Chapter 13: Fluttering Heart

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Another camera was filming Ning Xue for a separate shot.

It was when Jessica finished cleaning and grabbed her backpack that she’d realized the night sky was settling in. She was walking to the school gate when she’d noticed a shadow trailing behind her.

She stood still a hundred meters away from the exit and turned around. Jack stopped as he met her eyes, tugging the hem of his shirt, unable to form his words.

Ning Xue winced at the sight of his injury—it wasn’t real, of course, but it’d felt like her heart shattered.

Without a word, Jessica turned to the mart next to them. When she came out, she saw he was still waiting for her at the same spot.

“Uh, I-I didn’t mean to follow you,” Jack stuttered. “I—”

Before finishing his sentence, Jessica interrupted him by handing him a tube and mask. “Apply this twice a day, and the face mask to hide your scar. Better keep your parents in the dark than having them worry about you.”

While he was still in a daze, she turned away from him like none of the conversations had happened. Another ten more steps further, she looked back and gave him a crooked grin, sounding embarrassed, “You can stop following me now. We don’t live on the same street. So, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She blushed.

Her words left Jack rooted on the spot—how’d she know where he lived? Wait, did she take a peek at the student name list? He chuckled.

The shot was beautifully filmed, which the director only snapped out of it after a minute.

“Cut! Perfect! It was spot-on! I’m not exaggerating when I say you are our new favorite power couple!”

After another short break, the crew was ready to film the last scene of the day—Jessica’s final appearance. Jiang Sheng and Ning Xue had changed their clothes.

Jack woke up almost noon when it was too hot to sleep anymore. He went through with his morning routine before having the first meal of his day.

“So we did run out of soy sauce, eh? I knew those dumplings tasted off. Go get us a bottle now.”

Mumbling an okay, Jack slipped into his sandals and headed out in his pajamas. He went straight for the aisle in the store, immediately hunting the bottle and taking it to the counter. Holding the bottle, he walked down the trail running among the trees leading to his home, his hair even messier from the strong wind.

Next thing he knew, a white, fluffy large dog came out of nowhere and pounced on him, a shrieking voice following it behind.

“Stop, Bunny!”

The dog barked, crashed into Jack, and circled him. Then, it pressed its head on his leg. A dog named Bunny—weird enough. Wait, he’d heard that voice before. Could there be such a coincidence?

He whirled around only to see Jessica. It was the weekend, and she wasn’t in her uniform that day. She wore a plain white T-shirt with a checkered skirt, and she was extra cute with the teddy bear flip-flops on. She even wore her hair down today, her face bare. She gave off a gentler vibe here, unlike her usual independent, polished self.

“Oh, hey. Funny seeing you here. You don’t live around this neighborhood, do you?”

When Jessica advanced, Bunny bolted back to her feet. She smiled. “My parents are out of town. I came here to live with my aunt for a few days. I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

There was a pause. “I’d better get this soy sauce back home. My family’s waiting for the seasoning.”

“Mhm. See you.”

After Jack bid her goodbye and continued walking, she called him again. He turned to her.

A break in the clouds spilled the sunrays as they hit her face—still flashing a warm smile—and he could almost see his reflection in her eyes when she said, “You look cute today.”

Jiang Sheng saw her mouthed his name before her sentence—it was a personal message directed to him, too. A breeze swept in, stirring the thin hairs on her forehead and his heart along the way. There was no way she’d think he looked cute looking like a hobo, he thought. After all this while, his heart still pounded for her whenever she tried something on him.