Chapter 66: If you won’t let me piggyback you, then I’ll just carry you in my arms
Based on the direction Fang Xiaoru came from, it was impossible to tell where she had been.
But on several occasions, Qu Danwan had seen a small note on their homeroom teacher’s desk—sometimes unopened, other times just refolded after being read.
Once, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the writing, and it looked like Fang Xiaoru’s handwriting.
’If I didn’t snitch,’ she thought, ’then the only person who could have known about the snacks was someone who went to the teacher’s office right before or right after I did.’
Thinking back on what Lin Xinyao and Song Huihui had said about today’s incident, it seemed Fang Xiaoru had also gone to the teacher’s office earlier. But at that point, Lin Xinyao and Song Huihui hadn’t even returned with the snacks.
Of course, Fang Xiaoru was good friends with them and knew they were planning to buy snacks, so it was possible she had snitched in advance.
Though this suspicion lingered in her mind, Qu Danwan didn’t want to be like the other three and treat her suspicion as fact.
So she didn’t voice any of her thoughts.
"I don’t know—" Qu Danwan’s defense was cut short when a blackboard eraser suddenly flew at her. The dust choked her, sending her into a violent coughing fit. The billowing cloud of chalk dust made Lin Xinyao and Fang Xiaoru instinctively take a few steps back.
"It wasn’t me. Believe it or not, I’m going home." Qu Danwan couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. Seizing the opportunity, she pushed through their circle and bolted out of the classroom.
"Shit, she’s been found out and is trying to run! Xinyao, grab her! If we don’t shut that damn mouth of hers today, our snacks will have gone to waste for nothing!" Song Huihui yelled at Lin Xinyao.
The three of them immediately gave chase.
Lin Xinyao was on the track team and incredibly fast. She caught up to Qu Danwan in no time.
She cornered her right at the top of the stairs. "Get back here."
"I told you it wasn’t me! Let go of me!" Qu Danwan knew if she went back, the three of them would definitely bully her, so she began to struggle fiercely.
But in the struggle at the top of the stairs, her ankle twisted, and she went tumbling down the flight of stairs.
A feeling of weightlessness washed over her, along with the scent of chalk dust.
THUD! Qu Danwan’s knee slammed against the concrete step with a dull crack. A burst of pain exploded from her ankle, and her vision went black.
The setting sun sliced through the window on the landing, splintering into fragmented patches of light in her vision.
"Ah, she’s bleeding!" Fang Xiaoru cried out, staring in terror at Qu Danwan’s knee.
"She actually fell!" Song Huihui was also stunned.
"She wasn’t being careful, it’s not my fault! Quick, let’s go before anyone sees us! If anyone asks, we say we don’t know anything. Deny everything!" Lin Xinyao was frightened by the sight of Qu Danwan and quickly ushered the other two away.
The sound of hurried footsteps faded in the opposite direction. Qu Danwan huddled in the shadows of the staircase, staring at her trembling, chalk-dusted fingertips.
Her ankle was swelling at an alarming rate, stretching the cuff of her school uniform trousers into a purplish-blue shape, like a lump of over-proofed dough. The fabric over her knee was torn, and blood was soaking through.
She tried to move, but immediately fell back into the corner. An excruciating pain shot through her right ankle, immobilizing her.
Just as a wave of helplessness washed over Qu Danwan, the clatter of footsteps sounded from the top of the stairs. A familiar scent of mint mixed with sweat wafted over her.
Qu Danwan looked up to see Zhou Hao’s backlit silhouette hurtling down toward her, framed by the setting sun. The hem of his school uniform whipped about like a flag in the wind.
"Don’t move." Zhou Hao knelt before Qu Danwan, pulling a tissue from his pocket to press against her bleeding knee. "I heard everything."
Zhou Hao had learned that Qu Danwan always stayed after school to do some light cleaning, whether it was her turn for duty or not, so she always went home later than everyone else.
He figured he could use that time to find an opportunity to be alone with her and get a little closer.
So, he had also stayed behind in his classroom, waiting to orchestrate a "coincidental" walk home together.
Even though Class One was next to a staircase, most of its students took a shortcut past Class Two and Class Three to use the stairs on the right when the halls were empty. Zhou Hao remembered seeing Qu Danwan pass his classroom on days he’d been held up before.
That’s why he had deliberately stayed late today. When he saw Chen Mo and Su Yuqing walk past, he had even ducked under a desk to hide.
After all, getting caught by his bro waiting around like a fool for a girl would be way too embarrassing.
But after waiting for a while today, he still hadn’t seen Qu Danwan. He was just wondering if she had decided to take the other staircase for a change when he saw three girls running toward him, their faces stricken with panic.
He overheard them say the name "Danwan."
It was Fang Xiaoru, who worriedly asked as they fled, "Is it really okay to just leave Qu Danwan like that?"
As soon as Zhou Hao heard that, he knew something was wrong and came sprinting over.
Only then did Qu Danwan notice that the hair at his forehead and behind his ears was damp with sweat from his haste.
In her injured and vulnerable state, she looked at this big, tough-looking boy who had been following her for days—the same one who was actually shy and prone to stuttering. For some reason, seeing him now gave her a strange and unexpected sense of security.
Zhou Hao was kneeling beside her, a look of anguish on his face. The hand hovering tremulously over her ankle had veins popping from agitation. He swallowed hard, his eyes slightly red. "Can... can I take a look? I... I used to get into a lot of fights, so I learned a bit about treating sprains and dislocations."
Seeing how careful and nervous he was, yet still trying his best to speak gently to her, Qu Danwan hesitated for only a moment before giving a small nod.
With her permission, Zhou Hao slowly rolled up her pant leg, his touch as gentle as if he were handling something fragile.
Qu Danwan saw a portion of a tattoo peeking out from the cuff of Zhou Hao’s uniform sleeve. It had a cool, indigo hue in the twilight, but his fingertips were surprisingly warm against her skin.
She was usually wary of and put off by boys with tattoos and a delinquent air, as those traits were typically associated with troublemakers.
It was hard for her not to think the same.
But for some reason, she didn’t feel the same aversion or repulsion toward the tattooed boy in front of her.
When Zhou Hao saw that her ankle was swollen like a lump of dough, he suddenly turned and squatted down. "Get on. This is serious. We need to get you to the nurse’s office."
Staring at Zhou Hao’s back as he squatted in front of her, the fabric of his uniform stretched taut across its sharp lines, Qu Danwan suddenly felt her pain subside. She instinctively reached out her hands, trusting him. The boy gave her a feeling of unconditional trustworthiness that surprised even herself.
’Maybe it’s because I’ve seen his shy, endearing side,’ she thought. ’Because I’ve discovered there’s more to him.’
But just as her hands were about to touch his shoulders, she snatched them back, trembling.
"If you don’t let me give you a piggyback ride, I’ll just have to carry you in my arms." Zhou Hao knew she was probably feeling hesitant and shy, but her injury couldn’t wait. So he immediately presented her with an even more intimidating option.