Chapter 18

Chapter 18

◎ My intuition has always been spot-on ◎

Every Monday, there is a flag-raising ceremony. Today is also the first day of the school year. Although there’s no big, fancy opening ceremony, the principal's speech and the first-year representative's speech are inevitable.

Yulan High School is not like elementary or middle schools, which have district allocations. Except for some special admissions, most students are admitted based on their scores from various regions. As the first-year representative, everyone naturally assumes that he must be the top scorer in this year's high school entrance exam.

The first-year representative is a boy named He Zhanfei. He’s on the shorter side, wears black-framed glasses, and has a pretty average look, with triangular eyes and thick lips. This kind of face is traditionally seen as cold-hearted and gossip-prone.

Ji Nanxing gave him a quick glance and then looked away because the person standing behind him kept making small movements, rubbing something on him.

He knew something was rubbing on him without turning around because the person behind him was Xiao Ye. If Xiao Ye were using his hand, even through clothes, he should have felt the warmth of the contact.

Seeing that Ji Nanxing didn't turn around, Xiao Ye quietly stepped forward half a step and then slipped something into his hand.

Ji Nanxing looked down and saw a toffee candy.

Xiao Ye’s voice was still light with a smile: "I've been poking you for a while, and you didn't respond. It’s boring standing here; have a candy. Who knows how long this speech will go on."

Seeing that Ji Nanxing didn't eat the candy, Xiao Ye whispered: "Try it, don't worry, no one will see from above."

Ji Nanxing just said thanks and stayed still because he heard the footsteps of the homeroom teacher.

Xiao Ye, seeing that he didn't eat, thought he was worried about being caught making small movements below. Just as he was about to whisper more, someone walked over. Turning his head, he saw it was the homeroom teacher.

Xiao Ye immediately straightened up, but the homeroom teacher didn't just pass by; she stopped right next to him. Now, Xiao Ye could only zone out, listening to the dull speech from above.

After the flag-raising ceremony wrapped up, each class slowly left the field. With so many people, heading upstairs naturally got a bit crowded.

Ji Nanxing turned and walked towards a less crowded direction. Chen Shiyi called out, "Nanxing! Where are you off to?"

Ji Nanxing: "To the mini-mart to grab some water."

Chen Shiyi: "Oh, then I'll go with you. When we get back to the classroom, I'll give you the exercise book. Luckily, I got there early; there were only a few left."

Ji Nanxing: "Thank you, how much is it? I’ll send you the money later."

Chen Shiyi mentioned a number and then invited him to have lunch together: "Are we still hitting the cafeteria for lunch? Should we try outside? I heard there’s a fried rice spot near the school gate that’s really good."

Ji Nanxing, while walking, responded: "I'm fine with anything."

Even if the classmates passing by didn’t outright stare at him, their eyes would linger on him for a moment. Even if it was just a glance or two, with so many people looking, it was hard not to notice.

Chen Shiyi has always been a bit of a background character, and now, walking beside Ji Nanxing, he felt quite uncomfortable: "Are you used to being looked at? You don’t seem to mind their stares much."

"Consider it a habit," Ji Nanxing grabbed a bottle of water and paid, then asked Chen Shiyi: "What do you want to buy?"

Chen Shiyi shook his head: "I'm not buying anything, I brought water."

Ji Nanxing sometimes didn't understand this behavior of doing things together, like shopping or going to the bathroom. It's a private matter, why should others spend time accompanying?

But seeing that Chen Shiyi was quite willing, he didn't say much.

When they walked out of the mini-mart with the water, the first-year representative who had just spoken on stage came in. His eyes swept over Ji Nanxing with a slight tilt, and he let out a faint snort. The sound wasn't loud, but within a distance of less than a meter, it was enough to be heard.

Ji Nanxing didn’t react, just walked out with the water.

Chen Shiyi, a bit belatedly, looked back and said with some uncertainty: "Did he just snort? Who was he snorting at? Could it be us? Do you know him?"

Mainly because there were quite a few people around them just now, but He Zhanfei's eyes were on their side. However, since he didn't know He Zhanfei, he naturally didn't think of himself first.

Ji Nanxing: "I don't know him."

He really didn't know him, but this morning he had a feeling that today would be a bit troublesome, and he might have some friction with someone. He just didn't know if it was this first-year representative.

However, by the time he returned to the classroom, he hadn't encountered that person again, so Ji Nanxing put the matter aside. Even if today was destined to have some friction with someone, he wouldn't let himself suffer.

The last class in the morning was physical education. In this period when the health of the physical education teacher hasn't been taken away, any class outside the main subjects is worth cherishing.

Although the two who were exempted from physical education didn't have to run or exercise, they still had to attend the class, even if they just stood by and watched.

Chen Shiyi was a bit regretful: "It's a pity we can't stay in the classroom like during the military training."

Even though someone was accompanying him now, it still felt quite awkward to stand by and watch others run.

Ji Nanxing, however, accepted it well and even found a sunny spot, basking in the sunlight until he seemed to glow.

