A piercing cold wind blew through the classroom.

Gu Miao's dark eyes were filled with a chill, and his lips were tightly pursed.

Footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway as a few classmates entered through the front door.

Cheng Chu's seat was in the second to last row, in the corner of the classroom, so no one noticed anything wrong.

The blood-like liquid quietly spread under his feet.

Gu Miao's fingers trembled as he quickly grabbed a mop from the classroom's cleaning supplies and wiped away all the "blood stains" on the floor.

After cleaning the floor, he half-knelt on the ground and repeatedly wiped Cheng Chu's seat with tissue.

But the red ink seemed to have seeped in, and no matter how hard he tried, there was still a faint red mark left on the seat. 

As many people entered the classroom, no one noticed a boy kneeling in the corner, repeating the same action over and over again.

The hallway was filled with noise, but Gu Miao could hear Luo Qianqian's voice from afar.

"Chuchu, let's go to the convenience store after physics class."

He couldn't hear what Cheng Chu said, but the red mark in front of him seemed to be engraved on the chair. In a panic, Gu Miao moved his clean chair to Cheng Chu's seat.

When Cheng Chu and Luo Qianqian entered the classroom, Gu Miao was sitting upright with a strange expression on his face, holding a tissue in his hand.

Cheng Chu lowered her gaze and saw a faint red mark on the tissue. 

She was so anxious that she grabbed Gu Miao's hand and asked repeatedly, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

But the next second, Gu Miao pulled his hand back as if he had been burned. His fingertips trembled slightly, and a blush appeared on his pale face.

"I'm fine," he said nervously, stuttering.

Cheng Chu's face darkened, and her bright peach blossom eyes became cold. She leaned closer to him and noticed a faint red mark on his seat.

What happened? Is his butt bleeding?

She looked up and met the boy's evasive gaze, and suddenly strange thoughts popped into her mind.

"I'm fine," Gu Miao said, his ears turning red.

Cheng Chu saw the blush on Gu Miao's ears and confirmed her suspicions in her heart.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she sat down carefully and glanced at Gu Miao before turning back to her textbook as if nothing had happened. The classroom was filled with noise, and Zhou Ran and Luo Qianqian, sitting at the back, didn't know what the commotion was about.

But neither Cheng Chu nor Gu Miao spoke a word.

After what seemed like a long time, Cheng Chu looked up, pursed her lips with some difficulty, and said softly, "Take care of yourself."

Gu Miao was surprised by the sudden concern, still immersed in the palpitations of their hands touching just moments ago, unable to calm down for a long time.

But the girl's caring words still made his heart flutter uncontrollably.

"Okay," he said in a deep voice.

Cheng Chu tapped her fingers and pondered for a few seconds before adding, "Eat more fruit."

A smile appeared in Gu Miao's dark eyes, and he could imagine the strange things that the girl's wild imagination had conjured up.

But he didn't feel embarrassed, and even a hint of joy rose in his heart. She was fortunate not to have discovered everything, still enjoying life with happiness and caring for those around her.

The winter classroom was filled with a chill.

As Gu Miao thought of the bright red "bloodstain," anger began to rise within him.

No one knew the feeling of being bullied better than him.

It was like being pushed into an abyss by countless hands, like a kite with a broken string, losing the qualification to embrace the blue sky and only able to fall endlessly.

Until a warm hand grabbed him, reconnected his broken string, gave him sunshine, and bestowed upon him the courage to live.

That's why, even though he knew he was humble and destitute, he couldn't help but want to protect her.

Gu Miao's eyes were deep, and a coldness appeared on his handsome face.

His heavy gaze swept over the people in the class, finally unexpectedly meeting the eyes of Song Xinyu. 

The young man's eyes were cold and fierce. Song Xinyu's hand holding her companion's hand stiffened for a moment, and her gentle smile froze on her face.

But the next second, she resumed her smile as if nothing had happened and returned to her seat.

