Chapter 31: Road Robbery (Part 2)

As soon as they stepped out of No. 2 Middle School's gate, Tong Lei pulled out a slim little flashlight from her bag. It wasn't too bright, but it lit up the path ahead just enough. In that soft glow, her features seemed even more delicate—fair skin, clear eyes, her crystal-like earlobes catching the light. Ji Feng's heart skipped a beat again.

"Class monitor, let me carry your bag and the flashlight for you," Ji Feng said, already reaching for them.

Tong Lei didn't argue. She just smiled. She'd seen guys act polite before, but Ji Feng… he wasn't pretending. He was calm, natural—genuine. Something about that made her chest feel warm.

Soon, she noticed something strange. Her flashlight had always been kind of weak—practically a toy. But tonight, the light seemed steadier, more focused.

She looked down, then glanced at Ji Feng. And just like that, her heart melted a little more.

He was holding the flashlight just right, always pointing it exactly where she needed to step. Not too far ahead, not too close—just perfectly matching her pace. Ji Feng was walking beside her, half in the shadows, using what little light was left to see for himself.

Anyone who's used a flashlight in the dark knows—your eyes adjust eventually. But once you turn on a weak flashlight, it can actually make things worse. That meant Ji Feng had basically given up his own sight so she could see clearly.

He's… really considerate, Tong Lei thought.

She never planned to fall in love in high school, but—at eighteen, nineteen—it's impossible not to notice when someone's different. She wasn't blind, and Ji Feng was definitely different.

"You know, Ji Feng," she said suddenly, her voice soft, "you're really smart. Your memory is amazing. If you keep working hard, I'm sure you'll get into a great university."

Ji Feng shook his head, smiling a little. "Having a good memory doesn't mean I can actually learn well. You've seen it—I really struggle when it comes to applying what I know. If I don't improve, I might not even make it into a third-rate college."

"You've got to believe in yourself!" Tong Lei said quickly, her brows furrowing. She thought he was just being modest—but maybe he really didn't have confidence in himself? That thought made her feel… weirdly upset.

"Don't worry about that flexibility stuff. I'll keep tutoring you. With your brain? You'll be fine!"

Ji Feng gave a little smile but didn't say much. If it wasn't for that intelligent brain… he thought to himself. Before that, he'd never once been called smart. This new version of himself? It wasn't really all him.

"I mean it, Ji Feng. You have to believe in yourself!" Tong Lei pressed again, her eyes locking onto his. "Attitude is even more important than talent sometimes. I promise—there's no one in our school who can compare to you. You're the best!"

Ji Feng was taken aback. Looking at her anxious little face, something warm flowed through him. This feeling… he couldn't describe it.

He nodded. "I'm confident. Don't worry."

"You… Why should I be worrying about you?" Tong Lei blurted out, her cheeks suddenly going pink. Ugh, what did I just say? Her face turned red, realizing how she must've sounded.

They walked in silence for a bit, the air awkward but kind of sweet.

Still, Ji Feng kept the light on her steps, guiding her just like before—like the whole thing had been programmed perfectly.

Don't overthink it, Ji Feng reminded himself. You've got nothing right now. If you want her to care about you, work hard—become someone who deserves that.

"Let's take the side path," Tong Lei said suddenly.

"The side path?" Ji Feng raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one by the moat? That place isn't very safe."

There were a few routes from school to the County Party Committee housing, and one went by the riverbank—shady trees, no lights. People avoided it at night because of all the sketchy stuff that happened there.

Normally, even with Zhang Lei around, Tong Lei would never take that route. But now, just to shake off this odd tension, she suddenly felt a little playful.

"What, Ji Feng? You scared?" she teased with a giggle.

"Honestly? Yeah, a little." Ji Feng surprised her with his bluntness. Then he grinned. "But since you dared me, how can I back down now? Let's go!"

Tong Lei was stunned for a second. Then she laughed and nodded. "Okay then, let's go!"

As they turned off onto the dark side path, she immediately felt a bit nervous. The road was quiet, too quiet.

"Let's walk faster," she whispered.

"Agreed," Ji Feng said with a half-smile. He wasn't going to risk anything—even if he wanted to act brave.

They picked up the pace, half-jogging. Within minutes, they'd already covered half the path.

"Seems like our luck's good tonight. No bad guys in sight!" Ji Feng joked.

But just as the words left his mouth, he froze—and reached out, grabbing Tong Lei's wrist.

"Wh-what is it?" Tong Lei asked, alarmed.

Ji Feng gave a helpless smile and pointed ahead while switching off the flashlight.

"I guess I really jinxed it. Look."

Tong Lei followed his gaze. Two blurry figures were standing in the shadows ahead.

Her face changed. "Ji Feng, what do we do now?"

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