Chapter 7

Chapter 7

…?

I had never experienced anything like this before.

My head felt dizzy, clouded by the clean scent clinging to him.

The boy held me close, seemingly indifferent to the shock of everyone around us.

His mother said frantically, “Xiao Yi, you’re scaring your sister. Let go, quickly.”

Instead, he tightened his grip. “…No.”

My mom laughed, trying to smooth things over. “It looks like the two children have really hit it off…”

Seeing no other choice, his mother could only say, “Why don’t you take your sister upstairs to play?”

He took my hand and led me toward the stairs.

As I followed him, I instinctively glanced at Ni Jiajia.

I wanted to ask her to join us.

But she was biting her lip, looking quite unhappy.

I kept my mouth shut.

I had never seen so many toys in my life.

There was even a room dedicated entirely to them.

Boxes filled with building blocks.

An entire wall lined with models.

He brought me into the room but didn’t say a word.

I fiddled with my fingers and said in a friendly tone, “What’s your name?”

“Cen Yi.”

“I’m Ni Xiaoxiao.”

The boy looked at me, his eyes clear and cool.

“Doudou.”

“No, it’s Ni Xiaoxiao,” I corrected him.

He insisted, “Doudou.”

He was crazy!

I felt a spark of annoyance. Who gives someone a nickname the very first time they meet?

I didn’t care how good-looking he was.

“Who is Doudou?”

“A hamster.”

The fire in my chest flared up. Did I really look that much like a rodent?

“Where is it?”

“In the yard.”

I wanted to see for myself just how much we supposedly resembled each other. “Let’s go see it.”

“…”

The boy’s long eyelashes drooped slightly.

“You won’t be able to see it,” he said. “It’s dead.”

I choked on my words. I wanted to comfort him, but Cen Yi just stared at me.

He was different from all my other friends.

Taciturn.

Withdrawn.

He didn’t like to smile.

He probably didn’t have many friends.

So, that “mine” from earlier was actually his way of saying I was like his hamster.

For a moment, I managed to follow his train of thought.

My heart softened. “Fine, I guess I really am Doudou.”

“I’ve come back to be your friend again.”

The boy’s gaze suddenly turned very strange, like he was looking at an idiot.

“Doudou was a hamster.”

“You’re a person.”

I flushed with embarrassment and anger. “You’re the one who started calling me Doudou!”

“Is that not allowed?” he asked. “You look a lot like it.”

I pursed my lips, remembering his mother saying he didn’t talk much. Even though he was rude and strange, and even though it was a bit insulting to be compared to a hamster… he had lost a friend.

“Whatever,” I said.

Cen Yi and I played with blocks in the room.

It was my first time playing with such high-quality toys, and I started building a small house.

After thinking about it, I tried to strike up a conversation again.

“I’ll teach you how to build a house. Look, you take this…”

Cen Yi sat beside me and assembled a helicopter, a skyscraper, a fire truck…

Me: “…”

I went back to playing by myself.

The door behind us opened.

Ni Jiajia walked in.

Cen Yi didn’t look at her; he just kept his head down, watching me continue to build my castle.

Ni Jiajia walked over, her footsteps heavy and thumping.

I looked up at her and asked, “Do you want to play together?”

She ignored me, her eyes stealing glances at Cen Yi.

Fine.

I lowered my head and went back to my castle.

Cen Yi didn’t speak either.

The room suddenly fell silent.

After a while, Ni Jiajia stomped her foot and marched out.