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For the past seventeen years, Shi Yin’s life had been smooth sailing—her family was happy and harmonious, her parents’ relationship was wonderful, and she barely went through a rebellious teenage phase. Tripping on the way to school might have been considered a setback.
That was until she met Gu Congli, and she experienced something she couldn’t obtain.
Falling in love is truly hard to control. If given a choice, Shi Yin would rather like Ergou, or the school heartthrob, or any boy her age.
At least nothing so awkward would happen.
The photo was fake, but her feelings were real.
Gu Congli really didn’t think much of her, yet she harbored feelings for him. She couldn’t face herself honestly or act with integrity.
Suddenly, she didn’t know how to face Gu Congli anymore.
She had brought trouble to him.
And now, it wasn’t just trouble anymore.
Shi Yin bit her lip tightly, her head bowed low: “I’m sorry...”
She truly didn’t know what to do.
Shi Yin hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her voice low: “I’m sorry, I’ll clear this up.”
Gu Congli didn’t say anything.
He only knew about this because Pei Shihao told him.
Since her confession, they hadn’t spoken for a long time.
Pei Shihao had her own pride; she hadn’t spoken to him again after that. They went to their respective classes and kept busy with their own work in the office.
Gu Congli certainly wouldn’t initiate any conversation either—he simply didn’t care.
Until yesterday, when Pei Shihao returned to the office after class and slammed her phone down in front of him. Her usually gentle and calm expression was gone, replaced by anger.
Gu Congli glanced at her.
She gestured for him to look at the phone.
He skimmed through the post.
Gu Congli quickly scanned it and handed the phone back to her.
Pei Shihao glared at him furiously: “What’s going on between you and that girl? Didn’t you already make things clear to her? I just confessed to you one moment ago, and the next thing I hear is you flirting with some girl? Couldn’t you at least change locations?”
Gu Congli remained calm: “It’s a misunderstanding.”
“Have you seen what they’re saying below?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Have you seen what they’re saying about you?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Pei Shihao laughed bitterly at his indifferent attitude: “This is your problem. Right now, I’m both angry and worried, feeling like an idiot, while you remain perfectly calm. Gu Congli, do you even have a heart?”
Gu Congli stared indifferently at the words on the phone screen, his expression placid: “Who knows?”
Perhaps he didn’t.
But such matters could be troublesome, and he disliked complications.
Gu Congli looked at the young girl in front of him, unsure how to start.
She had a stubborn personality.
When he rejected her before, she had red eyes and gritted teeth but didn’t shed a tear. She told him she liked someone else and asked if he was overthinking things.
Now, she didn’t dare to look at him, her head bowed low, apologizing in a hoarse voice.
Her voice was filled with guilt and regret.
Gu Congli said softly: “Shi Yin, lift your head.”
Shi Yin trembled and looked up at him.
Her vision was blurry, so she raised her hand and rubbed her eyes forcefully. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to have calmed down: “Teacher Gu, this incident was caused by me. I will explain it clearly and take responsibility. I’m very sorry for causing you so much trouble.”
Gu Congli shifted slightly, leaning lightly against the doorframe: “How do you plan to explain it clearly?”
Shi Yin stubbornly looked at him: “But I can’t just hide behind you without explaining anything. I can’t be a coward.”
“You go out and clarify that the person in the photo is you, that it’s all a misunderstanding, and that we just happened to meet. What else can you do?”
Shi Yin became agitated: “It really is a misunderstanding! Nothing happened, yet people are quick to accuse based on a blurry photo. Those people are just looking for drama, spreading nasty rumors without knowing the truth!”
Gu Congli chuckled: “As you said, they’re just here for the spectacle—they don’t care whether it’s a misunderstanding.”
Shi Yin fell silent.
He was right, and she knew it too.
There were a few voices in the thread suggesting that the lighting was poor, the distance far, and perhaps they were just talking, which looked suspicious from a certain angle.
But such voices were rare and quickly drowned out because they weren’t interesting enough.
Since it didn’t concern them but happened around them, they preferred a more dramatic story.