*

It wasn't until after school that Cheng Chu remembered the favor Lin Qifeng had asked of her earlier.

She bent down and pulled out a paper bag from under the desk, only to find that the bottom of the bag had been stained with a bright red color.

Cheng Chu carefully opened the shoebox and found that the snow-white sneakers inside had been stained with a large patch of bright red.

These were the limited edition sneakers that Lin Qifeng had bought.

Although Lin Qifeng came from a wealthy family, his parents did not want him to develop the habit of spending money recklessly like those in his circle. Although his pocket money was more than that of ordinary people, it was not enough for him to squander at will.

Cheng Chu knew that these were limited edition sneakers, and now they should be worth tens of thousands. The boy had saved up money for several months and asked someone overseas to help him buy a pair of shoes. 

He was afraid that if he had them sent home, his parents would find out, so he had them sent to Cheng Chu instead.

But now, the shoes were ruined.

Most of the people in the classroom had left, and Gu Miao was in a hurry to go to work. As soon as the bell rang, she left.

Cheng Chu looked at the pair of red-stained sneakers and suddenly thought of the faint red mark on Gu Miao's chair. She lowered her eyes slightly and looked at the chair next to her, her peach blossom eyes showing a hint of coldness.

Gu Miao had a hard time in school before, but now things were much better. 

Zhou Ran and Luo Qianqian were willing to talk to him, and although he still preferred to be alone, he finally had some friends. 

Even his stutter seemed to have improved.

But Cheng Chu never expected that someone would still bully him like this. The classroom was empty, with only a few students on duty arranging the tables and chairs.

Cheng Chu lowered her gaze and silently packed up her things.

But her hands were trembling with anger.

Did these people have a problem? What did he do wrong to be targeted like this?

A student on duty walked up to her with a broom and said, "Cheng Chu, someone is looking for you outside."

She looked up and saw Lin Qifeng. The young man stood in the corridor and waved to her, with a bright smile on his face.

"Where are my sneakers? The delivery status shows that they have arrived," Lin Qifeng said eagerly as she came out.

Cheng Chu felt a little embarrassed and said, "Not yet, maybe we have to wait a while."

"Okay." Lin Qifeng scratched his head and walked away disappointedly.

When Cheng Chu got home, she immediately opened her phone and searched for the price of those sneakers. 

"Twenty-eight thousand yuan," she didn't hesitate to reorder Lin Qifeng's shoes in his size, and because she chose the fastest delivery method, she paid a few hundred more. 

"It's all their fault," Cheng Chu cursed at them while looking at her bill. 

* 

On Friday morning, Lin Qifeng blocked her at the classroom door again. 

"I checked again when I got home yesterday, it showed that it was delivered," the boy looked a little regretful. "Did you really not receive it? Do you think the delivery company lost it? Ah, I saved up for months for this." 

Seeing his anxious and agitated appearance, Cheng Chu felt a little sorry for him. 

"I'm sorry, I accidentally dirtied it. I ordered another pair for you yesterday, it should arrive next week." 

Lin Qifeng's tightly pursed lips relaxed a bit. "It's okay, if you dirtied it, just tell me directly." He really wanted to wave his hand and say it was no big deal, she didn't need to buy another pair.

But then he thought about how he had scrimped and saved for two months, even giving up his favorite milk tea, just to save up for this money.

The words of bravado were stuck in his throat, and Lin Qifeng hesitated before saying, "Why don't you show me those dirty shoes? Maybe I can clean them up?"

"Forget it, I already tried washing them and it didn't work. Anyway, I already ordered a new pair and they'll be here next week," Cheng Chu said.

She had a lot of pocket money, and her brother would even give her extra money sometimes, so she wasn't lacking in this small amount of money.

"Okay," Lin Qifeng finally gave in to the temptation of new shoes and reluctantly nodded.

After he spoke, he handed over the paper bag he had been carrying all along to Cheng Chu. 

"This is from my mom, she's been learning how to bake lately and making a lot of trash at home." 

