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墨書 Inktalez
In the afternoon, with no classes, I carried a stack of newly borrowed textbooks back to my dormitory. Passing by the basketball court, I was drawn in by the lively cheers and intense competition inside, unable to resist stopping to watch.
Jiang Chi was on the court. Dressed in a black jersey, sweat soaked his forehead, trickling down his jawline. He ran, jumped, stopped abruptly, and shot the ball with fluid movements that resembled slow-motion scenes from a movie. Each score ignited screams from the girls on the sidelines. This guy seemed to carry a spotlight effect even while playing.
I admit, I was a bit mesmerized. So much so that when a basketball slipped from someone’s hands and hurtled toward me with a whoosh, I was completely caught off guard.
“Watch out!”
Amidst the exclamations, I barely had time to raise my hands to shield my face. In the next moment, a tremendous force collided with me, sending my books scattering across the ground. I stumbled backward, my head hitting the cold iron pole of the basketball hoop with a heavy thud.
With a dull thump, darkness enveloped me for an instant as sharp pain and dizziness hit me simultaneously. I shook my head and leaned against the pole to steady myself, feeling warmth trickling down from my forehead.
The game on the court came to an abrupt halt.
“Are you okay? I’m so sorry!” A boy in a red jersey rushed over, his face filled with concern. He was likely the one responsible for my predicament.
I shook my head, wanting to say I was fine, but the pain in my forehead was intense and my vision was still blurry.
Just then, a figure in black swiftly maneuvered through the crowd and appeared before me in an instant. It was Jiang Chi. He crouched down, his expression tense and brows furrowed tightly. Without saying a word, he pushed aside my hands that were covering my forehead to examine the wound.
“You're bleeding.” His voice was low and carried an undertone of urgency.
It was only then that I realized I had touched my forehead and felt sticky warmth under my fingertips. Great, I had ruined my appearance.
“I… I’m fine, it’s just a small injury…” I stammered nervously under his close scrutiny. The mixed scent of sweat and mint from him overwhelmed me, making my heart race uncontrollably.
He ignored my words entirely, casting a sharp glance at the still-dazed boy in red nearby. Then he pulled out a pack of… wait, did he carry tissues with him? Unopened ones? He tore open the packaging and expertly pressed several sheets against my bleeding wound. The pressure was gentle yet firm.
The noise around us faded away; all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart racing as if it would explode.
“I’ll take you to the infirmary.” He stood up, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“No, it’s really not necessary! I can go by myself!” I struggled to refuse; I didn’t want to be escorted by him looking like this—my face stained with blood—while drawing all eyes on campus.
He didn’t give me a chance to refuse. Bending down, he gathered all the scattered books into his arms and unceremoniously shoved them into the arms of the boy in red beside us. His voice was as cold as ice shards: “Help her back to her dorm. If you can’t play well, don’t step onto the court.”
The boy in red shivered at his words and nodded repeatedly while clutching the books.
In the next moment, Jiang Chi’s hand gripped my wrist—not too tight but firm enough to be commanding—as he led me toward the infirmary.
His palm was hot against mine—dry and strong—enveloping my wrist completely. A strange mix of forcefulness and inexplicable comfort spread through me as we walked together. My head hung low as he practically dragged me along; my cheeks felt hot enough to cook an egg. The girls on the sidelines watched us openly with jealousy and curiosity in their eyes like countless tiny needles pricking at me. Especially Meng Yao; her gaze seemed ready to shoot fire; if looks could kill, I’d have died hundreds of times over by now.
On our way to the infirmary, he didn’t say a word; his strides were long enough that I had to almost jog to keep up. Yet his grip on my wrist remained unchanged—steady and stubborn. Stealing a glance at his taut profile revealed a sharp jawline and lips pressed into a straight line. Was he… angry? Angry at the boy who bumped into me? Or angry at me for standing there like an idiot?
The school nurse at the infirmary seemed unfazed by our arrival as she skillfully cleaned my wound, disinfected it, and applied a white bandage while advising me not to get it wet for the next couple of days and to rest well. Thankfully, it was just a surface injury; nothing serious had been damaged.
Stepping out of the infirmary, the sky had already darkened. Jiang Chi was surprisingly waiting at the door, leaning against the wall, his figure appearing particularly upright under the corridor lights.
"Th-thank you," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper. I felt utterly embarrassed today.
"Stay away from the court in the future," he finally spoke, his tone returning to its usual coolness, but if one listened closely, there seemed to be an undercurrent of something else.
"Okay," I nodded obediently, like a student who had just been reprimanded.
"And," he paused, his gaze sharp as it locked onto me, "not everything someone gives you is worth taking."
"Huh?" I momentarily failed to grasp what he was referring to.
He didn’t elaborate further, only giving me a deep look that seemed to carry a thousand unspoken words before turning away and striding off into the night.
I stood there in a daze, replaying his last words in my mind. "Not everything someone gives you is worth taking"... Was he talking about the cake Senior Su Yang gave me?! So... Su Xiao's crow's mouth actually hit the mark? He really... felt jealous because of that cake?!
This realization struck me like a thunderbolt, leaving me stunned. The terrifying scene on the basketball court, the pain in my forehead, Meng Yao's hostility—all of it suddenly seemed insignificant. What kept replaying in my mind was his forceful pull to take me away, the warmth of his palm, and that inexplicable yet pointed warning.
What exactly is this tangled relationship between Jiang Chi and me?
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