Chen Ying eating in the school cafeteria for a whole week caused quite a stir on campus. After all, she was the campus belle; there were plenty of people willing to treat her to meals and the like.
Yet ever since that first day when she ran into Xue Yang, she had not seen him again.
It was as if he had truly vanished from her world. Even in the same school, even with their classrooms separated by only a single corridor, the two of them never crossed paths again.
"Xue Yang, you really are something, actually vanishing from my world. I'd like to see how long you can last. Anyway, this time, I will absolutely not forgive you easily."
A heavy sensation fell upon her shoulder. Chen Ying looked up and just happened to see Wu Xiaoya standing beside her:
"Yingying, are you going to Phoenix Mountain to watch the moon for the Mid-Autumn Festival? This year's Mid-Autumn moon is the biggest and roundest in a century. I heard that if you go with the person you love, you'll receive the moon goddess's blessing and stay together with your beloved forever."
Although Chen Ying seemed to have many girlfriends, the only one she was truly close to was Wu Xiaoya.
Because of Chen Ying, although Wu Xiaoya and Xue Yang were not extremely familiar with each other, she understood him somewhat, and she genuinely felt that the young man was quite nice—someone worth entrusting one's future to.
"I'm not going to join in on that hustle and bustle."
With that, Chen Ying pretended to play on her phone.
Yet her chat window remained paused on Xue Yang's most recent message.
"Senior, will you be in the dorm on the night of September 30th? My military training is over, and I want to give you a big surprise."
That day, even though she knew Xue Yang was trying every trick to confess his feelings to her, she had still replied: *I will.*
Only, what she hadn't expected was that Xue Yang would make such a grand production of it that time, leaving her completely mentally unprepared, without even wearing makeup.
To others, it was a romantic affair, but to her, it was utterly humiliating.
Because she didn't want to display her imperfect side to outsiders, she had said those harsh words.
Was she wrong?
No.
She could never be wrong.
The only one who could be wrong was Xue Yang.
If he had given her a hint from the very beginning, she definitely would have dressed up properly.
Yet she had forgotten: which time Xue Yang sought her out was not a confession?
She scrolled up, message by message.
"Senior, this Mid-Autumn Festival, I hope you can go to Phoenix Mountain with me to watch the moon."
"Senior, I bought the milk tea you love to drink. Come down and get it, please, please, you really must come down. I want to see you."
"Senior, don't be angry. I'm definitely going to confess to you again next time."
"Senior..."
"..."
Every single message exuded flattery toward her; every single message made it easy to imagine the smile on Xue Yang's face as he sent it.
Even though the times she replied could be counted on one hand, every single message gave one a sense of positive and uplifting beauty.
At that time, he must have loved her to pieces.
Only when you love someone to pieces will you show her unlimited tolerance.
Only when you love someone to pieces will you pursue her for a full six years.
Yet she had forgotten that human hearts are made of flesh and blood. When long-term devotion receives no return, no matter how much you like someone, there comes a day of exhaustion; no matter how much you love, there comes a day of a chilled heart.
"Since he loves me this much, it surely won't be long before he contacts me again."
"If he asks me to meet up this Mid-Autumn Festival, I'll just meet him."
"If he confesses to me again, why don't... why don't I just not refuse so quickly? Give him a bit of hope and see just how far he can persist. Didn't the internet say? When someone hopes for something from you, and you neither want to agree nor want to refuse, you should toss him a little sweetness to give him the courage to keep going."
Chen Ying firmly believed that this Mid-Autumn Festival, Xue Yang would definitely ask her out and would not give up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to confess.
...
The two of them walked down the street.
Lin Xi skipped ahead while Xue Yang walked behind.
Occasionally, their two shadows would overlap, resembling a pair of passionately in-love sweethearts embracing.
Looking up at the night sky, one discovered that the evening sky could actually be so azure, like a piece of transparent blue satin, with countless stars scattered like gems and pearls. Although the moon on the fourteenth day was not as round as the fifteenth, it was still nearly circular, like a large jade plate embedded among the starry sky, appearing all the more limpid.
This was the first time since meeting Chen Ying that he was seriously appreciating the night view like this. In the past, his time was spent either studying or pursuing Chen Ying, leaving almost no time for himself.
Xue Yang let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh, though he didn't know whether he was laughing at himself or at others.
"Xue Yang, look quickly, the moon is so round. It looks like an egg yolk. Ah, I want to eat mooncakes."
When she was home before, she had long since eaten all kinds of delicious mooncakes.
"No mooncakes, but I can draw one. Do you want it?"
Lin Xi pouted. "Can't you say something nice?"
Xue Yang lowered his gaze to look at Lin Xi; the stars all over the sky seemed less appealing than the starlight in her eyes.
He vividly remembered the first time he saw her, standing under a large tree to hide from the rain, looking precisely like a homeless Little Milk Cat.
Looking at her now, her heavy mass of hair was tied into a little bun. She was petite, wearing the cheap couple's outfit he had bought her. Although the clothes weren't expensive, worn on her, they seemed elevated by several tiers, exuding an air of elegance in every way.
The startled look in her eyes was gone, replaced by a vibrant energy throughout her entire body.
A swell of pride welled up naturally in Xue Yang's heart.
Look!
How well I've raised this Little Milk Cat I picked up!
The girl before him seemed to have an endless reservoir of energy. For the whole evening, even if they were simply wandering the streets aimlessly, she didn't find it boring. Even for ants moving house by the roadside, she would squat down on the ground to help guide them home.
"Ants can find their way home by themselves; they don't need you to guide them. The moment you step in, it's actually easier for them to get lost."
"Why?"
"Because ants rely on a scent. This scent keeps them from getting lost."
Lin Xi's eyes flashed with a glimmer. "Then what do they rely on to distinguish scents?"
"They rely on their antennae to distinguish scents. Look, the first segment of their antennae is thick and swollen with a knee-like bend, making it very flexible. It can distinguish both the intensity of the scent and the direction and distance of its source. Well, all of this is taught in books."
Xue Yang looked at Lin Xi.
Lin Xi guiltily averted her gaze. "Is that so? How come I didn't know?"
Xue Yang smiled faintly and didn't expose her.
When he smiled, it was as if the starlight of the entire sky became mere accompaniment.
Lin Xi squatted on the ground, looking up at him, feeling for the first time that a boy could smile so handsomely, and look even more handsome overall.
Wait...
What are you thinking, Lin Xi?
This is just a temporary shelter you found after running away from home. You absolutely must not fall for him.
...