Lin Qifeng's mother was a somewhat famous pianist and also the one who introduced Cheng Chu to the piano. She had always been good to her, thinking of her whenever there was something delicious or fun.

However, her cooking skills were truly terrible.

Cheng Chu swallowed hard and took the beautifully packaged bag from her. 

"If you really can't eat it, just throw it away," Lin Qifeng patted her shoulder and reminded her, "Staying alive is more important."

As Cheng Chu walked back to the classroom with the bag, Luo Qianqian approached her with a gossipy look on her face. "Tell me, why did he come to see you again and even bring you a small gift?"

Gu Miao's hand holding the pen tightened, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Cheng Chu said, "It's something his mother made, do you want to try it?"

"Yes, yes!" 

Zhou Ran also came over, saying, "If there's something delicious, give me some too." 

Cheng Chu couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she calmly handed over the paper bag. 

The two of them eagerly opened it and gazed at the perfectly presented little cakes inside, repeatedly praising, "They look so good, just like the ones sold outside."

Cheng Chu nudged Gu Miao and with mischievous bright eyes asked, "Do you want to have one too?"

Gu Miao pursed his lips and slowly squeezed out each word from his throat, "No, thanks."

Suddenly, he stood up, grabbed the water bottle from the table, and walked out of the classroom. The cold wind outside seemed to seep through his tall and thin figure.

He naturally didn't hear the lamentations of Zhou Ran and Luo Qianqian, who were left behind.

"What the hell, Cheng Chu, did you poison these cakes? My throat hurts so much!"

"Chuchu, I hate you."

Cheng Chu looked at the two of them with their faces twisted in agony and couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

Laughter filled the corner of the classroom, but no one noticed that Song Xinyu, sitting in the front row, was gritting her teeth. The usually gentle expression on her face was gone, replaced by a cold and malicious glint in her eyes.

For Song Xinyu, she had always been able to get whatever she wanted since she was young. Except for Lin Qifeng.

She still remembered the first time she saw Lin Qifeng. He was leaning against the wall with a backpack slung over one shoulder, his narrow eyes slightly squinted, giving off a carefree vibe.

The hallway was bathed in bright sunlight, and Song Xinyu couldn't help but steal glances at the lazy teenager. She felt as though he was surrounded by a soft glow.

In that moment, she felt her heart rate increase and her blood rush through her body, causing a commotion in every corner of her being. 

No one knew better than her how to win people's favor. Boys were supposed to like those delicate girls who made them feel protective. 

But Lin Qifeng seemed to prefer his introverted desk mate over that type of girl. 

The plain-looking girl went unnoticed in the crowd, and Song Xinyu didn't care about her. She approached several classmates and cautiously revealed the girl's "dark history." 

Within a few days, the rumor had spread throughout the entire class. No one wanted to talk to the girl anymore. 

She cowered in the classroom and didn't even speak a word when Lin Qifeng tried to talk to her. A few weeks later, she transferred to another school. 

Song Xinyu was satisfied with the result. She knew that one day, she would win over Lin Qifeng. She was delicate and frail-looking, and the boys loved talking to her.

Although her academic performance was not outstanding, it was still pretty good, especially in English.

But one day, someone appeared in her life out of nowhere.

That person was even more beautiful than her, shining like a star in the crowd.

The boys in school secretly called her "goddess", while she was only sometimes referred to as "pretty" or "cute".

That person had better grades than her, even though they had dropped out of the top class, they still outperformed her by a mile.

She had prepared for her English speech day and night, but that person effortlessly took first place in the whole school, while she only received a consolation prize for third place.

Song Xinyu had never been so defeated before. Everything she worked hard for, that person effortlessly obtained. Even the person she cared about the most, Lin Qifeng, was easily won over by Cheng Chu. He was cold and indifferent towards her, unwilling to say much, yet he repeatedly sought out Cheng Chu on his own accord. 

