Not only was Han Yu looking at Liu Fengying with a gaze full of expectation, but so was Hua Shu; of course, after everything that had been said, one didn't need to be a mind reader to realize that the answers the two of them hoped to hear were polar opposites.
Furthermore, if anyone had seen a photo capturing that scene, they would have thought Liu Fengying was at a major crossroads; after all, both people in front of her seemed confident that things would unfold exactly as they desired.
However, the reality was quite the contrary. For Liu Fengying, the option of accepting Han Yu's confession was practically non-existent; the thought of using him—letting him believe he stood a chance as long as he pleased her—hadn't even crossed her mind. So, what "choice" was there to speak of, really?
Had it not been for Hua Shu's intervention, the matter with Han Yu would likely have been settled by then. From that perspective, one could say things had actually turned out as well as they possibly could for him.
Regardless, now that Hua Shu had vented, Liu Fengying felt it was time to put an end to this charade. She also found the way Han Yu looked at her extremely annoying—as if he truly believed he meant something to her—and she wanted to bring him back to reality as quickly as possible.
Yet, Liu Fengying couldn't put her intentions into practice. Just before she could open her mouth, a heavy, forced footstep followed by a scream echoed from the top of the stairs. In Liu Fengying's mind, which was already several times faster than that of an average human, it took only a fraction of a second to realize that someone had fallen—and moreover, it was someone she knew.
Without a moment's hesitation, she leaped up the stairs, clearing more than ten steps at once, and just as the falling person was a mere ten centimeters away from hitting the corner of a step, she managed to catch them in her arms.
"...", a deathly silence fell over the surroundings, so thick you could have heard a pin drop. Because of the sheer speed of both the accident and the rescue, the witnesses stood dazed, gripped by a mixture of fear, relief, and utter bewilderment. Many of them had covered their mouths with their hands, as if they had just witnessed the impossible.
Indeed, Liu Fengying's actions were truly unbelievable; both the speed and the power behind her leap were feats comparable to those of a world-class athlete. What was even more astonishing was that it all happened completely unprompted. Who could possess such reaction time? Perhaps not even a member of the Special Forces.
Only after Liu Fengying descended the stairs, carrying the woman she had saved in her arms, did the crowd begin to react:
"I completely forgot to breathe for a second... that was too intense..."
"What a relief no one was hurt..."
"How on earth was Liu Fengying able to pull off a move like that?"
"It was like a scene straight out of a movie..."
"She's so handsome..."
"Wait a minute, the person in Liu Fengying's arms... isn't that Professor Wei?"
Once Professor Wei's name was mentioned, as if on cue, everyone's eyes locked onto the woman in Liu Fengying's arms. After all, if the one saved truly was Professor Wei, things were about to get even more interesting.
Now, since the woman's face was turned towards Liu Fengying's chest, it normally wouldn't have been easy to identify her. But how many women in the school had such a silhouette? And those ankles swaying in the air... if it wasn't Professor Wei, who else could it be?
"Damn..." a boy's excited whisper broke through the silence that had settled once more. "I'm witnessing the impossible: the 'Ice Cube' Wei being carried like a princess. This is probably the greatest highlight of my entire high school life."
Although the rest of the boys didn't dare say it out loud, nearly all of them nodded with almost ceremonial gravity. They hadn't even dared to imagine such a scene involving Professor Wei, let alone believe they would actually witness it. After all, she always maintained a cold, indifferent attitude that was completely at odds with her current posture—looking like a small, obedient wife.
"...", Professor Wei, who was indeed in Liu Fengying's arms at that moment, was irritated by the surrounding drama but couldn't help but admit they were right; she had never imagined herself in such a position either.
Well, one could say the stars had aligned quite unfavorably for her this time: not only had the school administration allowed someone to stage a grand confession and decorate the stairs so irresponsibly, but the target of that confession was also the very girl she had been worried about.
