They took the elevator up to the sixth floor. Even before the doors slid open, pulsing music thumped faintly through the walls.
As they stepped out, the sound grew louder, filling the corridor with vibrant energy.
Up ahead, the skating rink was lit with colorful lights. Boys and girls glided across the ice in their skates, laughing and teasing each other, creating a lively, youthful atmosphere.
Han Ning's reaction at this moment was… rather interesting.
Her brows furrowed slightly—clearly, she wasn't a fan of such noisy and chaotic places. That hint of disapproval came from years of strict family upbringing, a habit so deeply ingrained it had settled into her very bones.
And yet… her eyes sparkled with longing.
She craved this freedom. This kind of wild, reckless fun. Deep in her soul, she yearned to break free and chase after excitement.
This duality was exactly what fascinated Fang Yi.
One girlfriend, two sides.
She was both the gentle, obedient sweetheart… and the fiery rebel who'd punch rules in the face.
Compared to internet cafés, the skating rink was much cheaper—just five yuan an hour, plus a fifty yuan deposit that would be refunded afterward.
Fang Yi had planned to pay, but Han Ning beat him to it and slapped the money down.
The cashier, a young man behind the counter, shot Fang Yi a disdainful glance.
Damn, not only did this guy land such a gorgeous girlfriend, he's even letting her pay for skating?
Tch. Lucky bastard… I'm so salty right now.
Fang Yi didn't bother explaining himself. He just took Han Ning by the hand and led her to a bench by the rink.
After putting on his skates with practiced ease, he turned to see Han Ning still struggling with hers. She hadn't even gotten one shoe on.
"Need a hand?" he asked casually.
Before she could answer, he reached down and gently held her ankle, helping her put on the skate.
Truth be told, you can tell a lot about a woman by her feet. Some women were stunning from head to toe—until you got to their feet and everything fell apart.
Han Ning's feet weren't like that.
Through her thin socks, Fang Yi could see the smooth, fair skin of her instep—soft, delicate, and well-shaped.
They were a bit on the bigger side, probably a size 38. But that made sense—she was 168cm tall. If her feet were too small, she'd probably tip over just standing still.
The most perfect pair of feet Fang Yi had ever seen belonged to Zhao Wanqiu—dainty, elegant, each toe like a polished pearl.
"You… y-you're staring!" Han Ning blurted, cheeks turning pink under his gaze.
"Relax, just appreciating the view," Fang Yi grinned as he slid her foot into the skate and tightened the laces.
"All done!"
He stood, clapped his hands, and said encouragingly, "Try standing up—slowly. No rush."
Han Ning blinked up at him nervously. "Fang Yi, I'm kind of scared…"
"It's okay. I've got you. I won't let you fall," he said, spreading his arms slightly like he was ready to catch her at any second.
Reassured, Han Ning gave a small nod and slowly got to her feet.
But the moment she moved her right leg, her foot slipped out from under her. She lost her balance and pitched forward.
Luckily, Fang Yi was already prepared. He caught her cleanly, pulling her tightly into his chest.
Oh? Another step forward in the relationship, huh?
Han Ning froze. Her heart raced as her face pressed against Fang Yi's chest. His scent—clean, masculine, and unfiltered—flooded her senses.
Her cheeks flushed redder than ever.
Ugh! She buried her face deeper into his chest to hide her embarrassment, only looking up again once her face had cooled down.
Fang Yi didn't push his luck. He helped her over to the side railing and gently instructed, "Hold on to this with both hands. Balance yourself first. Once you get the feel for it, you can try letting go."
Too much at once might freak her out.
Han Ning gripped the rail and took a few tentative steps.
"It's working, Fang Yi! I can move!" she beamed with delight.
—
Meanwhile, in a shadowy corner of the rink, a few delinquent-looking young men were huddled together, eyes scanning the crowd for eye candy.
Suddenly, one guy with a slicked 3/7 parting gasped.
"Holy sh*t! Look at that girl! Damn, she's smoking hot!"
The others followed his gaze and all whistled under their breath.
"Dong-ge, should we go for it?" the guy with the slick hair asked eagerly.
"Dong-ge" wore a gaudy floral shirt and flared pants. He also had a nasty bump on his forehead like something had hit him hard.
Dong-ge squinted at Han Ning, a strange look crossing his face. She seemed familiar somehow, like he'd seen her before—but he couldn't quite place it.
As for Fang Yi, who was facing away from them, Dong-ge didn't spare him a second glance.
Whatever. Can't waste a chance to talk to a girl this fine.
"Let's go say hi!"
Dong-ge waved his hand coolly and skated toward her like he owned the place.
The five of them glided across the rink together, drawing Han Ning's attention.
Dong-ge stopped just in front of her with a flashy skid, flashing what he probably thought was a charming smile. "Hey, first time skating? Want me to show you the ropes?"
At that moment, Fang Yi slowly turned his head.
He recognized Dong-ge instantly—the punk who'd ambushed him the other night with Zhang Chao's crew.
Well, well, look who it is. An old friend.
Dong-ge recognized him too, and his confidence instantly wavered.
Guys like him—petty thugs—lived by a simple rule: never back down. If you got beat up, you had to return the favor, or you'd lose all your street cred.
But that night had been different.
Fang Yi had taken on six of them like he was trimming weeds. Dong-ge had only caught an elbow. That yellow-haired dude who kept yelling "My f**king god!" had ended up with a concussion and was still lying at home.
Fang Yi's eyes swept coldly across the other four lackeys, then reached out and gave Dong-ge's cheek a few light taps.
"Scram," he said, his voice slow and deliberate.
Dong-ge sucked in a sharp breath, trying to muster up some backbone.
Everyone thought he was about to blow up.
Instead, he shouted, "Fine! We're out!"
With that, he turned on his skates and zipped out of the rink, leaving his confused crew staring after him.
What the hell just happened?