5 Be Careful!

Shao Wenbo listened quietly as Wang Jingyuan poured her heart out to him. He didn't know that he meant this much to her. She wasn't like the other girls who immediately went on their best behavior and used their sweetest voice if he passed by. Wang Jingyuan always acted normally around him—at least, that's what he perceived—and that put him at ease.

He liked how her eyes crinkled into crescent moons when she laughed, how she tilted her head to one side when she pondered a question, and how she pouted and glared at him if he teased her. Shao Wenbo was used to people praising him, but he never tired of how Wang Jingyuan would look at him in awe and gasp if he solved out a particularly hard problem. She was also the only person to call him "Wenbo-ge"; other girls have tried and he coldly told them to address him as "Wenbo" or "Xue Zhang". They didn't say it the same way that Wang Jingyuan did. She had an innocent, youthful aura to her, and for some reason, he was attracted to that.

Shao Wenbo liked Wang Jingyuan, but did he like her the way she liked him? Did he ever think of her as more than a friend, a good teammate, a competition partner? He didn't know. If there was one thing that Shao Wenbo was not able to figure out, it was his own feelings. From the moment he decided to put his studies above all else, he ignored all distractions—and that included romance. A few brave souls had confessed their feelings to him earlier in the years, but now that he had perfected his iceberg aura, most only admire him from afar. And here, a girl he's familiar with and enjoyed being in the presence of, was laying her feelings bare for him. Shao Wenbo did not know how to respond.

As Shao Wenbo contemplated an answer, Wang Jingyuan carefully peered up at him and searched his expression for his response. Her heart sank at the serious look on his face. She knew it. As hopeful as she had been, the little voice in the back of her mind she had been trying to ignore was right: Shao Wenbo saw her as a friend and as nothing else. It was all just her own wishful thinking. And now, after this awkward confession, could they even go back to being friends?

Kraka-boom! Another thunderclap shook the skies. More lightning flashed among the dark clouds. Although it was still mid-afternoon, it was dark as evening outside. The rain pounded the roof of the café. It was definitely not an auspicious day, Wang Jingyuan thought bitterly.

Shao Wenbo must've seen the hopeful light in her eyes dim, because he quickly opened his mouth to speak. "Jing-Jing, I, um…" His tongue twisted on itself, matching the jumble of thoughts in his brain. Despair dawned in Wang Jingyuan's eyes. For the first time in a long time, Shao Wenbo felt a bit of panic. He took a deep breath to calm his thoughts before speaking again.

"Thank you for telling me this, Jing-Jing," he began, choosing his words carefully. "I'm honored to have such a special place in your heart. I know that people say I'm aloof and cold, and they treat me reverently but cautiously. But you have never treated me differently than your friends, and I thank you for that. I enjoy spending time with you too, and having you in Nerd Club is a part of why it's fun."

Wang Jingyuan's eyes widened a little. This sounded a little different than the rejection she was bracing herself for. Was there going to be a plot twist? Could it be that Shao Wenbo actually liked her back? Or was he just padding the rejection with some nice comments to soften the blow?

Shao Wenbo continued. "You should give yourself more credit, Jing-Jing. You're every bit as beautiful and smart and talented as any other girl in school, if not more. You put me on a pedestal and view me as a god, but you overlook your own brilliant accomplishments. You deserve the kindest, most loving man in the world. As to if that person is me, well…I'm not sure."

Wang Jingyuan's heart stopped. Her brain yelled for it to keep beating. That wasn't a no! He did not say he wasn't!

"You're not sure?" Wang Jingyuan echoed slowly. "What does that mean?"

"Well, I—" Shao Wenbo didn't really know how to explain. He wasn't sure of his feelings yet; he needed time to think this through. He was about to tell that to Wang Jingyuan when he happened to glance past her shoulder and through the glass window at the busy intersection outside. The heavy rain blurred the cars that zoomed through, but one white cargo van stood out from the rest. It charged past the traffic lights in a squeal of tires. Lightning flashed again, so close that everyone in the café detected the quick flash.

"Wenbo-ge?" Wang Jingyuan asked questioningly. She noticed that his gaze had strayed.

A slight frown appeared on Shao Wenbo's face. Something was not right.

The next second, he realized why. The cargo van was increasing in size and not decreasing in speed. Perhaps it was due to the heavy rain that made the road unnaturally slippery, the cargo van had strayed from its course on the road. Shao Wenbo saw the driver frantically spinning the steering wheel, but the van was not responsive. It was charging straight towards the café, and Wang Jingyuan and Shao Wenbo were in the middle of its path.

"Jing-Jing, careful!" Shao Wenbo stood up so fast the back of his chair collided heavily with the chair behind him and bounced back to hit him on the back of his knees. Shao Wenbo's legs buckled and he lurched forward, slamming both hands on the table to keep his balance. The coffee cups toppled.

Wang Jingyuan was frozen in place. Shao Wenbo grabbed her wrist from across the table and tried to pull her up and out. At the same time, he tried to slide out from between the table and his chair. His foot caught on the table leg, and he felt his ankle twist.

People were yelling now. Wang Jingyuan looked behind her and saw the van barreling towards them. She stood up and tried to move away from the window, but her blouse got caught in the chair in her panic. "Wenbo-ge!" The terror was clear in her voice.

The van slammed into the glass window, which shattered inwards immediately in a shower of glass and water. Among the squeal of tires and brakes, Wang Jingyuan heard herself scream and Shao Wenbo's desperate yell. There was a loud bang! as a large force collided into her. She felt herself launch into the air.

Then everything went black.