61. Call me Senpai~

Coming to a stop, Chen Jingyun glanced at Li Minghao out of habit. She wanted to see how he was doing. Before she would check and then carry on with her racing, but now she could only watch and let a laugh escape out of her lips. She probably looked like a maniac laughing out of the blue and by herself.

She just found the silent tone of despair in Li Minghao's face such a hilarious scene. No matter how much o fa pro he was at maintaining a poker face, and keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself., Chen Jingyun could easily tell he was having a breakdown from being far away from the railing.

She would have asked why he even bothered to skate away from it. After all, there was no rule written in stone or in the sand that says adults should give way to kids at ice skating rings.

The kid and the mom would manage either way, but he still decided to put himself on the spot.

He truly reminded her of her young self when she had begun to learn how to skate.

Always acting high and making herself work harder than other kids by forcing herself outside of her comfort zone.

Shaking her head at the trembling giant, Chen Jingyun decided to come to the rescue.

Skating all the way towards Li Minghao, Chen Jingyun showed up with a smile. One that seemed permanent on her lips this evening.

"Hello, sir. Do you need help?"

Rolling his eyes at her cheekiness, Li Minghao answered in a flat tone as he looked down at his stiff legs.

"What do you think?" He looked back at her. The cold emanating off him.

But it didn't faze Chen Jingyun.

Laughing merrily, Chen Jingyun grabbed Li Minghao's sides and lead him to safety once again. Leading him away from the mother and kid pair.

"Hey hey hey! You are going the wrong way!" Li Minghao complained. "I already went through this part."

"Yes, yes." Chen Jingyun nodded nonchalantly. "But the kid will catch up to you if you are ahead of him. So, it is better to go a few meters back. Don't you think?"

Li Minghao blew his hair in annoyance as he grabbed onto the railing once again.

"Then I think you better let me leave this damned ring."

"I will! After one round. Besides, you weren't doing what I taught you. You are still doing weird things to your ankle! You might sprain it."

"If that happens, you will be held responsible, just so you know."

Chen Jingyun nodded without care.

"Sure, if anything happens to you, I will pay your hospital V.I.P. bills. Don't worry."

Giving her a deadpanned expression, Li Minghao didn't know whether to say something or ignore her.

The hospital bills were the least of his concern.

"... Let's just get this over with." Li Minghao chose to wave it off. "Tell me, how does one do this thing?"

Smiling, Chen Jingyun began to explain the basics once again. But instead of leaving as he had asked her to before, she stubbornly stayed and watched over him. Whenever she saw an opportunity to correct him, she would explain it to him and watch him execute it himself.

Li Minghao would have thought she was so kind if she didn't look like she was enjoying herself a little too much.

"Young grasshopper, how about you call me Senpai~"

"Shut up."

(¬_¬)"

Finally, little by little yet very quickly, Li Minghao successfully finished a lap around the ring and leveled up his skating skills. It was only a round of Chen Jingyun's constant babysitting, and yet he now no longer depended so much on the railing to skate or maintain a semblance of balance. It also had to be due to the fact that he was a fast learner if he released any internal blocks.

Remaining near the exit of the ring, Chen Jingyun tilted her head in a cherry way at Li Minghao.

"So, how is it? Is skating as terrible as before?"

Li Minghao scoffed as he stepped out of the ring looking much more confident. His back straightening like a rod.

"It is still terrible." He bit out.

Then he looked back at her, his voice in a much softer tone.

"But. I see why it could be fun."

I didn't hate it. His eyes said.

Hearing such a positive reply, Chen Jingyun immediately got excited.

"Yes! We should come again! Next time-"

But before she could carry on, Li Minghao held out his finger, silencing her in one move.

"No."

Chen Jingyun only smiled in response.

"Fine, fine. If the opportunity comes up, let's continue your training."

Narrowing his eyes at her, Li Minghao marked in his mind and brain he wouldn't let such training carry on, but he didn't say anything. Eventually, the girl will forget.

Hopefully.

"I will be waiting outside the ring. Have fun." He said before leaving to give back the skates.

Reaching the counter area, Li Minghao sat down on a nearby couch and started to take off the skates. He was all by himself, surrounded by strangers and smelly shoes. For a second he held his breath.

If Chen Jingyun hadn't given him extra socks to wear, he would have refused to even put such a bomb of germs. In fact, if she had told him where they were going, he wouldn't have come.

At least not to this establishment. He would have rented out somewhere less crowded and sent someone to buy him a pair of new skates.

An one for her too, of course.

Within him, there was a weird feeling when he thought of Chen Jingyun's position in his life. Before he had found out she was truly a girl in disguise he had started to consider her as a brother, a new friend. But now that he knew the truth, and he also knew he couldn't actually kick her out, he didn't know what type of title he would give her.

Friend? Well, the girl was as clumsy as before. Nothing much changed from her actions as a man and after her reveal.

Stranger? It could also be... but somehow it didn't seem fitting.

Troublemaker? Seems about right.

Despite everything, he had to admit he enjoyed her company.

Ignoring the looks of the clerk, Li Minghao returned the skates way before his time in the ring was up. Anyone else would have thought it was a waste of money, for him it was a much-needed break.

Heading back to the ring area, Li Minghao found a seat with a great view of the establishment and quietly watched Chen Jingyun make her rounds in the skating rink.

That is until a certain pair showed up.