Chapter 2 — A Glimpse from the Rooftop
The school bell rang, fading into silence as footsteps echoed down the halls.
Lin Qian didn't follow the crowd.
Instead, she slipped quietly up the final flight of stairs, her drawing pad clutched to her chest. The rooftop wasn't allowed—but it was hers. Her quiet place. Her sky.
The moment she pushed the door open, the sea breeze greeted her. It was warm and soft, like a whisper against her skin. She stepped out, the view unfolding—blue sky above, the ocean stretching far beyond the school walls.
She sat near the railing and flipped open her sketchbook. The page was half-finished.
Her pencil moved, unthinking.
And slowly, he appeared again—broad shoulders, school jacket slightly loose, one hand in his pocket, the other brushing his hair back.
Li Jun.
She hadn't spoken to him. Barely looked at him. But somehow… he lived in her drawings. Not by choice. He simply appeared, like the sky or the wind.
She paused, staring at his outline.
Why him?
From the stairwell, someone lingered in the shadows. Silent. Still.
Li Jun stood just beyond the door, eyes fixed on her figure in the sunlight. Her head bent in concentration. Her hair dancing lightly in the wind.
He didn't step forward.
He didn't speak.
But he watched—like he always did.