Fudan High School's uniform was a three-piece set: a blue and white short-sleeved shirt underneath, a blue and white jacket on the outside, and a pair of pants.
He Ji was still a teenager, but the muscles in his exposed arms were exceptionally well-defined and smooth.
Shen Yue zipped up her jacket, concealing the kiss marks on her neck. Her small face was pale, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned. Except for her lips, which were as red as blood, the rest of her was acceptable.
She glanced hesitantly at He Ji.
"Let's go."
He Ji took a few steps forward. Not hearing any sound from behind him, he turned his head and found Shen Yue still standing in her original spot.
Shen Yue looked at him calmly. "Where are we going?"
The man's handsome face was clear and cold, devoid of warmth. His dark eyes were like a deep, cold abyss, his gaze sweeping over Shen Yue without any emotion.
"Follow me, and Jiang Wei won't bother you."
Shen Yue didn't want to smile, knowing that He Ji was saying this out of pity. It was, after all, good intentioned.
However, if He Ji could truly protect her, how could he have been beaten so badly by Jiang Wei? How could someone who couldn't protect himself protect others?
The young girl gazed at him, her dark eyes clear and gently cool.
"Are you going to protect me?"
He Ji's expression was as cold as frost.
When she smiled, she always had a pure and clean aura, like a child newly arrived in the human world. She was like a flower blooming in the night, clear and beautiful.
Shen Yue walked to He Ji's side, looking at him with a smile.
He Ji's jaw was tight, his eyes distant.
As the two drew closer, he caught that faint, sweet scent again. It was subtle, yet familiar.
Her full, vibrant red lips curved into an arc that was alluring and charming, out of place for her age. Yet, it wasn't vulgar; on the contrary, it was incredibly captivating.
No one in this world helps another without a reason, unless they expect something in return.
Shen Yue looked at him, her gaze gentle but unfocused. His clear eyes couldn't reflect his image.
"What do you want?"
Her jade-like fingers brushed against He Ji's earlobe, a silent seduction.
But in the next second, her hand was seized by a large, rough, and burning palm.
He Ji looked down at her, his lips thin and pressed together, his expression indifferent and cold. His face, devoid of emotion, was handsome and sharp.
He frowned as if he had seen something dirty.
"What do you take me for?"
His tone was chillingly indifferent, bordering on disgust.
Shen Yue looked into He Ji's inscrutable eyes, her gaze shifting slightly, a light furrow forming on her brow. "Don't you want to kiss me? If you can protect me, I don't need your money."
The man's back straightened, his fingers tightening slightly. A coldness gathered in his brow, his sharp gaze piercing as a sword, as if it would penetrate her very bones.
"Is kissing a transaction to you?" his voice, devoid of emotion, made it impossible to discern good or bad. "Are you worth so little?"
Shen Yue's mother was a prostitute, and she didn't even know who her father was. Her mother never considered the young Shen Yue when entertaining guests. As soon as she walked through the door after school, she would witness entwined figures.
No one had taught her that kissing was something to be done with someone you liked. Later, her mother grew old and became addicted to drugs. The guests became fewer, and her temper grew more volatile. To her mother, Shen Yue was just a burden, so she was often beaten and scolded.
Shen Yue was used to it. When her mother was unhappy, she would withhold food. After two days of starvation, when she couldn't bear it any longer, a neighbor's older brother gave her some food, saving her from starving to death.
The neighbor's brother was called Xiao Yan Ge Ge. He was a boy whose smile was like the sun.
Shen Yue didn't want to be bothered by Jiang Wei. He was too clingy, and his possessiveness increasingly felt like a restraint. If He Ji was willing to help her unconditionally, she saw no reason to refuse.
Shen Yue's dark eyes were bright and dewy. She blinked. "Then can you protect me?" Her eyes sparkled, and her face showed a hint of joy.
He Ji watched her expressionlessly, his voice low and soft. "...I'll try my best."
He shouldn't, he shouldn't have involved himself for someone like her. But looking at the girl's expectant gaze, he couldn't refuse.
He Ji looked at her. "From now on, I'll walk you back to the dormitory after school."
Shen Yue paused slightly, her gaze clear and gentle. "Okay," she said obediently.
***
Shen Yue's grades were excellent, but she still encountered difficult problems. Everyone else had left the classroom, but she remained seated, wrestling with a math problem.
Her scratch paper was already filled with calculations. Shen Yue bit her pen, lost in thought.
"You made a mistake here."
A deep, cool voice suddenly spoke.
Alerted by the reminder, Shen Yue finally realized where she had gone wrong. She recalculated and finally arrived at the correct answer. She looked up and saw He Ji's cold face.
Shen Yue's eyes curved. Her dark eyes were pure and serene, as if holding a mist. "Did you come to pick me up?"
He Ji simply nodded, his attitude so indifferent it was almost cruel. But Shen Yue didn't seem to mind his coldness. She quickly put away her notebook, tilting her head up, her eyes curved, her dimples shallow.
"Let's go together."
He Ji turned first, his expression indifferent, his back tall and straight. Shen Yue walked behind him, stepping on his shadow, feeling a touch of happiness, her steps light.
He Ji, walking ahead, kept an eye on the person behind him and unconsciously slowed his pace. His throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton. He stared into the void. "If you have any problems you can't solve, you can ask me, or we can review together." He was academically superior, surpassing the second-ranked student by tens of points.
Shen Yue was a little surprised. She quickened her steps, moving in front of He Ji, and then walked backward. Her dark eyes were quiet, like a tranquil lake. Whenever he was met by those eyes, he felt his breathing lighten and his heart beat faster.
"Can I come find you anytime?" She felt it was taking advantage of He Ji, so she politely added, "I can treat you to a meal."
He Ji paused, shifting his gaze. His thin lips pressed together, his jawline cool, his face detached and contemplative. A barely audible hum escaped his throat.
Shen Yue heard it clearly. She seemed quite pleased, tilting her head towards the boy, her eyebrows slightly raised in a smile, her eyes reflecting a faint, shallow starlight.
"He Ji, you're so kind."
He Ji didn't respond this time. Because he knew better than anyone that he wasn't kind at all. He just didn't want to watch Shen Yue fall into ruin. As for the reason why, he didn't know, nor did he want to know.