"Come on, let's all play different versions of Werewolf. Everyone close your eyes first, and I'll choose three players to be werewolves. When I say you can open your eyes, everyone start shaking hands with different people. When werewolves shake hands with others, they can press down on the other person's palm to eliminate them from the game. After each round, everyone can speak up and vote for the person they suspect." Lin Nan and Xiang Nan were helping two others move the milk tea from the store to the camping site when they overheard the club president organizing the game.
"Ke Yin, Jia He, come join the game!" Xiang Nan called out enthusiastically.
Shen Jia He looked toward Xiang Nan, her gaze automatically shifting to Lin Shen, who was standing next to him. The sweat beads on Lin Shen's neck trickled down his collarbone to his abdomen, and the sweat under his T-shirt outlined his faintly visible abs.
Shen Jiahe quickly swallowed, looked away, and pretended not to see anything. In an instant, she felt the heat spreading to her cheeks and ears.
The game began, and the president instructed everyone not to open their eyes while she chose the werewolf. Shen Jiahe closed her eyes, quietly listening to the cheerful and pleasant music coming from the speakers, and the continuous chirping of cicadas from the trees, as if accompanying the song. Just as Shen Jiahe was engrossed in listening, someone gently tapped her shoulder, hinting at her identity as the werewolf.
"Alright, everyone can open their eyes now."
Shen Jiahe opened her eyes, unnaturally lifting the corners of her lips, took a deep breath, and calmed the panic caused by her nervousness. When Shen Jiahe was a child, she played "Who's the Mole" and "Werewolf" with Ling Ke'yin and other friends, but she was always the one whose identity was exposed. Shen Jiahe didn't understand why everyone else could hide so well, while she was always the one exposed as the werewolf.
Sometimes she would pout her soft, porcelain-white face, clench her small hands into fists the size of buns, and refuse to play anymore. Later, as she grew up, she realized that her behavior and actions were markedly different before and after being assigned the werewolf role. But even after coming to this realization, Shen Jiahe couldn't help but exhibit unusual behavior when playing Werewolf.
The players began to move around, shaking hands with one another, while the werewolves were already eager to find their targets to eliminate.
As Shen Jiahe was struggling to decide whom to eliminate, a tall, slender figure blocked the sunlight from shining on her face. Shen Jiahe tilted her head slightly and gazed at the boy who was twenty centimeters taller than her. It was Lin Shen. He extended his hand, looking at the motionless Shen Jiahe, and asked, "Shake hands?"
From Shen Jiahe's perspective, Lin Shen stood with his back to the golden sunlight, as if his entire body was bathed in light. His face didn't bear the reckless, carefree smile she was used to, but a warm, melting smile that seemed to carry a hint of warmth. When Lin Shen didn't smile, his face was as cold as an iceberg, and anyone who looked into his eyes would get goosebumps. Shen Jiahe rarely saw him without expression; the last time she saw him like that was when he didn't recognize her on the subway.
Shen Jiahe looked at Lin Shen's outstretched hand, her mind going blank. Before she could react, Lin Shen gently took her delicate hand. His large palm enveloped her small hand, and the warmth from his hand spread throughout Shen Jiahe's body like a warm current, making her feel tingly. Shen Jiahe's face flushed, and she instinctively pulled her hand away.
In the M country, an open and free country, simple physical contact between members of the opposite sex is perfectly normal. When Shen Jiahe first came to New York for high school, her physical education teacher had played the same game with them. At the time, when she shook hands with a few boys in her class, she felt nothing, just treating it as a way to get to know her classmates. Lin Shen's gentle touch on her hand was enough to make her heart race and her head spin.
"What are you thinking about?" Lin Shen couldn't help but chuckle, his hand unconsciously stroking Shen Jiahe's head.
"Ah? Nothing... nothing?" Shen Jiahe snapped back to reality, stammering in response.
Even after the game ended and everyone gathered around the grill to eat barbecue, Shen Jiahe couldn't calm down. She held her milk tea and stared blankly, recalling how Lin Shen had taken her hand, the cool sensation on her skin unable to suppress the heat in her heart.
"Jiahe, do you want some barbecue? I'll grill a few skewers for you." Ling Keyin saw that Shen Jiahe was only drinking her milk tea and not eating, thinking she was too lazy to move.
"Sure, sure." As soon as Shen Jiahe finished speaking, her stomach growled.
She suddenly remembered that she had stayed up until 3 a.m. the previous night to finish her homework, and by the time she woke up, it was almost time to leave for the campsite. To avoid being late, she grabbed two slices of bread from the table, stuffed them into her mouth, and rushed out the door.
About ten minutes later, Ling Keyin handed Shen Jiahe the freshly grilled skewers, still sizzling with oil.
Shen Jiahe took a bite of the beef skewer. The beef was charred on the outside and tender on the inside, coated with cumin and chili powder, releasing a fragrant aroma. She took one bite after another, immersing herself in the aromatic grilled meat.
"Is it that good? It seems like Lin Shen is a good cook." Ling Keyin watched Shen Jiahe eat with relish, then picked up one of the few remaining skewers next to Shen Jiahe and took a bite. The next moment, she nodded vigorously, saying she wanted to learn from Lin Shen.
"Lin Shen is so skilled. Unlike me, who's a kitchen disaster." Shen Jiahe smiled dreamily, her
dimples brimming with sweetness.
Ling Keyin suspected that Lin Shen had cast a spell on Shen Jiahe, and she shook her head helplessly.
Indeed, to capture someone's heart, you must first capture their stomach.
-
"I really didn't take your things."
"Don't try to deny it. Everyone was playing games, but you were the only one sitting here. Now my wallet is missing. If it wasn't you, then who else could it be?"
The two argued louder and louder, drawing the attention of others and passersby. Shen Jiahe was confused: "What's going on? Are they going to fight?"
Ling Keyin heard some commotion over there. She ate the fruit on her plate while keeping an ear out for what was happening: "Don't mention it. The girl in the white dress lost her wallet and accused the girl who didn't play the game because she wasn't feeling well of stealing it."
Ling Keyin was furious on behalf of the wrongly accused girl and prepared to confront her directly, "How dare you accuse someone without evidence? You have no proof that she stole your things!"
"I'm accusing her? My wallet isn't in my bag. Did it grow wings and fly away on its own?" The girl in the white dress gave Shen Jiahe a cold look, warning her not to get involved.
Shen Jiahe ignored her warning and continued her attack: "You're accusing someone and acting so confident? Did you really look for your wallet? Don't end up finding it and making a fool of yourself."
The girl in the white dress was pushed to the limit. "Do I need to tell you that? Of course I've looked for it! Are you telling me how to do my job?" She pushed Shen Jiahe's shoulder forcefully. When Shen Jiahe walked over, she didn't notice the stone covered by green grass under her feet. The girl pushed her hard, and Shen Jiahe lost her balance and fell backward. She instinctively used her hands to support herself, but her palms were accidentally cut by the sharp stones.
"What are you doing! How dare you hit someone!" Lin Shen's handsome face showed anger. He helped Shen Jiahe up. The pain was like fine needles pricking her palm, and a trickle of blood seeped out, standing out starkly on her porcelain-white hand. Lin Shen's eyes were cold, and his low voice was filled with anger.
The troublesome girl tried to retort, but upon seeing it was Lin Shen, she raised her voice and accused him first: "She framed me first. I'm the one who's been wronged."
"Get out." Lin Shen no longer bothered to argue with her.
He carefully grasped Shen Jiahe's wrist, afraid of causing her further pain. In full view of everyone, he led Shen Jiahe away from the scene of the commotion.