The autumn night in Huaicheng was wrapped in a dry, chilling wind, and the neon lights cast fragmented, blurred patches of color onto the bluestone pavement.
Jiang Shengyan gripped the hem of Shen Jingyan’s shirt, her fingertips brushing against the taut muscles beneath his school uniform. The cloying sweetness of the strawberry cream cake from the birthday party still lingered on her palate, only to be abruptly scoured away by the stench of cheap cigarettes drifting from the mouth of the alley.
Seven or eight dark shadows surged out from the corner. Liu Yaohui, the blue-haired leader, was chewing gum, his movements as he ground out his cigarette butt with his trendy shoes laced with deliberate arrogance. The deep blue streaks in his hair shimmered with an eerie light under the streetlamps, contrasting jarringly with his dark skin. His loose, cuffed joggers swayed with every step, making him look for all the world like a posturing mantis. Jiang Shengyan couldn't help but frown; his attire reminded her of the moldy blue canvas punching bags at the martial arts gym. The blue, which should have brightened his complexion, only made his skin look even duller.
Chapter 154