[“...Because I’m still waiting for her.”]

In early January, high school students were still slogging through classes, while many university students had already started their winter break. For example, Liu Jun, who had just entered Z University in 2013.

For freshmen not long out of high school, returning to their alma mater during the holidays to give presentations about their universities was a very popular activity. On one hand, it allowed them to list a practical project with the university’s Youth League Committee. On the other hand, it satisfied the little vanity of these excellent college students—describing poetry and distant horizons to a group of juniors still struggling in the sea of exam questions, basking in their admiration, praise, and envy. Wasn’t this the ultimate pleasure?

Liu Jun thought there wasn’t anything better.

He had just graduated in 2013 with an outstanding score, ranking 49th in the province, and was admitted to Z University. As soon as his vacation began, he couldn’t wait to return to No. 1 High School. The teachers greeted him warmly, praising him while asking how he was adapting to university life.

In reality, Liu Jun was doing just fine at university. In a place like Z University, full of top talents, he was merely an average student, no longer excelling in everything like he did in high school. This actually made him feel a bit lost. However, he didn’t want to admit it and still acted nonchalant in front of his high school teachers, claiming everything was fine. The teachers praised him again and asked him to come back in a few days to give a speech to the current students in the auditorium.

Liu Jun had been waiting for this day. On January 3rd, he specially changed into a somewhat formal outfit to give his speech. While resting backstage in the auditorium, he unexpectedly met another person—the city’s top science student from the class of 2009, Pei Qiming, now studying at Tsinghua University.

This was also a legendary figure.

Among the class of 2009, the most famous person was undoubtedly Zhou Leqi. This wasn’t only because she dominated the rankings back then but also because her repeated attempts at retaking exams made her even more renowned. Pei Qiming had always been overshadowed by Zhou Leqi’s brilliance. He wasn’t as outstanding as her, but he was equally excellent and much more stable. In the 2012 college entrance exam, he was the top science student in City A, just four points shy of becoming the provincial top scorer—a mere multiple-choice question difference.

Such an excellent student was naturally fought over by the top two universities. Eventually, he chose Tsinghua University to study economics and management, with a bright future ahead after graduation. To make matters worse, he was also good-looking, tall, and refined. When he was interviewed by the media as the city’s top scorer, it sparked online discussions, earning him the nickname “the handsomest top scorer,” outshining even the actual provincial top scorer.

Liu Jun didn’t expect to meet Pei Qiming here, as this senior had already graduated for nearly two years. Such alumni return visits were usually only of interest to those who had graduated within the past year.

He approached the senior and greeted him. While chatting, he asked why Pei Qiming had time to return to City A this year. From what Liu Jun knew, students majoring in economics and management were extremely busy with internships, often spending their holidays working and studying in first-tier cities.

Pei Qiming smiled faintly and said, “Nothing special. I came back to see a friend.”

As he spoke, his gaze softened, tinged with nostalgia, appearing particularly deep and contemplative.

Pei Qiming’s arrival excited all the current students immensely.

He was a celebrity, a handsome one who had made it to Tsinghua University. These accolades earned him thunderous applause as he took the stage, especially from the female students. The headmaster proudly introduced him with a rare smile on his face: “I don’t need to introduce him, do I? All of you listen carefully to his sharing of study experiences, don’t just look at his face!”

The entire hall burst into laughter.

…Except for Zhou Leqi.

Hou Zihao had been sitting next to her since entering the auditorium. Not long after, he noticed something was off with her—she didn’t show any obvious signs, just seemed slightly downcast and unusually quiet. She remained silent amidst the enthusiastic applause and cheers from everyone else.

He found it strange and leaned closer to ask, “Is something wrong?”

But she didn’t answer him, as if she hadn’t heard his voice at all. She just kept looking at the person now speaking confidently on stage, her expression dazed, seemingly lost in thought.

His brows furrowed, feeling as if something had lightly pricked his heart.

Pei Qiming was a man of subdued brilliance.

His speech was steady and charming, enriched by two years at a top institution, which broadened his horizons and further internalized into his demeanor, evident in every word he spoke. He was so excellent, yet he showed no sign of boasting, calmly narrating to the current students below how they should prepare for exams, adjust their pre-exam mindset, and conduct targeted short-term score improvements.

Solid and calm.

The girls below were utterly captivated by this outstanding senior. During the Q&A session, emotions ran high, and there were even brave souls daring enough to stand up in front of the headmaster and publicly ask, “Senior, do you have a girlfriend?”

The whole hall erupted in laughter, filled with whistles and cheers.

Pei Qiming gave a faint smile, seemingly wanting to avoid the question, deflecting with, “Doesn’t anyone want to ask more exam-related questions?”

