During the break, Ye Chen was explaining a question to Li Sitong when the corridor outside Class 5, Grade 12 suddenly buzzed with excitement.
Quite a few students crowded along the edge of the corridor.
Several boys, faces flushed with excitement, pressed against the windows to look outside.
Among the throng stood a shy-looking girl—Xia Yingluo.
Opposite her stood a tall boy.
He wore a track-and-field suit; Ye Chen found him faintly familiar—probably an athlete from the school team.
Liu Kun, captain of the school track team, reasonably handsome and popular with the girls.
While everyone else was desperately cramming for the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, he'd already been recommended to a key University.
"Yingluo, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" the boy said, gazing at the pretty girl in a daze.
"Wow—School Heartthrob is confessing to the school flower!"
"So intense; Liu Kun finally made his move."
A ripple of commotion spread through the onlookers.
All eyes settled on Xia Yingluo to see how she'd respond.
Her face scarlet, Xia Yingluo lowered her head. "But I don't like you."
These past few days the boy had kept pestering her.
First came a love letter, then constant tailing.
He even waited outside the restroom for her.
What infuriated her most was that he'd chosen to confess right outside the Classroom.
"Yingluo, tell me what you dislike about me—I'll change it."
Stung by rejection yet unwilling to give up, the boy spoke earnestly.
"What I dislike most is that you like me. Please work seriously on that."
Ye Chen didn't step forward; he simply watched from the side.
He felt that since Xia Yingluo had started hanging out with him, she'd really changed.
Especially that sharp tongue—so brilliantly cutting, she'd picked up a few of his tricks.
Ye Chen couldn't help smiling; this biting wit of hers was downright adorable.
Xia Yingluo glanced around and spotted Ye Chen chuckling in the crowd.
Flustered, she quickly declared, "I've turned you down, so please stop bothering me."
With that, she hurried back into the Classroom.
The moment she sat down, her queenly aura vanished; head lowered and face red, she looked thoroughly guilty.
Ye Chen, amused, returned to his seat as well.
"Impressive—someone just confessed to you."
Xia Yingluo shot him a glare. "Hmph, you didn't even rescue me. I'm not speaking to you."
As she spoke she meant to grab a book.
Instead, a few pink envelopes fluttered out.
Love letters?
Ye Chen couldn't help sighing softly.
Ah, youth!
In his previous life a confession only took a WeChat message; only in this era did people still hand-write love letters.
"Yingluo, you're famous now."
Face crimson, Xia Yingluo snatched the letters from Ye Chen's hand.
"No peeking."
Ever since Ye Chen styled her, boys had been writing her letters daily, driving her crazy.
Ye Chen flipped through them, clearly entertained.
"Hmph, you look pretty happy that other people write me love letters!"
Of course I'm happy—I know you'll toss them into the trash, so they never stand a chance."
"Hmph, they don't stand a chance, but you do." Xia Yingluo rolled her eyes.
"Well, who knows? Tell me, do I have a chance?"
"Look at me—handsome and talented. Most important, they're only after your looks, but I'm different."
Curious, Xia Yingluo asked, "How are you different?"
"I fall for you over time."
Her face turned even redder. "Pfft—shameless."
Just then Li Sitong walked in from outside. "What are you two chatting about?"
"Ye Chen's bullying me," Xia Yingluo complained.
Li Sitong pinched Ye Chen's arm and twisted hard.
"Oww!" Ye Chen howled in pain.
"Hmph, serves you right for picking on our little Yingluo."
Then Li Sitong clapped her hands. "Yingluo, if he bullies you again, tell me—I'll deal with him."
Xia Yingluo nodded. "Got it, Sis Si Tong."
Ye Chen: "…"
The last period was evening self-study; after school the tense students streamed out of the Classroom.
After a whole day of study, everyone looked tired.
Senior Year of High School life was exhausting; you had to stay hyper-focused, and by day's end your head felt muddled.
But once out of the Classroom they felt like birds freed from a cage.
Only a few students remained inside, slowly packing up.
Soon everyone had left.
Only Ye Chen, Xia Yingluo and Li Sitong were still in the room.
After leaving the school gate the three cycled home together.
At the fork Xia Yingluo waved. "I'm off, bye."
"Bye, Yingluo," Li Sitong called, waving.
Ye Chen also smiled. "See you tomorrow!"
For the last stretch only Ye Chen and Li Sitong remained.
He loved this feeling of riding home with the school flower.
He felt grateful that heaven had given him a chance to relive life.
This time he would make up for every regret.
"Right, Si Tong—come home with me for a bit," Ye Chen suddenly said.
Li Sitong's heart tightened; she squeezed the plush toy in her pocket.
Whenever she felt nervous she'd pinch the little toy, almost like pinching Ye Chen—great fun.
"Go home with you?" Li Sitong eyed him uncertainly.
Ye Chen nodded. "Mm, I've got something for you."
"Mm."
Li Sitong answered softly.
At the fork again she didn't head home; instead she followed Ye Chen toward his house.
Under the street-lamp Ye Chen noticed her cheeks were faintly red.
Youthful yet beautiful.
Watching her under the light, Ye Chen couldn't help thinking how truly lovely she was.
Not far away, inside a Mercedes-Benz, Li Li frowned slightly as he saw Ye Chen and Li Sitong ride off in the other direction.
He knew seventeen or eighteen was the age when love could easily bloom… could his daughter really be dating Ye Chen?
Recently Li Li had specially asked people to look into Ye Chen.
Before, the boy had been as bland as blank paper, even ranking at the bottom of the class.
Suddenly Ye Chen had become first in the class.
Li Li had met countless people, yet he couldn't figure Ye Chen out.
Actually, Ye Chen had already spotted Li Li.
But he didn't care.
He simply liked Li Sitong—no need to hide or explain.
After getting off their bikes Ye Chen lifted Li Sitong's schoolbag off her back.
A Senior Year schoolbag was heavy, hanging with a solid weight.
Li Sitong hesitated, then understood his intention; cheeks warming, she finally handed the bag to him.
Ye Chen's home was on the sixth floor.
The two climbed the stairs one behind the other.
Ye Chen took out his key and opened the door.
Father Ye and Mother Ye had gone out for fun; nobody was home.
Face slightly flushed, Li Sitong lowered her head and stepped inside.
Ye Chen poured a cup of hot water and set it on the coffee table.
The room was quiet, the atmosphere faintly intimate.