The morning after the typhoon night, soft sunlight bathed the small fishing village, giving the rain-washed houses and streets a warm, golden sheen. Chén Zhāoyáng awoke from his sleep, the memory of sharing the floral umbrella with Lín Xiǎotáng and braving the wind and rain together still vivid in his mind. The corners of his mouth curved upward involuntarily, and his heart was filled with sweetness and warmth.
After washing up and eating the breakfast his mother had prepared, Chén Zhāoyáng shouldered his schoolbag and set off for school. Along the way, he watched the trees by the roadside sway gently in the breeze, occasionally catching the crisp sounds of birdsong, and his spirits felt exceptionally light.
Arriving at school, he stepped into the classroom and saw that Lín Xiǎotáng was already in her seat. She was meticulously organizing her schoolbag, a few strands of hair falling gently against her cheeks, making her look exceptionally moving.
Chén Zhāoyáng walked up to her and greeted her with a smile, "Morning, Xiǎotáng!"
Lín Xiǎotáng looked up, and upon seeing Chén Zhāoyáng, a flash of pleasant surprise crossed her eyes. She replied, "Morning, Chén Zhāoyáng. You seem to be in a great mood today."
Chén Zhāoyáng scratched the back of his head and said, "Of course. Just thinking about everything we went through together yesterday makes me feel so happy." The two exchanged a smile, and a subtle atmosphere permeated the space between them.
As the morning bell rang, the students returned to their seats one after another, preparing for a day of learning. The first class was English. The English teacher was a young and attractive woman who always wore stylish dresses and spoke with a gentle, engaging voice, making her very popular among the students.
Carrying a stack of English cassette tapes, the teacher walked into the classroom and said, "Class, today we are going to learn a new text. Please turn your textbooks to the corresponding page. To help everyone improve your English pronunciation, we will listen to the tape and read along."
Listening to the teacher, Chén Zhāoyáng suddenly had a thought flash through his mind. He remembered that in his past life, a very popular way to confess one's feelings was to record a heartfelt message on a cassette tape and give it to the person you liked. He thought to himself that although the current relationship between himself and Lín Xiǎotáng had a certain ambiguous charm, they had never truly expressed their feelings to each other. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to record what was in his heart onto a cassette tape and give it to Lín Xiǎotáng. At this thought, his heart rate sped up a bit, leaving him both nervous and full of anticipation.
During English class, Chén Zhāoyáng pretended to listen intently to the tape and read along while secretly plotting how to record this special cassette. As soon as class finally ended, unable to wait a moment longer, he sought out Lín Xiǎotáng and said, "Xiǎotáng, are you free after school this afternoon? I need your help with something."
Lín Xiǎotáng looked at him curiously and asked, "What is it? Why are you being so secretive?"
Chén Zhāoyáng smiled sheepishly and said, "Don't ask just yet. You'll find out when the time comes. I guarantee it's a good thing."
Seeing his secretive demeanor, Lín Xiǎotáng couldn't help laughing and said, "Alright, alright. I really don't know what to do with you."
After school, Chén Zhāoyáng and Lín Xiǎotáng went to an audiovisual shop near the school. The shop was filled with all sorts of cassette tapes, records, and CDs, and the walls were plastered with posters of various pop stars. Popular music flowed from the store's speakers, filling the entire space.
Chén Zhāoyáng pulled Lín Xiǎotáng over to the counter and said to the owner, "Boss, I'd like to buy a blank cassette tape." The owner pulled a tape from beneath the counter, handed it to Chén Zhāoyáng, and said, "Five yuan." Chén Zhāoyáng paid for it, took the tape, and led Lín Xiǎotáng to a corner of the shop.
Looking at Chén Zhāoyáng, Lín Xiǎotáng asked perplexedly, "What are you buying a blank cassette for?" Blushing, Chén Zhāoyáng stammered, "Actually... I want to record some things on it, but I'm afraid I won't do a good job on my own, so I wanted to ask you to help me."
Even more curious now, Lín Xiǎotáng pressed on, "Record what? Stop keeping me in suspense." Chén Zhāoyáng took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and said, "I want to record some English study materials so we can use them for review later on."
Hearing this, Lín Xiǎotáng experienced a sudden epiphany and said, "So that's it! No problem, I'll help you."
Chén Zhāoyáng took out his English textbook, found a text they had just studied, and said to Lín Xiǎotáng, "Xiǎotáng, let's record this lesson. You read it first, and I'll handle the recording."
Lín Xiǎotáng nodded, took the textbook, and began to read earnestly. Her English pronunciation was standard and lovely, and her voice was crisp and melodious, sounding just like a wonderful piece of music. While operating the tape recorder, Chén Zhāoyáng stole glances at Lín Xiǎotáng, his heart overflowing with affection. After finishing the lesson, Chén Zhāoyáng felt it wasn't enough; he wanted to add some of his own heartfelt thoughts to the tape.
He looked at Lín Xiǎotáng, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Xiǎotáng, I want to add some other content to the tape. Could you step outside and wait for me for a moment?"
