CS - 66

Lin Zhe Xia had absolutely no technique when it came to kissing.

After all, her only experience was the “first kiss” with Chi Yao in the safety staircase.

Once their lips met, she didn’t know what to do next.

It was an awkward and unstructured kiss.

Filled with the innocence unique to a young girl, but also carrying a rare boldness.

Chi Yao recovered first. In the brief pause when she hesitated, he raised his hand to the back of her neck, holding her firmly so she couldn’t retreat, and deepened the kiss.

Afraid of startling her, he tentatively entwined her.

Lin Zhe Xia felt dizzy, as if oxygen-deprived, but because of this lack of air, she found herself more dependent on him, as if trying to snatch the last bit of oxygen from his lips.

Around the wishing tree, people were hanging new wishes.

But their corner was deserted for the moment, bathed in silence. Just before the kiss ended, Lin Zhe Xia slightly opened her eyes.

She saw the blurred yet dazzling sunlight and a sea of red ribbons.

The summer she once thought had ended had returned.

This was a summer—with Chi Yao in it.

Before releasing her, Chi Yao pressed his lips against hers and asked teasingly: “Do you still want me to reconsider now?”

“…” Lin Zhe Xia, blushing, let go of his collar, losing the earlier boldness of that “forceful” kiss. Her whole demeanor softened. “I think… there’s no need to reconsider.”

Chi Yao: “An illusion?”

Lin Zhe Xia: “…Not an illusion. I just said that offhandedly last time.”

His feelings for her weren’t an illusion.

On the way back, Lin Zhe Xia didn’t feel tired at all despite traveling to several places today. Excitedly, she pulled him along, asking questions here and there: “So you’ve liked me for a long time?”

Chi Yao hummed an affirmative sound.

Like countless other girls, Lin Zhe Xia cared about the exact date: “Can you be more specific? When did it start? What day? What did I do that day that made you fall for me?”

Chi Yao thought for a moment.

He realized he couldn’t pinpoint a specific date.

They had known each other for too long, experienced too much together.

For him, liking her wasn’t something sudden.

It was a gradual accumulation over years of small moments.

When he realized it, he thought it was just a passing breeze—but it turned out to be part of a massive flood.

Falling for Lin Zhe Xia happened naturally, as natural as eating and drinking every day.

His life seemed to have been programmed with something called “Lin Zhe Xia.” Once he understood what “liking” meant, he could only like her.

Countless fragmented moments replayed in his mind.

These fragments began with two sentences:

—”I’m his older brother.”

—”If you want to hit him, you’ll have to get through me first.”

Then, in the hospital.

That girl always took advantage of Lin He’s absence to visit the hospital, sitting by his bedside and bothering him.

—”You’re in the hospital again? Well, since the teacher went over the test today, and you don’t look very smart, I guess I’ll reluctantly explain it to you.”

—”Chi Yao. It’s me again. Don’t ask. I just like visiting hospitals.”

And countless quiet holidays.

—”Come to my house during the New Year, and we can stay up together.”

—”Happy New Year, Chi Yao. I hope you stay safe. Here, I’ll share half of my lucky money with you.”

And her naive understanding of dreams.

—”If I don’t have a dream right now, does protecting someone else’s dream count as a dream?”

These fragments came together, forming a part of who he was.

Unbeknownst to her, Lin Zhe Xia had grown from the little troublemaker who always fought with He Yang into a young woman.

…

“Around middle school,” he finally said. “That’s when a group of vocational school students started hanging around outside our neighborhood.”

That was the first time he wanted to become stronger, to protect someone.

After he said that, Lin Zhe Xia remembered how Chi Yao’s transformation from a “sickly boy” seemed to also start in middle school.

Before middle school, Chi Yao was still the weakling who needed her protection.

Explaining such emotions and confessing how he fell for her was difficult for Chi Yao, so as he spoke, he quickened his pace, walking ahead of her.

“Did you exercise to protect me?”

Lin Zhe Xia hopped along, catching up with him. “No wonder you suddenly became strong in middle school—I couldn’t even beat you anymore.”

“And for a while, you suddenly started growing taller. Did you secretly drink milk behind my back?”

Overexcited, Lin Zhe Xia’s thoughts wandered: “What brand of milk did you drink? Tell me, I need some recommendations.”

“…” Chi Yao slowed his steps, glancing at her. “Shorty, I don’t think milk will help you.”

Lin Zhe Xia: “Don’t think just because you’re my boyfriend now, I won’t hit you.”

“…”

On the ride back to Lian University, Lin Zhe Xia fell asleep.

Before drifting off, she thought that she should’ve let Lan Xiao Xue put makeup on her before leaving today.

She hadn’t expected such a formal confession today.

After this day, their relationship was truly established.

Lin Zhe Xia stopped feeling insecure and no longer felt inferior because of Chi Yao.

