On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Liang Zhiyi and her family left Lincheng again, and Pei Chen lost the chance to see her.
The fifth day of the Lunar New Year was his birthday according to the lunar calendar.
He still remembered that day last year. So many things had happened—he had a huge argument with Gong Qinxin, and it was also the day before Liang Zhiyi left Lincheng.
That evening, the girl called him, her voice playful:
“Pei Chen, happy birthday.”
He was surprised, “How did you know my birthday?”
“Actually, I arrived at your door that night last year before you did.”
“So… you heard everything?”
“Yes.”
She quickly changed the subject, asking with a smile, “Do you want a gift?”
“A gift?”
Had she prepared a gift for him?
“It’s a shame I can’t give it to you in person, so you’ll have to go pick it up yourself.”
He paused, then heard her recite a string of numbers: “9926. Do you know what I mean? It was the night of New Year’s Eve last year.”
Pei Chen froze for a moment, then quickly realized she was referring to the locker at the mall where he had left the scarf he gave her that night.
He rushed out of the house and hurried to the mall. After some searching, he finally opened the locker and found a notebook inside.
When he opened it, he was astonished to find it filled with cartoon drawings.
In the lower left corner of the title page, in tiny, slightly yellowed handwriting, it read: “I only miss Pei Chen a little bit.”
He paused, then turned the pages one by one, finding her daily records after she had gone to study in W Province. There were entries about what she ate, fun things she encountered, and various little emotions, all depicted through the cartoons of a little rabbit.
He had thought that after she left, she didn’t want him to know anything about her life. But she had chosen this way to make up for his sense of loss.
Finally, he flipped to the last page, where another line of small words was written: “I’m sorry, I lied.”
Pei Chen’s eyelashes trembled as he read it.
His heart softened completely, collapsing in on itself.
He felt the same way—he missed her, so, so much.
°°°
After the Spring Festival, everyone entered the final half-year sprint, a period known for its intense competition and pressure, like a thousand troops crossing a single-log bridge. This last semester was especially critical.
In the classroom, exam papers flew around, and the teacher’s words echoed endlessly.
Stacks of books piled higher and higher on the desks, as if everyone was buried in a sea of books, pushing forward bravely under the weight of difficult problems and the unceasing lectures of their teachers.
Students woke up early to memorize vocabulary, rushed to school right after brushing their teeth and washing their faces, and read while having breakfast. The eight classes each day were packed, and during breaks, students sought out teachers to answer their questions, wishing they had three heads and six arms.
The second half of senior year was a mix of steady progress for some and chaotic struggle for others, but everyone lived in a state of tense yet fulfilling energy.
Pei Chen was on track to be admitted to C University, but he didn’t let up. Instead, he often took time to help his classmates with their questions. Everyone noticed that Pei Chen had become more approachable and less cold than before, with a more obvious smile on his face.
He knew this change was due to Liang Zhiyi’s influence. Her lively and cheerful personality made him want to become more like her.
As the countdown to the college entrance exam began, time flew by. February turned into May in the blink of an eye.
By late May, the weather was gradually getting hotter.
At An’nan High School, after the afternoon classes, Liang Zhiyi packed up her bag and left the classroom, only to find a boy waiting for her.
“Zhiyi—”
She turned and saw that it was He Ming, a boy from the neighboring class.
She had known He Ming since the second half of their sophomore year. The school had organized a drama performance, and she and He Ming had once played opposite each other in a scene, which made them friends of sorts.
He Ming came from a well-off family, and his father had business dealings with Liang Tianming as well.
Seeing her, He Ming approached with a gentle smile and handed her the English practice paper he had borrowed, “Thanks.”
Around them, other students watched with curious, gossip-filled eyes.
No one knew exactly when the rumors started, but the school had been buzzing with talk about how well-matched the two of them were. Every time, she would deny it, and so would He Ming, insisting that they were just ordinary friends and didn’t want her to be troubled by rumors. But everyone knew He Ming’s feelings for her.
Liang Zhiyi accepted the paper and then saw Liang Tongzhou approaching. He Ming asked softly, “Want to grab dinner together?”
Liang Zhiyi smiled politely and declined, “No, thanks. I’ll grab some sushi and head to the library.”
“Alright then…”
A trace of disappointment flashed in He Ming’s eyes, which Liang Tongzhou noticed. He then grabbed his sister’s arm playfully, “Let’s go.”
As they headed downstairs, Liang Tongzhou remarked, “That He Ming likes you, you know.”
Liang Zhiyi responded calmly, “Yeah.”
That’s why she always kept her distance.
That evening, after Liang Tongzhou returned to his dormitory, he called Pei Chen to share what had happened, not forgetting to embellish the story a bit:
“Everyone in our year knows that He Ming likes my sister. Tonight, I heard He Ming ask her if she wanted to go out for dinner.”
On the other end of the line, Pei Chen’s eyebrows knitted together.
He knew that with someone as outstanding as Liang Zhiyi, there would be many boys who liked her. But since he couldn’t be there with her, he had to rely on hearsay for information.
