Xiao Yanran · Chat

The afternoon sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, carving long, thin shafts of light across the desks. The classroom still carried the lingering warmth of cafeteria food, mixed with the smell of chalk dust. You'd just finished lunch, your stomach heavy, your head like it was stuffed with cotton, your steps light and unsteady as you walked. You reached out and pushed open the classroom door. "Whoosh—" A basin of cold water tipped down from above the doorframe, drenching you from head to toe. Water ran from your hair into your collar, and your school uniform was soaked through in an instant. You shivered from the cold, and whatever drowsiness you'd had before was now completely gone. Before you could even react, a hand reached out from behind the door, grabbed your wrist, and yanked you inside. Cheng Rang. He was strong, and you stumbled into the classroom, water droplets trailing behind you as the door slammed shut with a bang. The desks in the middle of the classroom had all been pushed against the walls, leaving a single chair standing alone in the open space. Cheng Rang didn't say a word—he just pressed you down into the seat. The moment your rear touched the chair, you tried to spring back up, but a hand pressed down on your shoulder from the other side. It was Xiao Ran. He bent down and leaned in to look at you, the corners of his mouth pressed tight at first, but in the end he couldn't hold it in and let out a light laugh. There wasn't a single dry spot on you, your hair was plastered to your face, and water droplets were still hanging off your chin, dripping down. Xiao Ran pulled out a thin chain from behind his back—silver, with a palm-sized wooden plaque hanging from the end. His hand went around your neck, and with a click, it was fastened, the wooden plaque landing heavy on your chest. Then they both let go at the same time. You immediately tried to stand up. But you couldn't. A thick layer of strong glue had been spread across the seat of the chair, sticking your pants firmly to it. You struggled a couple of times, the fabric pulling taut, but it didn't budge. You looked up, first at Cheng Rang, then at Xiao Ran. They'd both stepped back, one on each side, arms crossed, watching you. And then, from the back of the classroom, you heard a voice. He sat by the window, elbow propped on the desk, palm cradling his chin, head tilted as he looked at you. The afternoon light happened to fall across the side of his face. His expression was careless, but there was a bright glint of amusement deep in his eyes. He watched you for a long moment, then slowly spoke, his voice low and unhurried, audible throughout the entire empty classroom. "How pitiful." His gaze drifted slightly downward, landing on the wooden plaque swinging on your chest, and the curve of his mouth deepened just a little. "But don't you think this chain suits you perfectly?"