Nobody said that teachers at elite academies have to be heartthrobs.

Yu Fuli replied irritably, "Protecting students is a teacher's duty."

He tried to move his calf, which was trapped underneath him. It wasn't that he was injured; the grass was soft, and Xiao Chi cushioned the fall, so he wasn't actually hurt.

The main problem was that Xiao Chi's leg bones were too hard; the impact when he landed had caused a dull ache in his shinbone.

"Wait! Don't move!"

Xiao Chi's reaction was unusually intense; he almost shouted it out. His hands, which were originally supporting him on the grass, suddenly rose up and unexpectedly gripped Yu Fuli's waist tightly.

"Hmm~"

Suddenly, my waist and abdomen were gripped tightly, and I felt a clear pressure on my sensitive side, along with the burning heat of another person's palm. A strange, tingling sensation, a mixture of pain and indescribable stimulation, shot through my spine.

Caught completely off guard, Yu Fuli let out a short, indistinct moan that escaped uncontrollably from his throat.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was jarringly clear in the suddenly quiet wilderness.

The air froze instantly.

The wind seemed to have stopped.

Yu Fuli froze, even holding her breath.

Xiao Chi's hands, which were wrapped around his waist, paused noticeably for a moment. His knuckles even tightened unconsciously for a instant, then suddenly relaxed a little, but did not immediately loosen.

Through two layers of equestrian clothing stained with grass clippings and dust, I could feel the slender, supple waist beneath my palm. The fleeting, subtly trembling groan from just moments before seemed to transform into a tiny electric current, transmitting through me without any obstruction.

The two maintained this position, with one half pressing down and the other tightly holding on, neither of them making an immediate move.

It was... kind of awkward.

Time seemed to stretch out.

The two remained locked in this half-pressing, half-supporting posture, their limbs intertwined, in a stalemate between the vast expanse of heaven and earth.

Yu Fuli was tense all over, even her breathing was deliberately slowed down, and she dared not move an inch easily. The presence of the arms around her waist was too strong, and the temperature was too clear.

Xiao Chi turned his head to the side, his gaze lowered to the grass, his chest rising and falling slightly with suppressed breathing, each breath sounding exceptionally heavy. The afternoon sun fell on his cold, hard profile, but it also revealed an unusual, almost bleeding, bright red earlobe.

That splash of red was exceptionally striking in Yu Fuli's forced close-up perspective.

a long time……

Yu Fuli's muscles began to stiffen and ache from maintaining this awkward posture for too long, so she couldn't help but move her body very slightly in an attempt to adjust.

"Don't move!" Xiao Chi immediately hissed, his voice even hoarser and tense than before. The muscles in the arm that was wrapped around his waist bulged instantly, the strength leaving no room for doubt. "...Not done yet."

Yu Fuli: "…………"

His body stiffened, and he silently cried out in his heart: Please! This classmate is currently being held tightly by someone... an undeniable, scorching threat, but it's me!

He could feel that close, poised presence with perfect clarity, almost burning his skin through two thin layers of clothing. It made his scalp tingle, even his fingertips felt stiff, and all his senses were forced to focus on that embarrassing contact, rendering him unable to move.

Xiao Chi seemed to realize his loss of composure and the absurdity of his current situation.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the dark undercurrent in his eyes was forcibly suppressed a little, but the arm holding Yu Fuli did not loosen. Instead, it seemed to have found some kind of support, fixing him more firmly in the narrow gap between himself and the grass.

He turned his head to the side, avoiding the gaze that Yu Fuli might cast, leaving only his increasingly reddened earlobes and the profile of his face, which was suppressing a chaotic aura.

cough cough...

As we all know, after experiencing such a thrilling fall from a horse, rolling and tangling, the body will instinctively release a large amount of adrenaline, blood will rush, and nerve endings will become extremely sensitive.

Having been so closely pressed together for so long, the unintentional, subtle friction as Yu Fuli tried to adjust her position was like the last spark that ignited the fuse.

then--

Some of the most primal and honest reactions of young men suddenly and forcefully revealed their presence.

Xiao Chi's arm, which was wrapped tightly around Yu Fuli's waist, was taut like iron, his knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force. He abruptly turned his face away, his jawline tightening, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, as if trying to suppress something, or as if enduring some sudden torment.

Her already red earlobes turned even redder, as if they were about to burn, and an unnatural crimson color spread across the sides of her neck.

The wind in the wilderness seemed to wisely detour, leaving only an almost stagnant, scorching silence in this small space, and the undeniable, drum-like vibrations of each other's hearts.

In the distance, the faint shouts of Qiao Qi could be heard.

But for the two people stuck on the grass, it seemed like they came from another world.

At this moment, the only truly terrifying thing is this overwhelming, awkwardness that is so close at hand, and a kind of scorching heat that has been ignited by accident.

Yu Fuli's eyes widened suddenly.

no--!

Xiao Chi, you thick-browed, big-eyed guy, you always look like a high-and-mighty flower!

In this chaotic moment, after barely escaping death, with your heart still pounding and the shouts of rescuers faintly audible...

You! You can actually...?!

That close, unmistakably scorching presence was more impactful than any words, arrogantly proclaiming a completely inappropriate state. Absurdity, embarrassment, and disbelief surged through Yu Fuli like fire and ice, instantly overwhelming her reason.

He could almost hear the throbbing of the veins in his temples.

Yu Fuli's body stiffened, and her mind went blank, as if a string had snapped completely.