When Chen Yansen got ho, he crashed into bed and slept until his alarm blared. He reluctantly dragged himself up and rode his bike to the county hospital.
The process went smoothly. His vision, hearing, and motor skills were all excellent. All he had to do was hand the physical exam report to the driving school and wait for his test to be scheduled.
"Want to hit up the internet cafe for a round of Pyramid?"
Wang Zihao wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting.
It was late July, during the dog days of sumr. The afternoon sun blazed high in the sky, filling the air with a scorching heat. The asphalt had been baked soft, and with every step, you could feel the soles of your shoes sticking to the pavent.
Going to an internet cafe to play so gas and mooch off the air conditioning was the number one choice for any teenager.
"Nah, not interested."
Chen Yansen waved his hand, let out a long sigh, and plopped down on the marble slab at the driving school’s entrance, looking a bit listless.
"How about I treat you to so pool, then? A new pool hall just opened by the south gate, and they keep the AC on all day."
Wang Zihao had a pained look on his face, a clear sign that this pool hall wasn’t cheap.
"Fine."
Chen Yansen heard him and reluctantly agreed.
Even though the samples from Yangcheng were being sent by express air freight, it would still take two or three days for them to arrive. This ant his operation reselling MP3 and MP4 players wouldn’t be able to start for another three to five days.
So for now, he only had two choices:
Either go ho and cram for the driver’s license exam, or go to the pool hall and chill in the AC.
The two hopped on their bikes, laughing and chatting all the way. Before long, they passed through Tongfei Gate and turned left into a small alley.
"BANG!"
Just as they reached the entrance, a black 8-ball ca flying right at them.
"Holy shit!"
Chen Yansen instinctively ducked to dodge it. Hearing a loud CLANG, he turned and saw the ball had smashed into the ground, shattering one of the bluestone paving slabs.
Standing beside him, Wang Zihao’s face darkened. He yanked open the door curtain and roared at the people inside, "Are you playing pool or trying to kill soone?!"
"We’re so sorry, so sorry!"
"Huh? It’s you!"
Two girls, about seventeen or eighteen, ran over clutching their pool cues, apologizing profusely to Wang Zihao.
"Zhou Xue, Li Maii, was that you two?"
Seeing they were his classmates, Wang Zihao’s anger subsided a bit, but his tone remained aggressive.
"Haozi, are you okay?"
Another girl walked out. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and light-blue jeans with her hands in her pockets. She looked cool and a little cocky, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes.
"Big Sis, you’re here too."
Wang Zihao scratched his head and chuckled, acknowledging ng Jie. His attitude finally softened. "I’m fine," he added, "but Chen Yansen almost got hit."
"Chen Yansen, we’re so sorry!"
"It’s all Maii’s fault for being so strong. She scared us half to death just now!"
Zhou Xue and Li Maii looked apologetic. As they apologized, they looked Chen Yansen up and down, only relaxing when they saw he wasn’t hurt.
"Li Maii, pool isn’t shot put. Luckily, I dodged fast enough."
Chen Yansen walked forward, teasing her with a smile.
He had a vague mory of the plump girl before him. After all, she had won first place in shot put for Class 8 at the autumn sports et last year.
"I’ll definitely be more careful next ti,"
Li Maii said, her face flushed and her heart still pounding from the scare.
"As long as no one’s hurt, it’s fine. Since we’re all here, why don’t we play together?"
ng Jie beckoned for them to join her, and they all headed back into the pool hall.
A blast of refreshingly cold air hit them as they entered. Chen Yansen wasn’t particularly interested in pool, so after taking the orange drink with pulp that ng Jie handed him, he took small sips and scanned the room.
He was surprised to discover that girls from over a decade ago seed to have a bolder sense of style.
He counted seven or eight girls just in camisoles and hot pants!
"Pale enough for you?"
ng Jie looked up and saw Chen Yansen’s eyes glued to several pairs of pale legs. She quietly sat down beside him and asked, her expression dark.
"Not just pale, but long, too."
Chen Yansen admitted it openly, without the slightest hint of embarrassnt. He didn’t even turn his head as he spoke, his gaze still fixed on the other girls’ legs.
