Chapter 43: Hm… First Time

Ling Yuan has a story like that?

“Really…”

The office fell into a deathly silence.

After a long pause, Yixin Xue spoke.

“Ling Yuan never told me about this…”

Yan Xi didn’t hold back.

“Don’t you get it? He doesn’t trust you enough, so I won’t let you have him.”

***

“Achoo!”

Napping in the classroom, Ling Yuan sneezed loudly, rubbing his nose and glaring at the open back door.

[It’s freezing, and they leave the door open? Trying to kill the back row?]

Grumbling, he got up to close it. Still groggy from sleep, he tripped over a chair leg near the door.

“Whoa, sh*t…”

Lurching forward, he flailed out the door, vaguely spotting a figure in his path.

[Sorry!]

He squeezed his eyes shut, his momentum knocking the other person down.

Something soft… like…

A bad feeling hit him. He opened his eyes and froze. Exactly as he feared—her buns!

“Don’t stare… get up…”

Yixin Xue turned away, blushing shyly.

“Sorry, sorry!”

He apologized frantically, scrambling up. Glancing back, he met the stares of over forty classmates.

He’d fallen out of the classroom… They probably didn’t see him touch her buns…

He reassured himself, returning to his seat with a nervous heart.

“Hard to believe she’s not mad. I told you there’s something between you two, and you still deny it.”

Lan Feng nudged him.

“My advice? Go public before someone steals her.”

“Worry about your own love life first.”

Ling Yuan rolled his eyes.

“Begging all night? So pathetic for a relationship. My advice? Just don’t bother.”

“She’s just testing me, keeping me on my toes.”

Lan Feng shrugged.

“You wouldn’t get it.”

Those three words silenced him. After a pause, he managed one word: “Wow.”

Soon, Yixin Xue returned through the back door, her face grim, making his heart tighten. Her flame-red eyes held a new melancholy.

Like that night on the park bench…

She didn’t speak, just sat at her desk and started on tonight’s homework.

[Doesn’t trust me…]

The white-haired girl lost focus on her work, biting her lip, jabbing her pen into the paper, letting ink bleed.

Kissed Yan Xi… slept with her… touched her buns…

The vivid images stung. They must be so happy together, right?

[No wonder he’s not into me. He’s got Yan Xi…]

Her overactive imagination dulled the pain until a sharp iron taste filled her mouth—she’d bitten her lip bloody in her anger.

Then, she noticed a hand reaching over with a small note.

Scrawled messily: You okay?

[Hmph.]

She raised one brow, scribbling back two words: “I’m fine.”

Seeing that, he panicked. Those words screamed “big trouble” from every angle.

He wanted to pass another note, but the dismissal bell rang. Yixin Xue stuffed her unfinished homework into her bag.

“Come with me after school. You didn’t forget, right?”

Her voice was cold, her mood clearly sour, making him too scared to push back.

“Uh… okay…”

Like a scolded child, he trailed her silently for a long stretch, the quiet heavy between them.

The ominous feeling grew stronger as the crowd thinned.

“Class President…”

He hesitated.

She stopped, asking softly, “Do you have someone you like?”

Someone he liked?

He froze, recalling a sidelong smile from long ago…

He had liked someone… but years had passed. It wasn’t quite liking anymore—just lingering guilt. If not for him, she wouldn’t have left this world…

“I guess… not really…”

Her surprise showed, but she didn’t press further.

“Then, besides me, have you kissed anyone else?”

Her question clicked it together. Yan Xi, the Discipline Committee’s vice-head, and Yixin Xue, the head, must’ve talked about him during evening study.

“Yan Xi was just talking nonsense…”

He gave a helpless, bitter smile.

“I swear, Class President, you’re the only one who’s kissed me…”

“Hm…”

She still looked skeptical, so he gritted his teeth.

“With you… it was my first time…”

“First time, huh.”

She smirked provocatively, stepping closer, her hand on his cheek.

“You know, lying isn’t what good boys do~”

“I’m not lying! I’d never lie to you!”

“So, only my taste~?”

“Huh?”

He gaped. What kind of weird line was that?

“Then I’ve got a huge edge over Yan Xi~”

She laughed dismissively.

“When you kiss me, no other girls in your eyes~”

“Wait, Class President… what did Yan Xi tell you…?”

“You don’t need to know.”

She kissed him forcefully, her soft tongue diving in, tasting different—metallic.

Blood…

Her probing tongue felt uncomfortable.

Her breaths grew heavier, pulling his body close despite his attempts to pull back, heedless of being on the roadside.

“Class… President… can’t… breathe…”

Only then did the catastrophic kiss end. He leaned on his knees, gasping, while she licked her lips, savoring the lingering taste.

“I’m not going anywhere…”

Those few minutes felt like his soul was being drained.

“Who knows.”

“Class President… why’s there a taste of blood…?”

He wanted to spit, but she covered his mouth.

“Swallow it.”

Her voice carried anger and possessiveness, making him gulp instinctively.

Satisfied, she let go, smoothing her disheveled clothes.

“What… did Yan Xi tell you…?”