all that about him seducing me?”
Fu Ji said expressionlessly, “I misunderstood. I apologized to Lin Le. He already explained it clearly to me. You merely saved him. Other than that, the two of you have no relationship whatsoever.”
After saying that, Fu Ji turned and seriously apologized to Lin Le. Lin Le remained completely bewildered.
Hearing the last sentence, Xiang Chi felt something inexplicably catch in his chest. He said nothing, though, because that was the truth.
Lin Le had no idea what was happening in front of him. He looked around but could see nothing. Only after everyone stopped talking did he ask in a trembling voice, “What happened? Xiang Chi… was he not allowed to save me?”
Hearing that, Zhou Zhongshe looked at Lin Le strangely, as if he were looking at a fox spirit bewitching a king—except the fox wore an utterly innocent, clueless expression.
He said, “Nothing. Fu Ji just thought it would’ve been better if Xiang Chi had arrived a little earlier. Then you wouldn’t have gotten drenched.”
Lin Le had not expected them to be arguing about that. After a moment of surprise, warmth spread through him.
He smiled, showing white teeth. “It’s okay. I’m already very grateful that Xiang Chi came to save me. I’m fine now, aren’t I?”
His voice was soft and gentle, like a spring breeze passing over them, making the whole body feel comfortable.
Xiang Chi’s mood improved. He walked over and said, “Mm. It’s a good thing I went over there then.”
Lin Le smiled faintly. “Mm.”
Zhou Zhongshe narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lin Le, then glanced at Fu Ji, who was sitting in a chair looking at his phone, and Xiang Chi, who was smiling as brightly as a sunflower.
Did Lin Le possess some kind of unusual charm?
He had never seen Fu Ji behave like this, much less Xiang Chi. Xiang Chi always wore his likes and dislikes openly on his face. Before today, he had hated Lin Le. Whenever Lin Le came near, Xiang Chi would be uncomfortable all over. Yet after saving him once today, his attitude had completely changed?
Or had Lin Le put some kind of spell on him?
Both Xiang Chi and Fu Ji had changed their attitudes toward Lin Le after spending time alone with him. The more Zhou Zhongshe thought about it, the more frightening it seemed. Even Lin Le’s smiling face began to look strangely chilling.
It seemed he needed to be careful not to be alone with Lin Le.
After chatting with Xiang Chi for a while downstairs, Lin Le climbed up to sleep.
Xiang Chi raked a hand through his hair and apologized to Fu Ji. “Sorry about earlier. I don’t know why I got so angry. My emotions just got the better of me.”
Fu Ji shook his head. “It’s fine.”
Xiang Chi said, “Didn’t you want to buy a Porsche 963? I’ll transfer you the money as an apology.”
Fu Ji said nothing and silently sent over his bank account number.
Everyone climbed into bed to rest. Fu Ji remained seated in his chair, still unable to understand what had happened to him earlier. His original intention had been to observe Lin Le and figure out what was so special about him that Xiang Chi’s attitude could change so quickly.
But the longer he watched, the more entranced he became. Lin Le drank water without knowing anyone was observing him.
Sometimes he bit the straw; other times he sucked so hard that his cheeks hollowed inward.
Water dampened his red lips. When they puckered slightly, it looked almost as if he were tempting someone to lean over and kiss him. When he propped up his chin, the soft flesh of his cheeks bunched together. From Fu Ji’s angle, it looked as though Lin Le were inviting him to reach over and pinch them.
Although Lin Le was blind, his eyes were beautiful. When he looked toward someone, because his gaze was unfocused and without light, he appeared exceptionally attentive, as though you were the only person in his whole world. His voice was always light and gentle, and quiet too, as if a gust of wind could blow it away.
Pitiful and adorable.
Fu Ji frowned and began wondering inwardly whether Lin Le really had put some kind of spell on him. Was that why he had become like this?
On this matter, Fu Ji and Zhou Zhongshe had unknowingly arrived at exactly the same conclusion.
Lin Le was just about to fall asleep when the System’s cold voice came through. 【Don’t sleep. A mission has arrived
