An Unexpected Proximity

After that, I parted ways with Ling Yan and Ai Xi, slowly walking toward Ai Xi’s home. With Ling Yan gone, my mood immediately lightened.

The gentle breeze I hadn’t noticed for so long softly brushed my cheek. The lush green poplar trees by the roadside rustled faintly, a few leaves drifting down. Everything felt so pleasant, just like my mood.

“Senior…”

“Don’t talk yet. Let me enjoy the beauty of nature. Thank you.”

I felt that Ai Xi opening her mouth would bring no good. I couldn’t let her ruin my just-recovered mood, so I decisively stopped her.

“Are you done enjoying, Senior?”

“Not yet.”

“How about now?”

“Same.”

“And now?”

“…Same.”

“And now now?”

So annoying! But compared to the feeling of hardly daring to breathe around Ling Yan, this was completely trivial. So I answered just as boredly.

…

After who knows how many repetitions, Ai Xi finally lost patience.

“Senior, how much longer do you need?”

“Probably until you get home.”

Although that remark was asking for trouble, honestly my brain was already exhausted from earlier, worrying about how to talk to Ling Yan. I didn’t feel like discussing anything that required thought with Ai Xi.

I closed my eyes and walked, feeling the cool breeze on my face. (Was this what it felt like when Ling Yan gently touched my cheek?) I indulged in unrealistic fantasies. And Ai Xi had gone quiet, which made me a little happy.

Just as I thought Ai Xi had given up talking and was enjoying nature with me, my hand was suddenly lifted.

“Junior Ai Xi, what are you… Ouch!”

A warm, wet sensation and a sharp sting followed.

I quickly opened my eyes to find Ai Xi tightly gripping my instinctively resisting hand, her cherry-like little lips biting fiercely into the side of my hand.

“Let go!”

I dropped my bag on the ground and pushed against Ai Xi’s forehead with my hand.

But I didn’t dare use too much force—if I knocked her over, that would be trouble. The ground was cement; her butt would definitely suffer.

In the end, I had to wait until Ai Xi was satisfied with her bite before she let go.

“Hmph, see if you dare brush me off again, Senior.”

Ai Xi’s cheeks were slightly red. She picked up my bag, dusted it off, and looked at me smugly.

I could only smile wryly. It stung a little at first, but then there wasn’t much pain. It seemed Ai Xi had gone easy on me.

“Sorry, I won’t do it again.”

“Mm. Then… does it hurt, Senior?”

Seeing me apologize, Ai Xi awkwardly twirled the tip of her ponytail with slender fingers and looked at the spot she had bitten.

“It’s okay, not too painful.”

I lifted my hand to look. On the side were neat, small teeth marks, glistening with saliva.

“Senior, don’t look!”

I looked at Ai Xi in confusion. It was my hand—what was wrong with looking?

But Ai Xi had already come close, her face flushed. She grabbed my hand and gently wiped away the saliva.

I only then realized—this was the saliva of an incredibly cute girl! I coughed dryly and handed Ai Xi a tissue from my pocket.

“Senior, you were definitely thinking something weird just now.”

After wiping, Ai Xi let go of my hand and stared at me with her big, shy eyes, a suspicious expression on her face.

“How could that be!”

I quickly retorted.

If Ai Xi hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have even noticed.

“Ehh~ really? But Ai Xi is such a cute girl. Don’t all boys fantasize about things like that?”

Ai Xi put her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly. Her bright eyes darted from my left cheek to my right, as serious as a detective examining clues at a crime scene.

I couldn’t stand her sharp gaze. I turned my head away slightly, not daring to look at her, my cheeks burning. I held up my fingers to indicate a small gap.

“Just a little bit.”

I thought Ai Xi would mock me, but surprisingly, when she heard my words, she suddenly stumbled back a few steps in panic. She held her bag in front of her chest with her slender hands, her face bright red. She looked at me and hummed softly.

Looking at the shy Ai Xi, I suddenly realized how cute she was.

Of course, I quickly recovered—I couldn’t lose face in front of a Junior. So I scratched my head, trying to ease the awkwardness.

“Um, Junior Ai Xi, what was it you wanted to ask earlier?”

Hearing my words, Ai Xi lowered the bag from her chest. As if thinking of something serious, the blush on her face faded significantly, and she seemed much calmer.

“It’s about Ling Yan-senior.”

Just as I suspected. I had vaguely guessed she would ask about this, since everyone had noticed something off between Ling Yan and me.

But this was something I couldn’t answer. Neither for me nor for Ling Yan could it be shared.

“No comment.”

I gently patted Ai Xi’s head, left those words, and walked ahead.

If it was Ai Xi, seeing me like this, she wouldn’t press further.

I slowed my pace, and Ai Xi quickly caught up. She didn’t say anything, just quietly walked beside me. We didn’t mention Ling Yan or me for the rest of the way.

“By the way, Junior Ai Xi, how much further to your place?”

I looked at the familiar scenery and realized Ai Xi and I were quite on the same route. I thought maybe I could walk home with her from now on, so I could avoid being alone with Ling Yan. Anyway, Ling Yan probably didn’t care. I could delay as long as possible.

“Hmm~ at this speed, about ten more minutes.”

Ai Xi put a finger to her chin, thought for a moment—probably calculating the distance—and then gave the time.

My heart skipped a beat. Ten minutes? That was about the same time it took to get to my place.

Could Ai Xi…? No, impossible. I frantically denied it. I’d been at school for two years and had never once seen Ai Xi around here.

Just as I was comforting myself with that thought, Ai Xi and I arrived in front of a residential complex.

“Um, Junior Ai Xi, do you live here?”

“Mm.”

I watched Ai Xi nod and finally confirmed my suspicion. Ai Xi actually lived in the same complex as me!

But even if it was the same complex, it couldn’t be the same building, right? I clung to that hope and continued walking with Ai Xi toward her home.

“Senior, I’m here.”

Standing at the door, Ai Xi turned to look at me. Her bright eyes blinked, and her crystal-clear lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

But I just wanted her to go inside quickly. Everything else didn’t matter.

God sure liked to mess with me. Not only was Ai Xi in the same building, but her floor was just one level apart from mine.

“Okay, I see. Hurry in.”

I pretended to be calm.

But Ai Xi didn’t open the door right away. She just looked at me with sparkling eyes, fidgeting uneasily.

“Um, won’t you come in for a bit, Senior? We’re already at the door.”

“No, if I don’t get home soon, my family will worry.”

I waved my hand, showing an apologetic face to Ai Xi, who looked reluctant.

(Bet you didn’t expect that I’d use your own excuse.)

“…Alright then. But by the way, where does Senior live? It’s unfair that only you know where I live. Next time, I want to visit Senior’s place too.”

Ai Xi puffed out her cheeks and looked at me for a moment, then sighed in defeat. She took out her keys from her bag and opened the door.

“Mmhm, next time I’ll definitely welcome you.”

I patted my chest in assurance.

“Really? I feel like Senior is just brushing me off… Ah, Senior, you…”

Ai Xi looked at me suspiciously in front of the door. But I couldn’t care less at that point. Seeing her dawdle, I quickly pushed her inside and slammed the door shut.

Phew. I leaned against the door and let out a long breath. Dealing with Ai Xi was exhausting too.

“…Xiao Xi… came back… so late…”

“…It’s… reliable… Senior…”

I faintly heard Ai Xi talking with a woman’s voice—maybe her sister or mother.

Thinking this, I walked upstairs, glad that I had successfully kept my secret for another day.