Chapter 2: My Name is Oya (1)

"Gu Panxi, can't you keep your voice down? My ears are going deaf," a classmate called out.

"Why are you all rushing? If anyone's going to ask, it should be me," Gu Panxi retorted, settling herself next to Qiao Xi, notebook and pen at the ready. "Qiao Xi, how old are you, how tall, do you have a boyfriend, what's your favorite color..."

Qiao Xi had barely taken in Gu Panxi's face before being bombarded by a string of questions.

"Qiao Xi, you'd better just answer her," a kindly classmate advised.

"?"

"She's Ji Niansheng's die-hard fan. Anything Ji Niansheng wants to know, she'll make sure to ask. If she doesn't get your details today, she'll keep pestering you, and no one has ever managed to avoid her, not even those who nearly beat her up trying."

Lunchtime.

"Qiao Xi, seventeen years old, one meter sixty, no boyfriend, favorite color: red. Least favorite color: red. Amazing, what an answer!" Ji Niansheng exclaimed, notebook in hand.

Across the table, Ou Ya continued eating quietly, utterly unmoved.

"I've decided!" Suddenly, Ji Niansheng stood up. "I'm going to win her over within three days!"

Ou Ya finished his meal, dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and said, "If you pull it off, I'll get you into the student council."

"Seriously? And if I don't?"

"The same result."

Ji Niansheng looked exasperated. "Fine, I won't pursue her then. By the way, do you know her?"

Ou Ya chuckled softly, elegant and charming.

"The food's getting cold," he remarked, standing up to leave.

"Fine, don't tell me," Ji Niansheng muttered. Suddenly she thought of something. "When is Yu Fan coming back to school? He’s only in his third year and already doing business deals with his dad. Is he planning to take over the family conglomerate before he’s twenty?"

Ou Ya didn't let her finish before he was already on his way to the art studio.

As he neared the building, he stopped, catching sight of someone standing beneath the maple trees—the same figure he’d seen in the studio that morning.

Qiao Xi was gazing at the maple trees, lost in thought. A breeze swept by, stirring the fallen leaves into a gentle rustle.

She came back to herself, turned to leave, and found herself face-to-face with a pair of gentle eyes.

She paused, nodding politely.

"Aren't they beautiful?"

She was just about to walk away when she heard a pleasant voice. She looked at him in confusion.

Bathed in soft sunlight, his features were clear and handsome, his lines gentle, hair tips dancing in the breeze—a prince straight out of a comic book.

"The maple trees," Ou Ya explained.

Qiao Xi glanced at the trees, then back at him, nodding slightly.

Then she heard his voice again, low and gentle: "These are the only ones in the city. My name is Ou Ya."

"I'm Qiao Xi," she replied politely.

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"Are you adjusting well, being new here?" Ou Ya asked quietly.

"?"

"I'm the student council vice president," he explained.

"It's fine."

"Would you like me to show you around, help you get familiar with the school?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you."

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Oh, by the way—"

"?"

"You have a maple leaf on your head," Ou Ya said with a smile.

Qiao Xi reached up and found a leaf, pulling it off. She was about to toss it away when he said,

"Let me have it."

She hesitated. With so many leaves on the ground, surely he wasn't forbidding her from throwing it away?

"It's said that collecting a maple leaf that lands on someone else's head brings good luck," Ou Ya explained, reaching out his hand. His fingers were long and graceful, his movements elegant and gentle, never once feeling intrusive.