OCY - Chapter 3

Ji Linxue followed the direction of the smoke and walked to the corner of the rooftop.

There was a person sitting in the corner. In the darkness, his face was indistinguishable, but from his build, he appeared to be a tall boy. His legs were casually stretched out, his posture arrogant and relaxed, a cigarette held between his fingers, its tip glowing with a crimson light.

Hearing footsteps, the person didn't move.

Ji Linxue walked up to him, "Classmate, smoking is prohibited at school."

The boy took a puff from the cigarette, placing it to his lips, then coughed a few times, his voice hoarse, "Get lost if you don't want to die."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. A vague premonition rose in Ji Linxue's heart. He took a few more steps closer, and his suspicion was confirmed, "Gu Hengzhi."

Gu Hengzhi looked up. His expression was unclear in the darkness, but Ji Linxue could feel his gaze lingering on his face, like a sharp blade, scraping across his skin inch by inch.

He calmly met his gaze, "You're not an adult yet, you can't smoke."

Gu Hengzhi scoffed softly, standing up. His nearly 1.9-meter height was intimidating and oppressive, "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?"

Ji Linxue fell silent. After a moment, he took a small notebook from his backpack and flipped to a page.

Under the faint light, Gu Hengzhi clearly saw the words –

[School Regulation Fifty-One, No one (including outsiders) is allowed to smoke in any area on campus.]

"Are you using the student handbook to pressure me?" Gu Hengzhi scoffed, laughing, "This thing is just waste paper to me."

As he spoke, the boy slowly approached, cornering him against the wall step by step. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller, so close that Ji Linxue could smell the faint, soft scent of tobacco on him.

Gu Hengzhi leaned down. Ji Linxue stared at that face with its superior features, frowning uncomfortably, yet he didn't retreat, standing straight in place.

The next second, the notebook in his hand was snatched away.

Gu Hengzhi showed a triumphant smile.

But his triumph didn't last long. The person in front of him stared blankly at his left cheek, his voice low, "Your face is injured."

Under the light, Ji Linxue finally saw his expression and also the injury on his face. Gu Hengzhi's left cheek had a very obvious handprint, the originally fair skin swollen significantly, red and streaked with blood.

Could a favored son like him also be slapped?

His sore spot hit, Gu Hengzhi's smile vanished instantly. His lips moved, almost gritting his teeth, "Shut up."

Ji Linxue's thoughts were a bit jumbled. He pointed to his face, "You should really treat your wound."

Before he could finish speaking, his collar was tightly grabbed. Ji Linxue's breathing tightened. Gu Hengzhi's grip was strong, constricting his neck painfully.

Ji Linxue pressed down on his hand, one by one prying his fingers open.

As he pressed the last finger, Gu Hengzhi finally let go.

"I told you, don't meddle!"

The rooftop door clanged open, and a cold wind rushed in through the wide-open door, making a whooshing sound.

Ji Linxue straightened his disheveled collar, looking in the direction he left, his eyes clouded with confusion.

In the original novel, whenever the male lead was mentioned, it was always about how powerful, tyrannical, and autocratic he was. The author didn't describe much of Gu Hengzhi's high school life, only briefly touching upon it.

Aside from that major event that drastically changed his personality and served as a turning point, his high school life actually didn't have many significant ups and downs.

But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

When Ji Linxue returned to the dorm, Gu Hengzhi was already lying in bed, motionless, as if asleep.

The dorm door opened and closed again. Gu Hengzhi, who had been "asleep," lifted his eyelids. He sat up and looked around. Ji Linxue wasn't there, it seemed he had gone out.

A slight sigh of relief secretly escaped him. He was about to get out of bed when the lock on the door suddenly made a sound.

Gu Hengzhi immediately lay back down. The next second, familiar footsteps sounded again.

Ji Linxue had returned.

Ji Linxue walked a few steps in the dorm, then suddenly stopped moving. Instead, Gu Hengzhi felt the bed beneath him begin to shake, creaking. Someone climbed up and sat beside him.

Gu Hengzhi's instincts were sharp. The moment the boy reached out, he swiftly grabbed the other's wrist and simultaneously opened his eyes, "What do you want to do?"

Ji Linxue showed no embarrassment at being caught. He held up an ice pack in his hand, stating facts as if, "Your wound needs a cold compress."

"I don't need it."

"If you don't want to swell up like a pig's head tomorrow."

Perhaps triggered by the word "pig's head," Gu Hengzhi's grip loosened slightly. Ji Linxue broke free and pressed the ice pack onto the swollen skin.

The pressure wasn't light at all. Gu Hengzhi hissed, his face contorted in pain.

