Lucky accident

'Oh my… is this fate?'

"Sorry, sorry! I really didn't mean to. I was in such a rush just now. Oh no… what should we do?"

Zhao Chen's panicked voice immediately snapped Liang Yue back to reality, as if her brain had finally rebooted. Right on cue, a sharp sting spread across her chest where the hot coffee had splashed earlier.

Instinctively, she pinched the front of her shirt and pulled it away from her skin. A mix of embarrassment and pain washed over her all at once. Thankfully, she was wearing black, so the stain wasn't too obvious but her shirt was thin, and the heat had gone straight through the fabric.

Seeing her panic, Zhao Chen looked even more guilty.

Without thinking twice, he quickly unbuttoned his outer shirt and draped it over her shoulders. The sudden closeness caught Liang Yue completely off guard. She instinctively took a small step back as the crisp scent of his cologne filled her senses.

Her heart, which had only just calmed down moments ago, immediately went into overdrive again.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

The pounding was so intense she almost felt dizzy.

Only after Zhao Chen stepped back did she finally manage to breathe properly again. Liang Yue stood there blankly, her mind completely empty, until Zhao Chen broke the awkward silence.

"Err… I think you should change into my shirt first. I'll wait for you inside. Come on," he suggested.

Now left in only a white t-shirt after giving her his overshirt, Zhao Chen looked oddly casual yet unfairly handsome at the same time.

"Okay, I'll change quickly. But… are you sure? Didn't you say you were in a rush earlier?"

"No, it's okay. That can wait," Zhao Chen replied before walking toward the cafeteria entrance.

Liang Yue quietly followed behind him.

Inside the cafeteria restroom, Liang Yue stood in front of the mirror, turning left and right while staring at her reflection.

The shirt was ridiculously oversized on her.

Although she had changed clothes now, the skin around the burn still throbbed faintly even after she had pressed it with cold water.

'Yeah… I definitely need to visit the clinic' later, she thought to herself.

Not wanting to keep Zhao Chen waiting too long, she quickly adjusted the oversized shirt and fixed her messy hair to look at least somewhat presentable.

The moment she stepped out and approached Zhao Chen's table, her eyes widened slightly.

There was already a mountain of food waiting there.

"Wow… that's a lot. Haven't you eaten yet, Senior?" Liang Yue asked while sitting across from him.

"I already ate. These are for you," Zhao Chen replied casually before handing her a small plastic bag. "And this too."

Curious, Liang Yue peeked inside and found ointment along with a few pain relief medications.

"I bought some cream for the burn. I'm really sorry about earlier," Zhao Chen explained awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. "I was distracted thinking about the competition participants and wasn't paying attention while walking."

"Oh… thank you so much. For the food and for these too," Liang Yue replied while lifting the plastic bag slightly. "And honestly, it's okay. I'm not mad. You already lent me your shirt."

A relieved smile immediately appeared on Zhao Chen's face.

"Go ahead and eat first. I'll keep you company."

Liang Yue nodded before finally focusing on the food in front of her.

There was rice, sliced cucumbers, beef, and several side dishes. At this point, she was too hungry to care about looking elegant, so she simply ate while trying not to think too much about the fact that Zhao Chen was sitting right in front of her.

A comfortable silence settled between them.

After finishing her meal, Liang Yue finally looked up, only to realize Zhao Chen had been staring at her the entire time.

Her cheeks immediately burned red.

Wait… has he seriously been watching me eat this whole time?!

Trying to act normal, she quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth calmly, pretending nothing happened.

Zhao Chen, who clearly noticed every single reaction on her face, finally spoke.

"You look really familiar. What's your name?"

"I'm Liang Yue. Liang is my surname, and Yue means moon. So… my name basically means a beautiful, serene moon."

"Liang Yue," Zhao Chen repeated softly.

Just hearing her name leave his lips was enough to make her stomach twist nervously.

Suddenly, Zhao Chen snapped his fingers lightly.

"Ah, I remember now. You're one of the participants for the competition, right? The one who ran in late and almost took a trip down the stairs?"

The memory instantly replayed itself inside Liang Yue's head.

