During the morning self-study period, the teacher walked into the classroom, bringing a new girl with him:
“This is our new transfer student, Wen Songyue. Let’s give her a warm welcome.”
Everyone looked up to see a girl with long hair cascading over her shoulders, fair skin, and an elegant demeanor. She smiled brightly, saying, “Hello, everyone.”
Many students murmured, “Wow, she’s so pretty…”
The teacher continued, “Alright, let’s start the class. Songyue, you can find a seat.”
Wen Songyue nodded and began to walk towards the back of the classroom. As she scanned the room, her gaze landed on Pei Chen, sitting in the last row of the fourth group. A meaningful smile flashed in her eyes before she approached him and said in a sweet voice:
“Classmate, I’d like to sit next to you. Is that okay?”
Pei Chen glanced up at her, his tone indifferent as he responded, “Sorry, but please find another seat.”
Wen Songyue’s expression faltered for a moment, but then she smiled and raised her hand to the teacher, “Teacher, may I sit next to this classmate?”
“Sure,” the teacher replied.
Wen Songyue smiled at Pei Chen again. “Sorry, but I still want to sit next to you.”
She sat down beside him, and Pei Chen’s eyes grew cold.
After placing her backpack down, Wen Songyue turned to Pei Chen with a charming smile, “Pei Chen, I know you. I’ve seen you play in interschool matches before. You’re really good at basketball.”
Pei Chen continued writing on his worksheet without responding.
Seeing that he ignored her, a trace of arrogance flickered in Wen Songyue’s eyes as she said, “Pei Chen, as your new deskmate, shouldn’t we get to know each other?”
The boy replied coldly, “I just want to focus on the lesson.”
Wen Songyue forced a smile, “Alright.”
As she organized her desk, she noticed a small schedule stuck to the top right corner of the desk, decorated with a cute starry pattern. She muttered disdainfully, “What is this…?”
She tore it off and was about to crumple it up and throw it away when suddenly, the item was snatched from her hand.
Pei Chen took the schedule, clenched it in his fist, and placed it on his own desk, his expression as cold as ice.
Wen Songyue was momentarily stunned but didn’t take it seriously and turned her attention back to the lesson.
Pei Chen glanced at the schedule, recalling the time when Liang Zhiyi had mixed up two class periods and later made a schedule to stick on the desk. She had smiled brightly, saying, “This way, I won’t forget again. Hehe, Pei Chen, isn’t my schedule cute?”
He smoothed the schedule out and carefully put it away.
Forty-five minutes later, the bell rang to signal the end of class.
Wen Songyue stepped out of the classroom to get some water, and a few students inside quietly shared some gossip:
“Wen Songyue comes from a powerful family. Her family is well-connected, and I heard she was specifically assigned to our Class Nine.”
“When Wen Songyue walked in just now, it reminded me of when Liang Zhiyi transferred here last semester. They both have that same refined aura.”
“Wow, what a coincidence! How is it that both girls with influential backgrounds end up wanting to sit next to the class monitor?”
“Do you think this girl likes the class monitor too…?”
A while later, Wen Songyue returned to her seat and distributed some desserts she had brought to the students around her. She smiled and said, “These were made by my mom. Please try them, and I hope we can all get along well.”
“Thank you…”
The students found Wen Songyue to be cheerful and friendly. Despite her background, she seemed approachable.
She saved one piece and turned to Pei Chen, saying, “Pei Chen, I saved a piece for you. Would you like to try it?”
The boy coldly declined, “No, thanks.”
Wen Songyue heard this and a subtle emotion flickered in her eyes.
In fact, she had been interested in Pei Chen ever since she saw him in the interschool basketball match.
He had been so dazzling on the court that she was immediately drawn to him. After learning more about him, she found out that he was not only the most handsome guy at No. 1 High School but also a top student. Countless girls liked him, but he was known for being aloof, and many had failed to win his affection.
This semester, she had specifically requested her parents to transfer her to Class Nine at No. 1 High School just to get closer to him.
She had also heard from friends at the school that Pei Chen used to have a deskmate named Liang Zhiyi, who had been quite forward in pursuing him. Their relationship seemed ambiguous, and there were even rumors that Pei Chen liked Liang Zhiyi.