Shi Yin bit her lip tightly and lowered her head again.
“Lift your head,” Gu Congli stood straight, “Although I’m not your teacher, I’ve taught you before.”
Used to his commanding tone, Shi Yin instinctively lifted her head.
He looked down at her, his light brown eyes calm and unruffled: “I hope that no matter what happens in the future, my students can hold their heads high and live with dignity.”
Shi Yin stared at him, her wet eyes still glistening with unshed tears.
Gu Congli sighed: “I’ll handle this myself. Don’t complicate things further.”
Gu Congli said he would handle it, and Shi Yin believed him.
Not everyone in the school frequented the bulletin boards and forums, but word spread quickly. In just a few days, this incident became the talk of the town.
Opinions varied—some thought a single photo was being overanalyzed, while others believed there must be a reason for such a photo to exist, implying something must have happened between the two.
Shi Yin silently listened to their endless discussions during breaks and lunch.
Fang Shu sat beside her, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
During the extended break, the classroom was noisy, and a few boys nearby gossiped loudly: “Isn’t that art teacher the one who teaches drawing? I heard he’s not a regular faculty member. He’s apparently really talented, hired by the school to train senior art students.”
“Aren’t many art students fond of him? He’s incredibly handsome. Did you see that art student’s exposé in the thread? Recently, there’s been a girl frequently visiting his office, though no one saw what she looks like.”
“Oh, I totally understand. Look at those legs—wow, unbeatable. If I were her, I’d like him too.”
“Beautiful legs indeed. But cheerleaders generally have good figures, and the photo is blurry—it’s hard to tell much.”
Another boy suddenly remembered something, leaned over the desk, and asked: “By the way, Shi Yin, aren’t you also in the cheerleading team? Got any insider info for us?”
Shi Yin opened her mouth in shock.
Fang Shu clicked her tongue impatiently, slammed her pen down, and shot a cold glare: “Can you stop? Are you gossiping housewives? Chew on this nonsense endlessly—it’s annoying!”
Everyone was used to Fang Shu’s personality, so the boys shrugged and returned to their seats.
Shi Yin turned her head and softly said: “Desk buddy.”
Fang Shu hummed twice.
“I love you.”
Fang Shu looked at her with a complex expression: “Do you mean...”
“...What do you mean?”
“You two...” Fang Shu blushed slightly, “Did you... you know?”
Shi Yin’s eyes widened, her voice rising: “How could that be!” Realizing her reaction, she quickly explained, somewhat flustered, “Nothing happened between us. It’s a pure—”
“Pure?”
Shi Yin lowered her eyes, her voice soft: “A purely one-sided infatuation.”
Fang Shu didn’t know what to say.
After a brief silence, Shi Yin slumped into her chair, resting her chin on her arms on the table, her voice muffled: “Desk buddy, I made a mistake.”
Fang Shu was silent for a few seconds before replying: “This isn’t entirely your fault, but you do have feelings for him.”
Shi Yin understood.
Fang Shu would always defend her friends in public.
But she wasn’t blind. She was rational and would analyze problems from an impartial standpoint.
Shi Yin quietly pushed her chair back, stood up, and went to the restroom.
She entered the last stall, closed the door, and started to space out.
Gu Congli said he would handle it—it was a small matter.
But to Shi Yin, it was the biggest event she had ever encountered in her life.
She wanted to tell everyone, but how? Should she post on the forum or grab every passerby discussing the matter and yell at them?
He didn’t want her to cause trouble, but hiding behind him made her feel like a coward, a tortoise retreating into its shell, her conscience tormented every second.
Outside the restroom stalls, light footsteps approached, paused at the door, then disappeared.
Then came the rustling sound of fabric.
A hand slid a note under the door.
Shi Yin froze, crouched down, picked it up, and opened it.
Written in pencil were the words—I know it’s you.
Shi Yin’s fingertips went cold, and cold sweat broke out on her palms.
She abruptly stood up, unlocked the stall door, and pushed it open.
Outside, no one was there. Only a blurred outline of her reflection was visible on the white tiles of the restroom.
