After a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you often come here alone?"

His first question struck a nerve. Xia Yao lowered her eyes, remembering her classmates' reluctance to include her. Facing her class president, she nodded. "Yes."

Her skin was delicate and pale, the corners of her eyes tinged with pink, as if they might shimmer with tears at the slightest touch. Zhou Ye's Adam's apple bobbed, his grip tightening on his skateboard.

Their social circles rarely intersected. This encounter was a result of him seeing her nearby while grabbing a bite to eat some time ago. After that, he started frequenting the area, occasionally catching glimpses of her. He wouldn't approach her. His life was full, his circle of friends large and lively. He wasn't actively seeking her out; he saw her every day at school.

Her face, striking from the first moment he saw her, had become imprinted in his mind. Yet, the initial spark of attraction had gradually faded. When school matters required them to speak, he maintained a calm facade, betraying none of his earlier feelings. He believed that initial infatuation had passed, leaving no lingering emotional residue.

His reason for approaching her today was simple: he'd accidentally bumped into her while skateboarding.

Xia Yao stood before him, watching as he remained silent. She dipped her head again and softly said, "Class President, it's getting late. I should go home." Clutching her bag, she turned to leave.

Zhou Ye watched her slender figure, her long black hair swaying gently in the breeze. She seemed fragile, like a lily that might easily break. Driven by an impulse he couldn't quite understand, he followed her, falling into step beside her. "I'll walk you home," he murmured.

"Oh?" Xia Yao looked at him, puzzled. Her class president, who rarely interacted with her at school, was suddenly offering to escort her home. It was baffling.

"I heard there's been an exhibitionist around lately," Zhou Ye said, recalling a conversation he'd overheard. "A classmate saw a middle-aged man expose himself to her while she was walking on the greenway near the Carrefour and Wanda Plaza."

Xia Yao froze, glancing towards the Wanda Plaza sign, her brow furrowing with worry.

"I'll walk with you," he repeated. The brim of his cap cast a shadow over his eyes, accentuating the sharp line of his nose and the curve of his lips.

Zhou Ye's height gave him an impression of long, powerful legs, emphasized by his pants and stylish sneakers. Looking at him, and then considering the kind of person he'd just described, Xia Yao couldn't help but think of the vast difference between them, despite both being men.

The image he'd painted was unsettling, and she nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Class President."

"Don't mention it. Which way is your house?" He picked up his skateboard, ready to accompany her. His friends, who had been watching from a distance, finally approached.

"Zhou Ye, where are you going?" one of them, a boy with a buzz cut, asked.

Zhou Ye glanced back. "Walking a classmate home. You guys go ahead."

"Wait for you?"

"No, you can all head home afterwards."

He turned back to Xia Yao. "Let's go."

Xia Yao blinked, hesitant. She didn't want to impose on him or his friends. He seemed to have abandoned his group just for her, and she wasn't used to making demands of others, always preferring to accommodate. She worried his friends might resent her.

"If you're busy, it's okay. I can go by myself," she offered.

The boy cut her off, lifting his skateboard slightly to block her view of his friends. "It's fine. Don't worry about them. Let's go."