Chapter 14 Want to Walk the Same Path with You_3

He thought the other would turn their head and walk away directly. However, their reaction was beyond his expectations.

"You're absolutely right,"

Lin Xingjie nodded calmly in agreement, showing no sign of anger.

"..."

"But there are always difficulties. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to understand someone else's life."

The girl's gaze drifted elsewhere as she unconsciously twisted a lock of hair that had fallen beside her ear.

"Change itself is not an easy thing, you say not to be alone, but where can one find ordinary students to be friends with now?"

Hearing this, Xu Xiangyang suddenly felt his tongue go dry. He licked his lips and after hesitating for a good while, he said in a low voice,

"...I can help you."

"Oh?"

Lin Xingjie's eyes shifted back to him.

"Didn't you say before that you and I were not on the same path? Why would you want to help me?"

"What I meant to say was..."

Xu Xiangyang hadn't expected her to suddenly bring up the incident from that afternoon and paused mid-sentence.

So she had been dwelling on those words this whole time?

...No, that's not right. The one who cared wasn't just her.

Xu Xiangyang once again recalled the scene when they first met.

He felt like he was grasping at a clue: about the ignorance in his heart, the inexplicable irritability, his views towards Lin Xingjie, and the tangled emotions... he was finally beginning to understand.

"I mean, I've always regretted that we couldn't walk the same path,"

he said.

"I see."

Lin Xingjie nodded again, her expression largely unchanged.

She looked down at her shoes and then up at his face, remaining silent for a while.

Xu Xiangyang couldn't fathom her thoughts and could only stand there foolishly.

Then, he saw Lin Xingjie stretch a hand out from her sleeve and raise a fist towards him.

Xu Xiangyang was taken aback.

Was she... really going to hit me? But her expression didn't suggest that, it seemed more like... was it shyness? Her fist didn't seem to carry any force either.

"Hurry up, don't make it awkward,"

the girl whispered.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw her fair cheeks flush ever so slightly.

"You..."

"Yes. I think so too."

Lin Xingjie's eyes were exceptionally sincere.

Despite this, Xu Xiangyang still found her change of mind too easy and struggled to react. Yet his hand still instinctively raised and gently touched her fist.

Lin Xingjie must have been a martial arts heroine in her past life, he thought, for her choice of hand gesture to be this.

After they lowered their hands, there was a moment of silence between them.

"Just to be clear," the girl brought her hand to her mouth and coughed lightly, "since we're walking the same path now, from this moment on we're friends who will help each other, you've got to keep your word."

"As long as you're truly... truly willing to change, I will help you."

"Would you mind keeping me company a bit longer? I'm hungry and want to grab a bite to eat. It's on me... ah, don't misunderstand, I said I wanted to repay you, and it's not just this one thing, being friends doesn't mean it doesn't count."

Xu Xiangyang nodded hesitantly.

"But won't your parents worry? Don't you need to let them know?"

"Don't worry about it, my family won't mind."

Lin Xingjie turned her face and took the lead.

In a place Xu Xiangyang couldn't see, her beautiful eyes squinted gently like a caressed kitten, her expression both adorable and tinged with a touch of naïve charm. Her cheerful mood was written all over her face.

"Let's hurry!" She moved forward with light steps, "If you fall behind, I'm not going to wait for you forever."

...You're not really planning to treat me, are you?

Xu Xiangyang thought, but his feet involuntarily quickened as he followed the girl with long, straight black hair, heading down the street.