Chapter 3
1935words
"Let's go." His voice carried a hint of amusement, the end of his words lilting up playfully. Before I could react, he was pulling me forward. His palm was surprisingly warm, and though I could feel a slight dampness betraying his nerves, he maintained his composure as he tightened his grip, drawing me closer to his side.
Cheers ebbed and flowed across the basketball court. As he guided me through the throng, he subtly used his body to shield me from the press of people. I glanced up, catching him looking down at me—fine beads of sweat still clung to his eyelashes, but his eyes sparkled like they held entire galaxies.
He led me through the dispersing crowd. Behind me, Daisy winked and made exaggerated faces, silently mouthing "Good luck!"
The evening breeze cooled my flushed cheeks, and I realized I was smiling without even meaning to. Meanwhile, Axel's fingers were slowly sliding between mine. As our hands interlocked, he kept his eyes straight ahead, the tips of his ears turning red, but his grip on my hand tightened.
Just around the corner from campus stood a small restaurant with a weathered wooden sign bearing faded Italian lettering, looking charmingly rustic in the golden evening light.
Warm amber light spilled through the windows like honey.
Axel pushed open the door, and a brass bell tinkled above us.
"The usual spot?" Behind the counter, the proprietress looked up, spotted Axel, and waved with a knowing smile. Noticing me, her eyes widened with obvious interest.
Axel clearly came here often; he led me confidently toward a secluded booth in the corner.
A crisp red and white checkered tablecloth covered the table, with a small bunch of fresh daisies in a tiny vase at the corner.
He pulled out my chair with gentlemanly grace, and as I sat down, his fluffy gray tail "accidentally" brushed against my calf.
The touch was soft and ticklish; I shivered, my heart skipping a beat.
He ordered confidently without even glancing at the menu: "The beef bourguignon, and a tiramisu for dessert."
The hostess's eyes flicked to my face, then back to Axel with a knowing smile. "Going for something sweet today?"
Axel didn't respond, but the tips of his ears flushed pink.
The dessert arrived first. I kept my head down, nervously poking at the plump strawberry atop the tiramisu, my ears burning.
The silence stretched between us until I couldn't take it anymore.
"How did you know…" I finally gathered my courage and looked up at him, "that I was the one who took the video?"
Without a word, Axel calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
He unlocked it, the screen illuminating his face, then slid it across the table to me.
On the screen was the homepage of my alt account, with its generic winter landscape profile picture.
His long fingers tapped the screen once, and the page changed.
Following list.
The list was completely empty except for a single username.
—"C."
My mind went blank, blood rushing to my face.
This account was unmistakable to me.
When I first created my account on a whim and posted that landscape video nobody watched, "C" was my only follower.
After that, no matter what I posted, he was always the first to like it.
Never commenting, never sending messages—just silently following me for exactly two years.
"This follower is YOU?!" I bolted upright, my voice cracking. "You've been following me this whole time?!"
Axel leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, the corner of his mouth lifting in an unabashedly smug smile.
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, carrying unmistakable satisfaction.
"The one and only."
Before I could regain my composure, Axel had already stood up, his slender figure casting a gentle silhouette in the sunset. His fingertips slid down lightly, his warm palm suddenly enveloping my wrist, his fingertip barely grazing my pulse point.
"Let's go." There was a hint of laughter in his voice, with the end of his sentence rising as if coaxing a child. Before I could react, he was already leading me forward. His palm was surprisingly warm. Though clearly nervous with a light sheen of sweat, he pretended to be calm as he tightened his grip, pulling me closer to him.
Cheers rose and fell across the basketball court. As he guided me through the crowd, he subtly used his arm to keep the pressing throng at bay. I secretly looked up, only to catch him looking down at me at that very moment—fine beads of sweat still clung to his eyelashes, yet his eyes were bright as if filled with starlight.
He pulled me through the crowd that hadn't yet dispersed from the basketball court. Behind me, Daisy was making faces and silently mouthing the words "good luck."
The evening breeze brushed past my heated earlobes, and I suddenly realized that the corners of my mouth had unknowingly turned upward. Meanwhile, Axel's fingers were quietly moving downward, slipping through the spaces between mine. The moment our fingers interlocked, he stared straight ahead with reddened ear tips, yet held my wrist even tighter.
At the corner near the school gate, there was a small restaurant with a wooden sign painted with faded Italian words, looking particularly stylish in the evening glow.
Warm yellow light shone through the glass windows, like melted honey.
Axel pushed open the door, and the brass bell on the doorframe rang with a crisp sound.
"The usual spot?" Behind the counter, the proprietress looked up, saw Axel, and waved at him with a smile. Noticing me, she looked at me several times with particular excitement.
Axel seemed to eat here frequently; he confidently led me to the quietest booth in the corner.