"Can't you be gentler?"

Ji Linxue didn't bother with him.

Under the light, Gu Hengzhi's wound was even more apparent. Judging by the shape and size of the palm print, it must have been an adult male. For Gu Hengzhi to quietly take a beating and return to school to sulk alone, it could only be his own father, no other thoughts.

Besides the handprint on his face, the corner of his mouth was also broken, subtly bleeding, looking quite disheveled.

The ice pack was very cold. Ji Linxue switched hands.

Gu Hengzhi watched him silently, then suddenly said, "You people, aren't you tired of pretending?"

After a moment of silence, Ji Linxue asked him, "What kind of person am I?"

"Clearly you dislike me very much." Gu Hengzhi seemed to recall something, his eyes suddenly turning sharp and ruthless, "Yet you still care about me."

Ji Linxue didn't speak.

After applying the ice pack for half an hour, he found iodine and cotton swabs. He dipped a cotton swab in iodine and gently wiped away the bloodstains from his lips.

Perhaps his movements were too gentle, Gu Hengzhi gradually closed his eyes. As he was drifting into sleep, a gentle voice reached his ears.

"Actually, it's not really dislike."

The next day, Ji Linxue left the dorm early. After he left, Gu Hengzhi got out of bed and looked in the mirror.

The originally red and swollen area had turned bluish-purple, printed on his fair skin like an overturned ink bottle, hideously unsightly.

He could imagine how ugly it would have swollen if he hadn't used the ice pack yesterday.

He curled his lips, resignedly found a hot towel, and applied it to his face.

On Monday morning during class, Shen Shaoyan stared at Gu Hengzhi's face as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Heng Ge, what happened to your face?"

Gu Hengzhi had a large white bandage on his left cheek, just enough to cover the bruise. He glanced at Ji Linxue, "Nothing, I fell."

"You won't be disfigured, right?" Shen Shaoyan was very worried.

Gu Hengzhi gave him a cold look, "Not to that extent."

Ji Linxue seemed to hear nothing, quietly working on his test paper.

After Shen Shaoyan and Lu Yu left the classroom, Ji Linxue's back was suddenly poked. He turned his head, and Gu Hengzhi said with a cold face, "Don't mention what happened yesterday."

Ji Linxue, "Oh."

Seeing that he was silent, Ji Linxue was about to turn back when the boy in front of him suddenly called out, "Wait."

"Is there anything else?"

Gu Hengzhi didn't look at him, his lips moved, his expression awkward, "Thank you."

---

Starting from the third week, they would have elective courses. Second-year students, in addition to their core subjects, had one student-selected course per week. Ji Linxue arrived late, so everyone else had already chosen, leaving only spots in the archery class.

Deyin had complete facilities, not only swimming pools and gyms but also a riding ground and an archery range.

Gu Hengzhi and Lu Yu chose equestrian lessons and went to the riding ground early to change into their gear. Shen Shaoyan, who had been afraid of horses since he was little, had no choice but to pick the archery class.

Ji Linxue followed the other students to the archery range. Halfway there, a sudden gasp of surprise came from not far away.

He looked in the direction of the sound. Next to it was the riding ground, and across the fence, the person riding on horseback instantly captured everyone's attention.

Gu Hengzhi wore a set of dark gray equestrian attire, sitting expressionlessly on the saddle. The vest outlined his lean waist and abdomen. His posture was tall and straight, his long legs casually resting on both sides. Paired with his flawless, perfect face, he was like a star falling into a lake, standing out even more.

Whispers spread around.

"What a pity, I didn't get into the equestrian class. I also want to see Gu Hengzhi riding a horse!"

"Finally, I understand why equestrian class is so popular, the course selection system empties in a second."

"Actually, archery isn't bad either, isn't there a handsome guy here too?"

Shen Shaoyan, who was late from going to the restroom, instantly chuckled when he heard this, grinning as he leaned over, like a sunflower swaying in the wind, "Although I'm quite handsome, you don't need to praise me in front of so many people."

The girl choked, and out of consideration for his pride, she whispered, "I wasn't talking about you."

Shen Shaoyan's face changed in a second, "Then who were you talking about?"

The girl pointed, and Shen Shaoyan followed her finger, seeing Ji Linxue staring at the riding ground.

It's him again???

Shen Shaoyan gritted his back teeth. How long had it been since he arrived, and he had already stolen all his romantic attention!

Gu Hengzhi's riding skills were excellent. The horse beneath him obediently cleared obstacles under his control, its movements easy and natural. Ji Linxue watched for a while, then went to the archery range.