The response was a resounding “No” from below, followed by a flurry of chatter, all urging him to answer the girlfriend question.

He was helpless, unable to resist the crowd’s pressure, and finally answered, “No.”

The audience became even more excited, and a male student loudly asked, “Why? Are there no pretty girls at Tsinghua?”

This again caused the whole hall to burst into laughter.

Pei Qiming also laughed, graceful and poised: “No, there are many beautiful girls at Tsinghua. When you get there, you’ll find that excellence and beauty often coexist.”

“Then why hasn’t Senior found a girlfriend yet?” someone else asked.

This question seemed to evoke some memories in him. His expression suddenly became somewhat absent-minded, and his eyes revealed even more tenderness.

He looked in one direction, easily finding the one person he wanted to see amidst the crowd, gazing at her from afar and saying:

“...Because I’m still waiting for her.”

By the time the lecture and exchange activities ended, it was almost time to leave school. Students needed to leave the auditorium and return to the teaching building to pack up their belongings and go home.

For safety reasons, students left in batches by class. Class One’s seats were the farthest inside, so they had to leave last. While waiting to leave, the hall buzzed with lively discussions. Many people talked about Pei Qiming—how handsome and charming he was—and speculated about the identity of the “her” he mentioned, guessing what kind of love story a model student might have.

Meanwhile, Zhou Leqi remained extremely silent, her body even a bit stiff. She was still looking down at her fingers, though her eyes had no focus, completely as if her soul had left her.

At the same time, Hou Zihao also felt quite uneasy and fell into a rigid silence.

During Pei Qiming’s lecture, he suddenly realized that he and Zhou Leqi were classmates. Both had excellent grades, so they must have been in the same advanced class, meaning they were definitely classmates and must have known each other well.

Today, ever since seeing Pei Qiming, Zhou Leqi’s state had been off. Her emotions seemed to be pulled by him, especially when he said, “Because I’m still waiting for her.” At that moment, her hands tightly clenched together.

She was being strongly influenced by another boy.

Hou Zihao’s eyes turned cold.

By this time, the earlier classes had mostly left, and it was finally Class One’s turn. This was good because the constant chatter about Pei Qiming wouldn’t reach them anymore. Hou Zihao inexplicably hoped Zhou Leqi wouldn’t hear that name again; otherwise, an indescribable irritation would keep growing within him.

They slowly moved with the crowd towards the exit of the auditorium. The closer they got to the door, the calmer Hou Zihao’s irritation became. Finally, they were just a few steps away from the door when suddenly a voice called out.

“...Leqi.”

It was Pei Qiming.

He had emerged from backstage and was now descending the stage steps, walking closer to Zhou Leqi, stopping three steps away, gazing at her with deep eyes.

His arrival naturally caused a stir among the remaining crowd. Everyone, boys and girls alike, turned their heads towards him, whispering and gossiping about his relationship with Zhou Leqi, the legendary repeater from the class of 2009. They were so excited their faces flushed red.

Yet, he seemed oblivious, quietly focusing on the person he wanted to look at, and asked her, “Leqi... can we talk?”

The crowd let out small gasps again.

Zhou Leqi didn’t want to go.

Really didn’t want to.

But at this moment, she really hated being stared at, being discussed by others present, and having today’s events spread around, making her the center of gossip again. She knew if she turned and walked away now, the rumors would become even more outrageous. The best way to handle it was to naturally walk over and exchange a few words with Pei Qiming. The more natural and composed she appeared, the less others would have to gossip about.

Having made up her mind, she stopped avoiding and looked directly into Pei Qiming’s gaze, smiling calmly at him.

“Long time no see,” she said. “Let’s talk.”

As she spoke, she walked towards him, her expression and posture composed.

But then, she was suddenly stopped.

A warm hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

She turned her head and saw that the person holding her was Hou Zihao.

At that moment, his expression was somewhat gloomy, looking at her without a trace of a smile, gripping her hand firmly, displaying both strength and vulnerability.

He looked into her eyes and asked, “Do you really have to go?”

His question instantly complicated the situation. Pei Qiming watched Hou Zihao holding Zhou Leqi’s hand, his brows slightly furrowing.

Zhou Leqi’s mind was in turmoil at that moment, preventing her from noticing Hou Zihao’s complex emotions. She simply nodded at him and said, “Yes.”

His hand tightened momentarily, even causing her slight pain.

But before the pain could spread, he released her, even withdrawing his gaze.

He turned sideways to her, looking in another direction, and said, “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

I’ve always been waiting for you.

Remember to come back.

He silently conveyed these unspoken words, unsure if their tacit understanding was strong enough for her to understand. Amidst waves of growing anxiety, he heard her say, “No need. You go ahead today.”