The midday bell rang, and a brief wave of noise swept through the campus.
Lu Chen slung his old, gray canvas bag over one shoulder and quietly exited through the back door of the teaching building. He wasn't in a hurry to eat. Instead, he walked slowly toward the cafeteria, moving at a pace that felt detached from the bustling world around him.
He'd grown used to spending this part of the day alone—just sitting quietly in some shaded corner, watching the world go by.
All around him, groups of students laughed and chattered. The boys bragged about last night's ranked matches; the girls traded the latest gossip about makeup and romances.Lu Chen drifted like a ghost through their midst—unseen, unnoticed.
And truth be told, he didn't mind the peace that came from being ignored.
"Hey, Lu Chen."
A cool, clear voice broke the silence from the side.
Lu Chen paused and turned his head.Under a phoenix tree, Su Qingyu stood with a textbook in her arms, her head slightly bowed. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a gentle glow over her shoulders like a soft halo.
"Hm?" Lu Chen responded, a bit surprised.
Su Qingyu looked at him, her tone as calm as ever.
"You left your pen on the desk today."
She stepped forward and handed him a slightly worn black pen.
"Thanks," Lu Chen said gently, taking it.
Then she asked suddenly,
"Why don't you take notes in class?"
That caught Lu Chen off guard for a moment. He looked at her, then smiled slightly, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"It's faster when I just memorize it."
Su Qingyu raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.Still, something in her expression shifted.
She had thought Lu Chen was just a quiet, forgettable student. But from the way he calmly responded to the teacher's questions in class, to this relaxed exchange now—he didn't quite fit the mold.
"You…" She opened her mouth again, but was interrupted by an unpleasant voice.
"Qingyu, why are you talking to someone like him?"
Zhao Qi had arrived.
Dressed in a custom designer outfit, hair immaculately styled, he strode over with a smug look on his face. He stepped between the two and gave Lu Chen a long, mocking glance.
"Lu Chen, right? Weren't you rich once?What, now you're broke and still think you can talk to Qingyu?"
Su Qingyu's expression darkened. Her displeasure was obvious.
"Zhao Qi, who I talk to is none of your business."
But Zhao Qi just chuckled and turned to Lu Chen, lowering his voice—just enough to still be heard.
"Here's some advice, buddy: stop trying to force your way into a world you don't belong to.Qingyu's out of your league."
Lu Chen's eyes flickered—but he didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled faintly.
"You're right," he said calmly."But sometimes, when you get close enough to something that doesn't belong to you… it just might become yours."
Zhao Qi's grin froze, and his face twisted.
Lu Chen didn't look at him again. He simply nodded at Su Qingyu.
"Thanks for returning my pen. I'll buy you a coffee later."
And with that, he turned and walked away before she could reply.
Su Qingyu watched his back in silence.Then, almost too softly to hear, she said—
"I don't like sweet things."
Lu Chen paused ever so slightly. A smile tugged at his lips, but he didn't look back.
Zhao Qi stood there, face twisted like he'd swallowed a fly.
"F*cking broke loser," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Su Qingyu, however, gave him a cold glance.
"Zhao Qi, if you can't even be polite, then do us both a favor—stop bothering me."
The summer sun slanted through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the ground.And so, a new chapter of the afternoon quietly began.
Some dreamed of standing high above the world.Others… were already starting to raise their heads.