DF Chapter 43
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Unlike many people Zhen Yi had met, who would go on and on about their own stories, speaking without pause, but when listening to others, they were half-hearted and nearly falling asleep. Yan Ge wasn’t like that.
The distant sound of the wind came from outside, and in her half-asleep state, her mind drifted back to a day in middle school, one afternoon after they had gotten together. Before that, she had always thought that her endless chatter around him had gone unheard. But that wasn’t true.
It was summer, the sky was clear without a cloud in sight, the sun unusually large, and the air stifling.
During PE class, Yan Ge was in a corner of the field practicing modern archery alone. Zhen Yi, not interested, sat on the ground, pulling at the grass.
At first, she was curious about the exquisite and advanced bow in his hands, pestering him to teach her how to use it.
He explained the sight, the arrow rest, the bow stabilizer, and the central stabilizer, explaining the function of each.
He explained quietly while she interrupted playfully.
Yan Ge remained patient, teaching her how to aim and shoot. But he didn’t hold her from behind like in TV shows. Even when her arm wasn’t straight, he simply used an arrow to lift her arm. After missing the target several times and still not getting any hands-on guidance, Zhen Yi completely lost interest.
She had always been fickle in her actions; and Yan Ge wasn’t the type to insist that everyone accept and like what he liked. He didn’t force her.
That day, he quietly and seriously adjusted his bow and continued practicing archery, while she, frustrated by recent events, sat on the grass and muttered. She complained about how she had fallen in the hallway the night before, leaving a scar on her “world-class beautiful legs,” ruining her chances of becoming a leg model. She ranted about how education should start with children, but the kids in the building were always playing around and breaking the hallway lights, with their parents refusing to compensate, showing no responsibility for public safety. Then, she talked about how the government’s plan to renovate the old district had worsened the security in their area…
The wind rustled the treetops, leaves occasionally falling onto her head.
She sat in the dappled sunlight, angrily venting her frustrations for the entire class period.
Yan Ge either wasn’t listening or just didn’t show it, standing tall and practicing his shots with focused precision, aiming at the target and shooting. He didn’t respond, nor did he interrupt her monologue.
After school, he unexpectedly offered to walk her home, and they went all the way to her building. It was a gray, ugly building in an old factory area, and she lived on the top floor, the fifth. She usually didn’t go home at noon, saying it was as hot as a steamer upstairs, with the heat so dense it made it hard to breathe.
When they reached the front of the building, she looked up at him, her face flushed. “The hallway is really dirty. No need to walk me upstairs.”
Yan Ge said, “I didn’t plan on it.”
Such words never made Zhen Yi angry.
“See you!” She smiled brightly, waved at him, and dashed into the building in the blink of an eye.
She sprinted up the five flights of stairs like she was in a race, her clothes soaked with sweat clinging to her body, but she didn’t care. Rushing into her home, she didn’t even drop her schoolbag before running to the window to peek outside.
If she could see Yan Ge’s tall, quiet figure slowly walking away down the tree-lined path in the sunset, she would be as happy as if she had just eaten ice cream.
But the courtyard was empty, the sunset swaying gently, but there was no sign of him.
How could that be? She panicked.
It had only taken her fifteen seconds to run up five flights, leaving her heart pounding in exhaustion. Refusing to give up, she dashed out of the door again, her aunt and cousin looking at her in bewilderment as she came and went like the wind.
In the old stairwell, the handrails were rusted, and the steps littered with trash. The windows were small, and though the sun hadn’t set, the stairwell was already dim.
Looking down, she saw only dark handrails and, on one floor, a faint white figure. Zhen Yi froze, tiptoeing down the stairs. Step by step, she rounded the stairwell and saw Yan Ge standing on a pile of coal, reaching up to replace a lightbulb.
His long figure stretched like an arrow, the back of his white shirt damp with sweat.
The stairwell was dark, the walls smudged with oil and graffiti, except for the faint glow of the setting sun filtering through his short, fine hair.
He reached up, both hands twisting the bulb. The ceiling was filthy, and dust fell in small showers. Suddenly, he lowered his head quickly, as some debris had fallen into his eyes. Reflexively, he raised his hand to rub his eye but stopped, only using the back of his hand to press against his nose. His fingers were already dirty.
He stood still for a second with his eyes closed, then shook his head forcefully and resumed his task.
Zhen Yi stood on the stairs, holding her breath.
In the distance, someone was cooking, the sizzling of the pan and the smell of stir-fried pickled green beans with pork filling the air.
Finally, Yan Ge looked up again and gave the bulb another twist. In that instant, milky white light poured from his hands, enveloping him like a soft dream. He let go, and the conical light diffused, softly illuminating the entire stairwell.
Zhen Yi could hear it—the sound of her heart pounding in her chest.
Yan Ge jumped lightly from the coal pile, and as he looked up, he saw Zhen Yi standing on the stairs, gazing at him with a face full of admiration, as if she was ready to throw herself into his arms.
The light from the bulb fell on his head, making his face appear even paler, his eyes clearer, and his expression… more awkward.
“You heard what I said?” she asked excitedly.
“I’m not deaf,” he said, awkwardly turning his head. “You muttered through the entire class.”
“Ah, I’m so chatty,” Zhen Yi stuck out her tongue.
“Yeah, your talk was all over the place and lacked focus.” He had been puzzled during his archery practice—how could she turn such a simple matter into a whole speech?
But aside from the questionable claim of “world-class beautiful legs,” he had grasped her point instantly.
“To sum it up: someone broke the stairwell light, no one fixed it, and you fell in the dark.”
One sentence summed up her entire afternoon of rambling.
Zhen Yi: “…That’s actually true.” But no matter, she was thrilled. She bounced down the stairs, stopping on the last step to reduce their height difference. Then, lightly standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yan Ge, you’re so good to me. I love you to death.”
She nuzzled against his neck like a little puppy.
Yan Ge felt incredibly uncomfortable, his hairs standing on end. Normally, he would have grabbed her and tossed her aside, but his hands were filthy. It went against his nature to touch someone with dirty hands.
Uncomfortable! So uncomfortable! But he couldn’t retreat or push her off, and he couldn’t pull her down from the step either.
He had experienced her extraordinary clinginess before—she absolutely would not let go. She’d probably hang onto his neck like a dead weight, with her feet dangling, and he wouldn’t be able to shake her off.
He sighed inwardly, resigning himself. As soon as she let go, he’d use his speed advantage to run away immediately.
Ah, he was really at his wit’s end with her.
When Zhen Yi woke up, she found herself covered with a blanket. The curtains fluttered, and the air carried the scent of flowers. Yan Ge was already gone.
