Jiang Yiheng made a promise, but it proved useless.
Because a minute later, he stepped on Song Yi's foot again.
Song Yi let out a cry, instantly releasing Jiang Yiheng and stumbling three steps backward.
The distance between them was less than two meters, yet it felt like they were worlds apart.
Although Song Yi wasn't particularly gifted at dancing either, she was still better than Jiang Yiheng.
At least in one aspect - she didn't step on people's feet.
Jiang Yiheng wanted to say something, but his expression showed he was at a loss, so uncertain that he didn't even know where to put his hands.
Song Yi stared at Jiang Yiheng's face and said, "I have a question."
Jiang Yiheng: "Go ahead."
Song Yi smiled, though the smile carried a hint of gritted teeth, "Is the reason you're usually so aloof and barely talk to anyone because you're trying to hide the fact that you can't do anything?"
If anyone from Saint Slee Academy had heard Song Yi's words, they would have laughed out loud. How could the perfect Student God and Department Head Jiang be incapable of anything?
The young man remained silent for a few seconds before saying softly, "It's not that I can't do anything, it's just..."
Song Yi asked, "Just what?"
Jiang Yiheng lowered his gaze, his voice getting even quieter, "It's just that you've seen all the things I can't do."
Song Yi: "...?"
Really? Why didn't she believe that?
They stood there in awkward silence, neither knowing what to do.
Song Yi firmly stood her ground, "I said last time would be the last time!"
There wouldn't be a next time! Absolutely not!
Her foot! Her foot! It really hurt!
Song Yi glared angrily at Jiang Yiheng, then walked to a nearby chair and took off her shoe to check her foot.
Her toes were slightly red, but fortunately not swollen.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yiheng simply left the dance room.
Song Yi: "?"
What kind of person was he? He stepped on her foot like that and left without even saying sorry?
Song Yi internally condemned Jiang Yiheng. With less than ten minutes until class ended, there wasn't much point in going back to the classroom now.
So Song Yi decided to rest there for a while and go downstairs after school.
But less than five minutes later, footsteps approached, and the door opened again.
Jiang Yiheng walked in quickly, the bangs on his forehead slightly disheveled, his breathing noticeably uneven, clearly having run back.
Song Yi looked at him puzzled.
Jiang Yiheng held a bag, from which he took out an ice pack and a pair of black slippers.
He knelt on one knee in front of Song Yi and gently pressed the ice pack against the top of her foot.
The cold sensation made Song Yi uncomfortable, and she instinctively tried to pull her foot away.
But Jiang Yiheng's other hand quickly grabbed her ankle, saying just two words: "Don't move."
The young man's hands were exceptionally beautiful, slender and fair, and his touch on her ankle was as cool as jade.
Song Yi felt awkward and said, "Take it off quickly, it's not that serious."
It was just being stepped on a few times - yes, it hurt, but it would get better after a while. This was really making a mountain out of a molehill.
Jiang Yiheng didn't speak, only pressed the ice pack a little harder.
At that moment, a breeze blew through the half-closed door.
Song Yi frowned and said, "Let go, I won't move."
Hearing this, Jiang Yiheng finally released his grip.
He placed the black slippers beside Song Yi's feet, "I bought these before, they've never been worn."
Song Yi was wearing black leather shoes today, which would indeed rub against her feet if she kept wearing them.
So Song Yi nodded, "Alright."
Jiang Yiheng sat down beside Song Yi and said softly with lowered eyes, "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Song Yi didn't want to dwell on it, but then seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, "Do you really not know how to dance at all?"
Jiang Yiheng nodded, "Mm."
Song Yi didn't understand, "What about before?"
Given Jiang Yiheng's status, shouldn't he have attended such balls frequently?
Jiang Yiheng answered, "Hide, and if I couldn't hide, I'd run away."
Song Yi: "..."
What an unexpected answer.
Song Yi asked again, "What about this time? Why didn't you hide?"
When asked this question, Jiang Yiheng remained silent for a long time.
So long that Song Yi thought he wouldn't answer, and she removed the ice pack, put on the slippers he'd brought, and was about to leave.
Suddenly, Jiang Yiheng's voice sounded behind her, "My mother was a dance artist. She loved dancing very much, and that's why my father fell in love with her."
"But she loved dancing too much, far more than she loved my father and me. When she was thirty-five, she became very ill. Treatment would have made her gain weight and caused muscle atrophy, limiting her movement, so she refused treatment. Even when my father and I knelt before her begging, she just kept looking down, arranging her dance dress, without sparing us a glance."
"So in the end, she completely dedicated her life to dance, wearing her beautiful dance dress, dying on the stage she had loved all her life in what she considered her most perfect form."
At this point, Jiang Yiheng's hands fell to his sides, his long fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of his clothes.
He spoke calmly, as if telling a story about someone else.
Yet beneath this calmness lay endless pain, suppression, and endurance.
Song Yi pressed her lips together, and suddenly decided to forgive Jiang Yiheng.
Poor thing, too pitiful.
Although Song Yi couldn't understand this kind of passion - in her view, nothing was more important than being alive - she still looked at Jiang Yiheng and asked, "Then why did you suddenly decide to dance now?"
"I miss her."
Jiang Yiheng closed his eyes, his long eyelashes casting shadows on his cold face, but looking closely, one could see his eyelashes were actually trembling slightly.