Thinking back to the schedule she had seen on the desk earlier, she guessed that it was something Liang Zhiyi had left behind. Pei Chen’s reaction to snatching it from her hands showed that the girl likely held an important place in his heart.
But so what?
That girl had already transferred. If Wen Songyue made a similar effort to pursue Pei Chen, taking advantage of the situation, it wasn’t impossible to win his affection.
After all, how many boys could resist a girl’s advances? Especially one who was attractive, came from a powerful family, and was now his deskmate. If he could be moved by Liang Zhiyi, there was a good chance he could be moved by her as well.
With this in mind, Wen Songyue sat down beside him again and smiled, “Alright, I’ll share it with someone else.”
After the start of the new semester, the second-year students began their first round of review.
Time passed quickly.
Days flew by amidst a whirlwind of worksheets and textbooks.
By early March, the weather had warmed up, signaling the arrival of spring.
At around six in the morning, Pei Chen finished washing up and put on his school uniform. Then, he reached for the brown scarf that was placed by his bedside.
He considered wearing it but realized the temperature wasn’t quite right for it.
In the end, he packed the scarf into his school bag.
With his backpack slung over his shoulder, he glanced out the window at the osmanthus tree that had yet to bloom. After a few seconds, he withdrew his gaze and turned to leave his bedroom.
After setting the rice to cook in the pot for later and preparing breakfast for Pei Yongxia, he headed out for school.
Today was Wednesday, and the second period in the afternoon was P.E.
After the first period in the afternoon, everyone headed to the sports field. As Pei Chen was walking downstairs, he happened to see Ji Fei’er coming down as well.
Seeing her, he pursed his lips and called out softly, “Ji Fei’er…”
The girl turned her head to look at him, “What’s up?”
His voice was hoarse as he couldn’t help but ask, “How… how is Zhiyi doing at her new school?”
During this time, he had lost all contact with her and had no way of knowing how she was doing.
Ji Fei’er gave him a mischievous smile. “Why don’t you guess?”
“…”
Just as Pei Chen was about to say something else, a cheerful female voice called out from behind him, “Pei Chen, wait for me.”
Wen Songyue quickly walked up to him, her eyes smiling brightly. “I just spoke with the math teacher about the last problem, and it turns out the answer was wrong. I wrote the correct one…”
Ji Fei’er noticed Wen Songyue and teased, “You two go ahead and talk.”
After Ji Fei’er left, Wen Songyue continued talking beside him, but Pei Chen’s expression darkened, and he didn’t respond to her at all.
A while later, the P.E. class began. After a brief warm-up, everyone was allowed to engage in free activities. Pei Chen and a few other boys decided to play basketball, and many girls from the class headed to the stands to watch the game.
Wen Songyue walked up to the stands but wasn’t paying attention and accidentally bumped into another girl.
The girl was named Feng Ke’er. She was short, had a burn scar on her neck, and was dressed in simple clothing.
A flash of disdain flickered in Wen Songyue’s eyes as she immediately checked to see if her designer jacket had been dirtied.
“I’m s-sorry…” Feng Ke’er stammered.
Wen Songyue was about to mutter something in annoyance, but then she noticed Pei Chen just three meters away by the court, drinking water. Her expression instantly softened, and she smiled warmly, “It’s okay.”
Wen Songyue joined a few other classmates on the stands to watch the game.
On the court, Pei Chen played with graceful and effortless movements. A few stylish dunks elicited cheers from the crowd.
After the game, Pei Chen walked to the sidelines, and Wen Songyue approached him with a bottle of water, smiling brightly. “Pei Chen, here’s some water. You played really well.”
“Ohhhh…”
The surrounding classmates burst into cheers when they saw the scene unfold.
Pei Chen looked at Wen Songyue with cold eyes, but he didn’t reach out to take the water.
After class, as everyone left the court, they couldn’t stop talking about what had just happened:
“I didn’t expect Wen Songyue to be so bold and forward, just like Liang Zhiyi was back then!”
“Do you think the class monitor will fall for her?”
“It’s possible. After all, Liang Zhiyi has transferred, and we hardly see her anymore. Plus, Wen Songyue has a good family background, just like Liang Zhiyi, and they have similar personalities.”
“Liang Zhiyi was one of the few rich girls I’ve met who wasn’t stuck-up, and Wen Songyue seems pretty easygoing too…”
Ji Fei’er overheard the conversation but didn’t say anything.
