5 A Beam of Light

Jiang Ci shuddered in fright and instinctively took two steps back. Wanting to avoid any trouble, she turned around and started heading back the way she came.

The man, however, had no intention of letting her go and followed along at a leisurely pace.

Zhang Heyu was dressed in a black shirt and trousers, his fair arms exposed. With his dark hair and his legs crossed, he sat lazily on a chair, idly flicking a Zippo lighter in his hand. The flame flickered on and off, illuminating the sharp lines of his brow.

The people around him were chatting and laughing, but he sat there quietly, seemingly uninterested in the conversations. Having just finished a bottle of beer, his gaze wandered aimlessly until it inadvertently caught a familiar figure. He set his glass down and stood up.

Huo Chensi was still chatting with friends when Zhang Heyu suddenly rose. Looking up, he asked, "Where are you going?"

Zhang Heyu lifted his eyelids and replied in an indifferent tone, "To play the hero saving the beauty."

Huo Chensi didn't catch his meaning and remained sitting there in a daze.

As Jiang Ci walked further, she felt more and more uneasy. Glancing back, she realized the man was still following her. Her heart raced, and a chill crept up her spine. As the man drew closer, her nerves tightened. For the first time, Jiang Ci felt true fear and helplessness.

She wanted to return to the convenience store, but the man behind her kept close; no matter how fast she walked, she couldn't shake him.

"Tsk." The man grew impatient. He shouted from behind, "What the hell are you running for?"

Is he crazy? How could she not run?!

Jiang Ci quickened her pace, eventually breaking into a run. Seeing this, the man hurried after her.

Just then, a figure appeared two meters in front of Jiang Ci.

"Jiang Ci."

The night breeze wasn't as stifling as the daytime heat; it carried a slight chill. On the empty street, with only a few scattered pedestrians, Jiang Ci heard that familiar voice clearly. Before she could even see his face, she knew who it was: Zhang Heyu.

Overwhelmed by a wave of fear, Jiang Ci couldn't hold back the tears welling in her eyes. She hurried toward him.

The boy stood under a tree, the dim streetlights filtering through the branches to cast dappled light upon him. His bangs hung low over his forehead, revealing only a pair of long, alluring peach-blossom eyes, while half his face remained hidden in the darkness, masking his emotions.

Jiang Ci never expected to see Zhang Heyu here.

She stopped before him, eyes red-rimmed and brimming with tears, looking pitiful. "Zhang Heyu..."

Her voice was soft and melodic, and combined with her pathetic appearance, Zhang Heyu felt his heart soften inexplicably.

The man trailing her realized that Jiang Ci knew someone else. Feeling bored, he cursed under his breath and tossed the glass beer bottle aside.

The loud clatter startled Jiang Ci; acting on instinct, she reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

"He's gone."

Zhang Heyu lowered his gaze to see the young girl standing with her head down, silent, still clutching his shirt. To an outsider, it would look as if he had been bullying her.

Zhang Heyu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed silently. His voice softened as he comforted her, "Don't be afraid."

If he hadn't comforted her, it would have been fine, but his words caused Jiang Ci's frayed nerves to snap. She kept her head down and began to sob.

*Damn it, why is she crying even more now that I'm comforting her?*

Listening to the girl's sobs, Zhang Heyu kept his expression neutral. He took a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed her one.

"What are you crying for?"

Jiang Ci sniffled and wiped her tears with the tissue, still remaining silent.

"So, you're not going to talk now?" Zhang Heyu leaned down to look at her. Her eyes were red, making her look like a little rabbit.

Because she had been crying, Jiang Ci’s voice trembled with hoarseness. "...Thank you."

"Oh," Zhang Heyu raised an eyebrow. "Now that you can talk, that's the only thing you have to say?"

Jiang Ci shook her head, having completely forgotten that she was still gripping his shirt. Her nervous action seemed unconscious as she tugged at his hem. "No."

"Are you very nervous?"

Jiang Ci looked up at him, but the moment their eyes met, she looked away. "N-no, I'm not nervous."

"If you're not nervous, why are you pulling my clothes so tightly?" Zhang Heyu’s lips curled into a lazy, slightly wicked smirk.

Startled, Jiang Ci quickly let go, as if his shirt were a hot potato.

As her senses returned, she licked her lips and asked, "How come... you are here?"

"Oh." Zhang Heyu stood up straight and calmly straightened his clothes, replying nonchalantly, "Just passing by."

Seeing his perfunctory answer, Jiang Ci didn't dare ask more.

After a moment of silence, she heard him ask from above, "Where is your home?"

Jiang Ci’s dark lashes fluttered. "Just nearby."

Zhang Heyu asked again, his tone indifferent: "In which direction, little classmate?"

Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment before she told him the general direction of her home. She wondered, though, why he was asking. Was he worried the man would follow her again and wanted to see her home safely?

The next second, he said, "I'll take you back."

Jiang Ci froze, a glimmer of surprise and joy bubbling in her heart. He didn't say anything more and started walking. Jiang Ci followed.

The two walked in perfect rhythm, their shadows cast by the streetlights alternating between long and short. Zhang Heyu must have been over six feet tall; under his loose T-shirt, his lean waist was faintly visible. His side profile was sharp, his features defined, making it impossible to look away.

