Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Zexuan practically jogged all the way. After arriving at Xingzhi Tower early, the boy found a place that was not so exposed and sat down.
After a while, he saw Xie Wanyu walking over with the other girl he had seen in the classroom that morning.
Xie Wanyu looked at the wisteria rack. Li Zexuan had been looking at the path. He got up when he saw her approach. âXie Wanyu!â He was happy.
âI wanted to meet you because I wanted to give you something,â he said hurriedly. âYou know Xiao Yi, right? He was a top scorer in the college entrance examination. He gave me some of his notes and practice materials. I made an extra copy, thinking it would benefit you too.â He took out a stack of papers from his bag.
âXiao Yi⦠he is good at games too, right?â said Luan Rongrong. âAh⦠you might not know this, but Wanyu was the top scorer in the entire grade in the first year in her previous high school. She is very likely to top the college entrance examination next year. But I am not as smart. Can I make a copy?â n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Luan Rongrong noticed that Li Zexuan didnât hand over the papers to her. She also noticed that Xie Wanyu had no intention of reaching out for the papers. He definitely treated Xie Wanyu differently. She felt like he would begin ignoring Xie Wanyu if she kept doing this.
Li Zexuanâs smile froze. He hadnât known that she was a top scorer in her previous high school. âShe doesnât really need these study materials, after all.â
He was about to put the papers back in his bag when Xie Wanyu took them. âThank you,â she said.
After being stunned for a while, he was about to put away the information, but Xie Wanyu took it. âThank you so much for these,â she said.
She held the documents in her hands and walked toward her dormitory with her head lowered.
âThank you! We are going back to the dormitory now,â said Luan Rongrong. âMy name is Luan Rongrong, by the way.â Before Luan Rongrong could say anything more, Xie Wanyu pulled her along.
Li Zexuan happily walked toward his dormitory.
Lu Wenqian had been hiding behind the Xingzhi Tower. She had seen everything. She had never seen Li Zexuan taking the initiative to talk to a girl before.
Lu Wenqian gritted her teeth. She heard their names vaguely. Xie Wanyu and Luan Rongrong.
Lu Wenqian had many friends at Yun Xi High School. It would be easy for her to find out who the two girls were. Lu Wenqian did not approach Li Zexuan. She didnât want him to know she was following him. She walked in the opposite direction.
Li Zexuan returned to his dormitory.
Xie Wanyu put down her bag and looked at the papers that Li Zexuan had given her.
The top stack was a summary of methods, and the bottom stack contained questions for each subject. She flipped through the papers and a postcard fell out.
The front was dark except for a faded moon and a girl who held something like stars in her hand. It looked like it was made from phosphorescent dust. Xie Wanyu cupped her hands around the picture and looked closely. The moon and the stars glowed.
Something was scribbled on the back.
[Under the wisteria,
You happened to bloom,
While I was passing by. ZX.]
âZX⦠Zexuan?â Xie Wanyu put the postcard inside her diary, which could be locked.
Luan Rongrong was watching her from the side, her face propped up on her chin. âDoes Li Zexuan fancy you? Wow! Even if you canât fall in love in high school, how can you let something like this slip away?â
They were only eighteen. It was their first awakening of love.
Xie Wanyu was a little moved, but he was just too famous of a person for her to be with. He was as bright as the moonlight and as dazzling as the sun. Meanwhile, she was a daughter of a questionable lawyer and possibly a criminal.
It was just too good to be true.
The faint smile on her face disappeared as she thought about her family background.
âDo you want to make a copy of these?â Xie Wanyu asked. She wanted to change the topic of their conversation.
âYes. I should go and meet the matron of the dormitory and have these copied.â Before Luan Rongrong went out the door with the papers in her hand, she turned back. âWanyu⦠Li Zexuan definitely treats you differently.â
Xie Wanyu lay on her bed after Luan Rongrong had left. She felt conflicted.
In the boysâ dormitory, Li Zexuan was in such a good mood that he didnât mind even when Sun Mingtao rambled endlessly in his ear.
âYou have been acting so strangely these days. Whatâs going on?â asked Sun Mingtao.
âI was under a lot of pressure. The daily walks have been helping me,â he said. He didnât want to tell him the truth. He knew Sun Mingtao shared everything with Lu Wenqian. The last thing he wanted was for Lu Wenqian to make a big deal out of this.
âYou havenât talked or met Lu Wenqian in a few days. Who is treating you better than Lu Wenqian these days? Tell me,â said Sun Mingtao.
âWhy donât you pursue her instead?â said Li Zexuan. He had wanted to say this for a long time. âYou both are close and suitable for each other. Why not be more than friends?â
Sun Mingtao was speechless. âI know that you should never pursue your friendâs wife. I and Lu Wenqian are just good friends. She likes you.â
Whenever he mentioned Lu Wenqian, Li Zexuan would just ignore it. Sun Mingtao hadnât expected him to say such words.
We have nothing going on. You donât have to hold back,â said Li Zexuan.
âYouâre joking, right? If nothing was going on, why did you agree to watch the game with her?â said Sun Mingtao. âWhy take a walk with her?â
âShe is the one who shamelessly followed me,â said Li Zexuan. âI never invited her.â He felt annoyed.
âLu Wenqian will be so sad to hear that. She might not be as good at studies as you, but she is pretty. She comes from a good family. Sheâs a good match for you.â
âCan you even listen to yourself right now? We are in our second year of high school. Why are you talking as though this is already the future?â
âYou already have a child even at this age,â said Sun Mingtao. He knew Li Zexuan was trying to steer away from a long-term relationship with Lu Wenqian implying that he was still young.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â he said. âDonât gossip about me with Lu Wenqian or I will apply to change rooms,â said Li Zexuan.
Li Zexuan was trying hard to make things clear. Sun Mingtao had never seen him like this before.
âI am going to apply for Imperial Films College after high school. I probably wonât have any interactions with Lu Wenqian after that.â
Since Sun Mingtao wasnât backing down, Li Zexuan came up with more excuses to reject Lu Wenqian.
âIsnât long distance relationship a thing now? Lu Wenqianâs grades might not really get her into Imperial Films College, but there are so many other universities and colleges in the capital. She can get into one. Even if she gets into a college that is not in the capital, you two can still communicate.â
âI am not willing for something like that, alright? I should have a choice, too!
Anyway, enough of this. Donât bother me about Lu Wenqian anymore.â
After Lu Wenqian returned to her dormitory, she took out her phone and called Sun Mingtao.
âSun Mingtao, is it convenient to talk?â said Lu Wenqian. âFind a private spot. I have somethinz important to tell vou. Donât let Li Zexuan hear vou.â Lu
Wenqian was on the balcony.
Sun Mingtao took his phone to the bathroom. âYou can talk now. No one is around. â
âAfter the self-study sessions today, I saw Li Zexuan giving a stack of papers to a girl. Her name is Wanyu. There was also another girl called Luan Rongrong. Do you know anything about them?â Lu Wenqian asked impatiently.
âNo. I have never heard those names before.â
âCan you ask around and help me find out who they are? I will meet you in the cafeteria tomorrow afternoon.â Lu Wenqian hung up.
Sun Mingtao came out of the bathroom and glanced at Li Zexuan. He was doing his homework. âLi Zexuan has been so secretive these past few days⦠is it because he is meeting that girl?â
Sun Mingtao had a bad feeling about it, but he couldnât ask Li Zexuan directly..