As the day came to a close, the students gradually headed home.
A bright moon hung in the sky.
That evening, when Ji Fei’er called Liang Zhiyi, she mentioned Wen Songyue’s appearance.
“That girl seems to come from a wealthy family too. She’s quite lively and outgoing, and now she’s Pei Chen’s deskmate, actively pursuing him, just like you did back then.”
On the other end of the line, Liang Zhiyi was momentarily stunned.
“She… she’s sitting next to Pei Chen?”
“Pei Chen initially refused, but the girl insisted through the teacher and ended up sitting beside him. Today, while Pei Chen was playing basketball, she even handed him water in front of everyone. I’m not sure how close they are in private, though.”
Liang Zhiyi’s thoughts became unfocused upon hearing this.
“Zhizhi, are you okay?” Ji Fei’er asked, noticing the long silence.
The girl snapped back to reality and forced a smile, “I’m fine.”
She changed the subject: “At the end of the month, it’s my mom’s birthday. My brother and I are planning to go back to Lincheng for the weekend to celebrate with her.”
“Then I’ll come see you!”
“Sure, but don’t tell anyone else about it.”
“Alright, I’ll keep it a secret for you.”
After hanging up the phone, Liang Zhiyi lifted her gaze to look outside the dormitory building, her eyes falling on an osmanthus tree.
That girl had a similar family background; she was sitting next to Pei Chen, just as she had; and she wasn’t afraid to take the initiative in pursuing him, despite what others might think.
Pei Chen… could he fall for her too?
In the past, she had never felt so insecure, but now, with such a distance between them, who could be certain of their own heart…
She blinked, her expression filled with melancholy.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the end of March. On Saturday morning, Liang Zhiyi and Liang Tongzhou returned to Lincheng.
This time, she only informed Ji Fei’er and Zhi Mian about her return, spending her mother Zhong Xinrou’s birthday with them. By Sunday evening, she had to go back.
On Sunday afternoon, with nothing much to do, Liang Zhiyi wandered around the city by herself and eventually found herself standing in front of Lin Noodle Shop.
She hesitated for a moment before walking in.
The owner and his wife, upon seeing her, smiled in surprise, “Hey, Liang, long time no see!”
She greeted them with a warm smile.
After ordering a bowl of noodles, the owner’s wife noticed she was alone and asked why Pei Chen wasn’t with her. Liang Zhiyi explained that she had gone to study out of town and was just visiting today.
As the noodles were served, she asked softly, “Has Pei Chen been coming here often lately?”
“He has,” the owner’s wife replied with a smile. “Don’t worry, since you left, I haven’t seen him bring any other girl here.”
Liang Zhiyi smiled faintly, looking down at the bowl of noodles in front of her. The owner’s wife noticed her slightly downcast mood and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling upset because of Pei?”
After a while, Liang Zhiyi couldn’t hold back and confided in the couple about her and Pei Chen’s story, from when they first met to their current separation.
“Lin Auntie, I’m just suddenly scared…” she lowered her head. “I’m afraid that now that Pei Chen and I aren’t at the same school, external factors will slowly change his heart.”
The couple exchanged a knowing smile, and then the owner spoke, “Liang, I’ve run this shop for over thirty years, and I’ve seen many customers. You know, you can tell a lot about a person’s character just by how they eat their noodles.”
Liang Zhiyi looked at him with a hint of curiosity.
“Ever since Pei started coming here, he has always ordered the same dish—pork trotter noodles. From when he was young until now, he’s never changed his order. Liang, I believe Pei is a very steadfast and loyal person.”
The owner’s wife chimed in with a smile, “If he hasn’t gotten tired of such a simple dish like pork trotter noodles after all these years, how could he ever grow tired of someone as wonderful as you?”
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi fell silent in thought, and finally, her eyes began to brighten with hope.
April arrived, and Lincheng entered its rainy season.
One morning, under a gloomy sky, Pei Chen arrived at class. He finished the breakfast he had brought from home and spent some time reading.
After a while, he took his cup to the water room, where he overheard a conversation between some classmates:
“Hey, are you going to watch a movie tomorrow, on Saturday?”
“What movie?”
“The one that’s been advertised for a while, Not Sure If It’s You. It officially comes out tomorrow, and I’ve seen the trailer—it looks amazing.”