Chapter Fourteen: This Seat Belongs to Me

With that single sentence, Yin Lizhe bound the five of them together as if with an invisible rope. From that afternoon, their relationships shifted, taking on a new, subtle complexity.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, every Thursday afternoon was replaced by extracurricular activities—museum visits, lectures, fishing trips. Each week brought a new adventure, and from then on, Class A of the second year began to enjoy privileges that other classes could only envy. While students in other classes sat in their classrooms grappling with abstruse problems, every member of Class A had already left the campus, off on their much-coveted excursions.

This week, the destination was a museum. The school had even arranged a dedicated coach for their class. The teachers didn’t bother to organize everyone onto the bus; instead, they simply gave a departure time, expecting everyone to board before then.

“Hurry up, Wenwen!” Gu Nianxi’s voice rang out from the bathroom entrance.

“I’ll be right there!” Jiang Muwen called back as she hurriedly washed her hands under the faucet. She didn’t even have time to dry her wet hands before rushing out.

Somehow, the girls always seemed to be a little slower than the boys. By the time they reached the bus, almost everyone from the class had already arrived. Ahead of them were Xia Manman and Zhou Yao.

To Jiang Muwen, Zhou Yao was like Xia Manman’s shadow, trailing after her everywhere she went.

Jiang Muwen’s gaze had just settled on Wen Yichen when Xia Manman stopped in front of him. Noticing the empty seat beside him, she asked politely, “Um… may I sit here?” She gestured toward the vacant spot.

Wen Yichen looked up at her, a hint of refusal already clouding his clear eyes, but he didn’t voice it immediately.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. Wen Yichen was just about to decline when Bai Xu slipped past Jiang Muwen and Gu Nianxi, deftly brushing aside Xia Manman and Zhou Yao. In the next second, he slid into the empty seat unceremoniously. “Heh heh, sorry, this seat’s mine!”

The instant Bai Xu sat down beside Wen Yichen, Xia Manman’s face fell, a barely perceptible shadow of displeasure crossing her features.

“What took you so long?” Wen Yichen asked naturally, as if he’d been waiting for Bai Xu.

“Nature calls!” Bai Xu grinned, pulling out his phone. Once Xia Manman had found another seat, he leaned in closer to Wen Yichen and lowered his voice. “So, brother, how are you planning to repay me?”

Bai Xu knew perfectly well that Wen Yichen hadn’t saved that seat for him—though they got along, if Jiang Muwen was around, Bai Xu always tactfully gave up the seat beside Wen Yichen for her.

Seeing Wen Yichen remain silent, Bai Xu tried another tack. “Has your mom asked about me lately?”

Wen Yichen immediately understood what was on Bai Xu’s mind. After a moment, he replied with a languid air, “If you miss my mom, come over for dinner tomorrow.”

A look of satisfaction finally broke over Bai Xu’s face. “Deal!”

Meanwhile, Jiang Muwen and Gu Nianxi were searching for seats. They didn’t want to sit at the front, and the back was packed—except for the last row.

There, alone, sat Yin Lizhe. Whether it was his aura or something else, everyone seemed a little wary of him.

Spotting Jiang Muwen and Gu Nianxi scanning the bus, Yin Lizhe immediately called out, “Hey, over here!” He scooted over, leaving two seats free, and slapped the cushions with restless hands, signaling for them to sit there.

Of course, this drew Wen Yichen’s attention. Watching Jiang Muwen and Gu Nianxi head toward Yin Lizhe, Wen Yichen felt a strange discomfort, as if something solid and unwelcome had lodged in his chest.

His gaze followed Jiang Muwen as she moved toward Yin Lizhe.

Wen Yichen watched Jiang Muwen, Bai Xu watched Wen Yichen, and as Jiang Muwen sat beside Yin Lizhe, Bai Xu could distinctly sense a subtle shift in the atmosphere—a feeling he couldn’t quite name.

Wen Yichen sat there, his expression complicated. At last, Jiang Muwen seemed to feel someone’s eyes fixed on her. She looked up and, quite by accident, met Wen Yichen’s gaze. For just a second, their eyes locked before Wen Yichen looked away, turning to lean back in his seat.

“Chen, are you feeling alright?” Bai Xu scooted closer, his concern barely above a whisper.

“I’m fine,” Wen Yichen replied coolly.

“But you…” Bai Xu started to say more, but one look at Wen Yichen’s face made him think better of it. The next second, he wisely changed the subject. “Wanna play a game?”

Wen Yichen just gave a noncommittal grunt.

Bai Xu glanced at him instinctively, but Wen Yichen was never one to wear his emotions openly. Try as he might, Bai Xu couldn’t tell if Wen Yichen was angry, but one thing was certain—his mood was far from good.

Wen Yichen lowered his gaze and fished his phone out of his pocket. His soft bangs fell forward, casting a faint shadow across his face.

The afternoon sunlight, like silk, spilled over Wen Yichen’s profile, tracing his features with near-perfection, but even that couldn’t dispel the traces of sharpness that lingered on his face.

Having played games with Wen Yichen for so long, Bai Xu knew his temperament well. Though outwardly unruffled, a foul mood could spell disaster. He might not lash out at anyone in particular, but his frustration would find an outlet—often, in the game.

Bai Xu recalled the last time Wen Yichen was upset during a game; he’d been like a wild horse off its reins, impossible to control. Things had nearly spiraled out of control.

To avoid a repeat, Bai Xu wisely suggested, “Chen, let’s do a one-on-one?”

Wen Yichen replied with another quiet assent.

As the coach slowly pulled away, it wasn’t long before the bus was filled with shrieks—the owner of each one, Bai Xu himself.

“Chen, go easy on me!”

“No, stop! Spare me, Chen!”

“I’m sorry, man! Don’t chase me!”