Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 3

Lingxi kept a proper distance, quietly following behind Shen Sui, blending into the crowd of students leaving school. However, due to her height, she stood out awkwardly. Feeling self-conscious, she bent down slightly. A girl beside her glanced at her strangely and moved away.

Seventh High School had two gates, a front and a back entrance. To Lingxi’s surprise, Shen Sui entered through the front gate in the morning but chose to leave through the back gate after school.

After walking a short distance from the back gate, they passed through an old residential area. The dim streetlights cast a flickering glow, outlining Shen Sui’s slender figure in a soft yellow halo. Despite carrying a large backpack, her posture remained upright and firm. With each step she took, her shadow stretched longer under the streetlights.

Lingxi kept her head slightly lowered, her eyes fixed only on Shen Sui and her shadow. The people following behind Lingxi could be ignored as long as they didn’t step into Shen Sui’s protective zone.

After passing through the old residential area, they descended a long flight of stairs leading to a three-way intersection. Here, the crowd naturally dispersed, and fewer people remained on the road.

Shen Sui continued walking straight ahead. Concerned for her safety, Lingxi followed a little closer. The sounds of cicadas, typical of summer, filled the air, preventing the night from being too silent despite the fewer pedestrians.

They walked in single file, one behind the other. Shen Sui seemed to have chosen a secluded shortcut, winding through narrow alleyways with several turns. Just as she was about to reach the street corner, she suddenly stopped. The white incandescent light from the streetlamp illuminated the top of her head.

Lingxi also stopped. Before she could find a place to hide, Shen Sui had already turned around and was looking straight at her.

“Are you following me?”

Lingxi was caught off guard by Shen Sui’s cold gaze. She froze on the spot, her hands hanging naturally at her sides but unconsciously tensing up against her pants.

“I was worried about you.”

“Worried about what?” Shen Sui frowned slightly, looking at the girl standing stiffly in front of her.

“What happened yesterday. I’m afraid they might take revenge on you.”

Lingxi gave a reason that Shen Sui might accept. As expected, her expression softened slightly.

“I’m fine. You should go back.”

“Are you almost home?”

“Yes. My home is in the neighborhood across the street.” Shen Sui tilted her head slightly, indicating the direction.

“Then I’ll watch you go in.”

“…”

Shen Sui squinted slightly at her.

“If you don’t go inside, I won’t leave.” Lingxi met her gaze with determination.

One stood under the bright streetlight, while the other remained in the darkness. They fell into silence, with only the continuous chirping of cicadas around them.

After a while, Shen Sui turned and walked away. The invisible pressure in front of Lingxi suddenly dissipated. She quickly followed, her stiff body restarting. Only then did she realize that her back was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her fingertips were slightly cold.

At the entrance of the neighborhood, Shen Sui turned back to look at her. As Lingxi approached, Shen Sui spoke again with a cold face. “I’m home. You should go back.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t do this again next time.”

“Okay.” Lingxi nodded.

Shen Sui looked at the girl standing in front of her—her brows and eyes soft, almost matching her in height. After a moment, she added, “Be careful.”

“Okay.”

Lingxi watched as Shen Sui turned and walked away. Her gaze followed her into the neighborhood, taking in the rundown buildings, flickering streetlights, and garbage-filled bins. When she glanced at the neighborhood’s name, it was barely legible, eroded over time and covered in old advertisement posters.

For a moment, Lingxi’s expression darkened.

Not far behind, Mi Tongtong, who had been following them, wrinkled her nose in disgust upon seeing Lingxi standing at the entrance of such a neighborhood. She gestured to her two companions.

“She must be crazy!”

Before her companions could respond, Mi Tongtong’s phone rang. The white glow from the screen illuminated her face. Her expression of disdain disappeared, replaced by a sweet smile. Without ending the call, she walked away with her two followers.

Lingxi tilted her head slightly, glancing at the spot where Mi Tongtong had stood. Then, she turned to scan the surrounding buildings. The entire area seemed to be an old district, with many single-story houses and rundown apartment buildings like Shen Sui’s. After taking in the general layout, she slowly walked to the neighborhood entrance.

She initially just wanted to check if she had missed any details, but by coincidence, she looked up and saw Shen Sui again. Ten minutes after entering the neighborhood, Shen Sui had left her backpack behind and come out again.

Lingxi took a step back, hiding in the shadows.

Without lingering, Shen Sui exited the neighborhood and walked straight across the street. She continued along the road, passing two blocks before finally stopping outside a 24-hour convenience store. She raised her hand and pushed the door open.

Was she here to buy something? Lingxi glanced at the store’s sign in confusion.

Through the transparent glass, she observed the store. It was an ordinary 24-hour convenience store, and there had been three or four similar ones along the two streets Shen Sui had walked through.

So why did she come all the way to this one?

Frowning slightly, Lingxi tilted her head and examined each aisle, searching for differences and looking for Shen Sui. She adjusted her position multiple times for a better view.

Eventually, she found herself standing right at the entrance, her head tilted, when she suddenly met Shen Sui’s gaze from the cashier counter inside.

For three seconds, Lingxi witnessed Shen Sui’s expression shift from calm to suspicion, then to an icy, bone-chilling stare.

Separated by the glass, they locked eyes. Lingxi took a deep breath and, bracing herself, walked inside as if stepping into an impending snowstorm. Each step felt heavier, and sweat formed on her back again.

This time, Shen Sui didn’t speak first but stared at her intently, silently demanding an explanation.

“This time, it really was an accident,” Lingxi said, meeting her gaze. She paused before adding, “I was just looking around.”

“And then you saw me?”

“Yes…” Lingxi appeared uneasy but still stood straight like a soldier.

“Then we must be really fated to meet?”

Lingxi pressed her lips together, carefully observing Shen Sui’s expression, not daring to respond casually.

The silence stretched between them. The store played a slow Cantonese pop song in the background, the singer’s voice husky and gentle: “The fate has been lost, the heartbeat has stopped, sent to the hospital…”

The atmosphere between them became even heavier.

Lingxi stiffly changed the subject. “Shen, are you working here?”

Shen Sui didn’t answer but asked instead, “Yao, it’s so late. Won’t your parents worry?”

“I already called them.” Lingxi paused before asking again, “So, are you working here?”

Shen Sui looked at her seriously for a long time. Then, with a slight tug at the corner of her lips, she sighed, “Yes.”

“This job isn’t safe,” Lingxi frowned.

“Yao, this is my private matter.”

“But you have to stay up late, and you’re here alone…” Lingxi was anxious.

Shen Sui’s cold gaze softened slightly, though only a fraction. “It’s my working hours now.”

Lingxi frowned but said nothing.

After a moment, Shen Sui sighed. “Are you hungry? I’ll treat you to something.”