"What are you doing?" Wei Ran tightly gripped the piece of paper, which felt unusually heavy because of the two characters written on it.
"Wei Ran, will you be my girlfriend?" Qi Chengji asked softly.
Wei Ran looked at Qi Chengji in surprise. Although she had already guessed when he mentioned his character, she still felt a jolt when he spoke these words, a strange sensation rising in her lower abdomen.
Her face turned slightly red as she recalled that last night when Wei Ziqi had asked her, she had subconsciously thought of the face that belonged to Qi Chengji.
But she still reacted like she had been burned, stuffing the paper back into his hand.
"I'm sorry, but if I remember correctly, you already have a fiancée. Sorry, I'm not interested in being a mistress," Wei Ran said quickly.
Qi Chengji gently caught her hand as she tried to return the paper: "If you're talking about Song Yu, that was just a childish promise made by adults before we were even born. If I liked her, I wouldn't oppose it. But I don't like her, so I won't bind my life to such a childish game."
"My wife, I want to choose myself," Qi Chengji's deep voice and serious expression revealed a maturity beyond his years.
Wei Ran was shocked by the determination and independence he showed but still pushed the paper back into his hand.
"You don't have to answer me right away. I just want you to know how I feel, and I want you to understand that you shouldn't feel guilty because of my childish engagement. I'll clarify things with Song Yu. We're both still young and shouldn't be tied down to someone we don't love."
"As for us, I just want you to allow me to pursue you." Qi Chengji once again pressed the paper into Wei Ran's hand, not allowing her to push it away.
Qi Chengji firmly held her hand, the soft sensation in his palm causing his thoughts to wander.
Looking at her slightly flushed face, her delicate and charming look made him take a half step forward, coming so close that their breaths could almost touch.
He couldn't help but lower his head, his gaze mesmerized by her slightly parted lips.
Her lips, only coated with lip balm, looked naturally beautiful and seemed to carry a sweet scent, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
Her soft lips kept drawing him down, and just when his lips were only an inch away from hers, he suddenly stopped.
Qi Chengji abruptly straightened up, still looking at her lips, but he took a small step back.
His voice was somewhat restrained: "Sorry, I didn't want to scare you. Let's go, I'll walk you back."
Wei Ran also stepped back, shaking her head. "No, I'll go back on my own!"
Before he could refuse, she ran off ahead.
As she turned the corner, she nearly bumped into someone.
Stopping abruptly, she realized that the person she almost collided with was Ye Nianru.
The Ye family...
Wei Ran murmured an apology as she ran past Ye Nianru, still thinking about the Ye family.
Ye Nianru followed her with a suspicious gaze, watching her until she disappeared around the corner. Only then did she retract her gaze and glance in the direction Wei Ran had come from.
Her eyes caught a fleeting glance of Qi Chengji walking past her.
Ye Nianru instinctively turned around and saw Qi Chengji looking back at her, warning her with a glance, signaling her not to go around spreading rumors.
Then, she watched in surprise as Qi Chengji quietly followed Wei Ran from behind, not leaving until Wei Ran had entered the classroom.
Ye Nianru lingered behind at a distance, glancing between Qi Chengji's retreating figure and Wei Ran's classroom. After a moment of contemplation, she smiled knowingly. "Oh? Is that so!"
Ye Nianru returned to her own classroom. Around her desk, a group of her followers was seated, all surrounding her. Her family, though respectable, couldn't compare to the Ye family's reputation.
When the girls saw her enter, they immediately parted to make way for her to sit down, smiling in a flattering manner.
Ye Nianru casually called over one of the girls, whispering instructions into her ear.
The girl's eyes widened in surprise, then she grinned, a mischievous smile appearing on her face. "I'll go right now!"
"Song Yu! Guess what I just heard!" Guan Xiaolin ran over, speaking in a hushed but exaggerated tone.
Song Yu raised her head from the book Digital Fortress, looking at Guan Xiaolin, who was sitting on the chair in front of her with her arms resting on the back.
"I just overheard Mu Wanru from the class next door saying that Qi Chengji and Wei Ran were having a date at the back of the building near the rockery during lunch!" Guan Xiaolin whispered, her tone dramatic.
She looked around to ensure no one was listening before continuing, "No matter what, you two are already engaged. The whole school knows that the families already arranged your marriage. So when Qi Chengji started getting close to Wei Ran, it's no surprise that people started paying attention."
"Honestly, most of those people are just waiting to see the drama unfold. It would have been fine if Qi Chengji had only been close to Wei Ran, but now they're openly dating. Isn't this a bit too much?"
"Regardless of what's going on between you two, you are his fiancée. He may not want it, but out in public, he should at least show you the respect you deserve! Not just Qi Chengji, but also that Wei Ran—knowing you're his fiancée, yet still acting like this. Isn't she blatantly trying to be the other woman?"
In truth, Guan Xiaolin and Song Yu had a good relationship. Unlike the girls who surrounded Ye Nianru, Guan Xiaolin genuinely cared about Song Yu.
"That Wei Ran always acts so pure and unworldly, like she doesn't compete with others. But what she's doing now is downright disgusting!" Guan Xiaolin fumed, rolling her eyes.
"There's no need to get so angry." Song Yu smiled nonchalantly, picking up a bookmark and slipping it into her book before closing it.