Jealousy burned like a flame, consuming Song Xinyu's heart. The anger raging inside her almost burned away her sanity. So she turned to her good friend Lin Luo, crying and telling her about her grievances. 

But Lin Luo only patted her shoulder and whispered, "Let it go. We shouldn't cause trouble for Cheng Chu. She really is talented and deserves to be in first place." 

Even though she didn't like Cheng Chu, feeling that she was arrogant and domineering, in the end, Song Xinyu had to admit defeat. Her anger was about to give her a heart attack, and Lin Luo's response didn't console her, but instead emphasized once again - "You're right, you can't compare to her in any way". 

And the attitude of the classmates towards Cheng Chu once again proved this point. 

Song Xinyu watched as the classmates who had been cold as ice towards Cheng Chu for the past few days suddenly started praising her with smiling faces, and couldn't help but grit her teeth in hatred.

*

Friday was always the most relaxed day for everyone. 

The homeroom teacher had taken a sick leave today and hadn't shown up all day. 

The classmates were like birds released from a cage, and the classroom was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. 

The last class of the afternoon was physical education. The physical education class at No.1 High School was taught by different teachers for boys and girls, and the boys' physical education teacher was very friendly with everyone. 

He looked at the group of restless boys and waved his hand, "You guys go run 800 meters first, and then you can have free time." 

There was a commotion below, with many boys holding basketballs cheering quietly.

At the back of the line, Gu Miao watched the girls' team in the distance with his dark eyes.

The cold wind fluttered on the playground, and the nearby phoenix trees had already shed all their leaves, leaving only a few bare branches.

In Gu Miao's eyes, Cheng Chu's back was like the most beautiful scenery on the playground.

He watched as the girl stood with her hands behind her back, occasionally tiptoeing and swaying her high ponytail playfully.

His heart itched, and the ponytail's end repeatedly flicked up and down, stirring his heart. The tickling sensation quietly spread up his throat, causing him to cough involuntarily.

Zhou Ran pulled him by the hand and said, "Let's go."

Gu Miao turned his head and realized that the boys in their class had already run halfway. 

He hurriedly picked up his pace and caught up with the rest of the group. The winter in Haishi was extremely cold, and Gu Miao wore very little, always with cold hands and feet.

After running 800 meters, he was covered in sweat, and even his stiff hands and feet were full of strength.

The other boys in the class went to play basketball, but just after finishing his run, Gu Miao stood by the edge of the playground to rest for a while, and was about to walk to the fence to sit down.

Just a few steps away, he was grabbed by Zhou Ran.

He had just finished running, his face was red, and he was panting as he spoke: "Hey, why didn't you wait for me? You ran so fast by yourself."

Gu Miao used to be a loner, always running alone during PE class. 

He noticed that the group of girls liked to run together, but he never knew that boys also had to wait for each other.

He lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I forgot." 

"Never mind, just remember to run slower next time," Zhou Ran panted as he supported his knees. "You look so fragile, yet you can run so fast."

The young man was tall and slender, not necessarily weak, but not particularly strong either.

Zhou Ran was not good at sports. Running 800 meters was like losing half his life. He bent over and gasped for a long time, still not fully recovered.

Suddenly, his arm was bumped and a water bottle was thrust into his hand.

He looked up in surprise at Gu Miao.

The young man's handsome face showed no expression, his eyes still indifferent.

Zhou Ran pursed his lips, took the water bottle, and opened it to take a sip.

The warm water soothed his dry and sore throat, and Zhou Ran felt his rapidly beating heart calm down a bit.

"Thank you," he handed the water bottle back to Gu Miao and whispered, "Let's go sit over there for a while." 

On the side of the playground stands a platform with layers of stairs, offering a panoramic view of the entire playground. 

The chilly wind brushes past the faces of the two sitting there. Gu Miao sits quietly, watching the girls practicing volleyball on the playground. 

The frigid wind swirls around them. 

"You like Cheng Chu, don't you?" Zhou Ran's voice is as low as the elusive wind on the playground. 

