Chapter 6: Still Alive, Aren’t I?

For the first time, Lu Qingyue’s little book of grudges recorded the name of someone utterly unremarkable—the long-legged playboy.

Yet, the chance to exact her revenge never seemed to present itself. Since the end of military training, they’d returned to their high school classes, separated from Jiang University by nothing more than a wall. But class hours didn’t overlap, and even after school, their schedules never matched up. There was simply no opportunity to run into him.

Thus, Lu Qingyue’s grand plan for vengeance was put on hold, and in the blink of an eye, two weeks slipped by.

That weekend, Lu Yi didn’t come home. Ever since he’d gone off to college, his visits had become rare enough to count on one hand, so the family was used to it by now—nobody thought anything of it.

On Sunday afternoon, Lu Qingyue woke from her nap and sat down to do her homework. She’d chosen a combination of physics and biochemistry this year—six subjects in all, and they left her seeing stars. By five, she still had two math papers left, but she was simply too exhausted to carry on.

She stepped out of her room for some water, only then realizing her parents had gone out too. The large house was silent, leaving her completely alone.

With no one else at home, she certainly didn’t feel like cooking. In truth, her culinary skills were dismal; she was still stuck at the stage where her shredded potatoes were half-raw and she’d forget to add eggs to her scrambled tomatoes.

So Lu Qingyue tidied her desk, pulled out her phone, and messaged her cousin Lu Ming, intending to invite him to dinner that evening—mainly to mooch off his meal.

Nominally, Lu Ming was her cousin, but in reality, he was only a few days older. The two had grown up together, bickering all the way into adulthood, so familiar with each other that a glance could reveal the other’s intentions.

Lu Qingyue sent a concise message of just two characters.

[Lu Dandan]: Dinner?

A few minutes later, he replied.

[Lu Ming]: No dinner, playing ball.

Tsk.

Playing ball on a weekend? Have you finished your homework before hitting the court?

Lu Qingyue suspected he was only using “playing ball” as an excuse to show off and flirt, but she had no proof.

Even without company, she was determined to eat out. Since she couldn’t score a free meal, she changed into something casual, grabbed her phone, and headed out in search of food.

Her home was an old villa in a wealthy neighborhood. Her father had bought it before he’d even married, or so the story went. Yet, the housing prices nearby were so high that after more than a decade, there was still no bustling shopping street around, leaving the area feeling devoid of that lively, everyday atmosphere.

Lu Qingyue decided to settle for some cheap fast food, which meant heading to the food street behind the school.

That street was even older than she was. It had started as a narrow alley between Jiang University and its affiliated high school, but thanks to the steady business from nearby students, more vendors had moved in. Eventually, the city government redeveloped the area, turning it into a genuine food street.

She could take a shortcut through Jiang University’s outdoor basketball courts. As she passed by, all four standard courts were bustling, the rhythmic thump of basketballs filling the air, punctuated by the occasional cheers and whistles from the boys.

A vibrant display of youthful energy.

Lu Qingyue had no real interest in basketball, but the heat of the moment made it hard not to glance over.

As she turned her head, she happened to see an orange basketball soaring through the air, tracing a flawless arc before dropping cleanly into the hoop with a satisfying thud.

It was a near-perfect shot—even Lu Qingyue, who knew little about basketball, could see that.

Someone on the sidelines whistled, and cheers erupted.

Among the crowd, Lu Qingyue spotted Lu Ming and was about to call out to him when her eyes landed on a tall figure at the center of the celebration. He looked strikingly familiar.

Wasn’t that the very person she’d written into her little book of grudges?

On this early autumn afternoon in the south, the weather was still scorching. He wore a simple white T-shirt and dark athletic pants. The thin fabric hinted at the lines of his shoulders and back—slender, but well-toned.

Sweaty from tennis, he walked to the sidelines for water, casually lifting his shirt to wipe his brow.

In that fleeting moment, Lu Qingyue caught an unguarded glimpse of his lightly defined abs. Not overly muscular, but undeniably lean and powerful, the lines of his abdomen traced cleanly down into his waistband.

Her eyes lingered despite herself.

For a scoundrel, he had a pretty good figure.

But what did it matter? He was a tattletale!

Lu Qingyue snapped back to herself, all thoughts of appreciating his looks vanishing. She lazily skirted the edge of the court, heading toward the food street.

The sound of basketballs bouncing on the court resumed—the second half had clearly begun.

Lu Qingyue kept her head down, paying no attention to the game. Suddenly, a shout broke out.

“Watch out!”

She froze instinctively at the cry, turning in the direction of the voice.

With a loud “thud,” she had no time to react before a basketball struck her square on the forehead, sending her stumbling back and crashing to the ground, stars exploding in her vision.

The ball wasn’t particularly heavy, but the force was enough to daze her. Sprawled on the ground, her forehead burned and her mind spun. Her supporting arm gave way, and she collapsed completely.

Hurried footsteps rushed to her side.

Lu Qingyue stared up at the sun, intending to collect herself before rising. But before she could, several anxious faces appeared overhead, all looking down at her in panic.

Being scrutinized in such a manner made her feel awkward and embarrassed—especially since the crowd was full of basketball boys, among them Lu Ming and, she thought, even Lu Yi…

Lu Qingyue, after all, was a girl—her skin thin, her pride fragile. She couldn’t bear to remain on the ground under so many eyes and began to struggle upright. At that moment, a shadow fell over her, accompanied by the crisp scent of sea salt.

The scent was familiar, though she couldn’t immediately place it.

Lu Qingyue tilted her head and met the gaze of the face above her. For a few dazed seconds, she blinked, then suddenly realized—wasn’t this the long-legged playboy she’d written down in her book?

Lu Qingyue: “???” Why are you everywhere I go?

For a moment, a sense of hopeless confusion overwhelmed her.

She desperately wanted to ask: Why is it that every time she encountered him, she was—flat on the ground?

Couldn’t she make her entrance with a little dignity, just once? How was she supposed to summon her imposing aura of 180 centimeters and confront him when things always went this way?

Resigned, Lu Qingyue shut her eyes, unable to bear the sight of the face that so thoroughly ruined her mood.

Sunlight dappled her face, gilding her pale skin with a warm, golden sheen.

Cheng Xingye squatted down beside her, bracing his knee, not caring about the ambiguous play of light and shadow, his tone urgent and a little frantic.

“Are you alright?”

He’d thrown the ball that hit her, though it hadn’t been heading her way at first—Lu Ming, seeing it about to go out of bounds, had reflexively leapt up and tipped it, sending its arc off course and squarely onto this unlucky girl’s head.

Dazed and throbbing, Lu Qingyue had no desire to answer him.

She thought she’d just rest for a bit, but then Lu Yi’s teasing voice sounded overhead.

“Did she die?”

Lu Qingyue: …How utterly rude!

She couldn’t tell if she was annoyed with Lu Yi or simply wanted to scare Cheng Xingye, but she stubbornly kept her eyes closed, sulking in silence.

But the next second, she sensed a shadow looming even closer. Someone took her arm, as if about to lift her up in their embrace.

Imagining that Lu Yi had finally grown a conscience, Lu Qingyue opened her eyes abruptly—only to be met with that fresh, clean scent of sea salt.

Under the vast daylight, their eyes met at close range, both startled into stillness.

Cheng Xingye recovered first, straightening up and backing away a little, a hint of teasing in his voice.

“See? Still alive, aren’t you?”