Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3

While Cheng Zheng was used to Yun Jin’s same old routine of glaring and turning her back on him, his eyes would betray momentary disappointment whenever he faced her stiffly straightened back yet again.

The day she had forcefully leaned back onto his desk, the abruptness had caused his pen to rake sharply over his worksheets. Despite that, all he noticed was her hair on his desk.

Loosening her hair in the evening

Letting them cascade like rapids down her shoulders

As she came to rest on a gentleman’s knee

There’s nothing lacking in this scene

Language was not Cheng Zheng’s forte but these lines had emerged from the recesses of his mind, shocking even himself. Thus, he instinctively tossed out some insulting phrases to s.h.i.+ft the focus of his mind. He mocked her as stupid and while she was obviously infuriated, she had forced herself to ignore him.

Cheng Zheng, you’ve messed up once again, he thought to himself. He realised that he hoped she would ask him “Could you please explain…” just as the other girls did, they with their expectant gaze. But she never once sought his help and he knew she never would. This girl who liked to press her lips together and was as silent as a shadow, went everywhere with her eyes cast on the ground. Actually, Su Yun Jin had a beautiful pair of eyes. If not for that fateful day, he would never have noticed it …

That day in their soph.o.m.ore year, he was hanging out with Zi Yi and some others in the corridor outside the cla.s.sroom when Zi Yi asked him “Ah Zheng, are you electing to study in the Arts or Science stream?”

He had answered without thinking, “…What rubbish, of course I’m studying Science! Who doesn’t know that only nerdy girls and people with poor results study Arts…”.

Suddenly, he noticed a girl with a bowed head who had earlier walked past them turn around abruptly and stare in their direction. She had a unique expression. Her fair skin betrayed a curious blush and her pair of intense eyes seemed to burn with rage. She was unbelievably captivating.

This was the first time Cheng Zheng had carefully studied a girl but her line of vision never landed on him. In fact, she had spun round quickly and reverted to her bowed head posture before continuing in her steps.

“Hey, who was that girl?” he had prodded Zi Yi. Alas, Zi Yi had been slow on the uptake and stared curiously in the direction he was pointing at while asking “Which one? Who is it?”