Chapter 4: It Seems You've Forgotten Me

Lin Siqing’s eyes blazed with fury, his hands gripping Jiang Chaozhou’s collar like iron pincers. He slammed Jiang hard against the wall, his force so intense it seemed he might lift Jiang clear off the ground. His voice was low and threatening: “Speak! Who tampered with my food delivery?”

Jiang Chaozhou’s face flushed crimson, fear and unease filling his eyes as he stammered out a denial, “I… I really don’t know!”

At that moment, Suqiao Fu happened to walk by. Seeing the tense confrontation, her heart clenched and she shouted without hesitation, “Lin Siqing, stop!”

Her cry echoed sharply in the charged air. Lin Siqing, hearing her voice, spun around as if someone had struck a nerve, his glare cold and sharp as arrows directed at her. Releasing Jiang Chaozhou, he strode toward Suqiao Fu, anger surging in every step.

A surge of dread rose in Suqiao’s chest. Without thinking, she turned to run, but how could she possibly escape Lin Siqing in his wrath? In just a few strides, he caught up, seized her by the shoulder, and flung her toward the corner.

With a heavy thud, her back struck the wall, pain forcing a cry to the edge of her lips. Before she could recover, Lin Siqing was already looming over her, his hands braced on the wall, trapping her in the narrow space. He leaned in so close their hurried breaths mingled.

Suqiao’s heart pounded violently, threatening to leap from her chest. Terror widened her eyes as she gazed up at Lin Siqing’s furious face, her body trembling involuntarily.

His eyes burned with a devouring rage, pinning her with an intensity that made her feel like prey before a beast—no chance to escape.

“Do you know something?” Lin Siqing’s voice squeezed out between clenched teeth, each word striking her heart like a hammer.

Desperately, Suqiao shook her head. Her lips quivered, and when she tried to speak, her throat seized up so all she could manage was a faint, “N-no… it wasn’t me…”

Zhang Chenxi, watching the situation spiral out of control, frowned deeply, his gaze wary as he scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, he whispered, “Lin Siqing, someone’s coming.”

The warning gave Lin Siqing pause, though his glare never wavered from Suqiao’s face. The oppressive tension lingered.

Seizing the moment, Suqiao gulped for air, her legs weak beneath her. Her mind was a jumble—why did Lin Siqing always seem so hostile toward her? He was so childish, she thought, beyond help.

Lin Siqing slowly straightened, but his eyes remained as sharp as blades, raking over her. He weighed in his heart whether Suqiao was truly involved in the tampering of his delivery, or if she was merely a bystander with misplaced concern.

Suqiao, leaning against the wall, slid down to a crouch, hugging her shoulders tightly as if to draw comfort from her own arms. The air around them felt frozen, broken only by her faint, muffled sobs.

Lin Siqing’s anger, far from fading with Zhang Chenxi’s warning, simmered more fiercely, a suppressed flame blazing hotter in his chest. He shot Suqiao a withering glare, as if to pierce right through her, then turned and strode away.

Left trembling in the corner, Suqiao watched his retreating figure, her heart still racing with fear.

Zhang Chenxi hurried over, worry etched across his face. Reaching out, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice soft and full of concern, “Suqiao, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

She raised her head slightly, searching his face with hesitant curiosity, unable to understand his concern.

“I… I’m fine, thank you,” she replied softly. Though her body was unscathed, confusion churned within her.

Zhang Chenxi managed a faint, wry smile. He gazed into her eyes and said, half to himself, “So, you don’t remember me, do you?”

Suqiao was taken aback, confusion growing. She studied his features, searching her memory for any trace of him, but nothing surfaced.

Just as she was about to ask, Zhang Chenxi turned away quickly, leaving her standing alone, questions surging through her mind like a rising tide.

Jiang Chaozhou remained in the corner, his thin frame looking particularly forlorn in the empty space. His gaze lingered on Suqiao, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

With a sigh, Suqiao realized she didn’t want to be alone. Spotting Jiang Chaozhou, she approached and said softly, “Come on, let’s go back to class.”

Jiang Chaozhou nodded silently, and the two walked side by side toward the classroom.

Upon their return, Xu Zhixing’s eyes lit up imperceptibly at the sight of Jiang Chaozhou. She picked up a basket of soup dumplings from her desk and brought it to him. “Here, you must be hungry.”

This time, Jiang Chaozhou did not refuse as before. His hands trembled as he took the dumplings, gratitude softening his features. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

Xu Zhixing nodded slightly and returned to her seat without another word.

Suqiao sat down, but her thoughts had drifted far away. Zhang Chenxi’s strange remark echoed in her mind—why did he think she ought to remember him? Had they met before? But she could recall nothing at all.

The more she pondered, the more her head ached, the sense of confusion enveloping her like a heavy fog, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chaozhou sat silently eating his dumplings, his mind turning over the events of the day. He could not understand why Lin Siqing’s delivery had been tampered with, nor why he himself had been drawn into this pointless turmoil.

He was only someone struggling to make a living, delivering food just to earn a few meager coins. But now he felt as though he’d been swept into a relentless whirlpool, with no way out.