novelraw Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 8 Found YouHearing that lazy voice, almost as if it were right beside her ear, calling her by her nickname in such a magnetic tone, Qin Qing felt her cheeks flush with heat. The air inside the confined elevator seemed suffocating.
The increasingly overwhelming presence that was impossible to ignore made Qin Qing’s heart race, her emotions a tangled mix of panic, embarrassment, and anger that she could barely keep in check.
Just as she was on the verge of an emotional outburst, the elevator doors opened with a “ding.”
Fresh air rushed in, and Qin Qing took a deep breath, her oxygen-deprived brain instantly clearing.
“Stay away from me…!”
Her cheeks still tinged with a rosy blush, Qin Qing’s voice was soft, lacking confidence. After delivering her line, she quickly slipped out of the elevator, carrying her three small bags of trash. Her petite frame allowed her to easily maneuver past the boy.
It was a swiftness she hadn’t displayed since their first encounter.
Wen Yufeng was clearly a bit surprised. By the time he turned to look after her, her figure had already disappeared outside the building.
A few seconds later, the boy standing in the elevator let out a low chuckle and glanced away.
——
This time, she actually listened.
But unfortunately…
Wen Yufeng’s thin lips curled slightly, a deep emotion flickering in his dark eyes.
He leaned back against the elevator’s metal railing, watching as the doors slowly closed before him.
But unfortunately, it was already too late.
…………
As Qin Qing returned to the apartment building empty-handed, she was incredibly tense. But after making her way cautiously all the way back home without encountering any “difficult obstacles,” her feelings became oddly complicated.
“Sweetie, why are you standing there daydreaming instead of changing your shoes and coming in for breakfast?”
Passing by, Grandma noticed Qin Qing and asked with a puzzled smile.
“…”
Hearing her nickname again, Qin Qing instinctively flinched before snapping out of her thoughts.
“Mm, I’m coming.”
She bit her lip and shook her head, as if trying to rid herself of those jumbled thoughts.
As Qin Qing bent down to change her shoes, she caught a familiar scent and her eyes lit up as she recognized it.
“Grandma, did you steam crystal dumplings?”
Grandma was setting the table in the dining room. Hearing Qin Qing’s question, she couldn’t help but lean out and smile, pointing at Qin Qing playfully, “You, with a nose like a little glutton’s, always know.”
“What kind, what kind?” Qin Qing asked excitedly as she finished changing her shoes and ran into the dining room, her black and white eyes sparkling. “Red bean paste or egg yolk?”
“Don’t worry, little glutton, there’s both.”
Grandma gave Qin Qing an indulgent look, then set down the porcelain plate she was holding and went back to the kitchen to fetch the milk and hot porridge.
On the dining table, besides the delicate crystal dumplings arranged on a pure white porcelain plate, there were also several side dishes in crystal-clear bowls, all of which looked glossy and appetizing.
Qin Qing ran into the kitchen to help her grandmother bring out the remaining porridge and milk, then sat down on the chair, placing her hands neatly on her lap, looking expectantly and obediently ready to be fed.
Grandma was so amused by her precious granddaughter’s behavior that she couldn’t stop laughing. She reached out, gently tapping Qin Qing’s forehead with the chopsticks.
“All right, little glutton, you don’t have to pretend to be so well-behaved in front of me. Save that for your mother.”
“Okay!”
Qin Qing responded sweetly, her eyes curving as she reached for the chopsticks.
But before she could grab them, Grandma lightly slapped her hand—
“Go wash your hands first.”
Qin Qing blushed. “Grandma, your crystal dumplings are just too tempting. I completely forgot.”
Despite saying that, she still stood up and walked to the kitchen sink.
As she stood at the sink, gently washing her hands under the soft stream of water, she casually asked,”Grandma, do you know the people who live across from us?”
Grandma didn’t find the question odd and replied, “Yes, I know them. The family moved in a few years ago. There’s a student who lives there—he goes to Yishi High School, just like you.”
Qin Qing froze in place, then turned around abruptly. “Does he live there alone?”
“Yes.”
Grandma nodded, then sighed with a tinge of sadness. “When he first moved in, he was still in junior high. He’s been living by himself ever since. I used to wonder how any parents could be so heartless—letting a child, barely in their teens, live alone like that. I’ve never seen his parents or any relatives visit, not even during holidays.”
“…”
Qin Qing remained silent, lowering her eyelashes as she turned back to the sink. But her fingers, now under the running water, couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
For some reason, she suddenly recalled the first time they met—how he had stood on the steps of the convenience store, lazily smiling down at her. The sunlight had coated his black hair with a golden sheen, yet it still appeared soft, and those deep, gentle eyes were like warm, polished jade.
—Even though he had a cigarette casually held between his lips, he seemed as harmless as a big cat stretching lazily in the sun.
At that moment, had she wanted to reach out and pet that big cat’s head?
Qin Qing unconsciously curled her lips into a smile.
…But maybe he was more like a young tiger cub, just stretching.
“Sweetie, why did you suddenly ask about that?”
Qin Qing’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by her grandmother’s voice.