Though Zhang Heyu didn't look at the girl, he knew she was stealing glances at him. The intensity of her gaze made it hard to ignore.

They eventually returned to the vicinity of the barbecue stall, but Zhang Heyu bypassed it and walked to the other side of the road.

After about ten minutes, Jiang Ci stopped in front of an old residential building. She turned to Zhang Heyu. "I'm here."

"Hm, go on up." Zhang Heyu didn't linger. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and looked back. "Don't go out so late at night."

"You might not run into me next time."

Back home, Jiang Ci moved quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible before reaching her room. Recalling the events of the evening, she dared not imagine what would have happened if she hadn't met Zhang Heyu. Her heart was still beating wildly, unable to calm down.

Checking the time, she decided to wash up and go to sleep.

Elsewhere, Zhang Heyu, who had disappeared for nearly half an hour, reappeared at the barbecue stall.

"Brother Yu, where did you go?" Huo Chensi asked, his mouth still full of chicken wing bones.

Zhang Heyu didn't want to elaborate and made up a random excuse. "I was too full, so I went for a walk."

Huo Chensi glanced at the bowl and chopsticks at his seat—not a drop of oil had touched them. *He calls that being too full?*

The next morning, it was barely dawn when Jiang Ci left the house. The air was heavy with dew, carrying a fresh scent.

Yu Xijin’s classroom was right next to Jiang Ci’s. As soon as she reached the door, her friend rushed out excitedly to greet her.

"Morning, my gorgeous Ci!"

Jiang Ci handed her the noodles. "Morning, Jinjin. Take your time eating; I'm heading back to class."

"Alright, let's eat together at noon," Yu Xijin said with a smile.

Jiang Ci nodded and turned back to her classroom. Suddenly, a voice came from outside the window.

"Classmate..." A girl stood outside, blushing and looking very shy.

Jiang Ci paused, looked around, and realized there was no one else nearby. She asked uncertainly, "Are you talking to me?"

The girl nodded. "Could you please do me a favor?"

Jiang Ci hesitated. "What kind of favor? Let me see if I can help."

"You definitely can!" The girl said, pulling out a bottle of milk and an exquisite bag that appeared to contain bread.

Jiang Ci instantly understood. "You want me to help you give this to..."

"Yes, to Zhang Heyu!" the girl said. "Just put it on his desk. If he asks, just tell him my name."

Before Jiang Ci could even agree, the girl rattled off, "I'm Ying Chen from Class 3 of the Liberal Arts."

With that, Ying Chen shoved the bread and milk into Jiang Ci's hands and walked away. Jiang Ci frowned as she looked at the items in her hands.

In the end, she placed the bread and milk on Zhang Heyu’s desk.

As students returned to the classroom, Jiang Ci was called out by Mo Bingyou before morning study. He announced that there would be an opening assembly for the third-year students and that everyone was required to gather on the playground.

When she returned to the classroom, Zhang Heyu was already back, but the breakfast on his desk was gone.

As the class monitor, Jiang Ci led the team to the playground. She wore her blue and white school uniform, her hair in a high ponytail, and her small, delicate face was always framed by a smile. She stood at the front of the line, holding the class flag.

The sunlight was so bright that Jiang Ci had to squint. Suddenly, a figure entered her line of sight.

The boy was wearing the same blue and white school uniform. The buttons at his collar were undone, giving him a loose, relaxed look. He was tall, and the uniform seemed to sit on him with effortless grace.

Zhang Heyu stood on the stage, looking down at his speech. He was representing the top students.

Jiang Ci paused at the front of her class, stopped, and looked up again. Zhang Heyu was still there.

The next second, he suddenly looked up. His gaze swept across the crowd. Jiang Ci’s breath hitched; faster than her conscious mind, she turned her head away.

Zhang Heyu seemed to have seen her and raised an eyebrow. Jiang Ci instinctively clenched her hands, looking down, feeling somewhat flustered.

Suddenly, the rustle of a microphone echoed from the stage.

Zhang Heyu lifted his eyelids and scanned the crowd. Being in his growth spurt, his voice was deep and revealed a youthful arrogance: "Hello everyone, I am the representative for the top third-year students, Zhang Heyu. Time flows like silk through our fingers. With the end of our second year, we are about to enter our third year—the year that determines our fate..."

The boy on stage seemed impatient with the script; he frowned, his expression displeased. He stood there, the sunlight bathing him, the breeze ruffling his clothes.

He stopped for a moment, and the teachers, thinking he had the wrong script, prepared to step in and save the situation.

The next second, Zhang Heyu scoffed, bracing his hands on the podium, looking at the audience with an untamed, rebellious air.

"I’ll only say one thing: A youth should have the ambition of a swan, and with a fine horse, one can conquer the plains."

A five-minute speech ended in less than one.

The entire crowd was stunned for a long moment before a wave of applause erupted.

That was Zhang Heyu—in an instant, he became a beam of light for everyone.

After the assembly ended, Jiang Ci returned to the classroom. As soon as Mo Bingyou entered, he used the class meeting period to have the students go to the school auditorium to move textbooks.