Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I’ve never been much for sports, so during free period, I usually hid under the shade of a tree to read.

I was so engrossed in my book that I didn’t hear anyone calling out.

Suddenly, a basketball slammed into my head with a loud thud, knocking me right over.

Before long, Shen Dongye came sprinting over.

His face hovered over mine, framed by the afternoon sunlight filtering through the gaps in the broad leaves of the magnolia tree.

The light caught the beads of sweat on the tip of his nose, making them shimmer like crystals.

Looking apologetic, he reached out a hand. “Are you okay, Li Linlin?”

Ah.

He remembered my full name.

He didn’t mistake the “Li” in my name for the more common one.

My brain short-circuited for a second. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, he reached down to help pick up my book.

“Studying even during PE? You’re so diligen-”

I finally snapped out of it and lunged for the book.

But it was too late.

He saw it. The book was neatly wrapped in newspaper with the word “Mathematics” written on the cover, but it was actually a mystery novel I’d rented from a bookstore.

It was Keigo Higashino’s *Into the White Night*.

By then, the commotion had caught the attention of the PE teacher.

He walked over, asking what happened while his eyes drifted toward the book.

My heart leaped into my throat.

If I were caught reading extracurricular books, a scolding and a self-reflection essay would be the least of my problems.

The book would definitely be confiscated.

When I rented it, the owner told me it was his only copy; if I lost it, I’d have to pay ten times its value in compensation.

I wailed internally, certain I was doomed.

Unexpectedly, Shen Dongye was quick. He snapped the book shut with a loud *thwack* and said, without batting an eye, “I can’t believe you’re so focused that you’d even do math problems now. You’re something else.”

The teacher was fooled and moved on.

Once he was gone, Shen Dongye handed the book back to me with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in mystery novels. I thought you only liked studying.”

“I got halfway through that book last time. When you finish it, could you tell me the ending?”

I gripped the book cover tightly, my heart racing.

Before I could answer, his friends called him away to play ball.

That night, I hid under my covers and stayed up late, using a flashlight to finish the book.

I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time afterward.

One moment I was thinking about the plot, and the next, I was thinking about what he said: *I thought you only liked studying.*

So, he had been paying attention to me, right?

Could he possibly…

I wrapped myself in my blanket like a cocoon and rolled around on the bed, not daring to let my thoughts go any further.

That must have been the budding of a crush.

The way you replay and analyze every look and every word from the other person.

Even if, in reality, it was just a casual remark.

The next day during between-class exercises, I worked up the courage to go talk to Shen Dongye.

“I finished that book. I can tell you the ending…”

I had rehearsed that sentence at least a hundred times in my head, but the moment I opened my mouth, the sports rep threw an arm around his shoulder. “Let’s go, time for ball!”

Shen Dongye was dragged away a few steps before he looked back at me. “Li Linlin, did you need something?”