On Monday, during the flag-raising ceremony, the school officially issued a statement.
Apparently, many art students’ parents had complained, and the school repeatedly explained. Under pressure, they were forced to publicly address the issue.
The vice principal personally took the stage. His speech was official: recently, there had been many rumors about Teacher Gu. Although he wasn’t a regular faculty member, his professional ethics were beyond question. Everyone was urged to focus on their studies and not believe baseless rumors.
After a twenty-minute monologue, the gist was clear: dispelling rumors and shifting responsibility.
Shi Yin’s heart pounded, her first thought was to find Gu Congli.
But the moment she ran to the arts building, that thought vanished completely.
Shi Yin stood at the entrance. The weather had turned cold, and the glass doors were tightly shut. Outside, daylight was bright, but she could only vaguely see the outlines of the lobby and stairs inside.
She hid in the bushes across the street, crouching for a while until her legs went numb.
Shi Yin thought, maybe this was for the best.
This whole situation had been wrong from the start because her feelings were wrong, leading to negative consequences. Even without the photo, if she continued to stubbornly pursue him, other bad things would surely happen.
Perhaps fate gave her this chance to cut her losses and avoid worse disasters in the future.
Both of them returning to their proper paths was the best outcome.
Moreover, how could she face him again?
The damage had been done, and the harm inflicted. The unwarranted criticism he faced was real, and even though the school issued a statement, they couldn’t control everyone’s thoughts.
He was originally such a perfect person—elegant, serene, godlike, and untouchable.
But she truly dragged him off his pedestal.
Shi Yin felt she deserved to die ten thousand deaths.
The evening study bell rang across the campus. Her legs were numb to the point of losing sensation, and she couldn’t stand up, so she simply sat down on the grass.
Pins and needles prickled her soles, sharp pain inching upward, like needles piercing her skin and flesh.
Her phone beeped with a text message, breaking the brief silence.
Shi Yin snapped out of her daze and fished her phone out of her uniform pocket.
The number was unfamiliar, but the content was eerily familiar.
—I know it’s you.
Shi Yin froze.
She abruptly straightened up and looked around.
Students were heading toward the teaching building, some emerging from the convenience store with snacks in hand. Friends called out to them from afar: “Hurry up! Evening study is about to start!”
She lowered her eyes and quickly typed: Who are you?
[Why shouldn’t the one leaving be you?]
Shi Yin’s back chilled, a suspicion gradually forming.
She immediately dialed the number.
It rang for a long time before someone picked up.
Shi Yin didn’t speak, and neither did the person on the other end. She propped herself up, ignoring the dirt on her clothes, and took a deep breath: “I’m Shi Yin.”
The person on the other end remained silent.
Shi Yin tentatively asked: “Are you an art student?”
The breathing on the other end became clearer.
“Are you the original poster of that thread?”
After a few seconds of silence, the other person suddenly spoke: “What’s it to you?”
It was a girl, her voice hoarse, almost unrecognizable from its original tone.
Shi Yin’s throat went dry as she whispered: “Is Teacher Gu leaving?”
Her question seemed to trigger something.
The girl laughed: “And you dare ask about him?”
Shi Yin clenched her free hand tightly, her long nails digging into her palm: “I won’t see him again,” she said softly, “but I want to know—is he leaving?”
The girl was silent for a moment. “Come here,” she rasped, “I’m by the lake.”
She hung up.
Shi Yin stood rooted to the spot, taking a deep breath.
Experimental High School had only one artificial lake.
From where she was, it was a short walk—past the boys’ dormitory, two green belts, and behind the girls’ dormitory.
Shi Yin thought, she must have guts.
That original poster, who had liked Gu Congli for so long and taken countless candid photos of him daily, likely harbored deeper feelings than she did.
The slashed name on the hundred-rank list, the note slipped into the restroom—it was probably all her doing.
The photo incident was likely an accident since she hated her, not Gu Congli.
Such a person—could she lure her over and secretly kill her?
She hadn’t chosen a safe place.
The artificial lake, known as a lovers’ hotspot, should be bustling now.