"She's been gone for a long time, but for some reason, I've been dreaming about her often lately. So I want to experience what she loved so much, I want to know why she was willing to give up my father and me, and her own life, for it."
Unfortunately, he still couldn't do it well.
Perhaps it was the inherent rejection and fear that prevented Jiang Yiheng, who usually had such strong learning abilities, from being able to learn dance.
Song Yi stared at Jiang Yiheng's face, her mind starting to turn.
Song Yi asked him, "So you still want to learn this time, right?"
Jiang Yiheng opened his eyes to look at her and responded, "Mm."
"Stay here, wait for me!" Song Yi ran a few steps toward the door, then turned back to emphasize to Jiang Yiheng again, "Wait for me, wait for me!"
Song Yi ran out with her hurt foot, suddenly becoming excited.
Oh my god! Oh my god! What an arrangement of fate!
Jiang Yiheng was afraid to dance because of his mother, but Murong Huan was the president of the dance club!
Since Jiang Yiheng still wanted to learn to dance, she would go find Murong Huan now! Let Murong Huan teach Jiang Yiheng to dance! What a perfect opportunity for them to develop their relationship!
She would definitely play matchmaker for this!
Thinking this, Song Yi looked down at the slippers she was wearing.
Although they looked like ordinary fluffy slippers, they were surprisingly comfortable to wear, like walking on cotton, and the fleece was extremely soft.
When the dismissal bell rang, Song Yi had just reached the door of Class B.
As students gradually packed their bags and walked out, Song Yi waved to Murong Huan, "Over here!"
Murong Huan saw her and walked over.
Shen Yujing, who was behind her, also saw this and followed along.
Murong Huan smiled and asked, "Why did you come looking for me?"
Song Yi glanced at Shen Yujing but still told Murong Huan everything that had just happened.
There was surprise in Murong Huan's eyes, "Did Jiang Yiheng tell you this?"
Song Yi nodded and reached out to grab Murong Huan's wrist, "Quick! Jiang Yiheng is still in the dance room! Go teach him to dance! It's time to show your charm!"
Behind the two, Shen Yujing burst out laughing and poked Song Yi's forehead with his finger, "What are you talking about? Do you even know what charm is?"
Song Yi expressionlessly grabbed Shen Yujing's wrist and started twisting it in the opposite direction.
"Ouch! Ouch!"
Shen Yujing shouted, then looked at Song Yi with anxious eyes, "It's going to break! It's going to break!"
Only then did Song Yi let go, immediately grabbing Murong Huan instead, "What are you hesitating for? Hurry up and go!"
But Murong Huan stood still, making no move to leave.
Song Yi noticed something was wrong with Murong Huan and asked, "What's wrong?"
Murong Huan looked at Song Yi, her voice already carrying a suppressed sob, "I never knew about this. I never knew any of it."
After speaking, Murong Huan broke free from Song Yi's grip, ran a few steps in the opposite direction, then stopped in her tracks.
She turned back to look at Song Yi again, wiping her tears with her wrist, and said, "Yi Yi, I know this isn't your fault, and I know you're telling me all this for my own good. But right now, I really... can't control my emotions. I need to go find him right now, I'm sorry!"
With that, Murong Huan immediately ran downstairs.
Shen Yujing asked in confusion, "What's wrong with her? Why is she crying out of nowhere?"
Song Yi furrowed her brows, Murong Huan's reaction making her reconsider if there had been something wrong with what she'd just said.
Soon, Song Yi figured it out and covered her forehead with her hand - the situation seemed rather problematic.
Murong Huan had liked Jiang Yiheng for so many years and had known him for just as long, yet she never knew this secret about him.
Yet Jiang Yiheng had easily shared it with her, and what would all this mean from Murong Huan's perspective?
Song Yi couldn't explain to Murong Huan that it might be because she had the "female protagonist's halo," making it easier to gain Jiang Yiheng's trust - that reason would sound too absurd.
"Huh? So you understand what's going on?" Shen Yujing asked in confusion, then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"
Song Yi, annoyed by his noise, asked, "What now?"
"I knew these looked familiar, and I finally remembered!" Shen Yujing pointed at the slippers on Song Yi's feet and asked, "Why are you wearing Jiang Yiheng's slippers?"
Song Yi: "?"
Hadn't Jiang Yiheng said he'd never worn these slippers? How could even Shen Yujing recognize them?
So Song Yi asked, "How do you know?"
Shen Yujing shrugged and replied, "In our first year of high school, Quan Le and I were going through confiscated snacks in Jiang Yiheng's office right in front of him, and we accidentally opened a box, which made him furious. Later we found out..."
Shen Yujing suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening.
Because later they found out that everything in that box had been left to Jiang Yiheng by his mother, with his initials embroidered on each item, making them extremely precious to him.
Jiang Yiheng had given something so important to Song Yi? Even a fool would understand what that meant! Could it be that he liked Song Yi?!
Shen Yujing suddenly understood Murong Huan's earlier emotions, the usual playful sparkle in his almond-shaped eyes instantly vanishing.
Song Yi, dissatisfied with Shen Yujing's sudden silence mid-story, pressed on, "Later you found out what?"
Shen Yujing's gaze fell back on Song Yi's slippers, and he said with a straight face, "Later we found out he had an entire box of identical black slippers, all embroidered with his initials in silver thread!"
Song Yi: "...?"
What? Was that really it? Then Jiang Yiheng was quite a strange person.