Her entire face turned bright red so quickly it almost looked painful. She genuinely wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Of all things he could remember… it had to be that embarrassing moment.

Seeing her expression, Zhao Chen couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Senior, please don't remind me," Liang Yue mumbled in embarrassment. "I really didn't mean to be late that day. I accidentally overslept."

Zhao Chen chuckled again, which only made her heart race even faster.

"Alright, alright. I understand," he said teasingly. "But don't do it again, especially now that practices are starting. What time does yours begin later?"

"At one o'clock, Senior."

Speaking of time, Liang Yue quickly grabbed her phone to check the hour.

The moment the screen lit up, her eyes widened in horror.

It was already past eleven.

Worse, her notification bar was flooded with missed calls and messages from Jin Mei. She had completely forgotten that her phone was still on Do Not Disturb mode.

And she hadn't even bought Jin Mei's food yet.

Zhao Chen immediately noticed her panicked expression.

"What's wrong? Something urgent?"

"I totally forgot I promised to buy food for my friend," Liang Yue explained anxiously while quickly unlocking her phone. "Her practice starts at twelve. Senior, sorry I need to call her for a second."

Zhao Chen nodded understandingly before pulling out his own phone, checking messages and practice updates while waiting for her.

"Mei'er! I'm so sorry!" Liang Yue apologized the moment the call connected. "Something came up, and I don't think I can buy your food."

Thankfully, Jin Mei didn't sound upset at all. She had already left the dorm earlier and bought something from the convenience store near the drama practice hall.

Only then did Liang Yue finally relax.

After she ended the call, Zhao Chen suggested they leave since he still had several things to settle as well.

The two of them walked out of the cafeteria together before eventually stopping at the small pathway where their routes separated.

"Alright, I'm heading off first," Zhao Chen said while giving her a small wave. "Don't forget to apply the ointment later. And maybe stop by the health unit too, just to be safe."Zhao Chen said, giving her a small wave as he turned to leave.

"Senior Zhao!"

Her voice immediately made him stop walking.

Zhao Chen turned around and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Hm? What is it?"

"Thank you again for the food… and for the shirt too," Liang Yue said while lightly tugging at the oversized sleeves covering her hands. "I'll return it after I wash it."

Zhao Chen glanced at her appearance for a moment, clearly amused by how tiny she looked in his oversized shirt.

"Sure. No rush," he replied with a small smile. "You can return it anytime."

Liang Yue hesitated for a second before gathering her courage.

"In that case… can I get your WeChat, Senior?" she asked carefully. "It'll be easier for me to text you once your shirt is clean."

Despite sounding calm on the outside, her heart was beating so violently she thought it might explode at any second.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

For a brief second, silence hung between them.

Liang Yue's anxiety immediately skyrocketed. She was terrified Zhao Chen would reject her politely.

But instead...

"Sure."

Her eyes widened.

"Huh?"

Her blank reaction instantly made Zhao Chen laugh.

"Yeah, of course," he said while pulling out his phone. "Come here. Let me scan your QR code."

Still completely dazed, Liang Yue automatically handed over her phone.

Everything felt unreal.

Once he finished adding her, Zhao Chen returned the phone before stepping back.

"Alright, just text me whenever the shirt's clean. See you, Liang Yue."

With one final wave, he turned around and walked away.

Liang Yue stood frozen on the spot, completely ignoring the students walking past her as she stared at the empty path Zhao Chen had disappeared down moments ago.

Only after a few seconds did her brain finally process what had just happened.

Suddenly, she let out a quiet squeal and began running happily toward the dorms while humming to herself, completely forgetting that she had come there on her bicycle.

After a few steps, she abruptly stopped.

"…My bike."

Quickly turning around, she jogged back to retrieve it before cycling slowly across campus again, unable to stop the huge smile spreading across her face.

The late morning breeze felt especially refreshing, and the faint scent of Zhao Chen's cologne lingering on the oversized shirt wrapped around her made her heart flutter all over again.

She really hadn't expected this morning. Well, noon now to turn out this meaningful.

To Liang Yue, getting Zhao Chen's WeChat over a spilled cup of coffee felt like the best trade-off in the world.

And just thinking about it was enough to make her smile the entire way back.

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