Chen Shiyi wanted to pull him to a shady spot: "Aren't you hot? Even though the temperature has dropped a bit, it's still 30 degrees today."

Ji Nanxing: "I'm afraid of the cold, not the heat."

Xiao Ye, who was running, passed by him lap after lap, frowning each time he looked. Could his deskmate be a little fool? Standing under such a big sun and not moving to the shade.

Chen Shiyi, watching Xiao Ye run past, asked Ji Nanxing: "Did you provoke him?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "No."

"Then why did he glare at you?"

Ji Nanxing sounded puzzled: "Glare at me?"

Chen Shiyi: "Yes! He glared at you just now when he ran past."

Another one glaring at him, could today's friction be with his deskmate?

Thinking this, Ji Nanxing's gaze fell on Xiao Ye, watching him run half the track, watching him slowly run over, and then stop in front of him.

Chen Shiyi wanted to pull Ji Nanxing back a bit. Xiao Ye's aura was a bit too strong. As soon as his hand touched Ji Nanxing's clothes, Xiao Ye's glance made him let go in fear.

His reaction amused Xiao Ye. He wasn't some man-eating tiger, and no matter how fierce he was, he wouldn't lay hands on a sick person. Two punches and he might end up with a life debt, which wouldn't be worth it.

Ignoring the guy who had been sticking to his deskmate since the start of school, Xiao Ye met Ji Nanxing's direct gaze: "What's wrong?"

Ji Nanxing: "Did you just glare at me?"

Xiao Ye's eyes widened: "When did I glare at you?"

Ji Nanxing: "Just now, when you ran past."

Xiao Ye raised his hand, wanting to poke Ji Nanxing's forehead: "I was checking if you were stupid from the class, standing here under such a big sun. Don't faint from the heat later."

As soon as he raised his hand, Ji Nanxing grabbed the finger reaching towards him.

The heat from the sun couldn't compare to the warmth of this touch. The heat spread from the fingertips to the palm, making Ji Nanxing, who usually avoided physical contact, crave it for a moment, wanting to hold on for a few more seconds.

This guy was naturally of extreme yang constitution, and for some reason, his yang energy was very strong. Even if he had more contact with him, it wouldn't have any effect.

Throughout the morning classes, and that day when he took him to buy books and eat, Ji Nanxing noticed that Xiao Ye also intentionally avoided direct contact with him. There were often subconscious actions, but he would restrain himself halfway, then change to pulling his clothes, or using a pen or candy to touch him through something.

He wasn't sure if Xiao Ye's sensitivity to the yin energy around him was because of his extremely yang fate—maybe feeling uncomfortable touching him and instinctively avoiding it.

But now, Xiao Ye had reached out to him first, so letting him hold on for a bit should be okay, right? At worst, he could just buy him a drink later to make it up to him.

Unlike how Ji Nanxing felt, Xiao Ye only noticed a chill at his fingertips, especially with the soft, delicate palm wrapping around his fingertip, like holding a cool piece of white jade on a hot summer day—utterly refreshing.

Ji Nanxing didn't let go, so Xiao Ye kept holding on, smiling back at him.

Until Zhang Yuan finished his laps and came over: "What are you two up to, playing some weird finger game?"

When someone else interrupted, Ji Nanxing released his hand.

Xiao Ye gave Zhang Yuan a somewhat disdainful look, then turned to Ji Nanxing: "Don't just stand there like an idiot—aren't you tired? Go find some shade and sit down for a bit."

After the warm-up laps, the PE teacher told the students to grab some sports equipment, including basketballs, footballs, badminton, and table tennis, letting them choose what to play but making sure everyone stayed active.

Chen Shiyi had lung problems and tried to avoid moving whenever he could, while Ji Nanxing, who usually moved a lot, took the chance to take a break. So the two of them sat on the steps under the shade of a big tree.

Xiao Ye wanted to chat more, but Zhang Yuan quickly dragged him off to play ball.

Soon, the court was alive with action. Xiao Ye kicked things off with a three-pointer, firing up the game and drawing a crowd.

Chen Shiyi watched with envy: "I can't play, Nanxing. Do you ever want to play basketball like them?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "I can play, and I have. It's not that I can't move—I just don't feel like it."

Hearing this, Chen Shiyi laughed: "Well, you're better off than I am."

After sitting for a bit, listening to the cheers from the court, Ji Nanxing figured each cheer was for Xiao Ye making a shot. He stood up, dusting off his pants: "I'm heading to the restroom."

Chen Shiyi also wanted to stand up: "I'll go with you."

Ji Nanxing: "No need."

There was a restroom on the first floor, but Ji Nanxing had never used it. The school was huge, and he wasn't familiar with the layout, so he took a couple of wrong turns before finding it.

Coming out of the restroom, he encountered a group of very muscular tall guys.

He moved aside to let them pass, but they blocked his way, with a pimply-faced boy saying, "He's that guy's deskmate."

Ji Nanxing glanced at the pimply boy, then at the person blocking his way in the middle. Sure enough, his intuition was accurate again today—here comes the friction.