Chapter Nineteen: No Twin Wings of a Colorful Phoenix

… Just as she dashed to the door, she saw Ren Jiaxuan carrying her chair in one hand and her notebook in the other, heading out.

Dong Yanyan couldn’t help but laugh, half-joking, “Senior, why don’t you just put the notebook on the chair and kick it over? I’ll catch it!”

Before her words even finished, Ren Jiaxuan gave the chair a solid kick. It slid swiftly down the corridor and stopped perfectly in front of her.

“Thanks!” Dong Yanyan stepped onto the chair, smiling.

Ren Jiaxuan leaned against the doorway of the broadcasting class, his smile meaningful, “You’re quite the little rascal! But why do I sense a hint of illicit romance in your monologue? So young and already so naughty?”

“Senior, you flatter me, and your sense of smell is quite sharp. But I’m curious—what did Wu Yuanheng do to provoke you so much? Did he jump into a well with your family’s child or something?” Dong Yanyan stuck out her tongue at him, making a playful face, then slammed the back door of the classroom shut.

Being small and playing small had its perks! She hadn’t made such a childish face in ages—it made her nostalgic just thinking about it.

She tilted her head, pursing her lips and letting her thoughts wander, when suddenly she heard Ren shout from across the hall, “You’re getting cheekier, aren’t you? I’m about to lose my temper!” Then came the sound of a door slamming—likely his classroom.

During evening study, Song Mingcheng didn’t show up, so Dong Yanyan took his empty seat and asked Lin Feng to teach her calligraphy. Lin Feng’s penmanship was beautiful—something Dong Yanyan had always admired. Now, with such a golden opportunity, she could practice her writing and flirt with a handsome guy, a win-win situation.

As the evening bell rang, Li Hui burst in from the back door, spotted Dong Yanyan sitting at the back, and tapped her desk, eyeing her sideways, “Number Five, I heard you stole the spotlight in the broadcasting class today! You’re impressive!”

“It wasn’t me seeking attention—they deliberately wanted to see us make fools of ourselves. I couldn’t let our media class lose face, could I?” Dong Yanyan sensed something off in Li Hui’s tone and replied coolly.

Leng Haoyang, sitting in front, turned around, tapping her desk with a smile, “Yanyan, I heard the broadcasting class gave Ren Jiaxuan a nickname—‘Jumping into a well with a baby’!”

“What?” Dong Yanyan pressed her hand to her forehead, amused and exasperated. “That’s a terrible nickname—it sounds Japanese.”

Leng Haoyang smirked and continued, “When Ren Jiaxuan got angry, he gave you a nickname too—‘Duck’!”

Dong Yanyan was instantly fired up, slapping the desk, “Why does he call me duck? He’s the duck!” Truth be told, Ren did have the makings of a duck—good looks, and as a Latin dancer, he certainly had the curves. Thinking such wicked thoughts, she couldn’t help but laugh aloud, accidentally tearing the edge of her paper with her fountain pen. She secretly grimaced.

“This one’s not good—I’ll rewrite it!” She turned a page in her workbook and traced lines carefully with her pen.

Lin Feng reached over from behind, gently holding her right hand. The warmth of his palm sent a ripple through her heart. After fifteen years, she was finally holding these hands again! His arm draped around her shoulder, his breath warm against her ear—subtle and fleeting. This indirect embrace felt both familiar and bittersweet, like a dream.

What should she write?

“Without wings of a colorful phoenix, hearts are still united in understanding.” The words flowed across the page, and Dong Yanyan felt a pang of nostalgia—once, that thin sheet of paper was tucked into her diary and locked away for over a decade.

“Yanyan, you have a knack for speaking and writing—why didn’t you run for class committee back then?” Lin Feng’s gentle question pulled her back to reality. She sighed inwardly: Brother, you never gave me the chance! When I first started school, did you ever pay attention to me?

“I’m a slow starter—only just settling in these past few days!” she answered casually.

“Then, whenever the class needs you in the future, you have to help me out,” Lin Feng said with a smile.

Dong Yanyan wished he’d ask for her help every day. If their feelings grew like this, there was hope for her love.

*

After evening study, Dong Yanyan went to the playground to watch Lin Feng play basketball. Lin Feng took off his jacket and tossed it to her. She draped it over her shoulders and sat on the steps by the entrance. Early autumn nights weren’t too chilly, and many students were already sitting in small groups on the steps. Dong Yanyan sat among them, chatting casually. Given the school’s unique environment, this was almost the only place, aside from the classroom, where students could relax and socialize after evening study. Not far away stood a small building—the teachers’ office. No matter the weather, it always looked gloomy, and the rain-damaged lights never got fixed. Unless someone wanted to see ghosts, no one would wander there.

In those days, basketball and guitar were essential for boys hoping to charm girls. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), Lin Feng excelled at both, which always made Dong Yanyan’s heart flutter. Later, she realized that, outside the campus, basketball and guitar didn’t matter—but now, she cherished and clung to that pure feeling even more.

The little flower bed held none of autumn’s desolation; instead, there was a familiar scent of grass and leaves. Yes, everything was so familiar, so familiar she thought she might be dreaming—what a beautiful dream.

Someone tapped her shoulder and placed something cold in her hand.

“Here, ice cream!” Yang Xiaohai mumbled, holding an ice cream in his mouth.

Dong Yanyan unwrapped it and felt a bit guilty—her mind went wicked again! It was the trendy Banana King, shaped and flavored like a banana. She used to love it, but now, after staring at it for ages, she didn’t know how to take a bite. Eventually she steeled herself and bit into it fiercely.

“I don’t like this—next time buy me Big Foot!” she complained. Then, thinking it over, licking a big foot wasn’t much better than licking a banana. What was popular back then?

Maybe her outlook had changed. Years later, so many homebody girls like her would sit at home, mocking and envying the outside world, slowly turning into pseudo-fujoshi who daydreamed for no reason. Was it a lack of passion for life? Not at all—it was just a way to vent excess energy and enthusiasm with a devil-may-care attitude.

A few boys from the broadcasting class entered the campus, ice creams in hand. Yang Xiaohai, sharp-eyed, pointed and shouted, “That ‘Jumping into a well with a baby’ is back!”

His shout drew the attention of a dozen boys and girls nearby, all turning to look at Ren Jiaxuan.

Dong Yanyan raised her hand and knocked Yang Xiaohai’s head hard, scolding, “What are you yelling for? Is your brain waterlogged? Stay away from me, you hear? You’re going to get me killed!” She moved toward the edge of the flower bed, scooting into a spot where the light didn’t reach, finally feeling safe.

Ren Jiaxuan arrived, kicked off his leather shoes and switched to sneakers, heading straight for the basketball court.

“Lin Feng, toss me a ball!” he shouted. Lin Feng passed the ball, Ren caught it, dribbled a few times, sprinted, and went for a layup. The ball spun twice on the rim and missed.

“Toss you a ball…” Dong Yanyan hid inside Lin Feng’s jacket, hugging her shoulders and giggling quietly.

Once upon a time, all she could do was watch him from afar, feeling his presence through his jacket, imagining being embraced by him.