She finally confirmed it.

They were really together.

Halfway through the semester, the relaxed atmosphere of university disappeared. As time passed, academics grew increasingly intense, and assignments piled up.

After Chi Yao’s major finished its exam week, Lin Zhe Xia’s major also entered exam week.

She was busy reviewing oral knowledge and memorizing key points circled by her teachers.

When she finally surfaced from her hectic exam schedule, she realized she and Chi Yao hadn’t seen each other much in over a week.

Still, they exchanged messages daily.

Lin Zhe Xia would complain to him about the overwhelming amount of homework.

• Our teacher assigned so much homework [spitting blood]

• I might not finish memorizing everything

• And there’s the oral exam where we have to converse with the teacher.

• I sounded so dumb improvising earlier.

Chi Yao replied: Done with your exams?

Lin Zhe Xia: Not yet, I have one more in the afternoon. What about you? What are you doing?

After Lin Zhe Xia sent this message, Chi Yao didn’t reply.

She didn’t think much of it and continued preparing for her exams.

Before their exams, they had a self-study period for review. Everyone was focused on their seats, preparing for the afternoon tests.

In the middle of writing, Lin Zhe Xia caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. Then the empty seat beside her was taken. After finishing the translation question she was working on, she looked up to see Chi Yao sitting next to her, chin resting on his hand.

Everyone was so busy reviewing that no one noticed the presence of this non-major “outsider.”

“How did you get here?” She put down her pen and whispered.

Even sitting in the corner with her, Chi Yao was still strikingly conspicuous. He’d been busy all week, and his eyes showed signs of fatigue. “If I didn’t see you soon, I was afraid my girlfriend would run away.”

Lin Zhe Xia muttered: “…Where would I run off to?”

Chi Yao chuckled softly: “There’s someone in your class.”

“And they posted on the confession wall.”

“On the first day of school, they sat next to you.”

“…”

Lin Zhe Xia didn’t expect him to still remember this: “How petty can you be? Do you keep a ledger in your heart? What else have you written about me?”

But after his reminder, she realized: “So that day, you came on purpose?”

“So… when you left, Fang Huai assumed you were my boyfriend.”

Chi Yao’s voice grew colder. Drawing out his words, he said coolly: “Do you even remember his name?”

“…”

“The name of a classmate,” Lin Zhe Xia protested quietly. “It’s normal for me to remember.”

Chi Yao hadn’t come here to settle old scores.

He simply hadn’t seen her in a while and wanted to see her.

So when their conversation reached this point, he tapped her workbook with his finger: “Keep writing. I’ll sit here with you.”

Lin Zhe Xia gave a soft “Oh,” wrote a few more questions, then couldn’t help but say: “We haven’t sat together to do homework in a long time.”

In the past, she often visited Chi Yao’s house, and they would share a table to work on problems.

Whenever she encountered a difficult problem, Chi Yao would explain it to her.

Those times, without realizing it, were from long ago.

Chi Yao didn’t feel regretful at all. Noticing the gazes of other classmates, he lowered himself to avoid disturbing others, resting his chin on his hand as if he’d come to nap: “Later, you can sit with your boyfriend and do other things.”

“…”

He added, “Stop thinking about homework all the time.”

Lin Zhe Xia glanced at the other classmates, confirming no one heard, then whispered indignantly: “…It’s normal for me to want to do homework. You’re the one thinking strange things.”

“What am I thinking?” Chi Yao asked.

“…”

Lin Zhe Xia poked at the paper with her pen: “Even though you didn’t say it outright, I can tell your thoughts are dangerous.”

Afterward, they stopped talking. Chi Yao quietly accompanied her during the class.

Like a study companion.

She originally lacked confidence for the afternoon exam.

But after Chi Yao sat with her during class, she felt a bit more confident.

However, twenty minutes later, this “study companion” unprofessionally dozed off.

Although he had entered quietly and only exposed half of his profile while lying down, after most of the class had passed, someone still noticed Chi Yao. While Lin Zhe Xia was writing her answers, her phone buzzed. Opening it, she found a girl poking her in the class group chat.

Lin Zhe Xia, is the person next to you Chi Yao?

Lin Zhe Xia replied with a simple “Mm.”

University was different from high school. In high school, there were fewer people, and information spread quickly. But in university, with various majors and multiple campuses, even though Chi Yao sometimes walked her back to the girls’ dormitory and they had confirmed their relationship, many still didn’t know the specifics of their relationship.

Moreover, compared to who Chi Yao’s girlfriend was, most people were more focused on Chi Yao himself.

Sure enough, the girl cautiously probed.

• I heard you two are childhood friends, the kind who are very close.

• Didn’t he come to see you last time too?

Lin Zhe Xia stared at the words “childhood friend” for a moment, then typed a serious reply for the first time, publicly acknowledging their relationship.

• No, he’s my boyfriend.