Although somewhat puzzled, Lín Xiǎotáng nodded and said, "Alright, but hurry up, okay?" With that, she walked out of the audiovisual shop and stood by the entrance waiting for Chén Zhāoyáng.
Watching Lín Xiǎotáng's retreating figure, Chén Zhāoyáng took a deep breath, leaned toward the recorder, and said, "Xiǎotáng, actually, I'm recording this tape for more than just studying. I... I have a lot of things I want to tell you, but I've never dared to say them. I like you. I've liked you for a very long time. You're smart, kind, and beautiful, and every time I see you, my heart feels exceptionally happy. I know we're still young and shouldn't talk about these things yet, but I truly hope we can always stay like this—studying together, improving together, and facing whatever the future brings together. I want to test into the same high school and the same university as you, and I want to walk by your side all the way..." Blushing furiously, Chén Zhāoyáng poured out all the words in his heart in one breath. When he finished, his heart beat even faster, leaving him both nervous and somewhat shy.
Once done, Chén Zhāoyáng carefully tucked the cassette into his schoolbag and walked out of the shop.
Seeing him emerge, Lín Xiǎotáng hurriedly asked, "Are you done recording? What on earth were you saying in there for so long?" Chén Zhāoyáng said sheepishly, "All done, all done. Just some words of encouragement for our studies. Come on, let's go home."
The two walked side by side on the way home as the afterglow of the setting sun cast its light upon them, lengthening their shadows. Along the way, Chén Zhāoyáng's heart was fluttering with anxiety as he wondered how Lín Xiǎotáng would react upon hearing the words on the tape. Meanwhile, Lín Xiǎotáng occasionally cast sidelong glances at him; she sensed that Chén Zhāoyáng had been acting rather strange today, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.
Back home, Chén Zhāoyáng placed the cassette in his desk drawer, intending to find an appropriate opportunity to give it to Lín Xiǎotáng. Over the next few days, Chén Zhāoyáng kept searching for that chance, but every time the words reached his lips, nervousness caused him to swallow them back down. Gradually, Lín Xiǎotáng also forgot about the cassette tape, spending her days studying and chatting with Chén Zhāoyáng as their lives went on peacefully and happily.
Until one day, the English teacher assigned homework requiring students to listen to the English cassette tape for review at home and have a parent sign off as proof.
An idea suddenly sparked in Chén Zhāoyáng's mind, and he felt this was the perfect opportunity to give the tape to Lín Xiǎotáng. He sought her out and said, "Xiǎotáng, the cassette I recorded can actually be used to complete this assignment. Take it home and listen to it; you can just give it back to me when you're done."
Without thinking much of it, Lín Xiǎotáng took the tape and said, "That's great! Thank you, Chén Zhāoyáng."
That evening after returning home and finishing dinner, Lín Xiǎotáng sat at her desk to listen to the tape and complete her assignment. She placed the cassette into the tape player and pressed play. First, she heard the recording of their textbook reading, and she began to read along attentively. Just as she finished the text and reached to turn off the player, she suddenly heard Chén Zhāoyáng's voice: "Xiǎotáng, actually, I'm recording this tape for more than just studying..."
Lín Xiǎotáng's heart skipped a beat. Her face flushed crimson instantly, her eyes widening in disbelief at what she was hearing. Nervous yet full of anticipation, she listened as Chén Zhāoyáng poured out his innermost thoughts on the tape. A whirl of emotions flooded her heart—a mixture of pleasant surprise and shy embarrassment.
After listening to the tape, Lín Xiǎotáng's mind remained in turmoil for a long time. Lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling, she watched countless memories of her moments with Chén Zhāoyáng flash through her mind. She realized that she, too, had fallen for Chén Zhāoyáng long ago, only lacking the courage to admit it. At this realization, the corners of her mouth curved upward on their own, and a radiant, happy smile bloomed across her face.
The next day, when Lín Xiǎotáng saw Chén Zhāoyáng, her face instantly blushed, and her gaze kept darting away.
Seeing Lín Xiǎotáng's demeanor, Chén Zhāoyáng grew extremely nervous, having no idea what her stance was regarding the words on the tape. Both of them felt too shy to speak, and an awkward atmosphere settled between them until the class bell rang, prompting them to scurry back to their seats.
Throughout the lesson, both Chén Zhāoyáng and Lín Xiǎotáng were distracted, their minds entirely consumed by each other.
When class finally ended, Chén Zhāoyáng mustered his courage, walked over to Lín Xiǎotáng's side, and asked with a blushing face, "Xiǎotáng, did you... did you listen to the tape?"
Lowering her head, Lín Xiǎotáng whispered, "I did."
Nervously, Chén Zhāoyáng asked, "Then... what did you think?"
Lín Xiǎotáng raised her head to look at Chén Zhāoyáng, her eyes carrying a trace of shyness and sweetness as she said, "I... I don't really know what to say. Actually, I... I like you too. But we're still students right now, so our studies should come first, right?"
Hearing Lín Xiǎotáng's words, Chén Zhāoyáng was overjoyed. He nodded eagerly and said, "Yes, you're right. Let's focus on our studies for now, and we can talk about the future later."