Chapter 65: PREPARATIONS.
The night had settled quietly over the football ground, blanketing the empty field in soft silver under the moonlight. The faint hum of cicadas filled the still air, and distant windows of the dormitory buildings glowed like scattered fireflies.
Hua Rong sat on the bench beside Xu Lingwei, her arms loosely crossed, her eyes fixed on the dark field. After a long stretch of silence, she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you think he's going to let us go?"
Xu Lingwei didn't answer immediately. His hazel-brown eyes reflected the soft shimmer of the night, unreadable but calm. Then, slowly, he leaned back, his hands stuffed lazily in his pockets.
"I think he's already forgotten," he said, his tone casual, almost amused.
"Why?" she pressed, standing up to face him, her silhouette outlined by the dim stadium lights.
Instead of replying, Xu Lingwei reached out and caught her wrist, tugging her effortlessly down onto his lap. Hua Rong let out a soft gasp, her palms landing against his chest.The faint scent of him hit her immediately — fresh soap mixed with the coolness of the night air, and something warmer underneath, something that made her stomach knot.
"Because," he said, his breath brushing against the side of her face, "something bigger must've happened. Bigger than us, causing a scene. That's why Teacher Jiayi came looking like she was holding in a storm."
His hand settled lightly against her waist, firm but easy, and Hua Rong, without thinking, looped her arms around his neck. She could feel the steady beat of his heart under her fingers, grounding and reckless all at once.
"It was you who caused the problem," she muttered, glaring half-heartedly. "We just got dragged into it."
Xu Lingwei only gave her that slow, infuriating smile — the one that made him look both dangerous and heartbreakingly easy to trust. The faint curve of a dimple appeared near his lips.
"And yet here you are," he teased, voice low, "still sticking to me."