Gu Miao suddenly averts his gaze, his dark eyes flashing with a cold light. He clenches his fists tightly, his lips pursed in nervousness. 

Zhou Ran looks at him and says, "Don't be nervous, I won't tell her." 

He knows what it's like to have a crush on someone. It's bittersweet, like holding the world's biggest secret all to oneself. 

When Gu Miao looks at her, there are stars in his eyes. As if the withered tree had been given new life, in that moment, the lifeless Gu Miao became vivid and lively.

In the distance, there was a bustling sound of play.

Gu Miao lowered his eyes, his Adam's apple rolling, and said awkwardly, "Thank you."

The two sat at the very edge of the playground, behind which was a dilapidated restroom that no one would normally venture into.

Zhou Ran looked at his watch and said, "Let's go, class is almost over."

Gu Miao nodded and followed Zhou Ran as they stood up. Just as they took a few steps, they heard whispers from a boy and a girl at the entrance of the restroom.

Gu Miao wasn't interested in gossip about others, and was about to walk around when he heard the name "Cheng Chu."

Gu Miao's footsteps suddenly stopped, and he looked up to see Zhou Ran also stopping and winking at him.

The two seemed to reach a consensus in an instant.

The playground was filled with a renewed sense of excitement. In a corner where no one had set foot, wild grass grew underfoot.

Gu Miaoh and Zhou Ran approached the source of the sound without making a sound, and heard a suppressed female voice.

"I told you to deal with her properly, did you go or not?"

Another male voice was hoarse: "Damn, I went. During yesterday's psychology class, I poured red ink on her chair. How was it? Did she get scared?"

The female voice paused and said, "Red ink, is that it? What a joke. She didn't react at all yesterday."

"Then she's pretty brave."

"You can't even handle such a small matter. I gave you money, didn't I?"

The male cursed under his breath and continued, "So what do you suggest?"

"Well, how about this?" The woman seemed to ponder for a moment and said, "Wait until after school and have you and your old buddies intercept her on the way." 

"What if I get caught?" 

"Coward, can't you find a more hidden place?" 

The male voice seemed to have become hoarse again: "What did she do to you? Is it necessary to do this?" 

"Stop talking nonsense, take the money and do as I say. First, beat her up, and then the rest, she's quite attractive, it depends on how your brothers decide." 

As if not understanding Song Xinyu's implication, the boy hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "Okay, let me contact them. You quickly transfer the rest of the money to my card." 

As he spoke, he got up to leave, but he had only taken a few steps when his collar was fiercely grabbed. 

"Damn you." Before he could finish his sentence, he was thrown to the ground with great force, his head hitting the hard stone slab, and for a moment, his vision was blurred. 

Next, the fist that was as hard as a rock mercilessly hit his face.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Song Xinyu screamed in terror. 

She looked at the young man's face, which was full of gloom and indifference. His black eyes were burning with intense flames, and his pale face looked somewhat ferocious due to his exertion, like an evil spirit crawling out of hell.

Wang Yan struggled to get up from the ground, and the two of them wrestled with each other.

Song Xinyu tried to stop them by pulling Gu Miao's sleeve, but she was violently thrown out and hit the railing on the road.

"Ah!" Her lower back felt like it was cramping, and she was sure it had turned blue from the impact.

Zhou Ran, who was standing nearby, did not intervene. He even wanted to teach Song Xinyu a lesson.

It was indeed necessary to teach her a lesson for saying such things. 

In the distance, the PE teacher seemed to have noticed something was wrong. 

He ran frantically towards them, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Stop it, all of you!" 

He was afraid that something bad would happen if they continued fighting.

As Zhou Ran took a few steps forward, he grabbed Wang Yan's waist tightly to prevent Gu Miao from continuing. 

He yelled, "Stop it, stop it! If you keep fighting, something terrible will happen. Gu Miao, please stop."