Before the archery class began, the teacher handed out a basic competitive recurve bow and protective gear to everyone. The first class was mainly about explaining theoretical knowledge, familiarizing themselves with the bow and arrow, and adjusting their stance. Near the end of the class, the teacher had them shoot an arrow to get a feel for it.

Ji Linxue felt the familiar bow and arrow in his hand, and his body naturally reacted. He stood firm, nocked the arrow, drew the bow, anchored, and aimed. A series of movements flowed smoothly like water.

The next second, a whooshing sound rang out, the arrow tip splitting the air, firmly hitting the yellow bullseye.

Gasps of admiration erupted around him. The teacher also noticed what happened and, upon seeing the target, his eyes filled with appreciation, "Have you studied before?"

Ji Linxue pursed his lips, "Yes, a little."

In his previous life, when he was in university, he was the captain of the school's archery team. Archery could be said to be the only bright spot in his monotonous life, but since coming to this world, he hadn't had the conditions to practice archery.

"Try again for me to see."

Ji Linxue took a deep breath. This bow was just a basic teaching tool and had no added weight, feeling a bit light in his hand.

He repeated the movements he knew by heart, aiming, releasing—

"Whoosh—"

Another perfect score!

Other students gradually gathered around.

At the teacher's signal, Ji Linxue shot a few more times, hitting the bullseye every time.

The cheers grew louder, attracting a group of students who had just finished their equestrian class.

Gu Hengzhi was in the crowd, watching the figure that was the center of attention. Shen Shaoyan's complaints reached his ears, "I haven't even figured out the bow and arrow yet, and he's already shooting like crazy, and he even got lucky and hit it. What a show-off!"

The boy was still repeating the motions of nocking and drawing the bow, his eyes cool and focused, his back straight, his movements agile.

Lu Yu patted Shen Shaoyan's shoulder, "Is that your reason for not attending class?"

Shen Shaoyan, "What's the point of going to class now? All the attention has been stolen."

Lu Yu shrugged.

Gu Hengzhi suddenly took a step, moving through the layers of people, borrowed a bow from a nearby student, and gestured to Ji Linxue, "Want to compete?"

Shen Shaoyan, who had followed behind, didn't expect him to be so daring and his mouth dropped open.

Ji Linxue paused, "I won't compete. It wouldn't be fair to you."

The arrogant remark immediately caused an uproar among those around them. Gu Hengzhi lifted his lips, sneering, "You think I'm afraid of you?"

Ji Linxue repeated, "I won't compete."

Gu Hengzhi stared at him, his face gradually darkened, and he walked away without looking back.

"Hey!" Shen Shaoyan looked at Ji Linxue, who had a normal expression, and quickly chased after Gu Hengzhi, "Heng Ge, wait for me!"

---

Ever since that archery class, the atmosphere between Gu Hengzhi and Ji Linxue became even colder. What was once just silence had now turned into tit-for-tat.

Even the usually oblivious Shen Shaoyan noticed it. Every time he tried to talk to Ji Linxue, a warning voice from Gu Hengzhi would come from behind him.

Sometimes, he would clearly see the other person working on his homework with his head down, but the moment Shen Shaoyan leaned over, a light "Shen Shaoyan" would instantly stop him.

Shen Shaoyan was very distressed.

There was nothing he could do, he was just a chatterbox, boo-hoo.

During English class, the teacher gave a pop quiz. Gu Hengzhi got a perfect score. Ji Linxue unfolded his test paper, the red "79" was very conspicuous.

Before he could react, a cold, mocking voice came from behind him, "Nothing special."

Ji Linxue calmly tossed the test paper aside, "Yours."

"Huh?" Shen Shaoyan scratched his head, "Looks like I picked up the wrong one. I was wondering how I got a hundred points."

Gu Hengzhi, "..."

During the break, a girl came over to give something. Before Ji Linxue could speak, a cold voice came from behind him.

"XX brand candy, quite generous. Too bad the previous one was a chocolate gift box from Y-family."

The girl ran off, her face red with anger.

Ji Linxue pushed the candy box aside, "Your girlfriend sent it."

Shen Shaoyan, who had been cowering like a quail, suddenly looked up, "Huh?"

"Damn it! Was that my girlfriend just now?" He made a long face, "How am I going to explain it to her!"

Gu Hengzhi, who hadn't even looked at who came, "..."

After this continued for a week, Ji Linxue hadn't said anything, but Shen Shaoyan couldn't take it anymore. He went to Lu Yu to vent, and the other person said, "Oh. You can change seats."

Shen Shaoyan, "..." Breaking up! Breaking up now!