Every school had students skipping class, especially during evening study. Occasionally, couples sneaked over the fence, sitting by the lake chatting.
Shi Yin searched from afar and spotted a girl sitting under a tree.
Unlike the extreme image she had imagined, the girl was delicate-looking, with a ponytail, hugging her knees against the tree trunk, appearing quiet and composed.
She suddenly looked up, her gaze meeting Shi Yin’s.
Shi Yin walked over and sat beside her.
Neither spoke.
Finally, the girl broke the silence.
Her voice was hoarse and low, almost unrecognizable: “You actually dared to come.”
“Did you call me here to hit me?”
The girl shook her head: “I planned to push you into the lake. If I couldn’t push you, I’d pull you in.”
Shi Yin smiled: “You don’t need to go through all that trouble. I can jump myself.”
The girl turned her head, looking at her strangely.
Shi Yin scratched her hair and let out a small “Eh”: “Is Teacher Gu really leaving?”
Her expression darkened: “He’s already gone.”
Shi Yin was startled, letting out a soft “Ah.”
This girl probably hated her deeply. Shi Yin thought the earlier threat to push her into the lake wasn’t a joke.
Suddenly, she felt a strange sense of shared misery.
Shi Yin lowered her head, her voice soft: “I’m sorry.”
The girl didn’t respond.
After a few seconds of silence, she slowly began: “I met him back in my first year of high school when he hadn’t graduated yet. I’m different from you. My grades weren’t good, and I struggled to understand things no matter what. My family thought I wouldn’t get into university unless I took the art exam, so they sent me to learn painting. I’ve always felt inferior, thinking I learned to paint because I wasn’t good at studying. I felt like I couldn’t hold my head high in front of top students.”
“Then I met him. He told me that painting wasn’t an escape—it was a choice.”
“Later, he left. When I saw him again at school, you can’t imagine how happy I was. But I didn’t dare approach him. I could post online, but when facing him directly, I couldn’t say a word. I could only admire him secretly.”
“So I really hate you. Every time you went to him so openly, talking to him, I found it extremely annoying. If it weren’t for you, I could still see him every day. Now, I feel like there’s no hope left.”
“I’m sorry,” Shi Yin said.
The girl looked at her: “Don’t you like him? Aren’t you sad?”
Shi Yin tilted her head: “Isn’t this for the best? He won’t be unhappy.”
He was such an outstanding person. No matter where he went, he would have the brightest future.
Shi Yin thought, this was good enough.
Just like in all coming-of-age novels, she met him, made mistakes, faced consequences, and then… nothing.
Like a desolate dream, dreams always had to wake up sometime.
She never returned to that studio, even though she had invested two months of her allowance. Whenever she thought about those two miserable months, she felt an uncontrollable hunger.
After the final exams, it was winter break.
There was always plenty of fresh news in school. The buzz came and went quickly, and the topics changed daily. The name Gu Congli faded, replaced by new heartthrobs, celebrities, early romances being discovered, and who scored full marks on a math test.
Ergou probably guessed something and once subtly inquired about Gu Congli. Shi Yin laughed and slapped the book in her hand onto his head: “How should I know?”
Ergou yelped, shouting that he might not grow taller.
On the last day of school before winter break, Shi Yin visited the arts building one last time.
December had already begun the art exams, and the studios were empty. She walked to the third studio and pushed the door open.
The smell of paint mixed with plaster statues, wood shavings, and dust greeted her.
Shi Yin once thought this smell had a terrifying addictiveness.
She squatted by a wooden table near the door, where a peach was placed.
She reached out and gently poked it.
The peach rolled off the table with a faint foam-like thud on the concrete floor, barely audible in the silent, empty studio.
It didn’t break.
She took a deep breath, stood up, and pulled out her phone to call her mother.
The call was quickly answered. Her mother’s voice came through amidst the noise: “Yinyin, what time will you be home? Mom cooked chicken wings and made sweet and sour—”
“Mom.” Shi Yin interrupted her.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“What if I learn to paint?” Shi Yin said brightly, “Learn painting, then take the art exam, and later apply to the best art academy.”