Gu Miao's eyes were bloodshot, and his anger was burning inside him. For a moment, he really had the urge to kill. 

Many people on the playground had already noticed that something was wrong and were slowly gathering around them.

"Gu Miao, stop it. Cheng Chu is coming," Zhou Ran said sternly as he watched Gu Miao's fists continue to fly.

Gu Miao's fists stopped in mid-air, and he gradually felt a slight pain in his knuckles. The PE teacher ran over like a gust of wind and separated Gu Miao and Wang Yan in one swift motion.

In the cold winter wind, Gu Miao turned hid head and saw a girl standing in the crowd.

Her beautiful peach blossom eyes widened in surprise and fear.

In that moment, Gu Miao felt a chill slowly rising from the soles of hid feet, as if all the strength in hid body had been instantly drained away.

He knew he was done for.

The cold wind on the playground stirred, and Gu Miao suddenly came to his senses.

Wang Yan was tall and strong, and the two of them had just fought each other, both ending up with bruises.

Gu Miao felt a burning pain in the corner of his mouth, and licked his lips, tasting a mouthful of bloody taste.

He turned his head, afraid to look at the girl in the crowd.

His mouth was bleeding, his clothes stained with dirt from rolling on the ground, he must have looked miserable and embarrassed. The most important thing was to let her see how ruthless and fearless he could be.

The fear in the girl's eyes was like a knife, cutting open Gu Miao's heart. He couldn't bear to look at her and just lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembling.

"You three, come with me to the office. I need to find all of your homeroom teachers today," the PE teacher shouted loudly.

Just now, Song Xinyu was pushed far away, and she looked like such a weak and delicate girl, so the PE teacher automatically excluded her from his mind.

The three of them hung their heads like three defeated geese.

Lin Yue, the homeroom teacher of Class Three, was furious. Her son was sick today, and she had been busy all day before finally returning from the hospital. She was just taking a shower and trying to rest when she was called back to school.

When she arrived at the school, the bell for the end of class had just rung. With a composed face, Lin Yue walked up the stairs and saw her favorite student, Cheng Chu, pacing outside the office.

"Why are you still here after class?" Lin Yue looked at the girl's clear peach blossom eyes and felt her anger dissipate.

Cheng Chu lowered her head, but at the sound of her teacher's voice, she looked up in surprise.

Seeing it was the homeroom teacher, she pursed her lips and said, "Teacher, I just wanted to ask how they will handle this incident."

In the past, fights in school were recorded as a major offense and added to the student's record.

Cheng Chu was anxious because if Gu Miao was really recorded for fighting, it would affect his future university studies and even his job prospects.

Lin Yue only felt that she was worried because of her good relationship with Gu Miao and Zhou Ran.

Sighing, Lin Yue said, "I don't know, it's not your concern. After school, you go home first. The result will be decided by the grade director and me."

Cheng Chu hesitated for a moment and nodded, "Okay, teacher, I'll go first."

Lin Yue nodded slightly and saw the girl go downstairs before returning to the office with a stern face.

Cheng Chu didn't walk far, feeling she wouldn't be able to rest over the weekend if she didn't know the outcome. Thinking of the injury on Gu Miao's face, she ordered medicine from a nearby pharmacy and had it delivered to the school gate.

Cheng Chu picked up the medicine and sat in a milk tea shop opposite the school, afraid of being seen by the homeroom teacher.

The milk tea shop was heated, and the sweet fragrance of milk tea and cake filled the air, with light music flowing slowly.

Cheng Chu absent-mindedly ordered a cup of milk tea, took a few sips, but couldn't taste anything. She stared closely at the school gate, not missing anyone coming in or out of the campus.

After about fifteen minutes, Cheng Chu saw Zhou Ran leave the school gate. She grabbed her bag and ran out of the milk tea shop.

"Zhou Ran," Cheng Chu called out loudly.

Zhou Ran looked up and seemed surprised to see her. "Cheng Chu? What are you doing here?"

