Chapter 6: Lunch
Chen Dongyang chewed slowly, the flavors of the meal surprisingly vivid despite his tangled thoughts.
The rooftop was quiet, save for the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of South River City.
Jiang Yuxin sat across from him, her movements precise as she ate, her gaze occasionally flicking toward him.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was studying him, dissecting every gesture, every word.
‘She’s testing me,’ he thought, his chopsticks pausing mid-air. ‘But for what?’
He stole a glance at her, her delicate features softened by the sunlight.
For a moment, she didn’t seem like the untouchable princess or the dangerous enigma.
She was just a girl, eating lunch.
But the moment passed, and her eyes met his, sharp and unyielding.
“Don’t stare,” she said, her voice cool but not harsh. “It’s rude.”
He flushed, looking down at his food.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, shoving a piece of omelet into his mouth.
She didn’t respond, but he could feel her gaze lingering, like a weight he couldn’t shake.
The rest of the school day dragged on, each class a blur of equations and lectures.
Chen Dongyang’s mind was elsewhere, replaying the rooftop lunch, Jiang Yuxin’s cryptic words, and the strange warmth of her sharing the meal.
He didn’t understand her.
One moment, she was cold, manipulative, bending the dean’s mind like it was clay.
The next, she was splitting her lunch with him, her actions almost… kind.
‘She’s playing a game,’ he decided, scribbling absentmindedly in his notebook. ‘And I’m the pawn.’
But a part of him—a small, reckless part—wondered if there was more to her.
Something human beneath the icy exterior.
When the final bell rang, he packed his bag slowly, half-expecting her to appear and demand something else.
But she didn’t.
She left the classroom without a glance, her schoolbag swinging lightly as she disappeared into the crowd.
After school, Chen Dongyang headed to the park by the river, his steps heavy with anticipation.
This was their agreed meeting, the one she’d insisted on yesterday.
He found her on the same bench, her posture relaxed but her eyes alert, scanning the water like it held answers.
“You’re punctual,” she said without looking at him, her voice carrying that familiar edge.
He sat on the opposite end of the bench, keeping his distance.
“Didn’t want to keep you waiting,” he said, trying to sound casual.
She turned her head, her gaze pinning him in place.
“Let’s get one thing clear, Chen Dongyang,” she said, her tone low and deliberate. “I don’t trust you. Your ‘premonition’ story is flimsy at best. But I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself.”
He swallowed, his throat dry.
“Prove myself how?”
“By being honest,” she said, leaning forward slightly. “Tell me what you’re hiding. Why you really tackled me. Why you’re so… different.”
His heart pounded, the truth about the time loops teetering on the edge of his tongue.
But he couldn’t say it.
Not yet.
“I’m not hiding anything,” he lied, his voice steady despite the sweat on his palms. “I just… I don’t know. I saw you in danger, and I acted. That’s it.”
Her eyes narrowed, and he braced for that invisible pressure, the cold brush of her power.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, she leaned back, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“You’re stubborn,” she said, almost approvingly. “I like that.”
He blinked, thrown off by her tone.
“Uh… thanks?”
“Don’t get cocky,” she said, standing. “Tomorrow. Lunch. Same place. Don’t disappoint me.”
She walked away, her figure blending into the evening light, leaving him with more questions than answers.
That night, Chen Dongyang sat at his desk, his math homework untouched.
His mind was a storm of fragments—Jiang Yuxin’s smile, her piercing questions, the loops, her power.
He pulled out a notebook, jotting down what he knew.
– Jiang Yuxin can control minds.
– She can’t control mine.
– I was stuck in a time loop where she died.
– The loops stopped when I saved her.
– She’s suspicious of me, but she’s… curious?
He stared at the list, his pen tapping against the paper.
The loops were over, but the mystery wasn’t.
Why had they happened?
Was it really about saving her, or was there something bigger at play?
And why was he immune to her power?
He thought of her sharing the lunch, her small gesture of kindness.
It didn’t fit the image of the cold, calculating girl who’d twisted the dean’s mind.
‘She’s not just a villain,’ he thought, his pen stilling. ‘But she’s not a hero either.’
He closed the notebook, his resolve hardening.
Tomorrow, he’d watch her just as closely as she watched him.
If she was playing a game, he’d learn the rules.
The next day, Chen Dongyang arrived at school early, his bag heavier with the weight of another expensive lunch order.
Jiang Yuxin’s text had been specific this time: [Pasta from Bella’s. No garlic. Sparkling water, lemon.]
He’d groaned at the price but complied, his wallet crying with every step to the restaurant.
On the rooftop, she was waiting in the same spot, the white towel spread beneath her like a picnic blanket.
She took the food without comment, inspecting it with her usual precision.
“Better,” she said, opening the container. “You’re learning.”
He sat across from her, his own lunch a cheap sandwich from the convenience store.
She noticed, her eyes flicking to his food.
“Still forgetting yourself?” she asked, her tone almost teasing.
“I’m fine,” he said, biting into the sandwich. “Not everyone needs fancy pasta.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t push.
They ate in silence, the rooftop’s quiet a stark contrast to the chaos in his mind.
Finally, she spoke.
“Your ‘premonition,’” she said, her voice soft but probing. “Has it happened again?”
He hesitated, then shook his head.
“No. Just that one time.”
Her eyes searched his, looking for cracks.
“You’re sure?” she pressed.
He nodded, holding her gaze.
“I’m sure.”
She leaned back, sipping her sparkling water, her expression unreadable.
“Then maybe you’re not as interesting as I thought,” she said, but her tone held a challenge.
He grinned, surprising himself.
“Maybe I’m just full of surprises.”
For the first time, he saw a flicker of genuine amusement in her eyes.
“We’ll see,” she said, standing. “Tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
*
As she walked away, Chen Dongyang felt a strange mix of relief and anticipation.
Jiang Yuxin was dangerous, unpredictable, and far too smart.
But she was also the only person who made him feel like he wasn’t alone in this bizarre, broken world.
And for now, that was enough.