Chapter 35

Because the lights were off, the bedroom was bathed only in the faint glow of the smartphone screen, reflecting onto the young girl’s face.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Xu Xieyi smoothed her hair behind her ears and sat still for a while. She stared at the friend request for half a minute before slowly extending her index finger to tap "Accept."

The interface automatically jumped to the chat box.

Her palms were slightly damp with cold sweat; because of her development, she rarely initiated contact with boys since entering high school. She was inevitably shy.

Reflecting on the few interactions she had with Xu Muzhou during middle school, the truth was... they weren't really close. They were, at best, mere acquaintances who nodded in passing.

In the eighth grade, during the grade-wide basketball tournament, Xu Muzhou was highly popular in their class and had a smattering of fans in others, which was how she first learned of him.

Before she paid him any attention, she seemed to notice him not at all. But after that, it felt as though news about him was everywhere around her.

Her female classmates would discuss him in private: his grades were good, he was in the top ten of the grade, he had many friends, and his personality was cheerful. The head teacher of the next class liked him very much.

Back then, the boys who hung out with Xu Muzhou were always paying attention to her, and they had even collectively written her a love letter.

At that age, when even the topic of romance was enough to make one blush, she, of course, threw it away without a second thought.

Although her grades weren't outstanding, her attitude toward studying had always been earnest.

Xu Xieyi thought those boys were annoying, especially when they teased her, saying they wanted to pursue her. It was so irritating, and frankly, crude...

Xu Xieyi reminisced aimlessly for a while, but many things had become blurred.

Her final memory of Xu Muzhou was from a certain summer, an unexpected encounter.

The young man was walking up the stairs, clutching a basketball, drenched in sweat, his wheat-colored skin glistening with the aftermath of exercise.

She was caught off guard when she ran into him.

Xu Muzhou seemed somewhat surprised, too, and as he looked up, he gave her a smile...

Two minutes passed, and still, no message came through.

Xu Xieyi only then noticed that his avatar was gray. He was probably asleep.

Feeling truly sleepy, she put her phone away and drifted off.

As she pulled the quilt over herself, Xu Xieyi thought to herself that tomorrow was Monday, and the teachers would likely be reviewing the monthly exam papers.

She needed to get some good rest.

--

"Be careful of dizziness; it's best not to look at your phone for a while."

Lin Sheng was driving along the road down the mountain, navigating the winding mountain pass, their bodies leaning with the curves of the car.

The black leather seats and steering wheel set off his crisp white shirt and clean, well-manicured fingers.

Xu Xieyi put her phone away. "Okay."

Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Sheng noticed she seemed a bit distracted. "Do you need to stay for extra self-study tonight? If so, I’ll pick you up later."

Xu Xieyi withdrew her gaze from the scenery outside the window and turned to him, a slow, joyful smile blooming on her face. "Brother Lin, how do you always know what I'm thinking?"

Lin Sheng offered a simple smile.

On the road, he seemed to cough a little. After getting out of the car, Xu Xieyi walked a few steps, but remembering how severe Lin Sheng’s colds always were, she couldn't help but worry. She turned back.

"Brother Lin!"

Lin Sheng was turning the steering wheel to leave and looked toward her.

The young girl, wearing her oversized school uniform, stood with her back to the breakfast stalls outside the school, a brilliant smile on her face as she waved at him. "Remember to drink plenty of hot water today!"

When Lin Sheng smiled, it was different from most men; his eyelashes drooped lazily. "Alright, I'll remember."

He gestured a goodbye and drove off.

Xu Xieyi tightened the straps of her schoolbag, watching the car pull away. She recalled the way Lin Sheng had waved just now—that slight, effortless lift of his hand, elegant and natural.

—He really had such poise.

—No wonder so many older women liked him.

That day at the basketball court, she had heard two young women in the back row discussing him for a long time. She had heard some rumors.

--

Aside from the routine morning self-study, the entire day was spent with teachers reviewing the monthly exam papers.

In the past, these days were the most painful for Xu Xieyi, given her poor grades at the time.

But now, she was gradually finding a sense of stability.

A stability that came from having confidence in herself.

Since adding him on Sunday night, Xu Muzhou’s avatar would occasionally light up, but no message ever came.

At first, Xu Xieyi would open the interface to check, but after two days, that shadow in her memory was gradually crowded out by the busy life of her senior year.

It wasn't until Thursday, the day the monthly exam results were released, that a message from Tan Xiaotong arrived, asking how she had done.

Only then did she think of the matter again.

There were five minutes left before evening self-study ended.

Xu Xieyi had finished her daily study plan ahead of schedule, so she quietly took out her phone under the desk to take a look.

There was still no message on Xu Muzhou's QQ interface.

She casually clicked into his profile and scanned it. His photo album contained some pictures of Ze'an No. 1 High School.

One album was dedicated to NBA stars—his idols, presumably. Another was for digital gadgets, and several others were locked. No personal photos were visible.

His blog posts were sparse, only one or two original pieces, with most being reposts.

"11 Things You Must Not Miss in Your Youth," "Friday Basketball Match, Are You In?", "Rules for the Tug-of-War Competition," "Notice for the 5th Ze'an Junior Reporter Alliance Enrollment"...

The dates were all quite old, some even from middle school. She had actually participated in that Junior Reporter Alliance before.

Looking at the content he followed, he seemed like a rather extroverted person.