"Where is Gu Miao? Why isn't he with you? What happened? What did the teacher say about the fight? Will they give him a demerit?" Cheng Chu bombarded him with questions.

Zhou Ran hesitated a bit and seemed unsure whether to tell her the reason. 

"Are you sure you want to know?" Zhou Ran instinctively felt that Gu Miao didn't want her to know, but if he didn't tell her, Cheng Chu might misunderstand.

Gu Miao looked fierce and scary to anyone who saw him like that.

Cheng Chu urged anxiously, "Of course, I'm sure. Tell me quickly."

Zhou Ran pursed his lips and said, "Because he heard Song Xinyu telling Wang Yan to teach you a lesson. Oh, by the way, Wang Yan is the one who fought with Gu Miao..."

"Song Xinyu?" Cheng Chu was surprised, "Teach me a lesson? Are you sure?"

She knew that Song Xinyu didn't like her, but she didn't care about it.

Cheng Chu found the little girl's act of pretending to be weak and delicate childish and ridiculous, but she never thought that she would be so vicious as to hurt someone.

"Yes, I heard it together with Gu Miao. They said some more outrageous things, including red ink. I didn't understand it very well, but as soon as Gu Miao heard it, he got angry and went up to hit Wang Yan directly."

Cheng Chu remained silent.

The night in the seaside city was particularly cold, and Zhou Ran saw a cold light in the pretty peach blossom eyes of the girl.

He swallowed and said, "Do you know about the red ink?"

"Yes," Cheng Chu nodded.

Of course, she knew that as soon as Zhou Ran mentioned the red ink, she figured it out.

It turned out that they were not targeting Gu Miao but herself.

Gu Miao did not want her to know about these things, so he cleaned the floor, exchanged chairs, but he did not expect that the red ink would seep into the shoebox.

The cold wind blew outside the campus, and Cheng Chu felt very cold all over her body. She did not expect that the little tricks between girls could evolve into such a terrible situation.

But Gu Miao had done so much for her.

He even impulsively hit someone and implicated himself.

Cheng Chu's heart was sour and bitter, her chest was stuffy, making it difficult for her to breathe.

She sniffed and continued to ask, "What about Song Xinyu? How is she?"

Zhou Ran snorted, half angry and half sarcastic, "She cleaned up her tracks. The P.E. teacher never called her. Gu Miao and I did say that she instructed Wang Yan, but he refused to admit it."

"So, that's it?" Cheng Chu was surprised and angry again.

"The teacher did call her back just now. When she entered the office, she cried and said that Gu Miao and I fabricated the story to frame her for a fight."

"Wasn't she next to you at that time? Did the teacher just believe her?"

The cold wind blew through the wintergreen trees on the street, making a rustling sound.

Zhou Ran took a deep breath and said, "There is no way. You know what Song Xinyu is like usually, she looks like she could fall over with a gust of wind. If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't have believed that she was that kind of person."

After a moment of silence, he continued, "But that Wang Yan seems to be that kind of person. He looks fierce and vicious."

Zhou Ran's phone vibrated a few times, he looked down apologetically, "My ride has arrived. I have to go first."

"Okay, thank you." Cheng Chu waved to him.

Under the sunset, a soft light shone on the girl's white porcelain-like face, and her peach blossom eyes were filled with radiance.

Suddenly, Zhou Ran understood Gu Miao.

Who wouldn't like such a precious and beautiful girl?

He nodded and turned to sit in the car parked on the side of the road.

Who wouldn't like a girl as beautiful as a treasure like this?

He nodded and turned to sit in the car parked on the side of the road.

The street was quiet in the evening, and Cheng Chu sighed as she watched the taillights of the car gradually disappear.

She returned to the milk tea shop, ready to continue waiting, but found that her milk tea had already been taken away.

Helplessly, she ordered two more cups, asked the waiter to pack them up, found a seat, and continued waiting for Gu Miao.

The clock on the wall turned slightly.