"Chen Yansen, you have such thick skin."
ng Jie was visibly stunned. She hadn’t expected him to be so frank.
"Thank you. I’ll take that as a complint."
Chen Yansen picked up his drink and took a light sip. ’I’m eighteen years old and I like looking at nice legs. Is that a cri?’
"Last ti at the karaoke bar, you used as a shield. Zhou Keyuan must hate my guts by now. How are you planning to compensate ?"
ng Jie lifted her foot and gave Chen Yansen a light kick on the calf.
"I wasn’t planning on using you as a shield."
Chen Yansen turned his head and looked down at her.
’This girl’s skin is so fair,’ he thought. ’Maybe it’s because of the heat, but there’s a faint blush on her cheeks. She has a high-bridged nose, rosy lips, and long eyelashes hidden behind her black-frad glasses. Her eyes are so bright and lively.’
’Her delicate, petite figure is a rare bonus, too.’
"But... they are a little on the small side,"
Chen Yansen comnted in a low voice, completely unabashed.
ng Jie followed his gaze, and when she saw it finally rest on her own chest, she understood the true aning of "a little on the small side."
"Chen Yansen, you bastard! I thought we were bros!"
Even with her bold and straightforward personality, ng Jie couldn’t handle Chen Yansen’s direct advances. She shook her fists, protesting loudly.
"Is that so? Dare to play a ga?"
Chen Yansen replied noncommittally, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.
"Who’s afraid of who? Bring it on!"
Not to be outdone, ng Jie puffed out her chest.
"Give your hand."
Chen Yansen held out his left hand, palm up, and beckoned with his fingers for ng Jie to place her hand in his.
"You already used this trick last ti."
ng Jie glanced at his palm. His fingers were long and slender, yet strong. For so reason, she found herself unconsciously swallowing, though her tone was full of scorn.
"The ga is simple. We just stare into each other’s eyes. The first one to look away loses."
Chen Yansen took ng Jie’s small hand in his as he explained the rules.
"In that case, you’re definitely going to lose."
ng Jie snorted, quickly composed herself, and glared at him as if he were her mortal enemy.
Chen Yansen said nothing, simply staring straight at her.
The warmth spreading from her hand gradually began to fluster ng Jie. As ti passed, Chen Yansen’s smiling face seed to etch itself firmly into her mind.
His sharp brows, his star-like eyes, so deep and profound. His lips, perfectly shaped. That faint, barely-there smile.
’So this is how handso Chen Yansen really is!’
’His eyebrows are nice, his eyes too. His nose is high and straight, and the line of his lips is so smooth... he’s practically perfect...’
As ng Jie stared at his face, she couldn’t help but critique it in her mind. Her fierce gaze gradually softened.
"What are those two doing?"
"Haozi, Chen Yansen’s your best friend. Spill it, is he really trying to get with ng Jie?"
"I have no idea."
The trio of Wang Zihao, Zhou Xue, and Li Maii stood a short distance away, huddled together and whispering. The flas of gossip burned brightly in their eyes.
After watching for a mont and seeing that the two were still locked in their staring contest, the trio decided to ignore them and went back to their ga of pool.
"This ga is boring. I could stare at you all day,"
ng Jie said with a pout ten minutes later.
"Oh? Then why is your heart beating so fast?"
Chen Yansen smiled faintly and tapped her wrist. His fingers had been resting on her pulse point the entire ti.
’In just a few short minutes, her heart started beating like a drum.’
"No, it’s not! You must’ve heard wrong."
ng Jie struggled, pulling her hand back from his grasp as she repeatedly denied it.
"Alright then. ’Bros’ it is."
Chen Yansen shrugged and let out a long sigh, putting on a look of helpless disappointnt.
Seeing his expression, ng Jie felt a strange pang in her heart and was suddenly filled with regret.
"But, bro... you sll so good. What brand of soap do you use?"
Seeing her silence, Chen Yansen leaned in close to her ear and whispered.
The warm air tickled its way into ng Jie’s ear, and the tingling sensation that shot straight to her heart made her jump to her feet.
"Chen Yansen, you really are a pervert!"
The girl’s face was scarlet, the blush spreading rapidly behind her ears as she ground out the words through her teeth.
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