20
I actually believed his nonsense.
But at the same time, I was furious.
I didn’t care how many people were watching us.
I strode right up to him and grabbed Ryan Lee by the sleeve. “Hey, are you blind?”
Even from a distance, I could practically hear my friends gasp in shock.
After all, I wasn’t yelling at just anyone—I was yelling at Ryan Lee, the guy known for fighting and never holding back.
Ryan stopped and turned his head to look at me. “Huh?”
That made me even angrier. I glared at him and demanded, “Why did you delete me?”
Ryan stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking at me like I was a stranger.
He said, “Are we that close?”
I was stunned.
To be fair, we’d only known each other for about a week.
I guess… we really weren’t that close.
But he’d stolen my chicken drumsticks for a whole week!
Seeing me speechless, he curled his lips into a cold, almost cruel smile.
“If we’re not close, why can’t I delete you?”
21
I was absolutely fuming!
This heartless, spoiled, chicken-drumstick thief!
He bossed me around for days, and now he acts like this?
Back in the classroom, I was so mad I tore up all the practice papers Ryan had left in my backpack and asked a classmate to deliver the shredded pieces to his class.
If I ever talk to him again, I’m a dog!
My friend Sophie Chen noticed how irritable I was all day and couldn’t help but ask,
“How did you and Ryan Lee even meet?”
I replied absentmindedly, “At the hospital.”
She suddenly understood, but didn’t press for details.
“So why did you two fight?”
I gritted my teeth and gave a cold laugh. “We didn’t. We’re not close, just strangers.”
Sophie patted my head. “Lily, I know Ryan Lee is ridiculously good-looking,
“But I think my brother is pretty great too!”
Me: “…”
The teacher kept us late, and by the time Sophie and I left the building, she dashed off to the bathroom.
A boy was already waiting under a tree, looking like he’d been there a while.
“Hey there!” I greeted him. “Are you waiting for Sophie to finish her business?”
Eric Chen: “…”
Worried I’d scared him, I quickly corrected myself.
“Oh, she’s in the bathroom. She’ll be out soon.”
Eric stepped forward and took my backpack.
“Sophie has to go to tutoring, so I’m here to walk you home.”
22
Now it was my turn to be surprised.
I said, “No, no, it’s fine. I just take the bus for a few stops.”
Eric nodded. “Didn’t you hear what the teacher said today?”
I fell silent.
The teacher had indeed told us to have our parents pick us up after school if possible.
Apparently, a girl from the lower grades had gone missing after getting off the bus.
It wouldn’t have bothered me if Eric hadn’t brought it up, but now I was starting to get nervous.
“And we live in the same direction, so it’s really no trouble,” he explained.
I thought about it and realized he was right.
Just then, I got a text from Sophie: “I’m heading straight to tutoring, Lily, so let my brother walk you home~ (emoji)”
Wow, she’s not even trying to be subtle.
After Eric and I got on the bus, a swarm of students piled in behind us.
I was squeezed so tightly I was almost on my tiptoes, clutching the hem of my skirt.
The back door opened, and a few more students squeezed in.
Just as I managed to steady myself, the driver hit the brakes. Eric couldn’t catch me, and I ended up stumbling forward, grabbing onto someone’s waist.
There was a sweet orange scent mixed with a hint of minty smoke.
I had a bad feeling and looked up—right into a pair of dark eyes.
Crap, it was Ryan Lee again.