Cheng Chu waited for more than an hour and finally saw Gu Miao's figure.

The night was dark, and the warm yellow street lamps on the roadside were hazy and beautiful.

The young man lowered his head, and his handsome profile showed a hint of loneliness. He pushed his bicycle slowly out of the campus.

Cheng Chu quickly picked up two cups of milk tea and ran over.

"Gu Miao -"

The young man had already straddled his bike, and Cheng Chu was afraid he would leave too quickly, so she called out to him loudly.

The crisp voice drifted in the cold wind of the city.

Gu Miao squeezed the hand holding the bicycle, and he had a moment of dizziness, thinking that he was hallucinating because he was too tired.

But when she called him again and he didn't respond, she called out, "Gu Miao, I'm here."

Several holly leaves fell from the tree on the roadside, twirling and landing at Gu Miao's feet.

He turned around in disbelief.

The dim street lights slowly lifted like a hazy curtain, and across the street, a beautiful girl was waving at him like a painting.

Her peach blossom eyes were as clear and pure as before.

There was no disgust or fear in them.

For a moment, Gu Miao felt like he was dreaming.

The cold wind was like a sharp blade piercing the wound on his lips.

The pain instantly woke him up.

The girl ran across the street and finally came to him.

"Are you okay?" She frowned slightly and looked at the wound on his lips.

The young man's fingertips trembled, and his Adam's apple rolled. 

He asked hoarsely, "How did you get here?"

Weren't you scared away by me? Why do you still dare to approach me like this?

"I'm waiting for you." The girl's eyes were clear and bright, like stars twinkling quietly.

In that moment, Gu Miao seemed to hear the sound of holly leaves falling slowly by the roadside.

He felt his blood surging through his body, flowing wildly through every bone and muscle.

His cold body gradually warmed up, and his Adam's apple rolled rapidly, finally lowering his eyes to avoid her gaze.

Those eyes were too bright, shining so brightly that his heart trembled and ached uncontrollably.

After a rustling sound, he heard the girl say, "Here, for you."

Gu Miao raised his eyes.

Delicate white fingers were holding a plastic bag filled with various types of medication.

Cheng Chu frowned as she looked at the bruised corners of the other's mouth, "Remember to apply some medicine when you go back, okay?"

The girl's voice carried a slight coolness, like the floating wind on a autumn night by the sea.

But Gu Miao could hear the hidden concern in her words.

His fingers trembled, but he eventually took the bag of medicine from her.

"Thank you." He lifted his gaze and, for the first time in his life, mustered up the courage to look into those eyes that haunted his dreams.

Those bright peach blossom eyes reflected a down-and-out boy with a cut on his lip and dirty clothes.

A sense of contentment filled the lonely boy's heart.

She wasn't afraid of him or repulsed by him. Instead, she cared for him like this.

The street lamp across from them flickered for a moment.

Cheng Chu blinked and said, "I'm going home now. Do you want to walk with me?"

She remembered that they were going in the same direction.

Gu Miao nodded, his dark eyes bright and shimmering.

He pursed his lips and stuttered, "Do you, do you want ride on my bicycle?"

Because he was nervous, he stumbled over his words.

"Okay."

Gu Miao turned around and smiled joyfully.

He stretched his long legs and hopped onto the bike, staring at the pedals and holding his breath.

Under the street lamp, a few small insects fluttered about.

After a moment, he felt a warm body softly approach him, and a warm fragrance wafted over him. The girl's hand lightly grasped his clothes.

The air was filled with a fresh, light scent.

Gu Miao's ears turned red, and he took a deep breath. He pedaled the bike into the boundless night.

He told himself not to be nervous; it wouldn't be good if he were to accidentally drop her.

The cold night wind whistled past him, and Gu Miao's heart warmed and swelled. He felt as if he was treading on light, fluffy clouds.

That night, the winter in the city by the sea seemed to become warmer.

Author's Note: 

Gu Miao: I must have gone mad with anger!