“What kind of person is this He Ming?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“He Ming? Well, he performed with my sister before. He’s tall, pretty handsome, comes from a good family, and has a really friendly personality.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Chen’s lowered eyes grew darker, unreadable. After a few seconds, he asked, “And Zhiyi… how does she feel about him?”
“My sister isn’t paying him any attention for now, especially with the college entrance exams coming up. The guy hasn’t really pursued her yet, but I bet he’ll try after the exams are over.”
Liang Tongzhou laughed as he teased, “Bro, you should feel a bit of a crisis here. Don’t let my sister get snatched away by someone else.”
“…”
Pei Chen remained silent, wishing desperately that time would speed up to after the college entrance exams.
A few days later, May passed, and with the arrival of June, the college entrance exams were looming.
On the 5th, Liang Zhiyi and Liang Tongzhou returned to Lincheng. Although they studied in another city, they hadn’t transferred their household registration, so they would still be taking the exams in Lincheng.
The day before the exams, everyone went to check out the exam locations. Liang Zhiyi’s exam site was at No. 1 High School, where most of the students from her school would be.
When she returned to the school, she ran into some old classmates. Everyone was excited to see her, and she missed them as well. They all agreed to meet up again after the exams.
The night before the exams, Pei Chen called her.
Over the past six months, they had quietly resumed contact, with Pei Chen usually being the one to reach out. However, they didn’t talk often, as both were focused on their studies. Neither had yet to break through the barrier of their unspoken feelings, knowing there was plenty of time ahead and no need to rush.
Lying on her bed, Liang Zhiyi listened as his gentle voice came through the phone: “Have you packed your school bag? Don’t forget to bring everything you need.”
She smiled, “Everything’s packed. I’ll double-check tomorrow. Are you nervous?”
“A little bit.”
“Even a top student gets nervous? What does that mean for the rest of us?”
“I’m not nervous because of the exams.”
“Hmm?”
His deep voice, mixed with a faint static, whispered through the line, sending a tingle through her: “I’m nervous about what comes after the exams.”
She caught the meaning behind his words, her heart skipping a beat. She bit her lip to suppress a smile and responded playfully, “Pei, let’s get through the exams first.”
They chatted a bit more before he told her to get some rest. After ending the call, Pei Chen put down his phone and looked up, his gaze settling on the jasmine flower potted on his windowsill. He stared at it quietly, lost in thought.
On the other side, Liang Zhiyi rested her chin in her hand as she gazed out at the starry night sky, a smile slowly curving her lips.
Tomorrow was sure to be a beautiful day.
The next day marked the first day of the college entrance exams.
In the morning, they had the Chinese exam, followed by mathematics in the afternoon. Liang Zhiyi was confident in her Chinese, and she felt she had done well in math this time too.
After the first day of exams, she felt a sense of reassurance, as if one foot was already in the door of C University.
The following morning was the comprehensive science exam. Though science had always been her slightly weaker subject, her time at An’nan High School had significantly improved her skills. During lunch, she briefly compared answers with Pei Chen and found that their answers matched almost perfectly.
And if Pei Chen’s answers were right, then they were as good as the correct ones.
This realization made her feel even more at ease.
The last exam in the afternoon was English, which was her strongest subject. After finishing the paper, she checked it twice, and finally, as she looked out at the lush green leaves outside the window, the tension she had been holding onto completely dissipated.
At last, the bell signaling the end of the exams rang.
It was all over.
As the students exited the exam rooms, they felt an overwhelming sense of relief, and the hallways instantly filled with excited cheers as everyone declared, “We’re free!”
The setting sun cast a golden glow, blending with the endless stretch of the evening sky.
Liang Zhiyi packed her bag and followed the crowd downstairs. When she reached the bottom, she looked towards the front of the teaching building and saw Pei Chen—
He stood under a wutong tree, dressed in a white shirt and black school trousers. The setting sun highlighted the sharp contours of his brow bone, and the small tear mole at the corner of his eye glimmered faintly, giving him a strikingly youthful appearance.
His gaze met hers, and for a moment, they locked eyes. Pei Chen looked at her with a softness in his eyes.
In that instant, her world seemed to narrow down to just him.
Her eyes curved into a smile as she stepped toward him, and he walked towards her. When they finally stood face to face, he asked her:
“How did it go?”
“I think I passed.”
Hearing this, a hint of a smile spread in his eyes. A classmate passing by noticed the two of them and couldn’t help but tease:
“Class President, isn’t the second-year building over there? Did you come here just to find Liang Zhiyi?”
Many other classmates were watching them, and the teasing grew louder. Liang Zhiyi, who rarely blushed, felt her cheeks warm up. She then heard Pei Chen openly admit:
“Yes.”
Liang Zhiyi felt her cheeks grow even hotter.
After the group had moved on, Pei Chen looked down at the girl in front of him and quietly asked, “Do you have any other plans for tonight?”
Liang Zhiyi murmured with a hint of pride, “I don’t think I have anything planned…”
She met his dark eyes, and as he gazed at her, his deep voice followed:
“Then come with me, okay?”