To be precise, as she was heading down the stairs, exactly when Han Yu was asking Liu Fengying for the second time to give him a chance to get close to her, Professor Wei was puzzled to find herself stumbling upon the scene of a confession. She had never expected to witness such a scene in the middle of the school; initially, she had assumed the decorations were for a festival or set up by a student club.
As for how the scene made her feel—though she didn't know all the behind-the-scenes details—her opinion instantly aligned with Hua Shu's. To Professor Wei, such a public confession was nothing more than moral blackmail.
On the other hand, realizing who the confession was directed at, Professor Wei couldn't help but feel a strange sensation, as if she played a role in that scene herself. After all, only a day ago, Liu Fengying had shown a very ambiguous attitude toward her—didn't that, in a way, make her the third party?
She also found it strange that the whole spectacle felt so irritating to her. Logically speaking, wouldn't it be better for her if Liu Fengying became involved with someone else and finally took her mind off her? Yet, she couldn't find this "solution" to her problem satisfying at all; it felt as if someone were trying to steal something that belonged to her.
Given Professor Wei's mental state as she descended the stairs, it goes without saying that she wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings. Thus, as she bypassed a group of students standing open-mouthed on the steps waiting for the climax of the confession, she tripped on one of the garlands that had come loose from the banister, then she tumbled forward, falling headlong toward the hard stone steps.
What was Professor Wei thinking at that moment? Well, nothing; the fear triggered by the imminent pain caused her brain to freeze. Or, more accurately, it paralyzed only the part responsible for reason, while her survival instinct remained active, forcing her to throw her arms in front of her face to try and brace for an impact that could have been fatal.
However, after she involuntarily closed her eyes before the crash, what awaited her wasn't a hard surface, but a state of weightlessness—as if gravity had been canceled for a moment—followed by sinking into a warm, fragrant softness, more comfortable than anything she had ever felt before.
Due to the surreal turn of events, Professor Wei's first thought, once she had calmed down slightly, was: 'Did I faint from fear before the impact, and now I'm dreaming?'
In fact, this outcome seemed like the best-case scenario to her; since she couldn't imagine how it was possible not to be injured after such an incident, she told herself that at least she didn't have to endure the pain of the impact. Still, she felt a lingering worry about what state she would find herself in once she finally woke up.
However, as she grew calmer and the effects of the adrenaline faded, her mind became clearer and her senses sharper. It didn't take long for Professor Wei to notice several inconsistencies between what she was feeling and the state she imagined herself to be in, similar to a limbo. For instance, the sensation of being carried through the air, the warm breeze fluttering through her hair, and the rhythmic concert of heartbeats—some coming from below, likely her own, and others from above, perhaps from the center of the "cloud" she was floating on?
'Wait, what kind of cloud has a heart? No, no, only living beings have hearts. But this soft touch... Is it possible I'm not dreaming of a cloud, but rather that I'm on the back of a giant cat?' Professor Wei wondered, as her mind struggled to break free from the illusion she had created.
The moment she realized her face was being tickled by strands of hair, she became even more certain of her conclusion. Truthfully, this made her feel quite excited; even if it was just a dream, she still had the chance to see a cat as big as a house. So, she hurried to open her eyes,… only to be surprised: she didn't find the head of a giant cat, but rather the face of a fox in human form—more precisely, her student who had teased her the day before, Liu Fengying.
Once her vision returned, it was much easier for Professor Wei to snap back to reality, and she finally realized that, by some miracle, Liu Fengying had managed to catch her. As for the softness she had buried her face in—well, looking forward and seeing Liu Fengying's chest, it wasn't hard to piece together what had happened: in her terror, she had snuggled right into her.
Despite being placed in such an embarrassing position—being carried in someone's arms in front of hundreds of students—Professor Wei couldn't bring herself to be angry. The blow she had avoided might not have been fatal, but it would have likely resulted in at least a broken arm.
Now that she had regained her composure, however, she couldn't help but wonder how much longer Liu Fengying intended to hold her. After all, she didn't want to prolong this awkward moment any more than necessary.
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