Lin Sheng was waiting for Xu Xieyi at the end of the corridor after class, and he chatted with Gao Changyang for a while.

When the bell rang, Xu Xieyi packed her bag and came out, just in time to see her head teacher talking to Lin Sheng.

It was late autumn.

Lin Sheng wore a black overcoat over his suit, a clean white shirt collar visible, paired with a navy blue cashmere sweater. Simple and clean.

Seeing the head teacher there, Xu Xieyi hesitated before walking over.

Lin Sheng noticed her, his dark eyes looking straight at her.

Gao Changyang saw the hint of a smile in his eyes and followed Lin Sheng’s gaze to see Xu Xieyi approaching.

Xu Xieyi walked over and greeted them, and the three stood there for a moment.

Gao Changyang said, "Xieyi has made great progress this time. 49th in the grade, 8th in the class. It seems that even after all these years, the senior’s talent for tutoring is as formidable as ever."

Gao Changyang’s tone was much gentler than it usually was in the classroom, giving Xu Xieyi the illusion that she was receiving special treatment. Her eyes couldn't help but drift toward Lin Sheng.

Lin Sheng remained calm and composed. Seeing her small gesture, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He turned his eyes to Gao Changyang and said, "It’s her own hard work; it has little to do with me."

*It has everything to do with you!*

Xu Xieyi bit her lip, thinking to herself, not daring to interrupt. When she looked up and met the man’s gaze as he looked down at her, she immediately responded with a smile.

A subtle warmth flickered in the depths of Lin Sheng's eyes, barely noticeable.

Gao Changyang added, "I even made a point to praise her in class. If all the students in the class were this diligent, I wouldn't have to worry so much."

"She is very sensible."

"Yes, there are very few students as sensible as her these days."

"While she's at school, I leave her in your care. If there are any difficulties, please contact me at any time. Her parents are away, so things can be inconvenient."

"Don’t be so formal, Senior. It’s a teacher’s duty to care for their students. Besides, you always looked out for me back then..."

If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, Xu Xieyi wouldn't have believed that their stern head teacher could be so smooth and polite.

Most of their conversation revolved around her studies.

Lin Sheng’s manner of speaking was very natural.

Seeing him talk so easily to the head teacher—whom the entire class feared—even adopting a tone like that of a peer or mentor, made Xu Xieyi feel a sense of awe toward him from the bottom of her heart.

--

"Brother Lin, where are we going now?"

After the Porsche turned onto the mountain road, there was a fork in the road, and Lin Sheng did not take the path toward home.

"A place."

He turned his head, his pupils faintly visible in the dim light. "A fun place."

"Another fun place?"

"Mm."

Xu Xieyi hugged her schoolbag, feeling expectant.

Lin Sheng seemed capable of so many things; he could easily accomplish much. Being with him always brought something new. Although she didn't always understand everything, she still found it very interesting.

Thinking that the semester was more than halfway over, she would likely have to live on campus next term.

By then, would she and Lin Sheng not be able to see each other as often?

Thinking of this, Xu Xieyi suddenly felt a pang of reluctance.

But on second thought, Lin Sheng and she were in the same city, and they could always keep in touch by phone. It shouldn't be a big deal.

On the other side of this mountain, there was an observation deck.

From there, one could overlook the entire city.

It looked like a colorful sea of stars.

*Wow.* Xu Xieyi gasped in her heart and turned to look at Lin Sheng. Lin Sheng had his hands in his trouser pockets, looking down at the city, his profile upright and tall.

"Brother Lin, it’s so beautiful here!"

"Do you like it?"

"Mm! I do, I really love it."

Lin Sheng smiled. "It’s a reward for your progress in the monthly exams."

In truth, Lin Sheng had thought about this place for a long time before deciding. Giving material gifts didn't feel right; operas, dance dramas, bars... none of them were suitable for her.

It seemed that only this—giving his own time to waste it with her, doing things he had previously considered meaningless—was what he wanted.

However... now, Lin Sheng felt that even such "waste" was quite pleasant.

Xu Xieyi held onto the railing, feeling lighthearted, but after a while, she felt inexplicably gloomy again.

"Brother Lin."

After a brief silence, not knowing exactly what she was thinking, she said, "Could you... please don't be so good to me."

"Why?"

The look Lin Sheng turned toward her made Xu Xieyi nervous. "Because... because when you get busy later, I might not be able to get used to it."

Lin Sheng was very busy and had many things to do; everyone, including Du Juan, said so.

She didn't understand the details of Lin Sheng’s life, but she knew he couldn't always have the leisure to accompany her.

She was just a small character in his life.

Lin Sheng had his hands in his suit pockets, his handsome, sharp silhouette visible even in the dim light.

He bent down, leaning close to look down at Xu Xieyi.

So close.

Xu Xieyi felt a little intimidated by his demeanor—ethereal, making her so tense that even her hair stood on end.

A gentle breeze brushed past their faces.

Lin Sheng watched her for a long time, then the corners of his mouth curved up. "Silly girl, are you really that lacking in confidence?"

--

That night, Xu Xieyi couldn't sleep in bed.

She reached out to turn on the bedside lamp and lay on her side, looking at the desk. Half an hour ago, Lin Sheng had been there, helping her with her homework.

She brushed a stray lock of hair away from her lips and let out a soft sigh.

She still hadn't quite understood what Lin Sheng had meant that night.

At the time, Lin Sheng had only told her to study hard and not to overthink things.