Snapping back to reality, she realized her mind had wandered far off.
Quickly turning off the faucet, she grabbed a disposable towel and wiped her hands as she returned to the dining room.
“It’s nothing… I just happened to run into our neighbor when I was waiting for the elevator earlier.”
“Oh, I’ve run into him a few times in the morning too. That kid has a habit of going out for a morning run,” Grandma replied, then teased Qin Qing with a smile, “—Compared to you kids who love to sleep in, his routine is much better.”
Qin Qing pouted slightly, “I don’t sleep in…”
“You don’t sleep in?” Grandma laughed, her eyes narrowing into crescents. “Who’s the one who wakes up all groggy, mistaking the blanket for a shirt, fumbling around in bed trying to find the sleeves?”
“…”
Qin Qing blushed, mumbling quietly, “It wasn’t me… I don’t remember that…”
Grandma chuckled and let it go, not wanting to tease her thin-skinned granddaughter any further.
But after a moment, she lifted her head again and spoke to Qin Qing in a serious tone.
“Sweetie, even though that boy next door is quite good-looking, don’t do anything foolish.”
“…”
Qin Qing was so startled that the crystal dumpling slipped from her chopsticks and fell back onto the plate.
Her dark, almond-shaped eyes were wide open, like a cat caught doing something naughty.
But Grandma had already looked away and didn’t notice Qin Qing’s reaction. She continued, as if to herself—
“Not long ago, I saw a girl from your school who somehow found her way here. Early in the morning, she was waiting in the hallway, and when that boy came back from his run, she started crying and yelling outside…”
As she spoke, Grandma shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t know whose child she is, but if her parents saw that, they’d be furious. You’re not a little girl anymore, Sweetie. If you ever meet someone, don’t behave like that girl.”
Having listened to the entire story, Qin Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though she hadn’t figured out what she had been worried about earlier, she was at least able to relax and pick up the crystal dumpling in front of her again.
Grandma concluded with a final thought, “From what I can see, that boy seems great in every way, but I bet he’s always attracting girls at school.”
“…”
Qin Qing thought back to her encounters with him since they first met. She couldn’t help but puff her cheeks out slightly, poking the crystal dumpling with her chopsticks.
“Right,” she muttered, still poking the dumpling, her delicate face looking serious, “He’s definitely always attracting girls.”
…………
The next day was the bustling return-to-school day at Yishi High School. Despite the unfinished summer assignments and the end of the vacation, which left students somewhat melancholic, the joy of reuniting with friends and the anticipation of the new school term brought a renewed sense of optimism and excitement to these energetic youths.
However, Qin Qing wasn’t in such a good mood.
After checking the class assignment list posted in the school, she made her way to the classroom for Class 15. Among the lively introductions of new classmates, Qin Qing felt particularly down.
The reason was simple—
Qin Qing had known from the start that her time with these new classmates would be brief, as she was prepared to skip to the second year of high school soon. But what she hadn’t expected was that, according to school regulations, she had to complete the mandatory first-year group military training before she could take the advancement exam.
Because without completing the military training, she wouldn’t be considered a proper member of Yishi High School’s student body.
Ever since she got the call this morning, Qin Qing had been feeling like a wilted eggplant.
——
PE had always been her least favorite subject, without exception.
And anything associated with “physical strength” or “fitness” was undoubtedly her greatest weakness.
…So weak, in fact, that it was almost nonexistent.
As for military training…
Qin Qing could only hope to survive it.
“You’re the one who ranked first in the grade on the middle school entrance exam, right?”
A voice suddenly popped up next to her, interrupting Qin Qing’s self-pity.
She looked up in the direction of the voice to see a boy with glasses smiling at her.
As his words spread, more people began to look over, their gazes filled with curiosity, and some with admiration.
“Hello.”
Qin Qing’s eyes curved slightly as she offered a faint smile.
Meanwhile, near the school’s announcement board.
Despite the crowded bulletin board area, there was now a small one-meter radius of open space around it.
Among the students who had automatically cleared the space, many were sneaking glances at the three people standing there.
“…Are we some kind of spectacle?”
Zhao Zirui, with his bright yellow hair that stood out obnoxiously, had been frowning the entire time under the gazes of the younger students. He finally seemed to lose his patience and leaned in to ask the person in front of him in a low voice, “Yufeng, who are you looking for? The list is so long—why don’t I get the guys to help you find it?”
“What’s the rush?”
Li Xiang interjected from the other side, puffing out his chest with a grin, “The junior girls are so cute—what’s the harm in staying a little longer?”
“…”
Zhao Zirui shot a sideways glance at Li Xiang, “You’re shorter than the junior girls, what’s there to enjoy?”
Li Xiang’s face fell instantly, “Zhao Zirui, I swear I’m going to kill you today—”
“Enough.”
The boy standing at the front, who had been the main focus of attention, suddenly spoke up.
As he spoke, his wandering gaze settled on one name under the “Class 15” section of the red list.
After staring at it for a few seconds, a faint, playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
His deep eyes seemed to sparkle with a hint of starlight.
“…Found it.”
He chuckled softly, lowered his gaze, and turned to leave.