Chapter 3: Sudden Closeness
Chapter Three: Sudden Closeness （2）
When Qing Tian returned to the classroom, the homeroom teacher asked her to help with the blackboard newspaper. Her drawing skills in class were quite good, and she had even won first place in a youth talent competition before, so the important task of creating the blackboard newspaper fell upon her.
The classmate who worked on the blackboard newspaper with her was the propaganda committee member, a girl with two large braids and black-rimmed glasses, who had a particularly sweet smile.
Qing Tian particularly enjoyed watching others smile. When others were very happy, she would also smile slightly. Although their reasons for laughing had nothing to do with her, she wanted to experience their happiness.
After school, the two of them went to the art corner to add color and flair to their class’s blackboard newspaper. As they were finishing, the propaganda committee member said, “Qing Tian, my home is far away, so I might have to go home first.”
Qing Tian nodded, “You go back first. I just need to finish the coloring, I’ll stay and complete it!”
The propaganda committee member smiled and thanked her, “Thank you, I’ll be going now!”
Qing Tian waved goodbye and then focused on the coloring. After some time, the coloring was almost done. She jumped off the table and walked a short distance away to look at her masterpiece. It looked quite good for now, but she wondered what the final effect would be.
She suddenly felt a bit hungry. She raised her hand to check her watch; the hands pointed to half-past six. She looked up at the sky, where the clouds were also tinged with red. Night was approaching without her realizing it. Looking around the campus, there were very few people left. The empty campus echoed with any shout.
She hurried to finish the last bit of coloring. By the time she was finally done, it was already dark. The spotlights on campus had been turned on. She stood on the table, squinting at her masterpiece, then took a satisfied step back. Immediately, without paying attention, her foot slipped, and she fell to the ground without any surprise. Her elbow was scraped and bleeding from the force of the fall. She grimaced in pain, looking at her bleeding elbow, her brows furrowed tightly.
“Are you alright?”
Just as she was regretting this, a voice came from above her. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was. That voice was like a ray of sunshine in the dead of winter, making one feel incredibly warm, as if a warm current was flowing into her heart.
Qing Tian opened her large eyes and looked blankly at Ji Xiangyu, then habitually said, “It’s nothing serious!”
In fact, Ji Xiangyu had been watching her from the fifth floor since Qing Tian started drawing the blackboard newspaper. He noticed how exceptionally focused she was when working, and sometimes he could see the faint smile on the corner of her lips. If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t even realize she was smiling.
When he saw her fall, he immediately ran down from the fifth floor. But seeing her feigned strength, he felt waves of sourness well up inside him for some reason.
This girl had built a strong wall around herself, separating her from the outside world. He felt a bit troubled, wondering how he could get her to open up.
Ji Xiangyu asked again, “Are you alright?”
Qing Tian looked at him with doubt. She was sure it was Ji Xiangyu, but as the top student of First High School, wasn’t it a bit unusual for him to ask a question again after already having an answer?
Seeing that Qing Tian had no intention of acknowledging him, Ji Xiangyu became a little angry. He squatted down and reached out to pick her up from the ground.
Qing Tian was startled by his action and struggled in his arms, saying, “Put me down!”
Ji Xiangyu walked on as if he hadn’t heard her. Qing Tian’s face turned red with anger. She gave up struggling and asked calmly, “What do you want?”
Ji Xiangyu finally managed a slight smile, but his gaze remained fixed ahead as he said, “You’re injured!”
Qing Tian replied sheepishly, “But it’s none of your business!”
Ji Xiangyu was choked by Qing Tian’s words. Who gave birth to such a stubborn person!
But even thinking this, he still softened his tone and said, “As a boy, I have an obligation to protect girls!”
Qing Tian’s tone suddenly turned cold, “I don’t need your pity!”
After speaking, she stared into Ji Xiangyu’s eyes, forcing him to look at her. She noticed his pupils were clear and dark, like an ethereal fairy untouched by worldly affairs. Although such a description wasn’t suitable for a boy, it was her first impression upon seeing his eyes.
In contrast, her own eyes held a faint sadness, unfathomable.
Ji Xiangyu put Qing Tian down, letting her stand steadily on the ground. Then, he grabbed her shoulders and asked, “Why do you keep everyone at arm’s length?”