The red and white checkered tablecloth was clean and tidy, with a small bunch of fresh daisies tucked into the corner of the table.
He gentlemanly pulled out the chair for me, and as I sat down, a fluffy gray tail seemingly inadvertently brushed lightly across my calf.
The touch was soft with a slight tickle, making me shiver and my heart skip a beat.
He ordered with practiced ease, without even looking at the menu: "Red wine braised beef, and an extra tiramisu."
The proprietress's gaze swept across my face, then she cast a meaningful glance at Axel: "Going for something sweet today?"
Axel didn't respond, but the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
Soon, the dessert was served first. I kept my head down, repeatedly poking at the bright red strawberry atop the tiramisu with my fork, the tips of my ears burning intensely.
Silence fermented in the air until I could no longer bear it.
"How did you know......" I finally mustered the courage to raise my head and look at him, "that I took the video?"
Axel didn't say a word, just leisurely took out his phone from his pocket.
Unlock, the screen lit up, and then he pushed it directly onto the table in front of me.
On the screen was the homepage of my alternate account, with a casually taken snow scene as the profile picture.
His slender fingers tapped the screen with measured pressure, and the page switched.
Following list.
That list was completely empty, with only one ID lying there.
——"C"。
My head went "buzz," and blood instantly rushed to the top of my head.
This account was one I couldn't possibly not be familiar with.
When I impulsively registered and posted my first scenery video that nobody watched, "C" was my only follower.
Afterward, no matter what I posted, he was always the first to like it.
Never commenting, never sending private messages, just quietly accompanying me for exactly two years.
"This follower is you?!" I sat up straight with a jolt, my voice cracking, "You've been following me all along?!"
Axel leaned back into the chair with leisurely composure, arms folded across his chest, the smile at the corner of his mouth no longer hidden, rising with undisguised smugness.
A low chuckle escaped from his throat, carrying an indescribable pleasure.
"The genuine article."
I
My brain completely crashed.
Time seemed to freeze, everything around me blurring into the background. All I could feel was my heart threatening to burst from my chest, each beat hammering against my eardrums.
Two years.
The number exploded in my mind.
A wild, impossible thought began to form.
Almost instinctively, I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling so badly it took several attempts to enter my passcode.
I opened that viral video and scrolled to the comments. The top comment—with hundreds of thousands of likes—burned into my retinas.
—"Trust me, this guy definitely likes you."
I thrust my phone at him, my fingertips pressing so hard against the screen that my knuckles turned white.
"This…" My voice was paper-dry. "Is this you too?"
Axel's smug smile instantly froze, his eyes darting everywhere but at me.
He didn't speak—just nodded once.
With that single nod, a blush exploded from the tips of his ears and spread rapidly down to his neck.
His fluffy tail twitched restlessly, the tip curling around the chair leg, betraying his embarrassment.
This confident Alpha… could actually get this flustered.
The overwhelming nervousness that had been consuming me suddenly evaporated.
In its place came a tingling warmth that started in my chest and gradually spread through my entire body, making even the tip of my nose ache with emotion.
I gazed at his flushed profile, and my racing heart strangely steadied.
"So… should I trust this comment?"
Axel suddenly looked up, his star-filled eyes locking onto mine.
He leaned forward abruptly, his body stretching across the small table.
The faint scent of whiskey and pine enveloped me—powerful yet somehow gentle.
He moved close to my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin.
His voice dropped to a bewitchingly husky whisper.
"Yes."
On the walk back to campus, neither of us spoke.
The earlier awkwardness had vanished, replaced by a comfortable silence.
Moonlight stretched our shadows across the sidewalk—two silhouettes pressed close, intertwined, inseparable.
Near the playground, we turned onto a secluded path rarely used by others.
Axel suddenly stopped and caught my wrist.
Before I could react, his fingers slid down to interlock with mine.
His palm was large and warm, slightly calloused from basketball, enveloping my hand with perfect pressure.
He didn't speak, just stroked the back of my hand with his thumb.
The gentle rhythm was neither hurried nor slow, yet so intense my fingertips curled involuntarily.
After what felt like forever, he finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of relief.
"I've been waiting for this day."
That warm, tingling feeling surged through me again, and my eyes stung with emotion.
How could this be happening?
I pursed my lips and retorted playfully.
"That's my line!"
I was the one who fell first! I was the one who spent two years pining, my heart in constant turmoil!
Axel heard this and just smiled.
He turned to look at me, moonlight highlighting his sharp jawline, his lips curved in a smug, satisfied smile.
His gray wolf ears twitched playfully.
"No."
He shook his head, his voice dropping to a low rumble that I could feel in my chest.
"I fell for you first."
…Earlier than me?
I was completely stunned.
