Standing Next To You
Chapter 118: Doing Purposely

Chapter 118: Doing Purposely

Bei Sangyun was sitting on the bench with her eyes closed. While on the bench beside hers, Fei Chuan was busy on his phone.

Everyone else was busy practicing their dance routines with their partners, leaving Bei Sangyun and Fei Chuan as the only ones sitting quietly on the bench.

The PE instructor couldn’t help but notice their lack of participation. From the very beginning, he had observed that these two had never really engaged in the dance practice.

He didn’t have much to say about Bei Sangyun, who was a model student, but Fei Chuan was a different story.

The PE instructor approached Fei Chuan, with disapproval in his eyes. "Why aren’t you practicing, young man? Your leg has already healed."

Fei Chuan pointed in Bei Sangyun’s direction, explaining, "My partner is sleeping."

The PE instructor briefly glanced at Bei Sangyun. He then turned to Fei Chuan as if he had seen nothing.

"She’s tired. Let her rest. You can practice on your own even without a partner."

Fei Chuan couldn’t help but roll his eyes internally. These teachers were all so biased.

"I need a partner to practice," Fei Chuan insisted. He did not want to stand there dancing alone with an imaginary partner. That would look ridiculous.

"I can be your partner." The PE instructor offered.

Fei Chuan looked at the bulky physique of the PE instructor. Could he really play the role of a female with that body?

The mental image of what their dance might look like flashed before Fei Chuan’s eyes, sending shivers down his spine.

He promptly stood up and kicked the bench where Bei Sangyun was resting.

"Hey, we need to practice."

Fei Chuan would rather practice with an annoying female partner than a hefty male that would make him resemble a twig.

Bei Sangyun’s chair shook. She opened her eyes to glare at Fei Chuan.

"It’s PE class, not nap time," he responded, ignoring her irritated expression.

The PE instructor hadn’t expected that Fei Chuan would wake up their precious student, and certainly not in such a rude manner.

"Student Lin, if you’re tired, you can go to the clinic," the PE instructor offered in a gentle tone, his face plastered with a sycophantic smile that nearly made Fei Chuan’s lips twitch.

Fei Chuan had only recently recovered from a leg injury, and yet he was being forced to participate in practice.

Meanwhile, Bei Sangyun was excused from participating just because she had been sleeping. It was a cruel reminder that the world was really unfair.

Bei Sangyun glanced at Fei Chuan, and upon seeing his expression souring, she sighed and reluctantly stood up.

"I’ll practice, Sir. My partner seems about to lose it."

Fei Chuan’s frown deepened as he remained silent.

The two made their way to the center of the room, joining their classmates who were already busy practicing.

They stood facing each other, separated by a brief but tense silence.

Three seconds passed, and neither of them moved.

Bei Sangyun arched an eyebrow. "You should come here."

Fei Chuan mirrored her raised brow. "No, you should be the one to come here."

"Really?" A mischievous glint flashed in Bei Sangyun’s eyes. She took a bold step closer and daringly hugged Fei Chuan’s neck.

"I’ve come closer now. What’s next?" She taunted with a playful smile.

Fei Chuan narrowed his eyes. His neck grew warm, but he didn’t step away. To retreat now would be akin to admitting defeat.

Bei Sangyun was audacious and bold, and this action was just another day in her book. So he should act calm and not show how affected he was by this sudden closeness.

Fei Chuan tried to ignore his rapidly beating heart and calmly took one of Bei Sangyun’s arms and held it. His other hand found its place on her waist.

The space between them vanished in an instant, and Fei Chuan couldn’t help but catch the faint scent of lavender from her hair and the clean aroma of her fabric softener.

Why did she have to smell so good? He couldn’t concentrate at all.

"You’re not paying attention to the class at all," Fei Chuan remarked, attempting to sound composed.

Bei Sangyun glanced at their clasped hands. Fei Chuan’s fingers were slender but long, and his hand was big and warm. Even though his hand was somewhat different from the adult Fei Chuan’s hand she remembered, it still radiated the same comforting warmth.

In her momentary daze, Fei Chuan started to move. His steps were slow, and he struggled to find the rhythm.

This reminded Bei Sangyun of the first time she danced with Fei Chuan. The man was clearly a good dancer. So how come his steps were stiff and awkward?

"I thought you were well-versed in dancing? Weren’t you tutored since you were young? How come you’re dancing so poorly?" Bei Sangyun quipped.

Fei Chuan paused, looking at her strangely. "I never said I was skilled at dancing, and I’m still adjusting--"

"Ouch!" Bei Sangyun’s foot was stepped on. She glared at Fei Chuan. "You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

Fei Chuan: "..."

He really didn’t. He was just having a hard time remembering the steps.

Nevertheless, he accidentally stepped on her again.

Fei Chuan: "..."

It seemed that his body was betraying him. But rather than apologizing, he gave her a condescending look to mask his embarrassment. "Your steps are all wrong."

Bei Sangyun’s lips twitched. She had practiced this dance numerous times in the past, even becoming the Queen of the Night. It was him who was deliberately making mistakes.

A mischievous glint sparkled in Bei Sangyun’s eyes, and she purposely stepped on Fei Chuan.

"Oops, my mistake again," she said with a smirk.

Fei Chuan narrowed his eyes but decided to let it slide because it was indeed his fault.

They continued to practice, but his feet couldn’t seem to synchronize with his mind. All he could think about was his hand on her soft waist and her warm breath on his chest.

Lost in his thoughts, he stepped on Bei Sangyun three more times. The last time, his heel accidentally dug hard into her toes.

"Ouch." Bei Sangyun flinched. Her foot was stepped on once more, and it was in the exact same spot.

She shot a glare at Fei Chuan. Would he ever stop?

In a fit of anger, she stomped on his feet.

"Ouch!" Fei Chuan exclaimed.

"Should I step on you three more times?"

Fei Chuan avoided her incoming foot. "You’re just too fast. Slow down your steps."

"I’m too fast? You’re dancing like a sloth!"

Fei Chuan retorted, "I could say the same about you. You’re dancing as if you’re in a marathon. It’s our first practice; we should find our rhythm first."

Bei Sangyun crossed her arms. "You and your excuses. You’re just messing with me to get back at me, right? You can step on me if it makes you feel better. But don’t just step on one foot! My toes are now bruised."

Fei Chuan glanced at her feet. Her left foot was full of his shoe prints, while the other shoe was clean. Was it bad?

He suddenly felt guilty.