Chapter 43: Seduction

Chapter 43: Seductive

Life in the third year of high school is hardly interesting. Unlike the passionate, youthful days depicted in television dramas, the students at Jiangcheng Private No. 1 High School spend their days buried in textbooks and practice papers. The air is thick with the scent of printer ink, and the only sounds are the faint scratching of ballpoint pens against paper.

The autumn wind blows bleakly, and every second feels like a race toward that final examination at the start of next summer.

Rain falls, shower after shower. Bai Li does not know if she will look back on these days with nostalgia in the future. As Fang Ye hopes, she can only grit her teeth and study with all her might. She knows that she is too small right now; only by becoming stronger can she earn the right to talk about anything else.

The morning sun is blindingly bright. After finishing the first two classes, Bai Li finally lifts her head during the long break to go to the restroom with He Suisui.

Although Jiangcheng Private No. 1 High School boasts excellent academic performance, there are still rebellious students who often hide in the restrooms to smoke or play with smuggled mobile phones for twenty minutes at a time. This break is no different; the smell of smoke drifts out long before they even reach the restroom door.

Inside, several girls with loose, messy hair lean against the windows, puffing on cigarettes and laughing raucously.

Feeling drowsy from the morning lectures, Bai Li carries her water bottle over to the dispenser by the restroom. After a moment of hesitation, she enters the restroom and splashes cold water on her face—the most efficient way to shake off her lethargy.

Just as her skin touches the cool, refreshing water, the voices of the rebellious girls reach her ears.

"Did you see that video from Jiangda University? It’s blowing up."

"I saw it. Nothing special, just someone bullying others and getting lectured by the principal."

"It’s trending because the guy is handsome! My morals follow my aesthetic preferences—the guy might be in the wrong, but I forgive him."

"It’s already been dug up; he’s an exchange student from Qingda, and he really is handsome!"

He Suisui, having just stepped out of a stall, cannot help but glance at her friend upon hearing this. She remembers that Bai Li’s brother is also an exchange student... and he’s quite handsome too!

Bai Li clearly notices the conversation. She forgets to finish washing her face and stares longingly at the girls by the window. Her gaze is far too intense.

The girls turn to look at her, their eyes seemingly asking, "What are you looking at?"

He Suisui leans over to whisper, urging Bai Li to leave quickly. Bullying and conflicts often start with just a glance, and she certainly doesn't want her friend to get beaten up in the restroom.

Standing in the corner, Bai Li asks quietly, "Suisui, did you bring your phone?"

He Suisui shakes her head. They are in the honors class; the teacher collects their phones before class and only returns them when school is dismissed.

That’s a dead end.

Summoning her courage, Bai Li walks over to the group of girls, points to a phone, and asks softly, "Excuse me, may I see that video?"

Beyond the windows lies the clearest blue sky, and even the autumn breeze has turned gentle. These rebellious girls, usually moving in a pack, have never seen an honors student approach them so proactively before.

Bai Li stands straight before them, wearing a polite smile, her gentle apricot-shaped eyes filled with a hint of a plea.

It is truly... hard to refuse.

Outwardly, Bai Li is calm, but internally she is trembling. Her past dealings with Brother Chengzi in Lingjiang have taught her that "bad students" aren't actually that terrifying. What she fears is rejection. She needs to confirm if the person in the video is Fang Ye, so she looks at them with even greater earnestness.

"..."

This strikes at the protective instincts of the rebellious girls.

The girl standing at the front, wearing bold lipstick, frowns, exhales a puff of smoke, and hesitantly places her phone into Bai Li’s hand.

"See for yourself. The video is in the group chat."

Bai Li feels a surge of joy, a genuine smile blooming on her face. "Thank you, classmate," she says sincerely.

The girl with red lips curls her lip, turns away in a bit of embarrassment, and goes back to chatting with her friends. She doesn't rush Bai Li or watch over her shoulder, completely surrendering the phone to her.

?

He Suisui is stunned. In her memory, her friend was the type most afraid of interacting with these people. She never expected her to actually walk up and borrow a phone!

Bai Li stands among them, smelling the blueberry-flavored cigarette smoke. It doesn't smell foul; instead, it is strangely sweet. The sunlight is a bit harsh, making it hard to see the screen clearly. Noticing this, the girls shift slightly to block the glare for her.

There are several videos on the screen. Tapping one open, she sees the shooter has zoomed in only on Fang Ye’s handsome face. The scene is a hallway, and the background audio is muffled.

"Due to the severity of this incident, our school will handle it strictly."

"His exchange student status will be revoked immediately."

After watching it in silence, the wind blows into Bai Li’s eyes, leaving her with a faint sense of confusion. No wonder Fang Ye hasn’t come to see her or told her what happened—his exchange status had been revoked.

She feels a pang of self-reproach. Even though she isn't Fang Ye’s biological sister, and human bonds can easily fade over time, he still cares for her deeply.

...

It is hard to describe this feeling, and class is about to start. Bai Li fishes a few peach-flavored hard candies from her pocket and returns the phone to the girl with red lips, handling it with great care.

"Thank you, classmate. Please, have some candy."

The girls laugh as they turn back to discuss how to slack off during the next physical education class. Bai Li pulls out a few more candies and places them in the hand of He Suisui, who has been waiting for her. "Let’s go, it’s time to go back to class."

That evening, after returning to the dormitory, Bai Li asks her head teacher for a leave of absence to go out. She goes to a nearby specialty store, buys a large amount of sweets, and asks the shopkeeper to help her ship them to Lingjiang.

She tucks a note into the package.

[Thank you, Brother. I am so sorry. I will study hard and grow up quickly.]

And... become someone who can protect you soon.

She doesn't write that last sentence down. She doesn't want Fang Ye to think she is just making empty promises. She keeps those words in the depths of her heart.

After she shipped the package that day, as if by telepathy, Fang Ye sent her two messages.

One was a photo of the drawer in the room she stayed in, showing a rolled-up piece of sketch paper tied with a string, unopened.

The other was a text message.

[Little Bai Li, I’ve kept it safe for you. Come and get it next time you’re here.]

Bai Li pauses, realizing it is the sketch she had drawn of him. After thinking it over, she bites her knuckle and boldly replies:

[Brother, that’s a drawing for you. If it’s in the way, you can just throw it out.]

A long time later, Fang Ye replies with a voice message.

Because she is in the dormitory, Bai Li turns the volume to the minimum and presses the phone gently against her ear. The man’s languid, smiling voice comes through.

"It’s very beautiful. I’m not throwing it away. I’m going to have it framed."

Bai Li’s breath hitches.

Her heart constricts uncontrollably for a second, leaving her feeling unsettled.

She thinks... this is exactly what they call "seductive" in those dramas.

Fang Ye truly possesses a seductive face and a voice that bewitches the heart.